Tip of the Spear Pt. 01

"10:15 am," she said. Ray showed the image and the time to her attorney.

"Can you tell me why you are dropping off a woman at her shop at 10:15 in the morning, hours before her shop opens?" Ray asked. Trudy looked at Jake and slumped in her chair.

"She... spent the night with me," Trudy said.

"While your husband was working and sleeping in his office, is that right?"

"Yes," she said. Ray's phone buzzed, and he looked at it before saying anything to her.

"That was our forensic department," Ray said. "They've done an initial analysis of the sheets that were on your bed. Analysis indicates vaginal secretions from two women and semen from an unknown man. Who was that man, Mrs. Higgins? It certainly wasn't your husband."

"I... I don't know," she stammered.

"Don't know or won't say?" he asked. Jake began to protest, but Ray stopped him. "It doesn't matter. We'll figure it out. By the way, your husband was already dead while you and your lover, or lovers, were having sex upstairs. I have no choice but to place you under arrest for the murder of your husband, Commissioner Bertram Higgins. Please stand and place your hands behind your back."

The door opened, and two female deputies -- Jenny Black and Danielle Markham -- came into the room and placed Trudy in handcuffs. Ray turned to Danielle, the senior deputy.

"Book her, Dann-o," he said with a smile on his face, knowing her fondness of the old Hawaii Five-O television series. "Charge her with murder and conspiracy to commit murder." She smiled back as she guided Trudy away.

"On it, detective," she said. Marvin turned to Ryan.

"Nice job," he said. "Sounds like an open-and-shut case to me."

"Not so fast, Marvin," Ryan said. "We have at least two more suspects out there somewhere, and we still don't know who pulled the trigger or the motive." They left the observation room and met Ray in the interrogation room.

"Nice work, Detective Hale," Marvin said, shaking his hand.

"Thanks, Counselor, but we've only begun to scratch the surface of this," Ray said.

"Are you sure?" Marvin asked.

"Absolutely," Ray said. "There's no doubt she played a role in her husband's murder, but she's not the trigger man. Or woman. And I doubt she was even in charge of this operation. Personally, I'd say she's probably the dumbest criminal I've ever seen. And I've seen quite a few. She didn't even try to dispose of her husband's body. No, there's a lot more to this, and I intend to get to the bottom of it."

Ryan's phone buzzed, so he checked it -- it was a message from Ron with a photo. Ryan showed the picture to Ray and Marvin, who shook his head in confusion.

"What's that?" Marvin asked.

"A cock cage," Ray said.

"A what?"

"A male chastity device," Ryan said. "Ron tells me this was on Commissioner Higgins' penis. He also tells me there's more. I'm going to go check it out."

"I'll head over to the courthouse and get a warrant for Ginger's arrest and a search warrant," Ray said.

"Oh, before you go, I spoke briefly with Commissioner Hawkins. He told me to the best of his knowledge, Higgins didn't have a spear gun," Ryan said. "Also said Higgins was afraid of his wife for some reason. Seems she thought he was having an affair."

"Interesting," Ray said.

"I'll meet you out there," Ryan said. "Make sure Sgt. Bledsoe gets a patrol car and a couple deputies to bring Ginger in."

"You got it," Ray said.

"I'll go with you to the courthouse if you don't mind," Marvin told Ray.

"Sure," Ray said. Ryan watched as they left and looked back at the photo. What kind of sick bitch uses something like this anyway, he wondered. He went to the Medical Examiner's office and saw Dr. Childress.

"What do ya have for me, doc?" Ryan asked.

"Let me show you," Dr. Childress said. "C'mon," he added, pointing the way. When they went into the exam room, Ryan saw Bertram's nude body on the metal table. It was apparent that Higgins had been severely beaten, more than once. Fresh marks crisscrossed his body, covering older scars that hadn't quite healed up yet.

Bertram's penis looked like hamburger, and his testicles were black and blue. Ryan had seen people tortured before, but he never expected to see it here, in west Texas.

"What the hell happened to him?" he asked.

"If I had to guess, I'd say he's been repeatedly beaten with something very long and thin. Then there's this," he said, placing a bag on the tray that held the chastity cage. Ryan examined it and saw that it included raised pieces of metal designed to dig into Bertram's penis. There was also a tube made to fit the base, where the penis connects to the body.

"This looks like some kind of medieval torture device," Ryan said.

"You're not too far off the mark, Sheriff," Ron said. "We found this in Trudy's nightstand," he added, tossing another bag on the table. This one held some kind of remote control.

"What's this for?" Ryan asked. Ron picked the bag up and pressed a button with a gloved hand. Electric sparks shot out from the inside of the smaller tube.

"What the hell?" Ryan asked.

"Shocking, isn't it?" Ron asked sarcastically.

"That's not even remotely funny," Ryan said. "And you say there are guys who get off on this?"

"I don't know about this," Ron said. "This looks like it was specifically designed for pain. In my opinion, it wasn't intended to be erotic. It was meant for punishment or control. And look at this." He turned the device so Ryan could see one part of the frame. It was inscribed, "Custom made for Ginger's Erotic Boutique."

"There's more," Dr. Childress said. "Mr. Higgins' penis was badly infected from... that. And his rectum was severely torn. I'm surprised he could even walk. He had to have been in severe pain for quite some time."

"So you're saying he was tortured and raped?" Ryan asked. Dr. Childress nodded his head.

"It certainly looks that way," the doctor said.

"Have you determined the cause of death yet?" Ryan asked.

"Not yet," Dr. Childress said. "The tip of the spear appeared to be coated with something other than Mr. Higgins' blood. We're running that through the mass spectrometer now. I've also asked to expedite his blood work and toxicology reports when we send everything out. Even then, it could take four to six weeks."

"Why so long?" Ryan asked.

"We have to send the tests off to El Paso since we don't have a lab here," Dr. Childress said. "There's a lot more to this than meets the eye, Sheriff. We need to make sure the test results are valid."

"Alright, do what you have to do," Ryan said.

"Keep in mind, Sheriff, we haven't even begun the actual autopsy yet. This is just the initial observation," the doctor said. "But to be honest, from what I've seen so far, Commissioner Higgins probably wouldn't have lasted much longer anyway." Ryan looked at Bertram's body and nodded his head. He intended to see justice done for this man.

"Get it done, doc. Do it right," Ryan growled.

"Of course, Sheriff," Dr. Childress said. Ryan nodded his head and went to his truck. Looking at the time, he realized he'd be late getting home, so he called Beverly.

"Hi, sweetie," she said. "I hear you're having quite a day."

"You've heard, then," he said.

"Yes, I saw something on the news. That's so sad. I take it you're going to be a bit late," she said.

"Yeah, I'm afraid so," he told her. "I'm sorry."

"No problem," she said. "I'll keep the lasagna warm for you. Along with your dessert." Ryan knew what she meant by that and smiled.

"Maybe tonight, I'll have dessert before dinner," he said. She chuckled.

"Well, okay, but just this once," she said, giggling.

"I'll see you tonight, sweetheart. I'll call when I'm on my way home. Love you!"

"Love you more," she said. His phone buzzed after he ended the call with Beverly. Ray had gotten the warrants signed -- in record time. Perhaps it was because the victim was a county commissioner.

"On my way," he texted back before starting his truck. He got to Ginger's place about the same time Ray did. A patrol car with two deputies also pulled in. He waited for everyone to exit their vehicles before approaching them. He briefed them on the situation so far and turned to Ray.

"This is your case, Detective. Your show," he said. Ray nodded his head. He appreciated that Ryan let him take the lead even though he was the Sheriff.

"Thanks, Sheriff," he said. They went into the store and looked around. A petite, red-haired woman wearing a tiny skirt that showed the bottom of her ass cheeks and a short blouse tied just under her breasts came into the front of the store.

"Ginger Rodgers?" Ray asked.

"Yes, that's me," she said. "What can I do for you, gentlemen? Are you still looking for something to give your wife, Sheriff?"

"No, ma'am," Ryan said. "I'm afraid this isn't a social or business call. We're here on official business."

"I'm Detective Ray Hale with the Sheriff's Department, Ms. Rodgers," Ray said, flashing his badge. Ginger eyed the big black man, licking her lips as she did so. "We're here to execute some warrants," he added, pulling the warrants out of his jacket pocket. He nodded to the deputies, and they began their search.

"Ms. Rodgers, do you know a Trudy Higgins?" Ray asked.

"Uh, I'm not sure," she said, trying to act like an innocent schoolgirl. As Ryan watched, she slowly spread her feet apart, trying to distract Ray with her body. Under other circumstances, she might have succeeded. But not today.

"Really?" he asked. "Surveillance footage from this morning shows you getting out of her vehicle. And she's already admitted that you spent the night with her last night."

"Well, I may have spent the night with her, but that doesn't mean anything. I frequently spend my nights with friends. That's not illegal, is it?" she asked, trying to flirt with him. As Ray pummeled her with questions, Ryan looked around the store and saw a photo on the wall.

It showed her with a man who looked a lot like her. They were on a boat holding up a large fish. But it showed something else -- a spear gun. The same type found on the floor of Bertram's office. In fact, it looked EXACTLY like the spear gun used against Bertram. He hated doing it, but he interrupted Ray.

"Excuse me, Detective," Ryan said. Ray stopped and looked at his boss. Ginger turned around as well. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm curious about something, Ms. Rodgers. Who is the man in this photo?"

"That's my brother, Jeremy," she said. "Why?"

"Can you tell me what that is in his hand? Besides the fish?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah, that's a spear gun. My brother is an avid spear-fisher. He's won trophies for some of the fish he's gotten," she said.

"Do you ever use something like that?" Ryan asked.

"Oh no," she said. "My brother is the expert with that. I usually just help bring the catches on board."

"And where is your brother now?" Ryan asked.

"I don't know," she said. "I'm not exactly my brother's keeper, you know," she added with a nervous smile.

"Do you recall the last time you saw him?" he asked.

"Yeah, it was just before I left California to set up shop here," she said.

"Would you mind if I borrow this photo for a while?" Ryan asked. "We promise to return it."

"Uh, yeah, if it'll help you guys any," she said.

"Again, Detective, I apologize. Please, carry on," Ryan said, handing Ray the photo. He continued looking around the store as Ray grilled Ginger.

"Do you recall ever selling something like this?" Ray asked, showing her a picture of the chastity device removed from Bertram's dead body. She looked at it, her brows furrowed, then slowly shook her head.

"I don't recall," she said. "We have sold a few male chastity devices, but not very many. And I don't recall any of them being custom made."

"That is your store logo on the frame, is it not?" he asked, blowing up the picture.

"Uh, yes, it looks like it," she said.

"Why don't we take a look at your sales records, see what we can find?" Ray asked.

"Uh, alright," Ginger said nervously. Ryan followed them into her back office and noticed that as she bent over her computer, her skirt rose high, revealing naked buttocks separated only by a thin strip of material in the crack of her ass. As she worked, he looked around her office.

He stopped in front of a shelf full of DVDs and took note of the titles: "Ginger Redd Does The Whole Fucking World." He chuckled at that. There were more -- lots more. One read, "100-Guy Creampie, Vol. 1." The cover showed Ginger in a tiny skirt surrounded by muscular young men of various races. On the back, he noticed another name: Jeremy Rodgers, Director and Executive Producer.

Interesting, he thought to himself. There were 19 more DVDs with the same name, ranging from Volume 2 to Volume 20. Two thousand different men? Really? Ryan shook his head in disbelief.

"And to think my first wife was a slut," Ryan said to himself. Then he saw two titles that sent chills up and down his spine. One showed Ginger wearing a vinyl or leather costume with high-heeled boots, carrying a whip. The title read: "Mistress Ginger: Obey Me!"

That was also produced and directed by Jeremy. Another DVD showed Ginger in the same outfit, but this time, she had one heel on the back of a trussed-up man on his knees at her feet. The title read: "Mistress Ginger: Be My Slave, Cuckold."

"I guess the rumors are true, Ms. Rodgers," he said. She looked up from her computer.

"Rumors?" she asked.

"I heard you were in the adult film industry in California," he said.

"Yes, for quite some time," she said. "I also did private parties and some consulting. That's what paid for all this. I decided to give my little kitty a break for a while."

"Ah, here it is," Ray said, finding the invoice he was looking for. "Print this out for me, please." Ginger bent over and printed the invoice. It clearly showed that Trudy Higgins ordered the custom chastity device nearly four months ago. It also showed that she paid for it with a credit card. As Ryan watched this exchange, Deputy Sanders got his attention.

"Yes, what is it?" Ryan asked.

"You should see this, Sheriff," Deputy Sanders said, motioning for him to come to the back room. "We found a crude barrier here and moved it to the side," he said after they were in the backroom of the store. "Take a look."

Ryan looked around and saw all kinds of strange things -- whips, thing canes, ball gags, the leather outfit Ginger wore on the cover of those two DVDs -- a whole assortment of gear. Sanders handed him a vial that contained a clear liquid.

"Also found this," he said. The vial was unmarked, but Ryan had a bad feeling about it.

"Bag it and tag it," Ryan said as he handed the vial back. "Anything else?" Sanders gave him a folder that contained photos and an unmarked DVD in a clear case. The image on top showed Bertram naked except for the cock cage, tied to something that looked like an "X." His body was covered with welts, and standing next to him was Ginger, wearing the leather outfit.

The following photo was even worse. Bertram was on all fours on a bed and was obviously in pain. Behind him was a woman, presumably Ginger, wearing the now-familiar leather outfit. However, this time, she wore something else -- a huge black strap-on dildo, and a good part of it appeared to be embedded in Bertram's anus. Ryan nearly threw up looking at the photo but managed to keep it together.

He looked around the small room and saw the strap-on lying on a shelf with other dildos. He looked closer at it and realized it was at least 12 inches long and as big around as a Coke can, if not bigger. At that moment, he wanted to put his fist through Ginger's face. Looking at the deputies, he could tell they, too, were quite angry.

Looking around at the collection in the room, Ryan wondered if there was any residue or DNA left behind. He pulled out his cell phone and called Ron.

"Ron, I need you to get your team and your van out here to Ginger's Boutique right now," he said.

"Now?" Ron asked.

"Yes, right fucking now," Ryan hissed.

"On my way, Sheriff. Be there in about a half-hour," Ron said. Ryan ended the call and motioned the deputies to follow him back to Ginger's office. He tapped Ray on the shoulder when he got there and showed him the photos. Ray's eyes went wide for a split second. He looked at Ryan and nodded his head.

"Ginger Rodgers, I have another warrant here. You are under arrest for the murder, rape, and torture of Commissioner Bertram Higgins," Ray told her before reading her Miranda rights.

"Murder? Rape?" she asked. Ryan showed her the photo of her behind Bertram with the strap-on.

"Just so you know, Ms. Rodgers, this is West Texas. Not California, and we have the death penalty here," Ryan said. "Deputy Sanders, why don't the two of you take Ms. Rodger in and book her."

"Right away, Sheriff," Sanders said before putting her wrists in handcuffs. "This way, ma'am," he told her. They led Ginger out of the store, put her in the patrol car's back seat, then drove off. Ryan turned to Ray.

"I'm going to the Starbucks down here, get some coffee. Want some? My treat."

"Sounds good, Sheriff," Ray said. "Cappuccino, if you would please."

"Will do. By the way, I think Elaine is still at her desk. Why don't you call in an APB on this Jeremy Rodgers fella," Ryan said.

"On it," Ray said, looking at the photo Ray handed him. Ryan walked to the Starbucks, ordered a cappuccino for Ray and a butter pecan mocha for himself. It wasn't quite as good as Sally's, but it did the job. When he got back, he handed Ray his coffee.

"Care to join me for a quick smoke before Ron and his boys get here?" he asked. Ray smiled and nodded his head.

"Sounds good to me," Ray said, following Ryan outside. Ryan pulled out a cigarette, offered one to Ray, and lit them both up.

"Wife's been after me to give these things up for years," Ray said. Ryan smiled at that.

"Yeah, I've heard they're bad for your health or something," Ryan said with a chuckle. "Is it just me, Ray, or is this all coming together just a little too quick?"

"Well, Sheriff, to tell you the truth, I was thinking that very same thing myself," Ray said. "I've seen perps do a lot of stupid things in my time, but it's almost as if these women want to be caught. I mean, hell, a rookie could see through their lies."

"Well, we still don't have the trigger man," Ryan said. "And I'd bet a dollar to a donut hole that Jeremy fella is the one who shot that spear through Bertram's back. What do you think? Are they really that stupid?" Ray shook his head as he thought.

"Don't really know, Sheriff. Either they're stupid, they're so arrogant they don't think they'll get convicted. Or..." His voice trailed off as he thought.

"Or what?"

"Or, maybe this is all just a distraction," Ray said.

"A distraction? For what?" Ryan asked. Ray shook his head.

"I don't know. Just thinking out loud. But something tells me this is going to get a lot worse," Ray said. "So, what do we do now?" Ryan looked and saw Ron's van pull into the parking lot.

"We let Ron and his team bag and tag all this evidence, then go home, make love to our wives and start fresh tomorrow."

"I like the way you think, Sheriff," Ray said with a smile.

...

To be continued...

Note: The story behind Nancy Garrison can be read in "Houston Goes To Washington." Ryan's story can be read in "A Father's Justice." Finally, to the best of my knowledge, Hard Rock, Texas does not exist. I made it up...