ANOTHER KIND OF DIAMOND (15 page)

Correct! Kettles reacted.

Ok! There is also a chance she never fired that gun the first time, but because we didn’t have a prof to that, she got slammed, Jenkins continued.

I sense the route you’re taking Jenkins but I’m not so sure I’m riding with you. Anyways there are even more issues to add. The other lady in this case, I mean Norman’s wife named Lucinda Armstrong is also dead. She died from complications of child birth and what that possibly did was also complicate this entire case, I hope you’ll agree with me Old-Hand.

Oh yes! I do! Anyways whatever happens, I think it is wise we leave for Dallas soon to go see what this Lulu will have to tell us about the gun first and we take it from there. Jenkins concluded.

And due to the nature of the case as one that captured the attention of everyone, two officers set on their way to Dallas the next day. They knew exactly where they were headed so it was not hard at all finding Lulu Dominguez. Bottle neck and what have you quickly dealt with before they had their chance.

To the Officers seated a long time waiting for Lulu, it was obvious the moment she walked in that the encounter was not going be essay. Those were very experienced officers handpicked to go talk to Lulu and they could easily tell which ball would be easily netted and which would be a hard game. Now, with all eyes set on her, she came in, took a seat as offered, bent her head towards a table in front of her and began drawing imaginary lines frantically with bare fingers. But trained Officers are equipped with patient, so they waited.

Jenkins eventually spoke in a kindly manner after some moments of silence. My name is Thomas Jenkins and this fellow here sitting next to me is Brain Kettles. We also have Martin Samples and James Macqueen. We are all officers of the United States Police force here to see you and I know you probably guessed why! I and Officer Brain Kettles, he said touching his collogue, are of the Los Angeles Police Department, while the other officers with us are of the Dallas Police department. May we know your name?

Lulu! Lulu Dominguez! She said in an equally frantic manner.

Thank you Miss Dominguez. We are here at this time to talk to you about something very important, so I solicit your cooperation. We would like you to listen carefully and give answers to questions as truthfully as you remember, is that, ok?

Ok!

Thank you! Now may we proceed with the questions? Jenkins continued.

Proceed! She continued reacting overtly.

Ok! Do you remember an incident that happened on the night of 19th of October some five years ago?

No!

You don’t recall or don’t want to talk about it?

I don ‘recall anything. I don’t know anything. She said and continued with her drawings.

Lulu! Listen carefully! You need to work with us, okay? We understand you probably didn’t want all these happen and wish you are out of here right now having fun with your friends and family but everyone gets into some situation sometimes. But it’s our duty as Officers of the law to help resolve issues and that is why we are here to solve a common problem, okay? If you remembered anything please feel free to let us know at any time in this conversation.

I’ve nothing to say. Lulu continued with her frenzied reactions.

You don’t have to be scared of any one of us, Jenkins added. We’re the good guys and we are here to help you. I want you to understand that!

I don’t understand anything and I never will! Lulu said with emphasis.

Ok! You’ll understand if only you’ll listen. A guy named Norman was killed five years ago and you happened to have been with him and in fact by all accounts you were the last person seen with him before he died. This incident happened at 9440 Rally Street, sometimes after mid of an October night. We don’t want to start recounting all other events that went with it because we all already know. The thing is about the gun used in this crime which was never found. Incidentally, this same gun is once again used to commit another murder in faraway California which is why we members of the Californian Law Enforcement Agency are here. At list if nothing else, you may want to let us know what you did with the gun after Norman. Did you sell it, hide it or give it to someone else? Was it stolen from you or something?

Lulu suddenly became very responsive. You mean the gun? Yeah! I hid it! Yes I hid it! When was this other murder done?

About two months ago! Jenkins said.

Yes! I did that murder too with the same gun.

What! Jenkins reacted.

I had the same dream again, turned into this huge bird, she demonstrated with her hands, flew to this faraway city and with that same gun killed somebody. What are you guys gonna do with me now, eh? Give me another life sentence or what?

You don’t get it Lulu!

Why can’t you guys leave me the hell alone then? I had enough, okay? Just get out and leave me alone! She screamed as tears began running down her chicks. Please take me back to my room! I wanna go back to my home right away! The officers tried so hard to calm her down but she was unrelenting. Not wanting to persuade her further Jenkins called off the interview and Lulu walked briskly as two female officers escorted her to the cell.

Remember I warned you guys before this right? That was Martin Samples talking now. She’s been like that ever since she is been here. According to reports from her psych evaluations she is in denial and also suffering from a serious psychological issue of conflict within herself over what she has done. In that case she wishes she never did it because of the deprivations prison life imposes on her young life but then she already did the crime and nothing could wash it off her hands so she suffers and is actually in a lot of real pain. She is supposed to be on some medications to help her through this period but she never ever takes them. The only medication she ever gets is this life in denial that she lives which never accepts she committed this crime. As long as she is in that state, everything is fine. But confronting her like we did right now was like throwing the whole thing at her face and that kind of brought back the memory of it all and she wasn’t gonna accept that, so she fought. She is one of the more difficult cases we have here.

That’s okay! Jenkins continued. It is regrettable that we were unable to get anything from her but we gonna keep trying ‘cause there must be some ways somehow to do this and we’ll find that way sooner or later. Anyway, we say thanks to you guys for your help. There is nothing more we can do with her now so we shall be heading back to LA and will continue to pursue other leads and keep digging until we get to the bottom of this. I’m not totally surprised she reacted the way she did though. Not at all! If anything it goes to reinforce a certain kind of way I’m feelings about this whole thing. Anyway, we wait and see what happens next. With handshakes and other formalities concluded, the officers departed.

Back in LA, giving feedback on their encounter with Lulu to other officers was a little hard for Jenkins who had nothing specific on hand. However he recounted in as much detail as he could the events that took place in Dallas. It is regrettable the mission was a total failure he concluded.

All I can say is that this case requires some hard work, Kettles added.

I also need the fast track ‘cause I’m dying to figure this out before my retirement which is not far from now, Jenkins continued. I suggest we raise the ransom fee to twenty-five thousand dollars and see what happens. What do you guys think?

None of the officers present thought it was a bad idea and the motion was adopted.

Chapter Eight
 

T
he higher ransom fee brought Freddy right back to the scene. Remember him? The other guy Isabel forced out of their apartment the same night she forced Teri to leave and set the stage for all the events happening now. That is Freddy.

The guy is what you call a Mama’s boy. As the last of six kids and the only male child, his mom spoils him real bad and he enjoys every bit of it. He never goes through a day without seeing his dotting mama and nothing happens in his life which mama does not know about. This was an agreement reached between the two, Freddy and mama, since he was a kid.

The guy never held a good job and can hardly afford a place to live so without help from mama he would be completely lost. Fortunately, mama has been hard working all her life and can afford to more than hold her own. Part of her relentless pursuit of wealth is because Freddy must have everything he needs as long as mama can afford it. Mama paid to have him and another guy rent an apartment once he turned 18 and voiced out he wanted to move out of Mama’s place. Even so, it was mere formality because in the real sense Freddy never ever left his mama’s couch. Mama got him a car when he needed one. Nothing really expensive but mama pays for gas, mama pays for maintenance and Mama supplements for feeding and clothing. Mama even pays for drugs and liquor. It is always Mama I want this or Mama I want that and mama never says no.

Today, Thursday the 9
th
of August, he has been on his bed all day long in his room at his Mama’s place as usual, sleeping, eating between sleeps and watching the TV whenever his sleepy eyes opens, with the TV remote his favorite companion by his side. He would watch the programs lying on his back, then go get some more food from the kitchen, eat in bed, fall asleep and wake up to continue the vicious circle.

He was just beginning to dose off again now when the news on the TV caught his attention. Is not as if he has not heard about the shooting at 886 Wilkinson Street ‘cause he is very much in touch with what has been going on and have been watching the whole thing to see how to cash in on it. According to him, since Isabel once messed him up at that same address, now her pay back day is coming and is Freddy who is going to be signing the checks. In fact, is because of this case he glued himself more or less to the TV these days. When the Police announced the twenty thousand reward initially, Freddy almost jumped for it but somehow he reached a realization that he was going to play a waiting game and win. If he gives the Police the works by withholding what he knows, that will make them raise the fee and give him even more money. And the longer he holds out, the higher his take. That was the thinking that made him decided to continue to lie low and see how rich he finally gets. Now, the news today that the price money in the shooting event has been raised from twenty thousand dollars to twenty five thousand dollars was simply too good to ignore. Something like a business idea is even cropping up in his head already on where to invest and whenever he thought about it; he always came up with, a car wash Station.” That’s what I need and with that I’m made for life,” he voices out loud each time he contemplates. But first, he must work out a good plan on how to approach the Police to succeed.

With the news still on screen, he jumped out of his bed and rushed to the living room where his mama was also watching the same program.

Mama! Mama! That’s the one I’ve been talking to you about. he said in a glee.

Yeah! The same building where you got messed up by some bitch in frock, right?

Right Mama!

I always said it that what goes around comes around, remember? And now she’s gonna get what’s coming for her! She’s gonna ripe every single seed she sewed out there. Didn’t I tell you that? Someone got shot at her party, ha?

Yeah mama! I’m sure she did it ‘cause she is a real mean bitch. I already saw it coming and that’s why I stayed away from her. Oh yes! She did it for sure! She called me for that damned birth day party of hers but I turned her down ‘cause I swore I was never gonna deal with her again after what she did to me that night! I may look and acts like a boy, but I’m a man! Yeah! That’s what she failed to realize. You don’t treat a man the way she did me and get away with it but I just let it slide because like you always told me, I try to stay out of shit. And now it is all working so good for me as if I knew this whole crap was gonna show up. The money thing is up too. Yeah! That’s some big stuff and I’m gonna get every damn penny of it, he said with some exuberance.

It’s right on the News now! Twenty five thousand dollars! Baby! I tell you some, that’s a whole lot of money and I think you may wanna go to the Police if you have some kind of proof she did it. His mom continued.

I already figured mama! Is just I don’t know exactly how I’m gonna put what I’ve got on that bitch to those men in uniform and get them buy my stuff.

That’s what I’m talking about babe! You need to prove she did it. Remember how she did all kinds of shit to you because she wanted you out of her apartment? You said there was this other guy in the house that same night, right? And you know what? This other guy can stand for you also and testify she is really mean and dangerous. She could kill if she has to, get what I’m saying? That’s a clue right there so work on it.

It’s the same guy that got shot! Freddy said.

Really! I didn’t know that! That’s the real deal right there! Kid why didn’t you say some all this time!

I was bidding my time mama! Yeah! That’s what Freddy is been doing ‘cause your little boy is now a grown man.

I’ll go to the Police right away with that if I were you? Mom encouraged him.

Ok! I’m gonna do just that! I’ll be leaving right away for the Police department. Isabel, see you soon in jail! And he got mama laughing with that.

Just be careful son! That kind of a girl could do a lot more so you got to watch your back, okay? Have your facts all together ‘cause you got to prove you’ve got something good to sell. Don’t forget that!