Announcing! Oh Baby! A Ricky Burns Mystery by C.K.Laurence and Jerry Lyons Now Out!

 

Check it out NOW

“Hey guys! Look at that. Breaking  news. They found the remains of that two-year-old girl that went  missing a few months ago. You know, the one where the mom didn’t bother to report her missing for a month.”  “Now there’s a case I wouldn’t want to have to deal with. She’s already been tried, found guilty and put to death in the court of public opinion,” Jay said. 

Ricky shook his head. “Oh, Mr. ‘it’s our job to get a not guilty verdict regardless,’ you’re quick enough to put a needle in  someone else’s client’s arm.”

“She’s not my client, and I wouldn’t want her to be. She’s someone else’s problem and that’s fine with me.”

“The mother wasn’t even the one who reported the baby  missing—the grandmother did. I don’t understand that at all. In fact, they had video of the baby’s mother dancing in a club after  the kid went missing. It sure seems to point to her, but if she did  it, you’d think she would have at least tried to cover for it somehow,” Collette added.

“Like I said,” Jay went on, “I’m glad she’s someone else’s problem. Where’s any doubt in that case, reasonable or otherwise?”

As if on cue, Jay’s phone rang. He answered on the first ring, nodded, said they’d be right there.

“That was fast,” Collette said.

“Yeah. They’re not going to make us wait on this one.” Jay signaled the waiter for the bill and Ricky stood. “I’m going to hit the head before we go.”

“We’ll wait for you, babe.” Collette smiled, hoping to brighten his mood, but he said he wished they wouldn’t and headed to the restroom.

“I’ve never seen him like this, Jay. He’s working himself into a real depression. I half hope they find him guilty for Ricky’s sake.”

“How about hoping he’s innocent for my sake, eh?”Jay had just finished paying the bill when Ricky returned. They stood before he could sit and headed back to the Courthouse.

~~~

A 2-year-old baby girl has disappeared! As soon as it is known, people come from near and far to help find and rescue the little child... But, those hunts were all in vain...and, only later, did they find the baby girl dead!

When a book spotlights one of the most horrendous abuses ever, it is difficult to say that I am excited to share my thoughts that I was happy it was written. The dynamic duo of C.K. Laurence and Jerry Lyons has once again provided what I consider will become a blockbuster! Two in the Head was the first in series, so if you missed my review, do take time to check it out!

Ricky Burns, the main character, had moved to Florida to become a Private Investigator after being a homicide detective in New York. He had at least one connection and found a home in a rented boat... And, then, he found work with a local defense lawyer. He had already completed his investigation and the court case was now in session.  But Ricky began to wonder if this "scumbag" was going to get off free... Of course, his boss in this case, Jay Kirschman, was quite happy that it was looking good for his client. And, indeed, he got off! Jay was happy; Ricky, not so much...

The adjustment to working for the defense, after having worked so many years to put the bad guy in jail was not sitting right in his head... Deals being made, without proper follow up--Ricky was having a hard time accepting that losing a case could ever be good, and especially for which he had, then, become a "hero..."  And after the trial was over, he began to ponder exactly what he should do next. He really didn't know whether he could continue to support defense lawyers. He liked Jay, but, more importantly, he had come to care very much for the paralegal working for Jay. What about her? 

Drinking and restless nights followed until one day, after not returning any contacts from Collette, she came to see if he was alright. Ricky was drunk and blew up! While it was not really about Collette, Ricky's major frustration in helping to keep a criminal from jail just could not be accepted... Ricky was just too much of a cop to be comfortable working on cases where the client might not be innocent. The  interaction with Collette was bad--very bad... But, at that time, he was planning to go back to New York where, at least, he would be near his family. He would find some place to work there....

And then a possible client came to his office. She was the grandmother of the baby who had been lost and found dead. She indicated that she had to help her daughter--that she knew she couldn't have done it. She begged, while at the same time admitting that she had no money to pay him for his work... But, once inside, he started to listen:

“Who is it?” he asked, slightly annoyed at having to wake up. "I need to speak to you,” said the voice outside. “I didn’t ask what you needed,” he groused, “I asked who’s there.”
“You don’t know me. My name is Catherine Martinelli. I need to talk to you about a case.”
“I’m not taking on any new cases, Ms. Martinelli. You’ll need to find another investigator.” “Please won’t you at least talk to me? This is a life-or-death matter, and you have a reputation for being honest, caring and a winner. I swear, it’s life or death—my daughter’s.”

“Sorry, lady. I’m out of the business. Don’t take it personally. In fact, I’m getting ready to leave Miami, so you need to go check out other investigators. There are plenty of good ones.”
“You don’t understand. They’ve arrested my only daughter and accused her of murdering her baby girl. They want to put her to death. Please at least talk to me.”

Ricky stood in front of the door, wanting to tell her to take a hike, but something about the desperation in her voice wouldn’t let him turn away. He opened the door. One look at the
woman told him he couldn’t just say no. She looked as though she hadn’t slept in days. Her eyes were red from crying, and she was as disheveled as he had been just a couple of days ago. “Come on in, Ms. Martinelli.”

She did so hesitantly. He led her to the sofa and told her to sit down. “I’m getting a cup of coffee. Looks like you could use one, too. Give me a minute.” “Don’t go to any trouble,” she said softly. “What trouble? I put a pod in the Keurig and voila! A cup of coffee appears. You look like you need it more than I do, and about now, that’s saying something.” “Thank you,” she whispered. “I think you’re right.” “How do you take it? “Just cream, please.” In two minutes, he showed up with two mugs, handed
her one and sat down in a chair across from her.

“I’m telling you,” he warned, “I’m not taking on any cases, and I am moving North within the next couple of weeks, but maybe I can direct you to someone who can help. Tell me what’s going on.”

“It’s my daughter. She’s made a lot of mistakes in her life—she's no saint for sure. She’s a liar, she’s mentally unstable, and has more issues than I have time to go through with you, but
she’s not a murderer, and she certainly didn’t kill her daughter.” “I’m in the dark here, Ms. Martinelli. Who’s accusing her of murder?”
“The police. They’ve arrested her. You must have seen  the news. My granddaughter went missing and last week they found her body. She was just two years old.”

Ricky remembered his last afternoon with Collette when she saw the news that the remains had been found. “Yes, I remember hearing something about it. Why are you so sure your daughter is innocent?” “I told you my daughter’s a liar, but it’s not her fault. Her whole life has been a lie and it’s taken twenty-two years to recognize that it started with me.”

“Let’s take this a little more slowly. I’m not following you.”“They arrested Jeri for murdering her baby Lena. It’s a mess. I don’t even know how to tell you so it will be clear
enough for you to understand. She didn’t report it when my granddaughter went missing. First she told me she was with a 
babysitter. Then, when we went to the house where the babysitter was supposed to be living, it was vacant. Jerri told me then that Lena had been ill and her father had taken her  somewhere for medical treatment. When I asked my husband about it, he told me to mind my own business, he had it under control. A month went by and I’d finally had enough so I went to the police to file a missing person report.

“Hold on a minute. It was a month before you filed a report?” “Yes, but I thought she was alive. I just wanted the police to help find her. My husband can be very ugly when he’s angry, and I’d pushed him as far as I knew I could before he’d get physical. I wasn’t getting any straight answers from him or my daughter. I asked my son if he knew anything about it and he said he didn’t have a clue, but if dad said to stay out of it, then I should stay out of it. But how can I stay out of it? I haven’t seen my granddaughter in I don’t even know how long, nobody even talks about her, so how can I just stay out of it. That’s why I filed the missing person report, and now my daughter is under arrest, sitting in a jail cell and facing the death penalty. None of this would have happened if I hadn’t filed that damned police report!”

“Calm down and take a couple of deep breaths, Ms. Martinelli. You’re blaming yourself for something that you have  no control over, and for sure, filing the missing person report has
nothing to do with her disappearance. I’m surprised you didn’t file it sooner, if anything.”

“Our house is a house of lies. I don’t know how I could have been so blind for so many years. I guess I was trying to protect myself from the truth—whatever that is. It’s like when I’m gardening. I pick up a rock and find families of bugs lying under it. Bugs. Crawling around everywhere. Living secret lives, carrying on and it never occurs to me that all that action is going on; but there it is, right under my face. And suddenly I realize that’s just what’s going on in my own life. I’m living in a house of lies! How could I be so stupid—living like this for so long?”

“Stop beating yourself up about this. It’s not your fault. Eventually people would start noticing the baby was missing, even without a missing person’s report. They had to have been
used to seeing her going in and out with your daughter and other members of your family. There had to have been some interaction with friends, relatives, whatever. Suddenly, she’s 
never around. No one’s talking to or about her. Your filing a report is the only natural thing about this. Jeri might be the only one blamed for it now, but that’s because she’s the mom. You’re not lying about it. You’ve just shown the concern that’s natural for a grandparent. It’s everyone else’s behavior that puzzles me. 
“Listen, I’m not leaving for another few days. Let me take a look into this. I have some friends in the police department that I can talk to, maybe dig up some inside information. Does Jeri have an attorney?” “A woman from the Public Defender’s office is handling 
her case.”

“A Public Defender can’t handle a death case.”

~~~ 

Burns first contact was with the PD. He was not only not impressed but found that she would not be willing to assist him, claiming they had their own investigators. This first step made his natural concern for justice become full-blown. You guessed it, He agreed to help at no cost...and then convinced Jay to take the case pro bono (with a deal made, of course). Collette was not so happy, still hurting from Ricky's brushoff. This interplay is an interesting and needed, in my opinion,  subplot that pulls readers from the reality which this book will get into...

Soon I started following the facts as they were revealed and began to...wonder... Something about all that he was discovering just did not add up! Except... if... there was some underlying secret(s) that, when, pulled into the public notice, would have to come out...

Laurence and Lyon make a dynamic duo who looks to just how any and every case, where even pre-judgments have been made about who is guilty, and investigates until a truly documented case can be "won." --because they are always on the "right" side, the winning side, and creates an unbelievably "believable" case that ensures that the guilty party(ies) will all be held accountable! How I wish that every such case could be handled by Laurence and Lyons! 

I'm not a true crime fan. It hits too close to reality for me. Somehow it is easier to explore just how cruelly people can treat each other... in fiction--even, if, perhaps, it is based on real-life cases. We have learned through today's headlines that a 10-year-old could not receive an abortion from incest in Ohio. And, in fact, she was taken to another state because Ohio politicians had prevented proper medical care...

I can't help but think of when I added my name to "Me-Too" when women first started speaking out... Yet, even as the young woman in the above video shares, many may have thought it was just part of the natural family environment...Until years later, finding out what really was happening...

And, that's why, I'm so excited to see a fictional accounting of what may, really, be happening over and over in America and in today's world... In fact, I've often wondered a very dark hypothesis...that those who vehemently opposed abortion, simply want to have new family "victims" available to them... Not possible? Those who have said "me too" now automatically think of that very possibility in ANY situation... 

Indeed, there are many writers working to spotlight one of the most, if not "the" most horrendous crimes now happening in today's world... Kudos to the writers! I finished reading this in one day, the pace is fast, the content definitely a page-turner. And, I've already learned of the title of the next in series!!! I CANNOT WAIT! 

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