9 comments/ 24313 views/ 0 favorites Cupid's Revenge Pt. 01 By: DG Hear By DG Hear & Jake Rivers Jake and I have written a few stories together and also have used songs to write opposite stories. In addition, both of us have written stories along with other authors using different song titles. This story is a collaboration with us each writing this story using our own thoughts. We want to thank LadyCibelle and Techsan for their editing of this story. Prelude: The dealer of death stood in the doorway, rocking back and forth on his feet. A man of no conscience, he mused once again what a great business selling drugs had become; you just had to get them hooked and they were forever customers until they died. Lighting up a smelly black cheroot, he thought he saw a ghost of movement on the rooftop across the street. Being in a chancy business, he was always cautious, and blowing out the match, he backed deeper in the doorway. He stared hard at the roofline, seeing nothing, but ... a glimpse of streetlight reflecting on something in the air and ... pain. A sudden intense, choking pain in his throat brought him to his knees and his last fleeting thought was a realization that he had been hit with an arrow. An arrow, by God, when his enemies were loaded with enough arms to start a revolution in a small third world country! His death leaked to the ground in rapid red pulses. This dealer of death was out of business, and lying in the gutter in a pool of what had been his blood. This was Cupid's first revenge and it occurred in the early morning hours of Valentine's Day. * Part 1 Here we were, waiting for the captain to start our morning meeting with all the detectives, undercover officers and patrolmen in attendance. This was a regular morning ritual. We sat and the captain gave us our daily log. Why did I feel today would be different? I was a guy so I didn't have women's intuition. Must just be something in the air. It was only a month to Valentine's Day and someone was going to get the shit assignment. It's happened every year for the last three years. The captain entered the room; he always started our day with something interesting or funny. "Everyone be seated and we'll get this meeting under way. We have a lot to discuss this morning," said the captain. "There was another case of underestimating the ammo requirements." The captain looked like he was reading from an official paper. "As reported earlier this week, some dirt bag that got pulled over in a routine traffic stop in Florida ended up shooting the deputy who stopped him. The deputy was shot twice in the chest but luckily was wearing a chest protector. The assailant left the officer lying there and fled the scene. The officer made it back to his radio and called it in." All of us were sitting there shocked; hearing that one of the good guys was injured. "The officer is okay but had severe chest bruises from the bullet impact. He is back on the beat," remarked the captain. "Good men are hard to keep down." We all clapped knowing one of our own was okay. "What happened to the assailant?" asked one of the officers. The captain continued, "A statewide manhunt ensued. The lowlife piece of human garbage was found hiding in a wooded area with his gun. SWAT team officers fired and hit said low-life sixty-eight times. "Now here's the kicker: When asked why they shot the guy sixty-eight times, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd told the Orlando Sentinel ... get this, 'That's all the bullets we had.' God bless Sheriff Judd!" We all laughed after we realized it was a joke. The captain had a way of telling a story and making it believable. He continued his meeting. "We have our usual problem this year trying to find Cupid. As most of you know, he has been killing people for three years now and has to be caught. I am assigning Jim Hartly and Charlie Weaver to the case." Aw, shit! I'm Jim Hartly and I got the assignment nobody wants. This Cupid fellow has caused the city havoc for the last three years in a row. Every year he kills one or two scumbags. He only does it on Valentine's Day each year. That's why it's so hard to catch him. To the best of our knowledge, he only does it on that day and only kills scumbags. The captain added, "We all know that being a vigilante is wrong, but this character does what the rest of us can't. Shoot first and talk later. In his case, talk never. The clues have been pretty dry." The odd thing and the reason we call him Cupid is that he does his killing with a bow and arrow. The person who catches him will be both cheered and booed. I really didn't want to be the person to catch him, but now it was my assignment. "Captain, who's this Charlie Weaver fellow and why is he assigned to this case?" "It's a detective coming in from the fifth precinct - supposedly an archery specialist. I hear that she won the archery competition two years running and is one of the best in the state." "She? Did you say she, Captain?" As we were talking, a woman walked into the meeting room. She was a real stunner with frizzy hair the reddish-orange of a sunset and a body that would give you a hard-on just to see her. Rather than movie star pretty, she had the sweet girl-next-door type of loveliness. My mouth dropped open just looking at her. I thought she looked too young to be a detective but I found out later she was just a year younger than me. "Captain Shivers, I'm Charly Weaver. I've been assigned to your precinct to help bring in the Cupid killer." "Welcome, Detective Weaver. You'll be working with Jim Hartly here if he can get his mouth closed." I felt a bit embarrassed, "Captain, isn't this assignment pretty dangerous to have a woman in the part of town we'll be in? Especially one as attractive as Detective Weaver? We have to go door to door and talk to lowlifes who knew some of the victims." "First off, my name is Charly with a 'y' but my friends call me Charlie with an 'ie' on the end. Second, if that was a compliment, thank you, but I'm very capable of defending myself, even without a bow and arrow," she smiled. Wow, this gal had it all. It would be interesting to work with her as long as I could keep my thoughts in the right place. I apologized to her, trying to explain that it wasn't that I didn't think she wasn't capable, but I was just concerned about the areas of the city we would be in. After the Captain's meeting, Charlie and I headed out to our unmarked vehicle. Funny they called it unmarked, but every scumbag in the city recognized our vehicles. The other detectives teased me as we left. It just put a smile on Charlie's face. We headed over to the donut shop (yes, we eat donuts) to discuss the case. Charlie just had coffee while I ate a cinnamon roll with my morning dose of caffeine. "Have you read up on the Cupid character?" I asked Charlie. "I've been following it for years - three years to be exact. It's almost sad taking out a person who is getting rid of the scumbags for us, but the law is the law. I've read the histories of the victims. Every one of them has been involved in violent crimes: murder, rape and drugs to name a few. That probably means that we are going after a revenge killer but he probably is connected to all three cases. We need to go back to the beginning, ... back to the first case and see if we can get clues from there," replied Charlie. Damn, I thought; a body, brains, and looks. I wondered where she had been all my life. I wanted to know more about her. I knew, since we were going to be working together, that we should know about the other's background and how to protect each other's back. I came up with an idea that I would review the first two years' worth of cases and Charlie would go over last year's case. We would then get together to compare notes and voice our different opinions. She agreed that it would be a great way to start. We headed to our archives building and pulled the files on all three years' worth of Cupid murders. We were surprised that there was so little information. We figured that the different agents reviewing the cases didn't have their heart in it. After all, Cupid was doing us all a great favor by getting rid of the scumbags. --------------- A little background on me. I enlisted in the service right out of high school. I trained to be an Army MP, (military police). I enjoyed it. For a young guy, it made me feel a little powerful. I know a lot of people won't like that statement but I'm just being honest with you here. After returning home, I trained at the local police academy. With my background as an MP, I was pretty much prepared for the training. I started on the police force at twenty-three years old. My parents were proud of me. I came from a middle class working family. I had three sisters: two older and one younger. We fought a lot when we were kids but as we grew up we became close and I was kind of their protector. Maybe that's where wanting to be a cop started. I'm now thirty-five and work as a detective. I went undercover for two years and it just wasn't for me. I've been married twice, both ending in divorce. My first wife, Sandy, was kind of my girlfriend in high school. She wrote me while I was in the service. For everyone in the service, letters from home were a Godsend. When I returned home, we were married inside of two months. We were too young and immature to be married. I started on the force and got the really shit hours. She wanted me home more and that just didn't happen. We argued more than we made love. We only lasted two years. Thank God, we didn't have any children. Don't get me wrong; I like kids, but I believe they need a secure family with both a mother and father at home. We divided what little we had in the way of assets and each went our own way. Sandy really was a sweet girl but we just weren't meant to be. She ended up getting married about two years later to a guy who worked in a credit union. I see her from time to time and we talk a little. I guess there is always a spot in our heart for old flames. She's the mother of two kids now, and seems very happy. Monique was my second wife. After my divorce with Sandy, I began going out a lot. Monique was a hostess in one of the establishments I frequented. She was a combination hostess/waitress. We started dating and after about six months, we flew to Reno and got married. Our life was pretty good for the first two years. It was then I took the undercover job. I stayed in another city and came home to see Monique whenever I could. She didn't mind me taking the job at first, but it got old to her pretty quick, always being home alone. Most readers can figure out what happened. I came home unexpectedly one day and Monique wasn't alone. She was with some guy from the club. They were sitting and drinking on the sofa. They still had most of their clothes on but there was no mistaking what had been about to take place. A very scared Monique started crying as I grabbed her date and with his arm behind his back threw him out the door and onto the lawn. He had trouble getting up since his trousers were undone and fell to his ankles. I told him if I ever saw his sorry ass again, I'd kill him. Those were my exact words. We lived in a rented apartment. I told Monique that I was going to my parents' to stay. She wanted to talk but I told her there was nothing to talk about. She chose to be with another man and it didn't look like she was being forced. I told her to take whatever the hell she wanted. The next time I came home, her sorry ass better not be there. She was crying as I walked out the door. She was totally wrong in what she did, but I had to wonder if my job and not being around led her to finding love in the arms of another man. She tried to talk with me, but I couldn't be with her anymore. I cared for her; I really did, but I knew I could never trust her again. I actually cried after our divorce. I just couldn't make it work. I realized my job didn't mix with being a husband. After I finished my last undercover job, I applied to be a detective. I've been one for two years now. I didn't keep regular hours, but I didn't have anyone to come home to anyway. I stopped by to see my parents regularly and also my sisters and their families. I do date, but do my best not to get serious about anyone. I let them know right off the bat that my job and marriage were not a compatible combination. The detectives and officers who make it work have my utmost respect. ----------------------------- I kept going over the information on the first two murders. The crime scene and information was so similar. Granted, the killings were done with a bow and arrow, but there were witnesses in the second murder. They weren't good ones but they were witnesses. In the first killing, a man was killed standing in a doorway. We knew that he was a drug dealer. The victim was supposedly alone and found by passersby. No witnesses whatsoever. The crime scene investigators said that someone must have been on the roof of the buildings across the street from where the victim was standing. He received an arrow straight to his throat. The roofs were checked but no identifiable prints were found. The killer didn't even leave shoe prints at the first murder site. He must have put some type of painter caps over his shoes. There were no leads at all. As explained, the murder was done on Valentine's Day. All the family members were talked to, but no results. What friends we found out he had were mob connections and, as usual, no one was talking. The police even waited for a few of the victims' contacts to show up and arrested them for trying to buy drugs. No one cared for this scumbag but no one had a clue as to who killed him. The second killing was different. The MO was similar but it didn't seem right to me. This time the dope peddler, our so-called victim was also a pimp. Again, the killer was on the roof across from where the victim got out of the car to talk to one of his ladies. Now there was a witness. Only, all she saw was a person dressed in black who disappeared from the roof immediately. She had no other information to share other than the victim was her boyfriend. The crime scene investigators found boot prints this time. They came from a size eleven boot that could match a million pairs of boots. It was a common type that could be bought in any shoe store, albeit it was an expensive boot. We did have a picture of the print in case we ever got lucky. We also had a cigarette butt but didn't know if it belonged to the killer. The butts were squeezed and smashed, the filters torn off so we couldn't even get any DNA off of them. The killer must have taken the filters with him. The arrow that was used to kill the second victim was a different type. It was something that I would have to discuss with Charlie. I knew nothing about bows and arrows other than when I watched an old cowboys and Indians flick. I had to wonder if whoever killed the second victim was the same one who killed the first one. I was ready to discuss my findings with Charlie who was going over the last killing. I should mention that all three of these cases were open. It's just that they happened only once a year and the evidence always came up blank. When it got near Valentine's Day, the press would always drag out the old press releases and ask if the department would be able to catch Cupid this year. The captain would assign someone to go over the case history again and hope they were able to stop it from happening again. After the next morning meeting, Charlie and I headed back into the archives room to compare our notes. Damn! She not only looked good but she smelled good too. We worked all morning on the cases. When we broke for lunch, I asked her if she would mind going to a small cafe where we could talk. I wanted to know more about her. She smiled and agreed to have lunch with me. She drove her car over to her place, which was not too far from the restaurant. She had a small bungalow that looked nice in the evening darkness. I drove on over to the restaurant and introduced her to the owners as "a very good friend of mine." That seemed to amuse Charlie. When we got settled down at the table, she asked, "What do you want to know about me?" "You know, just who you are and what's important to you. If we know a little about each other's life and experiences, it will make it easier to work together." She smiled and brushed her hand over her short-cropped red hair, "I found that in the Army it was easier to keep it cut short. Being on the police force, it works out just as well." She paused and gave me a grin than curled my toes a bit, "It's not really as ugly as it looks. When I wear it long and take care of it, it's not all frizzy like this. It's actually my best feature -- I'm sure you'd like it. But you have to wait until I leave the police force before you can see it long. "I get the red hair from a distant relative, Crispen O'Driscoll, who came to this country sometime around one hundred and fifty years ago. He was from County Cork in Ireland and settled in this area as a blacksmith. I guess from the stories he was a real hell raiser, ... always getting into fights and having the ladies chase him. "When I was five ..." Here I interrupted her, "I'll bet you were really cute back then with your freckled, button nose and fiery red hair. I bet you had a temper then, didn't you?" She laughed at that, "Well, I still do. If you hang around me very much I'm sure you will find out at some point. I'll bring in some pictures from when I was younger and you can see for yourself. "Anyway, when I was five I saw Stagecoach on our old black and white TV -- I didn't know about it being a classic and I had no idea who John Wayne and John Ford were. I was enchanted somehow with the Indians shooting at the stagecoach. Some of them had guns but the rest were shooting arrows from their bows. I was amazed how they flew through the air, almost like magic. I didn't realize then, of course, that they were just one more way to kill and that they were dangerous. "I just knew that shooting arrows like the Indians did was what I wanted to do. I used a practiced combination of my sweet charms and my temper to make sure I got a bow and arrows for Christmas. It was a little bow without much power and the arrows had rubber suction cups on the end. I shot at everything in the house and generally made myself a nuisance. I wore that bow out, broke all the arrows, and for my birthday got a much better one with rubber tipped arrows. "It just kept growing, and when I was twelve I joined an archery club and started winning competitions. Mostly it was age group competition against girls, but some of the tournaments were open to everyone. I lost more than one potential boyfriend that couldn't live with my whipping his butt. When I was seventeen, I tried out for the Olympics but just missed the cut. I've improved a lot since then, but I mostly shoot for fun. When I was in the Army in Germany, I competed a lot in local tournaments. I doubt I'll do the state championship thing again." "What about the Olympics? Are you interested in doing that again?" "No, I don't think so. I think with a lot of work I could make the team, but I'd probably have to leave the force for that. And I love what I do and get a lot of satisfaction from it." I nodded at that. I felt the same way. I couldn't see myself doing anything else. "How did you wind up in the Army?" "Well, when I was in high school I could see that we didn't have enough money for college for me. I talked to a counselor and, considering my experience, competing with what amounts to a weapon; he suggested that I should take a look at ROTC. I wound up spending my last two years of high school in the Reserve Officers Training Corps and they paid my way to college, plus they paid me a monthly stipend. Cupid's Revenge Pt. 01 "The stipend was actually pretty good; it started at around three hundred dollars a month for the freshman year, and added fifty dollars per month for each of the remaining three years. I had to go to summer camp for four weeks for the last two years, and I was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant when I graduated. "I made First Lieutenant fairly quickly and was a Captain when I left the Army." "Why did you leave? I would have thought with that much investment you would have made a career out of it?" "Well, that was my plan. But something happened and ... well, I don't really want to get into that." Okay, I could see a sensitive area that I should stay away from. "What about boyfriends?" "Well, there has been a couple over the years. Frankly, I haven't met many men that lived up to what I was looking for. There was a Major in Germany but that's enough about me. What about you? Any ladies in your life?" I blushed at that. She turned the tables on me when I wasn't expecting it. I stammered a little, even though I had nothing to hide. "Sure, there have been a few girls. I guess I'm like you. I've been married a couple of times and now I'm a bit gun shy about getting hitched again. I have a couple of - I guess you could say friends with benefits - but nothing serious." We had a good discussion and we both felt more comfortable with each other. The next morning we sat down together and discussed the case. I explained to her about the differences between the first two Cupid murders. She looked at me as if I might have caught on to something. I asked her about the last killing. "Well, the MO was very similar to your second one, only two people were killed. Either the killer wanted to be seen or maybe wanted to make new headlines," replied Charlie. She explained that the two men were coming out of a restaurant. It was a nice business district and one was shot in the neck and the other in the heart. She mentioned that, since the arrow went through the chest cavity and partially out his back, she felt the archer used a crossbow instead of a combination bow. "Charlie, what is a crossbow and why do you think the killer used one? "A combination bow is more of a standard bow. You hold it in your hand and pull back on the string. As you pull back, it becomes easier to pull, hence the name combination bow. A crossbow locks into place when you pull it back. You also hold them on a horizontal angle when shooting them. It's a lot easier to control and generally would be more accurate to some degree," replied Charlie. "Look over these first two killings. Can you tell which type of bow was used?" I asked. "The arrows were a bit different. What do you think? I watched Charlie study the pictures. Since she was a professional archer, maybe she could see something the rest of us were unable to see. "I don't think the archer used a crossbow in the first killing. The arrow hit his neck and lodged about half way through. Considering the distance of the shot, I have to believe that an arrow from a crossbow would have gone further through the neck stopping at the quill. You know, the feather part," she laughed. "Charlie, I don't think we're dealing with one killer. I believe we have a copycat killer. The last two killings are the same but they seem to differ from the first one." "What? Are you suggesting there might be two killers out there. That doesn't make sense. There have been killings for three years now and only on Valentine's Day. If what you say is true, why did the first one stop and the second one start?" asked Charlie. "I don't know; I just feel it," I replied. "The first Cupid left absolutely no clues. There is nothing to go on. In the other two murders, he let himself be seen and used a different type of bow. Why the change? I believe it's because there isn't a connection with the first murder other than a copycat killing. Why a copycat? I don't know. Most copycat murders are done by those who want attention." "Then who are we looking for, the first killer or the second one? We have a little more to go on in the last two killings. As you mentioned, we have no leads at all in the first one," replied Charlie. "What do we have on the third murder again?" I asked. "Two victims, if you want to call these lowlifes victims. They were getting out of a car to go into a nice restaurant. One was shot in the neck, the other in the chest. First, the driver was hit and then the passenger. There were two other men in the back seat but neither was shot at. According to them, they saw a figure dressed in black on top of the roof on the building across from the restaurant. Just like you mentioned in the second murder." "Did they see his face?" I asked. "According to the investigation report, the archer was wearing a black ski mask and was dressed in black. They found a boot print again, a size eleven. No cigarette butts at the last killing," replied Charlie. We decided to concentrate on the last two Cupid killings. The MO was very similar and we figured that this person would be the one to try again this year. We started comparing the backgrounds of the victims. Victim year two was a pimp who owed money to the mob. Maybe it was a hit, but by who? What person would do a mob hit with a bow and arrow? The two victims from year three were both mob lieutenants. Could it be that someone wanted them dead? Who would be willing to talk to us about it? After we finished, I asked her out for coffee. I didn't really have anything related to the cases to talk about; I just wanted to spend more time with her. Damn! I was falling fast. Over the coffee, we got to know each other a little better. I asked her how she liked the military. "It was great at first. But they still have a long way before women will be fully accepted. What I hated the most -- and it was mostly the macho types in the lower ranks -- was the constant borderline insubordination. Like a guy undresses you with his eyes -- you just can't go running to the Inspector Generals' office every time something like that happens. You just have to suck it up and move on. "Then there was one incident -- I don't really want to talk about it -- something happened that I did have to go to the IG's office. It was whitewashed and I was furious about it. It came down to one of those he said/she said deals. They told me to get a witness, for God's sake. It was beyond plain harassment. No woman, or even a man, should have to put up with abuse." "I haven't seen too much of that here in the police force, have you?" I asked. "No, it's really been good. I've learned to have a tough skin and to give as good as I get. Like last week, another detective gave me a leer and said, 'How would you like to have a real man?' I looked at him like he was a worm, and told him, 'Yeah, sounds good! Damn shame there aren't any of them around here.' "The other detectives all laughed at him and he came by later and apologized." I had fun with her and when I put my hand out for her to shake she surprised me, stood on her toes, and kissed my cheek instead. "I could get used to that," I told her. ------------------- We had our usual morning meeting. The captain told us one of his many stories. It seemed that they fished a body out of the river the night before and he had his mouth taped with duct tape, his hands tied behind his back and his legs chained to two cement blocks. After the autopsy, the captain asked the coroner what the cause of death was and was told by the coroner, "It was the worst case of suicide he had ever seen." After the morning meeting, Charlie and I talked to the captain. We told him about our suspicions and he told us to go after the latest one. He was hoping that another murder wouldn't cross his desk again this year. Charlie and I headed out to the archery range. She wanted to show me the difference between the crossbow and the combination bow. Man, could that gal ever shoot! I guess that's what you do with a bow and arrow. She asked me to try it. She made it look so easy that I couldn't say no. She showed me how to hold the bow and when I pulled back the string and let the arrow go the damn quill cut my wrist. I dropped the bow and grabbed my wrist. I looked over at a laughing Charlie. I told her to stop laughing or I'd put her over my knee. "You wish," she laughed. She was right. I'd give just about anything to get her over my knee. She did stop laughing and applied pressure with a napkin to my wrist till it stopped bleeding. It felt good with her just holding my hand. We headed over to the clubhouse and she wrapped my wrist. She knew everyone in the place and introduced me. Everyone snickered when they heard I got cut my first time out. They were all decent enough people. We ate lunch while we were there and talked about the case. I asked Charlie how good an archer would have to be to shoot and kill at the distance we are talking about. "They would have to be damn near professionals. An amateur might get lucky one time out but to do it consistently, it would take a professional," she said. There were about twenty people in the clubhouse, all archers, while we were eating lunch. I asked Charlie how many of them would be capable of making the shots we were talking about. "None," she replied. "We have a few people who belong to this club who could make that shot, but not consistently. As far as I know, none of them have mob ties. In fact, most everyone in this club were talked to after each killing. They are mostly hunters who go out during primitive weapon season. Most are pretty nice people." "Is there another archery club near here," I asked. "There is one over at the country club. I don't belong but they allow me to shoot there since I won the championship two years running. It's good for their business. I'll call them and let them know that we will be coming over tomorrow." After leaving the archery range, we stopped and questioned the two mob guys whose bosses were killed the year before. They weren't very happy to see us. They kept remarking how inept we were; not being able to find the killer. The guy named Moe was telling Charlie that she should come back alone and he would show her a good time. "You make me sick. You deal drugs to kids and use women as if they are your personal property. Maybe we shouldn't find Cupid. Maybe you're next on his list," replied Charlie. Moe laughed at Charlie and wasn't paying her any respect. He told her she had nice tits. He reached out to touch her breasts when she grabbed his arm, threw him on the floor, and bent his arm behind his back until he was screaming. His buddy John started to interfere when I told him that it would be a big mistake on his part. He just stood back while Charlie read Moe his rights. "You do realize you were assaulting an officer when you tried to touch me. I could place you under arrest and maybe get you locked up for a while," she said, as she sat on his back. "Hey, Lady, I didn't mean any harm. It was just a joke. What if I apologize and we'll let bygones be bygones?" asked Moe. Charlie got off his back and let go of his arm. "Maybe you should try treating women with a little respect. Next time I'll break your fucking arm and then arrest you." After we left, I told Charlie never to get mad at me. I'd love to wrestle with her but would be afraid I would lose. She smiled that beautiful smile. "If we ever wrestle, I may just let you win." Damn! This girl could push all my buttons. I had to admit I loved being with her. I knew that after this case was closed that she would be going back to her old precinct. We headed to the country club the next day. They welcomed Charlie with open arms. I thought to myself, who wouldn't? She had it all. After a few introductions, Charlie was asked if she could demonstrate her prowess in the archery field. A number of would-be professional archers were invited to watch her demonstration. She first used a regular bow and then a compound bow and then a crossbow. I could easily see why she was the state champion. She was fantastic, hitting the bulls-eye every time or damn close to it. Watching her made me wonder about her past. The way she wrestled down Moe and totally despised the drug dealers. I wanted the thought to leave my head. There is no way that Charlie could be Cupid. For one thing, her feet were too small. That thought alone made me laugh. We were given a free lunch and talked with a few of the archers. Charlie told me that some of these guys could easily have mob ties but weren't that good a shot. Then she said, except for Murphy. Lee Murphy was a state champion archer. He was number one till Charlie entered the picture. Charlie mentioned that he should be a politician. He was two-faced as hell and would stab you in the back in a minute. "Tell me more about this Murphy character," I asked Charlie. "He has a gigantic ego problem. He wasn't even in the country when the first murder occurred. After the first Cupid murder, he seemed disturbed. It was as though he was pissed because the Cupid killer was getting attention about being the best archer around. He just won the best archer title a few weeks before. That must have hurt his ego," replied Charlie. I remember watching Murphy during Charlie's demonstration. He stood back and just watched from a distance. He was a limelight stealer and he wasn't in it right now. He came up to our table and said hello to Charlie. He acted overly polite. It didn't take a psychologist to see right through him. He was very jealous of Charlie holding the title for the last two years. After talking to us for a few minutes, Charlie told me that Murphy had invested in quite a few businesses. On our own hunch, we decided to make him our suspect. Charlie had only been on the force a few years and damn near a rookie detective but I was surprised that whoever ran this investigation didn't ask her opinion. I didn't know anyone smarter when it came to archery. After getting back to the office, we ran all the reports on this Lee Murphy. We needed to know if he ever crossed paths with any of our victims over the last five years or so. Also, we wanted to know if he knew Moe or John. They became lieutenants after the killing of their bosses last year. To us, it meant they were connected. This Murphy character had his hands in a lot of tills. As far back as we could check, his businesses were all above board but somewhat questionable. It was hard trying to link him to anything. He sold a lot of items in the archery business. He owned an outdoor equipment store that handled guns and archery equipment as well as almost anything for the outdoors. He owned buildings and real estate throughout the state. We went through his applications for guns and found out he sold guns to both Joe Bowery and Tony Fieaty. These were the two men who were killed by Cupid last year. He sold them their guns three years ago. Again, all the transactions were legal. I went to his store to question him further. Charlie said she would prefer to stay at the station and keep checking the records. She said this Murphy guy gave her the creeps. Besides she knew as much about archery as Murphy did. We checked further and found where he sold guns, albeit legal, to Moe and John also. When I questioned him about the gun sales, he said he didn't remember Bowery or Fieaty. It was too many years ago and he said he sold a lot of guns to a lot of people but that his transactions were all legal and he had the papers to prove it. Murphy did mention that he remembered these guys, Moe and John. They had each purchased a nine mm handgun for self-protection. He then recalled that it was because the Cupid killer killed their friends, and they wanted handguns to protect themselves. When I mentioned that the two men who were killed were Bowery and Fieaty, he tried to act surprised, but I knew better. An archery expert would have kept up with this kind of titillating story, one that the assassination was done using bows and arrows. I asked him further about the Cupid killer and showed him a picture of the arrows that were used. He told us they were standard arrows, a good grade and were used by hunters to kill deer and other larger game. I knew all this because Charlie explained it to me. When I asked him if he sold this type of arrow, he said he did and showed them to me. He told me he sold hundreds of those arrows every hunting season. When I asked him if anyone in particular stood out who might have bought them, he gave me a quick no. He didn't even take the time to think about it. I asked him about the killings and how good an archer would have to be to accomplish it. I showed him photos, and documents explaining the distances. He smiled when looking at the photos like he was almost proud of Cupid's ability; not a normal reaction from someone who was so arrogant as he was. "The archer would have to be better than good; he'd have to be great," said Murphy. He went on to say how hard it would be to kill a moving target at these distances when considering it was nighttime and shooting at an angle off a building. It was as though he was bolstering his own ego saying only a few people he knew would be capable of making those shots. I walked around his store and looked at the bows and arrows, but spent more time looking at all the firearms he had in stock. He had enough weapons to supply a small army. "They're all legal," he said to me. "I have the papers on all of them." I walked over and looked at the boots. I saw some that had a sole similar to the ones I remembered in the pictures of the murder scene. "Best boots in the business," spoke Murphy. "It's the same kind I wear when hunting." "A little expensive for my blood," I replied. "I usually wear government issue shoes. Get reimbursed for them. My size ten and a half is easy to find. What size do you wear?" No one was ever told about the boot print. It was one of the things we kept quiet about." "Eleven's my size. You ought to try a pair. They're really comfortable boots," said Murphy. After our little talk and finding out his boot size, I asked him for a list of people he considered worthy of making those types of shots and he gave me a short list. He said he was capable but didn't put his name on my list, but he did list Charlie. When I looked at the short list and saw Charlie's name, he laughed. * Part 2 out very soon Thank you for reading our story Comments are always welcome and appreciated DG Hear & Jake Rivers Cupid's Revenge Pt. 02 by DG Hear and Jake Rivers This is a continuation from part 1. It should be read before reading this part. Again, we want to thank Lady Cibelle and Techsan for editing our story. * When I got back to the station, Charlie said she found something interesting. The pimp that was killed the second year was also a drug runner. He didn't sell drugs per se, but he did pick up money for one of the mob bosses. I asked her where she got the information and she told me she went out and located the hooker who was with DQ at the time he was killed by Cupid. "What? You went out in that area by yourself? What the hell is the matter with you?" I asked. "Easy, Jim, don't blow a head gasket. I took a uniformed officer with me," she smiled. "Were you worried about me or just think I'm not capable of thinking for myself?" "Damn, Charlie, I'm sorry. Seems like I'm always apologizing to you. I know you're more than capable of making decisions. It's just that... that... Oh, hell, yes, I worry about you. I've never had a woman partner before. I would hate for anything to happen to you," I said. "If that was an apology, I accept it," replied Charlie. "What does DQ stand for? I thought his name was Jerome?" "His name is Jerome. His street name was DQ, for Damn Quick," laughed Charlie. "I didn't make it up; it's what Chantill called him." "What did she have to say about DQ ... I mean Jerome?" "A couple of weeks after he was killed someone broke into her apartment. He was looking for money that DQ never turned in. Some fifty-grand that he told them was stolen from him. She said she never had any money that belonged to DQ. "I found out looking through the police reports that the landlord reported the break-in. Chantill was beat-up during the break-in and was taken to the hospital. When I asked her how come she didn't report it to the police, she told me they told her they would kill her if she did. I asked her who her pimp was now and she said she no longer did that kind of work. "When I asked her what kind of work she did, she told me she worked in an office for her boyfriend. His name was Dan Hughes. He owns a check cashing business on Fifth Avenue. "I showed her pictures and asked if she recognized any of the men. I watched as she quickly went by Moe and John's photos from a stack I showed her. I knew from her facial expression that she recognized them but didn't say so. She actually looked scared. 'Sorry, I don't recognize anyone,' she told me. "I checked the records and Mr. Dan Hughes does own a check cashing business but is also a runner for ... you guessed it ... Moe and John," remarked Charlie. I told Charlie what a fantastic job she had done. I also explained all the information I got from Murphy. When I showed her the list he gave me, she told me that the son-of-a bitch put her name on the list. She did say that his list was pretty good. Everyone on the list was a professional archer, but none of them fit the mode of the cupid killer. There was one other woman's name on the list. I asked Charlie about her and she said it was her older sister, Doris. At one time, she ranked in the top five in the state, but she was now married and had a family. She very rarely shoots anymore. She's too busy being a wife and mother As we walked out to the parking lot Charlie turned to me, "Jim, I'm too worn out to go home and fix dinner. You want to go get something?" "Sure, there's a great steak house just a few blocks from here." After I drove us over, I noticed she waited for me to open the door for her. I was going to do it anyway, but I'm glad she waited. Too many women anymore don't give you a chance to be a gentleman. We didn't talk about the case at all -- just more getting to be friends ... or hopefully something more. We had a great time and the food was worth coming back again for. When I took her back to her car, she stood by my door -- I'd rolled the window down -- and we chatted for a minute. She leaned down to kiss my cheek again but I turned and she found my lips. It was kind of a sisterly peck for a second, and then she kissed me again and it was hot. When she broke free, her face was red and she stared at me for a long moment. Life was looking good. During the following week, we did talk to everyone on the list. We even visited Charlie's sister. We did it more as a family visit rather than as an interrogation. Charlie was right; no one on the list seemed like good suspects for the cupid murders. We kept coming back to Lee Murphy. Something kept telling me he was our best suspect. We needed to tie him to the mob somehow. Why would a businessman and professional archer deal with the mob? If we could only figure that out, we might have our man. ---------------------------- We needed more information on Moe and John. We knew that they bought guns from Murphy. We also knew that they broke into Chantill's apartment looking for the money that DQ said he lost. We figured there must be a connection between Murphy and the two mobsters, Moe and John. We decided to rattle Chantill for more information. We stopped by the check-cashing store the next day. "What do you want? I told you everything I knew yesterday? I didn't do anything wrong. I'm sorry I can't help you. Now please leave," said Chantill. I let Charlie talk seeing she was able to talk with Chantill earlier. "Mind if we look around a little? Where's Dan? We wanted to talk with him," Charlie asked. "Don't you need a warrant or something?" ask Chantill. "Not if you tell us it's alright to look around. Do you have something to hide, Chantill?" "No, go ahead, look around; it's just an office. We give loans and cash checks, that's all." We walked around the office behind the counter. I spotted a large safe near the back wall. "What's in the safe?" I asked. "I don't know. This building used to be a credit union and the safe was here then." There was a door to an adjoining office. I checked it and it was locked. "So who has the key to the safe and the office?" I asked. "Dan has a key. He went to Youngstown on business. He'll be back tomorrow. I don't have a key to the safe or Dan's office," replied Chantill We looked around and I spotted a handgun under the counter. I asked Chantill if it belonged to her. I picked it up and wrote down the serial number. She told me that Dan gave it to her for her protection. I asked her if it was registered and she said she didn't know. "Do you have any other guns, Chantill?" I asked. She didn't answer but I saw her look over at her purse. "Would you mind emptying your purse on the counter? If I need to I will get a warrant and we'll wait here till it comes." She dumped her purse and out came another handgun. "It's for my personal protection. Dan gave it to me." "I take it that you don't have it registered or a permit to carry it," replied Charlie. "No, I don't," replied Chantill. We took the serial number off the second gun also. I used the phone and called in the serial numbers. We'd pick up the report when we got back to the office. "Are you going to arrest me?" "Chantill, we didn't come here to arrest you; we're here to protect you." "Protect me from what? I don't need protecting. I didn't hurt anyone." "From the Cupid killer," replied Charlie. "We heard through the grape vine that Cupid is after a woman this year: someone who knows too much and must be eliminated. We think that female might be you," said Charlie. Of course, we made up the whole story. We needed to shake up Chantill. We figured, if she thought her life was in danger, that she might give us some names. It was nothing but made-up stuff we threw at her. I spoke, "Chantill, we think we know who had your boyfriend, DQ, killed. We need for you to tell us everything you know so we can protect you. We'll give you a new life, in a new town if needed, and you can start over fresh." "What if I just get my lawyer? I don't have to tell you anything." "You're right! In that case, we will let the mob think that you helped us. I'm sure they won't believe you when you tell them differently. You'll probably get a visit from Cupid on Valentines Day. So, Chantill, it's your call." She was crying and said she really didn't know anything. When we asked her who Cupid was, she said she honestly didn't know. "What do you know or what did you overhear? I know you're hiding something. We can't help you if you don't help us," I said. "Will you promise to help me if I tell you what little I know? I never told you guys before but I have a two-year-old daughter. I'm really not sure who the father is, but that's why I got out of the other business. I want my little girl to have a chance at a good life. She means everything to me. She stays with my mother. I try to see her as often as I can." "We'll do all we can to protect you and your daughter but we need something to go on," said Charlie. "Last year Dan came by the apartment one night and we got high together. He told me he heard Cupid was going to make a big hit. When I asked him what he meant he said, 'Two bigwigs are going down.' I asked him who and he just laughed. He didn't tell me anymore. "The day after Valentine's Day I heard that Bowery and Fieaty were killed. I was scared shitless. I always thought it might have been them that had DQ killed, and now they were dead. I never said a word to Dan. I don't think he remembered telling me anything; he was so drugged out. I've kept it to myself ever since," said Chantill. "Are you going to protect me? I can't go back to my apartment now. I have to hide somewhere until after Valentine's Day." "We'll see what we can do, Chantill. We'll do all we can to protect you. You're safe for now. Nothing is going to happen till Valentine's Day. Don't tell anyone about this conversation and you'll be okay. Whatever you do, don't even tell Dan till we get back to you. Your life could be at stake." Later that day, as we returned to the office, we found out that both guns that we found at Chantill's office were registered to men that were dead. The odd thing was that they were originally sold by Lee Murphy. We figured that Dan might have been a go-between, between Lee Murphy and the two mob bosses Moe Headly and John Taylor. We needed a search warrant to have a look in that safe. We asked Chantill to let us know when Dan came back. We knew that Murphy had another outdoor store outside of Youngstown. He also owned some real estate in that area. At one time, it was known to be a pretty rough city. Chantill did say that Dan was her boyfriend but it wasn't a loving relationship. He gave her a job and she was his quick piece of ass, as she put it. She told us at least she was working a somewhat normal job and was able to see her daughter a few times a week. She still had her own apartment and kept to herself most of the time. She visited family but had no other relationships other than Dan that we knew of. Apparently, she had grown a great distaste for men. Judging from her background Charlie said she could see why. At the office, we pulled all the information we could on Dan Hughes. Up until now, he kind of stayed under the radar. His name wasn't really flagged for any type of mob activity. I asked Charlie if there was anything in his records where he might know archery. We didn't want to leave any stones unturned. "All he had was a few small run-ins with the law as a teenager. His worst arrest was having been caught smoking marijuana. Nothing connected him in his early years to Moe or John. There must be a later connection. The cash checking building is owned by a real estate company that Moe Headly and John Taylor started. It was getting late. I asked Charlie out for dinner. She said it was becoming a pretty regular thing, but she accepted. We both drove over to her house that turned out to be an attractive bungalow in a nice neighborhood. We didn't go in, just dropped out of her car and went to the restaurant. We went to a small Italian place I liked. I went there often enough that I'd gotten to know the owners. We both had Osso Buco with a bottle of first-rate Barolo. I think the wine loosened us up and made us appreciate the ambiance ... the pleasantly low light, the cozy setting, and the romantic music. We seemed to sit slightly closer than we had before and both of us smiled a lot. I decided to push a little bit. I got the feeling she liked me but whether it was as a friend or possibly with some level of romantic interest I wasn't sure. I looked at her for a long moment until she looked up from her food, "Charlie, is this like a date ... or what?" She gave me one of those Mona Lisa smiles - one that doesn't give away the feelings behind the smile, "or what." I felt like I had missed something. She gave me a small laugh and continued; "You didn't ask me for a date so this is or what. Before we can have a date you have to ask me. Unless, that is, you are one of those insecure men that don't ask a woman they are interested in for a date, because they are afraid she will say no. I don't really think you are insecure so I have to wonder, are you interested in me?" How did this all come back to me? "Uh, yeah, sure. I can definitely say I am interested in you. Hey, how would you like to go to dinner Saturday at that new French restaurant, Cote Sud?" "I would love to go there. I thought you would never ask. You can make the reservation for eight and pick me up at seven-thirty. You can see my place and we can chat for a bit before we go." How 'bout that! Am I lucky, or what? I thought. The rest of the dinner was nice and she took my arm as we left the restaurant. It felt right. It felt good. On the drive home, I took her hand and held it for a while with no objections. To cap the evening off, I got a real kiss when I dropped her off at her small house. ----------------------- The next day was a busy one. We were going to meet Dan Hughes and were able to get a warrant to check his office and the safe. The judge issuing the search warrant agreed that it was quite odd that this man was in possession of two handguns registered by dead men. We entered his business. Chantill wasn't there yet. We wanted to be there as early as possible. We also had a uniformed officer with us. We wanted to do this by the book. "Mr. Dan Hughes, I'm Detective Jim Hartly and this is Detective Charlie Weaver. We have a warrant to search your premises, office and safe." "What the hell is this? What do you people want? I'm trying to run a business here. You have no right barging here in like this." "First, Mr. Hughes, we didn't barge in. We walked through an open door and told you who we are. Secondly, and most important, we have every right to search your premises. This legal warrant gives us that right. Would you please open the office and safe?" "I don't have the keys with me. I must have forgotten them." "Mr. Hughes, we're not playing games here. You either open the door or we'll bust it in. As far as the safe goes, we'll call in our demolition people and I'll assure you they will open it. Then we'll file obstruction of justice charges against you. Your choice!" He took his keys out of his pocket and opened the office door. He was very leery about opening the safe but unlocked it. We could see he was extremely nervous. Charlie was looking around the office while I was waiting for the safe to be opened. She came out and said that the office looked like it was set up as a money laundering operation. She said she saw scales, counters, sorters and other equipment had been in there. After the safe was unlocked I opened it up and couldn't believe my eyes. "Charlie! Please come over here and take a gander. We found a cache of weapons that were enough to start a small war. There were AR-15s, AK-47s, TEC-9s, also MACs and Glock 17 handguns. Assault weapons had also become the weapon of choice for the newest category of criminal. Because many assault weapons -- such as the AR-15A2, M100P carbine, Ruger Mini-14, Street Sweeper, and UZI carbine -- can be purchased as standard long guns by virtually anyone who is willing to lie on the form, they are a boon to criminals. Assault pistols can be purchased easily by criminals in states with lax handgun laws such as Texas, Virginia, and Florida. From there, these weapons can then be sold to criminals in cities and states with more restrictive laws. Charlie looked at the cache of weapons and told the officer to cuff Mr. Hughes. "We may have not caught the serial killer as yet, but we might have found something a whole lot worse," said Charlie. "They're not mine!" screamed out a very scared Dan. "They belong to the guys I work for." "Dan, you see, we have a big problem here. You have a huge cache of illegal weapons in your possession. They are located in your place of business, your office, your safe, and of course in your possession. If they are not yours, then who do they belong to?" "I can't tell you! They'd kill me." "That's too bad, Dan. You will have a lifetime in prison to think about it. These aren't just illegal weapons but also terrorist type weapons. We'll be turning this case over to Homeland Security. All we need is someone to blame it all on and that body is yours." I turned to the officer, "Take him away." "Wait, wait, they aren't mine. I was just told to go to a warehouse in Youngstown and pick them up and store them for a few days in my safe. You have to believe me. They're not mine." "Dan, we believe you but we need names. Someone is going to be holding the ball on this one and will be put away for a very long time. Right now, that person is you. If you're willing to talk, then we're willing to listen." Right then Chantill walked in. We knew she would be here. We didn't want Dan know that she had talked to us. "What's going on here?" asked Chantill. "Are you Chantill Savoy?" asked Charlie. "Yes. What's going on? Dan, who are these people?" "We'll ask the questions. What do you do here?" "I ... I cash checks and do tax refunds. I work the counter. Why? What's going on?" "Miss Savoy, we want you to come down to the station and answer some questions. You're not under arrest right now but we do need to ask you a few questions. Everything will be explained to you later." We had another unit dispatched to the scene to take Chantill away. We wanted to make sure she would be safe. We were quite sure she wasn't involved in the arms transfer. The phone rang and I answered it. The voice at the other end demanded, "Who is this? I want to speak to Dan." "This is Detective Jim Hartly. To whom am I speaking?" The caller immediately hung up. I looked at the caller ID and it read 'cell phone call' and listed the number. I repeated the number back to Dan and asked him if he recognized the number? "Yes, sir, it was Moe, Moe Headly. He is one of the owners of the firearms." We now had our connection. We took Dan to the station for interrogation. He squealed like a pig in heat. When he got done talking, we had all the information on the connections between Moe, John and the man we were after, Lee Murphy. Our only problem was all we had was Dan's word. There was no paper trail whatsoever, nor any tape recordings, or anything else that wasn't circumstantial. The way it stood right now Dan would be taking the heat. We believed Dan and we felt we could make a case against the other three only if we had enough evidence to make it stick. Dan explained how he got mixed up with Moe and John. He got drunk and gambled till he owed thousands of dollars. He was afraid he would be going to jail or even worse, get beaten up since he didn't have the money, so he looked for someone to loan him the money he needed. It's how he met Moe and John. They offered to pay off his debt, but he would then be indebted to them. Cupid's Revenge Pt. 02 He explained to them that he would need time to pay them back. That's how they hooked him. They told him they needed someone to operate the check-cashing store and he would also have to do a few special favors from time to time. They did mention that he would also get paid for his services. At first, it was a win-win situation for him. He agreed and they considered his debt as paid. It was later that he found out that the store was a front to launder money. Then it was special favors like picking up or delivering drugs and guns for them. They did pay him big bucks but he took all the risks. He knew he was in too deep but had no way out so he just kept doing what they ask. We asked him how involved Chantill was in the business and he told us she was just the counter person and cashier; she cashed checks and did what she was told. He was told to hire her because her pimp was killed and they wanted him to keep his eye on her. She wasn't allowed access to his office nor did she have a key to the safe. Dan told us that usually laundered money and firearms were kept in the safe. They were never there more than a day or so. Someone from the mob was usually there after hours to pick up the stash. The only people he reported to were John and Moe. When we asked him about his trip to Youngstown he told us, he had an address of an old warehouse. He was to go there, load the firearms into his van and drive back. He said there wasn't even a person at the location but he could feel he was being watched the full time. He did what he was told and returned with the firearms and put them in the safe. We wrote down the address and found that some corporation rented the warehouse. We found out it was just a name; the corporation didn't even exist except by name. We checked further and found that a real estate company owned the property. This company sold and rented property all over the state. The biggest shareholder was Lee Murphy. His name kept coming up but this connection was somewhat remote. We had nothing that would hold up in a court of law. We would be talking to him again but we knew we had nothing tangible on him. I had one more question for Dan Hughes. "Dan, you say you want to cooperate with us fully. What do you know about the Cupid murders?" He looked shocked. He had no idea what we knew or didn't know. "Dan, we are going to try to help you but we have to know everything you're telling us is true. So, again, what do you know about the Cupid murders?" "One day I overheard John talking to Moe. They were talking about someone stealing from DQ and told their bosses at the time that they thought DQ hid the money. Their bosses, Joe Bowery and Tom Fieaty put a contract out on DQ. No one would expect your own boss to put out a hit on you. "I heard them laughing that they found the money in the attic of Chantill's apartment. She didn't even know about it. They even beat her up and took the cash. One day I overheard them say they should use the money and have Bowery and Fieaty terminated." "Where did you hear all this information? It's not something they would be yelling out to the world." "I was doing a lot of odd jobs for them. They had me taking a lot of their old records down to their basement and incinerating them. I heard them through the vents. It was at John Taylor's house. It was a couple of days before Valentine's Day. I couldn't believe they actually did it. The murders I mean. From that day on, I did whatever they asked. I knew they wouldn't think twice about eliminating me." "Did they ever mention who Cupid is?" asked Charlie. "No, honest, no names were ever mentioned. I have no idea who it is. Will giving you this information help my case?" "We'll have to check it all out, Dan. If it turns out you told us the truth, we'll do what we can to help you out. You have our word on that. Right now, you're probably safer here in our jail under protective custody than you would be on the streets. As you know, Moe and John are pretty bad dudes." We decided to call on Moe and John again. This time we wouldn't be quite as nice. We were hoping that maybe we could get Moe and John to roll over on Lee Murphy. It was worth a shot. The next day we went to the office of Moe Headley. He and his friend John shared the same office building. It was mostly a front for their illegal operations. They could always be found in the strip joint next door observing the sights. They weren't surprised to see us when we walked in. They were smart enough to know we would find out who owned the check cashing business and check the ID on the phone call they made. Charlie and I sat at the table where Moe and John were sitting with a couple of dancers. "Well, if it's not our two favorite detectives. What can we do for you today?" asked Moe. "Stop the bullshit," said Charlie. "We know about your cache of weapons in the check cashing store. Your friend Dan has spilled the beans. You two are under arrest for the transportation and distribution of terrorist weapons. Also for the hiring of Cupid in the murders of Joe Bowery and Tony Fieaty." Two uniformed officers came in and cuffed our two suspects. "You haven't got anything on us but hearsay evidence. We'll call our lawyers and be out in twenty-four hours," they laughed. The bad part is that they were right. A good lawyer could blame everything on poor Dan. These two scumbags would probably walk. At least we could put them through some interrogation before they were released. Maybe we could get someone to say something we could use against them, We were wrong. Their lawyers were paid good money and told them to just clam-up. We could hardly get them to say their own name. They just sat there. There was no way they were going to admit to anything and especially not tell us who the Cupid killer was. They were going to be out thousands and thousands of dollars because of the confiscated weapons but they knew they couldn't say they had any knowledge of any of it. They just said that Dan must have worked on the deal himself. The two scumbags were bailed out in the twenty-four hour period. We knew they would stay away from Lee Murphy since they didn't want to be seen or even talking to each other. I guess they figured their phones would be tapped, which they were, and would also be followed. -------------------------- Charlie and I needed a break in the action. We went to the new French restaurant, Cote Sud. It was our first real date. We decided that there would be no talk of business. I picked her up at her home. She invited me in and gave me a quick tour. It was a small bungalow, just two bedrooms and one bath, but it was attractively decorated with quality furniture. "While I was in the Army I spent very little of what I earned, so I came out with a ton of cash. I was able to buy this place and redecorate it as you see. It's very comfortable and I'm happy here." I declined a drink figuring we would have enough wine with dinner. We went on to the restaurant, about a half-hour drive away. They had valet parking so we walked right in. We were escorted to a table in a quiet corner. I reached across the table and took her hands. "Charlie, this is our first real date. I really want to know you better. Enjoy the dinner." "Jim, I have to say that I have, well ... feelings for you. I do like spending time with you. Thanks for bringing me to this lovely place." I'd arranged for them to bring us a glass of Champagne before they took our order. It was nice to sip the soft, bubbly wine and chat with a lovely woman. Dinner was fabulous, one to remember. I'd never been there before but I sure would make it a regular place for dining out. Everything was good but the Rack of Lamb we had for our entrée was to die for. We lingered over a nice dessert wine ... I think both of us were happy to make the evening last. She invited me in when I took her home and she made some hot chocolate. We sat next to each other on her sofa enjoying the afterglow of a nice evening. Neither of us said too much -- we were happy just being together. She had a wisp of hair that had come undone, and I reached over to brush it off her forehead; suddenly we were kissing. If the degree of our caring for each other was measured by the passion of our kisses, we had a strong relationship brewing. My hand made its way to her firm breast; she put her hand over mine and pulled it tighter to her body. We were like that for a few minutes, kissing, while I massaged her breasts. Suddenly she broke away, face red and almost panting, "Jim, please stop. Please!" I felt bad about it and when she saw the hurt on my face she said, "No, Jim, it's not that. It felt wonderful. I ... I really think I'm falling in love with you. I have some ... problems or issues I guess you could say. I need to tell you what happened in Germany. "Please, Jim. Don't pull away from me -- just give me time." I put my arms around her and pulled her tight. "Charlie, I'll give you all the time in the world. I was drawn to you the first moment I saw you at the station and as we worked together it has grown stronger." When I left, she gave me a kiss at the door and I knew she meant what she said about caring for me. I drove home with a smile on my face. I cared for Charlie. I really wanted to know more about her. She had to return to her old precinct one afternoon to attend a trial on one of her previous cases. I decided to go visit her older sister again just to learn more about Charlie. I knocked on the door and her sister Doris remembered me and invited me in. She asked about Charlie and I explained she was in court and seeing I was in the neighborhood, I thought I would stop by and say hello. She offered me a cup of coffee and we got to talking about Charlie; I told Doris I cared for her sister a lot. I mentioned to her that Charlie told me about how much she loved archery and about her past in the military, but felt bad she wasn't there for her younger sister's funeral. Doris explained, "Charlie was coming home from Mainz where she had her best results in Germany when her best friend, a German girl named Gabi, skidded her Audi off the autobahn and was killed; left Charlie ended up in the hospital with severe head injuries. "Two weeks later she got word that the day after her accident, our sister, Marie, had died of a drug overdose. She felt deflated that she had missed the funeral and really didn't know much about what had happened. After that, her interest in an Army career paled and when her eight-year commitment was over, she resigned her commission and returned home. "After arriving back home she tried to find out more about our sister's death but there was really very little information. A police officer she talked to, and became friends with, convinced her to apply for the police academy. Before she realized it, she was a police officer and because of several retirements quickly became a detective. "She was able to get a copy of the police report on Marie's death -- which had been filed as "... death due to unknown causes leading to a drug overdose." There were a couple of names in the file and she vowed to track them down as she had time. "Charly has kept up with her passion for archery and had been the state champion for the last two years. Our family is so proud of her," said Doris. I drank my coffee and said goodbye to Doris. I now knew more about Charlie. I was falling for her and nothing would change that. -------------------------------------- It was only a couple of days till Valentine's Day. We had one last shot. We had to go back and pay a visit to the always egotistical Lee Murphy, the man who felt he was unstoppable and untouchable. "What brings you two back into my store?" asked Murphy. "We have a few questions about a cache of illegal weapons we found. They were picked up in a warehouse that is owned by you and is located outside of Youngstown." "Owned by me? What warehouse would that be?" he asked. We explained where the warehouse was and he said he didn't recall ever being there. He said that the real estate company that he has, owns a share in a lot of warehouses. Maybe it was one of those. "I can't be held accountable for every building that is rented. Probably some young jerk trying to make a quick buck instead of working hard for his money like I do." It made me sick to even hear him talk. Someone lost a ton of money on these confiscated weapons. We didn't know if it was Moe and John, or Murphy. Someone had to be seething over it. "So, what's the latest with the Cupid killer? Think he'll strike again? It's only a few days from now," laughed Murphy. I knew it was getting to Charlie. She decided to plant a little seed in the mind of the egotistical Murphy. "No, not this year. We think we scared him away. We kept going over the murder scene and decided he wasn't that good of a shot anyway." "What do you mean, not a good shot? Didn't he kill two people last year?" asked Murphy. "Yes, he did, but first he used a crossbow which made it a lot easier. Then we figured he missed his mark by hitting the second victim in the chest. He was probably lucky he hit his heart," replied Charlie. "I disagree," said Murphy. "I believe he aimed for the man's chest and shot him right where he wanted it." "Get real, Murphy!" said Charlie. "Any amateur can hit a man in the chest. The target is so much larger. Why would Cupid shoot all his victims in the neck and then decide all of a sudden to shoot one in the chest? I'll tell you why! He lost his confidence and was afraid he'd miss hitting the second victim in the neck. That's what I think." "I hate to break-up this debate between you two but I wanted to mention to you that we might have gotten a break on the Cupid murders," I said. "What kind of break?" asked Murphy. "We have two suspects that we are questioning in the firearms debacle. We are talking to their lawyers now about a plea bargain. They are willing to tell us not only about the firearms but would be willing to give us the hitman in the Cupid murders for the right plea bargain. Too bad, we had to let them out on bond. "We're meeting with the Attorney General about this case. It was too big for the prosecutor; we have a meeting set up for next week. We might be able to kill two birds with one stone, as they say." "Who are these suspects?" asked Murphy. "Sorry, we have to keep this one under wraps. There is just too much at stake. Hopefully, you'll probably get to read about it next week. Well, we better get going." We left Murphy looking nervous. Was he going to take the bait? If he contacted Moe or John, it would be all over. Dan would be the one holding the bag. I had to wonder what was going through Murphy's mind. Charlie must have made him feel inferior which I doubted he could handle. If he had any thought at all that Moe or John would turn on him, he'd have to do them in. If they were like most mob bosses, they would be taking their wives to a fancy dinner on Valentine's Day. Time would tell if Murphy took the bait. We said a little prayer to God for some help on this one. It was now Valentine's Day morning. Charlie and I were hoping we were on the right track. We had Chantill in protective custody; hopefully for her own good. Dan was arrested and charged with having the illegal weapons. Everything he told us seemed true. Now we needed proof. Through our street people, we knew that Moe and John were taking their wives to a fancy restaurant for a Valentines Day dinner. Their dinner reservation was at seven. Charlie and I were hoping that we weren't wasting our time. It was a bit chilly out, and here we were, hiding on top a roof wondering if the serial killer Cupid would show. Everything led to Lee Murphy as Cupid, but, did he take our bait and would he show up to kill Moe and John? We honestly didn't know. We sat quietly on an adjacent roof drinking hot coffee and were talking about how much nicer it would be sitting in the restaurant having a Valentine's Day dinner together. About an hour later, we saw movement on the roof next to ours. It was the Cupid killer. He was dressed in black and had a compound bow. It made Charlie smile knowing she got to him. We kept very quiet. It wasn't but a few minutes later, but seemed like an hour, that Moe, John and their wives were coming out of the restaurant. The valet had just brought them their vehicle. As they were standing just outside the vehicle we saw Cupid draw his bow. As he pulled back, I stood up and said, "Stop, Police! Drop your weapon." It startled him and he released the arrow. It went through the side of the vehicle. We heard screams but no one was hit. It drew away our attention also and Cupid quickly reloaded and aimed his arrow at me. Charlie who had her gun drawn fired and hit him in the shoulder at the same time he released his arrow. The arrow caught me in the chest. She fired a second time hitting him in the other shoulder. The next thing I remembered was waking up in the hospital the next day. Sitting there next to my bed was Charlie. "Hi, Big Guy. How are you doing? The doc said that you got the arrow in the stomach but it will heal. You'll be sore for awhile." "I owe my life to you Charlie. I made the rookie mistake and looked away. If it weren't for you, I would be at the funeral home. What happened after I passed out?" I asked. "You know of the two quick shots in his shoulders. I fired a third. I wanted it to be between his eyes but I knew better. I shot him in the leg and he went down. Backup showed up and he's in this hospital with armed guards." "Was it Lee Murphy? Did we call it right?" I asked. Charlie smiled. "You were right! It was Murphy. He didn't go out quietly. His ego took over and he boasted about how he was the Cupid Killer and took out all the scumbags. The press was there eating it up. He said he was just ridding the city of scum. He took credit for all the killings. He said there were no copycats. He was the original and only Cupid." Charlie leaned down and gave me a kiss and I floated back into dreamland. Epilogue: In the coming weeks, everyone was spilling the beans. Lee Murphy said he was paid big bucks to take out the scumbags. His ego meant more to him than the jail time. He wanted to ride this as far as he could. The shots from Charlie tore the ligaments in his shoulders and he would never be a professional archer again. He wanted to go out with everyone thinking he was the best. Moe and John turned the tables on Murphy and said he was behind everything. Homeland Security, the Attorney General, and the FBI were all involved with putting these criminals behind bars for life. Chantill got a reprieve and was released. She was now back home living with her daughter. Dan Hughes is still negotiating on the charges against him. We did put a good word in for him and said that if it weren't for him, this case would have never been solved. That leaves Charlie and me. She went back to her precinct but we see each other regularly. She told me there was something that she had to tell me if we were to become an item. I told her it could wait until after the cases were closed. But then, that's another story. Jake Rivers is considering doing a Sequel to this story about Jim and Charlie if there is enough reader interest. Let us know what you think. Thank you for reading our story. Please send all comments and feedback to Jake Rivers or me, DG Hear