THE JANUS TERROR

By John Lavernoich

A pair of Los Angeles police detectives investigating a politician's murder are assisted by a magazine editor, as they uncover a global criminal conspiracy which involves Reality TV, global assassinations -- and so much more.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Jan 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781794736979

John Lavernoich

JOHN LAVERNOICH is a free-lance writer who has written various articles for several publications, including the Comics Buyer's Guide. CODE NAME: CHAMELEONS is Mr. Lavernoich's first novel. Mr. Lavernoich currently lives in Winsted, CT.

Book preview

Introduction by the Author

THE JANUS TERROR – the novel you’re about to read – is simply a work of fiction.  Yet, within its overall plot lies simple truths that we take for granted and have since the early days of civilization as a whole.

  One of those truths should be clear, even before you start to read this book: Nobody and nothing is perfect – not even political and business leaders – though there have been and will always be those who don’t believe or accept that fact.  That stubbornness has, in part, resulted in both chaos and tragedy, which has haunted and scarred humanity throughout history and has been – an unfortunate legacy that future generations might inherit.  And yet, the present age has an advantage over those before them, which might help make the future less bleak than the current situation already facing the world – namely, the knowledge and foresight needed to correct all past mistakes and errors, if for no other reason than to help improve both the lives and sanity of their children and descendants for the better; in that respect, they’ll be luckier than both us and our ancestors.

*****

  There’s also another simple truth that we must also take to heart – and it’s been true ever since humankind’s early days: Our greatest enemies may not be those whom we view as threats to our very existence, but those whom we don’t recognize, at least initially – the ones that we, at first, idolize as saviors promising a great future for all, as was the case with Germany’s support of both Adolf Hitler and the Nazis before and during World War II.  In the end, the false idols become a far greater threat than even its followers realized – with tragic and far-reaching consequences lasting for more than decades, as was the case when the world saw the result of the Nazis’ crimes against the Jews in the spring of 1945.  And over time, we regret and condemn those more concerned with preserving their egos and delusions of grandeur – including many politicians, both past and present, who should have never grabbed both the power and attention that would bring their eventual downfalls and cause us to repeatedly question humanity’s somewhat darker (and politically incorrect) traits, and whether or not it’ll ever learn from its past errors.

*****

  What you’re about to read will no doubt entertain you.  But it might also give you perhaps more to think about than you realized – and possibly, to come up with the positive and far-reaching situations that today’s world needs, and will make the future a far saner and safer, if not perfect, time to exist in.  May that hope become a reality – perhaps sooner, if true justice exists, not just on our troubled planet.

John Lavernoich

Winsted, CT

February 3, 2022

P.S.: Please read my short story Betrayed – and Burned, which inspired THE JANUS TERROR, at the following listed below:

booksie.com/502479-betrayed-and-burned

Prologue#1

  From the journal of an unknown historian, now deceased – from so long ago:

Where he originally came from – wasn’t as important as who he was and what he did.  And that was enough to cause terror, misery, and death on a mammoth scale that no one should endure, even in a finite life.

  He cared little for what humanity thought of him.  To him, humans threatened his very existence – insects targeted for extermination.  The weak, morally and otherwise, whom he encountered – could be easily bent to his iron will.  And those who refused – ended up physically and mentally broken.  Or worse still – they suffered violent and horrible deaths, which equaled past atrocities.

  To him, nothing was more important than both power and wealth – the type associated with demagogues who treated humanity as if they were sheep about to be slaughtered and who believed that the end always justified the means, as if he lacked the moral scruples which have helped teach much of humanity throughout recorded history what to do, and what not to do.

  For centuries, he has chilled the blood of even the bravest of human beings – reminding them that evil in its purest and eternal form can never be destroyed, despite humankind’s attempts to eradicate it, a lesson many have failed to heed.  And I fear that they – and those after them – will continue to do so, perhaps for all eternity.

  That might be the most damning – and most tragic – legacy that humanity leaves behind.  If it survives, that is.

Prologue#2

Seven years ago: Los Angeles, California wasn’t perfect – but then, neither was every other town and city located throughout the world.  True, Los Angeles was the world's entertainment capital and had near-perfect weather all year round.  But the earthquakes caused by the San Andreas Fault – the mudslides caused by heavy pouring rains – and the wildfires which showed no mercy to whoever and whatever felt its flames and intense heat, which left both forests and communities reduced to burnt and blackened ruins – these and other calamities and misfortunes, not all of them Nature's doing, did more to stain the city's overall reputation, and made a significant number of its residents decide to move out of L.A. altogether and live elsewhere; whether or not that decision was indeed for the best was – more often than not – a matter of opinion.

  Those who lived in Los Angeles for most or all of their lives soldiered on, knowing that failure and tragedy, like success and happiness, were part of the human experience – a fact that many had to accept and which they couldn’t ignore.  And nearly everything terrible associated with humanity wasn’t going away soon.

  The long-time residents of Los Angeles also knew that the unexpected and unpredictable were also part of the always-expanding fabric of human life – and that no one, not even a well-known psychic, could truly predict the future.  And a time traveler traveling in a time machine couldn't tell those in the present what would happen years, decades, and centuries from now – if that particular invention first conjured up by fiction authors almost two centuries ago ever became a solid reality in our world.

*****

  Life went on as usual throughout Los Angeles and the rest of the world this early evening in mid-April.  Many of the world’s inhabitants experienced moments of happiness and success due in no small measure to their promising future.  But others had a less-than-stellar day – symbolized by not only failure and misfortune but also tragedy, with some of it on a gigantic scale, which some found impossible to deal with, which wasn’t an isolated matter, no matter where you lived.

  At Hollywood's Global Broadcasting System television studios, it had been a typical day for its many executives, employees, and artists – both in front of and behind the camera – who belonged to the various branches of the entertainment and media industries.  Their goal had long been crystal-clear: to entertain and enlighten audiences, partly to generate the financial revenue needed to stay active in an always-changing industry – which was probably true over many centuries, from the arenas in ancient Greece and the British theaters during the time of Shakespeare which showcased his many plays, to the earliest motion picture theaters which first opened at the end of the 19th Century and the prototype of the radio which would go on to help shape the 20th Century.

  It was 4:47 p.m., PDST (Pacific Daylight Savings Time).  As was common in other parts of the world, the days were getting longer in Los Angeles – while the nights were getting shorter.  Spring had already arrived – and summer was just two

months away.  Young children and teens were already working hard to keep up with their studies and hopefully pass their final exams before their summer break began.  Most of their parents and neighbors were finishing their workday, which brought them a significant amount of frustration, as did the satisfaction and pride from their jobs and careers.

  For others, including those at the GBS Studios, their workday was far from over – including those already inside one of the GBS lot's most significant studio theater buildings.  A live TV broadcast inside that particular building was nearing its final preparations, thanks in no small measure to those behind the scenes; the broadcast would air at both 8 p.m., EDST (Eastern Daylight Savings Time), and 7 p.m., CDST (Central Daylight Savings Time) throughout a good portion of North America, with a delayed broadcast to air later on that evening in the continent’s other time zone sections, including Alaska and Hawaii.  Or so the world thought.

  The studio audience members – nearly a thousand – had already entered the theater building within the past half-hour and were now in their seats, all filled with boundless excitement.  The reason why was already on the brightened marquee display located above the twin steel doors that led into the studio theater building, in black capital letters against a white background: STAR QUEST – SEASON FINALE – LIVE TONIGHT ON GBS!

  By 4:55 p.m., PDST, all was ready inside the studio theater building.  Both the studio audience and the global TV audience were already excited.  One of their week's highlights was about to commence.  Or so they believed.

  Four minutes later – both the unthinkable and the unexpected happened.  Out of nowhere, there was high-pitched laughter as if something ominous was about to occur.  Then – a powerful explosion happened inside the studio theater building on the GBS lot – followed by a brief fire that burnt the building inside and outside to its foundations, accompanied by high-pitched crying that had replaced the laughing.  Those eyewitnesses to the explosion – including those working at the GBS Studios – wouldn’t forget the destruction resulting from both the explosion and fire, including the flying debris from the explosion’s full force, which caused substantial damage to the area surrounding the studio auditorium building, including those empty auto vehicles already parked on the GBS lot which were extensively damaged, like a scene from a Hollywood disaster movie.

  Those eyewitnesses also wouldn’t forget those inside the studio theater building – including the studio audience – who were killed instantly in the explosion that reduced it to burnt rubble.  They wouldn’t forget the laughter and crying accompanying this unexpected genocide, both ceasing following its grim and violent outcome.  By day’s end, both TV and streaming Internet video news footage of L.A. police officers and firefighters removing the corpses from the building’s remains and placing them in body bags before police wagons and ambulances delivered them to the city morgue would haunt more than just the population of Los Angeles.  The tragedy wasn’t any better than the senseless destruction and death that the world had to endure – not just in the past decade.  But then, the world had long been a dangerous place to live in – the aerial bombing attacks that had helped define two

World Wars alone were sad proof of that claim – and that fact wasn’t about to

change anytime soon.

  Even as darkness started to blanket the skies above Los Angeles, the city’s police department, the Fire Marshal’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security had already launched an investigation into this unexpected tragedy – and the causes and motives behind it.  Yet, the inquiry would end within several months as a cold case.  Whatever caused the explosion and the fire that destroyed the studio theater building on the GBS lot remained a mystery – as well as the identities of those who planned it, mainly to avoid being identified and captured by the authorities.  The fact that the culprits responsible for the tragedy were still at large was undoubtedly no comfort to the families and friends of those who died in the explosion.  And the fear that the bombers could strike again at both a time and place of their choosing wasn’t far from their troubled minds.

  Yet, several months after the investigation of the explosion and fire at the GBS Studios in Hollywood was closed, the mysteries associated with it would persist, not just the reasons behind this senseless incident.  But the outside world was ignorant of an essential fact that they should have paid more attention to – and which has existed since the dawn of civilization: Only those who commit senseless violence know why they do it – as well as keeping that particular bit of information to themselves, with a significant number of them taking it to their graves.

  What the world didn’t know was that the explosion at the GBS Studios on that April afternoon wasn’t just the start of what would be the start of a mystery that brought forth more questions than answers.  It wasn’t even the start of a nightmare.

  And as the world would soon discover, the worst was yet to come.  And that included secrets that spanned more than just years and decades.

Part 1

Chapter 1

It was four years later, towards the end of the last decade. The setting was – again – Los Angeles, on an April afternoon.  Despite the many problems and misfortunes it had to deal with throughout its history, the city continued to move forward, just like everywhere else in the world.  Some who lived in L.A. for most of their lives would say – at least from their viewpoints – that the city had hardly changed.  And in some cases, they were correct.

  And yet, L.A. had constantly been changing – just like the rest of the world – and credit (or blame) for much of that was credited to those living in it, as well as the various industries and businesses that had allowed it to keep up with – and in some ways, surpass – much of the modern world, depending on whoever you asked.

  Outside, the sun was shining brightly.  The sky was both blue and clear.  Various birds were chirping, depending on where they were – a sign that the spring season was already in full bloom.  It was a day many perceived as perfect – nothing could spoil it, not even disaster and tragedy. 

  What happened within the next half-hour – as it had in the past, in all parts of the world – would prove even those optimists living in L.A. wrong.

*****

  It was 1:09 p.m., PDST, at a luxury hotel located in the center of downtown L.A.  Inside the hotel building, on the lobby floor, its largest banquet room was now the setting for a luncheon sponsored by several prominent business owners and merchants – all of them registered Democrats, and residing in Los Angeles, Orange, and Ventura Counties – with all the proceeds from the luncheon going to support the Democratic Party.

  The inside of the hotel's banquet room had not only priceless works of art, which were framed and hanging on all four walls inside the room itself but also a multi-colored carpet imported from the Orient that blanketed the room's entire floor and a gigantic chandelier imported from France which hung from the ceiling with LED (Light-Emitting Diode) lights already in its sockets.  The banquet room's interior design already represented the high quality long associated with the hotel building.  In the center of the banquet room were thirty large and circular dining tables, each seating six people – part of the almost two hundred people who each paid a hefty amount of money to attend this afternoon's luncheon.  Those tables had gold-colored silk tablecloths – in the center of each of the tables were rose-colored clear glass vases containing six red roses soaked in water, one for each table; the roses were supplied by a local florist and one who helped make today’s luncheon possible.

  Directly facing those thirty dining tables – and in front of the banquet room's back wall were two elongated dining tables covered by the same colored silk tablecloths and decorated with identical rose-filled vases, three for each table in a vertical row.  Those two tables were for the local business owners and merchants responsible for today’s luncheon and its keynote speaker, who was a V.I.P. (Very Important Person) in more ways than one.

  Sandwiched between the two elongated dining tables was a raised dais made out of solid pine, already equipped with a hi-tech electronic microphone connected to

both a modern audio sound system and a pair of small yet powerful audio loudspeakers – also hi-tech – placed in, respectively, the rear left and rear right corners of the banquet room.  The purpose of the dais between the two elongated dining tables was straight-forward: this was where not only some of the business owners and merchants – but also the keynote speaker – spoke to all who attended today's luncheon.  One of them – Marnie Giella, a medium-height and slightly overweight Caucasian woman in her early fifties with short and curly red hair who operated a dress shop in Glendale – was already standing on the dais, as she was about to finish speaking to all assembled inside the banquet hall and introduce the keynote speaker.

  And now, said Mrs. Giella, as she spoke into the microphone, It’s my absolute pleasure to introduce our guest of honor who’ll give today’s keynote speech – one dedicated to fighting for the best interests of not only California but also the rest of the country.  Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce you to U.S. Senator Eugene Keel.

  Thunderous applause and loud cheers were coming from virtually everyone inside the hotel’s banquet room as Mrs. Giella stepped down from the dais.  Senator Keel – a Caucasian man in his late fifties who was medium-height, slender, and bespectacled, with neatly-combed thin gray hair, and who wore a three-piece dress suit – got up from his seat and headed over to the dais to make the luncheon's keynote speech.  At the same time, the politician's pair of armed bodyguards stood in the rear corners of the banquet room, with one standing in each corner.  The applause would cease within the next ninety seconds.

  Thank you, Mrs. Giella, said Senator Keel, who spoke into the microphone seconds after stepping up to the dais to address those present at the luncheon, "First of all, I’d like to thank those who planned today’s luncheon for inviting me here.  But additional thanks should go to those who voted me into office over a quarter-century ago – and those who’ve helped me stay in office ever since.

  "When I first ran for U.S. Senator many years ago, I was dedicated to practicing the principles of fair and honest government and serving California and the rest of the country to the best of my ability.  I believe in open and efficient government – and its importance to the American people, who all want a better standard of life – and who should always be treated with dignity and respect while getting them the help and support needed to shape their futures – and those of all future generations.  That includes all males and females – the young and the old – all races and religions – and those with alternative lifestyles.  In God's eyes, everybody throughout the country and the rest of the world are genuinely equals.

  "Unfortunately, there have been – and will always be – those politicians – and not just in our own country – who’ve always abused the power they’ve gained and care little for the concept of democracy and their duty to serve those who voted them into office.  And it becomes even worse when many of them are influenced by those who care only for themselves and their interests – which can only place humanity at a total disadvantage and bring forth consequences that can threaten our present – and future."

*****

  A minute later – those on the lobby floor inside the hotel building – and those on

the first two floors that headed upward – heard a powerful explosion that occurred only several feet away, followed by the loud and blaring sound of a hi-tech fire alarm located in the hallway adjacent to the hotel lobby and which quickly extended to the rest of the building itself.  While those associated with hotel security headed over to the scene of the explosion, the majority of those inside the hotel building – both guests and employees – started to run outside, mainly for their safety.

  Within a few minutes, the public would learn the truth.  The explosion had occurred inside the banquet room, which hosted Senator Eugene Keel and those attending this afternoon's luncheon.  The twin doors that led into the banquet room were blown off their hinges and crashed into the concrete wall, which was part of the lobby hallway – and which directly faced the banquet room entrance/exit; thankfully, nobody was in this particular area when the explosion occurred – nobody who ended up either seriously injured or dead, that is.

Even as the hotel manager was already phoning the Los Angeles Police Department – and local firefighters were heading to the incident scene – the hotel security staff members saw the grim aftermath of the explosion, which would soon give more than L.A. cause for concern.  Only seconds after the blast inside the banquet room, a brief fire reduced everything inside the room to burnt remains in only a minute.  All inside the banquet room – including Senator Keel and his bodyguards – were killed instantly by the explosion's full force.

  Then, for the next few hours, the L.A.P.D., the Fire Marshal’s Office, the F.B.I., and Homeland Security were investigating the explosion and its aftermath, including removing the explosion victims and delivering their corpses to the city morgue, pending their autopsies.  A heinous act of violence had just happened – the fact that Senator Keel was among those killed in the explosion only made it more tragic, a fact that those outside in front of the hotel building, including those drawn to the tragedy, couldn’t forget, as the L.A.P.D. had temporarily blocked off the city street where the hotel building was.  It wasn’t the first time this kind of tragedy affected L.A. – or anywhere else.  And regretfully, it wouldn't be the last.

*****

  By day’s end, the nightmare made actual was far from over.  The families of those killed inside the hotel building's banquet room earlier today had already been alerted to what happened – even as grief was starting to overwhelm them.  The hotel building where the explosion occurred was already closed to the public – and remained so until after the authorities’ investigation of the incident itself was over, which caused a somewhat sizable dent in the plans of those hotel guests who had to leave it and seek other lodgings in the city.

  The investigation into this afternoon’s explosion and fire continued into the evening.  The L.A.P.D., Fire Marshal’s Office, F.B.I., and Homeland Security had yet to find any tangible clues that might identify the culprit or culprits responsible for this genocidal act – and their motives for committing them while realizing that no matter how much concrete evidence that they’d uncover, it still wouldn’t be enough to ease or erase the painful anguish that the victims' families and friends had to deal with.  It never was – not only then and now, but perhaps in the future.  Having to come to grips with the cold-blooded death of even one person – and trying to make sense of it and its aftermath – had long been a challenging and mind-numbing task, especially when the victim's family and friends end up suffering the most.

  After the hotel bombing and fire, several mysteries would emerge – all illogical and difficult to solve.  And yet, they'd end up being part of a far more extensive and complex picture that the world was unaware of – at least for now.  And if the population of Los Angeles believed that the hotel bombing that occurred earlier today was nothing more than an isolated matter – they would be proven wrong, as would the rest of the world.

Chapter 2

The following day: Before 7 a.m., PDST, inside his family's suburban home located in the section of Los Angeles called Glendale, Lt. David Rich – a medium-height, handsome, and muscular African-American man in his mid-forties with short black Afro hair and a goatee who was a plainclothes detective working in the Los Angeles Police Department's Robbery-Homicide division – was already getting dressed in the upstairs bedroom which he shared with his wife Monica, when his superior in Robbery-Homicide phoned him, asking him to head over to the L.A.P.D. headquarters building, saying that it was urgent.  Lt. Rich took his law enforcement career seriously – he had to and with good reason.  Los Angeles may have been dubbed The City of Angels, – but even that heavenly claim wasn't immune to the violence and death long associated with a metropolis like L.A. – or any other city worldwide.

  After getting dressed, Lt. Rich headed downstairs to have breakfast with his wife Monica – a grade school teacher – and their two young children.  After he ate his breakfast and brushed his teeth inside the upstairs bathroom of his home, Lt. Rich headed downstairs and said goodbye to his family before driving off in his dark green-colored Chevrolet Camaro and headed to his workplace – while his wife and their kids headed off in Mrs. Rich's light blue-colored Toyota Sienna mini-van vehicle, first to drop off the kids at their grade school, before she headed over to her workplace to begin another day of teaching young children.

  As Lt. Rich was driving off to work, a lot was already on his mind – while blissfully unaware of what was about to transpire, not just for himself.  Such was the profession that Lt. Rich chose – which wasn't easy and glamorous, given what he, his partner, and their colleagues had to face daily.  And before it was over, Lt. Rich would learn several important and sobering truths – including those never mentioned in detail when he studied criminology in college.

*****

  It was nearing 7:30 a.m., PDST, inside the L.A.P.D. headquarters building.  Five people – with four already working for the department – were assembled inside the office of Captain Mackenzie Gray, the head of the department’s Robbery-Homicide division, as they waited for a sixth to join them.  Capt. Gray – a tall and muscular Caucasian man in his mid-fifties with short gray-white hair and a gray mustache – sat in his swivel office chair before his solid steel office desk.

  Sgt. Marion Garson (a medium-height, beautiful, and slender Caucasian woman in her late-thirties with long light brown hair) was leaning against the front right wall inside Capt. Gray’s office.  Sgt. Garson was a plainclothes detective working in Robbery-Homicide and the partner of Lt. David Rich, soon to enter Capt. Gray's office.  Sgt. Roy Madsen was a medium-height and muscular Irish-American man in his late forties – who, like Lt. Rich and Sgt. Garson was also a plainclothes detective working in Robbery-Homicide; he stood next to Capt. Gray.

  Dr. Curtis Gold – a medium-height and slender Jewish-American man with black hair and a bald pate wearing horn-rimmed glasses and clear latex surgical gloves on his hands – was one of the L.A.P.D.'s police scientists.  Dr. Gold sat on one of the

two cushioned metal chairs inside Capt. Gray's office – resting on his lap was a medium-sized leather briefcase containing scientific data, which was essential to many of the cases the L.A.P.D. was working on.

  Dr. Willis Bach – a medium-height, slender, and bespectacled Caucasian man in his mid-fifties with short white hair – served as the city coroner for Los Angeles County – hence, the white latex surgical gloves he wore on his hands; the coroner – who was standing to Capt. Gray – held the handle of his medium-height polyester briefcase in his right gloved hand, which was essential in his chosen profession.

  Within the next few seconds, the door leading into Capt. Gray’s office opened as Lt. Rich entered, closing the door slowly behind him.  Good morning, said Lt. Rich.

  Good morning, Dave, said Capt. Gray, "As for why you, Mari, Roy, Curt, and Will are assembled inside my office – you and Mari have been investigating Congressman Lamar Quinn’s murder by gunfire for the last few weeks."

  "We have – with the help of the F.B.I."

  "And you’re also aware of what happened to Senator Eugene Keel yesterday afternoon – a case that Roy’s currently involved in."

  Everybody in L.A. already knows, said Sgt. Garson, Not to mention the rest of the country.

  But what does Keel’s death have to do with Quinn’s assassination? asked Lt. Rich.

  That’s what I want to know, too, asked Sgt. Madsen.

  Will and Curt’ll give you the proper info, Capt. Gray said, Guys?

  Thanks, Mack, said Dr. Gold, We already know that before Senator Keel’s death yesterday afternoon, there have been four political assassinations in L.A. alone in the past few weeks, including that of Congressman Quinn – all happening in different parts of the city – and which we initially thought had no connection to each other.

  "The other three victims were Wilson Carey from the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, who represents California, said Sgt. Garson, And Kieron Pearson and Thomas Ling from the State Senate up in Sacramento – right?"

  Definitely, said Dr. Bach, as he opened his briefcase and started to remove a file folder from it, Following Senator Keel’s death, we initially thought that he was killed by the full force from that explosion, just like the other victims of that hotel bombing.

  You’re not saying that –? asked Sgt. Madsen.

  "I wish it weren’t true, Roy, said Dr. Gold, But what Will and I – plus our colleagues – learned between yesterday afternoon and early this morning can’t be denied or ignored." Within seconds, Dr. Bach opened the file folder to reveal and show what was in it to the others assembled in Capt. Gray’s office: namely, X-ray photos of the four dead politicians – Quinn, Carey, Pearson, and Ling – all photographed at the city morgue, specifically the deceased’s upper chests, all riddled with gunfire.

  We know that all four killings happened when the targets themselves were either left alone, said Dr. Bach, Or in areas with few people who would have witnessed their killers in action – if they appeared in plain sight.

  But how’s Senator Keel’s death tied in with those of the quartet of politicians?

asked Sgt. Garson.

  More than you’d think, Mari. Within seconds, Dr. Bach took out still another file folder from his briefcase, then opened it up to reveal and show to the others what was inside it: an X-ray photo of Senator Keel’s upper chest, taken minutes after his corpse ended up at the city morgue, riddled with gunfire – just like Quinn, Carey, Pearson, and Ling within the past few weeks.

  That hotel bombing, said Lt. Rich, It was a cover for Keel’s murder yesterday afternoon.

  And that of his bodyguards, said Dr. Gold, as he opened up his briefcase and removed from it a carefully sealed transparent plastic bag containing the bullets from a half-dozen 5.56X45mm NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) rifle cartridges – the kind used in a significant number of high-powered rifles – which Dr. Bach and his colleagues removed from Senator Keel’s corpse at the city morgue late yesterday afternoon before they were delivered to the L.A.P.D.’s science lab for Dr. Gold and his colleagues to thoroughly examine – the same rifle cartridges that Dr. Gold now showed to the others.

  Those rifle cartridges, said Lt. Rich, Are the same ones pumped into Congressman Quinn’s body.

  As well as Carey, Pearson, and Ling, said Dr. Bach.

  And those rifle cartridges also have something else in common, said Dr. Gold, "There’s no evidence on them to identify the killers responsible – not even a DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) sample."

  "Didn’t the hotel’s video security cameras record who gunned down Senator Keel yesterday?" asked Sgt. Garson.

  They might have, Mari, said Sgt. Madsen, But, according to the head of hotel security, when my partner and I spoke to him yesterday, all of the video security camera equipment – including cameras and monitors – malfunctioned and temporarily broke down for six minutes.  Somehow, Keel's killer must have struck him down during that period.

  The same killer who must have caused the video security camera equipment to break down temporarily, said Capt. Gray, So there wouldn’t be any eyewitnesses to the crime.

  But someone out in the hotel lobby could have heard the rifle shots from inside the banquet room, said Lt. Rich, And alerted the hotel security staff to the situation.

  But there weren’t any rifle shots heard yesterday, said Dr. Gold, "Come to think of it, nobody heard any gunshots seconds before Quinn, Carey, Pearson, and Ling were discovered shot to death – based on the eyewitness accounts."

  So the killer – or killers – responsible are not only pros as assassins – but also tech-savvy, given that they carried out their hit-jobs without anyone identifying the assassin or assassins responsible.

  "But we don’t know the why of it," Capt. Gray said.

  Or if those assassinations are part of an even bigger plot that we’re unaware of, said Sgt. Garson.

  With more murders of that type possibly on the horizon, said Sgt. Madsen, "I

never voted for Keel during his years as a politician since I'm a Republican, and he was a Democrat.  Still, I don't envy his family for what they're going through now."

  Well, Roy, said Lt. Rich, "Some politicians slain in L.A. over the past few weeks were Republicans.  And assassins almost always don’t care which political parties their murder victims belonged to."

  And especially if the assassins keep their motives to themselves. Within seconds, the digital office phone resting atop Capt. Gray's office desk rang.  Capt. Gray speaking, said the head of Robbery-Homicide as he answered his office phone.

  Good morning, Mack, said Chief of Police Walter Killian on the other line, You already know about Senator Keel’s death yesterday.

  And Curt and Will have revealed several facts proving that the hotel building explosion yesterday was a cover-up for Keel’s assassination – which is more than likely connected to those of the four other politicians who visited L.A. over the past few weeks.

  Can they supply what info they’ve already uncovered?

  Mack – please hand me the phone, said Dr. Gold, who then spoke on Capt. Gray's office phone, "Walt – this is Curt speaking.  Will and I'll e-mail whatever data we've already discovered to you and the F.B.I. branch in L.A. within the next half-hour."

  Did you hear that, Walt? said Capt. Gray, after Dr. Gold handed him back his office phone.

  Got it, Mack, said Chief Killian on the other line, "Speaking of Senator Keel – his widow took a red-eye plane flight from Washington last night after learning of his death, arriving in L.A. several hours before dawn.  According to one of the F.B.I. agents who traveled with her, she’s now sleeping in her hotel suite – and should be awake before noon, our time."

  What then, Walt?

    "You can send two of your detectives over to Mrs. Keel’s hotel suite before early afternoon so they can ask her any questions about Senator Keel’s death – including who’d want him dead and why since she’s more or less a Washington insider."

  "I already know who I’m sending to visit Mrs. Keel – namely, Dave and Mari."

  But aren’t they –?

  "There might be more to Keel’s death than meets the eye – and especially if it’s strongly connected to Congressman Quinn’s murder and those of their colleagues."

  I get the picture.  You must know what you're doing, Mack – so good luck to you, Dave, and Mari.  'Bye, Mack.

  Goodbye, Walt. Within several minutes, Lt. Rich, Sgt. Garson and Sgt. Madsen exited Capt. Gray’s office, as did Doctors Gold and Bach – the three police detectives headed over to their respective work desks, while Dr. Gold headed back to his police lab office, and Dr. Bach left the L.A.P.D. headquarters building and drove off to the city morgue to begin his work day.

  It wouldn't be until late morning when Senator Eugene Keel's widow finally woke up, cleaned up, and dressed.  By the time that happened, those already guarding her alerted the L.A.P.D. – and minutes later, Lt. Rich and Sgt. Garson headed off to

the hotel building where Mrs. Keel was staying at.  What the police detectives would soon find out would – in more ways than one – further prove the familiar axiom about things not always being what they seem.

Chapter 3

  It was 11:20 a.m., PDST, when Lt. Rich and Sgt. Garson drove off in the former’s Chevrolet Camaro auto vehicle to the Los Angeles hotel building where Mariah Keel was staying – not only to console her following her husband’s murder but also to possibly learn any information that might bring her late husband’s killer – and more than that – to justice.  Both police detectives were in the vehicle’s front seat, their seatbelts already buckled on, with Lt. Rich handling the driving chores.  There was already a lot on their minds – including the possibility of a conspiracy connecting Senator Eugene Keel’s murder to those of the four other politicians who visited L.A. over the past few weeks.

  Do you believe there’s a political conspiracy targeting elected officials representing California? asked Sgt. Garson curiously, I mean – based on what we learned a few hours ago, the evidence alone is undeniable.

  I don’t know, said Lt. Rich, "But then, I don’t believe in any conspiracy theories that adhere to the solid and unfiltered facts.  And part of our jobs is to uncover the facts necessary to bring those who’ve broken the law to justice."

  Not to mention letting the facts play a major role in ultimately deciding a criminal defendant’s fate when he or she goes on trial.

  "This doesn’t always work to anyone’s advantage, Mari – including the District Attorney’s Office.  There’s only so much that those associated with the law – including us – can do."

  "Now, Dave – please remind me again why you chose law enforcement as your career."

  Providing that you tell me why you chose to be a police detective, Mari.  You knew I grew up in Watts – the African-American section of L.A. that’s no stranger to conflict and tension, especially in almost the past century, if actual history’s any indication.

  "I know.  I learned about the Watts riots – in both ’65 and ’92 – and not just while studying in college."

  "Well, life in Watts was never easy.  And racial prejudice isn’t the only problem that Watts has had to contend with.  Crime and poverty have also tainted the Watts’ reputation by influencing African-American youth in the worst ways possible – and that includes some of my childhood friends – with many of them suffering tragic ends, whether it be by gun violence, drug addiction, or any other causes not restricted to just the poor."

  "And crime never cares if you’re rich or poor – young or old."

  "That’s one reason I decided to join the L.A.P.D. – to be a positive example for my race and all humanity.  I can’t say that being a police detective is the easiest career in the world – mainly because it isn’t, a fact I was already aware of long before I studied criminology in college and got my training at the police academy a few years later."

  "Your reason for joining the police is – more or less – why I joined it.  But then, serving the greater good's long been a tradition in my family – which goes back to my ancestral roots in Great Britain, with some of them serving as police officers."

  "Your dad’s told me about that whenever we’ve met.  His parents emigrated from Britain during World War II and went on to work at the British Consulate-General offices – five years before they married."

  "And after my paternal grandparents retired from the BC-G offices, they became naturalized U.S. citizens – as did my dad and aunt.  And that was a few years before Dad married my American-born wife, who gave birth – first to me, then to my other two siblings."

  And your family’s turned out well – every one of them a positive example to the community.

  And that includes my boyfriend, who I’d like to spend more time with –!

  "Except that we’re both busy, thanks mainly to the criminals that you and I have to hunt down – especially those who commit cold-blooded murder."

  And that includes Senator Keel and Congressman Quinn’s killers.

  "Or killer – if what we already know becomes 100% correct.  And speaking of Senator Keel, we’re only a few blocks away from where his widow's staying.  Let’s hope she’s doing all right despite her recent loss."  Within the next few minutes, Lt. Rich and Sgt. Garson reached their destination – and after Lt. Rich parked his auto vehicle in a nearby parking garage, both he and Sgt. Garson exited the car and walked down a block to Mariah Keel's hotel.

Chapter 4

  It was 11:43 a.m., PDST, inside a hotel building in downtown Los Angeles, which was different from where U.S. Senator Keel died the previous day – it was where Senator Keel’s widow Mariah was staying after flying out to L.A. from Washington, D.C., late last night after news of her husband’s death flashed across the country and the rest of the world.

  It was also the same hotel building where Lt. Rich and Sgt. Garson was now heading to meet with Mrs. Keel – partly to offer her their condolences.  But the police detectives also hoped that their meeting with Mrs. Keel would help dig deeper into the mystery behind her husband’s murder – and those of the other four politicians who suffered the same violent fate as he did.

  Within seconds, the police detectives entered the hotel’s elegant lobby area, where they met with an F.B.I. agent from the organization’s L.A. branch as they showed him their credentials.  Soon, all three entered one of the hotel’s elevators and headed up to the fifth floor and the hotel suite that Mrs. Keel was staying in.

*****

Five minutes later: Inside the hotel’s spacious fifth-floor suite, in the living room – which, like the rest of the suite (and the rest of the hotel itself), reeked of high quality – Lt. Rich and Sgt. Garson, joined by several F.B.I. agents, including the one they met downstairs in the lobby area, waited for Mrs. Keel to emerge from the hotel suite’s bedroom, thoroughly cleaned up and dressed.  Seconds later, Mrs. Keel – a medium-height and slender Caucasian woman in her mid-fifties with short brown hair and small streaks of gray hair – did just that.

  Good morning, said Mrs. Keel as she approached not only the police detectives but also the F.B.I. agents guarding her, You must represent the local police.

  "This is Lt. David Rich and Sgt. Marion Garson from the Los Angeles Police Department," said F.B.I. Agent Martin Adamson – a tall, handsome, and muscular Caucasian man in his late-thirties with short black hair who accompanied Mrs. Keel on her trip out west, "Specifically, the department's Robbery-Homicide division.  They'd like to talk with you, not just about your husband’s death."

  Hello, Lieutenant.  I'm glad to meet both you and your partner.

  Likewise, said Lt. Rich, as his right hand briefly shook Mrs. Keel’s left hand.

  That goes double for me, said Sgt. Garson, as her right hand briefly shook Mrs. Keel’s left hand.

  "We – and the entire L.A.P.D. – deeply offer our condolences to you and your extended family – as does the rest of Los Angeles, the state of California, and the rest of the country."

  Thank you, Lieutenant, said Mrs. Keel softly, I deeply pray that you can find and bring my husband’s killer to justice.

  "And hopefully more than that," said Sgt. Garson, as she removed her digital voice recorder from her dress jacket’s front right pocket.

  From what your colleagues told us earlier, said F.B.I. Agent Orville Banks, a medium-height and slender Caucasian man in his early forties with thinning red hair who worked for the F.B.I.’s L.A. branch (and who accompanied Lt. Rich and Sgt.

Garson upstairs to the hotel’s fifth floor and Mrs. Keel’s suite), That hotel bombing yesterday was a cover for Senator Keel’s assassination.

  "Definitely," said Lt. Rich, "What the police’s science lab and the Coroner’s Office discovered between yesterday and this morning is proof of that."

  And Senator Keel’s murder might be part of a larger pattern that we’re unaware of, replied Sgt. Garson soon sat on one of the cushioned and handsomely designed pine chairs inside the living room.  "That’s another reason why we’re here."

  I know that Eugene was a dedicated politician, said Mrs. Keel, sitting on the cushioned sofa couch in front of the solid oak coffee table, Not only to the state of California – but also the entire country.

  "I’ve already turned on and pressed the RECORD button on my digital voice recorder – so, if we can please begin –!"

  You’ve been a Washington insider during your husband’s years in the Senate, said Lt. Rich, And you must know that he wasn’t without his share of enemies.

  That’s true, said Mrs. Keel.

  And the same holds for many other politicians worldwide, added Sgt. Garson.

  Indeed – and many of them in the U.S. Congress and Senate were swayed by lobbyists with immense wealth and power. I doubt if any of these corrupt politicians would order Eugene’s death without causing a nationwide scandal.

  "From