Assassin by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

Arson

The house was almost complete. It has taken me the better part of a year to do the work. Some of the harder work was contracted out. Not to Rod because if the whole rip off trap situation was exposed, I would be the only one to take the fall.

All I now had to do was the little touch ups inside, fix that broken fence and some landscaping. Once done, I planned on turning it over to a charity so that they could dispose of it as they saw fit. That charity raised funds for families in need. They will benefit because this neighborhood’s values have now gone up now that the blight house has been renovated correctly.

I am down to those few items. Today’s trip should be it.

Turning onto the street, I am blocked by the guards. Getting out they inform me that I cannot go any further. I look up and see smoke and the flashing lights of the fire trucks. I ask what house is burning.

The guards tell me that it is the house that was being renovated. “That is my house. What happened?” They let me through and tell me to check with the fire chief.

I run up just in time to see the remaining walls collapse into the smoldering cellar. The whole house is gone. I am just struck dumb as the chief comes over to me and tells me that I cannot be here.

“This is, was my house. What happened? All new wiring, there was no volatile substances in there. How could this happen. It has to be arson. You should know that I am an adjudicator. This may be vengeance for one of my decisions.”

He looks at me and then says, “I will be willing to say that we find no copper in the remains. No plumbing, very little wire. This is not the first house to burn like this. There is a copper thief that his mode of operation is to gut the building of all the copper he can get then he torches it. We just cannot get tangible evidence that will stand up in court.”

It is obvious that he is giving me this information because of my occupation.

Now I need to say, the assassin skill does not make you a killing machine. I have my own mind. I do my research, that is why I am careful in what jobs I take. I never want to take on something that is someone else’s grudge that actually needs my public talents.

This news hits me hard. This person not only has taken my work, my time and such, he has taken something meant for good and taken some deserving families hopes and dreams.

For the first time, I am not asking for permission or sanctions. I am going to do this one for me. I need to go to my ware house. There is my need for my usual clandestine research.

First the news. I am startled to see the number of arsons in the surrounding towns. Just as disturbing is a rash of military soldiers bronze grave markers stolen. A few statues and other valuable metals stolen.

Even instances of people going into a store only to come out and find their catalytic converter has been chopped out. I knew what I needed to check. Those scrap yards that bought from individuals.

Areal views of the three in this vicinity, showed that they all had people coming in and out with small items. There was one person that would visit all three in the same day. He would go to each facility with different loads. One got his copper, one would get the bronze and one would buy the converters. Each time, his truck would have a different door sign.

Only thing is that I cannot get a good enough face shot to identify him. Always a wide brim hat or a hoody. Always the same truck. I now needed to stake out one of the places.

I pose as an artist. I ask if I could look around. “I need some pieces for my latest sculpture to finish it. I will know those pieces when I see them.”

I was told to have at it. This is the day and time that the man shows up with the bronze. I was not disappointed. Right on time. There he was. Picking up three pieces that looked interesting, I go up to where the owner and the man were negotiating, I tip my hat at the man and say to the owner that these were the items I needed.

“Is two hundred acceptable” I ask

Both are stunned and the owner just holds out his hand. I gave him the money and again tipped my hat to the both.

When I got back to the ware house, I down loaded the pictures I took with the hat setup. It is a wonder how small and how clear the new innovations in photography have come. People will love them when they are released for the end of the year gift season.

Facial recognition software is wonderful. Marvin Spencer. He has only a small arrest package. One of those people who are now in the revolving door program that some courts are today. An I’m so sorry and they are out with a warning not to do it again.

They go back out and do it again. When caught again it is rinse and repeat sentencing. This time he chose the wrong house. I’m not a judge. I am bound by my skill to seek the facts and base a judgement on the evidence that I myself have found. If necessary, my other persona will meet out the correct sentence.

Always hit houses under self renovations. Always taking what he can with the least noise as to awaken neighbors and just before dawn, after he loads the truck, he torches the building. He figures that if it takes a few of the houses next to the fire, he can come back and get the easy pickings.

Studying dates and locations of the fires, a pattern appears. He is spiraling out in a counter clockwise rotation. This is always the night before he makes his selling day runs. I now can predict the general location.

Drones are the new tools. A cheap one can carry a camera and transmitter that will relay video back to your phone. The afternoon of the night he is predicted to hit, I fly my drone around the areas he should be hitting.

I find his truck cruising around the area. He stops quickly at some homes but I can see people looking out windows so he moves on. He finds a street that has a few under renovation but he stops in front of one for a longer time. This time no one pays attention.

This is the one that I need to be near.

Darkness envelopes the town, night has fallen. Now is the hour that he should be here. Habits are sometimes good but for someone in his business, they are totally bad. That is how I found him.

Sure enough, here he is. He breaks in and goes to start his work. All he felt was a small prick. Something that could be felt as a mosquito bite. He was out like a light. He was put in a truck that has been scrubbed of any VIN numbers and driven to an area the was in town but a remote, with a pull off.

The next day, there was a report on the morning news that a man died in a truck fire. It seems like he was driving with a gas can full of gas, in the van, that has a loose cap. The fire marshal said that it seems like he pulled off the road, presuming to tighten the cap. Fumes had built up to the point that the cigarette he was smoking ignited the whole truck on fire. He died almost instantly.

I chuckled.

It seemed like the arson fires just stopped. I did stop by the fire chief’s office. “My insurance will cover the materials loss but I need your report on the cause. They say that they will sue the culprit if found guilty.”

He just hands me the copy, smiles and says that there has been no more fires since that van fire. I tell him that I had heard about it. He says, “Since then, we have not had an arson fire. Thank God for him making a stupid mistake. Never carry a gas can inside your passenger area for any reason.

I tell him that it is unfortunate. I would have liked to see him come before an adjudicator and have me testify. He probably would have gotten death so I guess it saved tax payers the cost. Maybe his stupidity saved us the trouble.

I thanked him for the report and invited him to the location of my house. “I put one of those two story modular homes there and two days from now the family that was given it will take possession of it. I would like you to come and give something like an ashes to a home speech. Have some fire safety tips. I think that it would be beneficial to that family. I hear that the younger son would like to become a fireman when he grows up.”

There is a smile on his face. “For a future fellow firefighter, the whole station will be there.”