Relics

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Book: Read Relics for Free Online
Authors: Maer Wilson
usually paid us in whatever they could, but most often it was information that led to monetary gain of some kind. Treasure information was one kind we usually liked – a lot. I was just wishing it wasn't over so many dead bodies, especially the tiny one. I had a feeling Jenna was going to haunt me long after she was gone. I didn't realize that Thulu and I would soon be opening doors that would change our lives forever.
    “What about me?” came from the girl who had come in right after Robin.

Chapter 5
     
    I spent the next hour taking names and getting as many facts from the victims as they could remember. One went as far back as Jones's teenage years. I also noted what they wanted or why they thought they were still here. The picture that emerged was far from pretty. Jones's reign of terror had been going on awhile. In fact, I was a bit surprised that none of these folks had stumbled on me and Thulu in the past.
    I left Jane until last. The rest of Jones's victims were gone, except for Jenna, who was still with Parker. I went over what I learned with Thulu. Jane listened while I reviewed the information.
    Jones was in his early thirties and had dominated a large area's local crime for the last twelve years. He was a handsome man and could turn on the charm when he felt like it. He had alternately charmed and terrorized his way up through the different groups that held sway in what he considered his area until he had his own gang.
    I refused to call it an organization. That would have been too elegant a term for what he had. A crime gang is a crime gang, no matter what fancy name they put on it.
    Jones's rise through the ranks had been fast and ruthless. No one who crossed him was around long enough to tell about it.
    He ran a bunch of dealers, thieves and an occasional killer. His thugs thought they were princes of their streets, but they were really just more trash that had blown in from here or there to make the average guy's life hell.
    The picture we got was that Jones usually preferred to do his killing personally. He supposedly considered it entertainment and got a thrill from watching the light die in a victim's eyes. Anyone could fall to his sudden temper.
    Most of our information came from Blake Dodd. He'd been one of Jones's guys before making a joke at Jones's expense. It was the last joke he ever made. While Blake was a wealth of information, even he had no answer for my big question. How had Jones gotten away with all the murders?  Someone had to at least suspect something. My internal alarms were screaming that something wasn't right about this guy. I mean other than the obvious fact that he was a stone cold killer.
    “Okay, Jane, what can you add?  And how does the locket tie in?”
    “The locket was, as I said, a present for my granddaughter. It seems such a small thing now compared to all these people.”
    I nodded my understanding.
    “Still, if it could be found, after you do whatever it is you intend to do –” She paused, then asked, “What do you intend to do, by the way?”
    “We'll find some way all of you can be at peace and move on. There must be some kind of justice we can find for you.”
    “Well, after you do justice, I'd appreciate if you could help with the locket.”
    I'd seen this kind of obsession by the dead in the past. The locket gave her a focal point. The message of love to her granddaughter outweighed justice for her killer. Jane was one very interesting lady.
    “Okay Jane, you said the locket was in the nightstand, right?” asked Thulu.
    Jane nodded, probably relieved that I we would continue to examine this aspect of the case. Naturally we would though. She was here first.
    “Yes. And afterwards, one of them ransacked the drawers and took the box. I don't know what happened to it after that.”
    “All right, Jane. We'll get some pics for you to look at. See if you can identify the thief,” Thulu continued. One of the local detectives went to the same dojo as Thulu

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