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Pandora's Children - Part 4

I headed for the judge's table at his favorite cafe but the Maitre d stopped me. I waited while he took a #slip of paper to the judge.

He came over. "This better be important, detective."

I handed him the warrant & a pen. He read it & signed it. "Go catch the bastard."

***

Now I had the signed warrant in hand, I headed for the club. We'd tried to bring Loom down several times but nothing ever stuck. This time it might.

If he had any #part in the murders of Tyrrell Marcus and Darius Jackson, we'd be able to nail him for sure this time.

***

As I neared the club I saw black smoke rising into the sky and sped up. The lieutenant waved me down half a block away and I knew it was a bad #omen.

"What happened?"

"It seems we stumbled into the latest battle between The Hemphill Crew and the Camp Bowie Destroyers."

***

"This wasn't arson," the fire chief said when he came out to us a long time later.

"What happened?" The lieutenant asked. "The club looks like a total loss."

"They were cooking #crystal meth in a back room. They blew themselves up."

"How many dead?"

"At least ten."

***

"The ME is on her way," the fire chief said.

"This is going to be a jurisdictional nightmare," the lieutenant muttered.

"Not really," a woman said. "Special Agent #Rice, DEA. We've been investigating The Hemphill Crew for months. I think this is related to your murder."

***

"How is an accidental club fire related to my two murders?" The lieutenant asked as it began to rain.

"Texas does have #fickle weather," Agent Rice muttered. "We believe Darius Jackson was part of The Hemphill Crew & was dealing drugs to people where the Ravens played."

***

Pieces of the puzzle clicked into place. I said, "He stole money from them, got caught, and then stole from Tyrrell Marcus to replace it."

"That got him killed," Agent Rice agreed. "Why was Marcus killed though?"

"I have an informant who might know. We call him #Guru."

***

"Hey, that's my phone," The Guru protested as I took it from him.

"Looks new. Didja steal it?"

"It's a new Google #Pixel 4. I had to buy a new one after you broke my old one."

"Ask him!" The lieutenant said.

"Do you know why Tyrrell Marcus was killed?"

"Possibly."

***

Guru was always evasive and never gave straight answers. Might have something to do with living in a bar and drinking different whiskeys. He was a connoisseur of the #amber liquid but his ears were always open and he was always hearing things that he wasn't supposed to.

***

The lieutenant called the police since the bar was now a crime scene and asked questions while I did my best to secure the area. I looked everywhere for the bartender who gave Guru the drink but she had vanished into thin air like a #mirage evaporating in the desert heat.

***

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