To Catch a Rat

By Eileen M. Foti

This book is about the Mayors brother being killed by the mob, originating
in Chicago with Big Joe and drugs, money, and a search by Sergeant Finn to solve
this crime.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Feb 17, 2014
• ISBN: 9781493169931

Eileen M. Foti

Eileen M. Foti lives in Tappan, New York with her husband Charlie. She graduated from Dominican College. Eileen’s children are married, and three grandkids are now on the scene. Painting, knitting, and photography are Eileen’s hobbies. She has exhibited around Rockland County and has won many ribbons.

Book preview

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

TO MY FAMILY:

DANNY, AMANDA,

EILEEN, FRANK, MIA AND CARY,

AND OF COURSE CHARLIE

AUTHOR’S NOTE

I would like to thank my family and friends for any and all assistance they have offered in the writing of this book. Their moral support and encouragement meant a lot to me when I sat down to write. Thanks again to John Lennon for answering the occasional question. I’d like to thank Heather Margaret St. Clair for her great editing skills. Also, no thanks would be complete without mentioning Charlie, my husband and friend!

Chapter 1

I t was one of those warm, sunny days that appeared just once in a while in any given year.

Kate Turner awoke early, stepped out of bed, pulled the drapes open, and smiled at the lovely sight. Her roses, marigolds, petunias, and impatiens were all in bloom, and the birds were chirping. The world looked great.

She showered and dressed, then went downstairs and made coffee. She decided to go to the stables and ride her favorite mount, Chester, a large and beautiful fawn colored horse. He was quite sturdy and a boundless jumper. Kate rode him in many contests, winning most of them, and had the blue ribbons to prove it.

After drinking her coffee she put the cup in the dishwasher and left the house.

Her blue Honda was parked on her driveway that lined the side of her house. She opened the door and climbed in. Fifteen minutes later she pulled onto the parking lot of the stables. She parked the car under a large oak tree and walked along the crunchy pebbled path to the stables.

Chester whinnied and tossed back his head as Kate approached his stall.

There, there boy, smiled Kate as she pet the white blaze on Chester’s face.

She led Chester out of the stall into the sunlight, placing his bridle around his head and into his mouth. Then she saddled up.

Now mounted, she and Chester slowly walked toward the white fence that enclosed the jumping area.

A stable boy, Charlie, ran to the gate and, flashing a toothy grin, opened it for Kate.

Chester galloped through and onto the green velvety grass.

He circled around for a few minutes and then prepared to jump.

The first two jumps went correctly, as Chester sailed over them without knocking down a wooden bar.

However, as Kate rode around to the third jump, she saw something in her path. She pulled Chester up.

She realized a man was placed in front of the jump. He lay motionless, a macabre scene.

Kate turned Chester around and galloped back to the gate. Charlie once again opened the gate and Chester sailed through, Kate holding the reins tightly. She rode to the stable and dismounted.

"Ron, Ron. Come quickly. A man is sitting against the third jump and he’s not moving!" yelled Kate.

Ron, a stable hand, ran out of the stable, passed Kate, and ran out to the jump to survey the scene. He found the man and observed that he had been shot in the head. Ron grabbed his cell phone and called Sergeant Finn at the 64, in New York City, at the local police station.

Finn instructed Ron not to touch anything, and to keep everyone away from the crime scene.

Ron walked back to Kate and told her Sergeant Finn would be coming and would want to talk to her. She climbed off Chester’s back and leaned against his stall as a young attendant led Chester aside to brush him down and then return him to his paddock.

Chapter 2

S ergeant James Finn and his assistant, Detective Michael McKenzie, arrived within the hour. Their black and white police car came to an abrupt stop in front of the stables. Ron met the men and led them t o the jumping area.

They found the body of a man leaning against the wooden frame of the third jump. He was about six feet tall, dark hair, and around sixty years of age. A bullet hole in his head had caused a considerable amount of bleeding; it flowed down his face and onto his blue jacket and tan shirt.

Other police cars arrived. The men sprang from the cars and joined Sergeant Finn at the jump.

Cordon off the area and make sure no one walks around or within this fenced in area. No one is to touch anything until forensics gets here, ordered Finn.

Finn knelt down next to the body. He searched the man’s pockets and found a wallet with fifty dollars in it, keys, a comb and forty three cents.

Well, we can rule out robbery. The murderer didn’t take the wallet, said Finn. The head wound, to the right temple, appears to be from a pistol at close range, however, we’ll find out more when forensics gives their report, he commented.

The man was wearing nice clothes and looked clean, so he was not a street person. I see nothing on the grass near the body, but our investigation team will cover the whole area and give us their report, Finn said as he spun on his heel and left the crime scene.

Sergeant Finn and Detective McKenzie walked to the stables. They found Ron with Kate. A call had been placed to Johnny Palmer, the stable owner, but he hadn’t arrived yet.

I’m Sergeant Finn and this is my associate Detective Michael McKenzie, he said as he offered his hand to Kate.

Hello, I’m Kate Turner. I found the man when I was preparing to jump the third jump of the series, she stated nervously.

Did you see anyone near the man in the area?

"No, I didn’t get off my horse. I saw the man lying