Chapter 8

 

Once the shirt was bagged, Francis called the coroner who came to pick up the evidence and arrived five minutes before Mr. Rhinert.

            As the coroner van was just about to drive down the road, loud music was heard, and a shiny red Chevrolet Camaro LS7 turned the corner with Jay-Z's "99 Problems" blasting from the speakers. Once the driver saw the coroner van and two detectives and a teenage boy standing on his lawn, he stopped the car in the middle of the road and turned off the music. A tall black man arose from the driver side and stared at the scene before him.

            He looked to be about 7'5" and was wearing a navy blue suit with matching shoes and tie, and black shoes. He had short black hair and a very loud voice for he cried,

            "What the hell's going on?"

            And pointed to the van.

            "Gentleman, I think we've just met Mr. Rhinert," said Mark, as Francis and Richard followed Mark as he headed towards Mr. Rhinert.

            "Hello Mr. Rhinert," said Mark, smiling as he stuck out his hand towards him.

            Mr. Rhinert didn't shake it and instead cried,

            "Who the f**k are you?"

            "I'm Detective Flinn, Mr. Rhinert and this is Detective Malcolm," said Mark as he gestured towards Francis.

            "Who's the kid?" asked Mr. Rhinert, a bit quieter now.

            "That's my son, Richard."

            Richard didn't smile but just nodded towards Mr. Rhinert.

            "And what the hell you all doing on my property?"

            "We hate to tell you this, but your wife has been murdered," said Detective Malcolm trying to sound calm.

            "Murdered!" cried Mr. Rhinert, getting loud again.

His voice came out high and shrilled.

Francis and Mark nodded.

"Who the hell would murder my wife?"

"That's what we're trying to find out," said Mark. "Mr. Rhinert, if you don't mind me asking�""

"It's Lucifer."

"Lucifer, I was wondering if you could tell me where you were just now."

"I was driving up north from Toronto."

"The Mabels told me you were on a business trip."

"They're correct."

"What's sort of business do you conduct?"

"I'm a lawyer, detective."

Oh s**t, thought Mark. This is going to be a fun case.

Francis didn't look too pleased with the news either.

"And may I ask where you were staying?"

"At the Hilton."

Jesus, this guy's got money, must be a good lawyer.

It made Mark wonder why the Rhinert's cottage wasn't two stories high with a golf course in the back. He guessed they didn't flaunt off their royalties that much.

"May I ask what room?"

"Two forty-one."

"Do you by any chance have the number of the hotel?"

Lucifer put his hand into his right suit jacket pocket and pulled out a small white business card and handed it to Mark.

Mark nodded and stuffed the card into his black jeans pocket.

"May I ask when my wife died?"

"Tuesday evening," replied Francis.

It was now Thursday.

"Tuesday!" cried Lucifer. "And you didn't call me? I've been away from this place for a week and no one called me?"

Mark and Francis felt pretty stupid right now, especially when they were now face to face with a lawyer.

"No one knew where you were, Mr. Rhinert," replied Francis.

"Call me Lucifer."

"Very well, Lucifer."

Mark could see how hard Francis had forced the name off his tongue.

"And I told Patricia where I was but that damn woman's always forgetting things. Obviously told my wife, but she's dead."

To Mark, it didn't seem Lucifer was very saddened by the news or maybe he hid his emotions very well.

"How'd she die?" asked Lucifer

"Shot with a twenty-two caliber pistol," replied Mark

"And what 's the time of death?"

"Eleven in the evening."

"I see. You wouldn't still have her body here by chance?"

"No, it's at the lab with the coroner."

"But the coroner's here," said Lucifer, motioning towards the van.

"He just came to pick up new evidence."

"What's the evidence?"

"A blood stained shirt that was lying in the bay close to the Mabel's dock."

"Damn, you guys've been busy. Well if you don't mind, I'm going to hop on the band wagon," said Lucifer, meaning the coroner van, "and see my deceased wife. Would you two mind driving my car right beside that lovely Hybrid over there?"

Lucifer handed Mark the keys to the Camaro and then headed towards the coroner van.

Mark, Francis, and Richard watched as Lucifer began talking with the driver and soon the passenger door opened and Lucifer climbed inside.

The three watched as the van drove down the dirt road.

"Charming fellow," said Francis, as the van passed them. "Why don't we throw his Camaro in the lake? I think it belongs there more than it does on the lawn."

Mark didn't say anything as he got into the Camaro and started the ignition. Before Mark drove off, he looked through the already open window and said to his son,

"Rich, tell mom, I'm going to be coming home late tonight. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day."

"But dad," argued Richard, "You said I was going to help you solve the case."

"I doubt it'll be solved by tonight, Rich. If Mr. Rhinert's our man, we might not even get him. Lawyers are like viscous dogs, they keep biting and barking until they've ripped you to pieces."

"Oh."

"Do you really want to see your old man get slammed by a lawyer? You could see that Mr. Rhinert wasn't exactly the most helpful with us."

"He did give you the number of the hotel he was staying in."

"Even if I do get that confirmed, the story will have already been twisted so I'll never know. After Lucifer's in the lab, he's probably going to run to a phone booth and bring down the entire law firm down here to save his hide."

"So you're not going to call the Hilton, dad?"

"What's the point, Rich."

Richard nodded.

"Alright I'll go, but if you solve the case, you better tell me first."

"You'll be the first to know, but I always tell you my cases."

"There have been some I'm pretty sure you skipped."

"That was to save your ears and erase my memory."

"Good luck, dad."

"Thanks champ."

And Mark watched as his son ran down the dirt road heading towards his cottage.

Francis backed away as Mark parked the Camaro beside his Hypbrid. He put up the windows up, locked the doors, and got out of the car.

"What now, Mark?" asked Francis, as Mark slammed the door.

"We wait for my surprises."