[center][h2][b][i]Gabriel[/i][/b][/h2][/center]

Gabriel had gotten into a routine with his big sister after coming home. She worked at the club and Gabe protected her. He considered looking for a job, but his big sister was taking care of him so far and he was pretty cool with that. It was a good deal.

Gabe was unsure if his sister could do what needed to be done here. He actually kind of hoped he could do the deed, but he would follow his sister’s lead. As they climbed out of the white 2007 Hyundai, Allison shot him one line out of the side of her mouth without looking at him, [i]"Remember, just stick to the plan and we'll be fine."[/i]

“No problem, Alli. You’re the boss,” Gabriel responded as he followed her up the front walk to the house. He looked around the neighborhood. The house was a brick and stone Victorian like many of the older houses in Emerson Gardens, one of Boston’s wealthy Brookline neighborhoods. A house like this would sell for about three hundred thousand out in the western part of the state, but here in the city, it sold for north of a million, easy. The houses were all so close together too, unlike what you find in the country or even the suburbs. “This chick’s got to be loaded living in a house like this. We should find something here.” 

Standing on the walkway at the bottom of the steps, he watched his sister ring the doorbell. She glanced at Gabriel. He gave her a quick curt smile. They heard a voice from inside call out, [i]"Coming."[/I]

Allison played the role of the Pizza delivery person as if that was her job. She was confident and had that lilt to her voice making her sound like she was no threat to the woman. [i]"Hi there. Sorry for the delay, we're short on drivers. But at least we have another in training."[/i] Allison’s arm and head gestured toward Gabriel.

Gabriel raised an arm in mock salute with a slight smile.

Obviously, the woman had not ordered a pizza and wanted to tell the siblings they must have come to the wrong house. She called Allison [i]dear[/i]; a term that pissed Gabe off. He wanted to pop her cherry right then, but he promised his sister, he would let her make the call. No joy this go around. The woman actually looked mildly attractive to Gabriel. He preferred his women younger and would seek out a younger woman for a future gig. But Allison set this one up and he would back her. Maybe Gabe could pick the next one. Knowing Allison, he knew she would consider the woman to be on the ugly side, but in fact Gabe knew she would definitely do in a pinch.  

Allison feigned confusion about her alleged faux-pas. But before she could back out and leave, she produced a 9mm subcompact; one of those polymer constructions pieces intended to defeat metal detectors. She shoved the pistol into the woman’s face and forced her back into the house. Allison’s tone was serious. Gabriel quickly followed her inside. 

[i]"If you scream, you die. Is there anyone in the house?"[/i] The woman was terrified. It really excited Gabriel to see her this way. He really wanted to have her, just to see the doe eyes filled with tears as he had his way with her. But he would let Alli run the show tonight.  

Gabriel closed and locked the door as they entered. Gabriel approached Allison just as she thrust her pistol into his chest. He took the handgun, pulled slightly on the slide to see the one brass cartridge visible in the chamber, then let it slip back inside. He removed the magazine and noticed there were nine rounds inside. He couldn’t not take the weapon and know what it could do. He had ten rounds if he needed them.

Gabriel was surprised by his sister’s next move. She covered the woman’s mouth, who Gabriel and just come to learn was [i]Meredith[/i]. He saw a pile of mail all addressed to someone named [i]Meredith Feinberg[/i]. Before Gabriel could tell her sister the woman’s name, she pulled out a switchblade, opened it and stuck it in the woman’s side.  Poor Meredith wasn’t looking so well after that. Real hard to act sober after your liver has been lacerated. She swayed slightly. Maybe she passed out? Taking one knife wound shouldn’t kill a person, unless she was left to bleed out. He watched her fall to the floor and the dark red liquid slowly seeped  onto the hardwood floor making a gradually growing puddle.  

Allison looked at her brother, [i]"Easier than expected. Let's see what goodies she has."[/i]

Gabriel looked longingly at the woman for several moments. He really wanted her, but not like this. He wanted the sexual gratification before the death, not after. He decided the moment was gone and began searching the house with his sister.

After a thorough search, Gabriel produced eight hundred dollars in cash; all Benjamins stuffed in her bra and underwear drawer. She also had a fine collection of gold necklaces and rings. Her credit cards might last for a few days before the companies call about fraud.

“Not a bad haul, sis,” Gabriel said after telling her what he found. He looked back at Meredith; her pool of blood ever widening before they headed out into the night.

[hr]

The next morning…

 [center][h2][b][i]Detective James Graham[/i][/b][/h2][/center]

Roll call had been the usual. The shift supervisor told them daily to leave the businesses in the [i]Combat Zone[/i] alone. Whatever they did was the mayor’s problem, not ours. Apparently, the mayor told the chief to leave them alone.

Jimmy Graham drove the black 2014 Dodge Charger with dark tinted glass away from the police precinct at 101 West Broadway and headed up toward Brookline. He had no place to go but felt like heading in that direction. He was hoping to stop at one of his favorite Italian bakeries. His mom was a hundred percent Italian. He was raised on Cannolis and biscottis. He and his partner, Jenna Michaelson had been working together for the past two years. They got along fairly well, and Jimmy knew he could trust her. That gave him a comforting feeling.

“Adelaide gave us a scare last night,” Jimmy told his partner. “She stopped breathing. Diane screamed at her and shook her. My poor wife was in tears. I gave her the Heimlich and that was all it took to get her back. We called for an ambulance. The EMTs checked her over and said she was fine. Diane took her to the doctor’s this morning after dropping Leo off at school. I saw Addy before I left the house this morning. I sure hope she is OK.” Jimmy was frightened talking about his 5-year old daughter. 

The girl suffered from Cerebral Palsy and was confined to a wheel chair. The doctor cautioned that her intellectual capacity may never advance from where it is right now. She may act like a five-year-old for the rest of her life. She could not walk, and her head and arms made constant erratic movements. To her daddy, she had the most beautiful smile and would talk his head off if he let her.

The radio crackled to life, “Any units in the Brookline area, please check on the welfare of a Miss Meredith Feinberg, 41 Waverly.”

Jimmy picked up the handset, “Fox 6 is in the area. We’ll check it out.” Jimmy made a left on Thayer and headed for the address. “Probably some old lady that has not been outside in over a week. The neighbors get worried and call the cops.” 


[@Liv]