The King of Diamonds

The King of Diamonds

Story & Cover Image By Mike Poppe

Smashwords Edition

Copyright, Mike Poppe August 2018

The King of Diamonds is a work of fiction

Any resemblance to anyone living or dead, is unintended.

Other EBooks I've Written:

(Oldest First. Available at Smashwords, I Books, Barnes & Knoble, Kobo, and all major ebook retailers, with the exception of Amazon)

The Sparrows Whisper

Follow The Sun

The Marshal And The Madam

Retribution Unlimited

Return To Ballyickeen

Then Came Murder

Shakespeare, Mark Twain, and Me

Dear Benjamin

Scarlet Women

Brennan's Way

If By Chance

Half Past Murder

One Bullet

Onward West

Jump For Jump

We, The Wicked

McKay's Promise

Stryker

Never Safe

Seeking Delia

Lost Highway

Showdown At Silver Tip

Chapter 1

Nineteen year old Portia Redding turned into the parking lot, then carefully eased her three year old Ford Escort into a parking space behind the large apartment complex she'd called home for the past ten months. As soon as Portia shut down the engine, she fell forward, wrapped her arms around the steering wheel, then sobbed almost uncontrollably, as tears streamed down her cheeks.

Struggling to guide her car home in the midst of this fierce windswept rain storm, had been the last straw in an evening that had pushed the petite brunette's nerves to the breaking point. Her first three months working in Fontana's Pizza Shop had been enjoyable. Then, the manager quit in order to take a better job. His replacement, Rick Miles, reportedly related to one of the owners, had become her personal nightmare.

No matter how many times she had tried to ward off his not so subtle advances, Miles had steadfastly refused to back off. Tonight, without specifically using words that might incriminate himself, the manager had made it clear that if Portia didn't agree to sleep with him, she would soon be looking for another job.

Had her situation been different, Portia would have loved nothing more than to quit in the middle of her shift. Unfortunately, having been forced to juggle bills for the past several months, she couldn't risk being unemployed for more than a week. Portia's decision to leave the family farm in search of the bright lights of the city, had brought about a bitter battle with her parents. Overwhelmed by the strength of their logic, she had panicked, and angrily shouted things that she now deeply regretted. Still, pride would not allow her to make amends until she could face her parents having achieved at least a small measure of personal success. Portia refused to even consider returning home wearing the shameful cloak of failure.

At the end of her shift, feeling hopelessly trapped, Portia had reluctantly agreed to meet the manager's lurid demands on her next night off. Furious with him, disgusted with herself, for having surrendered to his onslaught of advances, the distraught brunette stepped out of her car into a torrential downpour. Using her purse for an umbrella, she scampered through the wall of rain, eager to reach the rear entrance to the apartment building. Once under the protection of the dimly lit corridor leading to the entrance to the apartments, Portia stopped to catch her breath. After shaking the rain drops off her purse, she wiped her face and neck, then started for the entrance door on her right. Two feet from the door, she heard a man's voice call out, Portia?

Relieved to be away from her work problems, and now safely out of the blinding rainstorm, the possibility of danger never entered Portia's mind. Turning to face the caller, she had just a momentary glimpse of his face, then felt a flash of pain as a blackjack slammed into the side of her head.

Grabbing her unconscious body by the throat, he pulled her inside the laundry room, then closed the door. The man then stripped her naked to the waist, pulled a King of Diamonds playing card from his pocket, then positioned the card between her breasts. Pausing only to use his cell phone to take two pictures of his work, Portia's attacker slipped a pistol with a homemade silencer out of his jacket, then calmly put two bullets in her forehead.

At that point,he bent down, kissed Portia's lips, then like a ghost, slipped out into the stormy night, and vanished from sight.

Chapter 2

A deliberately timed call came in for Captain Nick Rossi, head of the Homicide division. When Rossi answered, the caller identified himself as Wayne Abbott, program director for Channel 4, WMMT news.

Captain, the management of our station thought I should give you a heads up. A messenger will be arriving at your place any minute with a letter sent to us regarding a murder that took place last night. Portia Redding was the victim. I should tell you that while we have sent you the original, there were copies made, and the details will be on our five o'clock news broadcast.

Despite the closed door on his office, Captain Rossi's voice could be heard thundering all through the squad room.

FIVE O'CLOCK? WHAT THE HELL IS THIS? YOU'RE NOT GIVING ME TIME TO EVEN FART BEFORE THIS HITS THE AIR!

With his eye on the clock, Rossi forced himself to regain his composure.

Look Abbott, you've got to give us a little time to examine this information and verify it's legitimacy. You've got to hold off until your six o'clock broadcast, at the very least.

The program director answered, Captain Rossi, I really wish I could, but for all we know, this guy may have sent the same letter to our competitors. I can't risk being scooped on this. I'm sorry. If there's anything I can do to help, just let me know.

Now that you mention it, there is one thing, Captain Rossi replied. As I recall, your office is on the tenth floor. Send one of your camera men down to the street, then you jump head first out the window. With luck, the film will make the six o'clock broadcast. No sooner had Rossi disconnected that call, than he called downstairs to the Desk Sergeant.

Morrison? This is Rossi. A messenger should be showing up with a letter for me any second. I don't give a damn if the building is on fire, you grab that letter, and personally hot foot it up here and place it in my hot little hand. Nobody else. You got that?

Got it Captain, he responded. I'll take care of it.

Unfortunately, Sergeant Morrison burst through the door sixty seconds too late, for Captain Rossi and a few selected detectives were watching in disgust as the news broke on the Channel 4 Five O'clock News broadcast.

Jordana Cooper, Channel 4's alluring young rising star, was holding up a letter for the world to see, as she added as much dramatics to the presentation as time allowed. The letter read:

Last night, while our police department was busy drinking coffee, eating donuts, and taking bribes, I killed a beautiful nineteen year old girl named Portia Redding. Needless to say, the police have done nothing about it. Just another murder, as far as they are concerned. Well, Captain Rossi, as head of the Homicide Division, you should know that poor Portia was just the first. There will be more to come. Many more. The people of this city need to know one thing – The police are powerless to stop me."

It was signed: The King of Diamonds.

Jordana Cooper, presenting the face of outrage, emphasized again and again, that this man calling himself The King of Diamonds was bragging about the incompetence of the police force. Staring sympathetically into the camera, she posed the question: If our police force cannot catch this madman, then who among us can feel safe?

The Captain angrily punched the off button on the TV remote, then spewed a few well chosen obscenities. Immediately the noise level in the room shot skyward, as everybody began expressing their own frustrations, anger, and opinions. Rossi jumped to his feet, then yelled, Silence! Damn it, how's a man supposed to think?" Using a handkerchief, he pulled the document from the envelope. After verifying that it was indeed the same thing as had been shown on the news report, he tossed it on the desk, then pointed to Sergeant Morrison.

I see you decided to hang around and find out what was going on. Well, since you're here, you might as well stay AWOL a little longer. First thing, put on gloves, pick up that document, and make six copies. Then take the damn thing down to the lab and tell them I want it checked from stem to stern for fingerprints, and/or DNA. They are going to try and give you a bunch of shit about how swamped they are, but you will stay there, and make them miserable until they get it done. Right?

Snapping his heels together, Morrison grinned. Yes sir! Then he grabbed the document, made his copies, then went rushing toward the elevators.

Captain Rossi spoke to the men around him. All right, let's clear the room. We do have work to do. As the Detectives started for the door, Rossi called out, Luke, you stay.

Lieutenant Luke English turned and parked his lanky frame in the closest chair. After the last man left the office, he turned to the Captain and inquired, I guess you want me on this, Nick?

"Yeah I do. We're going to have city hall and the media on us like ugly on an ape until this asshole gets nailed. Put your best team on this. We've