Detective Black came to the hospital to pick up the bullet and deliver it to the crime lab. He spoke with the surgeon and got the details on the entry point of the bullet and where it was found. Next, he dropped off the bullet at the ballistics lab. “I want a rush to see if it matches the gun we seized at the scene. And did you get the other bullet?” “Yessir, we’ll rush on that and no we didn’t find the other bullet yet, but my lab folks are still out there lookin”, said the lab tech. The detective then went and spoke to Wil McGentry who was one of the witnesses to find out what happened. “Well Detective, Mr. Jenkins was walking into the apartment to pick up his lady friend, when I heard a gunshot from my right, so you know I dove to the ground and then I heard another gunshot and he was down. Not very courageous of me, huh?” “Don’t kick yourself to hard son, I’m pretty sure my first reaction would have been the same. Live first, then see what you can do and this time there was nothing to do because he was dead after the second shot was fired.”

After talking to Wil, the Detective then went to interview Sally before he interviewed the suspect in custody. “Did you see anything ma’am”, the detective asked? “No sir, I was on the other side of the house getting finished up because, as usual, I was running late. I just heard two shots and called 911 looked out and then run out the house and there he was on the ground and blood all over the place. It was a horrible sight to see. The shots were back to back, like bam and then two ticks and bam again. I was frightened.”

After Detective Black got back to the police station and went back to the crime lab. “We found the other bullet, it burrowed into the ground, but it matches the other gun, and the bullet pulled from the victim matches the gun of the man in holding”, the lab director told the detective. “Thanks”, and with that information, Black turned to go interview the suspect.

March 2, 2010

“How much blood did he lose? Do you think he’s going to make it?” The nurse asked the doctor. “Let’s see, gunshot to the chest two centimeters from the heart and the bullet appears to be small calibre and still in the body”, the doctor intoned. An X-ray showed the bullet perilously close to the heart and lots of blood loss, but his patient was still breathing. “Get him up to the OR stat, a team is waiting to remove the bullet and sew up this chest wound”, the doctor told the orderly. “And by all means, be careful moving him, if he’s jostled too bad the bullet may move and cause more damage.”

The surgeon looked at the bloody incision in front of him. At that moment, the anaesthesiologist shouted, “blood pressure dropping rapidly”. “More plasma”, yelled the surgeron. He quickly started to put retractors everywhere inside the fileted body in front of him. The blood flow stopped. One by one he removed each retractor until he found leaky vessels and one by one repaired each one. And slowly the patient’s blood pressure rose. Later on as he felt around inside of the body, he found the bullet and pulled it out and put it in a dish to send along to the police. “The cops will want this. Put it in a plastic bag and seal it and mark it with the patient’s name on it and have the Surgical secretary call the police to pick it up”, the surgeon barked. “Okay, let’s close this fellow up.”

March 1, 2010.

“Hey, buddy, what are you doing in the evidence room?”, the sergent asked Marco.

Marco started to run, but ran into another officer emerging from the bathroom and fell to his face. At that point, the baggie he was carrying fell to the floor. “Hmm, taking evidence from the Jenkins case file, the screws to the motor mounts and the photos of the motor mounts. Looks like you’re going to be doin’ some time.” Marco was led to an interrogation room and handcuffed to the chair. After sitting there about an hour stewing, when Detective Black ambled in. “Well son, you’re in a whole lot of trouble. Let’s see attempted theft of government property, and carrying a concealed weapon in a police station, for starters. I understand you were told your rights before you got put in here. That you’re under arrest and your right to counsel and to keep your trap shut. Is that right, son?” “Yeah, but I got a permit for that gun”, Marco replied. The detective chuckled, “I know, but it still doesn’t allow you to carry it concealed into a police station. Now, I suspect if I start digging around in your finances and start digging around in your life, that I’ll find enough connections between you and the younger Mr. Jenkins that I’ll be able to add the charge of conspiracy to obstruct justice and accessory to attempted murder. That means about 25 years in prison instead of five unless you want to play ball and tell me who put you up to this little game.” Marco looked at the ground for a moment, “no, I’ll tell you what I know about Jenkins and about his wanting to kill his old man, too, if you’ll cut me some slack.” The detective smiled the slid a yellow pad across the table, “write it up for me to show the D.A.” After meeting with the D.A., they decided to let him plead to simple petty theft and thirty days in jail if he gave truthful testimony against Junior.

Later that afternoon, Detective Black, the D.A. and the lawyer for Junior met. Your client stepped in it big time and gave the statement from Marco to the attorney. “Look, we can try this and send your guy up for 50 years to life. But, your father has asked us to give your client some leniency and he was the target. So, we have a one time thirty minute offer for you. 20 years at a minimum security prison.”

About twenty minutes later the lawyer emerged and said, ‘we have a deal”.

March 2, 2010.

Jack, Sr. had put Sally and her kids up in a nice condo in the same school district so that they would not have the trauma of changing schools mid year. It also allowed Sally to be sure that a life with Jack is what she wanted and what her kids wanted, and allowed Jack some time to make sure that he wanted Sally. They had continued to see each other every day and he got to know her kids. At first they were a bit skiddish about this new man. But after several candy bribes, and several trips to the ice cream parlor, they came around. They clearly saw that he was not mean like their daddy. As Jack pulled up to Sally’s condo, two shots rang out.

After mulling over the options for a second, Beau said, “Yeah, you gimme $200,000 and I’ll walk away from this marriage.” At that point Jack pulled out another cashier’s check for $100,000 and slammed it on the table. “Here you go, another $100,000, that makes $200,000, now sign the agreement.” Beau looked at the two checks in disbelief, shook his head and signed the agreement and stuffed the checks in his pocket. “Please note that in the agreement it says that you are to stay away from your wife and children and that you’ve waived all visitation privileges except when your wife permits them. Got that. So, I don’t want to see your face snooping about looking for your wife and kids.”

February 15, 2010.

“Mr. Jenkins, you stand accused of attempted murder, flight, and vandalism, how do you plead?”, the judge asked Jack, Jr. “Not guilty”, he said with his had bowed. “What say the State?” the judge asked the prosecutor. “We ask for remand your honor, this man has already fled the country once.” “What is the defense position?” the judge asked in a bored tone. “Mr. Jenkins has substantial ties to the community, he is deeply involved in his father’s car business, and should get bail which is his constitutional right”, the defense attorney stated. “Nice try”, the judge said, “but I’m going to remand. Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Trial is to be on May 15. Pretrial motions to be filed by May 1. Anything further? Hearing nothing, we are adjourned.”

Sitting in the back of the Courtroom was Jack Jenkins, Sr. It broke his heart that his son would try to kill him and have such a disdain for life that he would put another innocent person at risk. Sure, he hadn’t been the perfect father and he wasn’t there all the time, but this?

February 16, 2010.

“Hey, Marco, thanks for coming to meet me here”, Jack, Jr. said to the Private Eye. “I’m in a world of hurt here”. “Yeah, you shoulda trusted me to do the wet work. Here’s what I’m going to propose”. At that point, they discussed their plans.