ANOTHER KIND OF DIAMOND (16 page)

Don’t worry; I ain’t scared of the bitch! She ain’t nothing and can’t do shit! I’m gonna show the Police that she did it. I already worked out everything.

Soon after, Freddy walked into the station, approached one of the officers on duty named Perez Alfredo and with some kind of urgency in his voice, he said, I’ve got some for you guys.

What is it you have for us? Perez asked.

The 889 Wilkinson street party shot out!

Oh great! Good! This is the kind of thing we’ve been waiting for! Come with me please. He took him to a private room immediately and offered him a seat. Wait here, said Alfredo; I need to go talk to my superiors about this, okay? I’ll be right back! Alfredo walked out of the room and in a short time returned with another Officer and as they took their seats they introduced themselves to Freddy who was all smiles and relaxed. Alfredo now turned to his fellow officer and said; this guy here says he has some information on 889 Wilkinson street case.

That’s good to hear! The officer stretched out his hand for a hand shake, Inspector Stephen Carrington he said. Please, introduce yourself?

My name is Freddy!

And your last name, please?

Johnson!

What’s your address? Freddy had to think that over ‘cause he was trying to protect mama, at last he chose to give his personal address.

Ok! Mr. Johnson! What is it you‘ve got for us?

I was thinking you guys need to watch the girl that goes by the name Isabel. I mean the one on whose birthday that guy got shot and killed.

What’s this girl’s last name?

I don’t even know and I don’t care but I’ve been with her.

Where you present at the ill-fated birth day party?

No! And I thank God for that!

So why do you think she needs to be watched?

She acts real mean to people, understand? I myself almost got shot in her apartment some time ago, get what I’m saying?

Hum! That’s something of interest right there! How did it happen?

He then recounted his ordeal in the hands of Isabel that night she threw him out like a piece of shit with the most important part being that the guy who got killed at her birth day party was also at the apartment Isabel shears with another girl.

You mean Teri Parkinson was also in that apartment as you that same night?

Yeah! We were both in their chilling out with both girls and suddenly the Isabel of a girl started acting out like crazy.

Really! Did she threaten you with a gun?

No! I didn’t see her with a gun though but she might have one. From the way she was acting that night I’m sure she does possess a gun. Is just I didn’t see it!

We work on concrete evidence, though! You have some going for you, no doubt. This story about Teri being present with you at Isabel’s place is something worth looking into but you must be ready to prove your case beyond doubts. And in my opinion the only way that can be done is you are able to recognize the guy Teri to show you know exactly what you are talking about.

And how am I supposed to do that now that the guy is dead!

You’ll be presented with a series of photographs and you must pick him out from others.

I didn’t know him that well, understand? I was meeting him for the first time that night and didn’t get to take a very good look at him. He with his girl was in another room anyways and the lights dimmed all through the period I was in there which wasn’t even a very long time, Freddy stressed.

How long were you there?

About 6 hours! I’m not so sure about that though ‘cause I wasn’t watching the time, Isabel was. But one thing sure is that the dead guy was introduced to me as Teri and that’s what he was called all through my stay in there.

Six hours is long enough to get to recognize someone when you see him again, don’t you think so.

Yeah! You’re right, Freddy agreed.

What is this Teri’s last name?

I don’t know!

Listen, no judge will convict anyone based on what you offered so far because there could be millions of people out there with the name Teri which means we have to go back to the drawing board. Pick him out among these pictures and we buy your stuff!

Freddy tried sorting among several pictures laid out before him, desperately in search of any features that distinguished Teri from the others but there was no recollection in his memory to make the exact connection. After a long period of frustration, he chose to gamble and picked out one that he thought looked like Teri. Here we go! He said and raised it up.

You are wrong! Stephen was emphatic! That’s not Teri! That notwithstanding, I believe you still have something going for you here!

Oh yeah! Can I get my cut of the money you put up on the dude’s head and get out of here! Since you guys bought some you pay up!

Not so fast Freddy! Listen, we need to work on the tip you gave us and see how it fits in place. It has to have some kind of relevance in solving the case, okay? And if that happens, we work out how much you get and give you a call. Don’t think you wasted your time coming here, no! We really appreciate what you did and you will get compensated for that at the right time, so hang in there and hope for the best!

And how long am I gonna wait to get this call from you guys?

We don’t know!

I got to have something! Freddy reacted in anger.

Ok, as long as it takes to solve the crime, how about that Freddy?

So this is all I’m gonna get, ha! Unbelievable! I came in here hopping you guys are ready to work with me and this is all I got!

Ok! Time up! You’ve got to leave now’ cause we got other things to do, okay? Just wait for the call! Stephens said and stood up getting ready to leave.

I’m getting out of here right away but I’ll be waiting! No matter how long it takes, Freddy will be waiting! He said before he left the room in anger and stormed out of the building.

What is in your mind concerning this thing we got from this guy? Stephen asked his colleague as soon as Freddy left!

I think is something worth looking into. At list we now know that the guy Teri had something on a more personal level with this girl in whose party he got shot but that doesn’t really mean anything right now, understand? It doesn’t mean she killed him. I mean, it is natural you invite your friends to your party, so I don’t see anything strange with him being there. The only thing is we can definitely make some connections in some ways and this could be handy at some point in the investigation. It is a good thing we have the information.

You know what I’m thinking? Alfredo asked.

What?

We need gather our men together right away and talk about this and see what others will have to say!

It’s a good thing to do but the lead investigator is off duty today, Stephen said. But he is on Tomorrow though!

Still good enough! I’m gonna give him a call right away to arrange something for tomorrow, Alfredo concluded.

Jenkins got the call a little after lunch and the news that came with it was so exiting that he barely managed to hold on till the next day. And as soon as he reported for duty, he went for all the files tracing down from the shooting of Norman to the present case. He then picked 10am as the starting time for this day’s meeting and was there in Room A waiting when other Officers began walking in.

Out of habit, Jenkins didn’t speak first, Stephen did. He reenacted the meeting with Freddy and what came out of it. Some of the Officers were getting the news for the first time but Jenkins was informed ahead of time so he was more prepared. And as the discussion continued, his countenance changed suddenly. Wait a minute! Jenkins called out and began turning pages on a file in front of him. Here it is! He exclaimed with a finger pointedly on a sport and all eyes went in his direction. I was right all this time. Yes! I said it over and over again, something about a missing link and here it is in black and white. It’s been here all this time yet I continued to miss it but this little tip from this guy Freddy did it.

And what is that? Officer Kempis asked.

The lady named Lucinda Armstrong was Norman’s fourth wife and Norman her second husband. She had a daughter by previous marriage.

Thomas that’s nothing new! We’ve always known these things! Officer Kempis began. The name of her daughter was Nicole. Nicole Fishbump. A missing person’s case was filled by her mom when she was about twelve years old and that was before the woman lost her own life about a year and half after in a different circumstance.

Remember? She died shortly after having a baby, another Officer said.

You are right! Kempis continued. The case of her daughter’s disappearance was very much publicized and mom well investigated and found to have nothing to do with it. Eventually the whole thing melted down to another of those naughty kids that scram from home never to be found again. About two years later Nicole was found dead, killed by a guy she was seeing then who went by the name Randy Fenders. Randy were sixteen when he did the murder to earn himself a juvenile sentence, a ten years prison term with possibility of parole! One thing the death of Nicole did was intensify Police resolve to get hold of Lulu because of a possible link between Norman and Nicole’s murder which was strongly considered then. Eventually Lulu was apprehended but she denied she ever saw Nicole the night she was at the house or knew Norman had a step daughter. And you all know like I do that she wasn’t telling the whole truth. Although there is no existing evidence anywhere indicating she did this second murder that I know of, but that does not mean she didn’t do it. The Police are still investigating.

Now how does boy Randy fare with his sentence and rehab? Can you tell us more on that? Jenkins continued.

So far so good! Kempis continued. I mean, what do you expect of a boy whose freedom was taken from him at sixteen? He is probably desperate to be returned home! According to reports, he’s been one of the nicest kids in his camp, so what? He is being considered for parole in six months or so, that is if he keeps up with good behavior, so what? This was yet another of one of the difficult cases Dallas Police had to deal with if you guys remember. But it was well investigated too and conclusive decisions taken. What are you really driving at this time around Jenkins?

Some missing link like I said earlier. Possibility that the same person is behind all of these cases tracing from Norman to Teri and this fellow is still out there mingling comfortably with society! The person who owes and is hiding the gun we are looking for. That’s what I’m talking about. And as long as whosoever this fellow is continues to walk the street, this gun may never be found and this case may never resolve.

Ok listen, Jenkins, Norman and Nicole cases are closed, dead and never to be resurrected so forget about opening a canker because none of us want to go there, okay? Kempis continued. The culprits are already doing their prison terms, please! The same gun might have shot Norman and Teri but certainly did not shoot Nicole, ok? So I suggest we focus in the present, I mean the murder of Teri. And we do know this culprit is still out there mingling with society alright. I think why we are here right now is to try to find how to get this fellow and make him pay for his crime, period. I’m not saying is a bad thing you are thinking so don’t get me wrong. The thing is that I just don’t think your suggestions will be of much help in this matter. We have a murder to investigate here in LA and I don’t see how these things that happened in Dallas some five years ago have to do with this particular case. So, why flog a dead horse, get my meaning?

I simply don’t think the horse is dead! Jenkins insisted.

Thomas Please! Things happen to people! Stephen came in. There are a lot of depressed humans out there, don’t forget that. And all it takes is a step on their wounded toes one time, and they snap, racking havoc till they are apprehended and stopped. It is possible that this Lulu and boy Randy are connected somehow but don’t want anybody to know of it. A guy named Norman died, killed by someone, his step daughter disappeared, later found dead, murdered also, picture the scenario. Nicole might have seen Lulu kill Norman and by some sort of manipulations Lulu got boy Randy into the whole mess. Boy Randy may not even be aware of the fact he was licked, understand? According to this Randy of a boy, some guy he met on the block few months before the incident introduced him to Nicole. He had known her just for six weeks before she was shot. And what does this suggest? Some ulterior motive! I believe that Lucinda’s death is most unfortunate because she probably took some secrets that would have served us today to her grave. There could be something else in the family that triggered both murder, we don’t know and may never get the answer without her.

In other words Lulu might not have been only a hawker but someone out to get Norman for some other reasons. Jenkins said.

Is a possibility ‘cause there are many sides to every case with many answers blowing with the wind never to be found, Kempis continued.

Guys don’t forget that Psychos do just about anything, another officer lent his voice. There was this case I myself worked on some years back in which a runaway girl about the same age with this Lucinda’s daughter as at the time she died was taken from the street, kept captive and turned into a sex slave by this real Waco. She was locked up in a room large enough to contain a big dog and never allowed to see the sun light for months. The weather got real hot in summer and she died in that room of heat exhaustion so the guy panicked and did something horrible with the body. While the Police sought after the killer, he went after the girl’s mom but luck ran out on him. The hang man he contracted to kill the woman was a Police undercover agent and that nailed him for good. I’m sure all of us share different experiences that can easily connect with Lucinda and her family so there is nothing strange in what happened. If anything, that missing link Jenkins talks about may be Lucinda herself.