Lady Justice and the Candidate (16 page)
Read Lady Justice and the Candidate Online
Authors: Robert Thornhill
“Well do it someplace else. We’re busy here. Now beat it!”
“Okay,” Dad said and promptly fell flat on his face.
“Shit!” the guy muttered again.
The guy put the gun in his pants so that he could lift Dad to his feet.
At that moment I heard a familiar booming voice. “Kansas City Police. Drop your weapons!”
The guy beside me turned the gun from me and leveled it at Ox.
Before he could fire, I took a swipe at the gun and it hit the dock and bounced into the water.
Seeing that he was unarmed, the guy took off running.
The guy by Dad and Willie pulled the gun from his pants, but before he could pull the trigger, I heard the report from Ox’s big automatic and the guy dropped to the ground.
Ox rushed up to me, “Walt, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’ll live, but the other guy is getting away.”
We saw him sprinting down the dock.
“We need this guy alive,” I said. “Do you think you can get in a leg shot?”
“I’ll try.” Ox said, kneeling and holding his pistol with both hands.
Before he could fire, we saw a figure step from behind a bale of cardboard directly in the path of the fleeing man.
“NO!” I shouted, but it was too late.
We heard the ‘craaaak’ as Mary Murphy’s bat made contact with the side of the man’s head.
He staggered, fell and rolled into the muddy Missouri River.
As the current swept the man downstream, we saw the head bob up and down briefly and then disappear into the depths of the mighty river.
EPILOGUE
Ben Foster was a man with a vision.
I remembered the first time Maggie and I had talked with him, when he compared our country to the Titanic.
To him, the great ship was off course and headed in the wrong direction and he was willing to risk everything to get our great nation back on the right track.
He looked at our electoral process and realized that something was wrong when more people vote for the American Idol than for the President of the United States.
He looked at the agencies that were supposed to be protecting the American people and found that they were protecting the profits of big business instead.
He looked at the growing deficit that was burying our country in debt and wondered where our tax dollars were being spent.
He looked at the families that couldn’t find work and who had lost their homes and wondered why our factories were closing and our jobs were going overseas.
His ideas were radical and maybe, as his detractors said, were unrealistic, but he was different enough from the politicians of the national political machines to capture the hearts of many Americans.
Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple Computers could have been describing Ben Foster when he said,
“Here’s to the crazy ones, the misfits, the troublemakers, the round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They’re not fond of rules and they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them, but the only thing you can’t do is ignore them because they change things. They push the human race forward, and while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius, because the ones who are crazy enough to think that they can change the world, are the ones who do.”
Unfortunately, we may never know who had ordered the assassination of this visionary.
Ox’s bullet had taken the life of one of my abductors and our last hope of ever uncovering the instigators of this plot, sank into the Missouri River.
It could have been any number of entities.
It might have been disgruntled bureaucrats with the FDA or CDC, hoping that their conspiracy with big business would not come to light.
It might have been big oil or one of the big pharmaceutical companies hoping to protect their billions in profits.
It might have been a foreign country wanting to protect its millions in foreign aid.
It is unthinkable to even consider the idea that it came from the camps of one of the other candidates.
These were the thoughts that were in our minds as we waited in our suite for the election returns.
It was a strange collection of individuals that were huddled around the TV set.
Among the group was Helen Foster, who had lost her husband for the greater good, Paul Ford, who had risked his political career to promote the man he believed in, Mark Davenport, Sully, Max and the other SS guys that had done their best to protect their candidate, an old retired truck driver, a black maintenance man, a manager of a flop house and a K.C. Cop.
Maggie and I were holding hands for the first time in four months when the news analyst appeared on the screen.
“ABC News has projected the winner of 2012 Presidential election.
“The winner and next President of the United States is ---------!”
What Other People Are Saying About
The Lady Justice Mystery/Comedy Series
One can write a humorous book, a book of human sentiments, a mystery or thriller, but to have a mix of all of them in a single book requires special talent. Add to that the age of the characters.... senior citizens chasing criminals and succeeding, too.
Robert Thornhill is a great web spinner. The books are easy to read, fast moving, touching and thrilling--all at the same time. Venky – Amazon Review
My favorite series. I cannot stop reading these books. Mystery and humor. Can't ask for more. Keep them coming. I'll keep buying. The characters are becoming my best friends. Kat novo – Amazon Review
Love these books! I've been a fan of Walt and his crew since the first book and have enjoyed following their adventures with each new book. Mary C. – Amazon Review
You can't beat this series. It's funny, educational, serious, and attention-getting all in one series. And Mr. Thornhill writes really fast so I don't have to wait a year before the next book comes out - it's awesome! Lori – Amazon Review
Love Love Love this book. I spent years in Kansas City, MO. and could picture everywhere the story took me. Loved the characters. A must read for anyone who wants a suspense story with comedy added for an added dimension. I am now downloading every Lady Justice book available. Sharon – Amazon Review
Another great installment of the Lady Justice series. It has everything from laugh out loud moments, to some intense police work action, and let’s not forget some romance as well. I find it so refreshing that the main characters are not only very likable and easy to relate to but they also show that life is not over after 60 or even 70. I can't wait to see what trouble Walt and Ox will get into next. C. Toste – Amazon Review
The writing is sophomoric, at best. It seems to have been aimed at a juvenile audience. The 'humor' was only funny if you were in grammar school. It was a slog to complete this book.
Phoenix Rising – Amazon Review
(Oops! How did this one get in here? Oh well, like Dirty Harry says, “Opinions are like assholes – everybody has one.” You can’t please everyone.
I hope you enjoyed
Lady Justice and the Candidate
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Award-winning author, Robert Thornhill, began writing at the age of sixty-six and in five short years has penned seventeen novels in the Lady Justice mystery/comedy series, the seven volume Rainbow Road series of chapter books for children, a cookbook and a mini-autobiography.
Lady Justice and the Sting,
Lady Justice and Dr. Death, Lady Justice and the Vigilante, Lady Justice and the Candidate, Lady Justice and the Book Club Murders, Lady Justice and the Cruise Ship Murders
and
Lady Justice and the Vet
won the Pinnacle Award for the best new mystery novels of Fall 2011, Winter 2012, Summer 2012, Fall 2012, Spring of 2013 and Summer 2014 from the National Association of Book Entrepreneurs.
Many of Walt’s adventures in the Lady Justice series are anecdotal and based on Robert’s real life.
Although Robert holds a master’s in psychology, he has never taken a course in writing and has never learned to type. All 28 of his published books were typed with one finger and a thumb!
His wit and insight come from his varied occupations, including thirty-three years as a real estate broker. He lives with his wife, Peg, in Independence, Missouri
Visit him on the Web at:
http://BooksByBob.com
LADY JUSTICE TAKES A C.R.A.P.
C
ity
R
etiree
A
ction
P
atrol
Third Edition
This is where it all began.
See how sixty-five year old Walt Williams became a cop and started the City Retiree Action Patrol.
Meet Maggie, Willie, Mary and the Professor, Walt’s sidekicks in all of the Lady Justice novels.
Laugh out loud as Walt and his band of Senior Scrappers capture the Realtor Rapist and take down the Russian Mob.
LADY JUSTICE AND THE LOST TAPES
Second Edition
When corrupt politicians, the Italian mob and a dirty cop collude to take over a Northeast neighborhood, Walt is recruited for the most bizarre undercover assignments of his new career.
When conventional police work fails to solve the case, once again his band of scrappy seniors come to the rescue.
In the process, the amazing discovery of a previously unknown session by a deceased rock ‘n’ roll idol stuns the music industry. What should be a joyous occasion soon turns dark as lives are threatened.
All of your favorite characters, along with two lovable additions are back to help Walt in his quest for justice.
Their adventures and misadventures are sure to keep you captivated – and splitting your sides!