Villains One Case of the Smooth Operator

By JOHNNY G's

The streets of Detroit become a maze of terror as the killer zeroes in on unknowing victims and escalates more tension as the public loses fate in their Police Department. With time ticking till the next kill, a detective is called back on duty to add five detectives in the hunt for a serial killer, who has been killing girls and leaving them in the public to be found. With the pressure on, one of the media alerts the public, the detectives find themselves all over the city until the case turns even more deadly for them. As the killer set his eyes on a new target, with the city griped in fear Detective Avenue uses all his skills to stop the killer before he completes his mission.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781645844150

Book preview

cover.jpg

Villains One Case of the Smooth Operator

JOHNNY G's

Copyright © 2019 Johnny G’S

All rights reserved

First Edition

PAGE PUBLISHING, INC.

New York, NY

First originally published by Page Publishing, Inc. 2019

ISBN 978-1-64584-414-3 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-64584-415-0 (Digital)

Printed in the United States of America

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

INTERMISSIONVILLAIN’S ONESECOND ACT

INTERMISSIONVILLAIN’S ONETHIRD ACT

About the Author

The sky is dimming into darkness. The sun is just going down into the horizon as clouds cover what the sun has left behind. The air becomes cool on this spring afternoon. It’s 9:20 p.m. in a partially deserted park. A car pulls off the main road doing about thirty-five miles per hour. The car goes into the parking lot area then parks at a spot near the restrooms. The car shuts off with only its headlights on and music blasting. The bass from the music rattles the window of the old newly painted GTO.

The last family began to pack up and head home. One of the children takes a look over at the GTO as it sits there three car spots over from them with loud music blasting. One of the kids tries to see inside, but the tinted windows are too dark. After a few moments of this, her mother grabs her arm and tells her to come on. She and her mother get into the car with the rest of the family. The girl gets into the backseat, still staring at the GTO as she and her family leave from the park.

Soon after the family has left, the GTO’s engine starts up. The engine revs up twice, then the GTO jumps the parking lot curb and onto the grass. The GTO speeds past the restrooms, heading for an open area, going about sixty-five miles per hour and, without warning, does a spin turn to the left, sliding across the grass, and heads for an area covered with trees and bushes. The GTO goes to an passes trees then makes a right turn that puts it on a dirt path. The car goes down the path and makes a left, goes through some bushes, and stops with a slide in another clearing. The music goes off, and the car door opens. The driver gets out with the car still running and closes the car door. He stands there next to the car and lights up a cigarette and sits back on the car door and watches the sun go completely away and glances at the stars. After smoking the cigarette, he drops it on the ground and steps on it. He heads to the back of the car, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out a small remote control. He pushes the button on the remote, and his trunk unlocks. He opens the trunk up. The moon can be seen over his right shoulder from inside the trunk of the car. He puts the remote back into his pocket and, with both hands, reaches into the trunk and pulls out a large bag. He lets it sit on the edge of the trunk, then unzips the bag and with a good yank causes it to empty. The body of a young woman hits the ground. He puts the bag back into the trunk, then looks down at her lifeless body. Her eyes are open with a blank stare. After a few moments the driver closes the trunk and gets back into the car. The car takes off, causing dirt and mud to fly over the corpse.

It’s 11:22 a.m., thirteen hours have passed, and the park is covered with police. A helicopter circles the park in the air. Over half of the park has been blocked off, and the police are combing through the park’s wooded area. They also have two teens in custody in the backseat of a squad car. A couple of detectives are looking under the sheet that is covering the body. One of the detectives is taking pictures of the area. A K-9 unit just pulls up to where the body and detectives are. Also pulling up is the lieutenant in charge of the scene. The lieutenant gets out of his car and walks over to the crime scene. He is greeted by Jacky Ramsey, a detective working on the case.

Lieutenant: What do we have here, Detective?

Detective Jacky Ramsey: We have a young female in her teens, about 145 pounds, black with infliction wounds across the throat area.

Lieutenant: Any signs of rape?

Detective Jacky Ramsey: No, we won’t know until the autopsy.

Lieutenant: Any suspect?

Detective Jacky Ramsey: Not at this time. We just have the two kids that found the body.

Lieutenant: Get someone to run them to the station. Once you’re through with them, notify their parents.

Detective James Ramsey comes over to where Jacky and the lieutenant are.

Detective James Ramsey: We’re just about finished. The coroner is taking the body away. We bagged all the clues in the immediate area.

Lieutenant: Good. We’re going to meet at the conference room down at the station. Hey, Sanchez!

Detective Sanchez: Yes, Lieutenant.

Lieutenant: Could you come over here for a minute. I want to talk to you.

Detective Sanchez comes over.

Detective Sanchez: "How are you doing, Lieutenant?

Lieutenant: All right, yourself?

Detective Sanchez: Good, so what is it?

Lieutenant: I just want to know what you think of this situation. (walking over to her left.)

Detective Sanchez: It has the same MO as the last four.

Lieutenant: That’s what I was afraid of, damn. Well, let’s keep a tight lid on this. I don’t want the news or papers to get wind of this.

Detective Sanchez: It’s getting hard with each murder. Soon the media will know.

Lieutenant: Do you know what that will do to this investigation? Panic, fear, even the killer will have more coverage. Solving the case will be even harder, plus put us on a time limit.

Detective Sanchez: We’ll just have to work round the clock and maybe some more people to work on this case.

Lieutenant: The captain is already working on that, plus a new partner for you.

Detective Sanchez: Woooow, that’s all I need right now, to break someone in. What are they, a rookie?

Lieutenant: No, he’s worked on cases before. His file should be on your desk by the time you get to the station. I think the captain will bring him in sooner than expected.

Detective Sanchez: I just hope he’s up to the job and doesn’t slug behind.

Lieutenant: I hope so too. I’ll see you later down at the station. Hey, fellas, I will see all of you down at the station! (Looking at everybody else around.)

Meanwhile in a quiet neighborhood, a lady is sitting on her porch, sipping on a cup of tea. Her son, Mark Avenue, comes out of the house and sits next to her on the steps with a cup of tea in his hand.

Mother: So, soon you’ll be back to crime fighting.

Avenue: Yeah, maybe this time it will be a new experience.

Mother: Are you sure you’re ready to be out there?

Avenue: Yes, Mama, I know you’re going to worry, but I got to do something. And I’m good at my work. (Looking down at his tea, holding it with both hands.)

Mother: I know you are, son. I just don’t want to lose another son to some bastard high-wielding a pistol.

Looking over at him.

Avenue: Well, what do you want me to do, serve burgers, wash cars? That’s not me, Mama.

Mother: Avenue, I just wish you would go back to school and find something less dangerous.

Avenue (with a smile): Mama, the whole world is dangerous. (Then takes a sip of tea.)

Mother: I still think of Anthony’s death and what almost happened to you.

Avenue (he puts his arm around his mother): Mama, I don’t want you to worry. But you have to remember, I’m not a baby.

Mother: Well, you’re still my baby.

Avenue: All, Mama. (Starting to blush.) How about we go in the house and chow down on some of that fried chicken I fried.

Mother: With some mashed potatoes?

Avenue: Word.

Mother: Shoooot, I haven’t had nothing to eat all day.

They both get up and go into the house.

It is eleven hours later. The time is 11:47 p.m., and Avenue is in bed sleep. The phone rings twice before he rolls over and picks up the phone.

Avenue: Hello. (Still half asleep.)

Lieutenant: Hello, is Mark Avenue there?

Avenue: Yes, speaking.

Lieutenant: This is Lieutenant Fields. I was calling because we need you to come back a day early, if you wouldn’t mind.

Avenue: No, not at all. What time do you want me there?

Lieutenant: At roll call. We’ll brief you on the case, and you will meet your new partner. I know you don’t want one, but this case is thin like air. It looks like we have a phantom here.

Avenue: I’ll be in anyway. I’ll deal with that later. Bye, Lieutenant.

He hangs up the phone.

Avenue rolls over onto his back, looking straight up. An image of his brother flashes in his mind, then of a man with a gun, then an image of himself shooting the man with the gun after hunting him down in the rain. After that, he falls asleep. The next morning Avenue arrives at the station about twenty minutes late. He gets there just in time to see the end of roll call. He stands in the back of the room and listens to the end of the briefing. The lieutenant spots Avenue and walks over to him.

Lieutenant: Mr. Avenue?

Avenue: Yes.

Lieutenant: Hi, I’m Lieutenant Fields. (Putting his hand out.)

Avenue: How are you doing? (Shaking his hand.)

Lieutenant: Fine. Oh, you’re late. (Looking at his watch.)

Avenue: Yeah, I had to help my mother open the shop. It’s in a rough area.

Lieutenant: Well, it’s all right. We are just getting started.

Avenue: So there’s no problem, right?

(The lieutenant pauses for a second.)

Lieutenant: I guess not. The captain would like to speak with you.

The lieutenant leads Avenue to the captain’s office.

Avenue: So how is the captain?

Lieutenant: What do you mean?

Avenue: Is he a hard ass? Is he cool, funny?

Lieutenant: Put it this way. (Stopping at the office door.) He’s fair.

The lieutenant opens the door, and they go in. As soon as they enter the office, the captain gets up from his chair.

Lieutenant: Officer Avenue, this is Captain Picard. This is—

Captain: I know who he is. Welcome back to the front line, Detective.

Avenue: Captain. (Shaking his hand.)

Captain: So, are you ready to catch the bad guys?

Avenue: Hope to put them away.

Captain: Good. The lieutenant here will show you to your desk and any other things you need to know to bring you up to date. You will have full cooperation from this station.

Avenue: You sure?

Captain: You got my word.

Avenue: All right, I’m going to hold you to that. See you later, Captain.

The lieutenant and Avenue leave out of the office.

Avenue: The captain is pretty cool.

Lieutenant: Yeah, just don’t cross him.

Avenue: Ha, got no plans on that.

Lieutenant: Got no (under his breath). Before I show you to your desk, I wanted to introduce you to your partner and the other detectives on this case.

Avenue makes a face then proceeds to follow him. The lieutenant takes him to a room where five detectives are.

Lieutenant: Hello, detectives!

EVERYONE: Good morning, Lieutenant!

Lieutenant: We have another player on our team, fellas.

Everyone comes over to the lieutenant and Avenue.

Lieutenant: This is Detective Avenue. Avenue, this is Detective Butler.

Detective Butler: How are you doing? (Shaking Avenue’s hand.)

Detective Avenue: Fine. Yourself?

Detective Butler: Good.

Lieutenant: His partner, Detective Dick Goins.

Detective Avenue: Fore real, HA HA. (Putting out his hands as Goins tries to shake his hand.) Naw, just kidding. (Shake his hand.)

Detective Goins: I always get a reaction.

Detective Avenue: I’m not surprised.

Lieutenant: This is Detective Jacky Ramsey.

Detective Jacky: Pleasure. (Shakes hands.)

Detective Avenue: The same. (Smiling.)

Lieutenant: And her partner, Detective James Ramsey.

Detective James: How are you? (Shakes hands.)

Detective Avenue: Good. You two are?

Detectives Jacky and James (same time): No Relation.

(Then they walk away.)

Lieutenant: They just have the same last name.

Detective Avenue: Okay, it’s different. Never heard of that before.

Lieutenant: Now for the main event, this is Detective Maria Sanchez, your new partner. (Stepping back out of the way.)

Avenue and Sanchez look at each other up and down a few times.

Detective Avenue: How are you doing, Detective Sanchez? (Putting his hand out.)

Detective Sanchez: I’m doing just fine, Detective Avenue. And yourself? (Shaking Avenue’s hand.)

Detective Avenue: All right. (Looking directly in her face.)

Detective Sanchez: Um, so is there any problem?

Detective Avenue: Oh no, I just thought I was teaming up with another fella, that’s all.

Detective Sanchez: You sure you don’t have a problem?

Detective Avenue: Yeah, everything is cool, no problem.

Lieutenant: Now that that’s over, let’s get started. Butler, you can start the meeting.

Everyone except Butler sits down. Butler walks over to a wall and pulls down a screen with pictures and writing on it. The pictures are of the murder scenes at different angles and are very graphic. Butler pulls a pointer out of his inside coat pocket, extends it out, and starts.

Detective Butler: What we have here are pictures stemming from the first murder all the way to the most recent one.

Detective Avenue: Excuses me.

(Butler stops.)

Detective Avenue: How long has this been going on?

Detective Butler: The first murder was discovered a month ago, give or take a day.

Detective Avenue: You mean you have MO of a serial killer and nobody knows?

Lieutenant: We haven’t label these as the work of a serial killer or serial killers. Once we do that, the public must be informed.

Detective James Ramsey: And with that comes the problem of zeroing in on a suspect.

Detective Jacky Ramsey: Which we don’t have.

Lieutenant: And time is running short. That’s why Avenue was called in early. We’re low on man power, and with this being an election year, the boys upstairs want someone in custody before there’s a backlash toward this department. (Looking over at Avenue.)

Detective Avenue: So what is the MO on these murders? (Looking from the lieutenant to Butler.)

Detective Butler: Well, besides them all being students, they were all killed in the same manner, with a cut across the throat area or strangled. And they all were placed in nearby parks.

Detective Avenue: Were any of them raped?

Detective Butler: No, we don’t have the report from the coroner about the last case. But if it’s the same person, I doubt it. We know for a fact that the victims were never in contact with each other.

Detective Avenue: So y’all think these are random killings?

Detective Sanchez: No, we think it’s someone who hangs out at the high school bashes.

Detective Avenue: High school bashes?

Detective Jacky Ramsey: Parties thrown by radio stations for the high school crowds.

Detective Avenue: They still do that?

Detective Sanchez: I’m afraid so.

Detective Butler: We think the killer is meeting his victims there, picks them out of a crowd for some reason, then proceeds on stalking them from that point on.

Detective Avenue: From what I see on the board, victims two, four, and five were found midweek. (Pointing with his pen.)

Detective Butler: Yes, they were, but these parties are not just on weekends. Tuesdays, even Thursdays, they are being held.

Detective Goins: We have set up stakeouts and have had undercover go in and mix in the crowd. The only thing we got so far is a few troublemakers. This is a hard area because we don’t have a profile.

Detective Avenue: I would like a few hours to absorb all this information, so I can catch up with everybody.

Lieutenant: The two folders in front of you contain all the information on all five cases. Detective Sanchez will bring you anything new that comes in, as well as answer any question.

Detective Avenue: Cool. (Picking up the folders and getting up from his chair.)

Lieutenant: Okay, that’s the end of this meeting. I want Butler and Goins to go to the crime lab and see what they got on the last victim. Jacky and James, y’all are on fieldwork. Swing by the girl’s family’s house for more statements. I think we have two weeks before the lid is blown off this case. Let’ move.

Avenue follows Sanchez out of the room. She shows him his desk, which is in front of hers.

Detective Avenue: Is there a place in here to get some coffee? (Putting the folders down on the desk.)

Detective Sanchez: Yes, I can get it for you. How do you like it?

Detective Avenue: Lots of cream, lots of sugar.

Detective Sanchez: All right.

Avenue pulls out his chair, takes his jacket off, puts it on the back of the chair, and sits down. Sanchez comes back to the desk with the coffee. Avenue has already started looking through the file.

Detective Sanchez: Here’s your coffee.

Detective Avenue: Thanks.

Detective Sanchez: If you need any help, I’ll be at my desk.

Detective Avenue: Bet.

Avenue starts to read the statements of the first case, statement from family and friends. A couple of hours pass, four to be exact, and Avenue has just finished reading the last case. He closes the file then spins his chair around, facing Sanchez.

Detective Avenue: I’m finished, so what’s next?

Detective Sanchez: You’re finished? It took me six hours.

Detective Avenue: What can I say? I got into it.

Detective Sanchez: We can go do some follow-ups, maybe catch something passed over.

Avenue gets up from his chair and grabs and puts on his jacket. Then he and Sanchez leave out of the station. They get into Sanchez’s car. The car takes off away from the curb with a jerk.

Detective Avenue: This is a big car. (Looking around.)

Detective Sanchez: Yeah, It’s a 1980 Fleetwood. It used to be my father’s.

Detective Avenue: Was he a cop?

Detective Sanchez: No, a janitor. He gave me the car after his janitorial service took off. Plus I love big cars.

Detective Avenue: This a lot of car to love.

Detective Sanchez: Cruse Vile is my road dog.

Detective Avenue: Cruse Vile?

Detective Sanchez: My car. (Smiling.) Everything works in this car. What do you drive? A park, Avenue.

Detective Avenue: Naw, right now I have my mother’s Gran Fury till I get on something. So how long have you been a detective?

Detective Sanchez: About three, going on four years. Before that, I worked beat for seven.

Detective Avenue: I’m sure you have read my file.

Detective Sanchez: Yes, I have. Very impressive, you damn near went from cadet to detective.

Detective Avenue: I did work a beat for eight months, but since I took a year off on leave, it doesn’t matter now.

Detective Sanchez: I also read about what went down with your last partner.

Detective Avenue: And if you got the entire story, you will understand when I tell you I don’t want to talk about it. If there’s one thing I learned from my old partner, it’s everyone is a suspect.

Detective Sanchez: I hear that.

Detective Avenue: That’s why I was acting strange earlier. I really didn’t want a partner, but I didn’t have any say, so…

Detective Sanchez: Look, I’ve been partnerless for three months, and I was getting used to it. (Taking a left turn.)

Detective Avenue: So what happened to your partner, if you don’t mind me asking?

Detective Sanchez: Oh no. He just went into another career.

Detective Avenue: He’s a lucky man. I don’t think I can find another occupation to get in.

The Fleetwood pulls into a parking lot and parks at the park where the last victim was found. They get out of the car and walk down a dirt path. The path leads them into a wooded area. After two minutes of walking on the path, they come upon the crime scene.

Detective Sanchez: This is where we found the last victim, Lisa Smith.

Detective Avenue: I recognize the area. Goins takes good pictures.

Detective Sanchez: We know the car she was in entered the park from the other side. We spotted tire marks. I say the perp drove over the grass, through the woods, down the path then here, then killed the victim.

Detective Avenue: And you estimate the time of death around seven.

Detective Sanchez: Between seven and nine.

Avenue goes over to where the body was and squats down and puts out a pen and holds it over the tire marks.

Detective Avenue: What time does this park close? (Looking up at her.)

Detective Sanchez: About eight p.m.

Detective Avenue: I think you are partially right. I think he drove across the park at a nice speed, came down here, stopped, and dumped her body and kept going.

Detective Sanchez: How do you figure that? (Crossing her arms.)

Detective Avenue: This is the exact spot, right? (Pointing.)

Detective Sanchez: Yeah.

Detective Avenue: Well, look at the skid marks before and after the spot. The skid marks before the spot curves, the car has some power because the first skid marks are broad, much weight in the back. He chose this spot. From his second skid marks, car had less weight, tracks not as deep, I think she was in the trunk, and already dead. (Standing straight up.)

Detective Sanchez: Because of where the spot is?

Detective Avenue: Yep, and he knows the area too. I say the dumping took three to four minutes, give or take a minute. I like to take a look at the other scene before this one and talk to friends of Lisa and the one before.

Detective Sanchez: Why?

Detective Avenue: Because they’re the freshest. These girls met this person away from their family, and if Butler and Goins’s theory is right, which I doubt…

Detective Sanchez: Why you say that?

Detective Avenue: I just don’t know. It seems too perfect.

Detective Sanchez: Well, I and the Ramseys think it’s someone in the school. But the only thing we came up with is a substitute teacher working there.

Detective Avenue: That’s logical.

Detective Sanchez: We checked the work list of the school, and there were over a hundred names.

Detective Avenue: That is better than that party thing. What time is it?

Detective Sanchez: About one ten.

Detective Avenue: You think we can stop somewhere for something to eat?

Detective Sanchez: No problem.

Avenue