Black Forest, Denver Cereal Volume 5 (40 page)

“
What’s going to happen
tomorrow?” Ava’s voice cracked.

“
Five DPD officers, five
Homeland Security and a group from Lipson are going to start
working on the coal tunnel where Saint Jude is living,” Seth said.
“The plan is for them to close off the tunnel near where he’s been
living. He can’t skulk away in the dark. Then, we’ll lure him out
and capture him.”

“
You’re not involved,” Ava
said.

“
Outside of the planning
and monitoring, I’m too recognizable to him,” Seth said. “God, Ava.
You would not believe how much he hates me. He devoted an entire
wall to me in his trophy room in New Mexico.”

“
You went there today?”
Ava asked.

“
By helicopter,” Seth
said. “Alex’s guy wanted to go so they arranged transportation.
What a place! I’ll have to go back there after we collect him.
But…”

“
Why does he hate you?”
Ava asked.

“
Bonita and I were working
things out,” Seth said. “She left him for me.”

“
Like Celeste,” Ava
said.

“
Like Celeste,” Seth said.
“Only he hasn’t been able to kill me, though he’s tried over and
over again.”

“
I’m glad he hasn’t killed
you,” Ava said.

“
Me too,” Seth said. He
leaned over to kiss her cheek. “You need to rest. Are you working
tomorrow?”

“
I don’t think so,” Ava
said. “I’m worn out from today. But we’ll see. I definitely want
part of this collar.”

“
I think you own the
collar,” Seth said.

“
Are you ever going to
tell me how you figured out the Cigarette Killer?” Ava
asked.

“
You’ve never asked,” Seth
said.

Ava didn’t respond. Leaning up, Seth saw
that she was asleep. Smiling to himself, he fluffed the pillow and
joined her.

CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED & FOURTY-SIX

Starting

Monday early morning — 4:30 A.M.
Coal Tunnel near Wynkoop

“
I’ll tell you Jake,”
State Inspector Barry Radow said. “Our asses are in a sling. My
boss’s ass, my ass…”

“
Mine too?” Jacob
asked.

“
No more than you already
are,” Barry said. “I saw your sister, Honey. She’s
female.”

“
And I can’t run the
project,” Jacob sighed.

Wearing head lamps, they continued walking
along the dark ancient crumbling tunnel. Created in the 1800s, the
brick and mortar coal tunnels carried coal by rail to businesses
and the mansions east of Downtown Denver. Besides mortar and brick
dust, the tunnels were dry and clear. They were walking toward dim
lights up ahead.

“
Dad’s going to be here in
a half hour,” Jacob said. “He’d be here but he’s drug testing some
new employees.”

“
Listen, I know she’s your
sister but your return to work order was clear. No women,” Barry
said. “Just sucks when guys like you get into this kind of trouble.
Let me ask you…”

Jacob stopped walking to look at the State
Inspector. His headlamp highlighted the man’s round face.

“
Did you at least fuck
her?” Barry asked.

Jacob shook his head.

“
Damn,” Barry said. They
continued walking. They’d gone another hundred feet before Barry
said: “I was hoping you at least got laid.”

Jacob grimaced.

“
I was joking, Jake,”
Barry said. “I never thought you did anything with that
viper.”

“
I know,” Jacob
said.

On their left, they passed a wide open area.
There were lights overhead.

“
I heard this was lit by
mystery electrical lines,” Barry said. “No Xcel record.”

“
Hard to imagine,” Jacob
said.

“
It’s not even cold
here.”

“
Phantom gas lines,” Jacob
said.

“
How does that
happen?”

“
Who knows?” Jacob
asked.

“
But they know
now?”

“
They know now,” Jacob
said. “I would hate to get the century old bill.”

Barry laughed.

“
Next time I’m on the
couch, I’m coming here,” Barry said. “Serve the wife
right.”

Jacob laughed.

“
Ok, this is it,” Barry
nodded to the GPS indicator in his hand.

“
No water,” Jacob said.
“Our people have checked every year for more than ten
years.”

“
You don’t have to tell
me,” Barry said. “I think the Governor is trying to get a freebie
from Lipson before he leaves office. Can you guys afford
it?”

“
We can’t afford not to do
it,” Jacob said. “I got a team together last night after you
called. They’ll start as soon as we’re done.”

The inspector pulled a can of spray paint
out of his pocket. He painted a line on the wall where the
tributary was supposed to join the coal tunnel. He paced off six
feet and sprayed a second line.

“
You’ll close the tunnel
here,” Barry said. “Then work on that tributary.”

“
Do you think we need a
permanent close or something temporary,” Jacob asked.

“
The contract doesn’t
specify,” Barry said. “You’re a carpenter, aren’t you?”

Jacob nodded.

“
Just put up some
plywood,” Barry said. “I’ll sign off on it. You can leave the women
on one side and work on the other.”

“
Good thinking,” Jacob
said.

Barry looked around the warm, dry, lit
tunnel. With his hands on his hips, he took a deep breath and shook
his head.

“
Let’s get the hell out of
here,” Barry said. “Place gives me the creeps. It’s like a fucking
tomb.”

Nodding, Jacob followed Barry out of the
tunnel.

~~~~~~~~

Monday morning — 6:30
A.M.

Fully dressed, Seth sat on the bed. Ava was
sound asleep lying on her side. He touched her bare shoulder.

“
Hey,” she rolled onto her
back to look at him.

“
Hey.”

“
Investigator’s
breakfast?” Ava asked.

He nodded. She leaned up to kiss his lips.
He held her close.

“
I’m hoping you’ll spend
the day here,” he said. “Rest and recover. Ferg says your work
yesterday put them in good shape. Of course, they’ll be overwhelmed
by tomorrow.”

“
But today, everything is
good,” Ava said. “I’m planning on resting today.”

Surprised, Seth squinted at her.

“
I was going to ask you…”
She gave him her most charming smile.

“
What?”

“
Well… Uh…”

“
Just ask,” Seth
said.

“
Do you have any pull with
Dazzle?” Ava asked. “There’s a concert tonight. It’s an invitation
only event. I thought if anyone could get in, maybe you could
and…”

Ava blushed. She felt like she was asking
her father for her allowance.

“
And…”

“
You won’t like it,” Ava
said.

“
I’m not your father,”
Seth said. “Spit it out and we’ll sort it out.”

“
There’s this guy… He’s
hip hop, very cool, one of my favorites,” Ava said. “He killed a
girl by mistake, at least I think it was a mistake and he’s leaving
the music business. He did a big farewell tour last summer. Beth
and I were going to go to but the tickets were too expensive.
Anyway, he’s from here, Denver, and he’s doing one last show as a
thank you to people who supported him through his tough time. They
were giving away tickets on the radio. I called and called and
called and called… but I didn’t win. I thought maybe…”

“
I would have tickets,”
Seth said. “Who’s he playing with? Any idea?”

“
His old crew,” Ava
said.

“
And who do you think that
might be?” Seth asked.

“
I don’t know,” Ava said.
“People he went to high school with or… Oh. You’re playing with him
tonight.”

Seth nodded.

“
That’s why you woke me
up,” Ava said. “To tell me. You’d never wake me up
usually.”

Seth nodded.

“
It’s the kind of thing
that drives most women crazy,” Seth said. “I’ve been gone working
for days. Finally I get a night off and I have a gig.”

“
I’m not most women,” Ava
said. “How do you know Jeraine?”

“
He’s Bumpy’s son,” Seth
said.

“
I watched his quitting
speech. I cried,” Ava said. Repeating what the hip hop star had
said: “I’ve hurt two women in my life without doing a thing to make
it happen or stop it. The first was a message from God. I did not
listen. I’ve regretted it every single day since. I need to listen
now.”

Her hand pressed against her heart as she
repeated the words. The simple sincerity on Ava’s face made him
smile.

“
Do you think he killed
that woman?” Ava asked. “Everyone does.”

“
She killed herself,” Seth
said. “He never met her.”

“
How can you be
sure?”

“
I did the investigation
myself,” Seth said. “Bumpy asked but he didn’t have to. I would
have anyway.”

“
Who’s the first woman?”
Ava asked. “There’s lots of speculation. Do you think it was Halle
Berry or Brandy is acting like it’s her or Perez Hilton says it’s
Amy Adams…”

“
You’ve met her,” Seth
smiled. “Remember the woman who saved Rachel from Saint
Jude.”

“
Tanesha?” Ava’s shocked
face made Seth chuckle.

“
It’s a long story,” Seth
said. “Anyway, with everything going on, I almost forgot about the
gig. Would you like to go tonight? I have VIP tickets – as many as
you’d like. They aren’t up close, but they are good seats. Sandy
and her friends are going.”

“
But not Tanesha,” Ava
said.

“
She’ll be
there.”

“
She’s dating this wicked
charming doctor,” Ava said. “I took his DNA.”

“
She may be dating someone
but she and Jeraine are like magnets. They always end up in the
same spot at the same time.”

“
What about Saint Jude?”
Ava asked.

“
We’re setting the net,”
Seth said. “There’s nothing for me to do. Depending on how much
Jake and his team get done today, I might be involved tomorrow.
Tonight, however, I need to help an old friend’s son leave the
music business with class. Are you upset?”

“
Upset? No,” Ava said.
“Does it feel weird going out, doing a gig with Saint Jude out
there? I mean everyone’s trying to catch him.”

“
The monsters are always
out there. The best thing to do is to never forget to live your
life and do what you love.”

Uncertain of how to respond, Ava nodded.

“
Saint Jude has taken a
lot from you,” Seth said. “We have to take some back
sometimes.”

“
What’s he going to do?”
Ava asked.

“
Saint Jude?”

“
Jeraine.”

“
He’s going to medical
school,” Seth said. “His father did the same thing. Bumpy worked in
the business until he had enough money for school. Of course, Jer’s
made a thousand times the money his Dad made.”

“
What about college?” Ava
asked. “He’s been touring since high school.”

“
Jer went to college
online at CU Denver. He took his practicals and labs when he wasn’t
touring. He’s starting at the Health Sciences Center in the
fall.”

“
So this whole thing was a
publicity stunt?” Ava’s face fell in disappointment.

“
No,” Seth said. “He’s not
that kind of a man. He wasn’t sure if he would go. The woman
killing herself, his arrest, the grand jury… It made him see what
needed to happen in his life.”

“
Oh,” Ava said.

“
Oh?”

“
I get to go?” Ava
brightened. “Dale too?”

“
I’d love it if you were
there,” Seth said. “But don’t feel obligated. It’s not going to be
so hip hop.”

“
Instrumental, that’s what
the radio said. Once in a lifetime chance to hear Denver’s finest,”
Ava said. “I want to go.”

“
Great,” Seth
said.

“
The Coroner is going to
be there with her husband. Sandy and her friends, Maresol, of
course, Lizzie, and a few others you know. I’m getting the bar tab,
so have a good time.”

Ava fell back to the bed and closed her
eyes.

“
Are you all right?” Seth
asked.

“
I have to rest so I can
party tonight,” Ava said.

Seth laughed. He leaned over and kissed
her.

“
It should be fun,” he
said.

With her eyes closed, Ava smiled. He got up
to go. At the door, he turned to see her.

“
See you tonight,” Seth
said.

Ava was asleep. Smiling to himself, he left
to meet with the ever expanding Saint Jude investigation team.

~~~~~~~~

Monday mid-day — 12:30
P.M.

“
Thank you for seeing me,”
a bean pole of a young man with thinning reddish-blonde hair
perched on the doorstep said. “I know it’s last minute.”