Chop Shop

By George W. Parker

It’s okay to kill the dead.

Dallas Homicide Detective Alicia Escobar and her Living Dead Liaison, Kenny Greene, are sent in error to a murder scene in Pleasant Grove. The victim is a female LD her body mutilated like the Black Dahlia from 1940’s Los Angles. Escobar and Greene discover this is the third victim killed in this fashion. They are called off the case because “you can’t kill the already dead.”

Escobar and Greene start down the road of solving a series of crimes the law does not consider illegal with the police department actively trying to stop them. With multiple LA and LD deaths, it leads them through LD settlement camps, tenements, and ultimately City Hall as it devolves to a murder/blackmail case from before the Change with a fortune in crypto.

• Language: English
• Publisher: George W. Parker
• Release date: Nov 11, 2021
• ISBN: 9781005260491

George W. Parker

George W. Parker has published an intertextual cycle of American genre novels: Death; Juxtaposed, The Letters, The Krew, Conversations at Night, and Vanishing Trick. Additionally he has authored The Boy in the Box and The Law the second and third novels in the Marvin Davis PI series along with Choice Cut, a zombie/noir novel. He lives in Austin and is currently working on Chop Shop, a zombie/noir follow up novel to Choice Cut. You can purchase paperback editions at Amazon.

Book preview

Chapter 1

The church faced away from Rosemont Road and stretched back towards a large untended field north of the building. Three boys tossed an old Nerf football back and forth between themselves as they crossed the church parking lot and into the field.

The boy with the ball juked to his left and shouted, Jimmy, go deep! He then backpedaled to avoid the oncoming rush.

Jimmy broke into a sprint to the field. The third boy danced clumsily a few feet away and shouted, Pitch it to me Billy! Pitch it to me! I’m open!

Jimmy broke the fly route off into a post. He looked back over his left shoulder and threw up his right-hand signaling for the ball. Then he tripped in some taller grass and went tumbling head over heels.

The other two boys stopped moving and broke into loud laughter.

Jesus, Jimmy, the quarterback shouted, Who shoe stringed you?

The boys laughed louder as Jimmy raised up onto his knees and looked around him. He stood up and took a couple of steps and stared down into the grass.

Guys, come here! he shouted and waved at the other two boys.

***

Escobar was seated in the back booth of the Waffle House, her back against the wall. She was dressed for work in a dark pantsuit, a slightly less dark blouse, and closed-toed flats. She wore no watch, rings, or earrings.

If you really want to know, she said, My father was a cop. His father was a migrant farm worker. And his father’s father was an illegal US immigrant. Before that my people were bandits, revolutionaries and peons.

LDL Kenny Greene sat across the table listening to Escobar. Two coffee cups were on the table between them.

Greene laughed.

That’s cool Detective. My forefathers and foremothers were LAs. That’s all I know about them. And that buck stops here with me. My wife Beth is LD and so are both of the girls. They’ll never grow older.

Greene continued, At least you know something about your people. That bandit, revolutionary stuff sounds exciting.

Escobar smiled. I suppose it was until they got caught and hung.

Ouch, Greene replied. Sorry about that.

Escobar smiled. That’s okay. I still made it here. But that’s probably why my dad went into police work. He wanted to be the ‘hanger,’ not the ‘hangee.’

Greene laughed. Smart man.

Escobar nodded, Yes he was. I miss him.

Did you lose him in the change?

No, Escobar answered. Heart attack. Cremated him. He missed out on all this.

Lucky too, Greene added.

Yes, Escobar agreed. She reached for her cup.

And your mother? Greene asked.

Escobar’s company phone began to ring. Greene’s phone joined in.

Damn, Escobar reached into her jacket pocket for her phone.

Let’s hope it’s nothing, Greene added reaching for his phone.

Yes, sir, Escobar answered her call. …

"Yes, sir. I’m close to there. …

"Greene’s riding with me this week. …

Sure, Escobar added. We are on the way. She looked at Greene.

Yes, sir. … Yes, sir, Greene said to his phone. He looked at Escobar and rolled his eyes.

Escobar stood up and said loudly, Greene! We got to go. Hang up! She pulled out some cash and tossed it on the table.

Boss, Greene said standing up, Escobar is leaving. I have to go or I’ll be walking. I know what to do. Comfort the LDs and don’t let any LAs bully them. I have to go.

He ended the call and followed Escobar. Bosses, you got to love them. And thanks for the coffee. I’ll get the next round.

Yes you will, Escobar answered. Because I will bully you into it! She grinned as she pushed open the glass door and stepped out into the hot morning. She headed to the company car parked to her left.

***

Two patrol cars pulled quietly away from the church as Escobar and Greene drove up to the scene. No sirens. No lights. No hurry.

What’s up with that? Greene asked. This is a murder.

Escobar pulled into the parking lot.

Three boys sat by themselves on the church steps. Two were LDs and the third an LA.

Two patrol cars were parked back near the edge of the field. Parked behind them was a ‘Crime Scene Response’ unit.

One uniformed officer was taking down yellow Crime Scene Do Not Cross tape and rolling it up neatly so it could be reused.

A second uni stood beside one of the patrol cars with his hat off. He wiped the sweat from his high forehead.

Back in the field a photographer crouched low taking photographs.

What the hell is going on? Greene asked.

Escobar stopped the car near the steps. She shifted the transmission into park and cut off the engine.

That’s Ullie polishing his head, Escobar said. I’ll go talk to him and you go talk to the boys. They’re the only LDs here.

Okay, Greene answered. Ulyanov is an ass.

Escobar looked over at Greene. I am not trying to start an argument with you Kenny, but Ullie is a dick.

Greened grinned and replied, I stand corrected Detective. He is headed this way, so please enjoy.

Greene and Escobar opened their car doors and stepped out of the air-conditioned coolness into the morning heat.

Escobar looked over the roof of the car at Ulyanov as Greene hurried around the back of the car towards the three boys on the steps.

Ulyanov was an LA in his late thirties a meter and three-quarters tall. He was heavyset and muscled. His biceps protruded out of his tight-fitting uniform shirt. He put his hat on as he got closer to Escobar.

You’re wasting your time, Escobar. Nothing happening here, he called out to her.

Good morning, Ullie, Escobar replied. That’s good to know. My boss said there was a dead woman out here.

Ulyanov stopped a few steps from the car. He set his feet wide and put his hands on his hips. Homicide needs to upgrade its communications. The body isn’t a woman, it’s an LD. That’s why we’re packing up. No harm, no foul, he grinned.

Thanks for the heads up, Escobar answered. But I’ll have to hang around until my boss tells me to cut and run.

I understand, Ulyanov said. It’s your sweat, not his, he laughed. Ulyanov pulled off his hat and ran a hand across his forehead.

Escobar answered, That’s a fact. Did you all get anything from the kids?

Ulyanov shook his head. Once we saw it was an LD in the weeds we didn’t do anything but start packing up.

Escobar nodded. She looked out to where the LA photographer stood, framing his shots of the body.

Contini looks like he’s still working.

Ulyanov turned to look. Tommy boy there is a collector. He likes weird shit. And that LD is pretty messed up. Ulyanov turned back to Escobar. I’ve heard he is in some kind of freaky club that passes around pictures that shouldn’t be passed around.

Escobar laughed. Ullie, you sound embarrassed.

I don’t like weirdos, Ulyanov answered.

That’s good to know, Ullie.

Ulyanov cleared his throat and looked at Escobar. Maybe you’ll let me buy you a beer after shift?

That might be fun, Ullie. I’ll have to see how the day goes. I’ll reach out later. Okay?

Sure, that would be great Alicia. I’ll talk to you later, Ulyanov answered. He turned around and walked briskly towards his car.

Escobar looked out at the photographer and headed towards him.

Greene sat on the church steps beside the boys. You guys like football?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes, sir.

Who’s your favorite team?

The boy holding the football was quick to answer, The Cowboys. The other two boys followed suit.

And your favorite player?

Don Meredith! the boy with the football answered before the other two could blink.

Whoa! Greene said. That’s really ‘throwback.’ How do you know about ‘Dandy Don?’

The boy grinned, My daddy has his rookie card and it’s worth a trillion dollars!

That’s really cool, Greene answered. He looked over at the other two boys. Who are your favorites? Bob Hays? Bob Lilly?

Who? both boys asked in unison.

Old Cowboys, Greene answered and laughed. I thought you might be trillionaires too.

Nah, Billy is the only trillionaire. He lives across the street, one of the boys said pointing to a modest house with its garage closed in and converted into a room. Jimmy and I live over in the LD neighborhood over that way, he added pointed up the street.

I know the area, Greene replied. I go there almost every day. I’m an LD Liaison officer for the Dallas Police.

Dude, the boy said. We saw you roll up with the girl cop. And you’re dead.

Ricky, Jimmy said looking at his friend and then at Greene. He knows he’s dead.

Greene laughed. Yes I do. Like you two. And like Billy isn’t. It’s just a fact. He nodded toward where the photographer stood. Like the woman over there. Who saw her first?

Ricky and Billy pointed to Jimmy who raised his hand. He looked down at the concrete step below him.

I thought it was one of those store dummies, naked, he said. It was busted in two at the waist. And someone had poked a hole in its head. There’s a big space between the top part and the bottom part. And someone made a dirty picture with it. Its legs are spread wide and its arms are raised above its head. There’s a big grin on its face.

Jimmy looked up at Greene. He said, Then I noticed the hair on her. You know, down below her waist there. Store dummies don’t have that. And then I saw it wasn’t a grin. Her mouth is cut open on each side.

I thought it was Jimmy’s mom, Billy said.

She doesn’t look anything like Mom, Jimmy answered.

She has big hooters like your mom, Billy returned.

Jimmy jumped to his feet and stared at Billy. You take that back!

Greene stood up. Stop it boys. That’s enough. That person, that woman over there is dead-dead. It’s not right to talk about the gone that way.

Jimmy dropped back down to his seat.

Who called the police? Billy, did you go home and call?

Billy grinned and pull out a battered cell phone.

I told you he was rich, Ricky stated.

So you three are the only ones to see the body before the police arrived? Greene asked.

The boys all nodded.

Did you see anything else? Anything that might help us catch the person who did this, Greene said.

The boys shook their heads in answer.

Jimmy shifted his weight and stood up. She don’t look like my mom, he said to Billy and stepped off the stairs and walked away.

Ricky looked at Billy and then to Greene. He stood up and followed after Jimmy.

Billy scooted down the steps and hurried after the two boys. Sorry, Jimmy. You know I think your mom’s pretty.

Escobar was almost to