CHAPTER 16
The darkened warehouse provided an appropriate backdrop for the activities planned within this evening... it’s cob webbed corners and dusty crevasses were like a stage set for the evening play... the scenes to be acted out by its participants were from a script written long before hand...
Charles stepped through the open door... in his mind he could picture being greeted by a sinister figure dressed all in black... instead, a small ray of light coming from a single bulb hanging near the center of the room met him as he crossed through its path...
Hello... are you in here? ... I brought what you were wanting... he motioned forward with the hand that was holding a small metal brief case and let it swing back to his side...
He continued walking into the warehouse toward the single light source he could see... it was almost too quiet... he was hoping he would soon hear some sign of life when a sharp pain bit deep into his chest... a look of surprise was on his face as he slumped over, dropped to his knees, and then fell forward to the floor...
In a very cool and professional manner the killer strolled up to him, pried his fingers open and pulled the brief case loose from his hand, nodding toward the shadows as if to tell someone he was done, he calmly walked out and away from the building...
The killer carried out the rest of the script as it had been rehearsed, first making sure the target was dead, and then deliberately taking this alley and that walkway... he slowly disappeared into the routines that seemed familiar to the people that travel the night...
Now becoming just another one of those travelers, his car pulled away from the curb, carrying treasures that had proven fatal to Charles. The beginning of the next act was about to be played out... it now was time for Scene 2...
…
It was a restless night for Berry… so much on his mind and so few answers… he had been tossing and turning all night and sleep had been far from his grasp… As he rolled over he was thinking that he might as well get up and work for a while. Maybe he could make some sense of all of this… and then again maybe not… he was thinking that it was no use to lie in bed and at least if he was up working he might be able to accomplish something.
As he moved slowly towards his terminals the flash of red and white lights cast shadows across the room… he wondered what was going on? Changing his direction he moved more quickly towards the large southern window to see if he could determine where the flashing lights were coming form. Looking out on warehouse row he could see several police cars in the distance parked next to one of the old warehouses… his thoughts turned to excitement as he began to fantasize about the possible cause of all the commotion. Returning to the bedroom he quickly dressed and glanced at the ever-present red digits of the clock… 3:12 AM they were saying… reminding him that he had not slept much and that he probably was not going to either…
Berry approached the old building and he could see a gathering of several official looking men dressed in suits talking to several police officers… He cautiously moved closer trying to hear some of their conversation… Excuse me sir, can I help you? … one of the officers stopped him before he could get any closer… uh, well I saw the lights and was wondering what was happening, just curious about what was going on… before he could finish one of the men in a suit turned and spoke…
Officer Grady, let Mr. Sullivan by, he then spoke to Berry… what are you doing down here at this hour? It was Lt. Dave Lutz…
Well I just live a block or two away and from my window I could see the lights on the squad cars… I guess my curiosity got the best of me…
See the lights? … do you always look out of your window at 3 in the morning?
Well… not always, but I couldn’t sleep, and was working on some things when I saw the reflections from the lights… Basically I wanted to know what was going on in my neighborhood… Berry was careful about his response not to say too much. He knew how police detectives could get carried away trying to get information.
Anything I should know about? … Dave was already getting into Berry’s business… a case you have been working on? Ya think it has something to do with why we’re here? …
Nothing big… and how should I know… I have no idea why you’re here… Berry was again evasive trying to dismiss his current case.
I suppose I shouldn’t get you involved, but what the heck, maybe you can help… he motioned for Berry to come over to where he was standing.
We got a call from the night watchman around 1 am saying that he had entered one of the warehouses to check out an unlocked door… what he found was a body… our investigators say it was a single shot to the heart that killed him… looks like a professional hit… we’re not sure why he was here… his name was Charles Loften and his identification indicates that he’s an independent chemist that runs a lab on the south side… from what we have found out most of his business was in the area of water surveys and toxicology reports… maybe he had discovered some information that someone didn’t want to get out…
Berry was a little taken by Detective Lutz’s frankness… Have you discovered any specifics about the shooter?
Only that he was very good… left no direct clues as to his identity… the place is real clean… we have a team sweeping the building, and some of the officers are combing the area for possible witnesses… maybe they’ll come up with something… but for now we have no ideas. You want to take a look at the deceased? He’s still in the warehouse where we found him. I believe forensics is finished so we shouldn’t be disturbing anything…
Berry was beginning to feel a little uneasy about Dave’s willingness to be so revealing, but he wasn’t going give up a chance to get involved… he was curious about what was going on. Sure, I’ll take a peak, who knows… maybe I’ve seen him before on one of my investigation… I might be able to be some help… He tried to sound as if he was really interested, but in reality his mind was still going over the confusing facts that were puzzling him about his current investigation.
As they stepped through the doorway, he could see the figure of a body crumpled on the floor a few feet in front of him. Walking closer a small pool of blood came into view next to the body…
Sergeant, have forensics finished with the body?
Yes sir, the M.E has some people coming to take him to the morgue for an autopsy.
Good, we want to take a quick look before he’s taken away… Berry, anything in particular you want to look at?
Not really, was he in this same position when the night guard found him?
Pretty much… of course they may have moved him some after pictures and collecting any forensic evidence… but he was much the same as you see him now when the M.E was finished.
Berry noticed that his hand was clinched as if he had been holding something… was anything taken from his right hand?
No… not that I know of… what are you getting at? Detective Lutz looked at Berry sort of squinting his eyes as if to say… you know something we don’t.
Well, his right hand seems to be clutched as if he was holding something… I just thought he might have had something in his hand you might have taken out to look at… just a hunch, nothing really…
Dave called out the door to one of the men in a suit… Bob, come here a minute…
As the man stepped through the doorway, Dave spoke to him in an official tone… did your guys find anything in the right hand and remove it to investigate?
No Dave, but I did notice the clinched fist…
What do you make of it Bob?
Well sir, we think that he might have been holding something that the killer removed before he left… I was going to include it in my report…
OK Bob… Dave turned back to Berry… very observant Berry, any other observations?
Berry studied the crumpled body a little longer and then blinking his eyes turned to Lt. Lutz…. Mind if we step back outside… he was feeling a little uneasy and thought the fresh air would be better.
Sure, we can
talk out front… and with that they walked back towards the door and stepped outside. As the two men slipped through the doorway Berry knew his mind was racing on too many things right now to be of any real help to Dave, but using his best straight forward approach he summed up his feelings…
Well Dave, it looks like a professional hit to me. From what I could glean from the scene and the position of the body the deceased either knew his killer, or was totally unaware of his presence, which I believe to be the case. He may have been here on a pre-arranged meeting and was not expecting foul play. I also think that whoever was supposed to meet him here may also have been the person that arranged his murder. From the way he was dressed and the wrinkles in his pants behind the knees, I would venture to say that he had been sitting most of the day, maybe at his place of work, and that he had not had a chance to go home to change clothes after leaving his job...
And of course, as I have already mentioned and your detective has pointed out, he appeared to have been holding something in his right hand that may have been the motive for the murder… it is possible that the murderer took whatever was in the victims hand when he left the scene, but all that is just my opinion … and you know what they say about opinions… Berry stopped abruptly. He was a little surprised to hear all that come out of his month since he usually kept his opinions to himself until he had some proof it was actually true.
Dave was listening intently and was a little surprised himself to hear Berry go into to such details after only a few moments on the scene… that’s a lot to discern from the little time you took to look things over… you almost sounded like you knew exactly what had happened… you sure you aren’t working on something that has ties to this situation?
Berry scolded himself mentally… he was thinking that he had to be more careful, even though he was fairly certain of his conclusions, his thoughts and opinions were just speculation and he usually didn’t participate in speculation… No, I could see a familiar pattern that sort of fit with other cases I have read about, and I drew those conclusions from… He stopped himself and cut to the chase… but you’re right, it is just guess work, so don’t take too much stock in it. I’m just musing along a familiar path.
…
The sign above the door said Lorenzo Dinner Club. It was a non-descript location side by side with others that were more like row houses than business… squished together with dark and dingy outsides that hide their internal arrangements. Above the sign was a surveillance camera and on the side of the door was a card reader lock. After all, it was a private club, and only members had the privilege of seeing what was inside.
Today the dinner club was hosting a meeting between two very powerful and confident women… one was from an academic background and the other a business owner, but both with a single goal and alternative motives behind their union… to be in a place of power they each desired to posses.
Shall we eat first or discuss business? She was ready to get going with the plan but still possessed the social graces to give her companion the choice.
I prefer to taste the fare first so we are well fed when we get down to the business at hand. The family has always appreciated a good meal, even in the midst of a squall. So let’s eat first if you don’t mind.
No, I don’t mind at all, but I am anxious to go over the details… you know how things can get out of hand when the details are not worked out, but we can go over that later, as you said, first let’s eat.
As they took their meal, they chatted in kind about the everyday things in their life… two people from very different backgrounds… for a casual observer it would be hard to tell that they were actually sisters… joined in a single purpose but each with their own self-serving goal in mind. One wanted to restore the position of power from times past while the other wanted to build a new power position for the future.
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