The Case of Rocklin Rais: A Prezly/Paladino Investigation, #7

By Sandy Raschke

Crime and international intrigue, old friendships and new love, spur the action in The Case of Rocklin Rais.

 

Private investigators Elvyra Prezly and Chuck Paladino, now semi-retired, are lecturing part-time at Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces. At the end of the year, they will decide whether to continue or end their practice.

 

On May 1, 2084, Chuck receives a disturbing link from El Paso police detective, Tai Vanh. Rocklin Rais, a retired Marine Corps Captain, was found in a vacant house for sale in El Paso, unconscious and shot in the back.

            

Rais, in serious condition at El Paso General, was in Chuck's Marine Corps Intelligence unit in the Philippines and Kuwait. "Rocco," now Head of Security at a small casino/hotel in Reno, remembers little about his abduction and asks about his girlfriend, Marta Della Rosa.

 

Chuck asks Devonne Kimbrell, his best friend and Head of Investigations for the FBI office in El Paso, to meet him at the hospital to help jog Rocco's memory, but they are unsuccessful. Chuck suggests hypnosis and, though skeptical, Rocco agrees to the procedure, which results in sufficient information to pursue his assailants.

After exhausting US resources, Detective Vahn's AI humanoid assistant, Olga, contacts Interpol and learns Marta and her crew are wanted in Eastern Europe for diamond thefts. Rocco's comm service tracks his stolen handheld and locates it at a hotel in Reno. Did Marta use Rocco as a front to plan a heist there? Chuck alerts Devonne. The FBI in Reno arrests Marta and her accomplices in the act of robbing several diamond merchants. But within hours, a Federal judge drops all charges against her and orders her deported to Belarus. Who is protecting her, and why?

 

Marta agrees to have no further contact with Rocco but within a month she links to him. He cuts her off but she links again then shows up at his condo and threatens to kill him. Chuck contacts Rocco and realizes Marta is there. He and Elvyra enlist Las Cruces Police Detective Matt Donal to help rescue him. When they breach the door, they find Marta holding a gun to Rocco's head. Can they neutralize her without harming him? And what role does Millie, their AI robotic Welsh Corgi play in his rescue?

 

A fast-paced story, with twists and turns, brings The Case of Rocklin Rais to a surprising conclusion.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sandy Raschke
• Release date: Apr 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201224639

Book preview

Chapter 1

He awoke to a dry mouth , a raging thirst and the erratic beating of his heart. He was cold and couldn’t stop shivering. He lay on the tile floor, splayed on his back like a spatchcock chicken, his arms bent upward at a ninety-degree angle. He took in a shaky breath. The foul odor overwhelmed him.

Marta? he said in a weak voice but there was no answer.

He tried to roll onto his side but the pain shot through his shoulder as if he had been stabbed with an ice pick. He could do nothing about the spasms and cramps in his legs but grit his teeth and hope they wouldn’t shatter.

Suddenly the pain disappeared. Now he couldn’t feel or move either leg or anything else.

Water, he mumbled before blacking out again.

HE OPENED HIS EYES to see the room darkening. Night? Day? How long had he been lying here? He looked up—at the walls and the blood splatter. He moved his head to the side and retched.

Marta? he said again...then nothingness.

Chapter 2

Sunday, April 30, 2084 . 1500 hours. How he ended up in a hospital bed in El Paso, Texas was a mystery to him. The attending nurse said he had been brought by ambulance to the Emergency Room almost three hours ago then moved to critical care. She said a real estate agent found him at 1130 hours in the foyer of a home when she went inside to prepare for an open house. No one knew how long he had been there as the last open house was two weeks ago. The four-bedroom ranch-style home had been for sale for more than a year.

I’ve never been to El Paso, Rocklin Rais said to the nurse as she checked his vital signs.

The police said there was blood all over the room, but apparently not yours.

Marta, he whispered. He tried to turn his head and saw stars. Someone tried to kill us...

"Shh, she said. When you are feeling well enough to talk, one of El Paso’s detectives would like to interview you. But for now, you must rest." She injected a painkiller into the port on his forearm, adjusted the saline and antibiotic drip lines, the oxygen tube, took a look at the monitors and left the room.

Within minutes, Rocklin Rais fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.

FOUR HOURS LATER, THE trauma doctor appeared at his bedside. You have a broken arm, Mr. Rais, Dr. Sanchez said, which we mended with a laser fusion technique. Various contusions to your face, a serious concussion that left a large bump and bruise on the back of your head but no open wound, and a .22 cal. bullet we removed from the right side of your back, slightly below your shoulder blade.

Rais blinked.

Fortunately, the bullet didn’t penetrate your lung but it did nick your rib cage. We also found a pinprick on your neck. Looks like someone gave you an injection. He let Rais absorb the information before continuing. I assume you have no physical problem or illness that requires medication to be injected into your neck.

Rais whispered, No.

Okay. Although you came into the emergency room with severe dehydration, your blood tests, other than your sodium and potassium levels, are basically normal, and there is no permanent damage to your kidneys or spine that we can tell from the preliminary scans we made. The right leg appears to be partially paralyzed but I don’t think it’s permanent.

He thumped Rocco’s right leg with a hammer. Feel that?

Sort of, Rais said in a weak voice. Then the left leg. Yeah, that feels okay.

Anyone we can call for you? A relative or other emergency contact? Dr. Sanchez asked. The police and the nurse didn’t find any contact information in your wallet.

Marta, he said in a weak voice.

The trauma physician shook his head. We have no way to contact her at this time.

THE NURSE RETURNED and removed the almost empty saline and antibiotic drips and hung new ones next to his bed. She checked the catheter the trauma team inserted when he arrived in the emergency room and emptied the barely half full urine bag. She then freshened up his pillows and asked if he needed anything.

A long, hot bath. He lifted his head and the pain returned. Shit.

We cleaned you up in the emergency room, the doctor said. But only enough to get to your injuries so we could immediately treat you. A nursing assistant will be here soon to give you a more extensive sponge bath.

Rais wrinkled his nose. I stink like I’ve just finished two weeks of survival training in the Philippines.

The doctor’s lips formed a knowing smile. He buzzed the nurses’ station. I’ve added a seizure med in addition to the painkillers, and a mild sedative to help you sleep. Are you continuing to experience severe head pain?

Yes, but only when I move. Rais tried to laugh but it hurt too much. The physician, nodding, laughed slightly. And my vision is still cloudy.

Typical of severe head trauma. I’ll make sure to tell the physician assigned to you to closely monitor your vitals. Dr. Sanchez motioned to the nurse and spoke to her in a low voice then left the room.

Rais fell asleep as the nursing assistant arrived and cleaned him up.

Chapter 3

Monday, May 1. 0900 hours. Rais slowly opened his eyes and saw a man with Asian features standing over him, studying his face.

Rocklin Rais?

Yes, he said.

My name is Tai Vanh. He showed Rais his badge. I am a senior detective with the El Paso Police Department. Can you tell me what happened to you?

He took a deep breath. The nurse said I was found in a vacant house in El Paso, but I’ve never been to El Paso before. And my girlfriend, Marta Della Rosa, is missing.

Where are you from? Detective Vanh already knew but needed to make sure Mr. Rais was well enough to answer questions.

Reno, Nevada, Rais said. I’m Head of Security at one of the smaller hotel/casinos.

Have you had any arguments with anyone or has someone threatened you recently?

Not that I can remember, he said. I retired from the Marine Corps a year ago and took the security job to keep busy. As I said, I have no idea how I got here.

We found your wallet in your jacket pocket, Vanh said. No credit or cash cards, but it did contain a Nevada driver’s license and your military ID.

My watch? Handheld? He looked around the room, which made him dizzy and nauseous. My grandmother gave me the watch when I enlisted.

Sorry, no, the detective said. Looks like you were assaulted and robbed. Rais grimaced. Our team is still at the house looking for evidence. There was a lot of blood and body fluids, but we’ve determined the body fluids and the pool of blood found under you were yours.

Rais looked up at him in surprise then groaned.

Are y0u in pain?

Rais mouthed Yes.

I’ll ask the nurse to check on you. You’re in no condition to have a real conversation. You need to rest. I’ll get back to you tomorrow.  

Vanh moved toward the door then turned back to Rais. We need some information on Marta Della Rosa before we can look for her. Do you feel strong enough to give me a short description?

I’ll try...to be...coherent. He took in a deep breath then let it out slowly. The pain calmed. My mind is still fuzzy. And my head hurts like hell. The other injuries don’t worry me as much as the head injury. 

Tai Vanh gave him a sympathetic look and got out his tablet. He entered Marta Della Rosa’s description as Rais remembered it.

Chapter 4

When he got back to the precinct, Detective Tai Vanh did a global search for Rocklin Rais, and found his birth certificate, the various schools he attended, his military enlistment and discharge records, and his Nevada driver’s license. He was forty-six years old and had reached the rank of Captain in the Marine Corps before his retirement; his last duty station, Quantico, Virginia. He was Head of Security for the Pink Elephant Hotel and Casino in Reno and licensed to carry a weapon, although nothing was found on his person when the paramedics brought him to the hospital.

Tai immediately thought of Chuck Paladino and Devonne Kimbrell. Both were a little older than Rais but also retired from Marine Corps Intelligence units. He knew Chuck had been headquartered at The Marine Corps Intelligence Center in Quantico for a number of years in between deployments overseas.

Maybe they knew something about Rais which could help him in his investigation.

As for Marta Della Rosa, she had a Nevada driver’s license, and other than the tattoos Rais mentioned, the photo with it matched his description: short black hair, blue eyes, a slightly round face, and a high forehead with a thin scar across it. She was 5-feet, 7 inches tall and in her mid-30s.

He couldn’t find a birth certificate, even with a global search, or a Social Security number with her name, and no evidence of a work visa or green card. Rais said she was a cashier at a members’-only card club in Reno. They required a background check before employment. She didn’t have one. He didn’t search her educational background. It was secondary to what he needed to know now.

He downloaded the information to his file, including her home address, along with Rocklin Rais’s, then studied it for a while, making notes about what to ask Rais during their next interview.

AFTER LUNCH, TAI LINKED to Chuck Paladino. Chuck had told him in mid-March, after he and Elvyra returned from Las Vegas and the wedding of jazz singer Oola Lada, they were winding down Prezly-Paladino Investigations in anticipation of semi-retirement. They were now lecturing a few times a month at Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces about the education needed to become a PI, how private investigators worked, and options open to young people after completing their associate degrees in Criminal Law and Justice. They had asked him and his AI humanoid partner, Olga, to participate as guests in mid-June, the last lecture of the semester.

Chuck mentioned the student audience had doubled since their first lecture on February 15, 2084, and the college hiring committee was considering a renewal of their contract for the semester that started in February 2085.

DETECTIVE VANH REVIEWED his notes on the Rais case and linked to Chuck Paladino.

Hey, Tai, Chuck said. It’s been a while.

More than two years—the Coronada Yuen-Padilla case, he said. But now I’ve got a complex case that might interest you. I could really use your help.

Our pleasure. What is it about?

It concerns a man named Rocklin Rais, who was found Sunday afternoon, April 30, by a real estate agent in a partially vacant house for sale in a suburb of El Paso. He was beaten and shot in the back with a .22 caliber pistol.

Rocklin Rais you said?

Yes. I thought y0u might know him, Tai said. He retired from the Marine Corps last year as a Captain and had been in various intelligence units during his career. He’s currently Head of Security at a small hotel/casino in Reno.

Rocco was the youngest member of our intelligence unit in Kuwait during the Third Iran/Iraq War. He was first assigned to our unit in the Philippines after he completed basic training and a short deployment to Guam. Devonne and I knew him well. Great guy, dependable, smart, spoke Arabic, worked with us in several covert operations. He also spent time at the Marine Corps Intelligence Center in Quantico.

He gave Tai a thoughtful look. But I lost track of him—and Devonne—when I retired. He hesitated as if he were thinking. Dev and I didn’t reconnect until Elvyra and I were injured in the Perennial 23 case. Devonne had also retired from the Corps and had joined the FBI. He had just been transferred from the FBI’s San Antonio office to El Paso and was assigned to the case.

And Rais?

He must have spent a good twenty-five years in the Corps before retiring. He wasn’t there for our unit’s reunion seven years ago.

He’s in bad shape and said his girlfriend is missing. He gave me a description but I can find little about her. He told me he has no idea how he got from Reno to El Paso or when. From the body fluids the CSI found and the blood pooled beneath him, they estimated he spent almost three days on the floor, most of the time unconscious. Maybe you and Mr. Kimbrell could help jog his memory.

Chuck eyes widened at Tai’s description as to how Rocco was found. Where is he now?

El Paso General.

Been there a few times, I know it well, Chuck said. I’ll link to Dev and get back to you. I’m intrigued by what happened and would like to see him.

Chapter 5

May 2. Rocco had been moved out of critical care to a private room and was at last able to eat solid food but, when he lifted the fork to his mouth, the dizziness returned. Doctor Amoroso had taken over his case and ordered a full CT scan of his head and neck. Perhaps there’s a pinched nerve from your lying on the floor immobile for almost three days, which hasn’t shown up on any of the tests we gave you. He checked Rais’s vitals and said an orderly would wheel him to Imaging in a few hours.

AT 1000 HOURS, THE com device next to his bed buzzed and the attending nurse answered. Yes, he’s here. She looked at him. A Charles Paladino wants to know if he can visit you.

Green Eyes?

The nurse handed him the handheld. Chuck. Is it you?

Yeah, Rocco. More gray hair than the last time we saw each other. I heard you got yourself in a bit of a mess. Detective Vanh suggested Devonne Kimbrell and I come to the hospital and visit—moral support and all that.

Cracker, too?

Uh huh, Chuck said. Dev’s now Head of Investigations for the FBI’s office in El Paso. My spouse, Elvyra Prezly, and I run Prezly-Paladino Investigations out of our home in Mesilla, near Las Cruces. We have six-year old fraternal twins, Isabella and Ryan. Devonne lives nearby with his spouse, Gloriana, and their five-year old boy, Devonne, Jr.

My, how the decades have flown by, Rocco said. Married with children... weren’t you married before you left the service?

Yes, almost ten years to Teresa. We had a son, Robbie. They were killed two years after I retired, by a drunken box car driver who broadsided our car, and left me with severe injuries. Took years to get over it.

And now you have a second family?

I do. Elvyra and I married almost seven years ago, but we were together for a while before that.

I could use your help, Chuck. I’m lying here waiting for a CT scan, wondering what happened to my girlfriend, Marta Della Rosa, and how I got to El Paso from Reno. The whole thing is a blank.

Short-term memory loss, typical of head wounds, Chuck said. I was thinking of visiting tomorrow morning. I’ll see if I can get Devonne to leave his desk for a while.

Good, I should have the results of the scan by then. I’m still in a lot of pain and not thinking clearly. The doctor said the amnesia is temporary. Nonetheless, it disturbs me greatly.

I sympathize, Chuck said. I’ve had two concussions and the first one caused long-term amnesia. Even now, I remember almost nothing about the accident that killed my family.

The nurse signaled Rocco to terminate the conversation. The nurse wants me to rest, he said. See you tomorrow. Chuck nodded. Rocco handed the com device back to the nurse and she terminated the link.

I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED to my handheld, he said.

The nurse shrugged. It wasn’t in the bag when you arrived.

Have you burned my clothes yet?

She giggled. ‘I would have loved to, but the police took them as evidence."

I hope they fumigated them first. He sank back against the pillows. The nurse handed him a large glass of water with a straw. You came in here severely dehydrated. We gave you electrolyte fluids in the Emergency Room and there’s a bag feeding into your arm, but you still need to drink as much water as possible, she said. So drink. All of it. And with her help, he did.

AFTER ROCCO RETURNED from the Imaging Department, he fell asleep for a while. Just being moved had exhausted him. A half hour later, an