Detective Jayne Baker

By Diego

Follow Detective Jayne Baker’s career from her first big case: a marital murder-suicide that her keen skills expose as something far more sinister. Witness Jayne gradually shed the stricter tenets of her Catholic upbringing, redirecting those core values toward the pursuit of justice instead. See her determination in action as she clambers halfway out a window for a clear shot at criminals.

As the years pass and the gruesomeness mounts, Jayne embraces harsher means to take down heinous villains. Yet despite this moral slide, justice remains her North Star. When the country is upended by her final case, Jayne risks all to serve the greater good.

Through every twist and turn Runs a common thread: Jayne’s strong moral compass layered with complexity. Across these stories emerges a deeper understanding of this dedicated detective’s intriguing character. Good or bad, she is driven by her principles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Apr 26, 2024
• ISBN: 9781035860357

Book preview

About the Author

The author is a graduate of Arizona State University and was the former President of Sav-Rx Prescription Services of Fremont, Nebraska and President of A Mother’s Wish Foundation, providing medical and educational services in rural Dominican Republic. He now lives in the Dominican Republic with his wife and six dogs.

Dedication

To my mother, Jayne Arline Baker

Copyright Information ©

Diego 2024

The right of Diego to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781035860340 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781035860357 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2024

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

I would like to acknowledge my wife, Rita Josefina Rizek, for her constant support in this endeavour and throughout our lives together.

The First Case

A Detective Jayne Baker Story

Rick Grant waited that morning until a teenaged girl was picked up by friends with school books in her arms. Rick walked up to the door and knocked. A minute later, the door was opened by a diminutive man dressed in a grey suit, white shirt and grey tie.

May I help you? the little man asked.

Yes, I’m Rick Grant. Can I come in? Rick responded.

Well, no… the little man said as Rick pushed the door open and pinned the little man between the door and a wall. Rick was a big man, about six foot seven inches, two hundred and seventy-five pounds, and not to be denied by such a little man.

You’re Timothy Whelan? Rick queried.

Yes, was all the little man could get out of his mouth.

You work at the IRS? Rick continued his interrogation.

Yes. What is this— The little man was cut off.

You’re working on an audit of Joseph Bonano?

Timothy Whelan stopped giving immediate answers and said, What business is that of yours?

Rick remained serious. I am a friend of Mr B’s and I would like to ask you to finish up the audit and indicate that there is nothing to be corrected regarding his returns.

Timothy was indignant I can’t do that!

Just then, a woman entered the room. What’s going on? Who’s screaming? Who is this?

Timothy looked over and quietly said, Jennifer, please, wait in the other room.

Rick scowled at her and said, Yes Jennifer, wait outside.

Jennifer turned slightly to leave but hesitated. Rick pulled a gun out of his pocket and pointed it at Timothy and said, Perhaps you can be persuaded.

Jennifer leaped at Rick’s arm and pulled the gun towards the floor, yelling, Get out of here!

Rick pushed his arm to the right so that the gun was pointing at Jennifer.

The gun went off.

Jennifer fell on her back with blood spurting out of her chest. Timothy crouched by her side calling, Jennifer, Jennifer… He tried to cover the wound with his hand and stop the bleeding but it continued to seep through his fingers.

Rick took a handkerchief from his pocket and started wiping the gun. He held the gun by the butt, covered by the handkerchief.

Timothy looked up at Rick with a pained look that only someone who had just seen the life flow out of the love of his life could make and moaned, You killed her.

Rick grabbed Timothy’s right hand, pulled him up and put the gun in his hand while pointing the barrel under Timothy’s chin.

No, you did.

Detective Jayne Baker reported to Lieutenant Rodgers’ office as requested.

Baker, we just got a call that there are two bodies at this address. He handed Baker a slip of paper. It looks like a murder/suicide. See what you can dig up.

Lieutenant, Baker pleaded, when am I going to get a real case?

Lieutenant Rodgers tilted his head slightly. When I see that you can be a real detective.

Baker slinked out of the office and stopped at her desk to pick up her gun and jacket. She had been promoted to detective about two years ago and so far, she had detected the best coffee to make for the squad room and the best place to buy donuts. She enjoyed working with the other detectives in the unit; when she got assigned to be their wingman, they didn’t make faces or roll their eyes. But she also didn’t get the opportunity to see the big picture and solve the cases. She was researching how many Chevy Impalas were registered in the county or something just as important.

Baker walked out and drove to the house for her case.

˜˜˜˜

Baker climbed the steps to a nice, middle-class house on a sleepy street lined with oak trees. She walked in the front door to find the M.E. and the crime scene investigators already at work.

Good morning, Doctor, Baker said as she approached the bodies.

Detective, was the quick response by Carol Michaels, the medical examiner. It looks like a family dispute. The woman was shot in the chest, the man put the gun under his chin and pulled the trigger.

Baker noticed the gun was approximately six inches away from the man’s right hand. Is it normal that the gun is located so close to his hand?

It depends, Doctor Michaels responded. With the finger on the trigger, the gun can stay in the hand and become separated when they both hit the ground. Then the gun falls away but not far from the hand. I’ll give you the details after the autopsies.

Thanks, Doc. Baker nodded as the crime scene supervisor, Jeremy Long, walked up and put the gun in a plastic bag.

Mr Long looked at Baker and said, We’ll check for prints and follow the life of this gun and see where it came from. It shouldn’t take long, if you want to stop by later this afternoon.

Thanks, I will, was all Baker could say. This looked like the open and shut case that she thought it would be. Regardless, she had work to do. She canvassed the neighbourhood to get an impression of the couple, a Timothy and Jennifer Whelan.

The stories that she received were the exact opposite of what she expected. They were a quiet couple. They had a son and a daughter and the whole family was wonderful. There were never any fights or yelling or disturbances of any kind.

The children had been notified and after the crime scene was cleared, Baker was interested to talk to the children, expecting that something more sinister was going on inside the house that the neighbours never saw. Blake and Carrie Whelan were introduced to Detective Baker when they exited the patrol car that brought them to their house. Baker smiled and said, May we go inside and talk? The two were still in shock and just nodded their heads in compliance.

Blake was the older child, twenty-one years old and attending university. He was medium height but still taller than his dad. Carrie was a senior in high school, eighteen years old with shoulder-length hair. When they were seated in the family room, away from the scene of the shootings, Baker began slowly and carefully, I am so sorry for your loss. I know that this is extremely difficult to comprehend but I need to ask a few questions so that we can find out what happened.

Blake and Carrie nodded.

Was there any trouble between your parents?

Carrie shook her head, No, they are completely in love.

They never argued?

Never, Carrie confirmed.

Did your father own a gun?

Blake looked up, surprised. No.

Do you have any idea where he would have gotten a gun?

Blake leaned forward in his chair to make a point. You don’t understand. That’s what wrong with this whole thing. Dad never owned a gun and as far as I know, he never even shot a gun in his life.

Baker wanted to calm the conversation down a bit. She looked around the room and saw some pictures over the fireplace. Who’s the baseball player there?

Blake looked behind him and recognised the picture. That’s dad. He was on the varsity team in high school.

Baker stood up and walked closer to the picture. Why is he batting left-handed?

Blake almost laughed. Because he’s left-handed.

Baker was taken aback. He writes left-handed?

Blake was beginning to question this detective’s cognitive ability. He does everything left-handed.

Baker started walking out but stopped at the sofa where Blake and Carrie were sitting. Thank you for your time. I’m so sorry for your loss.

˜˜˜˜

Detective Baker went to the crime scene lab armed with her new information. Jeremy Long met her just inside the door. What did you find? Baker asked.

Just what you’d expect, Long said. The only prints on the gun were from the victim. The gun is a ‘ghost’, the serial number has been filed off so that’s a dead end. It seems pretty straightforward based on the facts that we can find.

Well, get ready to be blown away, Baker said with a hint of satisfaction in her eyes. The victim is left-handed, never owned a gun and no indication that he ever shot a gun before in his life. He had help.

Jeremy Long leaned back as he took a breath. That changes things; there has to be something here to validate that. Give us a little more time and we’ll dig deeper.

Thanks, I’ll check with you later. Baker smiled and was on her way to the M.E.’s room.

Doctor Carol Michaels was already working on another case but stopped when Baker arrived. Come on over here, Doctor Smith said as she led Baker to a slab near the wall. "The female victim died from exsanguination due to a bullet wound in the chest. The bullet hit the aortic artery less than an inch away from the heart. Each beat of her heart caused a gush of blood from the wound which caused her to expire quickly.

The male victim was shot from under the chin. The bullet entered the brain, ending all involuntary functions of the body and he died immediately.

Baker wanted to have all the information in writing and asked, Can you verify and document that he used his right hand to pull the trigger?

Of course, we have GSR only on the right hand. Is it important to document?

Yes, Baked nodded. It’s very important.

Baker headed back to the crime scene lab. Jeremy Long had a look of satisfaction as he told Baker, We have it. We took the gun apart and checked the magazine and the remaining bullets and, sure enough, there were other prints found. We ran them through the system and came up with Richard Grant. He’s a gun-for-hire with a number of assault convictions and a few other arrests for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon that were never proven. His street name isGranite because he is a big, solid guy that makes him perfect for an enforcer.

Excellent! Baker grabbed Long’s hand to shake it and started for the door. Thank you so much; I owe you one.

˜˜˜˜

Baker was back in Lieutenant Rodger’s office. Thanks for this case, Baker said with a smirk on her face. This is not a family dispute. They were a loving couple that all the neighbours verified. But the most telling fact is that Timothy Whelan was left-handed, yet the only GSR was on his right hand. CSI did a thorough analysis and found another set of prints on the magazine and on the remaining bullets. They are a match to Richard Grant, a small-time enforcer. I need a search warrant for his place and I’d like to bring him in for questioning.

What’s the motive? Rodgers asked.

I don’t know yet, Baker admitted. "But I don’t think it was pre-meditated. If