The Scheme

By James Ellison

PO Box 1523
Tupelo, MS 38802
(662) 844-4915
JamesPaul54@hotmail.com
 Chapters

1. The Scheme is Hatched

2. Robbery

3. Drive-by

4. The Interview

5. The Snatch

6. The Trap

7. Busted

8. On The Road Again

 1

1. The Scheme is Hatched

It was a hot and muggy night in early July as Jimmy

Sinclair drove out of town. He had a weekly dinner date

with two people he loved. Jimmy entered his parents’ rural

ranch house on fifty acres, about eight miles east of

Tupelo, Mississippi.

Pat and Earl Sinclair were both 74 and in excellent

health. They retired two years ago and gave full ownership

of their grocery store named Buffalo Bill’s to their only

son, age forty-five.

Jimmy carried assorted flowers into his mother’s

kitchen. Pat was used to her son’s routine and already had

an empty glass vase sitting on the breakfast table. Jimmy

spoke as he placed the flowers in the vase and added tap

water from the kitchen sink, “Mom, Kathy and I are getting

a divorce.”

Pat was hard of hearing. Her current hearing aide was

on the blink and the new one had not yet arrived by express

mail. She kept peeling the potatoes. Jimmy stepped closer

and spoke louder, “Mom, Kathy and I are getting a divorce!”

Pat stopped her peeling and looked at her son, “Now

that’s good news, because I never did like her and I told

you she was only after your money!”

Earl walked in, carrying the television remote. “It

 2

needs batteries.”

Pat turned to her husband of fifty years. “They are

in the top left drawer. Jimmy’s getting a divorce.” Pat

returned to peeling the three potatoes while Earl searched

for the batteries.

“I found them. I hope they’re not dead. You know

son, your mother and I never did like that woman. We

strongly suspected that she was a gold digger.” Earl

continued to talk as he switched out the batteries. “You

and Kathy got hitched mighty quick. What was it – two

months? How can you know someone in such a short period of

time? I warned you to date longer.”

“I wish I had listened to you dad. Now it’s going to

cost me some of my hard earned money to get out of it.”

After dinner the three retired to the front porch and

sat around looking at the large fish pond that sat below

the four thousand square foot house on the hill. Jimmy

loved coming to his parents’ house. He knew he had their

support no matter what.

“I guess we can’t count on grandkids anytime soon,”

lamented Pat, sipping on a tall glass of iced tea. Jimmy

looked at his mother and father and asked himself, Why

couldn’t I have found a love as great as theirs?

“More tea son?” asked his father, holding the pitcher

 3

in his hand. Jimmy held out his empty glass and watched

half of the contents hit the deck as his father shakily

filled the glass.

“I’m meeting with Kathy and her lawyer tomorrow

morning and will try to work out a settlement.” Pat cupped

her hand to her ear. Jimmy spoke again, much louder, “I am

meeting with Kathy and her lawyer tomorrow and will try to

work out a settlement.” Jimmy slowly drank his iced tea

and thought of the man he just hired to kill his gold

digging wife.

After departing, Jimmy drove home to his own large

colonial mansion on Rutland Road. He parked his old white

Honda in the circular driveway next to his greedy wife’s

new green BMW convertible. Jimmy climbed the stairs to the

master bedroom. Kathy now slept in the guest room down the

hall. Jimmy saw light coming from beneath his wife’s

bedroom door. “Good night gold digger,” Jimmy whispered

under his breath.

Jimmy left the house at six forty five the next

morning. He had to be at the grocery store to open at

seven. When he pulled into the parking lot he spotted

Billy Sutton, age 20, exiting his mother’s red Chrysler

Caravan. Jimmy liked his hard working clerk of six months.

 4

He heard from others that Billy was well liked at college.

He was a good looking young man, tall and lean with close

cropped blonde hair, bright blue eyes, and a personality to

match.

“Morning boss.”

“Morning Billy. While it’s on my mind, when do you

start college again?”

“No time soon. I took a year off so my pitching arm

could heal. I start back in January.”

“Any luck in finding that dream car yet?”

“No sir, it’s hard to save money with dating and all.”

Jimmy chuckled, “Well Billy, you could save more if

you dated only one girl at a time.”

Billy grinned as he picked up some trash in front of

the store. “True sir, but how do you know which is the

right one for you?”

“Well, you’ve got me there. I sure am no expert,”

said Jimmy ruefully as he unlocked the front door, turned

off the alarm, and turned on all the interior lights.

Billy grabbed a white apron and headed in the direction of

the storage room.

“Billy, I have to leave at eight thirty. I have an

important meeting with Kathy and her lawyer at ten am.

“Yes sir, I know. Mrs. Sinclair called me before I

left for work.”

 5

“What did she say to you?”

“Sir, I like you both and I don’t want to come between

you, so I’d rather not tell each of you what the other

tells me.”

“Okay Billy, that’s understandable, but it’s my store

and I hired you, remember?”

“I know sir, but I want to be loyal to both of you.”

“Billy, your loyalty is one of your best qualities. I

won’t put you on the spot.”

“Thank you sir,” said a relieved Billy. “What do you

want me to do first?”

Kathy was undecided what to wear. Should she wear a

suit, a dress, or a blouse and skirt? She called her

mother for advice.

“Wear the dress,” Carol Cummings, age 56, advised her

only child. “Now remember, fight for what is legally

yours.”

“I will mom. I hired a bulldog of an attorney.”

Kathy checked her appearance in the full-length mirror

located by the entryway. The floral print dress was

definitely the right choice. Kathy brushed her long dark

hair, put on red lipstick, grabbed her purse, and headed

out the front door. She drove slowly away in her new car,

listening to country music.

 6

John Farran, age 35, with short dark hair and a

mustache, comfortable in a striped shirt and blue jeans,

checked his Wheel of Fortune watch again. His partner was

late. John sat in a corner booth in the dark, away from

the other customers in the Hideaway Bar. His watch read

nine twenty five am.

Jimmy sat in his car in front of the dimly lit and

smoky bar, knowing he was keeping his partner in crime

waiting. He was having mixed feelings. Jimmy wanted to

kill his wife, but then again he didn’t. He just didn’t

want to give his money grubbing wife a huge sum of money

for only eleven months of marriage. He really hated her

for setting him up. He wanted the same long lasting and

loving relationship that his parents had.

He stepped into the relatively empty bar and walked

over to John, who was sipping on a Coors Light at nine

thirty in the morning. “Sorry I’m late. I had another

argument with the missus,” Jimmy lied as the waitress

approached. Jimmy ordered the same as John and once they

were alone, Jimmy spoke.

“I know the police will check my bank account for any

transactions once she is killed, so I can’t have any out of

the ordinary withdrawals. I thought of a good way to give

 7

you your down payment.” After the waitress delivered the

beer Jimmy continued, “After I visit with Kathy’s divorce

lawyer, meet me at Summit Bank, on the East side of Main

Street. I’ll give you half of the thirty thousand we

agreed on and the other half once she is dead.”

Sitting across from the unhappily married man was John

Farran, a professional truck driver posing as a hit man.

“Now did you visit my store and check my wife out?”

“Yep, a very attractive woman, maybe 15 years younger

than you?”

“She’s 26 and I’m 45. Can you make it look like a

store robbery?” Jimmy asked, showing his hit man the

headlines of the Tupelo Business Journal: “Rash of Store

Robberies – One Owner Shot.”

“That’s my work,” John lied, acting serious as he

tried to look convincing as a professional killer. “You

want it in the head or torso?”

Jimmy looked at his watch, gulped down the last of his

beer and said, “The torso will do. I have to leave; our

meeting is at ten am. I have to pretend I want to settle.”

Jimmy and Kathy Sinclair, married almost a year, and

the owners of Buffalo Bill’s grocery store, sat at opposite

ends of Attorney Paul Salman’s conference table. Jimmy read

 8

the newspaper about the robberies while Kathy looked out

the window at all the kids playing in the fountain on this

beautiful Friday morning. The city’s number one divorce

attorney entered, placed a small file folder on the

conference table and sat next to Kathy, his new client.

“Morning Jim. I know you want to get this over with,

so here are our demands.”

The meeting lasted only ten minutes, and shouting from

both parties could be heard from down the hall before Jimmy

walked out to the elevator, caught one before the doors

closed, and was gone. Kathy stayed behind, talking with

her very expensive attorney.

“Paul, I don’t think we ever will come to an agreement

on who gets what. I guess you’d better prepare the papers.”

“Your husband, soon to be ex-husband I might say, has

no legal grounds to deny you what is legally yours. In

Mississippi, it’s a 50-50 split.”

“Where’s Kathy? Where’s Jimmy?” That’s all Billy

heard from customers as he did his best to provide the best

customer service possible.

“They will be back in a few hours,” Billy would

respond while bagging groceries or ringing their purchases.

Billy knew the Sinclair’s had loyal and dedicated customers

who really cared what was going on in their lives. He

 9

ignored the twinge in his arm as he repeatedly performed

his duties.

Billy had injured his pitching arm while at a friend’s

birthday party several months ago. In a strange twist of

fate, a drunken adult male fell off a trampoline onto

Billy, breaking Billy’s right elbow. It resulted in a

surgery with three large pins inserted to hold things in

place. Following the orthopedic doctor’s instructions to

give it time to heal, Billy was throwing lightly every day

to his younger brother, Ray. The loyal Sinclair customers

would also inquire about the elbow, which Billy explained,

was getting stronger every day.

The young man had some money put away in the bank

destined for a used car, but Billy’s ultimate dream car was

a Chevy Camaro with the sport package and the top of the

line stereo system. He would gently refuse his mother’s

offers to pick him up in front of his place of employment

each day. Instead he would walk the twenty or so blocks to

Tupelo Chevrolet and walk the lot. If Billy arrived during

business hours, the salesmen would not approach. They knew

well that the star pitcher of the University of Mississippi

baseball team was broke. Someday, Billy would say to

himself, someday I’ll drive out of here instead of walking.

Billy’s brother, Ray, age fourteen, walked into

 10

Buffalo Bills with their mother. Billy was happy to see

his family. For some reason, this day was extra busy and

Billy needed help. “Thanks for coming brother. Can you

bag the groceries and help carry them out to the cars?”

“Okay,” smiled the younger boy, excited at the chance

to work with his older brother. “Plastic or paper?” he

asked the elderly woman standing at the counter.

“Ray, you know we only have plastic at this store,”

reminded Billy.

“I know brother, but I always just wanted to say those

words!”

“Are you staying too mom?” asked Billy.

“No honey, your father wants me to help him lay new

sod in our back yard. Call me when you need a ride.” Both

boys gave their mom a big smile and went back to work.

“Billy, you didn’t say how much I’m gonna get paid.”

“I’ll talk to Mrs. Sinclair when she gets back from

her settlement meeting, but I think seven an hour.”

Wow, seven an hour. I can buy something really good

with that, thought Ray as he started to sweep the aisles.

Kathy rode the elevator to the lobby, saying hello to

the young couple that got on at the fourth floor. Near her

car, Kathy called Buffalo Bill’s grocery store, and Billy

 11

Sutton, her trusted clerk of six months, answered.

“Billy, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes to take

the deposit to the bank.”

“Ma’am, Mr. Sinclair just left carrying the week’s

proceeds.”

How odd, thought Kathy, waiting at the traffic light

in her newly purchased green BMW convertible. That’s my

Friday chore.

Jimmy pulled into the parking lot of Summit Bank,

located on the corner of Main and First. Suddenly, a white

Cadillac pulled up alongside and a gun was thrust into

Jimmy’s face.

The hooded man smiled, “Give me my money please!”

Jimmy did as instructed, and just like that John

Farran had his fifteen thousand. An elderly woman ran over

after the Cadillac departed the parking lot.

“I saw what happened. I got the license plate number.”

John placed his fifteen thousand dollars under his

dresser. He looked at his Wheel of Fortune watch and

walked over to the television set in the corner of his one

bedroom apartment and turned it on. He went over to the

microwave oven and made himself some popcorn.

“Show time,” John said to no one as he sat down to

watch his favorite game show, Wheel of Fortune. This was a

 12

game John was good at. He was quick to solve the puzzle on

the display board before most of the show contestants could

do so. He had found his unique watch among many others at

a novelty store for only twenty dollars while on one of his

truck runs, before he got hurt on the job.

At the first commercial John went out to check his

mail. Unfortunately, there was no mail waiting for him.

He was expecting his monthly worker’s compensation check as

he had been running low on funds – that is until he met his

sugar daddy, Jimmy Sinclair.

John went back inside his residence, failing to notice

a young man with a video camera recording his every move.

The activity caught the eye of the nosey landlord

however, who spotted the stranger and approached him in the

parking lot. “I own this property. Can I help you?”

quizzed Mr. Martin.

The young man put down his video camera and flashed a

gold badge with photo identification.

“I’m a private investigator hired by an insurance

company to document the activities and alleged injuries of

your tenant in unit thirty-three. I’m telling you this

sir, because this claimant might set you up as well with a

fake slip and fall or something like that.

 13

“How long do you plan to be out here?” asked the

suspicious landlord.

“The insurance company only hired me for today, so

I’ll be gone in a few hours.”

The private investigator named Roderick Naughton

handed the landlord his agency card. “In case you ever

need a PI.”

Mr. Martin took the card and went back inside his

office.

John’s telephone rang. It was the landlord on the

other end of the line. “John, I like you and I want to

thank you again for helping around the complex with the

painting and repairs. At my age I couldn’t have done it

all myself.”

“I was glad to do it Mr. Martin. We are friends and I

appreciate the fact that you give me free rent in exchange.”

“Well another reason I called was to warn you about a

man sitting in a gray Volvo who was filming you when you

checked your mail.”

“What?” asked John, totally caught off guard.

“Yes, I have his business card. He is from ‘I See You

Investigations,’ his name is Roderick Naughton and he said

he would be here just for today. Something about an

accident.”
 14

“Yes, I am out on worker’s compensation from a heavy

box that fell on me a few months ago. I’ll hang up now and

pay him a visit.” John thanked the landlord, placed some

newspapers in a trash bag, and went outside to the dumpster

that was located at the rear of the parking lot.

On his return, John approached the young man sitting

behind tinted windows. John knocked on the window.

“Roderick, I know you are in there. Roll down your

window!”

The private investigator, realizing his cover had been

blown, rolled the window down about two inches.

“Hand me the video tape before I break this window and

yank you out!” demanded John.

The nervous PI did as instructed.

“How long have you been on me?”

“I started a few hours ago.”

“What’s on the tape?”

“Just you riding back home on your bicycle, checking

your mail and just now dumping your trash.”

“If you know what’s good for you, write in your report

that I was home all day and according to the landlord, I

complain of a lot of back pain.”

“Sir, this is my first case. I’m just trying to earn

enough money to move to Hollywood. I want to be an actor.”

“If I were you, I would quit now before the next

 15

claimant beats up your pretty face. Now get out of here!”

The private investigator rolled up his window, backed

out and departed the area.

John knocked on his landlord’s door. “Thanks for

warning me about him.”

“Just glad I spotted him when I did.”

John walked back to his own unit, threw the tape in

the trash and returned to watching reruns of Wheel of

Fortune.

The police interviewed Jimmy in the bank lobby.

Detective Mike Anderson of the Robbery Division walked in,

wearing a beige suit, and was directed to Jimmy by a

uniformed officer guarding the door.

“Are you Jimmy Sinclair?”

“Yes.”

“I’m Detective Mike Anderson, Robbery Division. Let’s

sit down in the manager’s office.”

The detective wrote everything down on a yellow

notepad. “Can you describe what the person looked like?”

“All I saw was a gun in my face.”

“What type of gun?”

“A big gun. Man I was scared!”

“How much money did you have in the bags?”

“Fifteen thousand three hundred in cash and another

 16

four thousand in checks.”

“Is that a normal deposit for your grocery store?"

“We make the deposit every Friday morning, and I’ve

seen it as low as six thousand and as high as twenty three

thousand. We have some long time loyal customers who like

to pay in cash instead of check or credit card. My

grandparents opened the store in 1951 and I took over from

my parents just about two years ago.”

A police officer walked over and handed the detective

a slip of paper. The detective read the note and then said

to Jimmy, “Jimmy, we ran the license plate on the Cadillac.

It was stolen a few days ago from the airport parking lot.”

The bank manager knocked on the door. “May I have my

office back please?”

“Oh, sure” Detective Anderson replied. He turned back

to Jimmy Sinclair and asked, “You provided the officers

with all of your information?”

“Yes sir, I did.”

“Then you’re free to go.”

Detective Mike Anderson watched the robbery victim

enter his old white Honda and depart the area. The

detective turned to the branch manager. “I need a copy of

your exterior video surveillance tapes as soon as possible.”

The manager took the lawman’s business card. “This is

 17

our first robbery since we opened eight years ago. I’ll

work on getting the tapes to you within twenty four hours.”

Mike gave his thanks and walked out to his unmarked police

cruiser.

“Dispatch to Unit Three One.” Mike picked up the

microphone.

“Unit Three One, come in.”

“Pick up your partner at the Seven-Eleven store on

Fifth and Main.”

“Unit Three One, copy. ETA about ten minutes.”

Mike watched a young couple pull up in a faded green

station wagon and enter Summit Bank. They left their

German Shepard waiting with the windows halfway down. Mike

thought of his own dog, Dillinger, as he backed out of his

parking space and headed south to the Seven Eleven store.

Dillinger was a mutt he had picked up at the pound

about a year ago. His real name was Lucky, but Mike liked

the name the gangster made famous in the thirties. The

likeable animal was always quick to greet Mike when he

arrived at his apartment located above a barn on a farmer’s

ranch on the outskirts of Tupelo. It was a great situation

– free rent just because the old farmer liked cops. Not a

bad life, thought Mike as he pulled up to a traffic light.

 18

Impatience replaced his relaxed demeanor when he

realized the young couple in the car in front of him was

too busy kissing to notice the light had changed to green.

He blew his horn. They looked back and waved, hurrying to

switch lanes to let the officer go by.

As Mike passed the lovebirds he thought of Amber, his

ex-fiancé, living somewhere in New Mexico. They met while

he was finished his two-year degree in Police Science. She

broke it off because she didn’t want to be married to a gun

and a badge. She tried desperately to talk Mike out of a

career in law enforcement but no dice. Mike ate and slept

this stuff twenty four/seven.

Mike was half of a team dubbed Laurel and Hardy by his

Captain eight months ago, when the new partner assignments

were made. Mike, at 32, had short dark hair, blue eyes,

stood six foot three and weighed in at a physically fit two

hundred and thirty pounds.

As he pulled into the parking lot of Seven Eleven, out

walked his partner, Hardy, otherwise known as Detective

Harry Fusco. The moniker Hardy was well-placed on this 53

year old who, stood five foot eight and weighed two hundred

and sixty pounds. Not surprisingly, Fusco held a large bag

of pretzels in front of his huge pot belly, as his

physically fit partner pulled up.

 19

“Hi Stan,” joked Harry as he climbed in.

“Well Oliver, you disappeared on me again. We should

rename you Houdini!” The two detectives departed the area

and headed toward the witness’s house.

Jimmy walked out, entered his old Honda and drove

straight to the Hideaway Bar, about a mile south of his

store. Jimmy slid into a booth already occupied by John

Farran.

“That was a clever way to give me my down payment -

just fake a robbery. I don’t want any paper trail at the

bank,” said Jimmy, looking around the bar. “How do you plan

to come up with the balance once your wife is dead?”

“I’ll worry about that when it’s time. What did you

do with that stolen car you took from the airport?”

“I parked it back at the airport, one floor below

where I took it. How did you know I stole it from the

airport?”

“A witness gave the police the license plate number.

Now that you have your down payment, where and when will

you do it?”

The waitress walked up and took Jimmy’s drink order.

When she left, John answered, “It’s best you don’t know.”

Jimmy walked into his crowded store and was greeted by

 20

Billy the clerk, Billy’s younger brother Ray, customers,

and his angry wife.

“Why did you take the deposit to the bank? You know I

do that myself. I’ve been taking the deposit for over

fifty weeks without a problem, and you take it just once

and we get robbed!”

“I could have been killed.”

“Yes, and if you were, I wouldn’t have to spend any

more of my money on lawyers.”

“You mean my money!”

“Billy, don’t you have shelves to stack?” barked Jimmy

as he and his wife continued to argue.

Detective Anderson, and his partner, Detective Harry

Fusco, arrived at the witness’s house and rang the

doorbell. A sign reading “The Friedman’s” hung above the

door.

Over a cup of coffee and homemade apple pie, the three

discussed the events that occurred earlier in the day.

Mrs. Friedman put her coffee cup down and said, “I was

trying to dial a phone number when that white Cadillac

zoomed by me and screeched to a halt. I saw the gun being

pointed out the window so I wrote the license plate number

on my arm. The next thing I saw were two hands reaching

out of the Cadillac’s window and grabbing the two moneybags

 21

from the victim, who was handing them out his driver’s

window. Then the Cadillac drove off and I ran over to

help.”

“How did the victim act?” quizzed Detective Fusco,

writing everything down on a small, white spiral note pad.

“Very, very calm. I was the excited one. More pie

gentlemen?”

“No thanks. It was very good,” said Detective

Anderson as his partner finished off both his and his own

plates. “Could you recognize the type of orange hooded

windbreaker you mentioned earlier?” asked the detective as

he put his suit jacket on.

“I think so,” said Sally Friedman, age 80, getting up

from her rocking chair and walking the lawmen to the door.

Once in the unmarked, beige Pontiac police car,

Detective Anderson asked, “Did she say the robber reached

out with two hands?”

Detective Fusco checked his notes. “Yep.”

“Then this robbery may have been staged,” replied

Detective Anderson. “The robber put his gun away and

reached out with two hands for the moneybags, and our so-

called victim just handed them over. Mr. Sinclair also

told me he was scared, yet the witness told us Sinclair was

very, very calm.”

 22

Kathy pulled her new BMW into the visitor-designated

stall. She walked toward the police station in a tight

pink top and even tighter blue jeans that nicely fit her

five foot five frame. Kathy kept her weight at one hundred

and twenty five by working out each morning to

instructional videos. Male cops exiting and entering the

station just stopped and stared at the natural born beauty.

Kathy walked up to the desk officer on duty. “I have an

appointment with Detective Mike Anderson.”

A burly man in plain clothes stepped forward. “I’ll

take the lady to Robbery Division.”

“Okay sir,” said the desk officer, who directed his

attention to the next citizen who walked up.

“I’m his boss, Captain Dean Masters,” announced the

lawman as he pushed the button for the elevator.

“Hi, I’m Kathy Sinclair. I own Buffalo Bill’s grocery

store. I’m here to meet with a Detective Anderson.”

They entered the elevator and the Captain pushed the

button for the fifth floor. As they rode up, Kathy could

feel his eyes raking her body from head to toe.

The Robbery Division went quiet as their boss and the

very attractive guest entered their section. “Get back to

 23

work, haven’t you seen a lady before?” barked the Captain,

motioning for Kathy to enter interview room number two.

“I’ll track him down for you.”

“Thank you Captain.”

Kathy was attracted to Mike as soon as he entered the

room with his yellow note pad. “Thanks for coming in Mrs.

Sinclair. I am Robbery Detective Mike Anderson.”

They shook hands and smiled at each other.

“I have a partner named Harry Fusco who at the moment

I can’t find, so we’ll start without him.”

“May I have a glass of water please?”

“Oh sure, I’ll be right back.”

Kathy wasn’t thirsty at all. She just wanted to check

the ass on this hunk of a man handling her husband’s case.

The detective returned with a small paper cup.

“Thank you so much,” Kathy smiled and drank the cool

contents. The detective sat back down. “Oh I must have

been thirstier than I thought. May I have another cup

please?” she asked, holding the empty cup in her hand.

“Yes ma’am. Sorry we only have these small cups on

hand.”

“It’s fine with me if you really don’t mind making the

trips.”

“No, anything to help.” Mike left the room again and

 24

Kathy watched him walk out of view. He returned and this

time waited to see if the lady needed more.

“Please sit,” said Kathy, satisfied for the time

being. “I’m not thirsty anymore!”

Mike sat down and began his interview.

“Mrs. Sinclair, I interviewed your husband yesterday

about his alleged robbery.”

“Alleged – you mean it didn’t happen?”

“No, he was removed of his money, but I think he gave

it up voluntarily. The witness said the robber had no gun

in his hand when your husband handed over the moneybags.

Mr. Sinclair told me he was scared, yet the witness made a

point of how calm he acted.”

Anderson shifted gears, “How long have you two been

married?"

“A year next month. The day we got robbed was our

eleventh month anniversary. I make those deposits every

week for fifty weeks and nothing happens. He does it just

once and gets robbed.”

“How is your marriage?”

“We are getting a divorce. He offered me one hundred

thousand today to settle. My lawyer says it should be four

million.”

“During the time you two have been together has there

been any violence?”

 25

“Recently he said he would be better off if I was

gone, and he has been leaving the store for long periods of

time instead of us closing the store together. A few

months ago a customer said they saw him in a restaurant

kissing a girl. I confronted him and he didn’t deny it.

We don’t sleep together any more, we don’t talk - we just

yell at each other.”

“Your husband, is he a gambler? Take drugs?”

“No, no, that grocery store is his life. He has a few

million in his savings account.”

“Then why go through all the trouble to stage a

robbery? He doesn’t need the money,” said Mike.

“I don’t know,” Kathy replied. “Maybe he really was

robbed.”

Back in her car, Kathy called her attorney and

obtained a phone number of a private investigator. Later in

the day, she drove to a strip mall and sat in a small back

office of Economy Travel Agency.

Steve Conners, a handsome man of 45, with a ponytail

and beard, asked her to sit down.

“Funny place to have a PI office,” commented Kathy.

“My sister owns the travel agency, and when business

is slow I work out front as an agent. Say, we have great

deals on cruises right now. . .”

 26

Kathy laughed. “No, what I need to do is find out

what my husband is up to. I think you will find him seeing

a woman. I brought a photo as instructed and your retainer

of a thousand. He closes up the store at nine tonight and

seven pm tomorrow night.”

“I’ll try to go on him tonight if I can. Give me your

cell phone number.” Steve wrote it down, took the money in

a white envelope along with the photo, and walked his

attractive client to her car.

“Thanks,” said Kathy as she climbed into her vehicle.

Steve handed her his travel agency card. “In case he

goes though your wallet, I don’t want him finding a PI

card.”

Steve returned to his back office and called the

Tupelo Rainbow Convalescent Home. “Hello, this is Steve

Connors calling to check on my mother, Valerie Conners in

room five.”

“Oh hello Steve. This is Angela Robinson. My husband

Bob and I bought a trip to Vegas from you.”

“Hi Angela. Did you win?”

“No. We lost about a grand, but we sure did have a

fun time, and the hotel you chose was in the perfect

location!”

“Thanks for thinking of Economy Travel. Now about my

 27

mother. . .”

“She’s doing well. She’s playing bingo right now.”

“What time will her next meal be served?”

“In about two hours.”

“Thanks Angela. I will be down to say hello to my

mother at that time.”

Steve ran a hand through his dark wavy hair. He

called his sister, Vicki, who lived in Kansas City with an

update on their mother. “Yes sis, I will give mom a big

kiss for you when I see her in a few hours.”

“By the way brother, book me a ticket out there

sometime next month. I can stay for a week.”

“Will work on that request right now.” They made

small talk for a few more minutes before saying goodbye.

A couple of single, female travel agents walked over.

“Hey Steve, want to join us for lunch?”

“Not today ladies. I brought my lunch. Thanks for

the invite.”

After the women left the agency, Steve pulled out the

top drawer, which contained his favorite meal, a peanut

butter and jelly sandwich. On the computer he typed in

“Kansas City” and started searching for the best airfares.

 28

John Farran was a long-haul truck driver by trade and

would be gone weeks at a time. He hurt his back on his

last truck run and was now out on worker’s compensation.

John made less money but liked the normal life he was

leading. He didn’t miss the traffic jams, the truck stop

food, the long hours or the heavy lifting. He did miss his

trucking friends and his CB radio.

As John walked in the hot July sun he thought about

how he met Jimmy Sinclair and how he joked at the bar about

doing eight years as a Green Beret, being licensed to kill

as a black belt in karate, being dropped behind enemy lines

in the last Gulf War, and killing five of the enemy. He

showed Jimmy his military photo in uniform, which was

actually his younger brother - but who could really tell in

the dark, smoky atmosphere of The Hideaway Bar?

Jimmy was throwing darts when John challenged him to a

game. Over a few beers they became friends. This was

about three weeks ago, recalled John as he entered the

Radio Shack store. John selected the top of the line CB

radio, paid cash and flagged down a taxi, since it was too

hot to walk back to his apartment.

When he arrived at the apartment, John set up his

radio. Jimmy, over a beer last week had asked John if he

wanted to earn ten thousand. He wanted his wife killed.

 29

Jokingly, John said, “Sure. I’ll do it for thirty thousand

cash.” That was how much he needed to buy his own rig and

go into business for himself as “John Farran Trucking,”

whose motto would be “Get It There On Time”. The new rigs

were closer to one hundred thousand, but he knew a friend

that would sell his for sixty-six thousand - thirty

thousand down and payments of a thousand a month for three

years. He had a plan. He would get fifteen thousand from

Jimmy and the other fifteen thousand from Jimmy’s wife by

going to her with her husband’s plan. Then he could skip

town and start a new life on the road.

Buffalo Bill’s closed at nine pm. Jimmy secured all

the doors, placed the day’s proceeds in the floor safe,

went out the front, activated the alarm, and locked the

door behind him. Jimmy entered his white Honda Accord

parked in the brightly lit parking lot and departed. Jimmy

didn’t notice a brown Mazda van following a few hundred

yards back.

Donna, age 22, was the manager of the Moonlight

Lingerie Shop, and was in love with Jimmy Sinclair. She

met him last year when he first got married and bought

lingerie for his wife. As Jimmy’s marriage slowly fell

apart, Donna let it be known that she was crazy for Jimmy.
 30

She did love him, but it also helped that Jimmy was

wealthy.

Donna grew up poor. Her father left her mom and three

sisters when she was eight, and Donna vowed never to live

in a run down trailer again. When she turned eighteen, she

left the small town of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, for Tupelo

and a new life.

Donna knew Jimmy was trying to leave his wife, and he

did promise to marry her once his divorce was final. Jimmy

told Donna a few weeks ago that Kathy never loved him and

married him for his money and the large house he lived in.

Jimmy pulled up to Donna’s rental house, locked his

car and rang the doorbell. Private investigator Steve

Conners took a covert video of Jimmy kissing Donna at the

door. Steve wrote in his report, “lights out at midnight.”

Steve set his alarm clock for five am, pulled out a

blanket, reclined his front seat, and fell asleep.

The alarm clock did its job and Steve noted on video

and in his notebook all the details. Jimmy exited the

house at seven am and went back to the store to open. Steve

traveled back to his office and ran data on the blue Toyota

Celica in the driveway. The license plate came back to a

Donna Johnson, age 22. Steve made a copy of his video for
 31

his client, and planned to follow Jimmy when he closed the

store at seven pm.

Donna walked into Jimmy’s store at six thirty pm and

pretended to shop. She bought a few items, gave her man

the eye, and kissed him when the only customer in the store

left.

Steve followed the lovebirds to a restaurant, to a

movie, and back to Donna’s place. Just like clockwork,

Jimmy left the love nest at seven am, drove to the store,

opened it, and left once Steve’s client arrived to take

over.

Steve followed his subject to the Village Inn

Restaurant on Green Street. He observed Jimmy with a man

in his 30’s, having breakfast.

The two stopped talking every time the waitress came

over. Jimmy left first, so Steve decided to follow the

mystery man to see who he was. Steve followed the man

riding a bicycle over to his one bedroom apartment in the

Fairground apartment complex and watched him enter

apartment 33. Steve checked the mailbox. The name listed

for that unit was John Farran. Steve checked Donna’s

house, the store and other known locations of Jimmy’s, but

could not locate his car. Steve called his client, who

agreed to come to the travel agency.

 32

Detective Anderson received the background check on

Jimmy Sinclair. The target was clean - not even a speeding

ticket. He owned a mansion on Rutland Road worth one

million, a store with land worth another two million, and

he also had over three million cash in the bank, so why

stage a robbery?

“Here Harry, read our background report. This guy is

worth millions, so why would he stage a robbery?”

Detective Fusco sat down to read the report.

Lieutenant John Sparks walked in.

“Hey boss. Why fake a robbery for fifteen thousand

dollars when you are worth millions?” asked Detective

Anderson.

“Is he married?” questioned the Lieutenant.

“Yep, but not in a happy relationship.”

“My guess,” said the Lieutenant, “is that he has a

girlfriend and is spending money on her and doesn’t want

the wife to notice any cash withdrawal activity.”

“Harry you have a visitor,” said the officer in

uniform. Harry looked up from reading the background check

on Jimmy Sinclair to see a smiling Mrs. Sally Friedman,

holding a freshly baked apple pie.

“Here you go officer – just like you requested,” said

 33

Sally, handing the chubby one her creation.

“Thank you very, very much,” Harry replied, standing

up to take his gift.

“I put in extra apples and cinnamon like you asked.”

Someone in the room shouted, “Get a knife, bring the

plates and forks.”

Harry wanted the pie all for himself. He had told

Mrs. Friedman he would come over and pick it up.

“Oh I know you told me you would stop by my place

after work to pick up the pie, but I was in the area so I

just thought I’d drop it off,” beamed the woman, with the

telltale dustings of flour on the cuffs of her sleeves.

Someone handed Harry a knife and he grudgingly had no

choice but to share his dessert with the squad.

Another officer approached the elderly lady. “Can you

bake me a coconut cream pie with extra bananas on top?”

Harry was not pleased that his new source of dessert was

discovered so quickly. He saved the last, and largest,

piece of pie for himself. After everyone had finished and

gone back to work, Harry escorted the lovely lady out to

the lobby.

“Let me see now. I have to bake four pies and six

cakes, and I get paid eight dollars a dessert. That’s

eighty dollars!” exclaimed the delighted Mrs. Friedman,

holding the empty pie dish in her left hand.

 34

“See, Mrs. Friedman’s bakery is now open for

business,” said Harry, as he gave the woman a hug and

thanked her again for the apple pie.

Harry wandered over to the vending machine and put in

three quarters. He selected a button and out dropped a

Mars bar. Harry then walked out to the police parking

garage and retrieved his thermos from his custom made white

van.

John Farran took a cab to the Tupelo airport and went

inside. He waited a few minutes and then walked out to the

parking lot. He waited and watched all arriving cars and

the occupants of each. He followed one family of four into

the terminal and made small talk with them. They were

headed to Utah for a week of rock climbing. John walked

back out to the lot towards their Honda van, quickly

unlocked the driver’s door, popped the ignition, and drove

off. Today was his lucky day. The gas gauge was full.

John drove back to his apartment, playing the family’s CDs

while in route.

Kathy watched the PI’s video of Jimmy with Donna, and

of Jimmy meeting a man named John Farran. She thought, if

my husband did stage the robbery he must be spending the

stolen money on her. . .

 35

Steve interrupted her thoughts with the story of how

his own wife had cheated on him many years ago, and how

hard it was to deal with. Kathy finished watching the

video of Jimmy and Donna and turned to her private

investigator.

“I don’t really care who he sees. I just want to know

what else he is up to.”

The Honda van pulled up to Buffalo Bill’s grocery

store and John entered. He walked up to Jimmy.

“Excuse me. . . I need bread.”

Jimmy looked up from doing paperwork to see, with

surprise, his hit man looking at him with a smile on his

face.

“What are you doing here?” quizzed Jimmy, looking

around to see where his store clerk was. Kathy leaves at

three most days. It’s six pm now.

“I came for more bread,” smiled John.

“Bread and rolls are on aisle four,” pointed Jimmy.

“No, more bread!” motioned John, rubbing his thumb and

forefinger together.

“I gave you fifteen thousand already.”

“I know, but all that money is hidden. I need money

now for gas, a meal, a movie and popcorn.”

Jimmy opened the register and gave John twenty

 36

dollars. He laughed as he accepted the money.

John left the store, drove over to Jimmy’s colonial

mansion and rang the bell. Kathy opened the door: “Yes?”

“Kathy, you don’t know me, but my name is John Farran.

Your husband staged a fake robbery over at Summit Bank and

gave me fifteen thousand dollars as a down payment.”

“A down payment for what?”

“I don’t mean you any harm lady, but he hired me to

kill you in your store and to make it look like a robbery.”

John showed Kathy the newspaper article on the recent rash

of robberies. “Your husband gave me your shift hours too.

I’m telling you all of this to protect you. I don’t want

to see any harm come your way. I came up with a plan where

no one gets hurt and Jimmy goes to jail.”

Kathy recognized John now from the video her PI showed

her.

“Go on, tell me more.”

“At the Hideaway Bar I asked him ‘Do you want her shot

in the head or torso?’ He said ‘The torso.’”

I told him I wanted thirty thousand dollars, fifteen now

and fifteen when the job was done. I made him think I was

a professional hit man, but in reality I am just a

professional truck driver who will haul anything, anywhere,

for a price.”
 37

“Why would you tell my husband that you’re a hit man

when you’re not?”

“I am trying to buy a new rig for the road. It will

cost sixty-six thousand dollars and I’ve got only ninety

cents, that’s why. At first I thought, why not take his

fifteen thousand down and just leave town? But then I saw

your mansion, your store and then you. I realized if I

just left town he would find someone else to do the job, or

do it himself. With my plan, no one gets hurt.”

“Okay, so what’s your plan?” Kathy asked, as she waved

to a neighbor walking a small dog.

“I botch attempts at killing you and leave evidence

behind that leads the police to your husband. You help by

telling the police that a man has been following you

places. You’re afraid. If we do this right, your spouse

will be arrested and convicted of attempted murder. You

pay me fifteen thousand dollars, I buy my rig, I’m back on

the road and you, my lady, are a free and rich woman.”

“Why not go to the police and tell them what’s up?

You wear a wire, get him talking, he confirms what you just

told me and they arrest him.”

“Because I don’t get my rig, I get involved with cops

who I don’t want to get involved with, and I’m tied up for

months or years in court. So no, I won’t just go to the

cops.”
 38

“Then I will,” Kathy said.

“No you won’t, because I’ll deny the whole story, your

husband will too, and then he’ll still hire someone to pump

you full of lead in a botched store robbery. The rest of

your life, every time a customer enters you will wonder if

it’s really a customer or a killer. My way is safer.”

“What do we do now?” Kathy conceded.

“I’ll meet your husband soon. He’ll give me

instructions and I’ll call you after that. Now to make

sure you go along with my plan, you’ll need to give me

fifteen thousand dollars.”

“What? Give you more money and then you just leave

town? No, I don’t think so.”

“I won’t split town. I could be halfway to Texas

already with the fifteen thousand I already have. I don’t

like your husband. I want to see him go to jail. He’s a

jerk. No, I won’t split town until he’s arrested.

Remember, your husband wants you dead. He told me he and

his parents have worked too hard to give you half. The

safe thing to do is get him arrested for attempted murder.”

“Okay, I like your scheme. I’ll have my mom meet you

with cash. I’ll have her take the money out of her account

so I don’t leave a money trail like I see criminals do on

the FBI Files on TV.

 39

John drove back to his apartment. Kathy picked up her

house phone and called a number.

“Economy Travel Agency,” a woman answered.

“May I speak to Steve please? I’m a client.”

“I’ll take down your number and have him call you.”

“Please do, and it’s urgent!” Kathy hung up the phone

after giving the woman her house phone number.

Kathy searched her VHS tape library and popped in a

video. The FBI logo came on and a voice said “true stories

of the FBI. . .” The phone rang and Steve was on the other

end. “What can I do for you. . . ready to take that trip?”

“I need to hire you to follow my husband twenty-four

hours a day for the next week.”

“No problem, but that will cost you eight thousand for

one PI, or fourteen thousand for two men on him.”

“No, just you, and you can’t tell anyone about this

case.”

“No problem. When do you want me to start?”

“Tomorrow night. He closes the store at nine pm.”

“Okay, no problem. But I need a five thousand

retainer before I start.”

“All right. I’ll come by your back office tomorrow

before noon.”

“No problem,” Steve said. “I’ll be looking forward to

 40

seeing you again.”

“Me too.” Good, that’s out of the way. Now lets hope

my mom can help me out. After Kathy hung up from Steve she

called her mom. Kathy agreed to go over for breakfast at

eight am, before going to Buffalo Bill’s at nine.

Detective Anderson reviewed the exterior videotape of

the robbery outside Summit Bank. From a distance, it

showed Jimmy’s Honda pulling up. A few seconds later, the

white Cadillac pulled along side, but some tree branches

blocked the actual exchange of the moneybag.

“Our luck,” grumbled Detective Fusco, munching on some

potato chips as he hit the stop button.

“Of all the places to park, he stops by the trees,”

groaned Detective Anderson.

“Want some chips?” asked Harry.

Kathy sat at her mom’s breakfast table having coffee

and toast. “Mom, I need you to withdraw fifteen thousand

cash from your account and meet a man this morning. Please

don’t ask any questions. When it’s all over I’ll tell you

everything. His instructions for you are to go to the

Amoco gas station on the corner of Madison and Swift, pull

up to the vacuum pumps and lift your hood. He said to be

there at eleven am.”

 41

“Fifteen thousand! Are you in danger?” Carol asked,

with a very worried look on her face.

“Yes mom, I am in danger. I need for you to give this

man the money and I’ll tell you the reason later. It’s

best you don’t know what is going on.”

“Okay honey. What does this man look like and what’s

his name?”

“His name is Max,” lied Kathy. “He’s about thirty-

five years old, with short, dark hair and a mustache. When

he comes over he said he would ask for a map. Just give

him the envelope, close the hood and drive away. Call me

at the store after you get home. I love you mom. . .I have

to go and open the store now.” Kathy gave her mom a kiss

on the forehead, picked up her car keys and left the condo

overlooking the civil war battlefield.

John started up the stolen Honda, put in a music CD

and headed out toward the Amoco gas station. He arrived

early and parked a few hundred yards away at the Wal-Mart

parking lot. He watched from a distance as Carol pulled up

in her bright yellow PT Cruiser, lifted the hood and

waited. John approached, wearing a baseball cap and dark

sunglasses.

“Good morning. Do you have a city map?” he asked as

he held out his hand. Carol gave the stranger the large
 42

white envelope and asked, “Why is my daughter giving you

fifteen thousand dollars?”

John looked inside the large envelope and viewed

stacks of fifty and one hundred-dollar bills. “No

questions lady.” He walked away toward the Wal-Mart

parking lot.

Kathy met Steve in front of Economy Travel. “Here’s

your retainer,” she said as she handed the PI his money.

“Good luck tonight.”

“Okay, no problem, I’ll do my best. But remember,

it’s just me out there and there’s always a chance I might

lose him. If he makes a traffic light and I don’t – that’s

all it takes to mess up a good surveillance. Then we’ll

have to start over again.”

Detective Anderson picked up his partner at the Seven

Eleven store by the police station. Detective Fusco

entered the unmarked car with a large bag of barbecue

chips. “Where are we going?”

“To the airport. They recovered the white Cadillac

used in the Sinclair case. You know Harry, you’ve been my

partner for eight months and you’re always eating. You eat

your meals and half of mine sometimes. Don’t you ever get

full?”
 43

Harry looked over at his muscled, physically fit

partner and said, “Twenty years ago I looked like you.”

“Well, Harry, in twenty years I hope I don’t look like

you!” They both laughed as their vehicle entered the

onramp to the interstate.

The stolen Cadillac was parked in the far corner of

the parking lot. The ID tech lifted no fingerprints but

found assorted papers in the car.

A uniformed officer approached both detectives. “Tow

truck will be here in twenty minutes.”

“Who located the car?” asked Anderson as he watched

his partner stuff more chips into his mouth.

“The parking lot attendant standing over there called

it in. Her name’s. . . umm. . . Janet Lee.” The officer

pointed at a young, attractive, Oriental female.

Detective Anderson walked over to the attendant while

his partner and the officer talked golf and shared the bag

of chips.

“Hi, I’m Detective Mike Anderson, Robbery Division,”

putting his hand out for Janet to shake.

“Hello, I’m Janet Lee, Miss Janet Lee,” repeated the

pretty young woman, stressing the word “Miss” when she

spoke.
 44

“What drew your attention to the car?”

“A motorist complained that the Cadillac was parked

too close to her car and she had a hard time getting out.

I came over to see for myself and noticed the ignition was

broken off. The police operator told me it was stolen and

to keep an eye on it until she could get a marked unit

over.”

“Do you have security cameras in this area?”

questioned Mike.

“Only on the way out, to record the toll ticket

transactions.”

“When do you show the car arriving here?”

“Let me see. . . oh yes, here it is . . .on Tuesday

afternoon,” Janet offered, looking at papers on a clipboard

in her hands.

“The police department said it was reported stolen on

Wednesday night when the owner returned early from a

business trip to Chicago. Can you get me the videotapes

for Tuesday and Wednesday and have them dropped off at the

station? Here is my card.” Detective Anderson handed

Janet his card.

“Sure, I can do that right away,” Janet said as she

took the business card, touching his hand as she did so.

“We can even watch the videos at my place Mike. I live

alone.”
 45

Nothing like a subtle woman, smiled Mike to himself.

He took out another card, wrote his cell phone number on

the back and handed it to Janet.

“It’s a date then Janet. Call me when you have the

tapes. I’ll bring over pizza and we’ll review them.”

Janet eagerly took his card, put it in her pocket and

ran back to her manager’s office. Mike watched Janet run

and liked what he saw. He turned around and went back to

his partner, still talking sports and eating chips.

Back inside her office, Janet looked out the window

and watched Detective Anderson walk over to his partner and

the police officer. One fine man. . . thought Janet as she

filled in the video tape request form.

Janet was only twenty-two when she arrived in Los

Angeles from Hong Kong. Her brother Stephen invited her to

work in his Chinese Buffet restaurant, where she met Diane,

who became her fast friend and roommate. For several

months the girls had a great time browsing the beaches in

search of the perfect man before Diane had the inspiration

to expand their quest by traveling the United States.

After driving through many states without seeing much more

than endless cornfields and the occasional tractor, they

made a fateful stop in Tupelo, where Diane met a ruggedly

handsome carpenter and decided to change roommates.

 46

Janet, somewhat disappointed by the turn of events,

decided to rent a small apartment a few blocks away, in

anticipation of a break-up. Man hunting alone just wasn’t

as much fun. Running short on funds, she interviewed and

was hired to work at the Tupelo airport. Being an

attractive gal, Janet always had a lot of men hitting on

her, but they were only interested in one thing. She was

impetuous and hopelessly romantic, but only wanted to fall

in love and settle down like Diane had.

Glancing up after completing the form, Janet observed

Detective Anderson. Now he’s a good candidate. . . Janet

watched the detectives enter their police vehicle and

depart the area.

At the crime lab, a few prints were found on the

papers left in the stolen Cadillac. Detective Anderson

went through the evidence and came across a Wal-Mart

receipt for a windbreaker with a date and time of less than

twenty four hours prior to the Sinclair robbery. The

detective made a copy of the receipt and went searching for

his partner. When he couldn’t find him, he drove over to

Wal-Mart alone. He met with the manager and showed him the

receipt. The manager introduced him to the two clerks who

might have sold the orange windbreaker.

After a brief interview with the clerks, Detective

 47

Anderson went back to the store manager, who located the

VHS tapes for the date of purchase. The detective spent

over an hour looking at the grainy tapes. One tape showed

a white Cadillac parked in the lot. The man exiting the

vehicle appeared to be in his thirties, had a mustache, and

short, dark hair. A second video showed the same white

male in the sporting goods section of the store at about

the time the orange windbreaker was purchased. He ordered

copies of the footage and instructed the manager to drop

them off at the station. Detective Anderson made a note of

the description and also told the store manager that the

two elderly clerks were of no help. They saw too many

customers a day to remember anything of use.

Detective Anderson caught a glimpse of his partner

through the front window of the Subway sandwich shop in a

strip mall, about two miles from the police station.

“How did you get here?” demanded Anderson.

“I had a marked car drop me off.”

“Who did you meet here?”

“No one. This store had a two for the price of one

special I saw in this morning’s newspaper, so I clipped the

ad. I hitched a ride and came here.”

“Harry,” sighed the exasperated detective, “I couldn’t

locate you at the station so I went to the Wal-Mart by

 48

myself, because a receipt for the windbreaker was found in

the stolen car. The manager identified it as an orange

windbreaker with a hood. I looked at videotapes and found

a white male driving a Cadillac at about the time of the

purchase. I think it may be our bank robbery suspect.” He

continued, “He’s in his mid thirties, five foot ten with

short dark hair, a mustache and maybe one hundred eighty

pounds. The manager will bring the tapes over when they’re

copied for us to review again.” Anderson pulled into

traffic as his partner started on his second ham and cheese

sandwich.

Donna answered her doorbell. There stood her man with

flowers and a big smile. She kissed Jimmy in the doorway

and let him in. PI Steve videoed the whole thing. Donna

had dinner ready. She knew meatloaf was her lover’s

favorite. They talked while they ate.

“So when do you file the divorce papers?” Donna asked

excitedly.

“I went to see Kathy’s lawyer last Friday morning. I

tried to work out a quick settlement, but no dice. She

wants fifty-fifty right down the middle. Hell, we’ve been

married eleven months, sleeping in separate beds five of

those eleven, and she wants half of my fortune. . .half of

what my grandparents, parents and I have worked so very

 49

hard for. No way in hell will I end up giving her half.

Ten percent maybe, but not half,” emphasized Jimmy.

“What did you see in her anyway?” Donna asked, pouring

more red wine into their glasses.

“I saw long legs and heard a sweet voice. You know, I

worked day and night for months running that store, and

never had a social life. She came in one day, said hello

and it was love at first sight for me. She started helping

me stock shelves, sweep, and waited for me to close up so

we could go out after.” He continued, “Kathy seemed to

like me for me, and not my money. We never went to

expensive restaurants and she wouldn’t let me buy her

anything, nothing – not jewelry, clothes, nothing. We got

married and bam! She buys expensive clothes and jewelry,

trades her old Ford Taurus in for a new, top of the line

BMW convertible, and redecorates the mansion. I feel I was

set up.” What an idiot I was. . .

“Poor baby, I would never do that to you,” sympathized

Donna. She spent the next several hours conveying to Jimmy

through her words and actions just what he could expect

from her. . .

Steve called Kathy and gave his client an update on

Jimmy’s movements.

“Good, stay with him,” Kathy urged. “I need to know

 50

how involved he is with her.”

“No problem,” Steve replied in his laid-back style.

Steve waited for the lights to finally go out, and set

his alarm clock for five am. They’ve been up half the

night. . . I don’t need to worry about getting too early of

a start, surmised the confident investigator. Reclining

his Mazda van seat all the way back, he pulled out his

pillow and fell asleep.

The alarm rang loudly and Steve sat up to find Jimmy’s

white Honda missing from the driveway. Steve drove to his

client’s home, but the Honda wasn’t there. He searched the

Buffalo Bill’s parking lot and drove around town to Jimmy’s

usual hangouts, but the subject and his Honda could not be

located.

Steve sighed and thought I’ll pick him up later. In

the meantime, he drove over to Wal-Mart to buy more

surveillance tapes. He exited his car and walked inside

the store to find Jimmy Sinclair and Donna Johnson at the

check-out counter, who were on their way out with an

unknown purchase.

Steve followed them back to Donna’s home and videoed

them entering the residence. Steve crossed out his earlier

notes of the subject “not at residence at five am,” and

 51

wrote instead, “subject and girlfriend depart in Honda for

Wal-Mart. They shop and return to residence at six am.”

Good, now I don’t have to explain to Kathy how I lost her

husband. . . Now relaxed, Steve opened his thermos and

poured himself some coffee.

Kathy pulled up to the restaurant alone and entered.

The hostess said, “Good morning. Welcome to IHOP. How

many in your party?”

“Two.”

“Okay. This way please.”

Kathy sat in a corner booth overlooking the parking

lot. She witnessed John Farran pull up in a beige Honda

minivan. He slid in across from her. “Nice day for a hit,

huh?”

Kathy laughed when he said it. “Your van – does it

ride nice?”

“It’s not my van. I stole it from the airport. I own

a bicycle, but yeah, it rides nice.”

“Driving a stolen vehicle. Aren’t you worried about

the cops?”

“Nope, I stole it from a family on a week’s vacation,

so unless they come back early and report it stolen, I’ll

have it back before their return.”

“Why steal a car? Why not just buy your own?”

 52

“I told you, I’m saving for my own rig, and if I’m

going to attempt to kill you, I don’t want any vehicle

traced back to me. This way I can steal and dump anytime I

want.”

After ordering their meal, Kathy said, “This is the

last time we meet. You have your down payment, I have your

cell phone number, so I’ll call you. Here is my schedule

at the store. You can always reach me there. Jimmy opens

and closes the store each day now. I am there from ten am

to three pm every day.

John ate his pancakes, listening to Kathy go on about

her schedule. He nodded his head every so often.

“Do you want your pancakes?” John asked, eyeing the

three buttermilk pancakes sitting on a plate.

“No,” responded Kathy impatiently, eat them all if you

want” as she continued talking.

In between bites John explained the less she knew the

better. This way she looked convincing when interviewed by

the cops.

“After your husband is arrested I expect to get paid a

five thousand dollar bonus, for sticking around instead of

leaving town with your money.”

“It will be worth paying you the money just to see him

behind bars. I’ll put the money in a locker at the airport

and call you as to where the key will be. This way we
 53

don’t have to meet in person. I can’t take the chance of

being seen with you anymore.”

Kathy kept her sunglasses on the entire time, but

removed her red wig only after she left the pancake house

parking lot in the rental car she rented that morning.

Kathy loved watching police and detective shows, and always

made mental notes on how criminals operated. No way was

this scheme going to backfire in her face.

For fun, John followed Kathy from a distance and

watched her remove the red wig and rearrange her long, dark

hair at a traffic light. He laughed as she got back in her

own car at Rent-a-Wreck and drove off. One cautious woman,

I like that, John thought, as he made a u-turn in the

middle of the road and headed back to his apartment.

Sirens blared and multi-colored lights flashed behind

John as he drove down Main Street after making the illegal

turn.

Damn! John thought as he pulled over. The cop saw me

make that turn.

The heavy-set, older officer exited his patrol car and

walked up to the driver’s side of the Honda van.

John, hiding his face, gunned the engine and took off.

He watched the chubby cop dash back to his patrol car.

 54

John quickly turned into a residential neighborhood, made

rights and lefts on different streets, saw an open, empty

garage, pulled the van inside, and closed the garage door.

He waited a few seconds before slipping out the side door

of the garage and calmly walking down the street.

“Sir, have you seen a beige Honda van speed past

here?” asked the baby face rookie officer behind the wheel,

with blue lights flashing.

“Yes officer, I did. A white male turned right at the

corner just a minute ago.”

“You live here?” The officer pointed at the house

where the van was hidden.

“Yes, why?”

“If we don’t catch the guy, I’ll be back to take down

your info for the report.” The officer took off and turned

right at the corner. John calmly walked out of the

neighborhood and caught the city bus coming down the street.

The same young rookie officer, Danny Hanagan, was red-

faced as he spoke to the homeowner, who called the police

to report a strange beige van in her garage. He stood

there in her driveway, knowing now the stranger he talked

to twenty minutes earlier was his auto thief. The van

wasn’t reported stolen, but with the ignition popped out

and the thief running from the cops, there wasn’t much room
 55

for doubt.

An officer knocked on the front door of Robert

Wheeler’s residence at 2446 Charing Cross Drive. A

neighbor came out of her house and told the officer the

family was on vacation in Utah and would be back in a few

days. The neighbor also confirmed that they drove their

Honda van to the airport.

The information was relayed to Hanagan, who was making

out the recovered vehicle report in the Big Oaks

neighborhood. Detective Anderson put a call into the

airport police and inquired as to how many vehicles stolen

from their airport were recovered again back at the

airport. A quick check found two vehicles in thirty days.

All had their ignitions popped out, all had Burger King,

McDonalds and other drive-up food wrappers on the

floorboards, and all were found in another section of the

airport parking lot. They all belonged to people taking

extended trips out of town.

Detective Anderson, sitting at his desk, asked for a

detailed report to be sent to him as soon as possible. He

hung up the phone, turned to his partner and informed him

of his findings. He then put a call into Janet Lee’s

office at the airport lot. She was out doing her rounds

and would call him back, assured the man on the other end
 56

of the phone line. Anderson went down the hall to the

vending machine and brought back a Mars Bar.

His phone rang as he took a bite. It was the Auto

Theft Bureau informing him of the chase earlier in the day,

when the owner’s vehicle was recovered in a stranger’s

garage.

“What does that have to do with Robbery Division?”

asked Anderson to the detective on the other end of the

line.

“There may be a connection between cars missing from

our airport and your bank robbery. The owners left it at

the airport. We found the parking ticket above the visor.

We also found McDonald’s food wrappers. Your man Hanagan

said the man on the street was about thirty-five years old

with dark, short hair and a mustache.”

“I’ll be right over,” said Anderson as he took the

last bit of the candy bar and left the empty wrapper on his

partner’s desk, who again, not surprisingly, was nowhere to

be found.

Jimmy left Donna’s house and drove to his store.

Kathy was assisting several customers as he walked in. She

nodded at him as he tensely entered, but didn’t say a word.

All the local customers knew of the upcoming divorce. They

could see it in both of their faces. Ten months ago they

 57

were two lovebirds and now they were like two wild dogs

fighting over a bone, always barking at each other.

Jimmy went right to the back office, where he found

Billy on the phone.

“I hired you to work Billy, not sit on your ass in my

chair, in my office, using my phone and on my time,”

sputtered the agitated store owner.

“Sorry sir,” Billy gulped. He said a speedy goodbye

to whomever was on the other end, picked up the broom and

dustpan and made fast tracks toward the front of the store.

Steve parked across the street and waited. He saw

Kathy’s BMW in the lot, so he knew both she and Jimmy were

inside. Steve pulled out the crossword puzzle section and

started working on it.

Billy swept the front sidewalk.

Janet Lee dialed the Robbery Division and waited for

Detective Anderson to pick up. She got his voicemail.

After listening to all of the instructions she left a

friendly greeting, “Hello Mike, this is Janet. I got your

message to call. My home phone is (662) 555-5555. It’s

now two pm. I get off at three and will be home after

that. The VHS tapes are ready. I’ll pick them up on my

way home. Looking forward to seeing you again.”

 58

At the Auto Theft Bureau, a map of the airport was

taped to the wall that showed the parking lots with

assorted color tipped pins. “The red pins are the cars

stolen over a three month period and the blue pins are the

same red pins that were recovered back at the airport.

Normally when a car is stolen, either we never recover it

or it’s found somewhere else in the city or state. Now

Mike, to have two pins here where the cars were brought

back. . . very unusual,” mused Detective Joe Honeycutt, a

middle-aged father of three.

“I have someone from the airport parking lot picking

up the videos that cover a period of time to see if we can

put a face to the person doing this,” Mike offered, not

wanting to mention Janet’s name. “Now Joe, when the victim

of the Honda van arrives back in town, let me interview

him. I’ll send you a report for your file,” instructed

Mike.

“That’s fine with me. My desk has too many files as

it is,” pointed Joe to his desk scattered with files,

papers and other items.

“Why do you think he or she returned the car back to

the airport?” asked Mike.

“My guess is either they think they wouldn’t be found

for a while, or the perp planned to steal another one right

 59

after dumping the last one.”

2. Robbery

Kathy watched her husband leave the store without

saying a word. She immediately went to the back door of

the store and unlocked it. Billy was busy stocking shelves

and didn’t notice Kathy go to the back room. She went back

to the cashier’s stand location by the front door to help

an old lady check out.

 60

Farran looked at his “Wheel of Fortune” watch and then

walked a few blocks from the bus stop to the rear of

Buffalo Bill’s grocery. The door was unlocked. He stepped

inside the storage area, full of boxes, and peeked out of

the little glass pane in the swinging door that led to the

interior of the store. Farran saw Kathy and an elderly

woman, and no one else. He knew there was a stock boy, but

didn’t see him around. He waited a few minutes just to be

sure, slipped on his black leather gloves, put on a green

baseball cap and sunglasses, and walked toward Kathy and

the elderly woman.

“Don’t anyone move or do anything stupid,” commanded

Farran, holding a real 38 revolver, which was planted

earlier by Kathy in the stockroom, along with the cap and

sunglasses, from where Farran retrieved them before putting

on his gloves.

The old woman turned and screamed and ran out the

door, still screaming. Kathy opened the register and

started taking out money, dropping some bills to the floor

to make it appear she was nervous.

Billy peeked around the corner and saw Farran with the

gun. Billy, being a star pitcher on the University of

Mississippi baseball team, picked up a large can of baked

beans and threw the can about twenty feet, hitting Farran
 61

on the left shoulder. Farran turned in the clerk’s

direction and ducked in time to miss a second can of baked

beans from finding its target. The would-be assassin fired

a shot toward the brave but foolish young man, making sure

to aim high and to the right. The sound of the gun going

off made Farran jump, and the clerk ducked and ran out the

back door.

Kathy, according to plan, ran out the front door as

Farran put two rounds into the wall behind the cash

register, a distance of about ten feet. He grabbed the

large bills and ran out the back door and into the alley,

dropping his green ball cap. Farran removed the paper bag

he had folded in his back pocket, and very calmly turned

the corner, putting the gun and gloves inside the bag.

Farran walked about a block and a half and caught the

city bus toward his apartment. On the bus, he could hear

sirens wailing in the distance. Glad the transit system

sticks to the posted schedule. . .

As he leaned back in his seat, the would-be hit man

reviewed the day’s events. The original plan called for

Farran to wait in the unlocked stockroom for Kathy to tell

Billy to get something from the back room. Then Farran

would tie Billy up, come to the front of the store, steal

the money, and have Kathy break free as Farran led her to

the back storage room. Farran would then shoot some rounds
 62

off and run out the back, while Kathy would play the

terrified victim when the cops arrived. Farran liked the

plan, but got nervous holding the gun in his hand while

standing in the back storage room, and out of nervousness

just couldn’t wait for Billy. Almost without a hitch, he

thought.

The cops set up a perimeter, searched the entire

store, and canvassed the area, looking for any witnesses

that might be hanging around. A television crew from

Channel 6 arrived to cover the scene, and the male reporter

was asking Billy questions.

“So you threw two cans at the armed robber?”

“Yes. . . yes sir,” stammered the nervous celebrity.

“I hit him with a can of Heinz barbeque beans in the left

shoulder, but I was aiming for his head. The second can of

beans would have been in the strike zone, but he ducked.

Then he fired at me and I got the hell out of there.”

Someone handed Billy a can of Heinz beans and he smiled as

he held the can up for the camera.

Kathy stood outside her store and used the time to

call people. “Mom, the store got robbed. Turn on Channel

6. They’re out here covering the store. Don’t worry...I’m

all right...will call you back...go turn on the TV and

record it for me. Okay, love you mom.”

 63

Kathy called Detective Anderson’s office.

“Yes, Mrs. Sinclair, I’ll get him the message,” said

the clerk in the Robbery Division.

Jimmy was at Donna’s store. He heard the sirens and

saw police cars zoom past, but didn’t pay any attention to

the direction, as he was too busy watching Donna try on

negligees.

“I like the color, but it’s not transparent enough,”

Jimmy said as Donna modeled the new garments that just

arrived. Jimmy watched Donna try on more sexy numbers as

they made small talk. “I really think Kathy’s going to

file the divorce papers on me this week.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Because yesterday afternoon she smiled for no reason

and said ‘nice day to be single.’”

“Do you want to move in with me and my two cats?”

asked the ever-eager Donna, moving closer to Jimmy as he

sat in a chair by the changing room mirrors.

“I think it’s best I stay at my house and try to get

Kathy to move out. I know we are headed for divorce, but I

just don’t want to file first, because there has never been

a divorce in the whole history of my family. It will look

better if she files.”

 64

Donna sat on Jimmy’s lap, ran her fingers through his

hair and whispered, “I’ll never leave you honey.”

Outside, PI Steve continued to work on a crossword

puzzle.

Detective Anderson arrived at and entered the grocery

store. He singled Kathy out, who was still talking on her

cell phone. As he approached, Kathy said into her phone,

“I’ll call you back - gotta go.” Kathy closed up the

phone, smiled her best smile and in a pleasant voice said,

“Hi Detective Anderson.”

“I can see from your smile that you’re okay.”

“Yes. It’s been over an hour now, giving me time to

calm down and relax more. I just made a pot of coffee for

everyone. Would you like some?” she asked, pointing in the

direction of the coffee stand.

They stood close to each other as Anderson asked

questions and made notes into a small spiral notebook.

“So you describe the robber as about five feet ten

inches, medium build, about one hundred eighty pounds

wearing a green ball cap, sunglasses, with a mustache. Is

that correct?”

“Yes,” Kathy replied, drinking from a coffee cup.

“You also recall him wearing a green T-shirt with “On

 65

The Road Again” written in white on the front, blue jeans

and cowboy boots, and a Wheel of Fortune watch on his right

arm,” Anderson confirmed.

“Correct,” Kathy said. “I did good, right detective?”

she continued, exhibiting a warm smile for the hot looking

hunk of a man standing in front of her wearing a two-piece

blue suit.

“Well, I’m not used to this much detail to be honest.

I normally get ‘all I saw was a big gun sticking in my

face.’ Not too many people are as observant as you Mrs.

Sinclair.”

“Please call me Kathy.”

“Okay Kathy. You did very good considering you had a

gun thrust in your face.”

“Well, I love cop shows. My favorite is the FBI

Files. I tape most of them to watch again when I’m alone,

which these days is often. Plus, working in a store you

have to be alert for shoplifters, panhandlers, salesmen, -

all kinds of things going on.”

Detective Anderson handed his notebook to a uniformed

cop and instructed him to broadcast the description over

the air and to let the TV reporter from Channel 6 release

the information to the public as well, focusing on the

green T-shirt with the logo written on the front and the
 66

“Wheel of Fortune” watch. These are the best leads going,

thought Anderson as he drank his coffee and listened to

Kathy Sinclair talk about one of the FBI cases she recently

watched.

An ID technician approached Detective Anderson and

showed him the green baseball cap in a plastic bag. “This

was found in the alley.”

Kathy interrupted the tech, “That looks like the cap

the robber wore, and oh my God, my husband has a cap just

like that!”

Jimmy Sinclair parked his Honda in the parking lot and

approached a uniformed officer. “Why all the cop cars?”

“This store was robbed a couple of hours ago.”

“Robbed? By who? I’m the owner.”

“Then go inside and see Detective Anderson in the blue

suit.”

Jimmy walked in and noticed Kathy talking to Anderson

by the coffee stand. “Everything okay?” Jimmy asked Kathy

with feigned concern.

“Yeah, like you really care.” Kathy rolled her eyes

and walked away from the two men.

“What happened here in my store?” questioned Jimmy.

“Sir, you had an armed robbery. The perp fired shots

at your wife and stock clerk, but no one was hurt. He got
 67

away with about four hundred dollars and ran out the back.”

“This store has been in my family for many years and

this is our first serious crime. We’ve had vandalism, an

attempted break-in and shoplifters, but never any violence!”

“Tell me something Mr. Sinclair. Your wife said the

back door was unlocked. She remembered locking it earlier

in the day after dumping some boxes, and the stock clerk

said he never went out back today. Do you recall unlocking

it?”

“Me? No, why would I?”

“Your wife told me the robber had to have come from

the back storage room because she was at the register by

the front door all day. How would the robber know to come

in the back door if it’s always locked?”

“Beats me,” Jimmy responded.

“Your wife said you never warned her about the three

store robberies that made the paper that you were reading

at her attorney’s office. Why not? quizzed Anderson”

“I thought I did. Do you have a description?”

“White male, in his thirties, about one hundred

eighty pounds, mustache and was wearing a green T-shirt

with “On The Road Again” printed on the front, a Wheel of

Fortune watch, blue jeans and cowboy boots.”

“Wow, that’s a pretty detailed description,” Jimmy

said.
 68

“Your wife provided it.”

“Kathy did? She usually has a lousy memory. She

can’t even remember to turn off the stove.”

“Well, all I can say is that some people under duress,

like you for instance, remember ‘I only saw a big gun in my

face.’ One more thing, where were you when the store was

robbed two hours ago?”

“I was at Wal-Mart on Fifth Street looking to buy

country music CDs.”

“Well, we might catch this guy quick if someone

watching the news tonight remembers that green T-shirt or

that watch,” said Anderson.

Jimmy walked over and picked up a cold can of soda.

Anderson followed. “One more thing Mr. Sinclair. Your

wife says you have a green baseball cap just like the one

the robber dropped in the alley.” Anderson showed Jimmy

the cap sealed in a transparent evidence bag.

“Yes, I have a whole wall collection at home. So?”

“So maybe I can come over and look at it. We might

have a label attached that we can use to trace where the

cap was purchased. This cap is missing a label.”

“Just let me know when and I’ll meet you there.”

“Sometime later today would be best for me Mr.

Sinclair.”

“Okay, I’ll make myself available when you call.”

 69

Jimmy waited for the detective to leave the store,

then picked up his cell phone and called a number on a

piece of paper stuffed in his wallet.

John Farran was flipping channels in his apartment

when the phone rang. “Hello.”

“John?”

“Who is this?”

“Jimmy at the store.”

“Listen Jimmy, I don’t want to talk on the phone.

Let’s meet.”

“You’re crazy, hell no. The cops think I unlocked the

back door!”

“I came in the front,” lied John, “and ran out the

back.”

“Look, get rid of that green T-shirt with “On The Road

Again” and that Wheel of Fortune watch. It’s going to be

broadcasted tonight all over the news,” warned Jimmy.

“I can’t do that man. My mom gave me the watch and

the shirt was a gift from my little brother!”

“At least don’t wear them anymore.”

“Let’s meet,” John said again.

“No, not now, maybe late tonight. I’ll call you when

I close the store.” Jimmy looked around the store for

Kathy. He saw her outside talking to the Channel 6

 70

reporter.

John Farran hid the green T-shirt under the dresser

with all his cash, but kept the Wheel of Fortune watch on

his wrist. He rode the Metro bus to the airport and walked

out to the parking lot to scan for his next victim.

Janet Lee picked up the phone on the third ring.

“Hello, Janet speaking.”

“Hi, this is Mike.”

“Mike who?” Janet asked, not recognizing the voice.

“You forgot me that quick? It’s Detective Mike

Anderson.”

“No, sorry Mike. I get a lot of calls here in the

office. We have forty-six staff members and the phone

rings off the hook. I just didn’t recognize the voice.”

They made plans to get together at her place.

John Farran was walking through the airport parking

lot when his younger brother called.

“Hey brother, it’s me.”

“Hello Peter. Sounds like you are calling long

distance.”

“I am. I’m in Germany.”

“On vacation or active duty?”

 71

“I’m calling to tell you I am being sent to Iraq. I’m

on my way to the action now.”

“Wait a minute Peter. When you called a few weeks ago

you said you were getting out and moving to Phoenix with

that girlfriend of yours.”

“Yeah, well Sandra ran off with an older guy and my

civilian employer closed shop. The Army offered me a great

reenlistment bonus so I took it.”

“Iraq? Now that worries me.”

“Don’t worry John. I’ll keep my head down.”

“I’m not worried about a fire fight Peter. I’m

worried about those roadside bombs I keep reading about in

the USA Today.”

“When it’s time to go, then it’s your time,” said

Peter matter-of-factly as the phone connection started to

go bad. John’s cell phone went dead. His concern for his

brother was short-lived as he spotted his next target and

approached the couple.

John walked over to a well-dressed elderly couple

struggling to remove a large suitcase from the trunk of a

new black Mercedes coupe. “I’ll help you folks,” John said

as he lifted the heavy suitcase from the trunk and placed

it by their feet. “That suitcase is pretty heavy, I’ll

carry it for you. I’m going in anyway to pick up my

daughter coming in from New York,” lied John, walking with

 72

the couple into the terminal. “That’s a very heavy

suitcase, must weigh over seventy pounds,” John said,

trying to find out where the couple was headed, but more

importantly, how long they would be gone.

The woman said, “Our daughter is getting married for

the third time in San Francisco. While she’s on her two

week honeymoon in Europe, we’re going to stay at her place

and babysit her two poodles.”

“Wow, two weeks in Europe, must be nice,” John

commented when they arrived at the Delta check-in counter.

“Well folks, have a nice flight.” And with that, John

walked away from the couple, past the Northwest Airlines

ticket counter.

Around the corner and out of sight of the couple, he

made his way back to the Mercedes. Within moments he had

it unlocked and started, and headed toward the booth

cashier. John handed Janet a five-dollar bill.

“What a beautiful car. You look good behind the

wheel!” gushed Janet, the perky attendant, handing John his

change.

“Thanks, I just got it,” joked John as he took the

change from Janet. “Oh, and you look good too in that

booth,” John laughed as he drove away.

 73

“Honey, I forgot my heart pills in the front console

of the car,” said the alarmed elderly woman to her husband.

“Don’t worry dear. I’ll get them and be right back,”

soothed her husband. The man walked out of the Delta

terminal to Row D, Spot 9, just like he wrote down on his

parking ticket, only to find an empty space. No black

Mercedes coupe. He searched all the rows with the aid of a

maintenance worker riding a golf cart, but the Mercedes was

not to be found.

The airport police were quickly called and the

tollbooth operators were notified. Janet picked up the

phone, dialed Extension Sixty-three for Security, and

notified them that a white male just left in a black

Mercedes coupe. She also remembered his comment “I just got

it.” She told security the guy had a mustache, dark, short

hair and wore a white T-shirt.

The police reviewed the grainy video from Janet’s

booth and confirmed with the elderly man that it was the

same guy who helped him with his luggage. The cops radioed

in the license plate number, and Janet helped arrange for

the elderly couple to take the next flight out.

“I don’t care about the car, I just want my wife’s

heart medicine,” the distraught elderly man kept telling

 74

everyone.

Kathy pulled into the Uptown Cafe parking lot and

searched inside for Steve Conners. She took a corner

booth, ordered an apple muffin, a coffee, and waited for

her PI to arrive.

Steve slid into the booth as Kathy was finishing her

last bite. “Sorry I’m late, but my normal typist is on

vacation so I had to type the report myself with this

finger,” said Steve, holding up his right hand index

finger. Steve filled Kathy in on what her husband had been

up to since being watched around the clock.

Kathy reviewed the color eight by ten snapshots of her

husband with Donna Johnson. I think I’ll go buy some

lingerie from The Moonlight Shop. I want to see the look

on her pretty face when her lover’s spouse walks in.

Steve gave his client a sheet of paper showing the

address of the shop, Donna’s house, and the tag number on

the blue Celica that Donna owned.

Kathy wrote out a check for two thousand and

instructed Steve to stay on Jimmy until she said to stop,

and then handed him the check. “When this is all over,

I’ll buy a weeklong cruise from you.”

Billy was sweeping up the store aisles when Jimmy told

 75

him to take over the register, and that he would be back in

time to close up. Jimmy got into the passenger side of

Donna’s car and left the store.

The PI followed, and when Donna made a left turn on

Lockridge Avenue, he knew where his subject was headed.

Jimmy went over to Donna’s place for dinner and a

little romance. Steve videoed Jimmy entering Donna’s

apartment. Steve wished he was Jimmy right about now, as

he sipped his cold coffee and ate another brick, his own

slang for a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, recalling how

late into the night he waited for lights out on the

previous surveillance.

An airliner flew overhead as Steve sat there doing his

customary crossword puzzle. He watched the lights of the

plane for a while and wondered if Veronica, his ex-wife,

was still a flight attendant with Northwest. They were

married almost fifteen years when she admitted to having a

two-year fling with a co-pilot on a 757. She moved out and

married the guy too.

Steve took a bite of his brick and thought about all

of the trips he and his wife made flying standby. His

favorite trip was to Vegas. She loved to play slots and

see the shows and he liked playing three-card poker. The

Mirage hotel on the strip always gave them fifty percent

 76

off their room rack rates, which meant most times they

stayed in a room overlooking the volcano for twenty-five

dollars a night.

After the divorce he sold the house, quit his job as a

painter, and moved to Seattle for six months. He stayed

with an old high school buddy named Devin Burden, who was a

private investigator. Devin had him ride along on cases

and taught him all he knew. Devin liked accident

reconstruction and witness statements, but Steve liked the

surveillance part of the business. It was more of a

challenge. His obsession with crossword puzzles came from

long hours of sitting in his car, waiting for his subject

to do something.

Steve opened his wallet and removed Veronica’s photo

that he still kept. She was his high school sweetheart.

He was still attracted to what he called the “Veronica

look,” a tall, slender woman with long dark hair who loved

country music.

Steve picked up his cell phone and called his client.

She answered her cell on the third ring.

“Hey Kathy, your husband’s at Donna’s house again. He

got here about ten minutes ago.”

“Donna’s house. . . he’s supposed to be at the store!”

 77

Kathy hung up and called Billy. “Billy, where’s

Jimmy?”

“I don’t know ma’am. He left about twenty minutes ago

and told me to stay and wait for him and that he’d be back

in time to close.”

Kathy hung up and called John Farran. “John, lets

implement the second stage of our scheme. Right now Jimmy

is with his girlfriend.”

3. Drive-By

John left his apartment, entered the black Mercedes

and headed over to Buffalo Bill’s grocery store. Kathy

went outside to water her plants. It was eight pm and

there was a full moon out. Kathy saw her husband’s old

Honda coming down the street. Donna had loaned John her

spare key to the car. She turned her back to the street as
 78

planned.

John rolled down the passenger window and aimed high.

He fired two shots from Jimmy’s 38 revolver, the gun Kathy

had given him, and drove away slowly. Kathy hit the dirt

when the shots were fired and rolled around to get real

dirty while screaming very loudly.

Several neighbors came running over to make sure Kathy

was all right. Someone called 9-1-1 and gave the

description of the old Honda. No one got the license plate

number. John had blocked most of the tag with an “I Love

Tupelo” sticker, which he removed a few blocks away from

the crime scene.

The cops arrived almost instantly and marked off the

crime scene with yellow tape. Kathy gave one of the

uniformed officers Detective Anderson’s business card and

asked the officer to please call. Kathy acted very shook

up when talking to the uniformed officers walking around

the crime scene, interviewing witnesses.

John drove right back to Buffalo Bill’s grocery store

and switched cars. He then drove the Mercedes back to his

own apartment and placed a green tarp over the top of it,

one that he had bought earlier in the day from a military

surplus store. He put Kathy’s 38 revolver under the

dresser and turned on his CB radio.

 79

Donna dropped Jimmy off in front of his store. Billy

came running as soon as he saw his boss, “Sir, the police

called, said for you to get over to your house. Someone

just tried to kill your wife!”

“Jesus!” said Jimmy. “Tried, did they say how?”

“In a drive-by shooting.”

“Okay, look, you know how to lock up and put the alarm

on, right?”

“Yes sir, I do.”

“Good, then do it. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Jimmy ran out to his car and drove away fast. Once out of

eyesight of Billy, Jimmy drove very, very slowly.

While following Jimmy at a snail’s pace, Steve decided

to call the store and see if he could find out what was up.

The news of the drive-by shooting was easily extracted from

the excited Billy. He called his client. Kathy answered

her cell phone.

“Are you all right? I just heard about the drive-by”

asked Steve, with concern for his attractive client.

“I’m fine, a bit shook up but fine.”

“Well, your husband is enroute, although driving

slowly I might add.”

 80

On the way to his house, Jimmy dialed John Farran’s

apartment phone.

“Hello,” John said, acting tired.

“What happened? What went wrong?” Jimmy questioned.

“I told you don’t be calling me on this phone. Use

the cell phone!”

Jimmy redialed and when John answered, Jimmy asked

again, “What the hell happened?”

“I drove up and saw her in the yard watering her

plants. I stopped, aimed and fired, but when I did, she

bent over and I missed. Man, can you believe it? She

bends over as I fire. She’s lucky. She should go to

Vegas. I bet she’d win the Progressive Mega Jackpot.”

“Did anyone see you?”

“There were people in the street when I sped away.”

“Where’s the car that you used?”

“I still have it.”

“What? You still have it? Get rid of the stupid

thing!”

“Hell no. It’s a new Mercedes coupe. Best riding

thing I ever stole. I have a tarp over it, don’t worry.”

Jimmy pulled to the curb and walked the one hundred

yards to his house. It was the closest he could get with

police cars all over the place. An ID technician was in

 81

the process of removing the two slugs from the wood siding

as Jimmy approached Detective Anderson and another

detective.

“What’s going on?” asked Jimmy.

“I was going to ask you the same thing,” responded

Detective Anderson, introducing Detective Fusco at the same

time.

“Your wife says she’s scared of you,” Detective Fusco

stated pointedly while looking directly at Jimmy.

“Scared of me? Why?”

“Too much has been going on since your pending

divorce. First you’re robbed at a bank lot, then someone

robs the store, there’s a drive-by shooting, and not to

mention your comments about you wanting your wife gone!”

“That was just a figure of speech. I wish she was out

of my life, yes, but I wouldn’t want to see any harm come

to her.”

“Why not? Then you get to keep the store and the

mansion. And weren’t you upset last week leaving her

lawyer’s office? You wanted her to have only one hundred

thousand instead of the four million she feels she is due!”

Fusco persisted.

“Yes, I still think one hundred thousand is fair for

being married less than a year, and yes I was upset, but I

wouldn’t do anything to harm her.”

 82

“Do you own any firearms?” interjected Detective

Anderson.

“Yes, a Smith and Wesson 38 Special.”

“Where do you keep it?”

“Under my front seat.”

“May I see it please?”

“Yeah, sure.”

Both Detective Anderson and Jimmy walked to the Honda,

parked down the street. Jimmy opened his driver’s door,

which wasn’t locked. He reached under the seat. The 38

Special was not there. Detective Anderson watched with

interest as Jimmy searched the entire car, glove box and

trunk.

“It’s missing!” exclaimed Jimmy, with authentic

surprise. Where the hell is my gun?

“When was the last time you saw it?” asked Detective

Anderson, pulling out his notebook to record Jimmy’s

response.

“Let’s see. I normally keep it at home under the

mattress, but after I was robbed in the bank lot I moved it

to my car. So last Saturday morning, I transferred it to

my car.”

“Do you normally keep your car unlocked with a firearm

inside?”

“No, I normally lock it when I exit. I just didn’t do

 83

it now when I arrived here.”

“Okay, get me the serial number and lets file a stolen

firearm report. Now, your wife thinks you had something to

do with this drive-by shooting. Where were you?”

“I left the store to just drive around. Just felt

like getting out of the store.”

“Stop anywhere? Can anyone vouch for seeing you?”

“No, I just drove around.”

“Do you do that much, just leave the store and drive

around?”

“No, this is my first time.”

Detective Anderson wrote in big letters: “FIRST

TIME/DRIVES AROUND TOWN/FIREARM MISSING.” The ID tech

walked up to both men. “Looks like 38 slugs. We’ll know

for sure at the lab.”

Detective Anderson looked at Jimmy. “38 slugs, your

gun is missing, you can’t account for your whereabouts. Do

you know anyone who owns another old Honda like yours?”

“No,” Jimmy said, “not off hand.”

“Well, a Honda just like yours was used in the drive-

by shooting tonight.”

“Well, it wasn’t me or my car, that’s for sure.”

Steve sat down the street, watching Jimmy being

interviewed by the detectives, who wore gold shields around

 84

their necks.

Detective Anderson then went over to Kathy, who was

standing with an elderly neighbor woman named Helen Miles.

Kathy introduced Helen to the detective.

“Did you see anything that went on tonight Miss

Miles?” asked Detective Anderson, pulling out his notebook.

“Yes. I was sitting on my front porch, which is

across the street,” she pointed as she talked. “I saw an

old white Honda just like the one Jimmy drives slow down

and stop. Then I heard loud sounds like firecrackers.

Then I saw the Honda drive off.”

Detective Anderson wrote down what she said and kept

asking her questions. “Did you get a good look at his

face?”

“No, it happened too quickly.”

“Very good Miss Miles,” said Detective Anderson, as

he wrote the details into his notebook.

Jimmy filled in the stolen gun report, including the

serial number, which he wrote on the owner’s manual that he

located in a kitchen drawer filled with manuals for

different appliances.

The officer took the report from Jimmy and gave him a

case number on a card, which Jimmy put in his wallet. The

officer walked over to Detective Anderson, “Here is the

 85

report and I already entered the firearm into NCIC.”

Detective Anderson took the paper and explained to

Kathy, who was standing there, what NCIC stood for.

Kathy smiled and replied, “I know what NCIC is because

I watch those FBI shows, remember?”

“Oh yeah, that’s right, you do,” laughed Detective

Anderson.

Jimmy stepped outside and called John Farran on his

cell phone. John answered on the second ring.

“It’s Jimmy. I’m at my house. You failed again to do

your job tonight!”

“Hey, shit happens.”

“Yeah? Well the cops are all over me now, questioning

me on my whereabouts, about the unlocked back door, and now

about my 38 Special stolen from under my seat.

“I have your gun.”

“You what?”

“I said I have your gun. I took it from your unlocked

car last week when you gave me the twenty dollars when I

stopped by your store.”

“Why exactly did you steal my gun?”

“I needed one if I was going to kill your wife in a

staged hold-up.”

“I need it back right now, tonight!”

 86

“Nope. I’m not finished using it yet,” John replied,

raising his voice a little.

“Oh yes you are. If the cops find it then I’m in very

big trouble. Those slugs that came from the store and the

wall in front of my house will be matched to my gun! Where

are you? We need to meet.”

“We won’t meet soon, and I won’t be giving you back

your gun until I finish the job.”

“Then you’re fired!” Jimmy said, raising his voice

enough for a few people on the street to look his way.

“You can’t fire me asshole. I’m six for six on hits

and if I quit now I won’t have a perfect record.” John

covered his mouth to hide his laugh. He was having fun

messing with Jimmy’s head.

Jimmy paced up and down the sidewalk for a moment

before whispering. “Listen, I don’t want to kill my wife

any more. Just return my gun and go away. You can keep

the fifteen thousand.”

“You give me fifteen thousand more tomorrow and I’ll

give you your gun back.”

“And you will leave my wife alone?”

“That, I will have to think about. I do have a

perfect record.”

“I’ll get the money first thing in the morning. Where

can we meet?”
 87

“There’s a dump site off Highway 45, Exit 2. Go east

two miles, a quarter mile past the all night Speedway gas

station and turn left on Victory Lane. I’ll be a few yards

in, at say. . . eleven am.”

“I’ll be there,” Jimmy said as he underlined eleven am

on a piece of paper.

Jimmy had his back to the house and didn’t see

Detective Fusco approaching. “Who did you fire?” the

detective inquired.

“Oh, you heard that did you?”

“Yep, couldn’t help hearing you shout it. I was in my

unmarked car just a few feet from you.”

“I fired my yard guy, Tony. I’m sick and tired of him

doing a sloppy job,” Jimmy lied, with a straight face.

Kathy sat at her kitchen table and gazed into the blue

eyes of Detective Anderson. “I just love your eyes, so

blue. You’re single, right?”

“Right now I am.”

“Well, soon I’ll be single too. I file the papers

tomorrow.”

“Does your spouse know it’s tomorrow?”

“I didn’t even know it was going to be tomorrow until

tonight when I was almost killed. I know he’s behind this

 88

whole thing. He hates me, just hates me!”

“I’ll call him in for a real long talk to see where

his head is at.” Detective Anderson tapped her hand with

his, gave her a smile and said softly, “I’ll be right back.”

Detective Anderson met his partner on the sidewalk,

where they talked for a minute. Then Anderson walked over

to Jimmy. “How ‘bout we have a talk at the station

tomorrow, say eleven am?”

“Eleven am. I have a dental appointment,” Jimmy

quickly lied, knowing he had to meet with John to get his

gun back.

“Okay, say three pm then.”

“Three pm. Okay, I can make that.”

“Good, see you then,” said Anderson, walking back to

Kathy.

“He’s coming in to see me at three pm tomorrow. Said

he has a dentist appointment at eleven am.”

“A dentist appointment? Don’t make me laugh. He

hates dentists, won’t go near them.”

“Really?”

“It’s true,” Kathy said.

“Do you know why he fired his gardener named Tony?”

“Gardener, what gardener? We don’t have a gardener.

I do all the yard work myself to help me stay in shape.”

 89

“He told my partner he fired his gardener tonight. My

partner heard him say to someone over his cell phone,

‘you’re fired.’”

“My soon to be ex is a good liar. He has a poker

face.”

Jimmy was walking to his car when Detective Anderson

yelled for him to come to the house. Jimmy walked back,

wondering what they wanted now.

“Mr. Sinclair, can you show me that baseball cap

collection of yours?” Anderson asked while Harry was

outside flirting with the ID techs, offering them some of

his potato chips.

On one wall of the game room was a large collection of

baseball caps of assorted sizes and colors. “How long have

you been collecting these?” asked Anderson, while looking

for the green baseball cap Mr. Sinclair said he owned.

“I started about six months ago. They are orphan

hats.”

“Orphan hats? What do you mean?” prodded Anderson.

“When I am driving I look for lost hats on the side of

the road. If I find one then I claim it. I call those

type hats orphans.”

“Where’s that orphan green baseball cap you said you

owned?” pushed the detective.

 90

Jimmy walked over to the far section of the wall to a

solitary nail where a cap should have been hanging.

“That’s odd, it’s missing!” Jimmy looked quizzically as he

turned to face the detective.

“Seems like a lot of things are going missing in your

life Mr. Sinclair. The gun and now a baseball cap similar

to the one left at the crime scene. . .”

“Look officer, I had nothing to do with this store

robbery!”

“Relax Mr. Sinclair. I didn’t say you did.”

“No, but you’re doing a good job of implying that I

was involved.”

“Well Mr. Sinclair, as a robbery detective I have to

suspect everyone until I can rule them out.”

“May I leave now?”

“Of course you may leave. Just don’t go too far Mr.

Sinclair.”

Jimmy quickly left his residence, entered his car and

drove away, with Steve on his tail.

Jimmy called his banker at home and arranged to meet

first thing in the morning. He was going to make his

appointment at eleven am, get his gun back, and destroy it.

He drove to his store and for the first time, realized he

might be under surveillance when he recognized a Mazda van

 91

that he had seen near his house earlier and near Donna’s

place too. He was aware of the Mazda because he’d been

thinking about trading in his old Honda for a new Mazda

van. Hell, if his wife could go around town in a new BMW,

he could upgrade as well.

He pulled into the Shell gas station on Green Street

and pumped a few cents worth of fuel into his already full

tank. He watched the Mazda turn into the McDonalds lot

next door. He couldn’t tell if anyone got out or not.

After pumping his gas, Jimmy drove next door to McDonalds

to use the drive-up window, but more importantly, to write

down the license plate number of the van.

Jimmy drove by the van as he got in line and recorded

the plate “TRAVEL3.” Jimmy hated McDonalds food but

ordered a small order of fries and drove down the street,

watching his rearview mirror. As he did so, the Mazda van

was in traffic behind him, about six cars back, in the

right lane, while Jimmy drove in the middle lane. Jimmy

drove a few more blocks and stopped at Starbucks for a

coffee latte. The van didn’t stop. Jimmy got his coffee

and drove over to Donna’s place. Down the street, already

parked, was a Mazda van. Jimmy knocked on Donna’s door.

“Let’s go for a walk honey,” Jimmy said, as he took a

sip of his hot drink.

 92

Donna closed her door and locked it. They held hands

as they walked.

“I think I am being followed,” Jimmy casually remarked

to Donna. “Just act natural. We’ll walk to the corner,

cross the street, walk down the street across from your

place and walk around the block. When we get across the

street there is a beige Mazda van parked at the curb. Look

at the tag and see if it reads TRAVEL3.”

“Who’s following you and why?” Donna asked with

concern.

“I don’t know,” Jimmy said nervously, as they crossed

the street and headed toward their target.

Steve was already in the back seat of the van and his

AM/FM radio was off. The window tint concealed him. He

lay low, as his subject walked by.

Donna looked at the Mazda tag, illuminated by the

streetlight and the full moon as they strolled down the

sidewalk.

“What’s the plate number?”

“It’s TRAVEL3 just like you thought. What are we

going to do now?”

“We’ll act like we don’t know anything and I’ll call

the police and report a suspicious car and let the cops

check him out.”

 93

Jimmy picked up his cell phone and made the call. The

couple casually strolled around the block and walked into

Donna’s place like nothing was wrong.

Steve videoed the lovebirds enter the house. He

picked up his notebook and wrote some entries. He then

turned on his radio and put the channel on a country

station. He was into his fourth song when two flashlights

from either side shown into the windows and a commanding

voice said, “Police, step out of your vehicle slowly.”

Jimmy and Donna watched from a side bathroom window in

the dark, as Steve exited his van. “I’m a PI working on a

case. Let me show you my ID.”

“Reach for it slowly,” stated one of the officers who

stood a few feet back, ready for anything.

Steve found his state ID card, issued by the Division

of Licensing, and handed it to the young cop in front of

him.

“I need to see your driver’s license and registration

as well.”

Steve complied and listened.

“We had a call of a suspicious vehicle parked out here

for hours.”

“I’m working on a divorce case and my subject is

visiting his girlfriend. I can’t tell you who, or provide

 94

you with any more information on the case, but I am a

licensed private investigator and I have a right to be

here.”

“Just stand here while my partner verifies your

information, and if all is in order, we will let you go

back to work.”

“Okay. By the way officer, who called in about me?”

Steve asked, looking now and then at Donna’s house.

“Don’t know. It didn’t come in as a 911 call, it was

connected from our property room so it came up on the

dispatcher screen as unfounded.”

How odd, Steve thought. To play it safe he would

borrow his sister’s gray Toyota Corolla tomorrow.

“Looks like everything is in order. Here is your

driver’s license, registration, and PI license back. I

filled out an inquiry card on you just for the record, to

show we responded.”

Steve took his identification back from the older

officer, thanked them both, and climbed back inside his van.

Jimmy and Donna watched the man get in the van and saw

the two cops leave in their patrol car.

“What do we do next?” Donna asked, holding Jimmy’s

hand and leading him to the living room.

“We call a cab, sneak out the back and go see a movie.
 95

I’ll tell the driver to pick us up a few blocks from here.”

The cab arrived about twenty minutes later and the

driver took his two passengers to the Madco Ten Megaplex

near the mall. When the show was over, they made the cab

drive down Donna’s street with his brights on. As they

passed the Mazda van, they could see a white male with a

beard behind the wheel.

“He’s still there Jimmy. Now what?” Donna clenched

Jimmy’s arm and looked close to tears.

“I know Donna, I know. Just calm down and I’ll get a

friend of mine to run the plate and see who this guy is.”

The cab dropped the couple off and they walked the two

blocks back to the residence and climbed Donna’s wooden

fence leading to her back door as several neighborhood dogs

barked.

“Hey, that was fun sneaking around!” Donna’s

disposition changed with a newfound excitement.

“I’m glad for you Donna, but I am a little worried

about that guy out there. Why and how long he has been

following me?”

The next morning Jimmy left Donna’s at about seven am

and drove over to his store. The van followed from a

distance.
 96

Kathy drove to her attorney’s office and picked up her

copy of the divorce papers. She was informed that the

process server was already in route to the store to serve

Jimmy. Kathy thanked everyone at the law firm and rode the

elevator to the lobby.

The lift stopped on the third floor and Joseph Cook, a

local restaurant owner of a place called Cook’s Diner,

stepped in with his two young grandchildren.

“Hello Kathy, these are two of my eight grandchildren.

Kids, say hello to Mrs. Sinclair.”

“Hello,” both girls said sullenly, looking bored.

“My daughter works in the building for Barnhill

Mortgage in the commercial loan department, and I thought

I’d take Cindy and Stephanie here to a putt-putt golf

course and for an ice cream.”

“Yea!” shouted both young girls with renewed energy,

jumping up and down.

“I haven’t seen you or Jimmy in what, eight months?”

“Well you might as well know. Jimmy and I are getting

a divorce. He gets served today.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

Kathy changed the subject, “Joe, you have excellent

food. Why don’t I plan a party at my house for late next

week?”
 97

“Great. I could use the extra business.”

“I’ll call you early next week to arrange the details.

I’ll plan maybe fifty people, maybe more.”

“Wow! Sounds great, and again, sorry to hear about

your divorce.”

The elevators opened and the girls dashed out first.

Kathy turned to Joe and said, “Enjoy your granddaughters.

Before you know it, they’ll be walking down the aisle!”

Kathy went one way and Joe Cook and the girls went the

other. Kathy sat in her car and read the divorce filing

and wrote in her reminder book “call Joe Cook about the

party.” Kathy started to make a guest list, and at the top

she wrote, “Detective Mike Anderson.”

Jimmy was busy with customers, when a young man in

slacks and a white dress shirt with an open neck, exposing

gold jewelry walked up, “Are you Mr. Jimmy Sinclair?”

“Yes, I’m Jimmy.”

“You have been served.” And with that, the man handed

Jimmy some papers in a white envelope, turned around and

walked out the door.

Jimmy put the envelope down and continued to help his

customers, smiling as he did so.

“You on jury duty too?” asked a nice elderly lady,

 98

buying milk and eggs.

“No Mrs. Sparks, those are divorce papers. My wife of

eleven months wants a divorce.”

“Oh my, will you be selling the store?”

“No, Mrs. Sparks, I plan to keep it in the family a

long, long time, and I hope to be of service to you for a

long, long time too.”

“Mr. Sparks and I have been married sixty-nine years

last month.”

“Well Mrs. Sparks, I wish mine could have lasted a

long time too, but when two people fight all the time, it’s

no fun. In the long run it’s best we go our separate ways.”

“I plan to be single until I’m at least forty,” Billy

piped in as he bagged the milk and eggs for Mrs. Sparks,

who stood to Billy’s right.

Jimmy looked at his watch. “Billy, take over. I have

an eleven am and a three pm appointment. I plan to be back

by four.” Jimmy picked up the white envelope with his name

on it and said goodbye to Mrs. Sparks on his way out.

Jimmy put on dark sunglasses and walked to his Honda

in the parking lot. He wore the glasses so he could shift

his eyes to look for that Mazda van without turning his

head and making it obvious. Jimmy drove normally, but did

take several side streets. He didn’t see the van, but did
 99

notice a gray Corolla at a distance.

Jimmy stopped at Summit Bank and went inside. From a

second floor window he scanned the area and spotted the

gray Corolla. He pulled out a small pair of opera-type

binoculars from his pocket and saw a white male with a

beard, sitting in the lot across the street, looking at the

bank.

Jimmy called his friend, who answered this time.

Jimmy waited on the line for his friend to tell him the

vehicle belonged to a travel agency called “Economy Travel.”

Jimmy wrote down the address and then went out the

back exit of the bank on foot. He flagged down a taxicab

and rode it to Economy Travel and went inside. It was full

of customers, so Jimmy took a seat and waited to be called.

Five minutes went by and a receptionist directed him to

desk four.

Jimmy sat down in front of a nameplate “Sally Sig”,

and a heavy-set woman with gray hair and thick glasses.

“Hello, I’m Sally, welcome to Economy Travel. How can

I help you today?”

Jimmy made small talk and asked for prices and a

package deal to Las Vegas. While with Sally, Jimmy finally

asked the question he came in to ask.

“I was here last week and spoke to a man with a beard.

 100

Does he still work here?”

“Man with a beard, hmm. . . let me think. The only

man with a beard is an outside agent named Steve. He’s the

owner’s brother.”

“He told me he drove a beige Mazda van, like the one I

want to buy.”

“Yes, that’s Steve Conners. He’s also a private

investigator and has an office in the back.

“Is he in?”

“No. I haven’t seen him for days now. He said he had

a case he was working on around the clock.”

“Well, I really wanted to talk about his van. He

mentioned he really likes it and before I spend over twenty

thousand, I want to know if he ever had problems with it.”

Sally asked Jimmy to fill out a customer card and that

she would get back to him about the Vegas trip. She would

also leave a message for Steve to call.

Jimmy made up a name, Larry Carmody, put down a made

up phone number as his contact, thanked Sally and left.

Jimmy climbed back into the taxi, still waiting as

instructed, and rode back to the bank. He exited in the

back parking lot, walked through the bank lobby, walked

back to his own car and departed. The gray Toyota followed

from a distance.
 101

Jimmy’s mind was racing as he drove, OK Mr. PI, who

hired you and why? Jimmy pulled up to the Wal-Mart store

and went inside. The PI did not follow. Jimmy saw him

sitting in his car doing something, looking up now and

then, but keeping an eye on Jimmy’s Honda. Jimmy went out

the garden side exit and walked to the next plaza several

hundred yards away, where Donna met him.

“Am I late?”

“No honey, you came quicker than I thought you would

when I called. I have a PI on my tail and I want to lose

him, so I’ll drop you back at your shop and come back in a

few hours to pick you up, so you can drive me back to Wal-

Mart, okay?”

“A PI? Is that who has been following you? What

would a PI be following you for?”

“I don’t know yet, but I have an idea my wife hired

him. But then again, why would she? She doesn’t care what

I do - she knows about you, I told her weeks ago. Besides,

my affair doesn’t matter in Mississippi courts anyway!”

Jimmy dropped Donna off and drove to his eleven am

appointment with John. Jimmy followed the directions he

wrote and pulled up behind John and his stolen black

Mercedes.

“You got my money?”

 102

“Not yet, I haven’t had time. I have a PI following

me around town. I had to lose him to meet you.”

“A PI’s following you - really?”

“Yep. I spotted his van yesterday, had a friend run

it, and it came back to Economy Travel. I went there and a

very talkative travel agent told me who he is. His office

is in the back of his sister’s store. He’s sitting at Wal-

Mart right now, watching my car.”

“Whose car is this?”

“Donna’s, a friend of mine. I also got served divorce

papers this morning.”

“Lucky you! When can you get me my money?”

“I don’t know when. . . as soon as it’s safe. Now, I

don’t want you to kill my wife, so no more action on your

part - and I want my gun back too.”

“You sure do have a lot of wants. Well, I have wants

of my own. I want my fifteen thousand dollars and I want it

now, PI on your ass or not. I’m giving you until tomorrow

night.”

“I’ll give you the money, but I need my gun back and

your word you will leave her alone.”

“You get me my money, all of it, then I’ll give you

your gun back and I’ll leave her alone. You have my word.”

John stuck his hand out and they both shook hands. Jimmy

got in his car and headed back to Donna’s store.

 103

John dialed Kathy on his cell phone.

“You want a good laugh? Last night your husband fired

me and just now we met and I had to give him my word to

leave you alone. We even shook hands on it like it’s a

contract or something.”

“He really fired you? Give me the details.”

“He wanted his gun back, the one you gave me but he

thinks I took from his car. He told me that the cops were

suspecting he had something to do with the drive-by

shooting and he wanted to call the whole thing off. I said

no, it was still on, so he got mad and fired me.”

Kathy laughed, “Well, a detective heard him last night

tell someone they were fired over his cell phone. They

asked who and Jimmy lied to the detective and said Tony,

his gardener, and we don’t have a gardener. I do all the

work. I told the detective that, so they know now he’s a

liar, which helps us out a lot because when they finally

bring him in for questioning he’ll lie some more. So where

is he now?”

“He said he knew a PI was following him and he

borrowed a girl’s car to meet me. He said the PI was at

Wal-Mart, watching his car.”

“So he knows about Steve. . . I’ll warn him to be

careful. Oh, I served Jimmy divorce papers today.”

 104

“I know. He mentioned that to me and I said to him

‘lucky you.’ Now Kathy, go find a house you can rent.”

“A house to rent. . . why?”

“Because I want you to go into hiding from him, to

make it look like you’re afraid of him. The cops will

really think you are scared of him.”

“Great idea. Oh, I am so scared of him!” laughed

Kathy as she flipped through the classified ads for “Houses

to Rent.”

After hanging up with John, Kathy called Steve.

“Jimmy knows about you.”

“He does not. He’s in Wal-Mart, shopping.”

“No. He’s got Donna’s car and is headed back to Wal-

Mart now.”

“What? How do you know he’s in Donna’s car?” asked

the puzzled investigator.

“I spotted him dropping her off at her shop,” Kathy

lied.

“I’ll break off now. I’ll rent a car with no window

tint and I’ll have to charge you for a second PI to make it

a two-man team from now on. I’ll be extra careful and

therefore I might lose him in traffic once in a while.”

“That’s okay with me. I just don’t want him to know I

hired you.”
 105

“No problem. I’ll make it look like his Donna hired

me to see if he had any other girlfriends, so if he does

confront me that’s what I’ll tell him. Now Kathy, you

should tell him you think a PI in a Mazda van is following

you. That will really confuse him.”

“Steve you are good! I can tell you have been doing

this for a while. You have all the answers.”

“I like being a PI. It’s fun and every day is

different. I’ll make some vehicle switches so he doesn’t

always see the same car when he turns in traffic. It’s

harder to do surveillance since I lost the element of

surprise. He may know now, but I can change cars every

day. That’s what rental car companies are for.”

“Okay,” Kathy agreed. “I’m going to Buffalo Bills

now. I’ll tell him about a beige Mazda following me around

town today. It should be fun to see his expression when I

do!”

Jimmy and Donna drove around the Wal-Mart lot, but

spotted no Mazda or Toyota, or a bearded man sitting in any

car. Jimmy went into Wal-Mart via the garden center and

walked out the front doors to his car. He drove back to

the grocery store but saw no vehicles following him.

Jimmy walked into his store and Billy approached.

 106

“Mr. Sinclair, your wife is a nervous wreck. She said

a man has been following her around in a beige Mazda van.

She said he had a beard, baseball cap and sunglasses. I

went outside but he was gone. Mr. Sinclair, your wife

thinks you hired him!”

Jimmy pulled Kathy aside and found out about the Mazda

van. Jimmy then told her he had a man following him

yesterday and today, and knew his name and where his office

was.

“There’s a fat lady named Sally at the travel agency

who told me everything. I’ll go see her right now. I know

she’ll tell me what I want to know.” Jimmy left the store

and Kathy called her PI.

“There’s a fat lady that works at your sister’s agency

named Sally,” Kathy relayed. “She told Jimmy who you are.”

“Okay thanks. I’ll call her and have her mention

Donna.”

An unusually annoyed Steve hung up from Kathy and

called Sally. “Hi Sally, this is Steve. Listen, the man

I’m following knows he’s being followed and is on his way

to see you.”

“To see me? Why?”

Because you told him I was a PI, not a travel agent.

 107

Anyway, now you can help me and help yourself keep your

job.”

“How can I help Steve?”

“Pretend you don’t know what’s going on and if he asks

you about why I’m following him, tell him I told you about

my client named Donna who suspects her boyfriend of having

another girlfriend. Can you do that?. . .Can you say that

for me?”

“Steve, I like my job, I like you and I’ll do whatever

to tell me to.”

“Good girl. Now he’s on his way. When he leaves call

me back.”

“Okay.”

“Sally, be sure to act surprised when he comes in,”

Steve instructed.

“Okay.”

Jimmy walked into the travel agency and went right to

Sally’s desk, which had an empty seat. Jimmy sat down.

“Hi Sally. Remember me and my trip to Vegas?”

“Oh Hi, yes I remember you, but I have been so busy I

haven’t had a chance to research your trip.” Sally found

his inquiry card, “Larry Carmody, correct?”

“Correct. Is Steve in yet?”

“No, but I can call him on his cell.”

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“No, it’s all right. I’ll come back another time. He

must be busy on his round-the-clock case you mentioned.”

“Yeah, he’s trying to collect now from his client.

Steve said she hired him to follow her boyfriend to see if

he had another girlfriend. He owns a store.”

“Really, a grocery store?”

“I’m not sure. I saw his client only once. She came

in and asked for Steve. She was really pretty. I asked

Steve later if that was his girlfriend and he said no, it

was his new client named Donna.”

Jimmy about fell out of his chair. Donna is having me

followed! He just couldn’t believe it. Jimmy looked at

his watch, “Well, I’ll come back tomorrow.” He said

goodbye and left.

What was going on? Did Donna hire this guy and if so,

why would the PI follow Kathy also? Jimmy thought about

all of this as he drove back to his store.

Sally called Steve back as instructed. “I did just

like you said. You could tell he was puzzled.”

“Thanks Sally. Now don’t say anything to anyone ever

about me being a PI. I’m a travel agent.”

“Sorry Steve, I’ll keep my mouth shut, I promise.”

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Steve hung up from Sally and called his client back.

“He’s on his way and I strongly believe he feels Donna

hired me to follow him.”

“Good. The more confused my soon ex-to-be is, the

better.”

Jimmy entered his store and went up to his wife who

was standing in an aisle doing inventory. “I got your

present this morning!” he said, waving the white envelope

around.

“Look, we don’t get along. You don’t love me and I

don’t love you. We’ll just go our separate ways and split

everything fifty-fifty just like my lawyer said.”

“Your lawyer can kiss my ass. I’ll offer you twenty-

five percent right now. That’s about two million dollars.

You take my money, your new BMW and head out of town, and

I’ll write the check today.”

“Why two million, when if I play my cards right, I get

four million? Besides, I like seeing you upset and

frustrated. It makes my day.”

“You greedy bitch. I’ll tell you what – you might not

live to see a dime!”

Kathy laughed and turned to Jimmy with a very cool

smile on her face. “I know you hired someone to kill me.

He drives a beige Mazda van. I told Detective Anderson

 110

that your deposit robbery, the store robbery and the drive-

by shooting was no accident and that you were behind this.

Now I am going to call him and say you just threatened me.”

Kathy started to walk by Jimmy when he grabbed her left arm.

“You’re hurting me,” Kathy said softly at first. She

picked up a can of tomatoes and started hitting her own

left arm as hard as she could over and over again and then

shouted, “Let go of me, you’re hurting me!” Kathy put the

can on a shelf just as Billy and a male customer turned the

corner and walked down the aisle.

“Boss, let go of her right now!” said an obviously

upset Billy, edging closer.

Kathy was crying now, her fake tears rolling down her

face. “He punched me hard many times”, pointing to her now

red and bruised left arm, thanks to the can of Heinz

tomatoes.

Jimmy let go of Kathy as the two men approached. He

raised both hands up and backed away. “I didn’t touch her,

I didn’t touch her.” Jimmy left the store, entered his

Honda and departed, failing in the excitement to see a

white Mercury following him from a safe distance. Steve

had a helper named Aaron driving a cream-colored Ford

pickup truck.

Kathy called the police department. An officer took

 111

the assault report over the phone and promised to send a

copy to Detective Anderson. Kathy added Billy and the

customer, Howard Hines, to the report as witnesses. Kathy

hung up the receiver and turned to both men.

“Thank you for coming to my aid. He was striking me

hard on the arm and shoulder. I need some ice.”

“I’ll get it for you,” Billy said and ran down the

aisle.

“How are your wife and kids Howard?” asked Kathy while

she rubbed her sore arm.

“We are getting a divorce. I live with my parents

now. Imagine, me at fifty-five years old, living with my

parents.”

“I’ll probably move in with my mom soon too. It

depends on Jimmy. If I can’t get him to leave first then

I’ll be knocking on my mom’s door.”

Billy returned with some ice and a towel, and handed

both to his boss. “Is my job here secure Mrs. Sinclair?”

“Yes Billy. If I don’t end up with the store and

Jimmy does, he still needs reliable help. About four

months ago when we were still getting along somewhat, Jimmy

told me ‘Billy’s the best employee I ever had, never needs

supervision, reliable too.’”

“Thanks Mrs. Sinclair. I really need the money; I’m

saving up for a car.”

 112

4. The Interview

Jimmy drove over to the police station for his three

pm scheduled appointment. He sat in his car to calm down

and even practiced smiling in his rearview mirror. Jimmy

locked his car and entered the police station, where he was

directed by the desk officer to go to the fifth floor. The

elevator doors opened and there stood Anderson and Fusco.

Anderson had a file in his hand and Fusco was eating a bag

of chips. Anderson motioned with his hand as he spoke,

“Afternoon Mr. Sinclair. We’ll go into interview room two.

Care for something to drink or eat?”

“How about a sprinkled donut?” asked Jimmy

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sarcastically.

Fusco stopped chewing his chips and with his mouth

still full looked at Jimmy and mumbled, “Not another donut

joke.”

They sat around the conference table and Anderson

started the proceedings.

“Mr. Sinclair, first of all I want to thank you for

coming down to the station today, and you are free to go at

any time, but I hope you will stay and assist us in solving

the rash of crime incidents that have occurred in your

family lately.”

“Can we talk alone? I don’t like your partner

standing there staring at me. It makes me uncomfortable.”

“Sure. Harry, you don’t mind leaving for awhile do

you?”

“No, not at all.”

As Harry left the room, Anderson looked at Jimmy. “My

partner doesn’t like you because he happens to think you

are involved in all the crime incidents. Me, I am keeping

an open mind.”

Jimmy attempted to absolve himself, “I was served with

divorce papers, so it’s true our relationship is over and

Kathy might get a lot of money from me in the divorce, but

I don’t want to see any harm come to her.”

“Then Jimmy, who would want to harm her?”

 114

“I don’t know. We haven’t really been a couple for

months, and I don’t know anything about her social life.”

“Mrs. Sinclair says you have a mistress?”

“More like a good friend.”

“Are you having sexual relations with this good friend

of yours?”

“I don’t have to answer that.”

“No you don’t. But sex is a strong motive to have

your wife killed so you can spend more time with your

friend, and not pay your wife any money in the divorce,

which if my sources are right, is maybe four million.”

“Today I offered Kathy twenty-five percent of my

wealth. That’s about two million. Does that sound like I

want her harmed?”

“Well, my sources obviously missed something. How

generous of you.” Anderson continued his questioning,

“Let’s go back a week or so. You have an argument at her

attorney’s office, you get robbed of fifteen thousand, then

your store gets robbed, the back door is conveniently left

unlocked, your gun is missing – coincidentally the same

type caliber used in both the store robbery and then the

drive-by shooting, you can’t account for your whereabouts,

and earlier today in your store, you assaulted your wife.

Have I left anything out?”

“I didn’t assault her, I just grabbed her arm and she

 115

hit herself with a can of tomatoes.”

“The witnesses reflect in their statements that they

saw you with a tight grip on your wife’s arm. She was

crying and her arm was red and swollen. They said nothing

about a can of tomatoes. Your wife even told me at the

drive-by shooting incident that she was afraid of you.”

“Afraid of me? She should be afraid of him!” Jimmy

realized too late what he just said.

“Who’s him?” Anderson asked, getting in Jimmy’s face.

“You know, uh, whoever shot at my wife,” Jimmy quickly

answered, trying to defuse what he already said.

“You haven’t gone out and done something stupid, like

hire a hit man to kill your wife, have you Mr. Sinclair?”

“What? That’s crazy. I told you I offered her two

million dollars to just walk away from me, the store and

the house.”

“Isn’t it true you care more about the store than your

wife, your money or your house?”

“Yes it’s true. The store has been in my family many,

many years and I want to keep it that way at any cost.”

Again, Jimmy realized what he just said, and again too late.

“At any cost Mr. Sinclair, at any cost? Sounds like

you are desperate. You told my partner you fired your

gardener, but according to your wife you don’t have a

gardener. Did you lie to my partner?”

 116

“Okay, I lied about that, but I’m not lying now about

wanting to harm Kathy.”

“You also told me you had an eleven am dental

appointment, but you don’t like dentists, so that was a lie

too.”

“Okay, that was a lie too, but I am telling you the

truth now about not wanting to kill Kathy.”

“You were not at your dentist at eleven am, so where

were you? Let me guess, Wal-Mart, buying country CD’s?”

“Let me think. Yep, I was at Wal-Mart, but not the CD

section. I was in the garden section.”

“If I have security at the store pull the surveillance

tapes, I will see you in the store?”

“Yep, in the garden section.”

“If I look at the earlier surveillance the day of the

store robbery I’m gonna see you in Wal-Mart buying country

CD’s like you told me you were?”

“No, I lied. I was really at my friend’s Moonlight

Lingerie shop.”

“You lied again but you want me to believe you now

about not wanting to kill your wife?”

“I lied because I didn’t want to involve Donna in my

personal problems.”

“Like it or not, she’s involved and I’ll be seeing her

shortly, so tell her to expect my visit when you call her

 117

to say you miss her and love her.”

“I do love her and I will marry her once my divorce is

final.”

“That’s motive enough to have Kathy killed. Does

Donna own an old white Honda?”

“Donna drives a blue Toyota Celica and she wouldn’t

harm Kathy.”

“Why not? With Mrs. Sinclair out of the way, she

marries you quicker and saves at least two million, maybe

four million dollars of your money. That’s a good motive

in my book!”

Fusco opened the interview room door, handed his

partner a document, looked at Jimmy with a smile and exited

the room.

Anderson showed Jimmy the paper from the crime lab.

“The crime lab report confirms the bullets found at your

store robbery and the drive-by shooting are from the same

gun. Someone wants your wife dead and originally wanted it

to look like a store robbery.”

“I’m leaving now.” Jimmy got up to leave but was

blocked by Anderson.

“You’d better obtain a lawyer Mr. Sinclair. The crime

lab results make me join my partner in thinking you are

behind this crime spree.”

“I know I haven’t been completely honest about

 118

everything, but again, this time I’m telling you the truth.

I have not hired anyone to kill my wife.”

Jimmy exited the interview room and left the police

station, unaware that Fusco was watching from a fifth floor

window. Anderson found his partner and spoke as Jimmy

drove off in his Honda.

“He’s dirty.”

Jimmy drove down Main Street, not knowing Steve and

his helper were following. Jimmy called John from his cell

phone.

“Hello.”

“John, this is Jimmy. I just left the police station.

They think I had something to do with the store robbery and

drive-by shooting.”

“You did. You hired me.”

“Well, it’s over – you hear me? It’s over right now!

I’m going to the bank to get you your fifteen thousand then

we’ll meet where we met last time and I’ll give you the

money. You give me my gun and you leave Kathy alone.”

“The gun will cost you fifteen thousand and leaving

your wife alone and ruining my perfect six for six record

will cost you an additional fifteen.”

“You’re an asshole, a real asshole.”

“Name calling just cost you another five thousand

 119

asshole!”

“Man, I wish I never met you. I’d be richer, I

wouldn’t have the police breathing down my back and...”

“Look asshole, I don’t want to hear it. Just meet me

tomorrow at two with the thirty-five thousand and we’ll go

our separate ways.”

Jimmy hung up and called his banker. He again

rescheduled to come by for his forty thousand cash

withdrawal the next day at ten am. The extra five thousand

was in case he called John more obscenities.

Janet surprised Mike at the station. She heard lots

of whistles when she entered the detective bureau. Mike

looked up from doing paperwork to see his new friend. He

walked over.

“Hi Janet, this is a surprise. Let’s go into

interview room one where we can be alone.”

“I have a photo of the guy who stole that black

Mercedes coupe.” She removed the eight by ten inch black

and white photograph of John Farran. The photo was

somewhat grainy, but you could see him sitting in the

Mercedes at the tollbooth.

“This is a great help Janet,” Mike said with a smile

on his face. Six detectives were in the doorway. Mike

 120

handed them the photograph.

“One of you make copies for me and find my partner

please. Guys, this is Janet. Can I get you something to

drink?”

“Water would be great.” All six guys dashed for the

water cooler at the end of the hall.

“Now we have a face. All we need to do now is put a

name with it. Would you like to go for a ride with me

Janet? I want to show the photograph to other witnesses.”

“Love to,” Janet said with a huge smile on her face.

“If you can’t come to me, then I’ll come to you.”

As they started to leave the interview room, all six

detectives approached with little cups of water.

“Gentlemen, I am thirsty, but not that thirsty!”

Janet rode with Mike in the front seat of his unmarked

police car. Harry was nowhere to be found again.

“I have this partner named Harry Fusco. He’s huge,

loves to eat all the time and for eight months now, I keep

telling him to let me know when he leaves the office but he

always disappears on me.”

“I won’t disappear on you Mike.”

“Good. I can afford to lose a partner, but not my

girlfriend.”

“Am I your girlfriend, really?”

 121

“Are you kidding? I wish! You’re hot! I look

forward to getting to know you better.”

Mike pulled into Kathy’s mansion and she was notified

by dispatch that the detective was coming. Mike pulled

alongside the green BMW and exited his car.

“Janet, this is the victim of the drive-by shooting

that I told you about. I’ll introduce you as a police

recruit intern, so just play along with it okay?”

“Trainee Janet Lee at your service!”

“Good. Make yourself useful and ring the bell.”

Kathy came to the door in tight shorts and an even

tighter t-shirt with “Support Your Local Sheriff” written

across her chest.

At first Kathy didn’t see Janet standing to the right

of the door when she greeted the detective, “Hi Mike, come

in. Oh, hello. . .” Kathy made eye contact with Janet.

“Mrs. Sinclair, this is police trainee Janet Lee on a

ride-along program, from the police academy. Can we come

in please?”

All three sat in the family room that overlooked the

huge rock pool and gardens. They all drank tall glasses of

iced tea.

“Mrs. Sinclair...” Mike started to say.

“Please call me Kathy.”

 122

“Kathy, I put six men in a photo line-up and I need

you to look at each photo very carefully to see if the man

that robbed your store is here.”

Mike handed Kathy the six photos pasted on eight by

eleven hard cardboard. John was photograph number four and

Kathy instantly said, “I’m not sure because he wore a cap

and sunglasses, but the facial features looks like number

four.”

Mike took the photograph and turned it over. He had

Kathy sign the back and date it. Mike put the photo back

in place.

“Good. Now we just have to put a name to the face and

find him.”

“Where did you get that photo Mike? Can I know?”

“Sure Kathy. A tollbooth clerk at the airport

remembered a man driving a black Mercedes coupe, which he

stole from the airport. The car owner went to get his

wife’s heart medication before catching his flight and

found that the car was gone. We were notified right away

and developed this photograph when the thief paid his

parking toll.”

“That was a lucky break,” Kathy said.

“Sure was. And we now know from the crime lab that

your store robbery and drive-by shooting are linked to the

same individual.” Mike looked at his watch. “Well, we

 123

have to be going. I have other people to show this photo

to.”

Kathy walked them to her front door. “Nice to meet

you Janet.”

“Nice to meet you Mrs. Sinclair. I love the way your

house is decorated!”

“Thank you. I love spending my husband’s money!”

Back in the police car, Mike explained to Janet about

the victim as they drove away from the mansion. “That

woman married a store owner and now she is getting

divorced. He offered her two million to just walk out of

his life but she said no, she wants half, and her lawyer

told her the judge should grant her fifty percent. In the

last week someone tried to kill her by staging a robbery at

her store where shots were fired, and then there was a

drive-by shooting outside her home, so her life is in

danger.”

“She should go into hiding Mike, until you catch the

crook.”

“I agree Janet. She told me she was looking for a

place to rent. I also told her to purchase a gun until we

catch this guy.”

Kathy called John on his cell, but there was no answer

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and she didn’t want to leave a voice message. She then

placed a call to Jimmy at the store.

“Listen Jimmy, I’m not coming to the store any more.

The detective showed me a photograph and I identified a man

as the one who robbed the store. He’s driving a stolen

vehicle from the airport. I know in my heart you are

behind all this and...”

“Just wait a minute. Like I told the detective, I

don’t love you any more and you might get two or more

million from me, but I have nothing to do with what’s going

on. If you recall, I was robbed too and also followed.

I’m just as much of a victim as you are!”

“Cut the horse shit Jimmy. Everything was fine until

you left my lawyer’s office, very upset after I turned down

your hundred thousand dollar offer. I think you staged

your own robbery to give the store money to your hit man as

a down payment and he was supposed to kill me in a staged

store robbery like the rash of robberies that have been

going on around town. When that failed you sent your hit

man to the house to kill me there. Thank God I bent down

to pull some weeds in my rose bushes. I told all of this

to the detectives and they agree, but need proof.” Kathy

spoke faster now, “When they catch the hit man and he

confesses then I’ll be free of you for good. I’m buying a

gun for my protection so don’t come around the house any

 125

more unless you call me first and come alone. Anyone else

and I’ll shoot first and ask questions later.” She hung up

her phone.

Jimmy called John on his cell.

“Hello, Radio Shack, John speaking.”

“What? Radio Shack? John, it’s Jimmy.”

“Just joking.”

“John, listen. You have to get rid of that Mercedes

right now. Kathy identified your photo in a line-up. They

got your picture from a tollbooth camera. They know the

car is stolen too because the owner went to get his wife’s

medicine and the car was gone. Kathy also believes I hired

you and paid you by staging the bank robbery. What a mess

this is.”

“It’s not a mess. Just keep your cool. I’ll dump the

car tonight and I’ll stay indoors more. No one knows me in

this town except the landlord, and he doesn’t own a TV. I

know, ‘cause I painted his place.”

John pulled the tarp off the Mercedes, carried it back

to his own apartment, and departed in the stolen car. He

parked the best ride he ever stole in the Hilton parking

lot, and then flagged down a yellow taxi.

“To the airport,” he commanded as he climbed in.

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The cab pulled into the Northwest Airlines terminal.

John exited the cab and walked to the long-term parking

lot. He started looking around for his next ride.

Detective Anderson entered Janet’s small, but neat

apartment.

“How long have you lived here?”

“I’m in my second year. I like it because there’s

plenty of parking downstairs, it’s close to work, and

everyone watches out for each other.”

“That’s important today with crime so high,” Anderson

said, as he sat on the couch.

“Before I sit, do you want something to drink?” asked

Janet.

“A beer if you have one.”

Janet opened her fridge and pulled out a cold

Budweiser. “Bottle or glass Mike?”

“Bottle is great.”

Janet handed the cop his brew and sat down next to her

crime fighter. “Here’s to us,” she said with a smile,

holding her own bottle in the air to toast.

They reviewed the videos of both tollbooths, fast

forwarding most of the tapes. They spotted John Farran

twice more, driving a Cadillac and Honda van out of the

airport.
 127

“Can’t wait to get my hands on Mr. Hot Wheels,” Mike

said, shutting off the video machine and moving closer to

Janet.

Jimmy left Summit Bank with the forty thousand dollars

stuffed inside his briefcase. PI Steve Conners and his

assistant, in two rental cars, were following him. Both

kept their distance and gave plenty of room to Jimmy when

turning on side streets. Jimmy spotted a beige Saturn

following him, and drove to the mall. He sat in his car

and called Donna.

“Donna, I need your car. That PI is following me

again. Park you car on the west side of the mall by the

food court and call me when you get there.”

Jimmy sat in his car and waited. Donna called about

twenty minutes later.

“I’m here, now what?”

“Leave your car unlocked, leave the keys under your

floor mat and I’ll do the same. Come into the mall and

walk around about ten minutes or so, then take my car to

work. I’ll take your car and meet you somewhere later. . .

and thanks honey for helping.” Jimmy got out of his car

and pretended to lock it. He quickly entered the mall and

made a dash to the west side, to Donna’s car. He quickly

drove off.
 128

Steve exited the mall and viewed the Toyota Corolla

disappearing around the corner.

“Real slick,” Steve said to his co-worker, who just

arrived on foot.

Jimmy called John on his cell phone and confirmed the

location and time of the meet. Jimmy was to travel six

miles on State Road 436, then turn left on Hollow Wind Road

at the black mailbox, and stop where the road forks. On

the way, Jimmy was to also stop at the Shell gas station on

State Route 436 and pick up a portable gallon of gas for

John, who had run out. Jimmy filled up Donna’s car as

instructed, and bought a gallon of gas from the female

clerk who required a fifty dollar deposit on the only

plastic gas container in the store.

“A fifty dollar deposit for a gas can?” Jimmy asked

incredulously as he paid the clerk.

“Mister, I don’t set the prices. I only work here.”

Jimmy drove up to John, who was leaning against a red

Miata. John took the gas container and the briefcase from

Jimmy’s front seat.

“Thirty five thousand. It’s all there, now hand over

my gun,” Jimmy commanded.

John opened the briefcase and counted the money, then

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reached under the front seat. He came up empty-handed.

“I forgot your gun at my place.”

“Call me when you are there and I’ll come for it.”

“You have your money, now no more contact with Kathy.

Just walk away from it all.”

Jimmy got into his ride and departed with five

thousand dollars in his pocket. John waited for Jimmy to

drive out of view, then started up the stolen car and

watched the gas gauge climb to full. John placed the

plastic gas container, still full of petrol, into the

bushes and drove off with a smile on his face. He drove

back to his apartment and placed the tarp over his new mode

of transportation. He walked up to the landlord’s

apartment and knocked. There was no answer. John used a

spare key that he had copied earlier at the locksmith shop

when painting apartments in lieu of rent. He opened the

door to the old man’s residence. He went to the file

cabinet and under “Tenants” found his application and

removed it. John relocked the front door and entered his

own apartment.

Steve and his rookie investigator, Aaron, located

Jimmy’s car at Donna’s shop and waited down the street in

two new and different rental cars. Jimmy drove back to

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Donna’s business and entered. Donna was helping an elderly

woman in her eighties select a negligee. Donna walked

over, gave her man a wet kiss and whispered in his ear,

“She’s on her fifth marriage.”

Kathy and the real estate agent named Julia entered

the three bedroom, two-bath home with a pool, located in a

middle-income neighborhood.

“This house can be rented month to month for only one

thousand,” said the female agent who unlocked the front

door. Kathy walked around the clean and recently painted

residence, and pulled out her checkbook.

“I’ll take it.” She handed Julia the check for the

first’s month’s rent and security deposit, and received two

keys and two remote controls for the garage.

“No pets allowed,” mentioned the agent, walking out

the door. Kathy nodded in agreement, closed the front

door, and walked into the kitchen. Kathy called John on

her cell phone.

“I found my safe house, and the rental furniture will

be here at one today.”

“Good. Now stay in your mansion tonight, and then

tomorrow I want you to go into hiding.”

“John, the detective on the case, came to my house and

showed me six photos. I picked your photo based only on

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facial features and said you had a cap and sunglasses on.”

“I’m not worried. If we stick to our plan, things

will work out. Now tomorrow, go into hiding.”

Kathy hung up the phone and called Detective Anderson.

“Mike, I rented that safe house you mentioned that I

should take. The address is 2445 Pine Lakes Boulevard, off

of Blank Road.

“Who else knows of this location?”

“The real estate agent and my mom.”

“Good, it’s safer that way. I’m in route to show the

photo line-up of number four to the owners of stolen cars

to see if they can ID the thief.”

“Let me know what they say.”

“Will do. Now lay low until we get to the bottom of

all of this.”

“Kathy, I will carry out the third step in our plan

tonight. Make sure you are home,” John said as he drove

around in his stolen red Miata, compliments of some family

traveling to New York City.

Kathy hung up the phone, found Steve’s travel agency

card, and left a message for her PI to call. A few minutes

later Steve reported in that Jimmy had walked outside the

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store and was talking to a young couple pushing a baby

stroller.

“Steve, cancel the surveillance right now for a few

days and I’ll start it up sometime next week.”

“I think that’s a good idea. Just give me a day’s

notice if you can.”

“I will, and how much do I owe you?”

“Let’s wait until the case is all done Mrs. Sinclair.”

“Call me Kathy.”

“I can wait to be paid Kathy.”

“Thanks Steve, I’ll give you as much notice as I can.”

Kathy stopped at a video rental store and picked up

“Mississippi Burning,” with her favorite actor, Gene

Hackman.

*
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5. The Snatch

It was just after closing and Jimmy was walking to his

car when John surprised him. John poked the gun into

Jimmy’s ribs. “Get in and open up the passenger door.”

Jimmy did as instructed.

“Is that my gun?”

“Yep, and it’s loaded, so don’t do anything stupid

like attract attention.”

“Where are we going?” Jimmy asked as he pulled out of

the Buffalo Bill’s parking lot.

“Go to our spot outside of town,” demanded John,

holding a small black bag in his lap.

Jimmy now noticed the bag as he drove. “What’s in the

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bag, John?”

“Liquor for our own little party. Now shut up and

drive.”

Jimmy pulled into the spot he had met John at earlier.

“Cut the engine and turn out the lights.”

Jimmy did as instructed. John unzipped the bag and

pulled out a full bottle of Jim Beam whiskey. John opened

it and handed it over to his partner in crime.

“Drink it.” Jimmy started to complain but was cut

short by a sudden thrust of his own gun into his rib cage.

“I said no talking, just drink.” Jimmy drank slowly.

“Hurry it up.” Jimmy drank faster, and after ten minutes

had about forty percent of the bottle finished.

“I can’t drink any more.”

Jimmy didn’t see the butt of the gun coming down on

his head, but did feel the pain as the weapon made contact.

Jimmy was knocked out cold. John went into the bushes by

the side of the road and retrieved the gallon gas can Jimmy

bought earlier. John pushed Jimmy over to the passenger

side, poured the rest of the whiskey all over Jimmy’s work

clothes and the interior of the Honda. John put on gloves,

wiped down the now empty bottle, got behind the wheel, and

drove away.

John pulled into Kathy’s driveway about midnight, and

poured the gasoline around the perimeter of the front and

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side of the house, lit a match, and quickly backed the car

out of the driveway. In his rearview mirror, he witnessed

flames coming from Kathy’s house.

Kathy watched as planned, from the second floor, in

her sexy black negligee. She picked up her cell phone and

dialed 911. Kathy screamed her situation to the operator

that answered.

“Come quickly to 124 Post Road. My house is on fire.

I saw my husband’s car backing out of the driveway!” Kathy

hung up and calmly walked out the back door.

John went a few blocks, turned right, and crashed the

Honda into some parked cars. He pulled Jimmy behind the

wheel, then took off between houses and vanished into the

darkness.

Detective Anderson arrived shortly after the Tupelo

Fire Department put out the flames. Anderson located Kathy

on the porch of a neighbor, wrapped in a blanket, and

surrounded by police and fire personnel.

“Mrs. Sinclair, are you alright?”

“No I’m not. Jimmy did this. I saw his car backing

out of the driveway and then I saw the flames. Thank God I

took a break from watching the movie to go to the bathroom.

My bedroom is in the back and the bathroom is facing the

front.”
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Detective Anderson pulled out a notepad and wrote as

Kathy spoke.

“Were you in the master bedroom?”

“No, the guest bedroom. Jimmy has the master.”

“You sure it was his car you saw?”

“Yes, he is having exhaust and oil leak problems, and

there were puffs of smoke coming from the car as it backed

out of the driveway.”

Anderson’s cell phone rang. He listened, and then

spoke. “Hold him at the scene. I’ll be right over.”

Anderson hung up his phone, smiled and said, “Mrs.

Sinclair, Jimmy crashed his car a few blocks away. He

appears drunk and the officer said there’s an empty

container of gas on the floorboards.”

The fire marshal approached them. “Mike, ma’am, the

fire is out. Very little damage, mostly exterior,

definitely arson.”

“Thanks chief. Get me your full report as soon as you

can.”

“Will do Mike.”

Anderson turned to a uniformed officer. “Take Mrs.

Sinclair to wherever she wants to go.” Anderson turned

back to Kathy and winked. “Mrs. Sinclair, this officer

will give you a ride to another location. Please call me

in the morning so I can take your full statement.”

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Anderson handed Kathy his business card and as she

took it she spoke.

“I’ll spend the night at my mother’s.”

“Can I please have a phone number where I can reach

you?” asked Anderson.

Kathy gave him her mother’s phone number. She watched

Anderson walk to his car and drive away.

Anderson pulled up to the crash site and observed

Jimmy being attended to by the medics. The detective

smelled the strong odor of alcohol. Anderson inspected

Jimmy’s damaged Honda and observed the empty liquor bottle

and gas container on the floorboards. He walked over to a

uniformed officer.

“Make sure the crime lab is called and that they

photograph the empty liquor bottle and gas container, and

that the medic draws blood for DUI.”

“Yes sir.”

Anderson asked the medic a few questions. “Which

hospital are you taking him to?”

“County General.”

“How bad is he?”

“Mostly bruises, but he does have a good size bump on

his head.”

Anderson approached the same uniformed officer.

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“Charge him with attempted murder and arson, and keep

an officer with him at the hospital.”

“Yes sir, will do.”

“Good, I’m going back to bed.”

Anderson walked back to his unmarked detective vehicle

and drove away.

John walked the few miles back to where he parked his

Miata, entered, and drove by the accident scene. A tow

truck was hooking up Jimmy’s damaged car. John laughed as

he drove away.

The police car arrived at Carol’s condo. She was

standing out front, waiting for her daughter to arrive.

“I never did like your husband.”

“Don’t worry mom, Jimmy won’t be my husband for long.

The detectives just charged him with attempted murder and

arson. Can you make me a hot cocoa like you always did

when I was younger?”

Carol let her daughter into the lobby and then into

the elevator. She spoke as the doors closed.

“Cocoa you want, cocoa you get.”

Steve Conners received a call from Kathy.

“Jimmy’s been arrested for attempted murder and arson.”

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“What? When?”

“Just now. He tried to burn down our home with me

inside.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yes, luckily I was up watching a video called

‘Mississippi Burning.’”

“What a movie to see at a time like this!”

“You’re right Steve. Anyway, it was bad timing in

taking you off the case. Please pick Jimmy back up when

and if he bonds out. I definitely need to know where he is

at all times.”

“I’ll call the jail and have them notify me when he is

about to bond out.”

“Thanks Steve.”

“No problem. Call if you need anything else. Just

rest now.”

“Steve, talking of rest, call me in a few days about

some upcoming cruises. I need one now.”

“Well, I know of one right now. I’m holding the

brochure as we speak. It’s a seven-day singles cruise from

Miami to the Virgin Islands. It leaves next Sunday.”

“Perfect, I’ll come over in a few days and buy my

ticket.”

Kathy hung up the phone, sat down next to her mom, and

sipped on the hot cocoa, smiling as she did so.

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Later in the day, Kathy drove to the police station.

She had an afternoon appointment with the detectives

regarding her side of the arson incident. Detective

Anderson was not available, but his partner was. They both

went into interview room four.

“Where’s your partner?” inquired Kathy.

“He’s teaching today out at the police academy. Mike

said to tell you he would try his best to be here before we

are finished.”

“What topic is he teaching the recruits?”

“Interview techniques.”

Detective Fusco handed Kathy a yellow legal pad, a

pen, and instructed her to write in her own words, what

occurred from the time she was in her room until the fire

department arrived. “Care for anything to drink while you

write?”

“A diet Coke would be good.”

Fusco left the room and Kathy started to write down

the events.

Ten minutes later Fusco was back with the diet soda

and Kathy was done with her statement. Fusco read the

whole thing. “Are you positive you saw Jimmy’s car backing

out of your driveway? There are many old, white Hondas in

this town.”
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“I am positive. I even underlined the word positive

in my statement.”

“I can see that.”

“Jimmy’s car has developed a recent exhaust problem so

when you floor the gas pedal the white smokes comes out and

that is what I saw under the street light,” Kathy restated

emphatically.

“You will make a great witness for us Mrs. Sinclair.

You come across as an honest woman,” Fusco soothed. “Off

the record, may I ask you a very personal question?”

“You can ask but I might not answer,” came Kathy’s

guarded response.

“What went wrong in your marriage? According to the

store customers, you two were lovebirds in the beginning.”

“When we first started dating Jimmy worked an awful

lot of hours. He didn’t want to hire the right help needed

to give him a normal social life. I convinced him to slow

down and spend time together. When he listened things were

great.” Kathy took a deep breath and continued to satisfy

Fusco’s curiosity. “Then once we got married he went back

to his old ways. I sent for my mother, bought her a small

condo, and spent my spare time with her. After a couple of

months I was hoping Jimmy would slow down, but he never

did. When he came home at night there was not romance. He

said he was too tired but I suspected another woman. I

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eventually had customers tell me that they saw Jimmy with a

younger woman. When I confronted him he admitted he was

having an affair, said he didn’t love my anymore, and that

he wanted a divorce. I tried to keep the marriage

together, to give it a fighting chance.

As Kathy became more agitated, Fusco began to regret

he had asked the question. She wasn’t finished yet.

“When it got to the point that we were fighting all

the time, I moved to the guest room. I decided to find the

best divorce attorney I could, because I saw no happy light

at the end of the tunnel – only pain and heartbreak. I

thought if I got an attorney Jimmy would refocus his

attention towards me instead of the store. I was wrong.

He spent even more hours either at the store or with his

new girlfriend.

“I’m sorry to hear that Mrs. Sinclair,” interrupted

Fusco, having heard enough.

Kathy rattled on, “My lawyer says I am entitled to

about four million. I would take less and move on, but

Jimmy has been treating me like dirt! I decided to stay

and fight and take as much as I can get. He calls me a

gold digger so I might as well not disappoint him!”

“I think you are doing the right thing Mrs. Sinclair,”

Harry interjected. “I was married once too. Abby and I

were together for nineteen years and we had two beautiful

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boys. Believe it or not, at one time I was in tip-top

shape, but after the divorce I let myself go.” Harry

continued to reminisce, “I drank like crazy for a few years

and spent my savings on wild women and alcohol. My sons

got me back on the right path. I live in a doublewide

trailer in town now instead of my son Joey’s house. By the

way, I am actively seeking a female companion in case you

know of any nice single women,” he ended.

Kathy, who had now heard enough as well, had calmed

down. “I am happy to hear you are doing better. I will

keep my eyes open for you. Exactly what type of woman are

you attracted to?

“Well, I’m fifty three years old and five foot eight.

I weight about two hundred sixty pounds, give or take a

few, so my ideal woman would be about fifty years old, five

foot three, maybe one fifty to two hundred in weight.

She’s got to love to cook because I love to eat!”

Kathy took the last swallow of her soda as Detective

Mike Anderson walked in. “Sorry I’m late.”

Fusco handed Kathy’s statement to his partner.

Anderson quickly read it. “This will do.” He handed the

legal pad back to Harry as he turned to Kathy. “Would you

like another soda?” he asked as he took a seat at the long

interview table.

“No thanks. I have a date with my mother. We plan to

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take in a move, have dinner at the China Buffet and take a

long walk around the loop over at Ballard Park.”

Noticing Anderson’s disappointment, Fusco asked, “You

want to join me at Cracker Barrel?”

“Only if you’re treating.”

“I’m treating then.”

All three left the interview room, making small talk.

John drove out of town to Starkville, about seventy

miles away, and pulled up to the Comcar truck yard. John

approached the uniformed guard, an old man at least eighty

years old.

“I’m about to buy a new rig. Can I walk the yard and

take a look?”

“Be my guest. Need a flashlight?” the friendly sentry

asked, offering him a small flashlight.

“I’ll take you up on your offer, and thanks.” With

that, John started to walk the yard like a little kid in a

candy store.

Jimmy was brought into interrogation room three by a

uniformed officer. One cuff was on his left wrist, and the

other cuff was attached to a metal ring welded to the large

and heavy metal desk. Anderson walked in alone with a

notepad, tape recorder, and two hot cups of coffee.

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“I don’t want any coffee.”

“I didn’t ask if you wanted any coffee. Both cups are

for me since we’ll be here awhile. I’m going to turn the

recorder on and read you your rights.”

“I know my rights. I’m innocent of all charges.”

“Good, I’ll read them anyway.”

After Mike went into his standard “You have the right

to a lawyer Miranda rights,” Mike asked him why he tried to

burn his own house down with his wife in it.

“I didn’t try to burn my house down.”

“You didn’t. Then why are you found drunk behind the

wheel of your crashed car with an empty gas can only two

blocks away?”

“Coincidence.”

“Don’t make me laugh. Coincidence my ass,” Mike

replied as he took a swallow of the station house coffee.

“We had a phone tip about where you bought the gas and

which attendant, and she just ID’d you from that

observation room right there,” pointed Mike at the mirror

to his left. “She even remembers you making a comment

about the fifty dollar deposit. It’s her station’s gas can

too because their label is found on the bottom of each can

sold. So why would you need a can of gas unless it’s to

burn down your house with your wife in bed?”

“I bought gas for a motorist who flagged me down.

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When I got back the motorist was gone.”

“That story stinks because why not just go back and

get a refund?”

“I had to get back to the grocery store. I thought I

would send Billy, our clerk, back for the refund.”

“Why didn’t you?”

“I got busy and forgot.”

“There’s another man out there who we think is your

hired hit man. Did you hire anyone to do your wife harm?”

“No, no way. I plan to just get a divorce and move

on.”

“We spoke to your wife and she said she’s afraid of

you.”

“Afraid of me? She should be afraid of him.” Too

late, Jimmy knew he was in trouble as soon as “afraid of

him” came out of his mouth. He knew it for sure when the

detective’s eyes went wide as deer eyes caught in a

spotlight.

“Afraid of him, who’s him?” asked Mike with interest.

Jimmy thought fast. “Whoever it was who robbed the

store and shot at my wife in that drive-by shooting.”

“I think him is the man you hired from that phony

robbery you were involved in over at the bank parking lot.”

“What phony robbery? You said you have a witness who

saw a gun.”
 147

“Yes, and the same witness saw you hand over two bags

to the same robber who held out his two empty hands - no

gun in sight. The same witness said when she came over to

help that you were as calm as could be, yet you told me you

were scared.”

“She’s mistaken. I was scared.”

“In the store robbery you knew we had a rash of them,

yet you failed to inform your wife to be careful. Plus,

the robber entered via the unlocked back door.”

“There is a chance he walked in through the front door

without them seeing, plus my wife can buy a paper or listen

to the news like I do.”

“Are you willing to take a polygraph?”

“How does that machine work?”

“We attach instruments that regulate heartbeat,

breathing and perspiration based on your answers to

questions like, ‘Did you hire anyone to do harm to you

wife?’”

“I think I’ll decline at this time.”

“I’m going to put you back in your cell, as I have a

search warrant for your residence.”

“Search warrant? There’s nothing to find!”

“Well Mr. Sinclair, the city pays me pretty good to do

my job and I’m following basic routine investigative

procedures.”
 148

“Well, you didn’t need a search warrant. I would have

given you my okay.”

Jimmy was led back to his cell and while in route made

one phone call. Donna picked up the business line and was

happy to hear her lover’s voice.

“Can you come visit me? Hours are six to nine

tonight.”

“What a stupid request. Of course love, I’ll be there

ten minutes early. Want me to bring anything?”

“Yes Donna, wear that green top with Dallas on the

front.”

“Anything you want. Dallas will see you in about five

hours – love you.”

Jimmy entered his small cell occupied by a thin, black

male with bad breath.

“Want to play a game of checkers man?”

“Nope, just want to get ready for my lady to visit me

in five hours.”

The guard locked the cell door. Before leaving he

said to Jimmy, “Watch Leroy, he cheats.”

Donna sat at a visiting window, dressed to kill with

her hair in a ponytail and extra perfume, which all the

guards noticed. In her hand was the latest edition of the

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USA Today, Jimmy’s favorite newspaper. The guards said she

could show it to him through the thick glass that separated

the free people from the not so free, but said they would

bring it to his cell later.

Jimmy walked in with a sad look on his face but smiled

when he saw his future wife.

“Thanks for coming Donna. I missed you.”

“I missed you too baby. I brought you your paper and

the guards will bring it to your room later.”

“It’s called a cell honey, not a room.”

“I know, but room sounds better to me. What do you do

in your room to pass the time?”

“I think of you and think of you some more, and I

loose at checkers against a young black kid named Leroy

who’s in for selling crack.”

“Guess who came in and bought a black nightie today?”

“I don’t know, who?”

“Kathy.”

“What?”

“Yea, I was as shocked as you are now.”

“Tell me more.”

“We just made small talk. I don’t think she knows I’m

the future Mrs. Sinclair. Anyway, she tried it on in the

shop. She has a really firm body.”

“Well, don’t worry Donna, she’s cold as ice in bed, at

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least with me.”

“What’s going to happen to you tomorrow?”

“I have a bond hearing which I’ll post. Then when you

pick me up we go straight to breakfast. I’m dying for some

hotcakes.” Jimmy took a deep breath. “Donna, I need you to

be strong while I deal with my situation. I know now I

should never have hired someone to do Kathy in. I was just

so angry when I realized that I was a sucker to marry the

‘I want only you Jimmy’ woman, who turned out to be a real

gold digger. Every time I saw Kathy in her new BMW

convertible, wearing all that jewelry and spending my money

on her mom’s condo and talking about cruises and other

trips, I just got madder.” He concluded, “Look, I work

very hard down at Buffalo Bills. I drive an old white

Honda. . . I just felt used. . . I felt trapped.”

“Jimmy I know it’s bad timing but you really make me

mad – doing something so stupid like hiring a hit man!”

Donna fumed. “All you had to do was open your wallet, give

her some money and she’d be out of your life. Together we

could work real hard to earn the money back. Now you face

possible jail time, you have to hire an expensive lawyer –

but most of all we are separated by metal bars, and for how

long?”

“Sweet pea, I know it’s a mess, but I’ll figure a way

out of it and soon you will be Mrs. Jimmy Sinclair.”

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Donna walked to her car in the parking lot as both

Anderson and Fusco pulled up and rolled down their windows.

Donna walked over and squatted down to be head level with

the two men who arrested her man.

“Hello Miss Johnson,” said Anderson with a smile that

Donna thought was phony. “Visiting anyone we know?”

“You two have the wrong man locked up. My Jimmy

wouldn’t hurt anyone,” vowed the loyal Donna.

“You may be right, but we are looking for the hit man

we believed ‘my Jimmy’ hired,” said Anderson with another

smile.

“Jimmy isn’t the type of man who would do that. He

would just divorce and move on.”

“You sure about that?” asked Fusco, eating a small bag

of pretzels. “We know he drinks a little and we all know

what liquor can do.”

“Around me Jimmy doesn’t drink, so I wouldn’t know.”

“The bond hearing is at nine tomorrow. If he bonds

out, my advice is for him to stay way away from his wife,”

Anderson warned.

“What do you mean if?”

“Bond hearings can go either way. The judge has to

think of the victim’s safety and the seriousness of the

charges,” Anderson said as Fusco nodded his head in

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agreement.

Donna said thanks and slowly walked back to her car

and departed the county jail parking lot.

Anderson and Fusco arranged to see Jimmy in an

interview room, and waited for him to enter.

“Too bad we didn’t find anything more of value at his

house or in his car,” Fusco said.

Jimmy entered the room handcuffed in front. The guard

said he would be right outside the door.

“Jimmy, we saw Donna Johnson in the parking lot and we

told her to tell you if you bond out tomorrow to stay as

far away as you can from your wife,” Anderson warned, and

again Fusco nodded in agreement.

“There’s no if. I’ll bond out and believe me, I don’t

ever want to see that woman again.”

“Your car has been searched so you can now have it

released from the impoundment lot and fixed if you want,”

Fusco said, placing a release form in front of Jimmy to

sign. Jimmy signed the paper and looked at both detectives.

“You didn’t find anything in your search, did you?”

“We’ll just see you tomorrow at the bond hearing,”

Anderson said as the detectives stood up and left the room.

The guard escorted Jimmy back to his cell.

“Could I get a snack?” asked Jimmy nicely.

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“Sure,” laughed the guard, not stopping until Jimmy

was securely locked up in his cell on the second floor of

the east wing.

The next morning Jimmy was escorted by the bailiff

into the courtroom, and smiled at Donna when he spotted her

in the crowd. Jimmy sat on a special bench for prisoners

and waited for his turn. Twenty minutes went by before

Jimmy stood in front of Judge Vicky Trustmark. The judge

listened to the state attorney’s side of the story, and

then turned to Jimmy.

“If you can’t afford an attorney the court can appoint

one for you, free of charge.”

“Thanks your honor. I can afford an attorney, but I

wanted to stand before you and plead my case. May I speak?”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“I’ve lived in this community all my life. I own

Buffalo Bill’s grocery store and have never been in trouble

with the law - not even a speeding ticket. I promise that

if I am let out on bail I will move out of my house and

into a motel, and will avoid having any contact with my

wife.”

“Very well Mr. Sinclair, I’ll grant you bail, but

obtain a lawyer. These charges are serious and if

convicted, you will spend a great deal of time in the state

 154

penitentiary.”

“Thank you your honor. I will seek counsel once I’m

released.”

The bailiff escorted Jimmy back out the same door he

had entered. Jimmy searched for Donna, but the crowd was

huge and he was moving too fast to spot her.

6. The Trap

Jimmy exited the front door of the jail with Donna and

stopped on the sidewalk to take in his freedom.

“Feels good to be free. I plan to go over to the

store and tell Kathy the truth – that I did hire a man to

kill her, that I changed my mind, paid the guy off and that

I’ll give her what she wants in the divorce so I can start

my new life with you, baby.”

Donna and Jimmy kissed while Steve videoed the whole

romantic episode. Jimmy pulled up to Donna’s apartment,

got out and opened the passenger door.

“I’ll borrow your car, meet Kathy, and come back home

as quick as I can.”

“Why can’t I come with you?”

“It’s my problem. I started it; I’ll finish it.

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Besides, I want her in a good mood and seeing you next to

me might upset her. I don’t know if it will, but I can’t

take the chance. My lawyer said there is a possibility

charges can be reduced, but to do so I need her

cooperation. I want her so happy that she drops the

charges. Just stay home sweetie, get two cups of tea

ready, and I’ll be back faster than Superman.” Jimmy

walked Donna to her door. They kissed and Jimmy departed

the neighborhood, followed by Steve and his helper, in

their two rental cars.

Steve called Kathy and gave her an update on what her

spouse was doing.

“Thanks Steve. I’m so afraid of him. Now I hope to

avoid him until the trial.”

The detectives pulled up to the residence of Robert

Wheeler. They knocked, showed their badges to Mrs Wheeler,

who answered to door, and were led to the master bedroom,

where Mr. Wheeler was resting. Both of his legs were in

thigh-high casts.

“Hello sir. I am Detective Mike Anderson and this is

my partner, Harry Fusco. Like I mentioned to you on the

telephone, we have a suspect in custody who we charged with

stealing your vehicle from the airport parking lot.”

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Anderson continued, “His method is to chat up a family to

find out how long they will be away. Once they depart on

their flight, he steals their car. I have a set of six

photos and I need you to view each one closely and pick out

the man who chatted you up before your flight.”

“Mr. Wheeler surveyed the display put before him and

his eyes stopped at photo number four. “That was the man.

He seemed like a nice guy too.”

Detective Anderson handed the man his ink pen. “Can

you please sign your name below the photo and date it?

That will show that number four was your choice.” The

detective retrieved his pen and photo line-up after the man

did as instructed.

Harry had to ask, “What happened to you?”

“I was rock climbing in Utah and fell forty feet when

the rope broke. It turns out it was defective. We plan to

sue the manufacturer. Both of my legs and ankles are

shattered.”

“Bad luck,” mumbled Fusco. His eyes lit up when Mrs.

Wheeler entered the room and asked “Would you two officers

care for a piece of homemade pumpkin pie?”

Mike indicated that he didn’t care for any, but Harry,

true to form, didn’t refuse the offer. “Would it be

possible to take the pie to go? We have many more people

we have to interview yet today,” asked Fusco, after

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receiving a cross look from his partner.

Mrs. Wheeler wrapped the dessert in plastic wrap,

placed two paper plates, plastic forks and napkins in a bag

and said, “Here you go gentlemen.”

Fusco gratefully took his next meal from the lady and

he and Anderson walked back to their cruise. Once inside,

Fusco reached for his slice.

“Always eating Fusco. You might as well have my piece

too,” sighed Anderson.

“Thanks partner! said Fusco, as he took his first

large bite.”

Jimmy went to his grocery store and saw Billy working

the counter.

“Where’s Kathy?”

“She said she wasn’t coming in here any more. She

said she’s afraid of you.”

“Afraid of me? That’s a laugh.” What is she trying

to pull? Jimmy walked back to Donna’s car and departed.

Jimmy drove to his residence and didn’t find any

cars in the driveway or in the garage. Jimmy walked

through his five thousand square foot home, checked the

game room, kitchen, pool area, and then walked into the

master bedroom. Kathy’s clothes were gone from her closet.

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Jimmy checked her dresser drawers and they were empty too.

Jimmy turned to leave the bedroom when John suddenly

appeared in the doorway.

“She moved out. She’s afraid of you.”

Jimmy noticed John putting black gloves on. “What’s

with the gloves? I paid you off.”

“I know, but after awhile I got to thinking - I’d be

six of seven when I could be seven for seven and keep my

hit record perfect, so I’ve changed my mind.”

“You’re an asshole,” Jimmy said as he followed John

toward the front door.

“Well this asshole knows where Kathy moved to and is

going there now to be seven for seven.”

John ran out the front door to his stolen car and

drove off, making sure not to lose Jimmy, who was trying to

catch up, followed by the two investigators.

The trap was set, and soon Kathy would be free of her

husband whom she never did love. Kathy sipped her hot cup

of tea and waited with the loaded forty-five automatic in

her lap, which she borrowed from her mom’s boyfriend. As

Kathy waited, she thought back on how she got Jimmy to

marry her. Kathy saw a photo of Jimmy and his parents in

the local paper about eighteen months ago. The article

discussed the history of Buffalo Bill’s and showed a photo

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of Jimmy and his parents. What an all-American family. . .

Kathy visited the store to see if Jimmy was as

handsome in person as the photo depicted. Kathy stood in

line with her orange juice and noticed no ring on his

finger, seemingly a kind gentleman, speaking softly to his

elderly customers. Kathy introduced herself and inquired

about the Help Wanted sign in the window.

“We need a part-time cashier from five pm to closing.”

“I can start today,” Kathy said enthusiastically.

“Do you have any cashier experience?”

“Yes, I worked for Burger King and a clothing store

off and on when I went to college.”

Jimmy handed her an application from below the

counter. Kathy filled it in while she drank her purchase.

She quickly turned the form in with a big friendly smile on

her face. Jimmy looked it over and said, “I’ll have to

check your references and if all is in order you can start

next Monday.”

Kathy walked out, vowing to marry the man. No way was

she going to live in a rundown efficiency all her life, or

be forced to go to hot and muggy Labelle, Florida, and move

back in with her mom in that small trailer she had called

“home” for years. Riding the Greyhound bus out of town a

year ago, Kathy promised she would not return until she was

married to a rich and successful man. She kept her one-way

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Greyhound ticket in her purse as a reminder. Kathy read

somewhere how men with money always felt women wanted them

only for the money, and what money can buy them including a

big house, cars, clothes, and a very nice lifestyle. Kathy

strategized by telling herself to turn everything down a

rich man might offer her when dating, or later when

engaged. Once married, there would be plenty of time to

spend the money. Kathy also checked the law in Mississippi

regarding divorce and liked what she read. If divorced,

she was entitled to half, unless a prenuptial agreement was

signed.

At first Jimmy worked too hard in the store, but Kathy

changed that little by little as she worked there. She got

Jimmy to hire stock clerks and cashiers so they could go

out more. Jimmy bought her jewelry, but Kathy always made

him return it. She would tug on his hair when she kissed

him, saying, “I don’t need jewelry honey, I need you.”

Every time he tried to buy her clothes, a new BMW, or

take her to expensive restaurants, she would make him take

it back or refuse to go out. It worked, because six months

later they were married in a simple wedding at the

courthouse. The first thing Kathy did was to move her mom

out of that trailer in Labelle, Florida, to a nice, one

bedroom condo in Tupelo, a few miles from her mansion.

Kathy next bought her mom a new car and gave her forty
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thousand dollars to put into a savings account. Kathy knew

her mom couldn’t believe her luck. From a trailer, no car,

and no money to a beautiful condo, a new car, clothes, and

money in the bank - she thought her daughter was happy and

was shocked when just the other day Kathy told her the

truth.

“Mom, I married Jimmy only for his money. I did it

for you and for me. I was tired of being poor.”

She next decorated the mansion from Jimmy’s parents’

seventies look to its current, modern state. Kathy bought

her new green BMW convertible and was looking for a way to

end her marriage without a long, drawn out court battle,

when John, the hit man, fatefully knocked on her door that

day.

Kathy’s thoughts were interrupted when her phone rang,

just as the microwave with her teacup inside, went “ding.”

“I’ll be there in two minutes. Be ready – got stupid

ass following close behind.”

Kathy picked up the forty-five automatic and replied,

“I’ll be in the master bedroom.”

John put down the cell phone and turned left on Ridge

Road, followed by Jimmy. He pulled up quickly to the two-

story colonial, right behind Kathy’s green convertible.

John opened the unlocked front door and ran up the stairs
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to the only lit room in the small home on a cul-de-sac

street. Jimmy was right behind, yelling, “Kathy, he’s got

a gun!” as he ran into the bedroom behind John. There

stood Kathy in a pink pair of pajamas with a forty-five in

her hand.

“Drop the gun now,” commanded Kathy. John did as

instructed. “Both of you lay on the ground, spread your

hands and feet out. Do it now!” shouted Kathy, waving the

gun around. Jimmy too followed the orders, wondering What

the hell is going on here? Kathy kicked Jimmy’s gun

towards the far wall. Jimmy started to speak, “Kathy, I

tried to warn . . .”

“Shut up Jimmy, just shut up.” Kathy dialed 911 on

her cell phone. After the operator asked if this was an

emergency, Kathy replied in a very nervous voice,

“I’m holding at gunpoint two armed men at 2445 Pine

Lakes Boulevard, upstairs bedroom. My name is Kathy

Sinclair. I can’t talk any more. It’s 2445 Pine Lakes

Boulevard. Please send help.”

Steve reviewed the video he quickly shot, but it only

showed Jimmy running into the house. Steve tried calling

Kathy’s phone, but he got her voice mail again.

“Kathy, it’s me Steve. I’m out in front of your safe

house. Are you okay? Call me back.”

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Steve and his helper could both hear sirens. They

picked up their video cameras and videoed the action as

many police cars came screaming down the street with sirens

and lights. Three officers rushed to the front door with

their guns drawn.

“Police – it’s the police!” one of the officers said.

“I’m up here. . . I called you. . . I’m Kathy

Sinclair. I’m holding two men at gunpoint, first room on

the right at the top of the stairs,”

“Okay ma’am, take it easy now. We are slowly coming

up.”

The officers cautiously walked up the stairs and one

officer peeked around the corner before pointing his gun

into the room.

“Ma’am, place your gun slowly on the bed and keep your

hands up.”

Kathy did as she was told. The officers entered the

bedroom, picked up both guns, searched John and Jimmy, and

handcuffed them before taking them downstairs. Kathy asked

the officers to get in touch with Detective Anderson, who

was looking for both men. The first officer to enter the

room asked Kathy to start from the beginning.

“Detective Mike Anderson arrested my husband, soon-to-

be-ex the other day, and charged him with attempted murder.

He told me he suspected my husband of hiring a hit man -

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the guy in the gray shirt you just removed from my room.

The detective told me for my safety I should move out of my

own residence to a safe house until he caught the hit man,

which is what I did, so how did they find me?”

“I don’t know ma’am. The thirty-eight on the floor –

who was carrying that?”

“My husband. I heard footsteps running up the stairs

and two men came dashing in, and I just picked up my gun

and pointed it at them.”

An officer entered the room and said “Detective

Anderson is in route, ETA about ten minutes.

Steve got out of his van with his video camera and

walked up to Jimmy and John, sitting in the back of the

police car, and videoed them.

Detective Anderson arrived quickly and was directed

upstairs to the crime scene. Mike entered the room and saw

Kathy talking to a uniformed officer.

“Some safe house I found,” Kathy said.

“Who knew this address?” Mike asked.

“My mom, the real estate agent, and you.”

“When I interview them at the station I will find out

how they located you. How about tomorrow you come to the

station and I take your official statement, since right now

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you are emotionally drained and need to rest?”

“Can I go back to my own home now?”

“Why not? Both men won’t be going anywhere soon.”

An officer interrupted their conversation by handing

Detective Anderson a note. Mike read it and put it into

his pocket.

“Kathy, I have to go. Call me in the morning so I can

take your statement.”

“Will do Mike.”

Mike Anderson was in route to meet Janet Lee for a

quick bite to eat when he received a call from the Auto

Theft Bureau. “Hey Mike, this is Detective Thomson. You

wanted to be notified if a certain Mercedes Benz coupe was

recovered.”

“Ye?” Mike waited in anticipation for some good news.

“The vehicle is registered to Jay and Julie Hopkins.

We located the vehicle at the airport Hilton, by the pool.

We are processing it now. Any instructions for us?”

“Just send the heart medication in the glove box to

the victims. They seemed to really need it at the time –

and send me a copy of the report.”

“Will do sir. Have a good night.”

Normally Mike would have sped to the crime scene to

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ascertain more details, but he had cancelled on Janet

before and wasn’t about to do it again to his new Oriental

beauty, who would be waiting with his favorite chicken

teriyaki. A few hours later Anderson left a happy Janet

waving from the front porch. On the front seat of his

squad car was a generous plate of leftovers for Fusco,

complements of Janet.

Mike entered interrogation room number one and sat

down across from John Farran, who had one arm handcuffed to

a wall mount. “Let me read you your rights.”

“Detective, save your breath. I know my rights and I

want a lawyer.”

Mike left the room and walked into interrogation room

number two. There sat Jimmy, handcuffed, and drinking a

cup of coffee from a paper cup. “Before we get started

would you like anything else Jimmy?”

“The USA Today,” Jimmy replied.

“When you are back in your cell I’ll have one brought

to you. Now for the record, let me read you your rights.”

“I want a lawyer right now. I know my rights.”

Mike left the room and walked into the observation

room, where his partner was eating a bag of chips. “Two

for two huh Mike?” grinned Fusco.

“Yep, well they can have their lawyers, with Mrs.

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Sinclair as a victim, and a weapon recovered, I think we

can make a strong case.”

John was escorted to a pay phone by a jail guard, and

called the criminal lawyer recommended by Kathy’s lawyer.

Attorney Joseph McKinsey advised John not to say a word and

said he would be down shortly.

John walked back to his cell, stopping briefly in

front of Jimmy’s cell. “Room service. How do you take

your coffee?”

Jimmy looked up from reading the USA Today. “You are

one crazy asshole.”

John was escorted back to his cell. He was trying to

take a nap when rookie police officer Hanagan stopped in

front of his jail cell. “Well, we finally met Mr. Hot

Wheels.”

John lifted his head from his upper bunk. “Who are

you?”

“I am the officer who stopped you in front of the

house where you hid the van in the garage,” Hanagan beamed

proudly.

“Well, you have to admit it did work – I got away.”

“Yes you did, and because you were so clever I brought

you a small gift to remember the incident by.” The officer

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tossed Jimmy a key chain through the bars. Attached was a

Hot Wheels car. “The boys in Robbery Division nicknamed

you Mr. Hot Wheels.”

Jimmy looked at the cool little spots car and said,

“Well, tell them thanks for the gift.”

“I’ll do that.” Officer Hanagan departed the cell

area while John admired his gift.

Kathy entered the detective bureau and was put in

interview room one. Mike walked in with a large, yellow

notepad. “Hi Kathy.”

“Hello Mike,”

“We have to do this interview by the book. That’s why

you’re in this room instead of at my desk. Here is a

notepad. Write down all that happened from the time the

two men entered your house until the police arrived and

I’ll be back. I have to sit in on an interview with the

hit man’s lawyer.”

Kathy started to write down her memories as the

detective left the room.

Mike walked into interview room three, and was

introduced to attorney Joseph McKinsey, sitting next to

John Farran.

“My client has an offer on the table. You drop

attempted murder and grand theft auto charges for his full
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cooperation against Jimmy Sinclair.”

“No way, I have a strong case,” asserted the detective.

“Do you? I don’t think so. According to the

arresting officer’s report, the victim can’t put any weapon

in my client’s hands. My client will testify that Jimmy

Sinclair asked him to go along for a ride and didn’t know

what Jimmy was going to do before he did it.”

“Horseshit, what about grand theft auto? We have

video of him at the toll booth exiting the airport, and the

owner will testify that Jimmy took it.”

“As you say, horseshit. My client is on video in a

car that the owner asked him to drive to the owner’s house

to pick up the heart medication his wife needed, and we’ll

claim in court the old man was senile.”

“We have the stolen car at the safe house.”

“Now we know detective, that one bird in hand is

better than two birds in a bush, so let my client walk from

all charges and we’ll help you nail the husband.”

“I have the victim in the next room. Let me talk to

her.”

Mike left the room and went to see Kathy, who was

finished with her statement. Mike read it.

“You are willing to testify it was your husband

holding the gun when he barged into your bedroom?”

 170

“Yes Mike, I am. I need him off the street and kept

in jail, or my life will always be in danger.”

“In the other room I have the attorney for John

Farran, and they want to make a deal that allows us to nail

your husband for attempted murder but allows his accomplice

to walk free.”

“Fine by me if you think it’s okay. I need all the

help I can get, because I know Jimmy will hire the best and

most expensive attorney in town.”

“Kathy go home and I’ll let you know what we decide to

do.”

Mike left the interview room and received a call from

the lab. The gun recovered last night belonged to Jimmy

Sinclair, and the slugs from the store and residence walls

matched Jimmy’s thirty-eight. Mike smiled as he hung up

the phone.

In the meantime, Harry Fusco used his cell phone to

call the State attorney on duty, “Sir, we have two men in

custody. Both are charged with attempted murder. One is

the husband of the victim and the other is the hit man he

hired. The lawyer for the hit man wants to make a deal.

His client will tell us everything in return for immunity.”

State Attorney Dicenso asked, “How strong is your

 171

evidence on the hit man?”

“Not too strong sir. The spouse says her husband

entered the home with the gun and the hit man says he

didn’t know the husband was going to try to kill her. He

said he went along for the ride. To tell you the truth, I

really want to nail the husband.”

“Then offer the man what he wants on the condition

that what he provides you helps with the charges on the

husband,” responded Dicenso. Fusco knew Mike was going to

be happy. Now he had the okay to make the deal to nail

Jimmy Sinclair.

Attorney McKinsey stood up when Detective Mike

Anderson and his partner walked in.

“Attorney McKinsey, this is my partner, Detective

Harry Fusco. We’re willing, along with the state attorney,

to drop all charges as long as your client is one hundred

percent honest and cooperative from this moment on.”

“Fine. Turn the recorder on and put what you just

told me on tape, and my client will cooperate fully.”

Detective Fusco ate another bag of chips as his

partner asked John questions.

“How did Jimmy Sinclair hire you?”

“We were in The Hideaway bar as customers. We started

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talking and he mentioned he wasn’t happily married. He

said his wife fooled him into marrying her, that she really

was a gold digger and married him for his money. He wanted

out of this sham of a relationship and was willing to pay

someone to do it.”

“How much did he pay you to kill his wife?”

“He told me to meet him at Summit Bank and there he

handed me fifteen thousand in cash and gave me his thirty-

eight revolver. I asked him if he wanted her shot in the

head or torso and he said the torso. Jimmy also showed me

the newspaper article with the robberies of the store

owners, and thought it would be a good idea to make it look

like a robbery. He also gave me his wife’s store hours,

which are in my wallet.”

Mike turned to his partner, “Go to property. Bring me

his wallet.”

Detective Fusco left the room and Mike turned back to

John. “Tell me about the store robbery.”

“Jimmy called me on my cell phone and told me he left

the back door unlocked, and what time that day to come by

since he wouldn’t be there. I came in the back door, but I

never had any intention of hurting anyone. My first plan

was to take the money and run, but then I visited the store

and saw how pretty his wife was, and knew if I left town he

would just find someone else. So my next plan was to

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purposely miss and make it look like I tried.”

“Is that why the bullets we located in the wall were

at the eleven foot mark?”

“Yes. I did the same thing at the drive-by shooting

at her house.”

“How did you know his wife was outside? Were you

watching her house?”

“No. Jimmy called me on my cell phone and said he was

leaving his house and that his wife was putting on

gardening gloves. When I got there I just aimed real high

and drove off in Jimmy’s Honda, which he loaned me.”

“What was Jimmy’s reaction to your second failed

attempt?”

“He was mad - asked me what kind of a hit man I was,

and said that his wife was lucky - so lucky she should go

to Vegas.”

“What happened next?”

“I told Jimmy I didn’t want to go on with this killer-

for-hire thing, but he met me and paid me more money to

continue.”

“How much more?”

“Thirty-five thousand.”

“Where is all this cash now?”

“It’s at my apartment under my dresser.”

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Detective Fusco entered the room and gave John’s

wallet to his partner. Inside, mixed in with a few dollar

bills, was Kathy Sinclair’s work schedule, in what appeared

to be Jimmy’s handwriting.

“Now partner, go to this guy’s apartment with a lab

tech. Take photos and document the cash under the dresser

that Jimmy gave John to kill his wife.” Mike wrote down

the address and gave his partner the slip of paper.

Turning back to John he said, “What did you and Jimmy

do next?”

“Jimmy met me at the Hideaway Bar. I told him I was

done, that I wasn’t really a hit man but an over the road

truck driver just looking to buy my own rig. He said he

didn’t care what I did. He just wanted his wife dead.

Later we went for a ride in his car. I thought we were

going back to the Hideaway Bar to play darts, but instead

he pulled into his driveway, removed a gas can from the car

and set the house on fire. When I saw that I took off

running. I read later in the paper he crashed his car and

was arrested.”

“You were there when he committed arson?” asked Fusco,

who was very surprised.

“Yes, he had been drinking whiskey before I got in the

car. We almost hit a couple taking a walk with their dog

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over on Fifth Street before we arrived back at his house.

When he pulled out the gas can he said “I’ll show that gold

digger a thing or two!’ Like I said, I got the hell out of

there at that point.”

“Tell me how you hooked up with him to go to Mrs.

Sinclair’s safe house?”

“Jimmy called me on my cell. He wanted his gun back

and told me to meet him at his residence. I told him no,

that Mrs. Sinclair was living there, and he said no, that

she moved out. I met him at his house and gave him back

his gun. He told me her new address and said that he was

on his way to kill her himself.”

“Go on,” prompted Anderson.

“I ran out of the house first and the car I stole from

the airport had a built-in GPS system and it led me to Mrs.

Sinclair’s new location. I ran in screaming ‘He has a gun,

he has a gun, your husband’s going to kill you!’ I ran to

the only light in the house, which was upstairs. That’s

when Mrs. Sinclair pointed a gun at us and made us lie on

the floor. Please Detective, go ask her if I tried to warn

her.”

Detective Anderson turned off the recorder and left

the room with his cell phone. “Kathy, it’s Mike. When

those two guys barged into your house did someone yell he

had a gun?”
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“Come to think of it, I did hear someone yelling real

loud about something, but the TV was on so the voice was

muffled.”

“Thanks. I’ll call you again soon.”

Mike put his cell phone back in his pocket, re-entered

the room, and turned the recorder back on. “How did Jimmy

Sinclair know where his wife moved to?”

“I don’t know but he told me the address.”

“We might need you to wear a wire and get you and

Jimmy in the same room.”

“I recorded our first conversation about him hiring me

to kill her. The recorder and tape are in my top dresser

drawer.”

Mike about fell out of his chair. He couldn’t believe

what he just heard. “You what? Say that again!”

“After Jimmy gave me the fifteen thousand dollars in

the bank parking lot, we agreed to meet at the Hideaway

Bar. I stopped at Radio Shack and bought a tape recorder

and put it in my shirt pocket along with several ink pens.

At the bar I asked him ‘Do you want it in the head or

torso?’ and he said torso.”

“Why would you tape record the conversation?”

“I knew I was never going to go along with killing

her, and thought I would mail it to the police when I left

town to protect the woman.”

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Mike called his partner and told him to also pick up

the recorder and bring it to the interview room.

“Have you ever been in trouble with law enforcement

anywhere in the USA?”

“Nope, I’m clean.”

Mike turned to the lawyer. “Wait here until that tape

arrives. If what your client just told us under oath is on

the tape, you can leave with him.” Mike left the room.

Detective Fusco entered John’s apartment again with

the ID technician and the old man landlord. Fusco opened

the top drawer, and among the white socks and underwear, in

plain view, was a small tape recorder. The tech took a few

photos and Fusco put the recorder in a transparent bag and

left, along with the stash of loot recovered from under the

dresser, but not before he grabbed a bag of chocolate candy

that Farran had left on the dresser. This job’s got it’s

bonuses, chuckled the rotund officer.

Mike called Kathy from the police station hallway.

“Kathy, this is Mike – good news maybe.”

“What good news baby?”

“I said maybe not baby.”

“I know you said maybe. I said baby.”

“Are you flirting with me?”

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“Yes officer, I am. Soon I’ll be free and rich, but I

don’t want to be lonely.”

“With that face and body you won’t have to worry about

being lonely.”

“What good news do you have for me?”

“We cut a deal with the hit man to turn state’s

evidence against Jimmy and he told us how your husband

hired him. But more importantly, he claims he tape-

recorded the first meeting. My partner is on the way to

the station now with the recorder. I need you to come down

here to listen to the voice to confirm it’s Jimmy’s. I

also need you to identify his handwriting, because he gave

the hit man your work hour schedule.”

“I can be there in twenty minutes.”

“I’ll have my partner meet you in the lobby.”

“Okay baby, I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

Mike laughed and walked back into the interview room.

He turned the recorder back on. “How did you steal cars

from the long-term parking lot at the airport?”

“I read in the paper a while back where thieves were

stealing cars from movie theater parking lots - giving them

a two hour head start before they were reported missing.

Then I saw a plane in the air and thought about the long-

term parking lot. I rode the bus out there and just
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started talking to people exiting their cars and found out

how long they would be gone.”

Mike’s partner popped his head in and motioned for

Mike to come out. Mike turned the recorder off and left

the room.

“Here’s all the cash we found, at least twenty-five

thousand, plus the recorder.”

Mike took the recorder out of its bag, rewound the

small tape, and hit the play button. Two voices were on it

and Mike knew right away whom both voices belonged to.

Mike heard, “Can you make it look like a store robbery?”

“That’s my work.” “You want it in the head or torso?”

“The torso will do.” Mike turned to his partner.

“Get Jimmy and his lawyer in an interview room, then

call me when Kathy Sinclair arrives.”

Mike returned to John’s interview room and played the

tape. When finished, he turned to attorney McKinsey.

“You can take your client with you. Get all his

numbers in case we need to get in touch.” Mike turned to

John. “This tape is what is allowing you to walk free, now

stay out of trouble.”

Mike was paged to return to the Detective Bureau. His

partner had a visitor. Mike walked into the bureau and saw
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a large crowd of detectives standing around his desk.

Sitting was Kathy, all dressed up in a low cut top and

jeans. Fusco was stationed next to her with a clipboard in

his hands, and the empty bag of chocolates now sitting on

the desk next to him. Mike tried to act all official, but

the men saw through his act.

“Get back to work,” Mike glared at his men, while

holding out his hand to Kathy. His tone softened, “Thank

you Mrs. Sinclair, for coming down on such short notice.”

“Anything to help, Detective,” Kathy responded with a

slight smile.

“Let’s go into interview room four.”

Kathy stood up and all eyes were on her as she walked

into room four. Mike had her sit down and whispered to her

that the guys were maybe watching from the observation

room, and the microphone was turned on.

“Thanks again for coming down. I have a tape we

found. Can you identify any of the voices?” Mike played

the tape and right away Kathy said, “That’s Jimmy talking.

Can I listen to the whole tape?”

“Of course, it’s about ten minutes long, but I have to

warn you that your spouse is talking about having you

killed.” Mike laid a piece of paper in front of Kathy,

showing her work hours. “Do you recognize the handwriting?”

“Yes, that’s Jimmy’s too. He writes worse than a

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doctor filling out a prescription.”

“My partner informed me that Jimmy and his lawyer are

in interview room one. Care to watch from the observation

room?”

“Wow, may I?”

“I’ll be back in a few minutes to get you. Just stay

here and listen to the tape. Don’t touch the recorder.

It’s my only copy.”

“I won’t touch it.”

“Good. See you in a few minutes.”

Mike left the room and entered the observation room.

It was crowded with detectives.

“Get back to work you horny wolves,” Mike said,

motioning with his hands.

“What a fox!” one detective said. “My last victim was

sixty-five, hunchbacked and overweight.”

Another detective said, “That sounds like the Chief’s

wife!”

“Guess you don’t mind working overtime on this one,

Mike,” said Detective Malone, leaving the room last.

“Someone has to protect and serve Tony. Might as well

be me.”

Mike brought Kathy into the observation room and had

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her sit down. He gave her a yellow pad and pen.

“After asking him questions I’ll come in and check

with you to see if you have anything to add.”

7. Busted

Mike took the tape recorder from Kathy and left the

room. He went into interview room one with his partner.

They introduced themselves to Attorney Ronald Lothamen, a

well-known criminal defense attorney who liked being on

television. They all sat down and Ron turned to his

client, “Jimmy, don’t say a word without my okay.”

Jimmy just nodded his head.

“Jimmy, I am charging you with a second count of

attempted murder and one count of criminal solicitation to

commit homicide. Your hit man just gave us a full

confession, and we know the 38 you own will match the slugs

recovered at your store and on the exterior wall of your

home. We recovered the cash you paid your hit man to kill

your wife, and we have a video of you running into her safe

house.”

Attorney Lothamen motioned with his hand for the

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detective to stop.

“First of all, my client is innocent of all charges.

You know he filed a stolen gun report and the money

recovered was a loan, so the man could buy an eighteen-

wheeler. On the first arrest for attempted murder my

client was kidnapped by this John Farran, forced to drink

alcohol until he was drunk, forced into his car, driven to

the scene of his own house fire, and then the so called hit

man crashes the car and puts my client behind the wheel.

Now here we are again - my client states he ran into the

house to warn his wife of this crazy man who was trying to

kill her.”

“No, first of all Mr. Lothamen, under oath John Farran

said he was with your client when he pulled up to his

house. He told us your client pulled out a gas can and

said ‘I’ll show that gold digger a thing or two!’”

Detective Anderson pulled out the small tape recorder,

then said, “Sir, you can tell all this to the jury. We

have your client’s fingerprints on the gas can, we have the

gas station attendant’s statement that your client

purchased the gas and gas can, and now we have this bit of

evidence.” Detective Anderson rewound the tape to the spot

he wanted to play. “The hit man recorded his conversation

about the hit with your client in the Hideaway Bar.”

Detective Anderson pushed play and Jimmy’s voice could be

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heard.

“Can you make it look like a store robbery?” “That’s

my work.” “You want it in the head or torso?” The torso

will do.”

Detective Anderson turned the recorder off and smiled

at Jimmy and his high-priced lawyer.

“Can you give me a minute alone with my client please?”

“You mean your innocent client?” asked Fusco, slapping

a ‘Buy 6 Get 6 Free’ donut ad on the table in front of

Jimmy before walking out behind his partner.

The lawyer picked up the ad and asked, “What’s this

all about Jimmy?”

“The donut ad is a joke. I joked about the cop

wanting donuts. He never stops eating.”

“Sounds like the detective has a strong case with the

current charges and the recording of you soliciting the man

to kill your wife. Now tell me the whole truth right now

or I walk.”

“Ron, I did hire the man to kill my wife, but later

after the drive-by shooting failed, I told him to stop.

But he’s crazy, he wanted thirty-five thousand on top of

the fifteen thousand I gave him to stop.” Jimmy became

increasingly agitated as he continued, ”I paid him off, but

like I said, he’s crazy. He kidnapped me, got me drunk,

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and set my house on fire. When I bailed out I went to my

house to tell my wife the truth, but she had moved out.

The hit man was in the doorway and he said he was on the

way to kill her. I followed him to her new place to warn

her and she didn’t want to hear it. She held us at

gunpoint. That’s the whole story in quick, simple terms.”

“As if anything about this story is simple.” The

attorney was a veteran, but this was one of the most

convoluted situations he had heard about in some time.

“Jimmy, let me see about getting you released on bail in

the morning.”

“In the morning? Why not right now?”

“Sorry Jimmy. It doesn’t work like that. We have

procedures to follow.”

Ronald pushed a call button and both detectives

entered the room, with Fusco just finishing a white

powdered donut, and all the evidence remaining on his mouth

and lips.

“Okay gentlemen, I’ll see you at the bond hearing in

the morning,” the lawyer said, closing the latches on his

briefcase.

“The state attorney will be asking for no bail due to

the second attempt on the victim’s life,” said Fusco.

The attorney turned to his client, “Jimmy, get a good

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night’s sleep. I’ll see you at the bond hearing, and

gentlemen, I want to speak to you alone.” Fusco opened the

interview room door and motioned for a uniformed officer.

“Take this man back to his cell.” Fusco closed the

door after Jimmy was escorted out.

“Gentlemen, I will be fighting hard for my client to

make bond. He has never been in trouble with the law

before and has been an active member of the community all

his life.”

“That may be true, but this is the second time in a

few days where he has attempted to kill his wife, and he

has the financial resources to still carry it out. Under

these circumstances we will argue that he remain behind

bars,” replied Anderson.

“We have even more evidence than the first arrest

charges,” added Fusco as he strained over his girth to tie

his shoelaces.

Jimmy made one phone call before entering his cell.

Donna showed up at visiting hours and they talked over

phones, separated by thick glass.

“Donna, it doesn’t look good for me. The hit man I

stupidly hired then fired, tape recorded our conversations

and the police have the tape of me wanting her killed.”

“Honey, you tried to stop the violence and the police

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know that. When the judge hears the whole story they will

give you probation, I just know they will.”

“I do hope so Donna, and I promise, once this is all

behind me, you will be Mrs. Jimmy Sinclair.”

Kathy returned to her mansion and called John on her

cell.

“According to the detectives, the state attorney will

argue for no bond. Your plan John, or what I call our

scheme, is falling into place.”

“Soon you will be a rich and free woman, and I’ll be

in a new eighteen-wheeler and on the road again.”

Fusco and Anderson left the police station and drove

the few blocks to the courthouse where they entered

courtroom 23. They got there just in time to hear the

State’s attorney playing a small portion of the tape where

Jimmy vented his desire to have his wife shot “through her

gold digging heart.” Judge Cummings listened, then made

his ruling. Fusco and Anderson left the courtroom,

smiling. Anderson called Kathy.

“You can relax for awhile. We played the judge the

recording that John Farran made, and the judge looked at

Jimmy when he ordered the hit man to shoot you in the

torso, pounded his gavel over and over and his decision was
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‘No bond.’”

“Thank God. What’s going to happen next?”

“The state attorney will prosecute. Jimmy will go to

jail and we move on with our lives.”

“Mike, I was thinking. I could drop the charges if

Jimmy settled our divorce in a seventy-five, twenty-five

split. . . he keeps the store, I sell the house and move,

he pleads guilty, gets long term probation, and stays out

of my life.”

“Seventy-five percent for you of course.”

“Yes Mike, he is in no position to make a deal.”

“Well, you are the victim. You could have your

divorce attorney make an offer to his criminal attorney.”

“I think I’ll do that tomorrow. It doesn’t hurt to

discuss all the options.”

“Partner like Detective Fusco, or my girlfriend

partner Janet?”

“You decide, but remember I’ll soon be single and

worth millions. Your decision.”

“Heck, that’s a no-brainer. Fusco and I will see you

at eight.”

Kathy began to call a lot of people and invited them

to her party.

*
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8. On The Road Again

John rode the Metro bus to Comcar Truck Sales. He

walked the huge lot and climbed in and out of new and used

eighteen-wheel rigs. A salesman approached and stuck out

his hand, “Pete Mitchell, welcome to Comcar Truck Sales.”

John shook the man’s hand as the eager salesman asked,

“Can we make a sale today?”

John replied, “I may come into some money soon and if

I do, I’ll be back to pick something up.”

“Good to hear that. Here’s my card. Just look all

you want. If you have any questions, any at all, just call

me.”

John went back to climbing in and out of his future

home. While sitting in a brand new Volvo 380 eighteen-

wheeler with all the bells and whistles that cost over a

hundred thousand dollars, John called Byron Allen, his best

trucking friend. “Hey Byron, it’s John.”

“Dude, where have you been? My rig you want is

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sitting out in front of my double wide waiting on you!”

“That’s why I’m calling Byron. I came into some money

and I plan to buy a new Volvo 380 instead of your

Gulfstream.”

“Wow dude, a Volvo 380 – that’s over a hundred grand!”

“I know, I know, but my younger brother’s wife’s mom

died and left him way too much, so he said he’d help me

out.”

“When you get it, bring it by. I’ll be shotgun on

your first run!” said Byron excitedly.

“Shotgun – I thought partner in my own truck line

called John Farran Trucking with our motto “Get It There On

Time.”

“Wow dude, partner. . . you mean it?”

“Come on Byron, we’ve been best friends since high

school, we’ve done everything together, so why not this?”

“Dude, get off the phone and get your ass out to

Little Rock.”

“Okay partner, I’ll try to be in Little Rock in a

week.” John hung up his cell phone and took the wheel of

his new ride.

Kathy popped out the TV dinner from the microwave, and

walked to the living room with meatloaf and mashed

potatoes. The six o’clock evening news was on, and the
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news reporter was interviewing Steve Conners.

“Here with me in an exclusive interview is private

investigator Steve Conners. Mr. Conners shot the video you

are about to see for his client, Kathy Sinclair. Mrs.

Sinclair hired the private investigator because she was

afraid of her husband, Jimmy Sinclair, who at this moment

sits in the county jail without bail, charged with

attempted murder.”

Kathy watched the clip of Jimmy running into the safe

house and the police arriving with blue lights and sirens.

The phone rang, and it was John on the other end.

“Hi John.”

“Hi Kathy. Hey, are you watching the news?”

“Yep. I bet Steve gets more work as a result of this

video.”

“I’d like to celebrate with you. It’s a shame that I

can’t be seen with you, being a hit man and all. Besides,

the deal I made with the state attorney requires me to

leave the city and only come back for the trial.”

“Well, I wired you some money to your sister’s bank in

New Mexico. Send me a photo once you buy your truck.”

“Will do. Good luck with your divorce.”

“Thanks John. I’m going to relax more now that I know

Jimmy can’t make bail. I’m also going on a week’s cruise

to the Virgin Islands. I leave Sunday.”

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“Being on a ship looks like fun, but me and water

don’t get along. I’d rather be in my eighteen-wheeler,

listing to country music and seeing the good old USA.”

“John, I always wondered why you came to Tupelo. You

have no family here.”

“I passed through Tupelo on my weekly run from

Montgomery to Memphis. It looked so inviting and clean,

plus I love Elvis music and he was born there so I just

said to myself, ‘Let’s go to Tupelo.’ Glad I did too.

I’ll be back again once this mess dies down.”

“John, thanks for saving my life. Enjoy your travels

on the road and send me that photo.”

“Will do Kathy. Enjoy the Love Boat. Bye.”

A lot of people showed up at Kathy’s party, and the

caterer’s two granddaughters Kathy met in the elevator were

handing t-shirts out to all the guests. Steve Conners

walked over to Kathy, who was standing next to Detective

Anderson, and handed her a cruise ticket.

“Kathy, thanks to your case, I made the news and the

exposure brought me more work.”

“Good! Do you know Detective Anderson?”

“Yes. Hi sir. I dropped off all my videos and copies

of my reports to your office just prior to coming here.”

“Thanks Steve. If you have business cards with you,

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please give me some. I know a lot of people.”

Steve handed over a stack and walked to the buffet

table where Detective Fusco was piling food onto his plate.

“Try the roast beef,” Fusco said.

Billy Sutton walked over to his boss, who was laughing

to something Detective Anderson was saying.

“Yes Billy?”

“Ma’am, I need the keys to the store so I can open for

you.”

“Of course Billy. They’re hanging on a hook in the

laundry room. A small bear is attached to the keys.”

As Billy walked away, Kathy turned her attention back

to Anderson.

“I made Billy my manager. He’ll do a good job while

I’m on my cruise.”

“When is that cruise and where is it going?”

“It leaves in two days. I fly to Atlanta, then

connect there for Miami. I have a free shuttle to the

cruise port and I sail on the Carnival ship named Sensation

for a wonderful, relaxing week of sailing to the Virgin

Islands.”

“Wow! Sounds like a lot of fun.”

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“Why don’t you come? Steve Connors is also a travel

agent. That’s who I bought my ticket from.”

“I can’t. Too many crimes to solve, but with all you

have been though, it will be good for you to get out of

town for awhile.”

Several customers from the grocery store approached,

wearing the special shirts given to everyone who showed up.

“We love the t-shirts. We feel it’s a souvenir,” two

ladies said, laughing. Detective Anderson laughed as the

women walked away.

“It is a funny t-shirt.” Anderson held his own up and

on the front was a man behind bars. Below the image was

the word “busted.”

“I hope your partner can fit into the largest size I

could order, which was a triple x,” laughed Kathy.

Anderson spotted his partner holding a plate full of

food, talking to several middle-aged ladies. “I’ve been on

his case to get back in shape, but I can see he’s not

listening.”

Kathy’s cell phone rang. Steve was on the other end.

“Kathy, I almost forgot. I’m treating you to a free

limo ride to the airport. It picks you up at nine am.

Again, thanks for everything and have a fun time.”

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Kathy replied, “Wow! Thanks!” and hung up.

“Who was that?” Detective Anderson asked.

“It was Steve, my travel agent. He’s treating me to

my first limo ride on Sunday.”

“He’ll go far. He knows how to service his

customers,” Anderson said, watching his partner stuff his

face with more catered food.

Harry was having a hard time deciding which of the

three ladies to ask out. All he knew for sure was that he

was a detective, that this fact excited the women, and they

knew he liked camping and traveling too. He had ferreted

out some details of his own. Sandra, a petite and sweet

smiling blonde, was a waitress in a small diner in the next

town, about ten miles west. Rebecca, a tall and confident

type who had graduated from a fine east coast institution,

was a bookkeeper for a local accounting firm. Christy was

a well-endowed nurse’s aide who currently worked at Tupelo

Memorial. So many choices . . . who will be the lucky

woman to land me?

Harry picked up his dessert plate with a large piece

of cheesecake, just begging to be eaten. He started to

take a bite when conscientious nurse Christy took the fork

from his hand and softly said, “You don’t need that honey.”

She removed the plate from the hands of a very surprised

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Harry. She took him by the arm and escorted him away from

the dessert table, “Let’s go for a walk instead,” she

laughed as she guided him out to the pool area, filling his

ears with statistics from the newly revised food pyramid.

The shiny, new black Lincoln limo pulled up to Kathy’s

residence right on time. The sharply dressed driver rang

the bell and carried the two suitcases to the trunk,

placing them inside. Kathy walked out with her mom, who

gave her a hug and wished her a safe trip. Mom walked back

into Kathy’s house as the driver opened the passenger door

and Kathy climbed in.

“Good morning.” Kathy adjusted her eyes to the dark

interior, then noticed Mike sitting there, dressed in jeans

and a polo shirt.

“Mike, what a surprise, taking me to the airport!”

“Surprise baby, I’m going on the cruise too!” They

talked and laughed as the limo traveled through the

downtown section of Tupelo. The limo driver stopped in

front of Buffalo Bill’s grocery store as instructed.

“Mike, I’ll only be a minute.”

“Okay. Bring me a pack of gum please - any brand will

do.”

“Alright,” Kathy said as she closed the limo door.

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Inside, everything was in place and very clean. Kathy

walked up to Billy and laughed. He was wearing the

“Busted” t-shirt.

“Nice shirt Billy!”

“Hi Mrs. Sinclair. Say, I’ve sold more t-shirts than

food this morning.”

“Great. Now here is my cell phone. I won’t be

needing it for awhile.”

Billy took the cell phone and asked, “I may be pushing

my luck, but can I also drive your new car while you’re

away?”

“Why not? The key in on the same key chain.” Kathy

picked up several packs of gum and left the store. Billy

smiled and shouted, “Have a fun time!”

Kathy handed Mike the gum and they kissed for the

first time.

“I’ve wanted to do that for a long time,” Mike said as

he opened the pack of gum.

Kathy laughed and replied, “Me too.”

As the limo drove slowly through town towards the

airport, Kathy spotted Fusco walking with a woman from the

party. The limo stopped, but Fusco had already entered a

business. Both Kathy and Mike laughed at the same time,

when they noticed the sign above the door, “Weight

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Watchers.”

“Good for him, good for him,” Mike said as he now sat

closer to Kathy. They were in the midst of enjoying the

next lingering kiss when Kathy’s cell phone rang.

“Hi Kathy. Paul Salman here. I wanted to catch you

before your ship set sail. I just got off the phone with

Jimmy’s defense attorney Ron Lothamer. He was all for us

dropping the charges of attempted murder, keeping the arson

charge with probation instead of jail, and giving you six

million cash along with the house. We will have to run it

by the head state attorney, but between us, he owes me a

bunch of favors. I should be able to give you the State’s

decision by the time you get back.”

“Fantastic news Paul. I knew you were the best

divorce attorney around!

“It’s not a done deal yet Kathy, but just have a fun

time and relax.”

Kathy gave Mike an extra big kiss and told him the

news.

“Wow! Six million! Way to go girl!” The kissing

intensified as the limo headed south.

Janet Lee was laying by her apartment complex pool,

sunbathing, when she heard a man’s voice saying “Hello?”

Janet raised her head and observed a very good-looking UPS

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driver holding a small box in his hands. “Are you Janet

Lee?”

“Yes, that’s me,” she gushed in her always

enthusiastic manner.

“I have a package for you that I’ll need you to sign

for.”

Janet immediately took an interest in the muscular

young man, and made an effort to observe his nametag on the

brown uniform he was wearing as she slowly made her way

over to him.

“Who is the package from Norman?”

The shy employee glanced from the approaching woman to

the package in his hands and responded, “from Belinda Lee

in Hong Kong.”

Janet took the package, signed in the designated area,

and took the liberty of informing the driver, “Belinda is

one of my seven sisters!” She could tell the young man was

shy and knew she would have to be the aggressor if she was

going to get anywhere. Anderson had his chance. He

doesn’t know what he’s missing! Oh well, no time like the

present and nothing to lose. . . “Say Norman, are you by

chance single?”

A shiny new eighteen-wheeler rig with “John Farran

Trucking” painted on the side, with a “Get It There On

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Time” motto painted below the name, was headed north on

Highway 78 from Tupelo to Memphis. Behind the wheel was

John Farran, who was loving every minute of this trip. The

county jail was on his left, with about one hundred men in

the exercise yard. John blasted his air horn three or four

times.

Jimmy, wearing a county jail uniform, looked up from

playing checkers with Leroy, and saw the rig heading north.

“Son of a bitch,” Jimmy said, as Leroy made multiple

jumps and took half his checkers.

John, laughing as he shifted gears, picked up his CB

radio and announced, “This is John the hit man, come back!”