“He’s?” Maxine coaxed.
“Gone.”
“He was done going? That’s not as bad.”
“He was gone, gone.” She looked at her friend. “Dead gone.”
“He’s dead? On the toilet? You mean like Elvis?” She shook her head.
“Not unless Elvis had a knife sticking out of his chest to go along with his bad heart.”
“What?” Maxine’s mouth went back to her mouth. “How? Who?”
“I don’t know.” Summer pushed herself off the wall. “But it was someone who was left handed.”
“How do you know that?”
Summer made a stabbing motion with her left hand. “The knife was angled from the left like someone did like a roundhouse stab on him.” She kept stabbing as she leaned on the wall again. “Stabbed in the chest. Like this.”
Maxine put her hand on Summer’s arm, bringing it down. “Okay, okay. I get the picture. We need to do something.”
“You’re right.”
“What do we do?” Maxine hissed.
“I’ll guard the door and you go get Stephan. He’s security after all.”
Maxine nodded. “Okay. Are you okay?”
Summer nodded. “Yes. Go get him. I’ve got the door.” She pushed herself off the wall again and walked to the door. When she got there, she leaned against it. She looked over. Maxine still hadn’t moved. “Go!”
Maxine startled and ran to the elevators, camera bag banging on her hip as she went.
Summer rubbed her temples. “Brian Larson is punched in the face. By someone left handed. Scott Anderson is angry with Brian. So is Stephanie. He got what he deserved.” Summer looked out at the main floor of the convention center. Many people had left to eat lunch at local restaurants so it wasn’t very crowded at the moment. “Brian said he would get Scott. Now Scott is dead. Stabbed by a left hander.” She rubbed her hands together. “Is Doctor Dixon next?” She frowned. “But who is left handed?”
“Someone’s left handed?” Stephan asked. He put his hand on Summer’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“I just saw a dead man.” Summer said.
“Maxine told me.” He keyed his mic. “Rover Three, requesting Q at main floor, male restroom. This is a code... one. Code one.”
“What’s a Q?” Summer asked.
“And a code one?” Maxine added.
“A code one is an unconscious or otherwise unresponsive person. That will get the paramedics moving this way.”
“What’s a Q?”
“It’s not a what, it’s a who.” Stephan said. He pointed to Quincy who had been standing at the top of the escalators. He was now sprinting towards them.
Quincy skidded to a stop. “What is going on?” He hissed. “Who’s unresponsive? Is anyone giving first aid?”
“It’s Doctor Anderson,” Summer said. “He’s in here.” She patted the door.
“Did he slip?” Quincy started to move her. “Why isn’t anyone providing first aid?”
“He’s actually a... Code Zero.” Stephan said.
“No.” Quincy froze. “No, come on. You’re all pulling my leg. No one dies at the conference center.”
“Well, that is still technically true,” Summer said. “Doctor Anderson was murdered.”
“What?” Quincy said loudly. He ducked is head. “What?” He whispered. “Are you sure?”
“The large knife sticking out of his chest was a pretty good indicator.” Summer said.
“We need to secure the area,” Stephan said. He keyed his mic. “This is Rover Three, main floor men’s. I need two units at my location, immediate.” He waited until two other security officers responded. “Okay. We can keep this quiet for a little bit, Mister Klugman, but we do need to let the police know.”
“Fine, fine,” Quincy said. He looked at the door. “This isn’t going to look good.”
“Hey!” Summer exclaimed. “Wait a minute.”
“What?” Maxine said.
“You saw him go in. I saw him go in.”
“Yes,” Maxine said. “We did see him go in.”
Summer put her hand on Stephan’s shoulder. “And I just found him dead.”
“That is unfortunate,” Stephan said. “I’m real sorry about that.”
“No. After I found him, I came out here and stood by the door while Maxie went to get you.”
“Right. So?”
Summer brought her hands up plaintively. “So!”
“So,” Stephan looked at the door. “That means the murderer is still in there.”
Everyone turned to look at the door.
“I’m not going in there,” Maxine said. She looked at her friend. “And you aren’t either.”
“Let’s go Stephan. I’ll watch your back,” Summer said.
Stephan looked around. “Where the hell is that backup?”
“We can’t wait. They might be destroying evidence as we speak!”
“I’ll wait for security and have them keep everyone out.” Quincy said.
“Let’s go.”
“Summer, you can’t.”
Summer pointed at the door. “We need to get in there, Stephan.”
“Keep an eye on my back,” Stephan said. “I don’t want any trouble in there.”
Summer nodded. “You got it. I don’t take Krav Maga, Brazilian Jiu Jitzu, and Taekwondo for nothing.”
“Yeah, how long?” Stephan pulled on the door handle. “Please tell me you didn’t just start taking classes last week.”
“About seven years. I’m a brown belt in B-J-J and a Second Dan black belt in Taekwondo.”
“I don’t know what that means,” Stephan admitted.
“I could kick your ass.” Summer said matter-of-factly.
“Nice. How about you?” Stephan asked Maxine.
“Oh, I go to the classes too.”
“Only to flirt with Sensei Jack,” noted Summer.
“That’s not... okay, that’s true.”
“Great.” Stephan smirked. “Let’s go.” He opened the door and stepped in.
Summer entered right behind him. “If it gets down to it, just stay out of the way so you don’t get hurt.”
Stephan looked over his shoulder at Summer- at six feet two, and very close to two hundred-thirty pounds; most of which was muscle- he towered over her. “What do you weigh?”
“Almost a hundred thirty pounds.” Summer balled up her fists. “And it’s all attitude.”
“Almost huh? Okay then.” Stephan sidestepped to look into the left side of the bathroom.
“That’s the side I saw him in.”
Stephan crouched down and turned his head upside down to look under the stalls. “I see one pair of feet, half way down.”
“That’s him. I did the same thing on the other side first but didn’t see anyone.”
Stephan stood. “So they had to have been standing on the toilet seat. Stay close.” He moved into the open area between the stalls and the urinals. He edged closer to the stalls and as he walked, he pushed the doors open, making sure they were empty as he made his way cautiously toward the stall that held the dead doctor. Summer was close behind him.
Half way there, he stopped and looked at Summer. “Are you watching our backs?”
“Oh!” Summer turned sideways so she could see behind them. “Okay, let’s go.”
“I don’t have a good feeling about this.” He started walking again.
Summer walked sideways, looking forward and back as she did. “I can’t believe they don’t have partitions between the urinals,” she remarked.
“It happens in a lot of places.”
“That’s weird. I mean... you just.... weird.”
“Some ball parks just have a long tile wall with water running down it that we just pee on.”
“That’s gross.”
“While I was in the Army, sometimes there weren’t even partitions on the stalls in some of the older buildings.”
“That’s gross and weird. You
would think....”
“You know, we’re potentially sneaking up on a murderer, not discussing the aesthetics of male restrooms.” Stephan pushed another stall door open.
“Sorry.”
“Two more to go.”
“Okay.”
When they got to the door that Doctor Anderson was behind, Stephan paused. “Ready?”
“There was no one in there but Scott.”
Stephan pushed the door open slowly.
Doctor Anderson was slumped back sitting on the toilet.
“At least he’s wearing pants. I thought you said he was stabbed.”
Summer peeked around the large man. “He was. Hey! Someone took the knife!” She exclaimed. “They must still be in here,” she whispered.
“I think they know we’re already here by now.”
“Check the other stalls.”
“Whoever it was, is now armed.” Stephan pointed out. “So make sure you’re keeping an eye out.”
“Got it.” She patted his shoulder. “I got your back.”
Stephan made his way down the remaining row of stalls, pushing doors open as he went. When they got to the end, he turned to face Summer. “Okay, now this is getting real. That means they have to be between us and the exit on that side.” He pointed to the other side of the bathroom. “And they have a knife, and they have no problem sticking it into people’s chests.”
“Okay.” Summer said nervously. “Let’s...” Her eyes fell on the door behind Stephan.
“What?”
“Where’s that go?” She pointed.
Stephan looked at the door. “That’s a janitor’s closet. Mops, brooms, cleaning supplies. That main door is the only way in or out of here, of course.” He reached for the knob.
Summer took a step back. “They might be in there!” She hissed. She brought her hands up and placed her feet a little farther than shoulder-width apart as she took a fighting stance. “Knife first.”
“What?”
“You always deal with the deadliest weapon first. Ignore the open hand, get rid of the knife.” She flexed her fingers. “Oh yeah. Open it.” She took a couple of hops on the balls of her feet. “Do it.”
“You’re a little bit crazy, you know that?”
“Would you want meek and cowering right about now?”
“Point taken.” Stephan glanced at her. “You want point?”
“No; if they stab you, I’ll take care of them. Just make sure you get stabbed in the arm and not some place lethal.”
“Hell, now I don’t want to open it.” He smiled. “I hope Maxie isn’t as crazy as you are.”
“She’s the sane one; you’ll be fine.” Summer cocked her head. “She skydives though. And hand glides.” She shook her hands then made fists again. “Come on, open it.”
Stephan opened the door.
Both stared at the hallway that disappeared into the darkness.
“Where the hell does that go?” Summer said. “And why is there a hallway in a janitor’s closet? Did old woman Winchester design this place?”
“I truly have no idea.” Stephan said.
“How have you never seen this?” She gestured into the darkness.
“This is my first week here,” Stephan said. He looked at the side of the bathroom they hadn’t gone down yet. “Just a sec.”
“What?”
Stephan took off at a jog, punching the stall doors open as he went. When he got to the end, he jogged back to Summer. “It’s clear that way.” He pointed. “They had to have gone down there. Wherever ‘there’ goes.”
“See if those other security guards have gotten here yet. I’ll keep an eye out.”
Stephan pointed a finger at her. “You are not to go down that hallway.”
“Who said I was going down that dark hallway?”
“I’m just saying...”
“Why would I do that before my muscle-bound knife catching partner comes back?”
“I’m serious, Summer. You seem like a nice woman and I’d really hate to see you get hurt.”
“Don’t you worry.” Summer said.
“I’ll be right back,” Stephan said. He turned and ran for the bathroom entrance.
As soon as Summer heard him push it open, she bolted into the darkness.
TEN
Stephan pushed the door open and stepped out. There were two security guards standing with their backs to the door.
“Well?” Quincy asked as he crowded the man. “Is he dead?” He whispered.
Stephan nodded. “Yes, Sir. Doctor Anderson is really most sincerely dead.”
“Where’s Summer?” Maxine asked.
“And the murderer?” Quincy looked at the door. “Did you find him?”
Stephan shook his head. “Apparently there is a back door to the bathroom. And a hallway. You know about that?”
Quincy nodded. “Of course.”
“What? Why in the world is that there?”
“That’s so supplies can be brought in without rolling carts of toilet paper, soap, paper towels, cleaning supplies, whatever, through the convention center.” He shuddered. “Or plumbing equipment.”
“But...”
“We have appearances to maintain, you know. People who come to events here are here for that event, and not be distracted by all the work that goes on behind the scenes. There are corridors that lead to each of the restrooms, concession stands and conference rooms that don’t have an exit that leads directly outside.”
“So that’s where that hallway leads.” Stephan frowned. “Just great.”
“Hallway?”
“The one that you just described.”
“But how did you see into that? Those doors are always locked and the keys are strictly controlled.”
“Where is Summer?”
“That door was open, Sir,” Stephan said. “The murderer not only got out that way, they took the murder weapon with them.”
Maxine stepped up right next to Stephan. “Where is Summer?”
“She’s guarding that back door.”
“Guarding the back door.” Maxine said. “Oh hah-hah. You honestly think she is just standing there patiently waiting for you to come back?”
Stephen looked at Maxine for a moment. “Oh hell.”
Maxine pushed past Stephan, “I have to go find her!”
Stephan grabbed Maxine by the arm. “It’s too dangerous for you to go in there. There’s a murderer on the loose. An armed murderer.”
“And my friend is running after them as we speak.” She struggled against his hold on her. “Come along if you want, but I’m going!”
Stephan exhaled. “Fine, let’s go.” He looked at Quincy. “Mister Klugman, I’ll keep you posted on what we find.”
Quincy looked from Stephan to Maxine and back. “Okay, I suppose.”
“You need to be here to meet the police. You have called them, haven’t you?”
“I...” Quincy started. “Wanted to get an official statement from the paramedics first.”
“She said there was a knife sticking out of his chest,” Stephan said.
Two paramedics came jogging over, pushing a gurney.
“Where’s the patient?” One asked.
“Let’s go!” Maxine pleaded.
“That will get the ball rolling,” Stephan said. He tapped his ear piece and pointed at Quincy. “Switch to channel ten. It’ll be just you and me. I’ll keep you posted.” He let go of Maxine and pulled the door open. “He’s on the left side, about half way down, Gents,” he said over his shoulder as he reentered the bathroom, Maxine close behind.
“I can’t believe you just let her go by herself,” Maxine said as they moved quickly to the back of the bathroom.
“I told her not to go,” Stephan said. “She promised she wouldn’t go.”
“Oh? Did she promise, or just repeat back what you said to her?”
Stephan thought back to their conversation. “That woman.” He stopped at the doorway. “Okay, yo
u stay behind me at all times, you got it?”
“Sure thing.”
Stephan picked up a broom and handed it to her. “Did you join in on any of those combative classes?”
Maxine shook her head. “I didn’t even get a date out of them.” She smiled, “Are we still on for dinner?”
“If we make it through this, sure.” He started down the corridor. As he went, the lights in the ceiling came on. “That’s something at least.”
“Look behind us,” Maxine said as they went.
Stephan turned to look. Thanks to what seemed to be a mere ten-second timer, the lights just inside the corridor had already turned off. “Wow. This is like the absolute perfect place for a horror movie.” He started walking again. The lights ahead of them flickering on as the ones behind went off- they walked in a 15-foot bubble of light. Stephan tried door knobs as they passed them but they were all locked. “At least no one can sneak up on us. Just keep an eye out behind us for lights coming on.”
“If this is a horror movie, we need to make sure we don’t split up.” Maxine said. “That’s a sure way to get yourself killed.”
“Or have sex.” As soon as he had said it, he regretted it. “I mean...”
“What do you mean, exactly?” Maxine asked innocently.
“All of a sudden I want to run into that knife-wielding murderer.”
“I’ll change the subject instead.”
“Thanks.”
“Do you think you should...?” Her voice trailed off as they came to an intersection. The hallway now ran off to their left and right as well as straight ahead.
“Oh man.” Stephan looked in all three directions. “Which way do you think we should go?”
“There’s no telling which way Summer went.”
“Or the killer.”
As they looked, the lights around them went out.
Panicking, Maxine swung the broom at the ceiling in a broad arc trying to get the sensors to turn the lights back on. As she finished her swing, she hit Stephan squarely in the face. Just as the florescent lights flickered back on.
“Oh!” Maxine dropped the broom and moved to the man. “I was trying to get the lights back on.”
“It worked; I’m seeing white and blue spots.” Stephan said. He rubbed his face. “I knew I should have stayed with that armored car company.”
Pulling the Trooth Page 5