JQC ROCK III

The Further Adventures of JQC Rock, JI.

Chapter Three: Shuminer takes a Powder.

Sometimes in my job you get used to the pain and violence. Take for instance that bell ringing in my head. It doesn’t help when a perp smacks you over the head with a two by four- or in my case, drinking too much Tequilla with that new JA (judicial assistant) at Tobacco Road. In either event, I woke up alone, and the bell was the phone. It was Sunday around noon and the Kid was on the other line.

“Kid, I told ya not to call me before noon.”

“It’s 3pm, Rock.”

“Ouch. OK, whattya got?”

“Maybe a break in the Hanzman case.”

I sat up in bed. Perhaps a little too quickly, as the room began to spin. So I slouched down, put the phone by my ear, and waited for the news.

“We lost a suspect. Shuminer dropped out of the race.” The Kid started yaking faster than my ears could keep up. Something about TV and Spain and Unicorn visions.

My head was swimming. I hadn’t expected this. In my line of work you try and expect the unexpected, but sometimes events pass you by.

“Kid, slow down willya. Come by my place. And bring coffee. Wait…bring two coffees for me, black, sugar, and whatever you want. And bring the Herald.”

I showered and looked at some dry toast, but my stomach couldn’t take it. I was sore. That JA had a few years and some new moves on me. But it was a good sore, if you know what I mean.

The Kid showed up with the Herald. And like a puppy wanting to go out, he sat there barely able to keep quiet while I sipped the coffee and read the article.

I was done and the Kid couldn’t take it any longer. He launched into a stream of consciousness about losing a suspect and having to start all over on the case.

I help up my hand for him to be quiet. For show, I shaked a few Excedrin out of a bottle and crunched them between my teeth, before swilling the whole thing down with the last of my second coffee.

“I don’t buy it Kid. I don’t buy it for one moment. Hanzman goes down and Shuminer takes a flyer on TV? It don’t ring true.”

“What are we going to do Rock.”

For once I was stymied. In this business you learn that there are twists and turns before you solve the case.


“This Shuminer thing is like Mastos all over again. Everyone thought Mastos did himself in, but I found the guy who stuck the knife in.”

The Kid nodded. “We studied that case in school. You were the only one who figured out Mastos didn’t do himself in.”

“Right. And I don’t like this Shuminer gal taking a powder on her own.”

“You mean she was forced out?”

“Could be kid. Only time will tell.”

“So what do we do now?”

“Wait. Time is our friend. Our true enemy has yet to reveal himself.”

“Godfather three, right Rock?”

“Something like that Kid. We wait until the Governor makes his pick, then we do a little more snooping around the edges, shake a few snitches down, and with a few breaks we can catch the guy who did this to Hanzman.”

“Guy?” the kid said.

“Guy or gal Kid. Either way, I’ll get em. “