by James Walker
The Chief was screaming bloody murder as his voice faded away in our wake.
Uncle Will looked at me, smiling to beat the band. I think he expected praised, but I was giddy with our success. I scowled up at him and groused, “I guess you’ll be eating crow tonight, Uncle Will!”
I laughed at the indignant look on his face and explained, “Rowan finally caught the River Monster!”
27
William laughed. “Well, one of them anyways. Though I fear the biggest fish eluded our grasp.”
“You could say that again!” I exclaimed. “That was some boat! I guess he planned for every contingency.
“I see now why you were wondering about the barge having no other transportation.”
“Every rat has a bolt hole,” William observed. “Though I was a fool not to see his earlier. I should have deduced its presence! A drydock hidden in the bowels of the barge speaks of an especially sharp mind! Then he looked solemnly into my eyes and added, “You could have stopped him. That shot would not have been beyond your skill.”
I knew he wasn’t trying to chide me. He was just looking for my reaction, trying to see how I was feeling about killing that other man.
I stared straight ahead and replied. “If I could have winged the captain—I would have, but all I could see was the back of his head. I’m not about to kill a man in cold blood while he is running away. The one by the pump…well, he would have killed us all if I had given him the chance.” I shrugged. “I don’t think I had a choice.”
My uncle nodded sagely and clasped my shoulder. “You certainly did not, Frohman. Undoubtably, we owe you our lives.” He gave my shoulder a squeeze before his hand dropped away. “So, as the Scots are fond of saying—'Dinna fash yourself, Laddie!’” he added in a good imitation of a Scottish burr.
That brought a smile to my face. I was touched by his concern, but I knew of someone who would see it differently. “I doubt Rowan would agree with you on the subject. He was pretty mad the Captain got away!” Then I stole a glance at the strong box and added, “But not as mad as he’s going to be over you making off with that box, Uncle Will!”
“Bah!” Ozaki snorted from the pilot’s seat. “If not for your Uncre, those scums would have got away with it!”
“Just so.” Uncle Will said, smugly. He popped his eyebrows at me. “I am sure the Chief Inspector will come around—once I explain my reasoning.”
I wanted to ask him what reasons they were, but there was so much more I wanted filled in first. “Uncle Will, I have a pretty good idea how the box got stolen and the method of recovery, but how did Marquis tie into all this? Did they kill him to steal the pump off his boat?”
He didn’t reply right away, and my question seemed to make him melancholy. He reached over and patted me on the shoulder again. “Patience, Frohman. I would rather not have to go over everything again and again. I am sure the Inspector will ring me shorty after we get home -- if he does not show up on my doorstep before! You will have all your answers then. Now, perhaps you would give me a hand cleaning this mess up.”
I wasn’t happy with that option, but I knew well enough, by now, to accept his decision. We spent the rest of the trip tossing splintered wood and broken glass over the side. Before I knew it, Ozaki had cut the engines to a near idle and we slipped into the boathouse.
Ozaki killed the engines and I tied us off. Uncle Will gestured at the strong box and asked me. “Could you carry this please?”
I grabbed the handle and lifted and nearly yanked my arm out of its socket. It was a heavy piece of luggage! I managed to muscle it up the few steps and out the door, but it was so heavy it banged off my legs, making me take tiny mincing steps.
Ozaki laughed. “You walk like a geisha!”
I set the box down and took off my jacket. I folded it over a few times and laid it over my right shoulder. I jerked the box up and settled it on my shoulder. It was easier going, but the tram still looked a long way off.
“Tell me again,” I said sarcastically, “Why did we take this?”
William smirked. “Bait. There are still a few monsters out there.”
I stopped and put the box on the ground. I transferred the jacket to my left shoulder and hoisted the box up onto that side. Best to keep my gun hand free.
William’s prediction was right on the money. Not five minutes after we had gotten in the castle and brought the box into the study, the phone on the desk begin to ring. William motioned to Ozaki in some form of unspoken communication and the little man left the room. He let the telephone chime for another minute as he sat behind his desk and composed himself, then picked up the receiver and put it to his ear.
“The Gillette residence,” he said in a neutral voice. I couldn’t make out the words going into Uncle’s ear, but the tone and the volume were enough to know it was the Chief Inspector on the other end. Rowan sounded like one of the Banshees of legend.
William listened patiently for a moment, rolling his eyes once, and then replied calmly. “Yes, of course I did. There is no need to thank me though…why, for removing it from that maelstrom. After being nearly killed and the master mind behind it all escaping, who knows what other attacks we were vulnerable to...I am sorry you feel that way…yes…I understand that…but not yet…calm yourself, Inspector. Hysterics will get us nowhere…because we have a chance to end this once and for all…”
He looked at me watching him intently and made a drinking motion with his hand. I knew he meant that he wished a drink for himself, and I was happy to take him up on his suggestion. William focused back to his call and the last thing I heard him say, as I headed out to the bar, was, “You should come before dusk, Inspector and this is what you will bring with you…”
I had the secret bar panel open and passed right over the sherry and gin to settle with some aged brandy. I poured myself a good jot and threw it back all at once, letting it burn my throat, warm my chest, and numb my nerves. I poured another and sipped at it more moderately when I realized Ozaki was standing just to the right of me holding a bottle of Coca-Cola for Uncle Will. He was in a fresh suit, and there was an orange stain over the thin red line on his earlobe. I managed not to jump out of my underwear as I turned to face him, resigned to a lecture on my drinking habits.
Instead, he put his left hand over his clenched right fist and bowed to me. I was staring in disbelief when he straightened and said to me formally. “You were a warrior today. Thank you for protecting your uncre.” Then he reached up and patted me gently on my cheek before walking towards the kitchen door. After a few steps, he hesitated. “One more!”, he said over his shoulder. “You drink too much!”
I chuckled to myself, pleased beyond words at his praise. Topping off the glass, reluctantly stowed the bottle before heading back to the study. Uncle Will was just hanging up the earpiece when I entered the room. He sat back in his chair and rubbed his eyes as I walked up to the desk. The strong box sat on the desk between us. The brandy had oiled my tongue.
“So, I take it the Chief was none too happy with you absconding with the evidence.”
He peered up at me, under half lidded eyes and a grin slowly spread across his face. “That would be an understatement, Frohman! It took all my powers of persuasion to convince him to hold off reporting it to the Federal agents for a bit.”
“How long is a bit?”
“Midnight. I told the Chief Inspector he could report to the Federal authorities then.”
I set my drink on the desk and pulled up a chair. “Are you sure that’s a god idea, Uncle Will? If what’s in that box is so important, maybe you should get yourself out of harm’s way. Get rid of it!” One look at his face told me that wasn’t going to happen.” You really think they will try to retrieve it tonight?”
“I am sure of it. Stay alert, Frohman—and armed!”
I patted my jacket where the gun rested under my arm. “I’ll be ready!”
“Good man”. He looked past me and stood. I followed his gaz
e and Ozaki entered the room, carrying a hammer and chisel. This, I thought, was a bad idea. I took a swig of brandy and said,
“I’m pretty sure the Chief also told you not to open it!”
“Of course, he did,” William replied as he took the tools from Ozaki. He set the chisel and smacked it once with the hammer. The lock popped open and he pulled it out of the loops. “But he knows me better than that.”
My curiosity overcame my foreboding and I walked around the desk next to his side to see what lay within. He slowly lifted the lid, and a small trickle of river water dripped out of the edges. Inside, filling the entire space was a watertight bag! My heart was beating rapidly with anticipation. Was it packed with money? Jewels?
William slowly opened the sealed top and reached inside. I must confess to utter disappointment as he pulled out a packet of official-looking documents. There were two sets. One with the British seal and one with France’s. They hardly looked worth all the blood that was shed for them.
Ozaki looked at me and shrugged. He tottered off, muttering under his breath and I returned to my seat and brandy. William sat down and began to read, his face a mask of concentration. I lit up a cigarette and watched him read as I smoked. After a few minutes, he looked up at me, obviously uncomfortable with me watching him while he read. “You can read these after me, if you like Frohman. Perhaps you should take this opportunity to freshen up.”
I knew he was trying to get some privacy, so he could study the documents in peace, but I was in a teasing mood.
“I don’t think I should leave you unprotected, Uncle Will. Those hooligans could be back any minute.”
He gave me a level glare. “I am sure we shall be unmolested for the next few hours. Even such a well-organized cabal, as we face, will need some time to formulate a plan of attack! Now, go wash up and let me read! You shall get your turn when I am finished.”
I laughed and stood up. “If it’s alright with you, Uncle Will. I’ll just take a synopsis from you!” I picked up my drink and saluted him, but he had already forgotten I was there as he buried his nose once again.
I was feeling a little grubby, so I went to my room and got some fresh clothes before heading to the bathroom. Filling the big tub with steaming hot water while I undressed, I hung my holster on a towel rack nearby and slipped into the water. Between it’s hot embrace and the brandy, I was afraid I might drift off, but my mind wouldn’t let me relax completely. I began to run the events of the last few days in my head to try and make some sense of it all, but it only left me with more questions. I could reasonably construct the train robbery, and when I took that a step further, I could apply the same methods to the payroll robbery the day before. What I wasn’t sure about was how Marquis fit into the picture. Was he forced to participate? Did they kill him and take the pump from his boat? No, that couldn’t be right. The barge was a good half mile from where the payroll was stolen. Much too far to pump air to a diver. Yet, it was hard to think of Marquis as such a cold- blooded killer. A hustler and a rake, certainly, but I would hate to have to tell Catty her brother was the ‘River Monster’!
Then again, if he was — why return the money after killing a man for it?
And what about the baby? We seemed to have lost track of our original investigation. We buried the child—Lord, that seemed like it was last week rather than this morning—and we were still no closer to her identity, not to mention, whoever had abandoned her!
This and a thousand other details swirled in my head, while the hot water seeped into my bones, until my brain just shut itself off. I woke, disoriented, when the now cold water made me shiver. I stood and shook myself awake like a dog would and got out of the tub.
The cooling evening air made my skin tingle after the hot bath and I was feeling refreshed. Returning to my room, I dug out some fresh clothes, casual and loose in anticipation of some action to come, I dressed quickly, ready to see if my Uncle’s predictions were right.
As I was stepping out onto the balcony, I heard a rap on the front door downstairs and it slowly opened.
“Gillette?” a voice called out from the shadows of the foyer. I recognized Rowan’s voice, then another -- the old Doctor Blums’, “William? Are you here?”
“Good evening Gentlemen. So good of you to come! Come in, come in. Make yourself at home.” I heard my uncle call out, but I could not see him from where I was standing. I happened to look up and saw him in one of his mirrors. He was seated on a semi-circular couch along the wall, newspaper in one hand and a coca cola in the other. Rowan ran up the steps from the foyer and rushed across the room to face him, the doctor trying to keep up with him and failing. To be fair, he was carrying a medium sized box. Rowan put his hands on his hips and snarled, “This isn’t a social visit, Gillette! Where is the box?”
William set his paper down and looked up at the Chief, his face serene, “Safe. Did you do as I asked?”
I stayed where I was because I saw Ozaki slip up behind our two visitors unnoticed. Ozaki was as silent and stealthy as a cat.
“Everything’s set, though for the life of me, I don’t know why I just don’t haul you down to the station instead! Of all the irresponsible things—” Rowan squawked, and the doctor jumped when Ozaki interjected loudly from behind them. “Would you Gentlemen care for a drink?”
I nearly bust a gut keeping my laughter inside. Ozaki just stood quietly, a toothy grin on his face, as he waited for the men to recover. Rowan shook his head, but the doctor said he would accept a glass of sherry. Ozaki bowed and went off, leaving the group in an awkward silence. Rowan was still mad, but Ozaki had taken the wind out of his sails.
“I still say the box would be safer at the station.” Rowan groused.
“I disagree, Inspector. It would take ten average men a week to discover where I placed it!”
“This lot is anything but average, Gillette.” Rowan argued.
“Bah!” Uncle Will countered, “Aside from their leader, they are nothing more than run of the mill criminals!”
“What are you basing that on, William?” Blum asked. Then he suddenly noticed the box in his arms and walked it over to put it on the table. On his way back, he added, “I’ve known some pretty smart criminals in my day.”
William looked up, like he was asking for strength from heaven, and sighed theatrically. “I beg to differ, Doctor. If one knows about them, they are not good criminals. The first precept of crime is to remain undetected! It is the unforeseen, the unknown in the shadows we should fear.”
If this were a play, the curtain would have fallen. I decided it was time to make a grand entrance and I called out a greeting as I skipped down the stairs to join them. After I shook hands with the doctor, the Chief stepped up to me. I tensed up, thinking I was in for another verbal drubbing over not shooting the fleeing suspect. I was ready to rip into him and was looking forward to pointing out that I had more lawyers at my disposal as he did constables. I was through being talked down to.
He gave me a hard look, which I returned, and then he suddenly grinned and stuck out his hand. “Thank you for your assistance today. You did good work out there. We were lucky to have you with us.”
Stunned, but a little suspicious, I took his hand and asked, “You sure you’re not sore about the second guy?”
He shrugged. “Nah! It would be better if we caught him. There are a lot of people who want to talk to him. There’s a massive dragnet going out in all directions to find him. I’d be surprised if he isn’t in custody by tomorrow.” He nodded and turned to William. “So, what was in the box?”
It was a crude attempt to catch my uncle off guard, but William laughed and replied, “Papers.”
“Papers? What kind of pap -- No! Don’t tell me! I don’t want to know!” He shook his head, “But you can be damn sure you’ll be in Dutch with the Feds!”
William laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. “Calm yourself, Chief. Everything has been repackaged exactly as the original!” Then, to chang
e the subject, he said to Blum, “So, Doctor, I see you brought another mystery box with you.”
Blum, who had been sipping his sherry and watching the exchanges, came back into the moment. “Oh, yes. I did indeed. They are the babe’s clothes and swaddling. When I saw they hadn’t been picked up yet, I thought I would just bring them over.”
William’s eyes lit up. “Excellent Doctor! Perhaps they will reveal a clue of some sort.”
“Oh, William!” Rowan exclaimed. “Are you still on that? You’re wasting your time, my friend, that’s a dead end!”
William sniffed and walked over to the table, proclaiming, “If you conduct your investigations with that attitude, they will all be dead ends.”
We all gathered around as William opened the box and began extracting the items. First came tattered blanket that was wrapped around the girl. A second, finer and cleaner wrap was next, and then the one piece suit the child was wearing. Next was that pair of tiny dark red booties that made me sad to look at. They were so small, their deep crimson color a stark contrast to the graying material next to them. It all highlighted the infancy of the child.
Last, was a square cloth with fancy lace around the edges. It was stained but it was obviously a cut above the rest of the material that dressed the babe. William stared at it for a moment, then laid it on the table and excused himself. He dashed up the stairs and into his room. After a moment, he came out with something in his hand. He made his way stately down the steps, no doubt to make us wait in confusion just a bit longer. He walked over and laid the object down on the table. It was a twin to the last item he pulled out of the box.
Blum broke the silence, “Where—”
“FIRE!” Ozaki yelled at the top of his lungs.
28
We all nearly jumped out of our skins as we looked up to see Ozaki pointing out a window off the upstairs hallway. “Fire at the dock!” He screamed.