I’m a huge Silk Stalkings fan and love reading the fan-fics. I thought it was time to get Chris and Rita out of Palm Beach, so I’ve sent them on vacation to Alaska, which is where I live. I hope you enjoy the story. And, hey ,the real Chris and Rita can visit me up here anytime!
"Come on Rita, you’ve been dying to visit Keisha ever since she moved to Alaska last year!" Chris grinned as he spread out a dozen full color brochures featuring snow capped mountains and huge salmon jumping out of streams. "We could get away from the heat and the summer crowds. C.J. would love it, and so would we. Alaska is known for having nights six months long." Chris twirled an imaginary mustache and leered a ridiculous grin. "Think of the possibilities, Sammy !"
Rita laughed. "Sorry sport, this time of year Alaska is known as "The Land of the Midnight Sun"
Chris looked crestfallen for a moment, then brightened. "Did I show you pictures of the king salmon ?"
Rita tried to hide a smile. "Christopher, we are so busy, I can’t see how we could possibly take a vacation anytime soon. We have at least three active case going now."
"Sammy" Chris explained patiently, "you know the only things left to do on the Macmillan and Demerest cases is to complete the paperwork. The O’Mera case is looking like a quick wrap, so I’m sure we can get out of town by the first of next month. Just in time for salmon fishing season!" Chris pantomimed casting a fishing reel and struggling to haul in a fish.
This time Rita couldn’t hide her smile. She rolled her eyes and said "O.K. Chris, if everything is done by the end of the month, we’ll go."
Chris let out a whoop "North to Alaska!
The plane made its final approach to Anchorage International Airport. Out the window Chris and Rita took in the site of Cook Inlet with the Alaska Range of mountains edging the water. One hundred and thirty miles to the north was Mount McKinley, plainly visible from the window.
"Chris" Rita said excitedly, "can you believe THATS Mount McKinley, Look how HUGE it is!"
"Over twenty thousand feet, the largest mountain in North America." he intoned, reading from the guide book in his hand. He looked out the window and dropped his book. "Wow!"
Keisha Harris ran up to Rita and threw her arms around her as soon as she entered the terminal. "Rita!" she squealed "I’m so glad to see you!" "And Chris, as handsome as ever ." She turned and hugged him.
"Keisha, you look great," Chris said "Alaska is certainly agreeing with you."
Rita hugged her friend "Keisha, its been too long. Palm Beach hasn’t been the same since you left. How are you?"
"Great, believe it or not, I love it here! And my job is terrific, being Deputy Chief Medical Examiner is so challenging!"
"But no Silk Stalkings." Chris said
"Well, yes , that’s true, no silk Stalkings, but plenty to keep me busy. How do you two like being out in the private sector?" asked Keisha
"I never thought I’d say this, but we like working as private investigators. It’s nice being our own bosses." said Rita
"And we get to stay partners" added Chris
Rita turned and smiled lovingly at him "and spend more time with C.J.. I’m sorry that we didn’t bring him, but , Anna has turned into quite the doting grandmother, she’s keeping him while we’re up here.
Chris smiled a wry smile, "Yeah, hard to believe that my mother would turn into such a wonderful grandmother, especially since she wasn’t much interested in being a mother . She’s really mellowed ."
"From all the pictures you’ve sent me, it would be hard to resist such a cutie." said Keisha. "I hope I get to meet him soon. Is going to be a second honeymoon for the two of you.?"
"A first honeymoon. With Christopher getting shot and then C.J. being born, we never really took one." Rita slipped her arm around Chris’s waist. "We’ve really been looking forward to this trip."
Chris turned and looked at Rita with mock amazement "Sam, I had to all but kidnap you to get you to take some time off."
Rita playfully punched him on the arm "Well, now I’m glad to be here. I really missed you Keisha."
The three continued catching up on each other as they collected the baggage and drove to the hotel.
"I wish you’d stay with me. implored Keisha
"We wouldn’t think of imposing, we know that you civil servants keep such irregular hours" teased Chris
As if on cue, Keisha’s beeper chimed. "Sorry guys, I’m on call tonight. Beginning tomorrow, I’m off for the next week, we can really catch up and I can show you around this great place! I’ve got to run, I’ll pick you up about ten tomorrow."
" Make that noon, remember we’re on vacation!" Chris yelled jokingly. He held his hand out to Rita. "Come on Mrs. Lorenzo, let get down to some serious honeymooning."
Hand in hand the walked to their room. As they approached the door, Chris swept Rita up in his arms and carried her through the doorway. Inside, still in his arms , Rita kissed him passionately. Chris responded with an intensity that matched Rita’s. Slowly lowering her onto the bed, he kissed her at the base of her throat and began to unbutton each button of her blouse, kissing her after each was undone.
"Sammy" he murmured. He looked into the depths of her sea green eyes, suddenly unable to speak.
Rita looked up at him and placed her hand tenderly on his mouth. "I know, Christopher," she whispered. "I know"
A soft knocking at the door woke Chris. Quickly slipping on a robe, he walked to the door.
"Who is it?"
"It’s Keisha." said a voice from the other side
"Keisha!" Chris opened the door. "What time is it?"
"Sorry Chris, I know its late, but ..."
For the first time Chris noticed Keisha’s tear stained face "What’s wrong? Are you all right?"
Mutely shaking her head no, she covered her face with her hands
"Sit down here and tell us about it." Rita had awaken , slipped on a robe, and was now standing with her arm around Keisha.
"Oh, Rita," said Keisha, dissolving into tears. "That call I took was about a murder. It turned out to be my boyfriend. He’d been shot. And it looks like I’m the prime suspect!"
A knock on the door, Chris opened and let the room service waiter in. A pot of hot coffee was on his tray.
"Thanks" said Chris , signing the bill. He poured a steaming cup for Keisha. "Here, drink this. Now tell us the whole story."
"Mike Joseph and I have been dating about six months. He’s a cop with Anchorage P.D. Things haven’t been going too well with us recently, and we decided to take some time from each other. We had a huge fight yesterday, mostly about my career. " Keisha smiled ruefully. "When I said that my job was challenging, I wasn’t exactly being to the point."
Keisha sighed and began to pace the room. "Two months ago, I autopsied a man who had been killed by the police on a drug raid. I noticed a wound that looked unusual, and on my ox screen they came up positive for sedatives. That man was all but unconscious when he was shot. As you can imagine, this finding has made me unpopular with certain police officers."
"Whew" exclaimed Chris, "This sounds incredible. But where does Mike come in?
Keisha’s eye began to fill with tears again. "Mike was the commanding officer that led the drug raid"
Rita and Chris looked wordlessly at each other.
"Keisha" said Rita, putting her arm around her friend’s shoulder, "What can we do to help?"
"You two are the best detectives I have ever known. Could you please just ask around and see what you can find? Otherwise, I’m afraid that the real killer will never be caught. Everyone is already convinced that they have Mike’s killer." Her chin trembled. "Me."
"Keisha, you’re exhausted, you need to get some sleep." said Rita. Chris and Rita had driven their friend home and now were persuading her to get some rest. "You’ve been up all night, you can’t think straight anymore."
"She’s right Keisha" agreed Chris "Don’t worry, Rita and I will ask around to see if we can find anything out."
Relief flooded Keisha’s face. "Thank you both, I’m sorry that this had to happen on your vacation."
"Hey , call it a busman’s holiday" joked Chris
Keisha smiled a weary smile and went off to bed.
"Sammy, this is going to be tough." said Chris, his lighthearted manner now gone.
"You’re right, we have absolutely no contacts up here, not to mention this being a murder of a police officer. I say we first get the key to Mike’s apartment from Keisha and start by looking around there." said Rita
"Good thinking." said Chris "Let’s jump on this."
Chris and Rita drove north along the road, bordered on the left by the water of Cook Inlet. The water sparkled silver, like a handful of new coins. Less than a mile away was the shores of Fire Island, Beyond that, the extraordinary mountains of the Alaska Range, still covered in snow. A few minutes later , they pulled up to a small apartment building .
"156" said Rita ,reading the tag on the key. "It’s that one " she said pointing.
Walking up it the door, they noticed that it was already open. Listening carefully, they took out their guns and quietly entered the apartment. The entire room was in disarray. Papers and books were tossed everywhere. The cushions
from the couch had been split and the contents pulled out. Rita walked into the kitchen. Everything from the cupboard had been pulled out, creating puddles of various foods. She picked up one of the canisters from the counter. Shaking the contents, she noticed a metallic object buried in the flour.
"Chris, come look at this." She held up a small key. "It looks as if they were interrupted before they finished tossing the place. This was hidden in one of the canisters.
"I wonder what it opens?" asked Chris "We better get out of here before we have to explain what we’re doing here.
From outside, a man listens at the window, a scowl creasing his face.
"Chris, Rita, this is Peter Hill. He’s -" Keisha’s voice cracked "Was Mike’s best friend on the force. He worked with him on the drug investigation unit."
A solidly built man with graying brown hair held out his hand. "Nice to meet, Keisha’s told me about you both. I’m glad that you’re here. I know Keisha didn’t kill Mike, but at this point I’m in the minority. My hands are tied from getting involved in the official investigation, but I’ll help you in any way I can.
"Thanks." said Chris. "Tell us about the drug raid where the man died."
"Well, it was rather routine, we received information from one of our officers who was working the inside. We set up the bust and all was going as planned."
"Then," Peter rubbed his chin, his mouth forming a thin, taut line, "it all went to hell." Krebbs, that was the name of the man that was shot. Jake Krebbs. He was known to us as one of the drug dealers that we were trying to bust. Well , he pulled a gun on one of our officers. And he was shot."
"What about the sedatives found in his system." asked Rita
Peter shot Keisha a severe look . "I don’t know anything about that. It was a righteous shooting. The officer involved was cleared of any wrongdoing."
"Thanks" said Chris. We’ll call you if we have any other questions."
Peter kissed Keisha on the cheek . "I’ll call you." and walked out.
Watching him drive away, Rita turned and pulled the key out of her pocket. "Keisha, we found this hidden in Mike’s apartment. Any idea to what it opens?
A frown appeared on Keisha’s face. "I think ..., wait, I know what it might be." She walked out of the room and returned with a fireproof metal box. "Mike gave this to me a long time ago. I forgot all about it until now. He said he needed a place to store some duplicate papers, insurance and stuff, in case of a fire or something."
She took the key from Rita and placed it in the lock. It turned easily. Lifting the lid, she reached in and removed a sheaf of papers. The three of them walked over to the dining room table and spread them out.
"This is amazing." said Chris "It’s the details of a dirty cop on the drug investigation unit. It has times, dates, money"
"Everything but a name," finished Rita. "He didn’t name anyone. Maybe, she said, turning and looking a Keisha, "to protect you from knowing too much."
Keisha’s eyes brimmed with tears. She sat down unsteadily on the chair. "I didn’t think he cared that much anymore. We’ve got to find the killer, I owe it to him!"
"Look over the description of the cop, Keisha, see it rings any bells with you." instructed Chris "We’re going to take the papers to our hotel and lock them up in the safe there. Rita and I are going to do some more checking . We’ll pick you up later.
"Now where do we go next?" asked Rita, as they walked to the car
"I think we should go back to the hotel and secure these papers. It would also be a good time to see what we can find about Jake Krebbs." Chris said
"I’ll make some phone calls about Krebbs. I think I can wangle a contact out of Capt." said Rita , referring to their old captain on Palm Beach P.D., Harry Lipschitz..
Chris nodded in agreement. "Great, I’d like to go down to the newspaper and pull any information on the raid and the police shooting board hearing. I’ll meet you back at the hotel in an hour."
Rita was still on the phone when Chris returned. "Thanks Capt., I appreciate you trying. My love to Frannie."
She glanced at Chris . "Nothing, absolutely nothing. Harry and I tried every contact we could gather. I’m beginning to get suspicious, Sam."
"Same here. There was only the bare bones of a story on the raid, and nothing on the shooting board. I nosed around the paper and spoke to a few people. Its old news already, like it never happened."
"My cop’s sixth sense tells me that there is a cover-up going on. "
"I was just thinking the same thing, Sammy" said Chris. "The trouble is that we aren’t cops here. It’s going to be difficult to get any inside information .
Jake Krebbs is one of the keys, the other is the undercover officer who gave the information for the raid."
"We need to have a meeting with Peter Hill." said Rita
Chris looked at his watch. "It’s almost time to pick Keisha up for dinner. We can ask her to get us in contact with Hill."
"I know a great restaurant, its a little out of town, but the drive is fantastic." said Keisha. She smiled, but her eyes remained clouded with worry. "They have a funky, eclectic menu, I think you’ll love it. This time her smile seemed genuine. "It’s very popular with the locals, definitely Alaskan."
They drove south along the Seward Highway, edged by the water. The scenery was spectacular. Jagged mountains, still peaked with snow erupted from the beach of the turquoise sea. After driving about ten miles, Keisha pointed to a small island just off the roadway.
"That’s Beluga Point, a great place for whale watching. Keep your eyes open."
A spout of water shot up from the center of the inlet.
"Chris!" Rita said ,excitedly. "Look, a whale!"
A large whale breached the surface of the water, splashing down with a tremendous wave of water. Breaking the surface just behind it was a smaller whale.
"A cow and her calf." said Keisha
Chris and Rita could hardly take in all the striking sights. Small waterfalls splashed off the cliffs on the land side of the road Pink hued fireweed mixed with the bright green of the birch trees. On the top of a cliff, Chris noticed a small, white figure moving quickly up the steep, rocky slope. On its head were horns curled in a spiral.
"Dall sheep" Keisha announced.
The dimly lit restaurant was alive with conversation and enticing aromas. After settling down to a meal of coconut salmon, fresh halibut and local beer, they sat and talked, discussing the case.
"Keisha," said Rita. "So far we haven’t found out much. We need to talk to Peter Hill."
"I’ll call him and have him meet with you. He’s been a godsend, just about the only person, besides the two of you who believe I didn’t kill Mike. What else can I do to help solve this case?"
"We want you to keep pouring over the papers that Mike left, see if anything in the description of the dirty cop sounds familiar to you. He isn’t named, but something may jog your memory ," Said Chris. "Also , is there anyone that Mike was friends with that he began to pull back from, anyone he appeared to trust less?"
"I’ll think about it. It’s all I can think about" said Keisha, tears in her eyes
"We know this is hard on you, Keisha." said Rita. "Hang in there, we’re working on it."
Chris and Rita said goodnight and dropped Keisha off at her house. On the drive back to the hotel, they revisited the day. They both exclaimed over the spectacular landscape of Alaska. But all of this was tempered with the murder investigation.
"How about a nightcap in the bar?" asked Chris, as they walked into the lobby of the hotel.
"Mmmm., sounds nice ." answered Rita.
After settling in the lounge with a glass of wine, Rita brought up the subject of the murder again.
"I can’t help thinking that the answer to this case is staring right at us."
"I know what you mean, Sam, I think that we have several good suspects, but no evidence to connect any one of them. I’d like to talk to the cop that shot Jake Krebbs. I think that somehow this is the key to the murder of Mike Joseph." said Chris
"Well, it’s late, and we’re not going to get anything else done tonight." said Rita "Let’s get some sleep , and make a fresh start of it in the morning." She looked over at Chris. His eyes were closed. "Come on Sam, lets get you to bed."
Chris attempted a lascivious grim, but instead stifled a yawn.
Rita couldn’t help smiling. "You old married man."
Chris looked at her with mock surprise . "I’ve never had any complaints before, Sam." He suppressed another yawn.
Arm in arm, they walked to their suite. After entering the room Rita said "Lie down on the bed Chris, I’ll give you a back rub." She began a slow massage of his shoulders.
Chris groaned "That feels soooo good, Sammy."
"Shh, just relax."
Chris removed his shirt and melted onto the bed.
Rita began moving her hands down his strong back, making slow circles. She leaned over and kissed his muscular shoulder and began making a trail of kisses down his spine.
Chris rolled over and looked into her amazing green eyes. "This is not what I call relaxing. "and kissed her deeply.
Rita looked at him with a playfully serious expression. "I’m sorry sir, let me get back to my work. She began a slow, sensuous massage of his chest. She began kissing his chest, moving downward with her kisses.
Chris was powerless to resist. Slowly he began to remove her blouse, bestowing a long , lingering kiss.
Rita continued her massage, unbuttoning his pants as she kissed his taut abdomen. Running her hands down his strong hips, she removed his trousers.
Chris responded in kind., sliding Rita’s slacks off . Their naked bodies fit together in a perfect affinity, a soulmates combination of love and eroticism.
Later, they fell asleep, arms and legs entwined.
It was light outside long before it was a decent hour to wake up. Chris woke with the sun. Rita was asleep, her dark hair fanning out over the pillow.
Chris studied Rita, thinking back to all the moments in their lives that brought them together. He thought back to the first time they met. The first time they argued. The sleepless nights they had both spent, worried, while the other lay wounded in a hospital bed. And especially the thousand and one small moments of joy, being together as friends and partners. Chris never doubted that they belonged together. It was as if from the first moment they met, it was decreed that they would be a part of each others lives from then on.
Sea green eyes were staring back at his crystal blue ones. "Good morning Christopher. Any coffee?" Rita smiled at him as she stretched under the covers.
"Sorry Sam, I was just about to call room service for some. I got thinking about the case and lost track of time."
Rita smiled at him. "Today, we need to interview the officer that shot Jake Krebbs. I’ll call Keisha and see what she set up with Peter Hill. I also want to see if she came up with anything after going over Mike’s notes."
"Great" said Chris. "I’ll order up that coffee, after this." He kissed her , lingering over her mouth and then kissing her again.
"Christopher" said Rita smiling "I think that I can....."
The phone rang.
Rita answered it as Chris buried his head under the pillow.
"Uh huh, I see. That would be great. We’ll see you in thirty minutes." She hung up the phone and lifted the pillow from over Chris’s head
"That was Keisha. She had Peter Hill arrange a meeting with Burt Lewis. He’s the cop that killed Jake Krebbs. We’re meeting him in the restaurant across the street in thirty minutes. Sorry Sam, " she said as she lightly trailed her fingers down his back "We’ll have to hold that other thought for now."
Chris groaned as he pulled on his shirt. "Definitely later, Sammy definitely later."
Thirty minutes later, the two exited from the elevators into the first floor. Holding hands, they crossed the lobby. Two sharp cracks were heard from outside , on the street. They cast each other a grim look and headed for either side of the doorway. Cautiously peering from his position, Chris saw that the street ahead of him was empty. Then he noticed a man laying face down on the street, a small pool of blood forming under his head.
"Call 911!" Chris yelled at the desk clerk. He and Rita ran out into the street and knelt beside the man. Rita felt his neck for a pulse.
"Nothing" she said
Chris reached inside the man’s jacket and removed a wallet. He opened it.
"Burt Lewis" he said in a leaden voice. "This is the cop that shot Jake Krebbs. This is the guy that if we had been one minute earlier could have given us the answer to this case."
Rita looked solemnly at the figure on the street. "If we had been one minute earlier, we might have been shot. Somebody is going to desperate lengths to keep a lid on this case. I think we are very close to finding the real killer." She turned toward Chris. "Christopher, we need to be very careful. Two cops are dead. The person who did this would not stop at killing us. Or Keisha. We need to make sure that she is safe."
Chris nodded his head. "We need to get her into hiding as soon as possible. There’s a murdered out there. And he’s not done.
The couple spent the next hour answering questions from the police. Dozens of Anchorage police officers combed the area. Chris and Rita had little to offer as witnesses, as did most of the guests inside the hotel.
"Mr. and Mrs. Lorenzo, we’re finished questioning your for now." said a detective "Sergeant Hill radioed and asked if you would wait until he got to the scene. He wants to speak to you both."
They both nodded their assent. "Tell Sergeant Hill we’ll be waiting for him in the coffee shop across the street. Chris said as he nodded toward the restaurant. He and Rita walked across the street.
No one was in the entire room , save a waitress sitting in the first booth by the door. She jumped up when she saw them, spilling coffee from her cup into its saucer.
"Sit anywhere you like." she motioned to the room. "I’ll be back in a moment with menus." and hurried off .
Rita and Chris sat in a booth by a window overlooking the street. They watched silently as police finished up marking minute bits of evidence. An ambulance rolled up and removed the sheet draped body. The waitress reappeared and handed them each a menu.
"Can you believe what just happened out there?" she asked " I mean, what’s happened to this town, it used to be so safe. Now its like all the places Outside."
"Outside?" Rita asked "Where outside?’
The waitress smiled for the first time. "Outside is what we say when we mean outside Alaska. When we say we’re going outside, it means we’re leaving Alaska. Usually the lower forty eight states."
"Like saying the mainland when you’re in Hawaii." replied Chris
"You’re beginning to speak Alaskan." smiled the waitress "Can I bring you anything to drink? Iced tea?
"That would be great." replied Rita. As the waitress poured, Rita spoke to her again "Did you see anything ?" gesturing to the window.
A look of alarm flashed over the waitress’s features. " I can’t even really say. Its like I told the cops, it all happened so fast."
Rita leaned forward "We’re private detectives looking into a murder that might be related to the one you just saw. We could use your help. Now that you’ve had some time , has anything come back to you?"
The waitress shook her head. "Just a flash of two men, one the guy that was shot, the other had his back to me. He had a blue jacket on, that’s all I can remember."
Chris handed the waitress his card. "We’re staying at the hotel across the street. If you think of anything, please give us a call. We promise to keep it confidential."
The woman took his card and turned it over and over in her hand. "I had a cousin that was murdered in a robbery at a bank. They never caught the person that did it. No one in our family will ever get over it until they catch the person that shot her. I know what this feels like. I’ll help any way I can."
Rita and Chris sat and sipped tea in silence, each mulling over the case in their minds. About ten minutes later, a man stood next to their table.
Rita looked up. "Peter" she said.
The man pulled up a chair and sat. "It’s getting far too dangerous for civilians to be involved in this case. I want you and Keisha to bow out. Now." he said bluntly.
Chris bristled. "We are NOT civilians. Rita and I were homicide detectives on the Palm Beach Police Force for over five years. We solved high profile cases, including a few cop killings. We are NOT civilians." he repeated, heatedly.
Rita placed her hand on Chris’s arm. "We have plenty of experience. But we know how to keep from stepping on toes. We’ll continue to conduct our investigations, fully cooperating with the Anchorage P.D. " She looked directly into Peter’s eyes. "Keisha is our friend too. We promised to help her."
Peter rubbed his forehead. He suddenly aged ten years before their eyes.
"I don’t like this. But I can’t say that I blame you. I’d do the same." He pushed back his chair. "Do me one favor. Keisha’s not safe in her home until the killer is caught. Take her some place and hide her until this is over. Until this killer is caught, only the three of us should know where she is."
Chris and Rita nodded their consent.
"We’ll call you and let you know where she’s at. She’ll be safe with us." promised Chris
"She better be " growled Detective Hill
"I can’t believe we had to wait until after 2 a.m. for it to be dark" announced Chris. "Rita, you were certainly right about it being "The Land of the Midnight Sun" He turned the car into the parking lot of a nondescript motel in the center of town.
Rita smiled. "It does make for difficult undercover work. I’ll feel better after we get Keisha hidden. " She glanced into the back seat, where Keisha lay sleeping. "I’m afraid its all finally caught up to her. She’s exhausted." Rita turned back to Chris. "I’ll go check in."
She walked up the short sidewalk and entered the building. A few minutes later she exited, a key in her hand. "I registered under the name of Mrs. Sam Lipschitz." she smiled broadly "It should be an easy name for the three of us to remember
Chris chuckled.
Keisha stirred and opened her eyes. "Are we here?" she asked
Chris nodded. Rita opened the door to the room. After making a quick
inspection of the room, she motioned for the two to join her.
Chris exited the car and made a rapid surveillance of the area and then helped Keisha into the room.
Drawing the curtains, Chris turned on the light in the bathroom. "Keep away from the window and don’t open the door for anyone but Rita or me. Keep the lights at a minimum and don’t answer the phone.
Keisha’s eyes widened with fear. She unconsciously took a step back from the door.
"We’ll let Peter Hill know that you are here. Other than that, no one else will know where you are until we catch Mike’s murderer" said Rita
"Let’s all get some sleep, we have a few hours before its daylight. Keisha, you take one of the beds, Rita, you grab the other . I’ll take the first watch." said Chris
The light in the room turned off , Chris propped his feet on the desk , chair facing the door.
At the far side of the parking lot, a man lit a cigarette and watched the room. "Just a few loose ends to tie up." he say under his breath. He turned and walked to a waiting car and drove off. The taillights illuminated the license plates of a unmarked police car.
Chris woke with the light from outside peaking through a crack in the curtains. Rita turned from her vantage point in the chair when she heard him move.
"Morning Sam. How’d you sleep?" she asked
"Well, considering that I got only three hours , and even worse , that I slept alone" he said rubbing his neck, grimacing. "Lousy. See anything?"
"No, quiet all night. We need to get some information on the cop that was killed yesterday. We can start by calling Peter Hill and see what he has to tell us. We can also let him know where we have Keisha." Rita stood up and stretched her arms. "I could use some coffee."
"Why don’t you pop into the shower and I’ll rustle us up breakfast. Then we can take off and solve this." said Chris
"Good idea Sam. Why don’t you call Peter Hill and let him know where we are. "
Rita walked to the shower. Chris quietly closed the door to the room behind him and headed to the car.
Keisha woke to the sound of water being run in the shower. "Chris? Rita? Are you here? Hesitantly, she knocked on the door of the bathroom. Rita’s voice rang out. "Be out in a few minutes, Keisha. Chris went for breakfast."
Keisha sat back down on the bed. She picked up the remote control to the television and absentmindedly began to flick through the channels. Distracted, she watched the TV from the corner of her eye as she filtered through the paper left by Mike Joseph.
Something on the television caught her eye. It was an advertisement for a detective show. The two male partners were shown as going undercover to bust a drug ring. "Oh my " she whispered as her ice cold fingers let the papers slide to the floor. She ran to the bathroom door just as Rita came out , her hair wrapped in a towel.
"Rita , I know who killed Mike!"
"Who was it, Keisha?"
"Me" said a voice from the doorway.
The two women turned and saw a large gun pointed at both of them
Chris pulled up to the coffee shop and got out. He walked over to a pay phone in front of the building and dialed.
"Anchorage Police, how may I direct your call?" came a voice from the other end.
"Detective Peter Hill please." Chris said into the receiver.
"One moment, please." A minute later, the voice returned. "I’m sorry, Detective Hill is out in the field. May I take a message?"
"No , I have his cell phone number, I’ll call him on that. Thank you" said Chris and hung up the phone.
Chris placed another quarter in the pay phone and dialed.
"Detective Hill" said a voice after the first ring.
"Peter, this is Chris Lorenzo. I want to let you know that we have Keisha at the Polar Bear Motel on Westwind Ave."
"Keep her there Lorenzo until this mess is over. And you better keep her safe."
Chris’ voice tightened with anger. "She’ll be safe with us."
He was answered by the sound of a dial tone.
Chris walked to the entrance of the restaurant and opened the door He joined the short line in front of the take out counter. In front of him were two Anchorage police officers.
"I’ll take a blueberry muffin and a cup of coffee, cream, no sugar." said one of the cops, as he pulled his wallet out of his blue uniform jacket.
Chris stared at the scene in front of him, and snapped to attention
"Blue jacket, the killer wore a blue jacket! Oh my god! Rita and Keisha!"
He sprinted to his car and sped from the parking lot.
"The killer wore a blue jacket. The APD uniform jacket is blue. Who would Mike Joseph and Burt Lewis let get close to them, and would let their guard down around but another cop. The one cop involved in every aspect of this case is Peter Hill. And I just told him where Keisha is!
"Peter, you don’t want to do this" Rita spoke in a low, calm voice
"Peter, please put the gun down" implored Keisha
Hill presented them with a chilling smile. "Ladies, I quite frankly don’t see any other way. It’s obvious that Keisha has put together my involvement in everything. I’ve been worried about that for some time. You know too much about police procedure to remain in the dark for long." He leveled the gun at the women. "By the time Lorenzo gets back, it will all be over. He’ll walk in and find two dead bodies and it will be attributed to the killer. He smiled again. And I’ll see that this is one group of murders that will never be solved."
A knock sounded from the door. "Maid service"
Rita shoved Keisha behind the bed during the split second that Peter Hill’s attention was diverted. She dove behind her and removed her gun from its hiding place underneath the pillow.
The door frame splintered. Chris came crashing through and sprang behind the desk as a gun shot slammed past his head.
"Drop the gun, Hill. Its all over. Anchorage P.D. is on their way. Keisha has the evidence that Mike left that will put you away for good. Even if you kill us all, you’ll never get away with it. He said, in a deadly calm voice. "It’s all over Peter."
Another shot rang in response.
"Chris !" Rita screamed and aimed her gun at the sound of the shot. She saw the figure of Peter Hill lying on the floor, motionless. Blood was beginning to slowly seep from an ugly wound in his temple.
"Call the paramedics, Chris." Rita said in a weary voice "Peter Hill just shot himself."
After many hours of questioning by the police, the three sat quietly in the kitchen in Keisha’s home. Taking a sip from his glass Chris looked at the papers in his hand.
"I can’t believe that a cop could turn so completely around. From all everyone said, he was a stand up guy."
"He killed three people, two of them police officers, and he tried to frame me for the murder of Mike Joseph. Mike lost his life trying to protect me from getting too close to the truth that he had found. Keisha’s face twisted with a bitter smile. "How could I have been so totally wrong about him?"
"Don’t torture yourself, Keisha." said Rita, taking the copies of the papers from Chris’ hands. "It took Mike over a year of investigation after he began suspecting Hill . Drug busts numbers weren’t down, but the hits were all small. Mike began to suspect Hill when they could only catch small time dealers. Peter Hill was careful not to let the arrest numbers go down. Only someone on the inside could arrange that."
"And it all began to happen after Hill was transferred to his team." said Chris. "It took Mike some time to suspect his best friend."
"Mike once said something to me about being betrayed by people you care about." Keisha started to cry. "We were fighting alot about my career at the time. I thought he was talking about me." Tears rolled down her face. "It took me a while to realize he was talking about Peter."
"Mike loved you, Keisha. He never stopped loving you." said Rita as she gathered the weeping woman in her arms.
"I don’t know how you thank someone for saving their life." said Keisha, as she clasped Rita’s hand . "You two are the best friends I have. Thank you."
"Thank you for the getaway to Denali National Park." said Chris. "Rita and I are really going to enjoy this."
"It’s the very least I could do. I never planned for your first visit to Alaska to turn out like this." smiled Keisha "You two better get on the train. I’ll see you in five days. Have a great time." She hugged them both.
A conductor in a navy coat and cap, trimmed with gold braid shouted "All aboard!" as the train suddenly came to life.
"Lets get going , Sam" Rita shouted above the din. "You promised me a long overdue honeymoon."
Chris grinned and twirled an imaginary mustache.
Once again, I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Send all comments, criticisms (Ouch !) and cyber suggestions to: swood@alaska.net. Thanks!
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