“I think Tom Muldoon knew someone who worked at Live Oak Publishing. That person mentioned Luis’ new book to Muldoon and the cases he was investigating. Muldoon tracked down Jon Luis and discovered he was researching not only George Delmario’s death but also the deaths of Herbert Honeycutt and Warren Paulson.”
“Yeah? How do they link to Tom Muldoon?” Carlita asked.
“Warren Paulson was a Russian informant. Rumors began to circulate. He was getting pressure from the feds and threats from the Russians, so he staged his disappearance in a boating mishap.” Mercedes said. “But he didn’t die. He went into hiding and, at some point in time, he changed his identity. Warren Paulson, Russian informant, became Tom Muldoon, mystery and thriller writer.”
Mercedes would bet money Muldoon was the one who mentioned Jon Luis to the author group. Perhaps he was even the one who told Jon Luis about Mercedes, how she lived in the infamous George Delmario / mafia house and put the bug in Mercedes’ ear to contact Jon Luis.
He orchestrated their meeting, without either of them knowing it. Muldoon lured Jon Luis to the riverfront, maybe even confronted him about the book research and then murdered him, knowing Mercedes was on her way to meet with Jon Luis.
How could she prove it? Unless…she turned the tables and lured Tom Muldoon into a trap. Mercedes grabbed her phone and dialed Detective Wilson’s number.
“Hello Ms. Garlucci. We don’t have the results back on the gun yet.”
“That’s not why I’m calling. One of our tenants stopped by earlier to tell me he watched someone drop something into our dumpster around 3:15 this morning and I think I know who not only planted the gun, but also who murdered Jon Luis and set me up.”
“You’ve been busy,” Wilson said. “I hope you’re not breaking the law.”
“No, at least not yet. I’m working on setting a trap and I need your help.” She laid out her theory to Wilson in detail, telling him she planned to use the rough draft of the book as bait and was certain that Tom Muldoon, aka Warren Paulson, would fall for it. “I did obtain the book draft under questionable circumstances that I’d rather not discuss.”
She explained how she linked Muldoon and Jon Luis’ books to the same publisher and that Warren Paulson’s property was quitclaimed to Tom Muldoon.
“Jon Luis was hot on Muldoon’s trail. I think Muldoon somehow found out about Jon Luis’ research, which included George Delmario, the previous owner of our property. Muldoon brought up Jon Luis during one of our author meetings and covertly worked behind the scenes to tell Jon Luis about me and vice versa. It was the perfect setup; get rid of Jon Luis and I would take the fall.”
“What is your plan?” the detective asked.
“I’m gonna tell the author group I think there’s a Russian connection, maybe someone with connections to Warren Paulson’s case. If my plan works, Luis’ killer will hear I have Luis’ manuscript that I’m onto something and come after it.”
“You want to lure a potential killer to your property?” Detective Wilson asked.
“The killer is already lurking around,” Mercedes said, “although it wouldn’t hurt if you could send a few extra patrol cars around here tonight.”
The detective sighed heavily. “I think it’s a mistake, but I can’t stop you. I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into.”
“I think I do. Now all I have to do is convince my brothers to help me out.”
***
“Hi Cricket. Yeah, it’s me, Mercedes. I think I hit the jackpot.”
“No. I’m not holding a winning lottery ticket. It’s something better.” Mercedes pressed the speaker button so her family could hear. “I finished reading Luis’ manuscript again, the one he was working on when he was murdered. Believe it or not, I think I figured out who killed him.”
“Seriously?” Cricket asked. “Who is it?”
“I can’t say yet, other than there’s a Russian connection. I have a little more digging around to do tonight and then I plan to take the manuscript to the police first thing in the morning. The manuscript links to a property deal that links the killer to Luis. In the meantime, I’m locking it up downstairs in the pawnshop for safekeeping.”
“Unbelievable,” Cricket said. “Wait until the others in our group hear this.”
“You better keep it on the down low for now,” Mercedes said. “I’m still puttin’ the pieces together, but if I’m on the right track, it’s gonna blow Jon Luis’ murder case wide open.”
They chatted for a few more minutes, with Mercedes assuring Cricket she would be at the next author meeting and then told her good-bye before slipping the phone into her back pocket. “It’s a done deal. If Tom Muldoon is Luis’ killer, the same man who set me up, he’ll be here tonight, trying to get his hands on this manuscript.”
“How can you be sure?” Tony asked. “You told this Cricket person not to say anything.”
“Asking Cricket to keep a secret is like trying to stay dry while you’re swimming in the ocean,” Mercedes said. “It ain’t gonna happen. The other three will hear that I have Jon Luis’ manuscript within the hour,” she predicted.
The rest of the evening crawled by as Mercedes waited for the pawnshop to close. The family ate early and Gina and the kids stayed in Carlita and Mercedes’ apartment while Mercedes and her brothers headed downstairs to guard the pawnshop.
“We need to arm ourselves.” Tony stepped over to the desk and unlocked the top left-hand drawer. “What kind of gun you want Paulie?”
“Whatever you wanna give me.”
Tony handed him a Ruger. “It’s already loaded.”
“You keep these things loaded?”
“Yeah. If someone decides to rob the pawnshop, they’re not gonna wait for me to load my gun.”
“True.”
“What about you Mercedes?”
