Daily Dose

Great News Town, a mystery/thriller about a fictional Illinois town that is terrorized by a serial killer, opens on June 26, 1984. So on June 26, 2012, a free, serialized version of the book was launched on this Web site. Weekly installments are posted on Thursdays. Check back often.

Chapter 112



 “What bar?” the detective repeated to Eddie Simms.
 “I don’t want to get them in trouble,” Eddie said.
 “You’re already in a hell of a lot of trouble.” The detective grabbed Eddie’s shirt and pulled his face across the table until the two were nose to nose. “It’s your truck. Your beer, your house. If the guns are where you say they are, what’s to say you didn’t do all these murders?”
“Eddie?” Mae called from the side door.
“Listen, if I thought I could make this all go away, I would confess.” Eddie pulled free of the detective’s grip and rose to his feet. “Don’t think I haven’t thought of doing that very thing. I would go to jail in a heartbeat if that would mean Mae could have her son back. But you and I know that won’t stop this killing.”
Eddie turned his back on the picnic table, looked at Mae standing at the door, and turned back to the deputies.
 “Joe’s. Joe’s Tap Room. On the corner of Second Street and South River Avenue.  Let me call someone to stay with Mae and I’ll go with you. If he’s there, maybe he’ll come to me without any trouble.”
The sheriff’s department radioed the city for backup.  But two squads were en route to a burglary in progress at Su Le Ceramics, two doors down from Joe’s Tap Room.  The call had come in when a broken window activated the burglar alarm system.
The city police pulled up in front of the ceramic shop, and one officer caught a glimpse of a man inside with a possible hostage. Soon, sheriff’s deputies arrived, and the block was surrounded. A couple of officers tried to sneak in the back door, but shots rang out and caught one officer in the shoulder, the second in the knee. The injured policemen retreated, and everyone ran for cover. The officers reported seeing a body at the bottom of the stairs.
 “Let me talk to him,” Eddie said. “Maybe he’ll listen to me.”
In a matter of minutes, Chief Miller handed a bullhorn to Eddie.
 “Biggun, son. It’s me, Eddie.”
 “I’m not your son,” came the thunderous reply from inside the building. “Did you turn me in?”
 “They came to the house, boy. Frightened Mae. She needs you to come home now.”
There was a brief silence and then a voice that sounded like a young boy called, “Mama?”
“I’m not going nowhere until those pigs leave,” interrupted Malcolm’s deep, gruff voice.
“Jones, put down your gun, and come out with your hands up,” Miller said, grabbing the bullhorn.
 “Is Mama here?” the boy’s voice called again.
 “Biggun, you know how Mae hates it when you make a mess,” Eddie called, taking the horn back. “Come out, and we’ll get the mess all cleaned up before she gets here.”
 “You’re just another pig!” came the gruff reply. “Get those cops out of here or I’m gonna to kill this bitch.”
Miller grabbed the horn. “Jones, how many hostages do you have?”
 “Hostages?  I ain’t got no hostages, just one bitch who’s still breathing. But she won’t be for long!”
 “Okay,” Miller said. “Don’t get excited. Send the woman out and we can talk.”
 “No way, man,” Malcolm said. “She’s going with me.”
The officers could hear a conversation inside the building, and then a woman’s scream.
 “Send the woman out,” Miller repeated into the bullhorn. “We have to see that she’s okay.”
There was no reply. After a few silent minutes the officers could see movement in the doorway, a bloodied face emerging, and behind her, a giant, dark shadow.
“OK,” Malcolm said as he stopped Josie in the doorway, holding her by one hand twisted behind her back and pressing a gun to her head. One of her eyes was wide with fear, the other was swollen shut. She whimpered softly.
“Here’s your woman. We’re going to get in that car over there and drive away as soon as all you pigs get back in the pig pen.”
From one of the purses, Malcolm had selected keys with a Cadillac logo and headed toward Barb’s large yellow Caddy parked in the lot behind the ceramic shop.
 “We can negotiate,” Miller shouted.
Malcolm cut him off. “Tell your officers to disappear. If I see one pig, she gets it in the head.”
Miller turned to the squads that ringed the parking lot and waved for them to leave. The officers got into their cars and slowly pulled away. Becky climbed into Page’s brown van, and they backed slowly down the alley.
Holding Josie like a shield across his chest, Malcolm backed toward the Caddy.
 “Get out of here,” Malcolm repeated. “And take that pig in father’s clothing with you. He’s just another stupid cop.”
 “Biggun,” Eddie said, “Your mother would not approve—”
 “Shut up! Just shut up!” Malcolm fired a round in Eddie’s direction. Miller shoved Eddie toward the squad car, and the remaining deputies scattered.
 Malcolm pressed the hot barrel to Josie’s temple and pulled her closer to the yellow car, as Mae came running through the gangway between the buildings. When she saw her son holding the gun to a woman’s head she gasped, then she pulled her shoulders back, raised her head and spoke in a controlled, reproachful tone.
 “Biggun, put that gun down before somebody gets hurt.”   
 “Mama?” Malcolm said in a voice so small that Miller opened his mouth in disbelief.
Just then the door of the Cadillac opened with full force into Malcolm’s back, sending him sprawling to the ground. He lost his grip on Josie, who crumpled before the open car door. Malcolm’s pistol skittered across the pavement.
Duke tumbled out of the car, where he had sought refuge, and threw his body over Josie’s.  He expected a shootout, when a dozen officers lunged out of hiding, guns drawn on Malcolm. But the monster was gone.  Only a big boy remained, curled in the fetal position and whimpering, “Mama.”
Eddie held Mae back as she tried to run to her son.
 “Don’t hurt him. Please don’t hurt him,” she screamed as the officers rushed forward, cuffed Malcolm and dragged him to his feet.  Malcolm seemed deflated and limp as the officers shoved him into a squad car.
Josie moaned and squirmed beneath Duke’s weight.
“Are you OK?” Duke said, pulling back and seeing Josie’s swollen face for the first time. “Jeez, you look like, like . . . ”
“Peacock piddle,” Josie croaked in a voice he could barely hear.

 COMING JUNE 19: The killer is arrested. Jordan begins to heal. But the final chapter delivers one last surprise.