I didn’t need to make a checklist of Lipton’s possible reasons for finding the three individuals whose names appeared in front of me. I’m suspicious by nature. That’s a good thing in my line of work. Motives suggest themselves to me without my even trying. Still, I pondered each name to refresh my memory about them, and to start that flow of possibilities through my brain.
I’d met Garland Overton, known as GO to the other winos on the street, during a case involving runaways that took my search among the homeless. In a rare moment of sobriety, Overton had been willing and able to answer key questions coherently in exchange for a little drinking money. He’d probably be camped out with a bottle under the Henderson Street Bridge if not panhandling downtown.
Holly Woodburn, AKA Holly Wood, had also pointed me in the right direction once or twice. She was usually happy with the twenty dollars I gave her in return. She’d also been tickled not to have to perform for the money. Of course, that had been when she worked the streets solo. I’d heard that some slick little pimp, Angel Turner, had recently started “representing” her. That might make an interview more tedious, but still doable.
Those first two names didn’t really register as sinister. They suggested dubious deeds of debauchery and lechery, but not danger. The name that really disturbed me was Jasper Sikes. I’d only heard stories about Sikes, but those tales were pretty scary. Sikes was a onetime pro wrestler whose large hands and long strong fingers had tagged him with a stage-name of “The Strangler”. His career tanked when he “accidentally” killed an opponent in the ring. After that he’d worked as a bouncer at Trilogy, a high-class nightclub that had been turned into an equally high-class strip joint at the end of disco’s salad days.
Most of the rumors agreed that it didn’t take long for Trilogy’s owner, Jimmy Gallo (a Chicago mobster in exile), to recognize Sikes’ talents. He promoted Sikes from working the door to personal bodyguard, and then from bodyguard to “specialist”.
Supposedly, Gallo wanted to take over local Asian and Latino territories, and the negotiations broke down. So, he’d sent Sikes in. That’s where the stories became horrific. Bodies of the opposition were found in pieces. Certain extremities had not been severed, but were literally pulled apart from the victims’ torsos.
I have a cousin that works in local law enforcement. He confided in me that they suspected Sikes in the “Rippings” as they called the murders. But, Metro Homicide never uncovered the evidence needed to pin the murders on him, and had been unable to find him for questioning. It would be just as difficult for me to locate Sikes. Gallo reportedly kept his “Strangler” on ice until he had need of him.
I was suspicious of Lipton’s motives even before I saw Sikes’ name. Like I said, I’m skeptical by nature. I wondered if the other two names were smoke to screen Lipton’s attempt to find Sikes. Was Lipton looking to buy a hit, or merely locating Sikes so some other killer could take revenge for one of the surviving crime bosses? That was the reason I’d postponed starting the case. I did want to contact my operatives, but not on Lipton’s behalf. I wanted some background on the client himself.
I made four calls. The first one was to my contact in the county clerk’s office. I needed to know if anyone had filed suit against Lipton, if his ministry was incorporated, and if there were any unpublicized suits against it. I also wondered if his wife might have quietly filed for divorce. In addition, I wanted a check for any partner or board member with a last name match to the three on the list. Some of that information could be had online, but I wanted the most current and thorough data I could get.
After I put that investigation in motion, I rang up a broker I knew to have him put his ear to the trading floor for any rumors about financial woes Lipton Ministries might be experiencing. Since the evangelist’s enterprises were not public, I knew this was a long shot, but felt better about covering the odds than taking the chance of being surprised later.
I also called my cousin, Ben Dunnigan, at Metro Homicide. I asked if he’d look into any priors on Lipton, and also to search for any relationships or affiliations with known crime figures. Since Ben isn’t in my pocket for these types of favors, he was reluctant until I mentioned Sikes. I got to hear the standard lecture about obstructing an ongoing investigation in addition to his agreement to “look into it”.
My last call was made to see if I could arrange a meeting with the man who’d started this. I made an appointment with Father Francis Timmons in order to ask him why he’d referred Lipton in the first place. Of course, it’s not like Father Timmons knows many other investigators. Still, I wondered if there was anything in particular that bothered my priest about Lipton.
Father Timmons folded his arms and rocked back and forth in the blue fabric office chair. His high forehead knitted itself into multiple deep lines as he pursed his lips.
“Denton Dodge, you’ve been drinking again. I can’t tell you how disappointed I am. You should have let me know you were still struggling. “
“It was more of an aberration than a struggle,” I replied while mentally cursing ineffective breath mints.
“And exactly what caused this aberration?”
“That’s not really why I asked to talk to you, Padre. “ I glanced around his study at the bookshelves crammed-packed with different religious treatises so I could avoid making eye contact with the good priest.
“Very well, my son. How can I help you?”
“What can you tell me about Bobby Lee Lipton?”
“I don’t know a lot about the man, other than he likes fly-fishing, and he has that call-in television show. We really haven’t talked about much beyond where our favorite fishing spots are located.”
I was a little surprised, so I asked for clarification. “Not even about God?”
“You want to know if we talk shop? No, we concentrate on what we have in common.”
“So, you think he’s a big phony, too.” I nodded, thinking the response was confirmation Timmons had sent Lipton to me in order to ferret-out the evangelist’s real intentions.
“I never said that. What I mean is that we stay on neutral ground rather than getting bogged down in the dogmatic differences between our denominations. As far as I can tell, Bobby Lee’s as sincere in his faith as I am in mine.”
“You can’t be serious? All that mumbo-jumbo, speaking in tongues and word-from-God prophecy garbage doesn’t strike you as theatrical cow-pie?”
Father Timmons shrugged. “I’m not saying that I’d be comfortable worshipping in that manner. However, I can’t say that God would reject someone who does. There is scripture to validate both speaking in tongues and prophetic utterance. It’s just that some of our Protestant brethren seem to find inordinate opportunities to employ both.”
“What he does is okay, according to the Bible?” I was stunned that he didn’t recommend exorcism or excommunication.
“Keep in mind, Denton, that he’s not the only one that does these things. He’s just one of the more public practitioners. But yes, Acts 2:4 reports that the early church spoke in a number of languages previously unknown to them when enabled by the Holy Spirit. And, this was foretold in Joel 2:28, which speaks of God’s Spirit being poured out on all flesh, so that sons and daughters prophesy. A number of the commentaries that I’ve read suggest that at the moment of salvation the spirit of God communes with us as we were created to do. Therefore we are able to hear and relay what our heavenly father has to say. This, in effect, is prophesying.”
“So, how does a shyster like Lipton make millions doing something every guy and gal on the street can do?” I asked, even though I had a pretty good idea about the answer.
“I still think you’re rushing to judge Bobby Lee. But to answer your question…”
Timmons stopped short, leaned back in his chair with an amused look on his face as if
God had just whispered a joke in his ear, and began to chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“I just realized that this is the most in-depth spiritual conversation I’ve ever had with you. This case might just leach some of the heathen out of you.”
“Thanks for the warning. It’s not too late to return his retainer.”
“Don’t you dare. I vouched for you personally. Anyway, as far as your question is concerned, you know the answer. Almost anyone could be an investigator, but you have a talent for it and you’re committed to it. You’ve developed it, honed your skills. It’s the same with hearing God. Most people just don’t have the patience, the humility of heart, or the willingness of spirit to submit themselves. Instead they seek out a shortcut like Bobby Lee.”
“You know how that makes most of us Catholics sound?”
Father Timmons chuckled again. “I understand what you’re saying, if you’re talking about the rite of confession. You think that seems like a similar shortcut. On the contrary, we Catholics exercise and strengthen our faith by regular submission through confession. But, I wouldn’t be surprised if a number of my parishioners didn’t call Bobby Lee’s hotline now and then. No one has all the answers, and it is the same God, from what I’m told.”
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