Read Online Personal Justice by Rayven T. Hill - Free Book Online Page B

Norton, but there was little doubt, it had to be the same man.
    The next item on the search revealed that a small local cable TV company did a short video interview with Shaft and Norton. It was featured on their neighborhood news segment. Annie watched the brief interview with interest.
    It wasn’t evidence of any criminal activity, but Rocky Shaft had said there was no relationship between his brother and the fugitive, Michael Norton. And Maria had agreed. Yet there clearly was.
    Rocky was mistaken—nothing suspicious in that, but this was evidence the two ex-cons kept in some kind of contact since their time in prison.
    Annie wondered why Maria Shaft wasn’t aware of it. Surely Werner would’ve boasted about his tournament win to her. But perhaps not, and either way, it didn’t prove much.
    She downloaded the interview video, and then printed out the news story and tucked it inside the thin file she had started on the case. Her search yielded nothing else of interest, so she closed the folder, brought it to the living room, and dropped it on the coffee table. She would show it to Hank and see what he thought about it.
    She had just nicely curled up with a book when the doorbell rang. Jake came down from upstairs and beat her to the door, and in a moment, Hank and Jake came into the room and sat on the couch.
    Hank greeted her, sat his briefcase on the cushion between him and Jake, and snapped it open. He pulled out two folders, handing one to Jake, the other to Annie.
    “That’s all we have right now and you’re welcome to it,” Hank said. “There’s the ME’s report on the murder, the forensic report, the witness statement, and whatever else we could dig up.”
    “There’s one more thing,” Annie said. “It appears Shaft and Norton did have a relationship after all.” She told him about the news story she found online regarding the 9-ball tournament, handing him the printout.
    He read it and said, “I talked to Tammy Norton and she told me there was no relationship between Shaft and Norton. Said they hadn’t seen each other for years. Both wives claim they knew nothing about their association.” Hank waved the printout. “But this tells me the two men had something going on.”
    “Something they wanted to keep secret,” Jake added. “Didn’t want their wives to know.”
    “Exactly. I don’t think Tammy would have any reason to lie about it,” Hank said. “If she knew about their association, she would’ve said something. She wants to find her husband as badly as we do and she seems sure he’s innocent.”
    “Wives are always the last to know,” Annie said.
    Jake was perusing the forensics report. He dropped it in his lap and looked at Hank. “This sure doesn’t look like a professional hit. A professional would’ve been more efficient than this.”
    “A bullet in the head is pretty efficient,” Annie said.
    “I mean the way it was carried out. A chase and a lot of shots. A hitman would’ve done it in one. Game over.”
    “Exactly,” Hank said. “And he wouldn’t have done it where there could be witnesses.”
    Jake added, “A pro would never have left shell casings laying around either. Especially ones with his fingerprints on them.”
    Annie sat forward, her brow wrinkled in thought. “If Werner Shaft wasn’t involved in anything criminal since being released from prison, then why was he carrying a gun?”
    “Perhaps he knew his life was in danger. Maybe he was threatened and carried it for protection.”
    “Or perhaps,” Hank said. “He was still involved in something his wife didn’t know about.”
    “Both wives said the same thing,” Jake said. “Their husbands had gone straight. So if they were up to no good and working together, they kept it to themselves.”
    “I’m still lacking a motive,” Hank said.
    “Love or money,” Jake said. “It’s always about love or money.”
    Annie looked at Hank. “Is there evidence of any affairs going on