The Night Watchman (23 page)

50

D
EAN AND
I
PARTED WAYS
, and I made it to my shift just in time.

The suicide report made for some bland and depressing reading. Clarence Stowe, a sixty-three-year-old male, took his own life with a single gunshot to the head. He was terminally ill and apparently felt he'd meet the Grim Reaper halfway. But how did his gun get in the hands of a killer? It's not like there was a burglary to the police Property and Evidence section.

The buzzer at the front door chimed. I looked up, but my eyes betrayed me. Katie Pham was staring at me.

“You gonna let me in or what?” Her hand still covered the wall-mounted intercom. Her hair looked unkempt, for her anyway.

“Are you armed?” I said, half joking. Of course, the other half of me was dead serious.

“We need to talk.”

I hit the buzzer, and she opened the door and hurried in. She wore a pair of blue sweatpants and a navy blue jacket with a light blue lining.

“Thanks for the report,” I said.

“You've got everyone at the PD running crazy right now.”

“So I heard. What brings you around? I didn't think you were that fond of me anymore.”

“I'm not.” She slipped her hands into her jacket pockets. “You treated me like dirt yesterday. Just because I used to dance at clubs doesn't give you the right to do that.”

“I'm looking for a killer, Katie. Sometimes I forget my manners.”

“The cases are linked, aren't they?”

“You read the report?”

She bit her lip and shook her head. “I can't believe I'm going to do this. But I want to help you.”

Not exactly what I expected from her. “Why the change of heart?”

“I don't think the PD is going to give this the attention that it needs. Everyone seems more concerned about finding out how the gun left Property and Evidence than the link between the shootings. Internal Affairs was down in Sergeant Yancey's office most of the day today. They're looking to hang someone out to dry for the gun thing… and I get the feeling it's me.”

“Do you have anything to worry about?”

“Don't be stupid. But I was the most junior and inexperienced person at the scene, and Dean and I logged that gun in. If they ever find out about my dancing at Club Venus, they'll assume I did something with it, and everything I've worked for is finished.”

“So you're looking to head them off at the pass? If you can help solve the case and find out about the gun, you might save your own career.”

“I know it sounds self-serving, Ray, but I really want to find this person too. I think we can help each other out.”

“Are you sure you want to do this? I have no idea where all of this will lead, and if Oscar finds out you're helping me, your career is definitely over.”

“I'm working on borrowed time as it is,” she said. “If you found out about Club Venus, Internal Affairs is going to find out. They'll terminate me for lying on my preemployment interview. I've seen them fire people for less. I'll do whatever you need me to do.”

“Will you go back into Club Venus for just one night?” The plan already churned in my head. “Maybe only half a night?”

Katie nodded. “I'll do it. And I know that I might just live to regret those words.”

“She's really hot, Ray,” Crevis whispered, mesmerized by the dancer-to-be.

Katie showed the good sense to wear a long trench coat to cover herself as we were planning our night at my apartment. Her tan, curvy legs peeked out as she sat on the sofa. Her hair was primped up and immaculate, with two flowers tucked just above her ears. I didn't think I'd be able to look at her in her crime scene jumper the same again.

Katie had called Chance earlier and asked if she could dance again a couple nights a week. Chance bit, saying they were short a few “entertainers” and would love for her to come back anytime. Katie had never told Chance that she went to work for the police department when she left. She liked to keep all of her cards close. Neither Katie nor I mentioned that the reason they were probably short on help was Ashley's death. We didn't need to give life to that thought, although I'm sure she considered it.

Pam was loading some software we would need on my laptop. “Thank you for helping us,” she said to Katie. “I don't know if we could pull off this crazy plan without you.”

Katie drew the belt of her coat tight. “We just need to get this done. But I have to tell you, Ray, this is easily the most insane plan I've ever heard.”

“I'm open for suggestions, if anyone has a better idea.” I evaluated my crack team and knew deep down in my heart that Katie spoke the truth. Everyone remained silent. I didn't have a better plan, and apparently, neither did anyone else.

“Katie,” I said, “I want you to clip this to your… bikini bottoms.” I handed her a small flower I'd made to fit the Eagle and Hawk audio and video receiver, as small as a pencil eraser. I gave her another matching brooch to clip on the other side. The OCD side of me needed some balance and symmetry. “Now switch it on as soon as you can when you get in, so we can tell what's going on.”

“No problem. I should be able to turn it on as soon as I'm in the dressing room.”

“Excellent.” I smiled. “Crevis, if this is going to work, you'll have to have perfect timing.”

Crevis stared at Katie but didn't reply.

“Keep up with me here, Crevis.” I snapped my fingers in front of his face.

“I heard you,” he said. “Perfect timing. Got it.”

“I need you all to understand something.” My team's attention drew to me.

For a moment, I felt like I was on a cop operation again, briefing everyone on a major case. Then Crevis stared at Katie, and I was reminded that I was working with amateurs who I feared wouldn't be able to react well if something went bad. And the only thing consistent about police operations is that something almost always goes wrong.

“We need to be at our best tonight. This might be our only chance to get this right. I don't want to mess this up… and I don't want anyone here to get hurt.”

“Katie will be fine,” Crevis said. “I'll be in there with her, and nothing, I mean nothing, will happen to her.”

Katie rolled her eyes.

“I'm not so worried about her,” I said. “Now, does everyone have their assignments?”

“Yes,” they said in unison.

“Crevis, you need to act like any other patron in there. Pretend you're having a great time, but keep the mission in focus. You need to be ready to move at the right time. Understand?”

“I got it, Ray. But I'm still not gonna drink or anything. You know how I feel about that.”

“You don't have to drink,” I said. “Just buy a beer and carry it around. Then go to the bathroom and pour it out and buy another. Buy at least two while you're there. If you look like you're not drinking, it could draw suspicion.”

“I never thought of that.” He nodded. “I can do that.”

I checked my watch. “Well, let's get this plan moving.”

51

T
HE
T
HURSDAY-NIGHT CROWD
was hopping at Club Venus. But I hadn't been by the place any night that it wasn't packed. Chance knew his business well, and the burgeoning belly of Orange County served up plenty of customers.

Pam and I found a spot near the front and backed the van in. I made sure my equipment was up and running. Everything looked good. We were to arrive first, then Katie, and finally Crevis. If all went well, we wouldn't be here too long.

Katie arrived just after we got settled, and she hurried into the back door.

Crevis's wire turned on, and music I couldn't identify came blaring through, with Crevis singing along. “I'm here, Ray,” he screamed into the bug. His engine and radio shut off, and his heavy steps approached.

My laptop went live as Katie turned on the camera in the dressing room. She waved her hand in front of the hidden camera.

“It's a go now,” I said.

Pam was quiet, looking like she was praying.

“I need to see Chance before I head to the stage,” Katie said.

I assumed no other girls were in the dressing room and she said that for my benefit, but I couldn't be sure.

The tunes from the club pounded through the speakers, so I made some adjustments to handle the two signals coming in. I turned Crevis's signal down some. I just needed it to monitor him. As Katie zigzagged through the crowd, I could see much of the goings-on. The camera worked better than I thought. I loved it when the tech stuff worked.

Katie arrived at Chance's door, which I recognized from my first visit. She knocked as she let herself in. Chance was at his desk. He was as ugly on-screen as in person.

“Katie.” Chance stood and walked toward her. “I'm so glad you've come back to work with us.”

“Thanks for taking me on such short notice. I really need the work.”

He took a step back. “You look great. Have you been working out?”

“I run some. Try to eat right. I keep busy. I guess I always knew I'd be coming back.”

“The best girls always do.” He grinned. “Knock 'em dead tonight. We can work out any future days later.”

“Thanks, Chance. You've been great.”

He hugged her for a long time. Katie headed out of the office.

“I guess that wasn't what I expected,” Pam said. “I thought he'd be an evil villain or something. He treated her like… an employee.”

“It's just business to him,” I said. “But you don't get in the way of his business. That's for sure. Katie's a freelancer to him. She's unusual for these types of clubs. Most of the girls dance to support their drug habits or to keep their boyfriends in cash. Guys like Chance couldn't care less about these girls, unless they're not making him money.”

Katie went and talked with the DJ. I couldn't hear everything she said, but it was apparent that she was on next.

Katie aimed the camera right toward the stage, just where I needed it. The dancer was taking her last bows and bucks, and she pranced off the stage. The DJ announced Katie, or Loloni, straight in from the Hawaiian Islands. I guess it didn't matter that she was Katie, Asian American from Orlando. The whole club scene was about an image they wanted to portray, a fantasy for the men to cling to, so they wouldn't cling so tightly to their cash. Loloni took the stage.

The camera scanned the room as Katie danced to a throng of drunkards. Pam wrapped her arms around her stomach.

“I can't believe she's putting herself in this situation just to help us,” Pam said.

I hadn't told Pam all of Katie's motivations, but I too appreciated the lengths she was going to to make this work. “Like you said before, ‘Evil doesn't fight fair.’ Neither do we.”

I checked my watch. It was time.

Katie gathered several dollar bills from some college-aged guy and then danced to the side of the stage. In a stunt that would rival any Charlie Chaplin film, Katie caught her heel on the side of the railing and flipped over, smacking a table on her way down.

“Now it gets good,” I said.

Katie's camera faced straight up as several men gazed down at her. “Are you okay?… Do you need an ambulance?… Somebody get a doctor!”

Katie made an attempt to stand but screamed out in pain. “My ankle! I think I broke my ankle!”

In less than thirty seconds, Chance's mug filled the screen. “Are you okay, Katie?” he said, like he cared. What a guy. He was nearly as good an actor as Katie.

“I think my ankle is broken,” she said. “I've broken that one before. I'm such an idiot.” She said it with such conviction that I was convinced.

As Chance was leaning over, Crevis's head appeared right over his shoulder—just on cue. As Chance attended to Katie, Crevis looked left, then right. “Hey! Stop pushing me!” Crevis yelled and then fell on top of Chance.

Crevis and Chance toppled out of sight of Katie's camera. Crevis appeared again and pointed to a guy behind him. “That guy pushed me.”

Chance scrambled to his feet and snatched the unsuspecting pawn by the neck and shook him. “You're outta here! There's no call for behavior like that in this club.”

“I didn't do anything,” the helpless guy screamed as Chance dragged him out of view.

Crevis glanced at Katie's camera and held up Chance's cell phone as he smirked. Crevis had lifted it from the carrier on Chance's belt during their tumble.

“He got it.” I clapped my hands together. “Now get out of there, Crevis. We've got some quick work to do.”

Chance returned and Crevis disappeared out of view. Chance reached down and picked up Katie. The camera went fuzzy, then out.

Katie's signal was gone. Chance must have somehow switched it off when he picked her up.

I turned up Crevis's signal, but I couldn't get anything from him either. I didn't know if he did something to his transmitter when he fell, but they were both silent. I scoped out the front door with my binos but didn't see him come out. I waited about a minute and then called his cell phone. It went straight to voice mail.

“I don't like this, Pam.” I tapped my finger on the laptop and then scanned the front door again. Nothing. No Crevis. No Katie. Not good. I rationalized the communications problems away, but I couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling that something had gone horribly wrong inside that club. And I was in a comfortable van… just waiting.

“He should have been here by now.”

“It's only been a couple of minutes,” Pam said. “He knew the plan. He'll be here.”

“Something's not right. I can feel it.” I called Crevis again. Straight to voice mail.

A terror overtook me that I hadn't considered. Katie had been a bit too free in coming to me. I should have suspected something was off. Was she working for Chance the entire time? Had we just been set up?