Judge, Jury, & Executioner

Chapter 26

She closed the door behind her and walked into the darkly lit room. If it weren't for the fact it looked like a poorly funded movie, she would've been scared. Instead, she just wanted to be done. He promised this was the last job and then she'd be free.

Unfortunately, the cops knew who she was now. It would only be a matter of time before they caught onto her trail. Which was why she was here. Meeting her partner in crime, so to speak. He was the reason she was even in this mess.

Emily had spent years working for the mob as a  glorified hitman. But she only became the Executioner after Pine's trial. The one wrong she had to write. She hadn't expected it to go that way, but it had. She couldn't let an innocent man go to prison. And then to cover it up, her partner in crime, had Pine killed in prison.

And then blackmailed her with guilt, and her brothers life. Which, may have been what gave her the idea to blackmail the jurors using their families. It's amazing what threatening family members can do.

She pressed the intercom button and waited. The rendezvous  was a set time they both had to meet unless there was no other way. Which case it would be left at the dead drop to signify they couldn't make. You check that fifteen minutes before coming here. He checked it later to ensure she'd never see him.

She'd staked it out multiple times and never saw him. She joked he was an invisible man. The intercoms light turned green and she heard him sigh.

"Target three?" He asked.

"Confirmed," She replied.

"Move on to number four. It's time to earn your keep."

The line disconnected and she looked around the room. Nothing. She pulled out her XD-9 handgun and removed the 16 round magazine to make sure it was completely loaded. She put the magazine back in and loaded the barrel.

Final mark.

***

Maddox held her side as she got out of Reaves' car. He drives like a Grandma. All over the road and nearly killing everyone. They were at the address for Melanie Pine. It was a small townhouse. Probably bought and paid for by Carter Pine's life insurance.

Maddox closed the door and took a deep breath. Everything seemed to hurt. Her leg, her arm, her head. It was probably easier to point what didn't hurt. She let Reaves walk up first so he wouldn't see her limping and wincing in pain.

Once she got up to the door, she knocked and placed her hand back on her side as she felt the bruise. Everything.

Maddox felt horrible that Reaves' coat had been left in the fire. Probably half burned or worse. She didn't want to tell him that, especially after they'd finally patched things up.

The door opened and Melanie Pine stood at the doorway. She looked at them and Maddox could see the concern on her face.

"Hello, who are you?" She asked.

"Detective Ryan Maddox, my consultant Nathan Reaves. Your Carol Waters right? Also known as Melanie Pine?"

"Please don't say that name aloud. I've done a lot to forget that name. My own family was happy I disappeared. I'd rather leave Melanie where she came from."

Maddox nodded and then stepped closer to the door, "Your husband Carter was killed in prison three months ago. We believe someone is exacting revenge for that. Any idea who that might be?"

She looked as if the whole world had suddenly become black and white. Then she waved them inside. Maddox looked at Reaves and then they entered the house. It was almost completely empty. Hardly anything inside.

"After Carter was killed, I couldn't stand anything that reminded me of him. So I go rid of most of it. When I bought this house I wanted the bare minimal," Carol explained before leading them into a living room area.

She gestured for them to sit and then she sat down across from them.

"My father was deeply connected to the Mob. Your probably already aware of that somewhat. But it's the fact that Carter had convinced him to leave the mob that most people didn't believe. My mother and sister weren't aware of any of my father's dealings. So when Carter was found over his body, it wasn't much of a stretch to them. Carter had helped my father become a good man. And I promise you it was not Carter who killed him. It was the mob," Carol explained.

"Why can you be so sure of that?" Maddox asked.

"Because, all of the witnesses and testimonies that said Carter was in a heated discussion with my father, were false. I had a private investigator look into it. All of them had bank transfers of nine thousand dollars."

"Just enough to keep from alerting the IRS," Reaves replied.

"Exactly. I showed it to the detectives, but they dismissed it because they wanted to keep their quota up."

Maddox nodded. Unfortunately there were Detectives like that. She couldn't stand them. Mainly because her own father had been one.

"What about Carter's defense attorney-"

"Don't get me started on that man. He didn't care about keeping Carter out of prison. Every deal the prosecution offered he wanted to take. At one point, they offered life in prison with no chance for parole and he basically yelled at Carter to take it. But he was innocent."

It was all starting to make a little more sense.

"Did you know Dominic Nickels very well?" Maddox asked.

"He was Carter's best friend. They were inseparable. When Carter was on trial, Dominic told him he would be a character witness. Dominic backed out last minute because his father told him not to get involved."

"What about Natalie Fetzer? You remember her?" Reaves asked.

Carol shook her head no after thinking about it for a moment.

"I hate to ask this, but I have to. Did you hire someone to seek revenge for your husband's death?" Maddox asked.

She could tell it was a horrible question but she had to ask it.

"No. But if I had, I would have started with the prisoner who killed him."

Maddox nodded and then looked at Reaves.

"Do you know an Emily Whelan?" Maddox asked.

"Emily Whelan, sounds familiar but I can't say for sure. Was she another victim?"

"Not exactly. Thank you for your time though."

"If someone had just taken the time back when Carter was imprisoned to ask me those questions, he might still be alive. Thank you for giving me a second chance."

Maddox nodded and then her and Reaves left. They exited the house and walked to the car. It started raining and they quickly climbed into the car. The rain was making a slight haze to everything.

"So, maybe it was the mob the whole time?" Reaves said.

"And maybe, we were on the right trail with Ian. We should bring him in and talk to him again," Maddox replied.

"I wonder how Drake and Cooke are doing?"