An Unladylike Murder, page 26
part #1 of Jessica Sloan Mystery Series
Cutter had arranged for two San Jose Officers to join them. They were following in their black and white Ford Explorer.
Cutter and Sloan were driving and talking about the task that lay ahead of them.
“I’m glad you let the locals know we were coming with a warrant for the arrest of the Lopez brothers.”
“I asked them if they knew anything about the location that they could share with us.”
“And?”
“I asked if they knew about the lay of the property and if they’d served any warrants there.”
“Have they?”
“No warrants, and it’s not a known drug or gang location either.”
“Good, then this should be easy right?”
Instead of answering, Cutter had a question for her. “Did you always want to be a cop, Jessica?”
“When I graduated from high school I thought that I wanted to be a lawyer but I didn’t have the money for all that schooling so I became a cop figuring I could work a while then get my degree. Turned out I like being a cop.”
“Have you found it tough to date when men find out you’re a cop?”
“Amen to that. I endured the academy, which was just like going back to high school. Now that I’m on the force most men I meet get turned off as soon as they discover I carry a gun and can probably whip their ass in a fight.”
“How do you meet guys to date?”
“Are you asking because you’re interested in my social life or because you’re thinking of dating again?”
“Cute. It’s just that I keep hearing about people that have met online and they all seem happy.”
“I can’t use Facebook or other social media because they could be used by a criminal against me or to get at my sister for some false sense of payback.”
“At least you don’t have to worry about being stalked by a badge bunny.”
“Not true. Women also get approached by men who claim they’re only looking for a friend, which really means he sees you as having a good steady job, good pay, and benefits.”
“I hadn’t thought about that.”
“I think that’s half my problem. I won’t risk it all. I’m afraid that every man who flirts with me is really a badge bunny or holster sniffer.”
Cutter shifted in his seat. “We need to turn up ahead… Let me ask one more question. Do you really think iPoirot is going to make a big difference in what we do?”
“I think it will make the whole investigative process so efficient that criminal activity stops altogether.”
‘Ha, ha. That’s funny. Turn right here.”
Just after 11 p.m., they stopped the car and turned off their headlights.
The two San Jose Officers pulled up behind them.
Cutter went into his trunk and retrieved their Kevlar vests. “We need to wear these.”
Sloan gladly put it on.
Next, Cutter handed her a flashlight.
The San Jose Officers also dressed in protective gear and joined them.
Sloan said, “My guess is that we’re about two hundred feet from the house.”
There was only a sliver of a moon. The house the brothers might be in was completely dark. The property and the surrounding ones screamed beware of occupants.
Scumbags live here.
Sloan continued. “When I talked to the owner of the property he said that the property has electricity. Seeing there are no lights, it could be vacant or, they may be sleeping.”
Cutter said, “We’ll take the front while you two cover the back in case they try to make a run for it. We’ll enter through the front door. Don’t enter unless you hear shots being fired.”
Cutter was six foot and weighed a hundred and ninety.
Sloan was five foot seven and weighed a hundred and thirty.
Both of the San Jose Officers were over six foot and outweighed Cutter.
The senior Officer said, “Got it.”
Cutter advised the officers they feared the Lopez brothers would do anything to avoid prison time. “Stay alert.”
“Copy that.”
Staying about ten feet apart, Cutter and Sloan walked cautiously along a dirt path while holding their weapons and flashlights. They were waiting until the last minute to turn the flashlights on.
Even in the dark, they could see the hideout was a pre-war shack in poor repair.
Cutter spoke softly. “I betcha this lousy fixer upper sells for over a million.”
“Probably.”
They passed a discarded refrigerator overgrown with weeds.
Sloan spotted Ben’s silver Honda parked near the other side of the house. She pointed it out to Cutter who nodded that he saw it.
She watched as he went to the vehicle, crouched next to the rear wheel well, then stabbed the tire with a blade.
Sloan felt her heart beating so hard she was afraid the brothers might hear where she was standing.
She glanced at the San Jose officers who were barely visible.
A bead of sweat left her brow and was heading towards her eye. She wiped it away with her flashlight hand trying not to hit herself.
A dog barked from inside the dark home.
“Damn it.” Sloan knew things had just turned in favor of their prey.
Chapter 80
Sloan was hoping she wouldn’t have to sacrifice the dog’s life.
I’ll have to shoot if it attacks.
Sloan heard Cutter’s voice. “If they’re inside, they’re now awake and armed.”
They walked slowly towards the front door while trying to avoid making any noise themselves while listening for a door or window to open.
In her head, Jessica went over the brothers’ options.
If they send the dog out, they’ll try to make it to their Honda then try to make a getaway.
If they make a stand inside the house, they could break the glass or open up a window and start firing.
They could also wait until we try to enter through the door and then open fire.
No lights were being turned on.
If we walk inside it’ll be dark and we won’t be able to see anything.
A loose board on the porch creaked.
Now they know where we are.
Her mind went to her weapon training. She could tell the house was all drywall and studs.
No cement or concrete walls to stop a bullet.
If a bullet goes off target, it’ll rip through several rooms before it stops. It could even hit one of the officers in the rear of the building.
Cutter motioned Sloan to stay where she was as he went to the other side of the door.
Cutter yelled out. “Ben and Carl Lopez! This is the police. We have the house surrounded. Come out now with your hands on top of your head.”
Sloan heard the dog growling.
She had a sudden knot in her gut as if she was approaching the top of the Six Flags roller coaster.
“Come out now before we have to come in and get you.”
Sloan heard nothing but deep growling.
“This is your last chance. Come out now or we’re coming in.”
Cutter glanced at Sloan who said, “Go.”
Kicking at the door just below the doorknob, Cutter busted the lock from the frame.
Sloan flicked on her flashlight and immediately entered with her Sig Sauer ready.
She held her SIG in her right hand with her right arm straight out from her body. Her left arm was bent at the elbow so the forearm went straight up bracing her right arm while holding the flashlight. Her finger was ready to leave the barrel and move to the trigger.
She stepped to the right.
Cutter entered, stepping to her left.
She moved the flashlight left then right.
All she saw was well abused furniture sitting on worn linoleum.
Jessica raised the beam into the dim hallway searching for the source of the growling.
Sloan found a growling grey and white pit bull.
Someone’s hand was gripping the animal’s collar.
She moved the beam of light to her right.
It looked like it could be one of the brothers and he was kneeling on the floor.
Even in the dark the brother was wearing sunglasses which partially covered a white gauze pad on his left eye.
No weapon that I can see.
“Lay down on the floor!”
The kneeler let go of the dog’s collar and did as directed.
Keeping her weapon trained on her suspect, she glanced where Cutter’s beam was directed.
Ben Lopez was holding a handgun sideways, gangster style.
Idiot. He doesn’t even know how to hold it.
Cutter shouted. “Put your weapon down or we’ll shoot.”
“How do we know you won’t shoot us?”
Sloan yelled, “Put your weapon down now.”
The brother lowered his handgun, then dropped it to the floor.
Sloan let out the breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Kick it towards me now.”
Both brothers were cooperating. “Drop to your knees.”
Sloan recognized that it was Carloz Lopez she was cuffing.
She glanced to see the pit bull wagging its rear end and Cutter had Ben handcuffed.
They exchanged smiles in the semi dark.
Jessica said, “Good boy, come here.”
She reached down and grabbed the dog’s collar with her left hand while she kept her handgun leveled at Carl.
“Now both of you walk outside, slowly.”
Carloz went first.
When they got to the porch Sloan yelled, “On your knees.”
Carloz dropped to the porch, followed by Ben.
Standing behind Carloz, Jessica used her left hand to bend Carl’s ear.
Jessica felt a sense of relief.
Four fingernail sized holes behind your ear.
She made him face her.
Bandage covering a scratched cornea.
“Double gotcha, Carloz.”
With Ben and Carloz in handcuffs, Cutter pulled out a Miranda Warning and read it to them. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to have an attorney present during questioning. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand the rights I have just read to you? With these rights in mind do you wish to speak to me?”
The brothers stayed silent.
Cutter yelled out to the other officers. “We got them, come on out front.”
They appeared from separate sides of the home with weapons drawn but aimed at the ground.
Seeing the suspects in cuffs and the dog under control, they holstered their weapons.
Cutter spoke to them. “Can I ask you to sweep the house to make sure no one else is inside?”
Sloan added, “If you find any eye drops or antibiotic ointment, please put in an evidence bag.”
“Copy that.”
They entered the house with their weapons drawn.
While Sloan stood with her weapon on the brothers, Cutter did full prisoner searches on each of the brothers. They checked them for needles, box cutters, knives or other contraband, which they could use against Cutter or Sloan, or themselves.
“Now I want you both to slowly walk over to the Taurus.”
Cutter placed both onto the hard plastic of the rear bench seat.
With the front seats pushed back and their broad shoulders it’ll be hard for them to move.
Cutter opened the trunk and grabbed a length of rope that he used to secure the dog to the porch.
Sloan kept her SIG in her hand just in case anything happened.
Thirty minutes later, the San Jose officers were finished. “There was no one else inside.”
“Find anything interesting?”
The oldest officer held out a plastic evidence bag. “I found this eye ointment. How’d you know it would be in there, Detective Sloan?”
“Lucky guess. Thank you for all your assistance. I’ll call your Supervisor and tell him how helpful you both were.”
“We appreciate that. We’re all brothers in blue, right. We’ll call animal control to collect the dog and a tow truck for the Honda. You take your suspects up to Fog City and make your case.”
The four police officers shook hands.
Chapter 81
Cutter called Sloan aside and whispered. “We won’t talk to them until we can get them in separate interview rooms.”
“Code four.”
Cutter smiled at his partner’s use of cop speak for ‘I’m okay, are you okay?’
Jessica started the long drive back to San Francisco.
Cutter turned towards the rear seat. “If I hear either of you talk, without my talking to you first, I’ll put socks in your mouths and tape them shut. Nod if you understand.”
The brothers nodded in unison.
The clock was still ticking and Cutter and Sloan knew it.
Now we have to get them to confess and put the pieces together.
Since it was after midnight on a Sunday night, the traffic was light. They made good time getting back to Homicide Headquarters.
Cutter and Sloan escorted their prisoners to be processed. They stayed with them to see if they said anything, while their personal property was put in brown paper bags then sealed with tape and marked for safekeeping.
While the Lopez brothers were taken for further processing, John told Jessica, “It’s going to be a long night. By the time the paperwork is done, photos, fingerprints and palm prints are taken, it’s going to take several hours. Why don’t you find a spot to grab a couple of hours sleep? I’ll phone you when we can interview them.”
“Are you sure?” Jessica yawned.
“I’m sure… Ya know, Sloan, we make a good team.”
“Thanks, partner.”
Chapter 82
Monday
Since the Lopez brothers cooperated with the intake officers by keeping their cool and having decent attitudes, their processing went well.
It was early the next morning when Cutter was informed his prisoners had been processed and were available to be interviewed.
Cutter phoned Sloan who appeared fifteen minutes later holding two cups full of coffee.
Cutter took one. “Thanks. How was the cot?”
“I got a few hours’ sleep, so thank you. Did you get to nap?”
“Probably two hours. Now, before we interview them, I just want to tell you how impressed I was back at the farmhouse. It’s nice to have a well-trained partner who knows what they’re doing and you can trust.”
“I feel the same way.”
“Are you ready for the Lopez brothers? We still don’t know who actually killed Jill Gillberry or if anyone else other than the Lopez family was involved. We need to pull it out of them. Without all the pieces, the District Attorney will never take the case to court.”
“Let’s do it.”
Cutter placed Ben and Carl Lopez in separate interrogation rooms. They were both wearing orange smocks and pants identifying them as prisoners. Both were handcuffed.
“I’m going to leave them to stew in their fears while we finish our coffee. Then I’m going to lie to both of them telling each one that the other has given a statement implicating the other. Then we’ll see how they react.”
“I’d like to interview Carl.”
Cutter said, “Sorry, but I can’t do that. I’m going to start with Carl first.”
“But…”
“Given that he assaulted you, you can’t be the one to interview him.”
On the screen, Sloan watched Cutter walk into the interrogation room. Cutter had removed one of the three chairs leaving only the two chairs and a table.
Sloan knew the idea was to create a sense of exposure, unfamiliarity and isolation, heightening the suspect's ‘get me out of here’ sensation.
“For the record I’m Detective John Cutter and I’m interviewing, Carloz Lopez, also known as Carl Lopez. Is that correct?”
Carl was silent.
“I’m afraid you need to answer. Is Carloz Lopez your real name?”
“Yes.”
Sloan watched as Carl’s eyes moved to the right.
He just told the truth.
“Good. Now Carloz, we first talked the night that you were supposedly protecting Jill Gillberry and she was killed in the Ladies Restroom at the Orpheum theatre. Is that correct?”
Carl let his head sag.
He didn’t respond.
Neither John nor Jessica could see his eyes.
“That’s alright. We already have your cousin Juan in custody and Juan gave up both you and Ben.”
Sloan saw Carl raise this head.
“He told us that you two planned and killed Jill Gillberry. I’m going to give either you, or Ben, a deal. I’m giving you the first opportunity to take it.”
John’s lying.
But that’s alright since the belief is that an innocent person would never confess to a crime he didn't commit, even if he were confronted with false physical evidence of his involvement.
“Carl, if you stay silent this will go very badly for you. I’m only in here trying to help you out. Now once again, is that correct?”
Cutter knew Sloan was studying Carloz like a hawk judging its prey. Looking for a twitch here or an eye jerk there that would indicate he had something to hide.
Carl didn’t cooperate. He stayed silent.
Jessica watched as John scrunched his lips.
He’s pissed with Carl already.
Cutter stood and started walking towards the door. He paused with his hand on the doorknob.
Hearing nothing, Cutter left.
Sloan and Cutter’s phones beeped.
IPOIROT ALERT: David Coyne, Ben Lopez connection.
Jessica went to her desktop computer and logged into iPoirot.
Cutter stood over her shoulder. “What did the system find?”
“Hold on, John.”
Jessica clicked until she found it. “iPoirot found an email account set up by David Coyne under the address of JohnWayne1234. It also says that Ben Lopez has accessed it on multiple occasions.”
