Derek Strong Pi: The Death and Resurrecttion of Vladimer Ilonovich

By George W. Barclay Jr.

Emelian Ivanovich Pugachev (Tsar Peter III) was born in1740 and in 1774 lead a massive peasant revolt against Saint Petersburg where he was defeated and executed. He was reborn Vladimer Ilonovich Pusske in 1933 and achieved fame as a transplant surgeon at The Institute of Experimental Medicine and Surgery in Moscow where he was killed in an automobile accident on April 1, 1983.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Mar 13, 2008
• ISBN: 9780595614370

George W. Barclay Jr.

Dr. George W. Barclay Jr. is retired Beaumont Cardiologist. He writes adventure, mystery, science fiction and metaphysics. This is his twenty-sixth novel. He is graduate of Texas AM and Southwestern Medical School (MD FACC).

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Copyright © 2008 by George Barclay Jr.

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Printed in the United States of America

Contents

LIST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

C H A P T E R 1

C H A P T E R 2

C H A P T E R 3

C H A P T E R 4

C H A P T E R 5

C H A P T E R 6

C H A P T E R 7

C H A P T E R 8

C H A P T E R 9

C H A P T E R 10

C H A P T E R 11

C H A P T E R 12

C H A P T E R 13

C H A P T E R 14

C H A P T E R 15

C H A P T E R 16

C H A P T E R 17

C H A P T E R 18

C H A P T E R 19

C H A P T E R 20

C H A P T E R 21

C H A P T E R 22

C H A P T E R 23

C H A P T E R 24

C H A P T E R 25

C H A P T E R 26

C H A P T E R 27

C H A P T E R 28

C H A P T E R 29

C H A P T E R 30

C H A P T E R 31

C H A P T E R 32

C H A P T E R 33

C H A P T E R 34

C H A P T E R 35

C H A P T E R 36

C H A P T E R 37

C H A P T E R 38

C H A P T E R 39

LIST OF MAJOR CHARACTERS

SANDRA LERNER

DR. AUSTIN HALE

BOB BURRELL SHERRY DEAGIO JACK DANIELS MARIA TANTALIA

PRINCE KAHLI

WALLACE DEREK (Dirk) STRONG HEIDI

BROTHER THOMAS TANTALIA MIRIAM TRAVITAS (BAUTISTA) FREIDA ALLEGROMANDE EVITA GARZA

HE LI WU, PhD GENERAL HE WU

Houston Criminal Defense Lawyer—Main Character—Zoloftfor bad dreams

Forensic Pathologist—Sandra ‘s Fiancé—ranch at Brazoria with oil

Field Geologist for SROCO

Lawyer—Legal Department ofSROCO

SROCO helicopter pilot

The boss—Granddaughter ofMafia Don. POB ofUSNand SROCO

Co-owner ofSROCO with Maria

Private Detective—Had Bypass—takes aspirin

Guide, Benedictine Monastery, Einsiedeln Monk, Benedictine Monastery Heir to Cuban gold

Drug widow—owns Pancho ‘s Automotive

Drug QQQueen—wife ofGeneral Emil Fernandez—good with knife

Postdoctoral student USN

Commander China ‘s PLA

GENERAL EMIL FERNANDEZ COLONEL WANG HOI HO CHI, PhD CHRISTY ISAAC PhD LI LE

JERRY BILLINGS PETER ROCKFORD PhD.

ILYSA STROMBOLI DR. JOY BURRELL M.D. PhD LEVITRA BATTENBERG PhD TISHA LAFEMME

MISTY TANTALIA

DONALD TANTALIA

SAM DEAGIO SR.

BILL RILEY DA

BOOKER WASHINGTON

DEVINE SPARKS

OPAL HONY

RUTH SANCHEZ

Colombian Rebel

Bodyguard ofHe Li

Professor of China Studies USN

Professor of Arab Studies USN

Houston Jade dealer at the Laughing Buddha Temple in Briar Forest

Captain DPS—undercover narcotics

Academic Geologist at USN—Most loved Professor 1993

Agent CIA

Psychiatrist, Bob’s wife

Professor ofAsia Studies

Private Detective at USN—has 3 ex-husbands. Loves PeterRockford

President ofEl Cyuga Bank—Maria’syoung-est sister

Mafia Don retired to Sicily, Maria’s father, calls every night

Mafia capo retired to Costa Rica, Jerry’s grandfather

Likes high yellow—married to Bette Tanta-lia—runs loose ship

Sergeant—Top Cop Homicide—hired Cealis out of Texas Southern

Criminal Law—Sandra ‘s Associate—Miss Jamaica of1986—long on brains

ChiefADA—Peaches and Cream with dirty mouth—drives yellow Ferrari

Nurse ER Del Arroyo—Divorced—Sandra ‘s sister

DR. TAMARA LEWINE DR. ROBERTA ALLEN DDS DR. REUBEN SANCHEZ DR. OH NU

ANGELLE EMANUEL, RN DR. CHESTER FELL DR. GUADALUPE ALVAREZ KAY BERKELEY

JUANITA ALVAREZ NEVA BRAUN

OLINDA STARR

REGINALD DEWBERRY

HERNAN COSTELLO

SHEILA MELLONS

MIGUEL MONTALBAN

MICHAEL (Mickey) FINN

ELTON (Happy) EARLY

JAMES (Jim) BEAM JUDGE LOIS MORRISON JUDGE EVA PETRARCELLI

Sandra ‘s gynecologist Sandra ‘s dentist

Cardiovascular Surgeon at Del Arroyo

City-County Coroner andForensic Pathologist

Supervisor, Del Arroyo

ER physician at Del Arroyo

Deceased Surgeon at Del Arroyo

Newspaper reporter, English, divorcedfrom Winston

Widow of Guadalupe

Sergeant Homicide North Patrol, many male friends

Sergeant Homicide Northwest Patrol, spit and polish

Sergeant Willow BendPatrol—HeadofHPD SWAT

Lieutenant Homicide Southeast Patrol—went to Milby High, football star

Sergeant Vice, Exotic dancer andfashion model

Sergeant Vice, family man, pumps iron, body builder

Deputy Sergeant—born to lose—property clerk—recycles drugs

Sergeant Homicide—Northeast Patrol—friend ofMicky, bad news

Sergeant DPS helicopter pilot 56th Criminal District Court 104th Criminal District Court

CHRISTY ISAAC Ph.D.

MAMBO NIGERA Ph.D.

AMY OMIKAMI Ph.D.

WINSTON BLOOD Ph.D.

SYLVIA PASTEUR Ph.D. ARISTOTLE PLOTINUS Ph.D. EROS ZENOVENUSETTI Ph.D. MORTON SALTER Ph.D. DR. FATIMA HUSSAIN MD, Ph.D.

HO CHI Ph.D.

MAGDALENA (Maggie) de MUERTA Ph.D.

BOB WALLER RENE’ DESCARTE GENERAL TUFFAN MEAN

GENERAL TRUDY GRITS EVON GALBREAUX REX (0009) BETTE RILEY

LI CHEN

JEANANNE RUSSELL

AcademicArchaeologistat USN-—Holy Land Expert

Head Department ofAnthropology at USN, Comparative Religion

Astrophysics and Cosmology at USN, Consultant at NASA

Professor ofHistory at USN—Sandra ‘s ballroom dance partner

Professor Biology at USN

Professor ofMetaphysics at USN

Professor ofEpistemology at USN

Professor ofEngineering at USN

Forensic Pathologist and Molecular Biologist at USN

Professor of China Studies at USN Professor ofSouth American History at USN

Deceased ADA—from Big Spring Inspector ofHomicide HPD

CO of44th Armored Infantry Division, US Army

CO ofFirst Armored Infantry Brigade

Drug widow—owns Claud’s Automotive

DEA agent Guadalajara—has blood hound

Bill’s wife and sister ofMaria—into competitive ballroom

Exotic dancer—undercover narcotics DPS

Sexy black exotic dancer and Teller at El Cyuga Bank

DORIS RUSSELL

ELOISE JOHNSON

AUGUSTUS GALBREAUX

JÉSUS POSADAS

PRESIDENTE RAUL PORTAPO-TILLO

GENERAL RUIZ PORTAPOTILLO

GENERAL LUPE LOPEZ

RENE’ LOPEZ WANDA TOWNSEND RUBY REDMON RAFAEL CARO QUINTERO ANGEL CARO QUINTERO FATHER VILLA FATHER CERVANTES FATHER ESCOBAR TINA QUINTERAS DEAGIO

CAESAR DEAGIO DESI CARTENEGRO

RICO CARBELLO

MARCI GALBREAUX ROXANNE STRONG

Belly dancer—undercover narcotics DPS Bill Riley ‘s personal legal secretary CPA

Deceased—-former drug king SE Houston Deceased President ofMexico

Deceased owner of the Mexicana Norte Luxury Hotel in Houston

Commandante—Mexican Judicial Police, deceased

Lupe’s widow

Escort Service—high class Madam Owns Ruby ‘s Bar out by the docks Mexican Drug Lord and Bandito Rafael’s brother

Deceased Mexican Priest and drug trafficker

Cuban Bishop into drugs big time

Colombian Priest and drug trafficker

Business Manager of the Water Mellon Man Club, Caesar’s wife

Runs Deagio Bail Bonds

Owner ofWater Mellon Man Club—Cuban Mafia

Now deceased—Pistolerofor Desi Cartenegro, Cuban Mafia

ADA—Maria ‘s daughter

Bombshell Stripper-Dirk’s ex-wife—would cost an arm and leg

JULIE STRONG

REVEREND JESUS MUHAMMAD DR. AL-MEHDI

DR. VLADIMER PUSSKE’ DR. RICHARD LANGLEY LYNETTE DEMATEREZ JUDGE WILLIAM LOWMAN JUDGE XAVIER VARGUS JUDGE BUZZ ALLRED JESSIE WHITE

JOSEPH STALIN SAM PABLO HUSTON JUAN BAPTISTA CARL BRIBEY

JACK STRONGBACH

AL HAWALLA

NATADA KLODYASKA CARMALETA POSADAS ELIZABETH BORDEN VACA CABEZ de VACA

DR. RAUL CAPISTRANO

Dirk’s unmarriedpregnant daughter—University senior and Exotic dancer

Lady Mullah ofShiite Baptist Church

Physician—runs Quick Doc. Immam ofShi-ite Baptist Church

Worldfamous Transplant Surgeon

Deceased ER physician ofBayou Den Hospital

Deceased Secretary ofJuan Baptista

Justice ofPeace—slow but sure

Justice ofPeace, in State pen

Justice ofPeace—Always rules suicide

Constable Houston Heights—into drugs, sex slaves

Johan Milkozavitch back from the grave

Councilman—Houston Heights—takes bribes

Deceased Mexican lawyer

Lieutenant Detective—North Patrol—half crook

Transplant surgeon—agreed to pay Julie’s child support

Air Service picks up contrabandoffthe Cuban Submarine

Syracuza ‘s Abattoir—Russian Mafia

Rich widow ofJésus

Deceased senior ADA from Muleshoe

Wife ofdeceased President ofNorth State Bank

Administrator Del Arroyo, money launderer for Cuban Mafia

JOTTE’ JALOPENA

DR. SIGMOID FREID

DR. HELGA SCHMIDT

CEALIS PARKS

ELLA WYATTS SCARLET SWYZE

PENELOPE (Penny) BROWNRIG

DR. HARVEY CUSHING

UZI KALASHNIKOV CISSY BURGER PATSY REDMON RN DR. JENNIFER JAUREZ LIEUTENANT SHIRLEY BLOOM GENERAL LI SHAN ANTHONY PARIGELLO TONTO

GENERAL JOANN JOHNSON

SAM DEAGIO JR. OZMA BEN LADIN AE-IOU

Abbey Lane look-alike. Great singer at the Water Mellon Man Club

Austrian-American Psychiatrist—Sees Sandra monthly for nightmares

Resident Psychiatrist at Del Arroyo-wears Butch

Rene’ Descarte’s legal secretary & the hostess with the mostest

Sergeant HPD CSI—tells secrets

Sergeant DPS undercover narcotics, Rita Hay-worth look-alike

Freelance Austrian Photographer and reporter—talks outback

ChiefofNeurosurgery at Del Arroyo, hypomanic

Owner ofGolden Apple—Russian Mafia Secretary—Israeli Intelligence Supervisor—West Mean MASH Forensic Psychiatrist

Male detective at NE Patrol—hates Shirley Burmese War Lord in Shan Hill country Sandra ‘s law associate

NehautlIndian trailguide with 12 wives and burros

USAFR, Ellington Field (former test pilot and Astronaut at NASA)

Owner Sam ‘s Gym and Ball Room

Bodyguard ofPrince Kahli

Hey you—Bodyguard ofPrince Kahli

A. FULLER BOTTLE BETTY

QUETZALCOATL

NASA

USN

SROCO

POB

Trial Lawyer, suing Sandra for malpractice

Sandra’s Legal Secretary

Lives on Venus, Aztec Messiah, feathered serpent god

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (Houston)

University ofSaint Nicholas

Saudi Royal Oil Company

President of the Board ofDirectors, Maria

C H A P T E R 1

Dr. Vladimer Ilonovich Pusské, Cardiovascular surgeon, returned to his ranch exhausted. He was attacked by assailants, asphyxiated, and placed in an iced tub of saline where his brain, heart, lungs and kidneys were removed.

His incisions were repaired, and he was cleaned, placed in pajamas, and tucked in bed where his family found him two evenings later.

EMS took his body to the West Mean Street MASH on the evening of April 18, 1993. He was seen by an ER physician, Dr. Lee, who pronounced him DOA of an apparent heart attack.

The Justice of Peace was notif Ied, and Dr. Pusské’s body was transferred to a local funeral home where he was embalmed and subsequently buried in his family mausoleum on April 21, 1993. Dr. Pusské was a national celebrity and world famous transplant surgeon.

On April 24, 1993, Dr. Pusské called his wife from Disneyland and returned to work on April 25, 1993, alive and well.

C H A P T E R 2

All rise.

"Judge Lois Morrison was thirty-eight, married and had two teenagers. Sandra had known her from the University and Law School, but they were never close friends because Lois was quiet, studious, and family conscious. Rafael Allegro-mande, ADA, was thirty-five, recently divorced, horny as hell, and made a pest of himself with the eligible women not excluding Sandra.

Judge Morrison took her seat, looked at the clerk, and announced, first case.

Sandra and Sharla approached the bench. Rafael opened the first manila folder on his stack, and the clerk called out:

State of Texas vs. Sharla Castro. First Degree Murder.

"Your honor we were called by Miss Castro around ten last night to her apartment to investigate the fatal stabbing ofJohan Milkozavich, 58 year old Russian American white male. Miss Castro told us he attacked her while intoxicated, beat her up, and raped her. She left him in bed asleep, and, when she returned to her apartment at ten, she found him dead, murdered, with an ice pick still in his chest. She tried to pull the ice pick out to perform CPR, but to no avail. When we arrived, his body was cooling, rectal temperature 97°, deeply cyanotic, and pupils were widely dilated and beginning to cloud. We found four puncture wounds neatly placed in the fourth intercostal space just to the left of his sternum. There was very little blood. It was our impression that the decedent had been stabbed expertly in the heart and died almost instantly. Only the defendant’s fingerprints were found on the ice pick, and there was no evidence of breaking and entering or struggle. The killer would have had to have a key and enter through the back door. We found nothing. The ice pick was part of a collection taken from the defendant’s kitchen.

Your honor, preliminary evidence is sufficient to support probable cause, and defendant should be bound over to Grand Jury Thursday, May 6.

Judge Morrison looked at Sandra.

My client pleads not guilty, your honor. Defense has no objection to Mr. Allegromande’s tentative schedule. Defense pleas she be released on her own recognizance.

No objection, said Rafael.

Sandra helped Sharla get her stuff together and called her a cab. Sandra explained she’d be out of town for the weekend but would get Derek Strong, her private detective, on it.

* * * *

When Sandra got the call from Sharla Castro shortly after twelve Friday morning, April 30, she hurriedly dressed and drove to jail. Sharla was obviously beaten with bruised eyes, nose bleed, and laceration of the left brow.

Did you kill Milkozavich?

Nope! He beat me up. We had sex, and I went downstairs to work. I went back up later and found him dead with an ice pick sticking in his chest.

Sandra had successfully defended Sharla Castro Fernandez, same client, from charges of the ice pick murder of her husband, Sanchez Fernandez, about two years earlier. The police never located the murder weapon, and Dr. Berta Allen,

dentist, testif Ied that Sharla was keeping a dental appointment.

* * * *

Sandra met Derek at ground floor Park Shops.

Dirk, I’m flying out of Houston International on Continental at five today and will be back at or around seven, Sunday. Sherry Deagio and I are flying to Tokyo on business. We’ll use the spiral parking garage at Concourse C near the top floor.

Sandra handed Dirk a roll ofhundred dollar bills. I’ve got a new job for you, she smiled.

"Last night a man, Johan Milkozavich, was stabbed to death in the Vista Ole’ Motor Hotel and Pool on South Mean and Queen Boulevard. Our client, Sharla Castro, was arrested and charged with his murder. I got her released on her own

recognizance this morning, and she’s back at work. Allegromande is ADA, and Dr. Oh Nu got the body. Motive?"

"Mr. Milkozavich, first name, Johan, was intoxicated, barged into Sharla’s apartment on the second floor, beat her up, raped her, and took a nap. She went back to work and later returned to find her own ice pick sticking in his chest. Although he appeared dead, she tried to remove the ice pick and give him CPR. She called 911 at about ten and me from jail shortly after midnight.

"I successfully defended Sharla against charges of an ice pick of her husband, Sanchez Fernandez two years ago. The murder weapon was never found. Milkozavich was one of several suspects.

"Johan was well known in that neighborhood. Among other businesses he had a contract with the City to dispose of unclaimed bodies. I’ve always suspected he harvests cadaver organs and sells them to the tissue banks at the transplant centers in Houston. Dr. Pusské at West Mean MASH is expert in use of cadaver organs in live patients. He and Johan were friends.

There was an incident at Dr. Pusské’s home a couple of years ago where on a dare his wife Lote’ shot him, his friend Johan buried him in a barrel, and Dr. Pusske’ returned to work. Sandra giggled. "Don’t believe everything you hear.

Resurrection stories are spooky. It sounded more like a Houdini."

* * * *

Friday, April 30, 1993, a dead whale washed up on Galveston’s West Beach. At autopsy Marine biologists found a forty gallon barrel containing the mummif Ied remains of a white male thought dead two years.

C H A P T E R 3

It’s not difficult getting copies of unclassif Ied public records, if you hand the clerk a ten. Dirk got a couple of Sandra’s hundreds broken down to smaller bills and headed for homicide where he was able to get the patrol officer’s report, the patrol sergeant’s report, and the homicide sergeant’s preliminary reports. He noticed EMS arrived at 9:45 P.M. and the first police officer, Sergeant Green, arrived at 10 P.M. Dirk chuckled. Among the inventory of the decedent’s clothes and personal possessions was a 9mm Beretta.

Dirk walked into Dr. Nu’s office at the City-County morgue. Dirk threw a pouch of Granger pipe tobacco on his desk. Dr. Nu opened it, filled his pipe, lit up and inhaled deeply. Granger is difficult to find anymore. It’s my favorite. We public servants can’t accept bribes, only love offerings.

Dirk laughed. I’m interested in Johan Milkozavich stabbed to death by his girlfriend, Sharla, last night. Sandra Lerner pled her not guilty this morning. She’s out on a recognizance bail.

Damn! Sounds like battered girlfriend syndrome to me. For starters his blood alcohol was 0.28 which is over three times legal limit for drunkenness. He was probably dead drunk. All four puncture wounds pierced his major coronary artery. He had a blood clot in his heart cover, the pericardium, which tampon-aded his heart and contributed to his demise. The cause of death was fatal ice pick wound to the heart, and manner of death was homicide. Dr. Nu was still puffing on his pipe and enjoying himself. He picked up a chest x-ray and put it on the view box. What caliber of bullet is that?"

Dirk located a bullet at the level of the tenth vertebrae lodged in the spine.

It’s a 0.38 or a 9mm. You’re not going to be able to tell unless you match it up or send it in to Beretta USA. Do you have the murder weapon?

No! That’s an x-ray of a mummif Ied corpse taken from the belly of a whale and sent here for identif Ication and forensic. He’s been dead about two years.

May I make a suggestion? asked Dirk.

Surely.

"Do a ballistic and identif Ication study on the 9mm they took offMilkozavich

and match it with the slug in your mummy."

* * * *

Dirk drove on South Loop US 610 and turned south on South Queen Boulevard into south central Houston which reminded Dirk ofWatts, Los Angeles. He didn’t see a friendly Exxon or McDonalds sign anywhere.

He decided Sharla Castro and the crime scene were priority, and he’d sightsee another day.

After a mile and many side streets he arrived at the intersection of Queen with South Mean. The light was green, so he made a left onto South Mean and pulled into the Vista Ole’ parking lot. The Vista was a two floor yellow brick with connecting balconies front and back, metal stairs, and shaped like an L with the long end parallel to Queen. There was a swimming pool out back with poolside umbrella tables and chairs.

A light skinned Negro male was at the registration desk. No customers were in the lobby, and, except for public restrooms and public telephone, there were no other conveniences. Dirk flashed his badge and license, introduced himself, presented his business card (HAVE GUN WILL TRAVEL) and asked for Sharla Castro. The clerk called Sharla, and pointed to a stairway leading up to the second floor. She’s expecting you. Just knock.

The police had yellow and black-taped the top of the stairs and posted it off limits to all but the occupant, Sharla.

She answered his knock, helped him duck under the tape, and welcomed him in. She obviously had straightened up the room and made the bed. Sharla was dressed in a sheer negligee’ and bikini-like underthings. Her jaw and eyes were darkly bruised, but otherwise, she appeared healthy.

Sandra said you’d show up, Mr. Strong.

Please call me Derek or Dirk. He smiled.

He started snoring, and I went downstairs to my office and soaked my face with a towel and ice.

Any witnesses?

Yleta Frisbee, the colored below at the desk. He keeps a sign-in book. Probably a dozen couples signed in and paid cash.

That’s your only record?

Yes! Each girl keeps everything over fifty dollars, and at the end of the month they pay a Russian tax of ten percent across the street. Everything is cash up front, American. No foreign currency or records.

What do you do, Sharla? They have you on a salary?

I run this place, Yleta, maids, maintenance—the whole nine yards. I keep a cooked set of books downstairs for the IRS. We mostly deal in cash.

What’s your accountant’s name?

DeBlanc! Pierre DeBlanc comes by once or twice a month and checks the books. He was here last night when I was soaking my face.

What are your business hours?

Eight until six or in the winter from dark until daylight. The cleaning people start at 8 A.M.

What about Yleta?

He lives across the hall in 202. He’s on the desk during business hours, and sometimes we trade off.

Are any cops your customers?

Are you kidding? Next to Dunkin’ Doughnuts they like us best. You can’t run a decent whorehouse unless you got the cooperation of the law, and somebody on the scene to protect the girls.

Why did you try to pull the ice pick out? He was dead.

I discovered it was mine. It was one of a set I got as a wedding present, so I stuck it back in and lied. I want it back after the trial.

Did he have a key to this room? Do front and back take the same key?

I’ve never seen a key to the back. I open and close it from the inside. He was the owner. We all three—Johan, Yleta, and I have a master key to the rooms. Housekeeping has a master key. The Mexican clean up guys! There’s all kinds of master keys floating around. Anybody can have one copied. Johan could have given someone a copy. Who knows?

May I borrow your master key? Dirk took her key, went to the kitchen, opened the door and tried her master key. It wouldn’t fit, and the lock was a different brand. There were some fresh markings around the keyhole suggesting the intruder had difficulty inserting the right key in the dark. There was plenty of fingerprint dust all over, but no fingerprints that he could discern with the naked eye. They probably drew a blank. There was white powder on the doorknob, on the kitchen drawer where Sharla kept her ice picks, and in the hall broom closet. Not much, but clearly visible to a trained eye. The broom closet was big enough to conceal an intruder. There was gravel on the floor, a few spots of white powder, and a bundle of toilet paper in the mop bucket. It had a bad odor. Sharla had gone back and turned on the TV. He opened the wadded toilet paper and found a blood