I turned out the lights and looked out my window. I couldn’t see anything. It had just started to rain and the windows were fogged. I took the box with the remnants of pizza slices down the elevator and outside. I waited near the door to see if I could catch an old codger pushing his grocery cart.
I was in luck. There was someone pushing a grocery cart down the sidewalk in front of the park and he was looking in the garbage cans as he passed them. I got excited. I stepped out into the rain. A car had turned its headlights on bright. I quickly got across.
“J.P.!” I called out. The homeless man turned. All of a sudden, the car with the bright lights raised its engine and spun its tires and was headed toward J.P. I dropped the pizza and ran toward the old man and pushed him into the park. The car came up on the sidewalk and then turned quickly back onto the road.
I pulled out my .45 and tried to read the license plate, but there wasn’t one. The car was a white Chevy impala box-style from the late 80’s. It was plain and had no hubcaps. I only saw a shadowy figure of what I assumed was a man. I tried running to catch it, but the car sped down the road and disappeared.
I looked back at J.P., who was having a difficult time getting himself off the ground.
“Are you okay?” I asked, panting.
“Yeah, I’m okay,” said the gravel voice. “Somebody needs to call the police on that guy.”
“I am a cop, J.P.”
He looked at me and I showed him my badge. “C’mon, J.P., let’s get you out of this rain for a few. I need to ask you some questions.”
We walked inside to the corridor of the hotel doors. J.P.’s body odor was all over my clothes, but that didn’t matter right now. Somebody had just tried to kill him because he knew something, or at least they thought he did, and I wanted to find out as much as I could from him.
I gave J.P. a few dollars for his information. I could see why maybe officers didn’t take him seriously or didn’t think about talking to him. But he was scaring somebody.
“White Knight be killing the officers,” he said. It didn’t make any sense to me.
“Do you think you can recognize him when you see him?”
“Oh yeah, these old eyes are good in my head.”
“Listen J.P., I think you might need some protection. Would you mind if I called a friend that could get you some protection?”
“You are talking ‘bout police protection—then, no,” he said.
I was about to ask why until he told me. His words put ice water in my gut.
“I have seen that White Knight before roughing up the local hustlers around town like Joppy and Shank but I never seen his face. That is all I know. But I also believe he is a cop, at least he acts like one.”
He refused my assistance and I feared for his safety but there was nothing I could do to persuade him. He was up now, and on his way out of my sight. Somewhere out there was possibly a cop killing cops but I wasn’t sure about that either. I decided to hold all that information from everybody even Detective Coffy until I understood it myself.
J.P. turned a corner and disappeared into the rainy night with his grocery cart.
I went back up the elevator. I had to take a shower anyway, but after my close encounter with JP it was absolutely necessary.
It was good to wash that funk off me. The hot shower gave me time to think about everything—should I share my information with other cops, especially Detective Coffy. The truth is I didn’t know any of them. I hadn’t been in New Orleans two hours and already had a break in the case.
I got to thinking that maybe I couldn’t trust any of them. I decided I would just go to the muster and play dumb and see how much they knew.
I dried myself off and went and sat on the bed. I glanced down at my phone. I had two text message alerts from both Chief Davis and Charlotte. Both were urgent so I checked Charlottes first. It said to call home ASAP. The chief’s message said the exact same thing. I was hoping everything was okay. My mind was racing with questions. I frantically scrolled through the numbers to find Charlotte’s.
She picked up on the first ring.
“Charlotte!” I yelled into the phone. “Is everything alright?”
“I’m fine, Baby,” she said. “But there is something you should know. Chief Davis is here and he needs to talk with you.”
My mind started racing again, but not as bad.
“Jared?” he said.
“Yeah chief, what’s up?”
“Burncutt!”
The name sent a rage of fury in me so strong my hand shook holding the phone.
“What about him?” I asked trying to remain calm. I knew it had to be something serious for him to be calling me. I was hoping he would say, the idiot was killed in prison, but I doubt that would be what this was for.
“He escaped out of prison,” said the Chief.
I gathered my thoughts. “How?” I asked.
“During the night, they had him on a clean-up detail in the cafeteria. One of the guards let his guard down and Burncutt overpowered him and switched clothes. Afterwards he hid the guard’s body in the cooler and proceeded out the back door of the kitchen where some cars were parked. He must have taken the guard’s keys and tried the cars until he was successful in stealing one. He stole a black Ford Crown Victoria.”
“How long ago was this?” I asked.
“He has been out now maybe a couple of hours. We have a statewide manhunt for him, don’t worry. Margaret and I are staying over here with Charlotte and her parents. Plus I have a couple of units outside watching the house.”
I breathed a sigh of relief again. “Thanks, Chief.”
“No problem. So, how is New Orleans so far?”
“It’s okay; my mind is not focused on it right now with what you just told me. But there is a muster in the morning in which I will be briefed about everything and maybe learn what they know.” Even though I trusted Chief Davis, considering what we have been through on my case with the Reaper; still I didn’t want him to accidently pass on to his friend the New Orleans Police Commissioner that I had anything. I needed to keep everything to myself until I knew more about what I was getting into.
“Jared, I know you will do fine. They asked me for my best man and that is you. We got everything under control here. Just be safe and catch whoever it is that has it out for the men in blue.”
“Thanks, Chief. Put Charlotte back on please.”
The phone was silent for a few seconds and then I heard Charlotte’s sweet sensual voice.
“Baby, I…” I must have sounded scared or something. She cut in.
“We are okay, Honey. Concentrate on the case and be safe, okay?”
Part of me wanted to say the hell with New Orleans and take my ass back home. I probably would have if Charlotte didn’t support me the way she does.
“Okay, I’ll try,” I said. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” she replied and hung up.
Chapter 5
I tried to get some sleep but it was difficult. The thought of that bastard Burncutt on the loose made me boil that I wasn’t there by Charlotte. And also the fact that somebody tried to kill a possible witness last night in my presence because he thinks the person might know something or know them. I needed some coffee.
I could have made it in my room but I felt the walls closing in and so I got dressed and took the elevator to the front lobby. It was 6:00. Early risers were still eating in the restaurant. The coffee smelled great. I went to the courtesy bar and made me a cup. It was very black, bitter stuff, but delicious in its way. Enough cream and sugar and I could see why café au lait in New Orleans was the way to start the day.
I looked around the lobby. The sun was starting to break through the dim morning sky. The front desk clerks were doing a shift change and the housekeepers were coming in to work as well. The French Quarter was coming to life before my very eyes.