Read Online Rejection: Publishing Murder Mystery (Lou Drake Mysteries) by Thomas K. Matthews - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Thomas K. Matthews
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blame.
“There’s a sneaky streak in that girl as long as my arm,” her mother used to say.
After high school, the Air force trained her in technical data control and computer science. Serena liked the regimen of the military, so when she finished her duty, the police academy was a logical next stop. Graduating at the top of her class, she used her technical training to carve out a career in data management. She jumped at the opportunity when she was offered the job of converting the old filing system into electronic data for the Malcolm station.
She spent each day removing folders from case file boxes, scanning all the contents and placing the processed folders into new boxes. Today she was working on a stack of boxes dating back ten years. In four hours she scanned half of them. When she was done, she slipped into the Hennings files and continued giving them a once over. The surveillance camera recorded nothing but her back.
* * *
In his office on the third floor of Precinct One, Chief of Detectives Henry Smythe sat back in his deep leather chair and studied the reports from Precinct Ten regarding the recent killings. His gut told him they were dealing with a sadistic serial killer. He had to admit, though, that the evidence in the reports fell short of being conclusive on that score.
“Chief,” his secretary called over the speaker. “I just got a call from Andrea over at Joshua Hennings’ office. She wants to know if you’re going to RSVP for the black tie fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital. I checked your schedule and you are free that evening.”
“That’s not for weeks.”
“She said they want to finalize the list.”
The Chief considered for a moment, but he could think of no good reason to refuse.
“Sure,” he said. “Tell her I’ll be there.”
Over the years Smythe had reluctantly rubbed elbows with Hennings, smiling and putting on airs but all the while wishing he could arrest him and put him behind bars. The Chief had been a captain in vice at the time Hennings was under suspicion for his wife’s murder. Smythe had followed the case with the rest of New York. The grisly details of the killing were discussed around diner counters, on the news and in the subways. The prevailing public opinion seemed to be that the case against Hennings was a slam-dunk. The papers trumpeted Drake’s investigative progress as if the Detective was a rock star.
Smythe had been as surprised as the rest of the city when reports of police misconduct started leaking to the press. Then a different suspect confessed to the murder and the case against Hennings collapsed, along with Lou Drake’s career. Hennings himself did not go away and was still active in city development, philanthropy and local politics. In police circles the debates raged on for some time as to whether the wealthy scumbag was really guilty. Smythe had always thought there was too much evidence pointing in Hennings’ direction, and too many coincidences surrounding the collapse of the case.
Now Smythe saw in the reports that Lou Drake was again connected to a murder investigation, and once more as the fuck up. More than that, Andrade, Collins and Thibido were all involved, the same crew that had been at the center of the Hennings fiasco. The whole situation made Smythe’s skin crawl. He understood Andrade well enough to know the man was more politician than cop. The Captain was ambitious and tenacious, manipulative and independent, and that was what made Smythe worry. Andrade would handle a serial killer case with all the skill of a butcher performing brain surgery.
Smythe felt the weight of the decades that had wrenched the scrubbed cheek rookie idealism out of him and his academy classmates. The years had turned them into jaded, hardened men. Today they sat at the top and tried to make sense of budgets and changing tolerances, but Smythe was still a cop at heart. He decided to pay the good Captain a visit.
C HAPTER E LEVEN
SANDY
“There’s a sneaky streak in that girl as long as my arm,” her mother used to say.
After high school, the Air force trained her in technical data control and computer science. Serena liked the regimen of the military, so when she finished her duty, the police academy was a logical next stop. Graduating at the top of her class, she used her technical training to carve out a career in data management. She jumped at the opportunity when she was offered the job of converting the old filing system into electronic data for the Malcolm station.
She spent each day removing folders from case file boxes, scanning all the contents and placing the processed folders into new boxes. Today she was working on a stack of boxes dating back ten years. In four hours she scanned half of them. When she was done, she slipped into the Hennings files and continued giving them a once over. The surveillance camera recorded nothing but her back.
* * *
In his office on the third floor of Precinct One, Chief of Detectives Henry Smythe sat back in his deep leather chair and studied the reports from Precinct Ten regarding the recent killings. His gut told him they were dealing with a sadistic serial killer. He had to admit, though, that the evidence in the reports fell short of being conclusive on that score.
“Chief,” his secretary called over the speaker. “I just got a call from Andrea over at Joshua Hennings’ office. She wants to know if you’re going to RSVP for the black tie fundraiser for the Children’s Hospital. I checked your schedule and you are free that evening.”
“That’s not for weeks.”
“She said they want to finalize the list.”
The Chief considered for a moment, but he could think of no good reason to refuse.
“Sure,” he said. “Tell her I’ll be there.”
Over the years Smythe had reluctantly rubbed elbows with Hennings, smiling and putting on airs but all the while wishing he could arrest him and put him behind bars. The Chief had been a captain in vice at the time Hennings was under suspicion for his wife’s murder. Smythe had followed the case with the rest of New York. The grisly details of the killing were discussed around diner counters, on the news and in the subways. The prevailing public opinion seemed to be that the case against Hennings was a slam-dunk. The papers trumpeted Drake’s investigative progress as if the Detective was a rock star.
Smythe had been as surprised as the rest of the city when reports of police misconduct started leaking to the press. Then a different suspect confessed to the murder and the case against Hennings collapsed, along with Lou Drake’s career. Hennings himself did not go away and was still active in city development, philanthropy and local politics. In police circles the debates raged on for some time as to whether the wealthy scumbag was really guilty. Smythe had always thought there was too much evidence pointing in Hennings’ direction, and too many coincidences surrounding the collapse of the case.
Now Smythe saw in the reports that Lou Drake was again connected to a murder investigation, and once more as the fuck up. More than that, Andrade, Collins and Thibido were all involved, the same crew that had been at the center of the Hennings fiasco. The whole situation made Smythe’s skin crawl. He understood Andrade well enough to know the man was more politician than cop. The Captain was ambitious and tenacious, manipulative and independent, and that was what made Smythe worry. Andrade would handle a serial killer case with all the skill of a butcher performing brain surgery.
Smythe felt the weight of the decades that had wrenched the scrubbed cheek rookie idealism out of him and his academy classmates. The years had turned them into jaded, hardened men. Today they sat at the top and tried to make sense of budgets and changing tolerances, but Smythe was still a cop at heart. He decided to pay the good Captain a visit.
C HAPTER E LEVEN
SANDY
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