Taking On Lucinda by Frank Martorana

Author:Frank Martorana [Martorana, Frank]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780998932606
Publisher: VinChaRo Ventures, LLC
Published: 2018-02-28T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

Merrill pivoted in his gray steel desk chair…slowly, back and forth, like an oscillating fan, but he sure as hell wasn’t blowing a cool breeze. The tiny office was stifling. He touched an electronic box and ordered the duty officer, Janet, to hold his calls.

“Okay, Kent. We’re all here, as you asked. It’s your show. Take it away.”

Kent looked left and right at Aubrey and Stef and then back to Merrill. Both women were glistening. Merrill seemed oblivious to the dead air. “I figured I’d have to talk to all three of you about this, so I might as well do it at one time. Then maybe we can formulate a plan.”

“A plan for what?” Merrill asked.

Kent held his course. “You questioned May-May about the fire, didn’t you, Chief?”

“For what it was worth, yes.”

“Where?”

Merrill pointed. “I was in this seat. He was about where Stef is.”

“You didn’t go out to his farm?”

“No.”

“You should have. He’s got a bunch of pit bulls and fighting equipment out there.”

Merrill’s eyes narrowed. “What were you doing at May-May’s farm?”

“Snooping around. Tammy tipped me that he was up to something. So I…” he glanced at Aubrey again, “we went to see what we could find out.”

“You two went out to May-May’s farm together. Alone. Sweet Jesus!”

“I already told you on the phone, I was out there. That’s where we found Tammy—all beat up. She told us all about a big fight coming to Jefferson. She called it the national championship. And this time May-May’s not in it just for a little something to do. He’s got himself mixed up with some real high rollers. They want to promote dogfighting in the east.”

Merrill’s face twisted into a look of disbelief. “Come on, Kent. Is this Maylon Mays, a.k.a. May-May, ne’er-do-well of Jefferson, we’re talking about here? May-May who got busted years back for the same game? He couldn’t pull it off back then, even small time. No way could he do what you are saying. Think about it.”

“He’s doing it, all right,” Kent said. “Tammy had too many details. He’s got some big money backers and he’s doing it.”

“Details like what?”

“Like he burned Copithorn.”.

Stef spun her head from a resting stare to fix on Kent. “May-May started the fire?”

“And they planted Bear, Maureen Philips’s dog, inside to discredit Copithorn.”

“Why?”

“To get attention away from themselves. Apparently, there is some other humane group on their tail.”

“Did Tammy say anything about other missing pets? Besides Bear Philips, I mean?” Stef’s voice held the terror of a mother asking about a missing child. “Anything about Armani?”

“Nothing specifically,” Kent answered as gently as possible. He knew he had to tell her. She would settle for nothing but the truth. “A dognapping ring usually accompanies dogfighters because they use dogs—and cats—for training.”

“I don’t get it. For training?”

Kent turned to Aubrey. “Remember that spoke-wheel thing that looked like a modern-art helicopter behind May-May’s? That’s a—”

“Cat mill,” Merrill said. “He’s got a cat mill?”

“Yes. Along with a lot of other training stuff.”

Merrill

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