Gumshoe Ghost Mystery: Dying for the Past Part 17

"Mayo-Jeez, I did it again."

Angel grinned. "Just give in, Bear. It'll be easier."

"Whatever." He stood up and went to the refrigerator. "Got any beer?"

"Bear? You're on duty," she said. "And it's only one-thirty in the afternoon."

"Is it that late? Maybe I need bourbon."

thirty-three.

Detective Mike Spence sat at his desk with stacks of yellow legal pads in front of him. He was just hanging up his phone when Bear and I walked in. His face brightened-as much as his ever did-and he did the drumroll and cymbals-thing that grown men should never do in public.

"Bear, Cal's doc was on the phone," he said. "Cal had some problems this morning but they've got him stabilized. He'll be laid up longer than they thought, so it's you and me for a couple months."

Bear rolled his eyes. "Terrific."

"Oh come on, Bear," I said, "Mikey isn't so bad. He used to be a real jerk but you and he bonded over my case, remember? And he's been doing all right this time. Cut him some slack."

He grumbled something and found comfort in his office chair.

Spence looked on while he sorted through a stack of folders. "I could use some help with these witness statements. And the coroner called-she confirmed it's a .22 caliber and the gun we found at the Vincent House was the murder weapon."

"What about Clemens' shooting?"

"Same .22 caliber, but the slug was mangled too much for a positive ballistics match with the murder weapon. They found a couple spent sh.e.l.ls on the second floor, too, where Cal was. .h.i.t. No prints."

"Same gun. Has to be." Bear gave Spence a brief overview of Angel's stalking and his run-in with Ruth-Ann Marcos. Then he said, "What'd you find out about Bonnie Grecco? Any word on what the Feds are up to?"

"Nope, nothing. Captain Sutter went nuts when I told her. She's been on the phone with the Commonwealth's Attorney since I got back."

"Great." He shook his head and looked around his desk like something was missing. "Crime Techs are checking the camera for fingerprints and downloading everything onto a drive for us. We gotta nail this perv. Angela's had enough problems."

"Yeah, okay, but with Clemens out, I'm buried." Spence tapped the top of the foot-high stack of yellow legal pads. "I got over two hundred witness statements to go through."

"Did anyone see anything?"

"Nope."

"Does anyone know anything?"

"Not so far."

Bear leaned down on his desk. "Does anyone even know Stephanos Grecco?"

Spence shook his head.

"Then don't waste much time re-reading those statements." Bear picked up his phone, dialed, and spoke with someone. Afterward, he retrieved a cup of coffee from a half-full pot by the doorway, and dropped back into his chair. "I'm putting a uniform on Angela's house. Then I'm going back to the scene to find what we missed."

"Maybe we didn't miss anything."

"We did or we'd have a lead by now."

"I get it that it's Angela and all, but listen-"

"You don't get anything." Bear jabbed a finger at Spence. "We need leads, not talk."

I said, "Whoa there, Bear. Ease up."

Spence stood up and grabbed his jacket from behind his chair. "And I get it you are still wound a little tight since Tuck's murder. But get off my a.s.s, okay? I don't like partnering with you either. And if you haven't noticed, Cal was shot last night. So we're sort of in the same frame of mind."

"No, we're not." Bear dropped his coffee cup on the desk so hard it spilled. "Cal's not dead, Spence. It's not the same."

"He almost was." Spence headed for the door. "When's the last time this county had two cops go down-let alone back-to-back? Cal could have been killed. It could have been you or me, too. Just-"

"He's right, Bear," I said sitting on the corner of his desk, "scary as it sounds. Ease up on him."

Bear stood up and headed for Spence.

"Whoa, partner ... easy."

Just as it looked like Bear was going to knock him on his a.s.s-he'd done it before-he did an incredible thing. He stuck out his hand.

Spence, of course, fearing deja vu, ducked and stepped back. When he realized Bear's meaty paw was a peace offering, he stared at it and slinked back to him.

Bear said, "You're right, Spence. I'm sorry. Cal is a good guy. And I know how you feel-I do. I'm just, well-"

"Sorry to interrupt this love-fest, Detectives," a voice said from the doorway, "but we need to talk, Braddock."

FBI Agent Jim Dobron stood in the door-he has a thing about making an entrance and standing in doorways. Maybe he was waiting for trumpets or a drumroll. Or maybe he was a vampire and waiting to be invited in so he could suck the life out of us.

Can a vampire hurt a ghost?

"Who are they going to steal from us?" I had the wrong question. It wasn't "who" but "what."

"I came for the witness statements, evidence, and any guest video you found from last night," Dobron said. "And anything else you got. And I want-"

"You want?" Bear said, as an angry color washed over his face. "I'm lead on the Grecco case."

"Not anymore, Detective." Dobron strode into the room. "I guess you didn't get it earlier. The FBI is taking this case. You're in support-just support. But we're all on the same side."

When the FBI stole your case, they always said, "We're all on the same side." This was true, of course, provided your side was doing all the cop stuff and their side stood in front of microphones taking the credit. Then sure, we're all in it together.

Bear folded his arms and leaned against Spence's desk. "Says who?"

"The Attorney General's office-Ruth-Ann Marcos. But, I don't need anyone's permission. And you know I don't. She's already spoken with your Commonwealth's Attorney. It's settled."

"What does she want with this case? I thought we got all this straightened out last night."

The FBI man c.o.c.ked his head and removed his round, wire-rimmed gla.s.ses. "You thought wrong, Detective. Now, I want a complete inventory of all the evidence you took."

"Hold on. You didn't answer my question. What's Marcos want with a homicide?"

"That's cla.s.sified." Dobron picked up a stack of witness statement pads from Spence's desk. "I'm taking over. That's all you need to know. So-"

"Based on what-exactly? It's a homicide. Last I checked, the FBI didn't investigate local homicides-"

"We don't. But this isn't a simple homicide you'd be able to handle."

"Screw you," Spence said.

"Why Mikey," I said, "how apropos."

Bear smiled but it didn't last long.

Agent Dobron sifted through files on Spence's desk. "This is a federal racketeering case. We're in. You're out."

"Just like that," Bear said.

"Just like that. Are these all the statements?" Agent Dobron looked at Spence. "Get them boxed up and sent over to my office. We're at the county courthouse."

"Bear?" Spence asked. "You want me to-"

"No, you were on your way to the morgue. Go."

Spence nodded, flashed a big, fake smile at Agent Dobron, and left.

"Detective Braddock, I don't find this amusing," Agent Dobron said. "I want-"

Bear laughed. "It's your case. Box all this up yourself. And carry them to your office yourself. But sign the evidence releases first or you don't get diddly."

Dobron ran his long, slender fingers over his face and thought.

He had an expensive-like the price of a luxury car expensive -gold watch on his wrist. He also had a diamond ring on his pinky finger. How did FBI government guys afford so much bling?

"So, is this the way it's going to be?" Agent Dobron slipped his cell phone out of his suit pocket.

"Yep," I said.

Bear repeated me, adding, "Sign the evidence log and it's yours. But, move it yourselves. We're cops, not bellhops."

"I could have-"

"Yeah, yeah. You could have my badge," Bear said with a snort. "I've heard it all before." Then he went and refilled his coffee cup while Agent Dobron watched him from Spence's desk. "Where is Bonnie Grecco? What are you doing with her?"

"It's cla.s.sified."

"I saw the movie, too. Try again."

Dobron stared at Bear for a long time. Twice he started to say something, and twice he stayed silent. He retreated to the doorway and spoke on his cell phone, then returned and stood in front of Bear.

"Okay, have it your way, Detective. My men are on their way over. I expect one-hundred percent cooperation."

"With what? I have no idea what is going on, Dobron. You storm into Grecco's house and whisk Bonnie Grecco away. Now, you're storming in here stealing my case. Look, if you want help, a little less storm-troopin' and some manners would go a long way. Until then, I repeat what my esteemed colleague said, 'screw you.'"

"Esteemed colleague?" I said. "Wait until Spence hears about this."

Dobron held up a hand as his eyes read over the evidence list Bear gave him. "Whoa, there. Not so fast. There's a camera listed here you seized today. I wasn't aware. What's this about?"

"Nothing you need," Bear said, returning to his desk chair. "A local matter. I'll take it off the list."

"Answer me, Detective."

Bear hesitated just long enough to send striations of anger raging over Agent Dobron's face. Then, just when I thought Agent Dobron would explode, Bear gave him a thin summary of the incident at Angel's house. He left out the photographs involving Poor Nic. "See, just a local thing."

"Right, a local thing." Agent Dobron eyed him. "All right, Detective, so what are you holding back?"

Bear winked. "Sorry, it's cla.s.sified."

thirty-four.

I arrived home later in the afternoon to find Angel slipping on a spring jacket at our front door. She was on her cell phone but hung up as I popped in.

"We going somewhere? I wanted to talk to you about Poor Nic."

"I have to go over to the Vincent House." She waved her phone in the air. "I've been trying to reach the caterer and can't. We're supposed to meet to go over the bill from last night. I'm running a little late."

"Okay, I'll tag along. So, about Nic-"

She frowned. "Tuck, I went there to see what he knew about Stephanos Grecco. He knew nothing. I also wanted some history on the Vincent House. He had it in his library and he'd find it and send it over. We were discussing the estate when you and Bear showed up."

"Good, I'm interested in what Nic knows about the place. It gives me the creeps. Not just because Vincent is still there either."

"Oh? Ghosts give you the creeps? So, the Vincent House is haunted, right?"

"Sure is. And haunted houses are creepy."