Book Five - Part Ten - Ending Evil: Chapter Four
Tuesday – January 1st
The Squad Room – 8:39 a.m.
“Hell of a day yesterday and am I ever glad it’s behind us.”
“The shooting in the projects uncovered a lot of stuff, and from what I have heard this morning. It may very well lead to something deeper. But that will be up to the state investigators and a court to decide.
“No fatalities and that’s always a plus in my book.
“And coming from a fan and a mother, I was never prouder of the team my son plays for than I was last night. Okay, I’m a cop again.”
A few trickles of laughter went around the room.
“Good job of rounding up the homeless yesterday. When they were let go at six this morning, they were all told they could come back to the jail every night until this frigid weather let’s up. It’s the least we can do to help them survive this winter.
“That’s it. No questions? Then get out there and stay safe and keep our streets safe.”
As she was about to head toward her office, she saw Satchell, who, was giving her the come-hither thing with his right hand. She changed directions and entered his office.
“What’s up, Satch? You look like someone who ate the canary and happy doing that.”
“I don’t know about canaries, but happy, very much so.”
Baker sat in a chair opposite him.
“I’ll make this quick. This morning, we are testing the air-raid sirens at ten, noon, and two. You wanted me to remind you of that.”
“That’s right, thanks. I wanted to get up with the City Council about installing two other sirens west of downtown, and two more east of downtown.”
“There’s something else.”
Baker saw the seriousness in his eyes. Then he broke into a wide grin.
“You did eat a canary!”
“Nope, but last night, Sam and I were married.”
Baker broke into a smile, saying, “Well good for you, Satch. It’s been a long time coming for you. You’re one of the good guys that deserves happiness.” Then she had a puzzled look on her face. “But shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon, or something?”
“That’s the other thing I want to talk to you about. I’m taking a few days off and heading for parts unknown with Sam, starting now.”
“I got it. Say no more. I’ll cover for you.”
Satchell’s eyes briefly became serious again.
“We good then, Baker.”
She knew what he meant.
“Always have, always will be.” She smiled.
Lucy’s Restaurant – 11:40 a.m.
A green van was parked in the lot behind the restaurant, and inside, two men were talking, making plans for something big.
“So, how do you wanna work this?”
“We watch her the next couple’a days. Get her routine down. When it looks safe, we nail her and get the fuck out. Simple as that.”
“Ya know, we put her down, once the cops figure out it was us who did her, we’re toast, ya know that, right?”
“Keep your voice down for chrissakes. You might as well announce it to the whole frigging world.”
“Sorry, Manny. Just excited, ya know? I ain’t never put a cap in a cop before. It’s scary, but it’s a rush, too.”
A waitress came over to their booth and put a bill on the table for their breakfast.
“Let’s get out of here, Carleton. We need to find out where she is most of the time besides the cop shop. C’mon, we need to start checking things out.”
Both men stood, went to the register where Manny paid the bill, then out the back door they went.
Unknown to either man, someone did overhear what Carleton said. Getting up from his table, he went to the backdoor leading to the rear parking lot and was able to spot both men getting into a green van. Reading the license plate, he quickly wrote down the letters and numbers.
He decided when he returned home, Lee would find out who these two men were. Lee also wondered who they were after. There are nine female police officers.
Meanwhile, he went back to his table just as his waitress brought him his lunch; corned beef and swiss cheese on light rye and a glass of orange juice. His belly craved food after the jet landed.
You would almost want to believe Lee would be flashing back to his two hits. But he didn’t, and he wouldn’t. Like a buddy of his said when he was in Saudi, “Outta sight, outta mind.”
Three dead people gone forgotten. Time to move on.
1126 Main Street – 1:07 p.m.
“Manny? Hey, man,” Carleton slapped Manny’s shoulder.
“Wha? What is it?”
“Is that her?” He pointed to a woman about 5’8”, with short sandy-brown hair.
Rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Manny brought a pair of binoculars to his eyes and zeroed in on her.
“Yeah, that’s her alright. From here on out, we follow every move she makes. Just try to make it look like we ain’t following her. You got that?”
“Cake, Manny. She won’t have a clue.”
As the day went on, after Baker stopped on thirteen separate occasions, her final stop being home, Manny and Carleton were satisfied with the way things went. Back at their motel room, Manny started cleaning his Remington .38.
“We do her day after tomorrow. I just wanna be sure with one more day in the mix, just to see if she goes home the same time as she did today. We waste her on her doorstep.”
Carleton started laughing.
“What the hell’s so funny?”
“I got to thinking about an old TV show. The guy always comes home and says the same thing every day after work. ‘Hey Luceee, I’m home’. Instead, it’ll be her words saying, ‘Honey, I’m home’.
“Yeah. I guess that is kinda funny.”
The Baker-Manning Home
111 Homestead Lane 7:44 p.m.
With the day being a quiet one, Baker was satisfied with how things went. The City Council would vote next week on the additions of new air-raid sirens. That was a start. With no problems anywhere the police would be needed in Montie just made the day that much better.
Baker started her night after dinner telling Ed and Stevie to good news about Satchell being married in a small ceremony. Leon listened, but he didn’t know Satchell or Samantha at all, so it really didn’t faze him. He was more interested in learning how to play 500 Rummy with Stevie and Ellie.
Baker excused herself from the kids and grabbed ed’s hand and led him toward their bedroom where she guided him onto the bed and she laid next to him, comforted with the warmth of his body.
“You know much I love you, right?
“Uh-oh, why do I get the feeling something’s wrong?”
“Aah, maybe because you would be right.”
“Want to talk about it, Jan?”
“If I do, I’m afraid you would try to talk me out of it, and I know Stevie would do his best to.”
“It’s that bad?”
“Worse.”
“It’s Freddy, again, isn’t it?”
“Yes, and this time the stakes are high.”
“Enough cat and mouse, Jan. Talk to me.”
“This time I can’t. I can’t take the risk. I will tell you I will have the opportunity to take him down once and for all.”
Ed sat up with a deep intense look on his face.
“What did you go and do?”
“Oh, all right. I’ll tell you, but first, you have to promise me you won’t tell Stevie or Leon.”
“Jan, I,”
“No, Ed. Promise me first, then I’ll tell you.”
“I’m not going to like this, am I?”
“Not one bit.”
“Dammit! Okay, okay—I promise.”
And she told him about the letter and phone call. Ed never interrupted her until she finished. He got off the bed and walked around the room for a few seconds before returning and sitting on Baker’s side of the bed.
“You should have been born a man; you know that? You’re just as stubborn as we are.
“It’s about saving Stevie’s life. Leon’s life. Saving your life.”
“In return, you lose, I’m out a wife, Stevie’s out a mother, and Leon will have lost two mother’s.”
“At least they’ll have you, Ed. You’re the closest to a Father Stevie and Leon have. They look up to you, admire and respect you. If … I don’t come out on top of this, at least I know they are in good hands with you.”
“And you’re certain this spawn from hell won’t go back on his word and try to kill Stevie, Leon, or me?” There were no fear in his words, only concern.
“When I heard his voice, it was calm throughout most of the call. I almost sensed a warmth for lack of a better explanation, but I also sensed honor behind his words.”
“Killers have no honor, Jan.”
“True, but Freddy isn’t the norm, either. Look at all those he’s killed. Abusers, user’s, potential dictators, drug-peddlers, manufacturer’s, people who abduct and sell people to the highest bidder. I mean, how many bad guys out there are like him?
“None. Zero. Granted, murder is murder no matter how you look at it, but underneath all those scars; scars that have changed his very existence, is a man dedicated to reducing the amount of filth that walks this world.”
“I’m not liking this at all, Jan.”
Baker wrapped her arms around him, and he pulled her tightly to him.
“When this happens, Jan, do me a huge favor.”
“What?”
“Come home to us, alive.”