Tailspin

I raised my hands up in the air in surrender. "OK . . . OK," I said. "Let me just say goodbye to Candy."

I walked over to Candy, who was watching me.

"Look Candy. I have to leave, but this isn't the end of it. I'll call you later. We'll get together at your house. OK?"

"OK Max."

She was in a daze. So was I.

* * *

I stepped outside Bailey's into the hot sun. I sat on the front step and put my head in my hands.

Fuck, my best friend was dead, and I didn't get to say goodbye.

I felt as if my life was in a tailspin and it would only be moments before I crashed and burned.

* * *

The time to mourn was later. Now was the time to find out what the fuck was going on. If Bickel was going to stonewall me, there were other ways to get around him. My first call was to the coroner's office. I knew the Chief Coroner, Nancy Wilborn. She and I worked together on a couple accidental drownings in the Ohio River back when I was a rookie. She was in her late 50's, probably very attractive in her earlier days, but the job and her chain smoking habit took a toll on her. She was a no bullshit person.

Thankfully she picked up my call on the first ring.

"I figured you'd be calling," she said in a raspy voice.

"You're right," I said back.

"Our field examiner has ruled the death inconclusive. At first blush it looks like she tripped and fell backwards, but given the angle of her body, it doesn't quite match up."

"And Bickel's pushing you."

"Of course. He wants every death to be accidental. Then it doesn't affect his stats."

"Asshole," I said.

"Flaming," she added.

"So when are you going to make the call?" I asked.

"When we can bring her here to the morgue to perform a full autopsy. Until then I can't really tell you."

"Thanks Nancy."

"I'm sorry Max. I know Maddy was a good friend of yours."

"The best."

"Yeah. Well anyway, I'll let you know when I do."

* * *

Inconclusive. I smelled a rat. Maddy never carried beer up those stairs. She had a bum shoulder. Nancy would see that in the autopsy. My guess was that someone broke her neck and made it look like an accident. But who? I wasn't aware that Maddy had any enemies. And besides, even if she did, murder? It didn't add up.

My next call was to Sky. She was in Homicide. She might have heard something.

"Max, thank God you're calling me," she said.

"You know why."

"I heard. I can't believe it."

"Do you know anything?"

"Being low man on the totem pole I was left in the office to man the phones. Max, Bickel's keeping a tight lid on this. I haven't heard anything."

"You around later?" I asked.

"Any time. Just call."

"Great. I've got to track down Candy. I'll call you when I get a minute."

"Right. And Max?"

"Yeah?"

"I know what you're thinking."

"You do?"

"Be careful Max. Bickel's a shark and his teeth are bigger than yours."

"Don't worry my love. I may be smaller but I'm the one with the harpoon."

* * *

I called Candy. No answer. I decided to go to her house and wait outside. She had to show up eventually. I changed back into my civvies at the station and drove to her house in my Civic. It was dinner time, and I'd picked up a burger and a six pack. I ate the burger and was on my third beer when I saw headlights coming down the street. I checked my phone. 8 p.m. It was Candy's car. I got out when she pulled into the driveway.

She was sitting in her car. I tapped on her window. She looked at me like a deer in the headlights. I opened the door for her. She didn't move.

"Max?"

"I'm here babe. Let me take you inside."

I took her arm and led her to the front door. She handed me the key and I unlocked the door.

We stepped into her house. It was a modest three bedroom ranch.

"Hungry?" I asked.

She looked at me with a blank stare.

"OK. Not hungry," I said out loud. "Do you want to talk or go to bed?"

"Bed."

"Let's get you in the shower, OK, then bed."

She nodded her head.

I walked with her into her bedroom. I asked her to point out her pajama drawer. I picked out a pair for her to wear. We went into the master bath. I turned on the water, with my hand under the shower head until the water was hot.

"C'mon," I said. "Let's get you in the shower." I helped her as she struggled to take off her top and pants. Then I helped her with her bra and panties. I couldn't help but admire her body. I hadn't seen her naked in years, but the sight of her brought back memories of those half dozen times we made love. I was a sucker for women with curvy bodies and Candy's was curvy in the right places.

I helped her in the shower and watched her as she washed. This wasn't the time to have those thoughts so I ignored the pangs of sexual hunger I was feeling when I saw her soaping her breasts. When she finished I handed her a towel. Her curly blonde hair was almost straight from the moisture, water droplets falling to the floor. I helped her dry her hair before she dried the rest of herself. I led her to the bed and handed her the clean pair of pajamas.

She sat on the bed, tearing up. I sat down next to her and put my arm around her, careful not to touch her bare breast.

"We'll get through this Candy."

"We will?"

"I promise."

She looked at me forlornly. She put my hand on her breast. I felt a spark.

"Max? Please love me. I need to feel something good. Please?"

I was so tempted. So tempted. But it didn't feel right and I was sure we'd both regret it later.

I took my hand away. I handed her the pajamas again.

"Go to bed. I'll stop by tomorrow morning to check on you, OK?"

She looked disappointed but not surprised.

"OK Max."

"Good night Candy."

The drive home was the longest in memory, not in miles but in perceived time. So much to unpack. Maddy, Candy, Bickel, the "accidental death." It was all a dark, angry cloud, swirling in my mind.

Chapter Three

Hitting Bottom

Cause of death - Upper cervical spinal cord injury caused by hyperextension of the neck.

Type of Death - Undetermined.

That was the tentative conclusion in the coroner's report issued three days later.

Candy was holed up in her house. The bar was closed indefinitely. Sky told me that there was no movement on Maddy's file, and that Bickel was going to call it an accidental death so no further investigation was warranted. My best friend was dead and I felt completely helpless.

My only consolation was in the bottle. I hit it hard every night, drinking myself into a stupor just so I could fall asleep. I felt like I was at the bottom of a well, with no light penetrating to the depths of my despair. Maddy . . . her smiling face . . . never to be seen again. Why? I kept asking myself that question.

I couldn't get out of bed. I stopped eating. I finished the case of discounted vodka. When I finished the last bottle I heaved it towards the waste basket. It hit the rim, bounced off, and splattered the remnants of the vodka on the wall. The room reeked of peppermint vodka.

It was late at night. I dragged myself out of bed to make a vodka run. I staggered into the liquor store in sweats and my slippers. The store was empty. Nigel's eyes opened wide in horror when he saw me.

"Max, you truly look awful."

"I feel awful."

"Tell me," he said.

I told him everything. Maddy, Candy, Bickel, the stairwell, Maddy's shoulder, and my pissoffedness that nothing had been done and that her case was being buried along with her.

After my tale of woe, Nigel said, "I think for the first time I'm going to tell you that you need a drink."

"I do Nigel. More than you can imagine."

He packed up six bottles. I handed him my credit card. He handed it back.

"Get out of here Max."

"I want to pay."

"I'll square it with the boss," he said. "You need to work out something far more important."

When I was shuffling out, Sharon called out to me. I waved to her.

Sharon gave me the once over. "Max, who died?" I'm sure she wasn't expecting she guessed right.

"My best friend."

Her cockiness was gone. This was the real Sharon, or whatever the fuck her name really was. Her voice was sincere and apologetic. "I'm sorry Max, I truly am."

"What's up?" I asked.

"Bickel's arranging a party sometime soon. Said he came into some money."

That tidbit perked me up.

"Really, when?"

"Don't know. Said he'd call me. Usually calls me the same day. Guess he needs to sneak away from his wife."

I gave her my card. "Call me when you know. In the meantime, do you need anything?" I asked her.

"This one's on the house," she said.

* * *

I called in sick. No reason to show up to work drunk. Everyone in the station knew Maddy was my best friend. Odette as much as told me to take whatever time I needed. Nicky, Alessandra and Lesley texted me every day. I didn't feel like seeing anyone, not then. I did stay in touch with Sky, but only to keep tabs on the moribund murder investigation.

My break came the next day when I was sitting in my room feeling sorry for myself. It was Sharon. Maybe this was the break I'd been waiting for.

"Tonight," she said. "I reserved room 208 at the Royal Palms. 8 p.m. He should be high as a kite by ten and fucked out by midnight."

"Thanks Sharon."

"Max?"

"Yeah?"

"Make sure you rough me up. I don't want Bickel to suspect it was me."

* * *

It was on. I had already hit bottom and I was going to take Bickel with me. I called in and got Lesley and me assigned to the graveyard shift in the West End. Odette didn't question me on this unusual assignment. She knew I was up to something but didn't want to ask. Before I left I set a hair in the door. No one had revisited my apartment since I noticed my room had been tossed.

I met Lesley in the locker room and briefed her on my plan. It was a bit before 11 p.m. We drove the cruiser to the back of the Royal Palms, with the lights off, so no one would notice us. We waited in my room until midnight. We tiptoed over to Room 208. We could hear loud voices inside. I looked at Lesley and she looked back at me. I gave her the thumbs up. I had a master key (management had given me a master months ago) and used it to quietly unlock the door. We burst in flashing our badges.

"Police, motherfuckers!" I shouted when we entered.

Bickel was on the bed fucking a younger woman on the bed doggy style with Sharon watching. They all looked at us startled. Lesley took a few incriminating pictures on her phone. I went over to Sharon and tossed her to the side.

"Get out of the way bitch," I said to her, banging her against the wall.

Bickel pulled out of the woman. His puny dick was glossy and hard. The woman screamed. Sharon cowered in the corner. Bickel tried to get out of the bed and stand up, but got tangled in the bedsheets and stumbled to his knees. He raised his chubby hairless body up and started cussing.

"Max, you motherfucker. You know who I am!"

"Of course I do. You're Bobby Bickel. Head of Homicide," I said in a calm, measured voice.

"Then you know you're way out of line." He bent over and picked up his boxer shorts and covered his now flaccid pencil dick. "So get the fuck out of here."

I didn't move a muscle.

"Now why would we do that when we have a clear case of engaging in sex with a prostitute for money?" I walked over to the nightstand and pointed to the coke. "And possession of a controlled substance?"

"It's not mine," he fired back.

"Right," I said, chuckling.

Then I picked up a woman's purse on the floor. I found the wallet and pulled out an ID. I held it up against the woman on the bed, who was holding a bedsheet up to cover her breasts.

"Looks like the pictures match. This is a middle school ID for Constance McBride. You're what honey, fifteen?"

She looked at me wide eyed. "Uh huh."

Bickel became enraged. He stared the woman in the face. "You told me you were twenty."

"I lied . . . sorry."

Bickel didn't know we planted the ID in Constance's purse. It was fake of course. Constance was twenty, but Bickel didn't know what.

"Wow, soliciting, drug possession and having sex with a minor. Bickel, it looks like you hit the trifecta!" I said excitedly, though he was not amused.

His shoulders slumped. I could see his mind running wild - - his wife, his job, his pension, his freedom.

It was time for the good cop, bad cop.

"Now my partner here Lesley, she wants to cut your balls off and make you eat them. You go down on all three charges and learn the pleasures of gay sex in prison. Is that right Lesley?"

"Eat them and like it," she chimed in. "And I want front row seats when the guys in prison line up to take you for their bitch."

"Now Bobby, I'm the reasonable one. I know you've been fucking with my friend Skylar at work, and I know you're earning some serious cash on the side. Let's say we come to an accommodation and all this goes away?"

His eyes narrowed. "What do you want?"

"You have your thirty in. I want you to put in your retirement papers, now. I want you to put Sky up for promotion to Detective Second Grade. She deserves it and you know it."

"What else?"

"You tell me where you got the money."

"No."

"Gosh Bobby, the last time I checked, unlawful sex with a minor for a guy your age carries a minimum sentence of twenty years. That's a lot of butt fucking to catch up on."

Lesley went behind him and pinched his flabby butt. He jumped.

"I'm sure it's just the right size for some serious backdoor loving," Lesley said, winking at him.

He was a beaten man and it felt good. I stared at him. He knew I was holding the winning hand.

"All right . . . but she can't know it came from me," Bobby (the fat fuck) finally conceded. He saved me from having to break one of his fingers. I would have enjoyed that. Oh well.

Then I thought about what he said.

She? There were two women who instantly came to mind.

"Don't worry Bobby. I'm not going to tell anyone. I don't need to. Who is it? Who gave you the money?"

More stares. Submission.

"DaVanna."

Fuck yes. That meant Bobby was the leak. DaVanna paid him for information, which she passed on to Lily. Bobby was in everybody's pocket. But did she also pay to slow down Maddy's investigation?

"What about the Maddy Bailey investigation? Did she pay you to pump the brakes?"

"I can't tell you that. I only promised to tell you who gave me the money."

No, he didn't have to. I knew it was DaVanna. But why? Bobby wouldn't know that.

"I want to see your notes on the investigation," I told him.

"And that's it?"

"That's it. You walk."

"OK," he said.

"My partner Lesley has some very compromising photos which she's dying to share with your wife and the Chief. Keep your end of the deal. I'll be by your office tomorrow to review the file."

"And you," I said to Sharon and Constance, "get the fuck out of here and forget everything you've heard. If I as much as hear a peep out of either of you I'm going to get you thrown in jail."

They left, but Sharon winked at me on the way out.

* * *

So now I was pretty certain I'd plugged the leak. And I got Bickel off of Sky's ass. I couldn't wait to tell her the good news. It was late, but fuck it, she was single and this was too good to sit on overnight.

"Hello?" Sky said sleepily. My princess.

"It's Max."

"Max, it's 1 a.m."

"I know, but this couldn't wait."

"You won the Powerball . . . "

"Well, no . . ."

"Bye . . ."

"Wait . . . wait Sky."

"What is it Max? I have the early shift tomorrow."

"Bickel's retiring."

"What?" Suddenly she was wide awake.

I told her about Sharon, Bickel's perverted habits (she laughed heartily at hearing about his fetish for lesbian love), the fake ID for Constance, and finally the bust at the Royal Palms.

"Oh please Max. I think I just peed in my pajamas." Sky was giggling like a schoolgirl. It did my heart good to hear her happy.

"Sky, good night."

I waited. I had no intention of hanging up the phone.

"Wait Max!"

"I thought you were sleepy. Had to get up early," I said in a matter-of- fact voice.

"Max, I hate you. You woke me up. You gave me this great news and now I'm wide awake, and you want to go?"

"Why? Is there more that we need to talk about?" I asked.

There was a pause on the line.

"Who said anything about talking?" she asked, in a sexy voice.

"I for one did not," I replied.

"I'll over in ten minutes," she said, telling me she had a complete understanding about what we would not be talking about.

"Make it nine," I said.

* * *

Oh Sky. I could go on and on about her. So young, enthusiastic, adventurous, not to mention beautiful and exotic. I loved her skin. It always seemed as if it was glowing. I loved to touch her. To feel the suppleness and softness of her body. To be an eager learner. I had much to share and she wanted to know everything.

I told myself I wasn't going to do it, but I did. I opened up my bottom dresser drawer and pulled out a bottle of peppermint vodka. Two shots went down without me realizing it. I was nervous. I didn't know why. Her ten minutes turned to fifteen and by minute fourteen I'd already finished the pint. I hadn't had much for dinner so the alcohol went right to my head. I was so ready for this. I wanted to bury the last few days deep in my memory as quickly as possible.

She knocked on the door, and even though I was expecting her, it still startled me.

"Max!" Sky threw her arms around me, Max, the protector of women. She kissed me hard on the lips and managed to use her foot to close the door behind her.

"You did it," she said. "You got Bickel just like you said you would. You fucked him."

I could feel the energy radiating off her.

"Actually, I fucked him good," I said. I made a motion with my hips like I was fucking him up the ass. She doubled over in laughter.

"Max. I love you."

Suddenly the mood changed to something serious. I was on the edge of drunkenness and there was a beautiful young woman who was teary eyed.

"Max . . . you saved me . . . you delivered me, I don't know how to thank you."

"Sky, I would do anything for you, and it was a pleasure to ass fuck Mr. Bickel. Fucker had it coming."

"Yeah, he did," said Sky. It wasn't justice, but it was awful fucking close.

"And now we're celebrating," I said, trying to fight a wobble.

"And now we're celebrating," she said. She ran her hands through her hair and tilted her head back.

"It's my turn Max."

"Your turn for what?"

"It's my turn to be on top. I want to show you what you've taught me. And as a thank you and because I really love eating your pussy."

She started unbuttoning her blouse. She unhooked her bra and pulled her blouse and bra over her head and tossed them on the floor. Waist up she was nude. I wanted to ravish her body.

"Shouldn't you be taking off your clothes Max?"

I undressed while she watched me. She didn't wait a second after I took off my panties to get on top of me, with a flurry of kisses. She kissed down my neck and hovered over my breasts, flattened against my chest.

"I like these," she said. "I could get lost in your tits. Offer them to me."

I cupped my breasts and brought them in front of her. She took a deep breath and pushed her face between my breasts while kneading them. I could swear I heard her growl. She kissed down my navel to the patch of hair between my legs , taking in my scent and then giving me a leisurely lap of her tongue.

I shuddered at the light touch. She licked more, deeper and faster until my hips raised up and my thighs were quaking. She sucked in my clit. I came as soon as she did it.

She started back with my breasts, fondling them, licking and sucking on my nipples.

"Touch me Max," she said. I could see the moisture beading on her neatly trimmed pussy. I slid two fingers down her wet slit. She rocked on my fingers while she was sucking on my tits. She was hitting all my buttons.