The Promise (33 page)

              The Chief’s smile quickly disappeared from his face, “What?”

              Elie breathlessly filled him in, “I found evidence that The Promise is not just a harmless secret club, Chief Parker, but a paid-for-hire business using girls from the Colony to service adult men in the community.

It strongly implicates Dr. Morgan as the head of the operation. I also have evidence that Allison Taylor was one of the girls involved in the sex for hire service, sir.”

              Chief Parker looked over at Gallagher who gave him a nod. He still wasn’t convinced.

“I want a full report from you and Larsen by noon on this. We need to proceed slowly and carefully here. If we don’t or we are wrong on this, it could go off like a bomb in our little community.

Understand, young lady?”

              Elie comprehended the importance of his words. She had done her job as an undercover agent. She was proud, yet sobered, by the implication of her evidence. “I will have that for you, Chief.”

              As the detective turned to go to his car he ran smack dab into Dax Rambo. “Who are you, my shadow?”

              Rambo laughed, “Any comment on the execution-style slaying, Gallagher?”

              “Execution-style slaying, a little dramatic, don’t you think? This looks like a regular slaying to me.”

              Dax pressed him, “Arch Taylor, ties to organized crime. They helped him build his empire. He paid them back handsomely. Now, they are helping him find his daughter and it appears this guy got in their way.”

              Gallagher laughed, “I think you have a vivid imagination, Rambo.”

              The investigative journalist retorted, “It has nothing to do with my imagination, sir. Look at the location of the bullet holes.”

              “Who let you get that close to the victim to even see those bullet-holes? This is a crime scene investigation, not a INN show and tell area.”

Gallagher was angry. “Get the hell out of my crime scene and let us do our business, Rambo!”

              Dax smirked, “Sure, sure. Looks like a .38 caliber weapon to me. Agreed?”

              Gallagher motioned to a couple of officers, “Get this guy out of here and if you see his camera man, shoot him execution-style!”

The policemen escorted the journalist away from the crime scene. “See you around, Gallagher!” laughed Rambo.

              The detective just shook his head and walked back to Chief Parker and Elie and wearily said, “If I ever find the guy who invented investigative journalism I am going to shove his typewriter right up his ass!”

              Elie whispered, “They use computer keyboards now, same ass.” She laughed.

Unsmiling, Gallagher ordered, “Have Lowe’s people call me as soon as they finish the ballistics and anything else they find in the car. I’m going back to bed, what a night.”

He wandered back to his car hoping the pounding in his head would stop. He also had the sense that his work on the Allison Taylor case was about to intensify both in hours and in scope.

It was no longer a case about a single missing girl, now there could be multiple underage sexual victims and a lot of people’s lives and families ruined.

As he got behind the wheel of his car, he sat there praying it was a bad dream he would wake up from the next day.

Chapter Fifty-
eight---raven and gallagher: round Four

             
At precisely, 12:01 p.m. Detective Michael Gallagher was reading the report his partner, Elie Larsen had written up on her exposure of the Promise and Dr. Theotis Morgan.

The detective sat alone in the conference room poring over the details of her investigation, both legally and illegally, into the Colony’s high school prostitution ring.

The detective knew that his boss would be unhappy with Elie’s techniques, but impressed with her overall work on this new development in the case.

She would get a reprimand, but, that was nothing compared to the affirmation she would receive when the case was completed.

              There was no news yet from Dr. Lowe’s autopsy results concerning the dead man in the Mercedes.

He had been identified as Theodore Scott Fox, age 37. No known address. His driver’s license listed phony information concerning his residence. There was not much else to go on concerning his real persona. But, it was a start.

Assuming his name was correct. That was iffy, too.

The Mercedes had, of course, been registered to Malcolm Eric Oden, Athens, Georgia. Gallagher knew that name was real.

He was anxious to find out whether or not there were fibers and hair, or any other body evidence, from Allison Taylor found in the car.

              He also awaited for his favorite interviewee, Margaret Williams, aka Raven, to show up for her fourth appointment with him.

He had more questions to ask her beginning with her fingerprints on the note left on Justin Shaw’s car and ending with her involvement in The Promise.

He wasn’t going to let her off so easily this time. In fact, he realized there was a better than even chance he might have to arrest her if her answers were flippant without substance.

It was time for Raven to put up or shut up.

Her sarcasm and charming, verbal bashing were not going to allow her to escape this time. The evidence piling up against her would override her bluster.

Gallagher was ready. Raven better be.

              Chief Parker paid a brief visit first, “Any word from the lab on the deceased man in the Mercedes, Mike?”

              “Not yet, boss. I should get a preliminary report soon. The major stuff will take time as you know.”

              “So, it’s you and the feisty raven-haired girl today, eh?”

              Gallagher rolled his eyes, “Yep, me and Raven. This is an ongoing challenge. She is getting deeper and deeper into this with each piece of evidence we find…”

As he said this, the girl appeared at the door. The Chief turned around and saw her standing there. “Well, hello, Miss Williams. We were just talking about you.”

              Unfortunately, she already knew that. “Do I need an attorney, Gallagher? Tell me right now.”

              The detective hesitated, “Uh, I will let you know, in about ten minutes. Come in, Raven.”

The Chief excused himself hurriedly and went back to his office.

Raven looked at Gallagher. There was a serious concern in her eyes. She was scared and defiant at the same time. She was ready to do battle.

This was going to be a difficult interview
, he thought to himself.

              “I’m sorry you overheard that, Margar, er, Raven. It was just police talk…”

              “Why do you keep calling me down here, Gallagher? If you have something on me, then just fucking arrest me!”

              “Raven, can you do very nice things for me? Keep your voice down and watch your language. Thank you.”

              The girl stared at him.

              “Now, have a seat and let’s try to be civil here.

I need some answers from you, Raven. I don’t want a tirade, a lecture or a dramatic monologue. This is serious business. I am close to solving the Allison Taylor case but, I need your assistance and it is going to be difficult in getting it after I ask you the first question here, but I must.

So, here it is…”

              She opened her purse and took out a cigarette.

              “No smoking here, Raven. Sorry.”

              “I am going to need a fuc, a cigarette! You’re scaring me to death.”

              “I’ll try to be gentle. But, it’s county policy and I have no say in the matter. Please, Margaret.”

              For once, the black-haired beauty didn’t react to her real name being used. She put the cigarette back in her purse.

The detective realized, “
She is scared
.”

“Now, listen up, the lab found more DNA evidence on the note attached to Justin Shaw’s windshield wiper. You remember that note; it had your handwriting on it.”

              She was all ears. “Yeah, I remember.”

              “Well, that note had something else on it that belonged to you, Raven.”

              “What was that?”

              “Your fingerprints.”

              As soon as he said those two words, Raven stood up and threw her purse across the room smacking into the large water cooler and scattering the Dixie cups poised on top of it to the four winds.

“I am sick and tired of this, Gallagher. I never saw a copy of that note until the day I was in here with you. I was nowhere near Justin Shaw, his car or his well-manicured kiss-ass driveway that night.”

              “But, you have been to his house, we know that.”

              She suddenly became defensive with her defiance, “How do you know that, Gallagher?”

              “Because you have been to parties at the Shaw house, lots of times, Raven. Don’t deny it. I need you to tell me the truth today more than ever.”

              “Parties at the Shaw, maybe a few, so?”

              “More than a few. I know about The Promise and the services it offers older men in this town, Raven.”

              Her eyes got really wide. “Services, like bake sales? Car washes?”

              Gallagher coyly smiled, “Don’t play games, Raven. We both know what kind of services, sex for hire services.”

              Raven began laughing hysterically. “You’ve got to be kidding!

I have never gotten paid to use my body. I have never needed to. And, I wouldn’t let an old wrinkled prune like Redding Shaw touch me.”

              “Okay, let’s assume you are telling me the truth, I will grant you that. But, you have friends in The Promise that aren’t so ethical. We know all about it.”

              “You know about what? Sex involving my friends in The Promise?”

More Raven laughter.

“Gallagher, The Promise is a secret society that pledges honor and loyalty among friends. It is just for girls and we stick together and do silly things like, burn incense and make vows. That’s it.

I don’t know where you’re getting your information, but it sucks. ‘Sucks’ is not a cuss word, technically, either, so don’t yell at me.”

              Gallagher was unmoved by her denials. “Raven, before we go any further, I need to ask you one more time how your fingerprints got on that note.

If you don’t come up with a satisfactory answer, I am going to have to consider you a leading suspect in the disappearance of Allison Taylor and act appropriately according to the law.”

              Raven was insistent, “I told you the truth. That’s all I can tell you. It’s your move, Gallagher.”