Talk the Talk

“Get out. Get out of my office know. Get out of my office before I have you chopped off at the knees.” Was the bellowing sound of the chief coming from his office. Then the sound of papers rustling could be heard followed closely by a quickly moving Big Willy. Ducking a pencil as he exited the chief’s office he slid around the corner. Moving at Star Trek warp speed he moved into the room and then out of breath he flung him self into the nearest chair as everyone else watched in amazement.

“Am I late?” Big Willy asked.

“Son in the words of some famous person who’s name escapes me at this time. You would be late for your own funeral.” Bill chuckled as he turned back towards Jim at the front of the room.

Big Willy turned forward also to the sounds of squeek, squeek, squeek. You could here Jim writing notes in a bullet type format on a white board. Red ink for the most important was how he explained it. Blue was given secondary status and those would be looked into after the others. The list had nearly a dozen different attributes to it and Jim began to go through them as he saw fit. First and foremost in his mind was the car. It was in red and at the top of the list. Looking towards Debbie he asks her, “Can you find me a black and silver two tone nineteen seventy eight Corvette? I think we are talking the Indy racing one. Work your way up in years from there. Should be as good a place to start as any”

A love affair between Corvettes and Jim had been there since growing up as a teenager and he knew the car well. For a couple of years he had owned a seventy six stingray himself and had hated to part with it when it got to expensive to maintain. Knowing that Chevrolet had come out with a silver anniversary addition Corvette in nineteen seventy eight helped him decide where to start the search for the vehicle Mr. Smitt’s had seen. He was pretty sure that the anniversary edition was the first year they painted it like that and that it wouldn’t be hard to find. Debbie said that it wouldn’t be a problem and she would get right on it, she thought she would have a detailed list in about an hour if she started now. Then she quickly got up and went to her desk to work on her task as the meeting continued.

Next on the list were the words BIG WILLY spelled out in red bold letters. Jim knew this was an important traverse to send someone on. Vital information could be gathered from people in and around the area of the murder. Someone needed to get that information and relay it to him so he could analyze it. While Big Willy may have been the most annoying cop around he was at least capable enough to ask pertinent questions to help the investigation Jim thought. Plus being annoying might be just the right trait to get under someone’s skin who might not want to give up information. In the past Jim could remember people telling Willy things to get them out of their hair. Hopefully that would come in handy this time. “Will, got a job for you my friend.” Jim said.

“Well of course Jim, I see you have my name in big red letters up there for something important as usual.” Big Willy thrust out.

Looking Big Willy straight in the eye and with as much confidence as he could muster Jim said, “Intel. Intel has won wars and lost wars Willy. I need as much of it as you can get. Start near the crime seen and work your way out about two and a half to three miles. Ask if anyone saw anything on or about Saturday. Get specifics if you can. And don’t leave a single stone unturned.”

“Uh hun, Ok, Sure thing.” Big Willy said as he wrote it all down in his note book. “You want me to get going now?”

“Yes sir can’t think of a better time.” Jim retorted.

With those last words Willy vaulted out of his chair heading for the door and gave Bill a rye wink as he breezed by. Finally as he left the room the noise had simmered and all eyes peered to the man leading the group. They knew he was willing and able to handle this case and they were willing to do what ever it took to help him get the killer.

Jim began handing out different assignments to individuals in the room. All looking for clues some small some larger but all desperately needed to fine the killer. Bill’s first task was to get with Debbie and prioritize the potential car list she had come up with. Jim asked for an update from the coroner but he had no new news at that time because the body had just been brought in. But Doc Harvey was going to work on it through the night and would have some findings on the toxicology report and the majority of the autopsy finished by about ten the next morning he estimated. His cronies the techs would have there pictures developed later that evening and the analysis of the evidence found at the scene would also be done by mid morning. There was some good news, the bullet had been found lodged in the tree and a thirty eight was the first estimate of the caliber. Bad news was it was so mangled it could not be used to be compared to any other rounds from other guns. One of the other officers Jim gave the job of finding concerts that had been performed in and around Charleston. He was to begin with last weeks date and move backwards at least four years and then spread out to the biggest cities along the east coast during the same time period. Once the shirt had been analyzed maybe they could find out more about the victim from the information at the concert. Once his ideas, tasks, and jobs had been passed out he had the officer’s return to their seats.

Pacing back and forth for a good thirty seconds in silence Jim contemplated what he would say next. His thoughts raced in his mind and his ideas bounced around like bumper cars at an amusement park. His tempo slowed and he stopped, looking into the faces in front of him he said very slowly and pausing frequently, “We have very little to go on. All we know, is a young man was murdered by one, or two, or, several suspects. We don’t have a clue on even that yet. I do know one thing though. This is not a typical murder for simple old Goose Creek South Carolina. I believe this was a mob style hit, by someone who was trying to make a name for himself.” He pauses again for a few seconds then continues on, “Well, from what I know the big bad boys in the big bad towns say that it’s not who you kill but how you kill them. I think we have someone here in a little town trying to play like he is in a big town.” Jim shifted his weight to his right foot then moved over to the table and sat on it. He then began speaking again, “You know what. You know what. I am willing to bet this monster thinks he is playing with a small town police squad also. So I think we will use that against him. We will act as if we are a bit unsure of ourselves to the media and don’t be afraid to let it be known that we are absent of ideas.” His pace quickens and his tone picks up, “The word will get around and then they will get a bit confident and make a mistake. That’s when one of you, or I will pounce on them. That’s when the little town cop take’s back his little town.”

As Jim finished his little pep rally the officer’s rose and began to exit the room. Confident is how they looked he thought. That is exactly how he wanted them.

Looking down at his computer readout Bill said, “Got our marching order’s here skipper. Looks like six potential two tones for us to check out. Think we have four strong prospects and two no ways not happenin today’s. So I crossed those two off the list and we can hit a couple maybe three of these places today and the other one or two in the morning.”

“Sounds good, let’s get going.” Jim said.

As the two of them walked out the door Bill says to Jim, “Hey Jimbo what’a ya think? Do you think after we question these folks they will let me take the car out for a test drive?”