Soft Case (Book 1 of the John Keegan Mystery Series) Read online

conceived. Next, and last, question.”

  Interesting. That would be an angle we would have to investigate.

  “Richard Gonzalez, Channel Four. Would you comment on the rumors that Ron Mullins was against the merger with Onyx?”

  “I know of no such rumor, and, so you know, the Onyx merger was Ron Mullins’ idea from the outset. If anything, I was against it at first. Good day.”

  With that, Chapman left the stage and headed toward the back exit. We made our way through the stream of reporters who were getting up from their seats or taking quick notes. I shielded my face so that no one would recognize me, and made it to the door Chapman exited from.

  We caught him entering a Lincoln Town Car. He spotted us, and stopped. He didn’t appear bothered, but I took that as his controlling himself.

  “Hello, Detectives,” he said.

  “Mr. Chapman, we would like a few words with you.”

  “Of course. But I am on my way to an important meeting right now. Why don’t you stop by my office around four? Is that okay?”

  I looked at Rick, who seemed like he wanted to pounce on Chapman and squeeze every bit of information he could out of him.

  “Four o’clock. We’ll be there,” I said.

  “Excellent. See my secretary directly. She’ll be expecting you.”

  Chapman got into the back seat of his car and his driver pulled away quickly, leaving us standing there, holding our Johnsons.

  “I don’t like that guy one bit,” Rick said.

  “You’re just letting that phone call I got bother you.”

  “He’s a snake in the grass.”

  “Most guys like him are. Only way they can get ahead of everyone else,” I said.

  “You can think what you want. That guy’s dirt.”

  As much as I wanted to argue with him, I knew Rick was right.

  We got back to the station, and I tried to put things together. Chapman seemed seedy to me, at best. The kind of guy who did underhanded things, paid for expensive call girls, and basically did what he wanted. Okay, I envied him. I wasn’t sure if I could accept the fact that something was amiss, to use a fancy word, but I felt unsettled.

  Geiger came over to my desk.

  “Want to tell me about the phone call you got earlier today?” he said. I wondered who could have told him. It wasn’t hard to figure out. Rick, the bastard.

  “Some guy called saying he worked for Techdata. That he had information for me. Could be a whacko.”

  “He say anything else?”

  “Yeah. He said not to trust Chapman.”

  “Interesting.” He looked around my desk, cluttered with papers, including the printout from the Techdata website. I was tired, running on no sleep. I rubbed my eyes. I grabbed a can of soda on my desk and took a swig. When I did, a I felt a sharp pain when the cold soda touched one of my bottom teeth. It hurt like hell.

  “You okay? You look like shit.”

  “I didn’t sleep last night, and now I have a toothache.”

  “Take some aspirin, and have some coffee. This interview with Chapman is important. And I am not so sure I want you going to see this other person alone,” Geiger said. He spread his hands on his desk, running his fingers across the smooth surface.

  “That’s how he wanted it.”

  “I want Rick down the block,” Geiger insisted. I didn’t like it one bit.

  “Nothing’s going to happen.”

  “I don’t care.”

  “If this guy smells another cop in the area, he might bolt.”

  “I doubt it. I want this on tape. You’ll wear a wire. Agnelli’s orders,” Geiger said.

  This surprised me. Geiger rarely went running to Agnelli. “You told him about it?”

  “I had to. It gives us more time with the investigation.”

  “Jesus. I’m not crazy about that.”

  “Just do it. And get back here right away,” Geiger said. I could tell he wasn’t happy about it either, but we didn’t have a choice. Geiger looked nervous, blinking more than usual. I’d never seen him like that before.

  “Yes, sir. Just put us in separate cars. The guy sees me walk in instead of pull up in an unmarked, he might get suspicious.”

  “Okay. And John?”

  “Yes?”

  “Don’t fuck around.”

  “Of course not,” I said.

  After Geiger left, my tooth really started aching. Like it was on fire. The worst part about tooth pain is that you can’t rub it, can’t make it feel better. I thought nothing of it at first, that it would go away, but it kept getting worse. A lot worse. Lord knows what I did to it. But I had help. Dear old Dad was a dentist, located in Queens. I checked my watch. It was 12:15. Plenty of time to get there and back to Chapman’s.

  I got on the phone, and dialed my father’s office.

  “Dr. Keegan’s office,” Nancy, his assistant said.

  “Hello Nancy, it’s John.”

  “Hello Johnny.” She’d known me since I was five and she was the only non-family member I allowed to call me Johnny. Anyone else who tried to call me that would need an appointment with my father as well.

  “Let me speak to Dad, please,” I said politely. She struck fear in me, that woman. Maybe it was because she was the gatekeeper to pain.

  “Yes, of course. How are you?” she asked. Always polite on the phone. If I didn’t love my dad and respect Nancy, I’d call her the perfect receptionist for Satan.

  “Not bad. In pain.”

  “Well, you haven’t been here in a while.”

  “I know. Been busy.” I said, defensively.

  “I’ll get him for you.” Nancy said. I heard a click and then the same horrible on hold music my dad had used for decades. Bad taste lives forever.

  After a few seconds, my father’s cheery voice came on. Well, I am exaggerating. Actually, after meeting my father, most people thought I was cheery.

  “The wayward son,” he said.

  “Hi, Dad.”

  “Saw you on the news yesterday. Handling a big case. That Mullins guy. I own Techdata stock.” Thanks for the added pressure, Pops.

  “Well, according to what the company says, you’re fine.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know. Took a drink of soda and my bottom third molar, on the left side, erupted.”

  “Root canal. I told you to let me take care of that tooth the last time you were in.” Dad said. He didn’t always sound like dentist, but he sure could get into character easy.

  “I know. I’ve been busy.”

  “Too busy to call your mother, I know.”

  I didn’t want to go through this. I was a good son. Better than my sister in some respects. Perhaps not in others. Damn, there I was, in my thirties, going along with sibling rivalry.

  “Can you squeeze me in? I have an important meeting at four.”

  He sighed, the way he always did when he spoke to me. Like I was the bane of his existence. We had gotten along pretty well when I was a kid, and I thought did fine in my adulthood. He was proud of my being a cop, or at least he said he was, despite his dreams of me taking over his practice. I could never look at people’s teeth for a living. Dead people’s teeth maybe.

  “I’ve got an opening for 2:00. Come on in.”

  “Thanks Dad. See you then.”

  “Yeah.” He hung up. The side of my mouth began to swell.

  No more than ten seconds after I hung up the phone, it rang. “Keegan, Homicide.”

  “Detective Keegan?” It was a woman, with a familiar voice.

  “That’s me.”

  “It’s Sondra Mullins.” Ah, Sondra. The possible, future love of my life. Or at least someone to fantasize about in that role.

  “Yes, Mrs. Mullins?”

  “I need to speak to you. Can you come by?” she asked.

  “What’s happened?”

  “A lot. I keep getting strange phone calls, and a lot of hang-ups. One man said he had information about
my husband’s death. He wanted to meet me. I’m scared.”

  “I’ll be there in a half an hour.”

  “Come by yourself. I didn’t like your partner.”

  “Okay.”

  I hung up. Was this a cheap excuse for a sexual invitation? Secretly, I hoped so, but I also knew I was hoping against hope itself. She was out of my league.

  Geiger wasn’t happy with my going by myself, but he realized it was the only way. He assigned me an unmarked car, and I headed out to Massapequa, the needle pinned near eighty the whole time. Because, you know, my dedication to work knew no speed limits.

  Nine

  I made it to the Mullins residence by 12:45. I did okay, time wise, unless Sondra had other things in mind. Then again, I could be quick with that if I had to. Not that I am ever quick accidentally. Ever. Really. I pulled through the gates, which were open, and parked right by the front door. I got out of my car, and the front door opened. Steve came outside.

  “Detective Keegan, how nice to see you again.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” I walked up to the front porch.

  “Listen, the guys are supposed to come to do something with the driveway. They probably won’t be here for a while, but if they do, you’ll have to move your car.”

  “I won’t be long.”

  “That’s fine. Just leave me your keys, in case they do. This way, I can move it for you, and you won’t have to be interrupted.”

  I looked him over. He was being real friendly. I should have thought something of that, but my mind was on my aching tooth and my throbbing libido.

  “Don’t worry,” he said. “I won’t turn on the lights or the siren. I promise.”

  I threw him the keys, eager to get to Sondra.

  She waited for me in the same room we spoke in the day before. She had certainly gotten herself together since the last time I saw her. Not to say that she looked bad the day before. I am sure I left no doubts about that.

  Sondra