by Rick Polad
***
Stosh was already working on a beer when I got there, and bowls of chips and pretzels were set out on a table. He knew how to live.
As he set down the bottle he said, “You look like hell.”
“Good afternoon to you too.” I went to the kitchen for a beer but came back with a glass of ice water and stretched out on the couch.
With raised eyebrows, he asked, “You on the wagon?”
“A beer will put me to sleep in five minutes. That may happen anyway. I haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a week. I can’t stop thinking about Rosie, I don’t know why kids are disappearing, I know Walters and Meyers are involved in something but I don’t know what, and three people are dead and we don’t have any leads. We can charge Walters with assault but the victim won’t talk, and the guy I trust the most is a loan shark.”
“Is that all?”
“If I don’t fall asleep I’m sure I’ll think of something else.”
Stosh left the room and was back in a few minutes. Five minutes later I smelled coffee brewing.
He sat on the edge of the recliner, muted the TV, and said, “The last time I was so confused trying to follow something was when I tried to read Ulysses. There were some items in your stream of consciousness that are news to me.”
I arranged the pillows behind my head on the arm of the couch. With my eyes closed, I asked, “You read Ulysses?”
“I said tried. I gave up. Let’s run through your list.”
“I’m in no mood for the third degree.”
“Doesn’t matter. First, you can call Rosie anytime you want. You’re just being stubborn.”
I sighed. “It’s not that easy.”
“Sure it is. Second, we, as in the police force you support with your tax money, do have some leads and are following up. Your case is Martin… we’ll take care of the murders.”
“They’re connected, Stosh.”
“Maybe. But even if they are, you worry about Martin and let us do our jobs.”
Before I could respond, he unmuted the TV as Sandberg was rounding third with a two-run homer. We watched the replay and then he muted it again and went to the kitchen and came back with coffee. I let it cool a bit.
“Third—assault?”
I told him about Sadie.
“So you’re using her as bait? I thought we ruled that out.”
“She refuses to report the assault. By doing that she silently agreed to do Walters a favor when he asks.”
“And what do you think that favor will be?”
I shook my head, took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and looked over at him. “I’ll let you know when she tells me.”
“What if she can’t get ahold of you?”
“She has my phone and pager numbers and I’m planning on staying near a phone.”
“And what if she can’t get to a phone?”
I watched as the Cubs ran off the field at the end of the fourth with a two to nothing lead. “Then she lets me know after whatever happens. It’s not a perfect plan.”
“Not even close. If she calls you, you call me.”
I agreed and continued our chat. “Walters and Meyers have hired people who have something to lose if they don’t follow directions, whatever those are. And you have that ex-partner of Walters involved in the arrests. All this is connected, and the connection is Walters or Meyers or both. We’re just missing a few lines to connect the dots.”
Stosh leaned back in the chair and unmuted the TV after the commercials were over. “There’s also the question of who the killer is.”
“And is it the same killer for all three?” I asked. “I’m betting on Walters for Benny. We know he likes baseball bats.”
“And the other two could be anybody. You have any ideas?”
“I’m not a fan of Frank Knight… Meatstick. He runs the booth where Martin worked and has to know more than he’s saying. He certainly looks tough enough to strangle someone. And there’s a little runt who rubs me the wrong way—guy named Marcel. He doesn’t look tough enough to strangle someone.”
“That would be Marcel Rateau. Both of them are clean. And just because someone rubs you the wrong way doesn’t make them guilty. Sometimes you rub me the wrong way.”
“And just because they have no record doesn’t mean they’re not involved. Every criminal has to start somewhere.”
“Bring me facts, Spencer.”
I held the coffee cup in both hands and took a drink. The warmth felt good on my hands.
“Something else keeps bothering me,” I said. “Remember Benny told Harvey that he would be free?”
“Yup. Probably had something to do with the loan from Joey.”
“Probably. But why is he dead?”
“Lotsa whys, Spencer. Walters was probably paying off his debt in exchange for something.”
“But what? And if Benny holds up his end of the bargain he doesn’t have to die.”
“Maybe he decided not to hold up his end.”
“Could be. But it would have to be something pretty bad to overpower ten grand.”
We were both quiet, not wanting to think about what that could be.
Stosh broke the silence by asking what I was doing with the rest of the weekend.
I had debated telling him about the tunnel plan and decided I should, if for no other reason than he would know where I’d been if I didn’t show up. He wasn’t in favor of the plan. I wasn’t surprised.
I thanked him for the coffee and headed home to man the phone. I threw a burger on the grill, ate on the deck, and fell asleep on the chaise lounge. I woke up at eleven and went to bed. The phone hadn’t rung.
Chapter 33
I didn’t get out of bed until ten. Sunday was almost half over. I spent the day around the house on chores and bills, trying not to think about the tunnels.
The parking lot at Riverview was pretty empty when I got there at a quarter to four. I joined a group of three adults and three kids as they walked down the Midway toward the Parachute Drop. I was carrying my .38 under a windbreaker. I felt better after passing the bottle booth and the Freak Show where Marcel and Meatstick knew me by sight. It was a few minutes after four when I got to the hot dog stand just north of the Parachute Drop. Sadie and another woman were working the stand.
I got in the short line and ordered a hot dog from Sadie. As she was making it, she told the woman next to her that she needed a fifteen-minute break. She told me with a nod that she’d meet me at a bench a few yards away. She joined me there and, as I ate my dog, explained the plan. We were going to walk around the other side of the Parachute Drop where there was a wooden shack. Inside the shack, as in several others, there were stairs going down to the tunnels. She gave me a brief description of the layout, told me that any stairs would lead up to one of the shacks, and told me how to get to the river in case I needed an escape.
I wasn’t quite as excited now as I had been.
When I was done eating, I suggested she walk ahead in case we ran into someone who knew me. As we rounded the corner of the Parachute Drop, I saw Mooney about fifty yards ahead. I knew he saw me, too.
“Mooney ahead, Sadie. You keep walking. I’ll call you tonight.”
She ignored him as she passed him. I tried to do the same but he stood in front of me.
“Well, well. Who do we have here?” Mooney asked.
I didn’t respond and stepped to my right.
He stepped to his left. “You must really love amusement parks.”
I still didn’t respond.
“Tell you what, Manning. I’ll give you the VIP treatment… special tour. I’ll walk with you and make sure you get treated special.”
“Nice of you, Mooney. But that’s not necessary. Don’t want any special treatment.”
“I insist. I’m sure the boss would be upset if I didn’t offer someone important like you the special treatment.” He gave me a big grin that looked a lot like the Cheshire Cat’s.
“Who’s
the boss?”
He kept the grin. “Where to? Wanna try the Parachute Drop? I’ll wait for you at the bottom.”
“No thanks.” I wasn’t going to shake him so I decided to walk around the park so he’d have to waste time escorting me. He asked if I wanted to go on every ride we passed. When we got back to the front gate I turned toward the exit.
His grin reappeared. “You didn’t have much fun, Manning… not one ride.”
“But fun nonetheless, Mooney. You gonna be okay if I leave you?”
The grin disappeared. “You were told, Manning. You don’t listen well.”
“Depends on who’s doing the telling.” I turned and headed for my Mustang.
I probably could have lost Mooney somewhere along the way, but that wouldn’t have led to anything good. The tunnels would be there another day. And if I believed in signs from heaven, and sometimes I did, there was a good reason Mooney showed up. Some unknown fate awaited me in the tunnels. I’d sure like to know what that might have been.
***
Sadie answered on the first ring. It was a little after eight.
“Thank goodness, Spencer. I’ve been worried.”
“Thanks. But no problem… he’s harmless.”
“Probably, but he knows people who aren’t.”
“True. Did he connect you to me?”
“Not that I know of.”
“Good.”
“Do you want to replan the tunnels?”
“Maybe. I’d still like to see them. But let’s wait a few days… I’ll give you a call.”
“Okay.”
“And remember to call me if you hear from Walters.”
“I sure will. Whenever I think of him I get so angry. Have you heard from Barbara?”
“That’s my next call. But the only problem is she may not want to come back.”
Sadie laughed. “Say hi for me.”
“I will. Get some sleep.”
“Good night, Spencer.”
“Good night, Sadie.”
***
Aunt Rose answered the phone and we chatted for twenty minutes before she put Barbara on. She assured me Barbara was having a great time and looking more relaxed each day. She had insisted on helping out around the inn. Maxine was at a movie.
“I worry about you, Spencer.”
“I know, but I’m a lot smarter than the morons I deal with. I’ll be okay.”
“You be sure to call Lieutenant Powolski if there’s any trouble.”
“Yes, ma’am. Is Barbara available?”
“She’s out on the porch. I’ll get her.”
I thought she had left without saying goodbye, but after a pause she said, “You need to come up for a visit. It’s been too long.”
“I promise. As soon as this is all over.”
“Okay, I love you, Spencer.”
“I love you too.”
Barbara came on a minute later. We chatted for ten minutes and she thanked me several times for bringing her to the inn. I passed along Sadie’s hello and we talked for a bit about her.
After I hung up I thought about calling Rosie, but I walked away from the phone.
Chapter 34
I was fixing breakfast when my doorbell rang around eight o’clock. I turned off the gas burner on the stove and wiped my hands. Lieutenant Powolski was at the door with an officer behind him.
I was smiling. He wasn’t.
“Well, what an unexpected pleasure,” I said, opening the screen door.
“Unexpected, yes… pleasure, no.”
“What’s the matter?”
He took a deep breath. “I’m here to arrest you.”
I laughed and asked him to come in.
“I’m not kidding, Spencer. You’re under arrest for assault and battery.” He asked the officer to read me my rights.
“Hang on, I…”
He held up his hand and I stopped.
I waited rather impatiently. When he was done, I asked, “Who am I supposed to have assaulted?”
“Belva Meyers.”
My mouth dropped open, but I quickly closed it and nodded. I stepped outside and let the screen door close.
“I’m guessing your little tunnel adventure didn’t go so well,” Stosh said.
“It didn’t go at all. I ran into Mooney who insisted on giving me a personal tour and didn’t leave my side.”
“Yeah, and then made a phone call. Jesus, Spencer, I told you to stay away from there.”
“You did, yes. We’re really doing this?”
“I have a complaint from a citizen who said you threatened her and then pushed her.”
“That’s crap and you know it.”
“I do, but I’m not a judge. A coupla lawyers will have to battle it out.”
“This is nuts.”
“I agree. But the wheels of justice have started turning, so do you come peacefully or do I have James put you in cuffs?”
“I have a choice?”
“Yes.”
I sighed. “Okay. Can I call Ben?”
“From the station.”
“Okay. Let me lock up… I’ll be right with you.” As the screen closed I heard James ask if he should follow me in case I tried to slip out the back.
And then a much louder, “Shut the hell up.”
I managed a chuckle.
As we walked down the sidewalk, Stosh said, “There’s a good side to this.”
“Dying to hear it.”
“I’ll know where you are for the next coupla hours.”
“How nice for you.”
***
I got my phone call. Praying that he’d answer, I called Ben Tucker, who got me started on my second case and then retired from the State Attorney’s Office when it was done. He answered on the fifth ring.
“Hey Ben, Spencer. Glad I caught you in.”
“You just barely did. I have a ten-twenty tee time.”
“Would you mind missing it?” I explained.
When he stopped laughing he said, “Had to happen sooner or later. I’ll go find a judge and be there in an hour.”
It was two hours, but all I had to do was sign a Recognizance Bond and buy Ben lunch. As we stood outside the door of the station, he explained the procedure and told me the court date. Basically, I couldn’t leave town and most importantly, he said, there was a restraining order against me. I had to stay away from Meyers and since she worked at the park, I had to stay away from the park.
“I know this is bogus, Spencer, but the restraining order is serious. If you ignore that, you’ve got real problems.”
“But that’s bogus too, Ben.”
“I know. But not until the court says it is. Until then, you stay away from her.”
I nodded with a frown. “I hate being played.”
“Don’t we all.”
We went to Molly’s. When we were seated he asked for details. I gave him the short version over burgers.
“I had some cases with Walters,” he said in between bites. “I cringed when I saw his name. He never did me any favors… loose ends and shaky evidence. So if he’s the brains behind this, he’ll make a mistake sooner or later.”
“I’d rather it were sooner. There are kids missing.”
“Yeah, I’ll cross my fingers. I’d like to see him in jail just for the trouble he caused me.”
“But you managed to win anyway.”
“Well, usually the bad guys are so dumb it doesn’t take much.”
I asked for a Coke refill. “I also ran into someone you never managed to beat.”
He smiled. “How is Joey?”
“As fashionable as always.”
“Yeah, I think the juries were distracted by his clothes.”
“Right. Whatever excuse works for you.”
He laughed. “In my defense, no one else got him either. The man doesn’t make mistakes.”
I told him about his reminiscing and the incident with the ice cream cone. “You never know about people. Not su
rprising he has the ice cream parlor as a front. Do you know he gives out free ice cream to the neighborhood families?”
“Really.” he said. “That doesn’t surprise me. Long tradition going back to Capone, who took care of the neighborhood.”
“Al would be proud.”
We both finished. I thanked him for his services and told him to send me a bill. He said I just paid it. We parted with promises to have a beer soon.
I headed for the office, all the more sure that I was getting close to something at Riverview. They were certainly serious about keeping me out of there. And I guess they had found a way to do that. About a block from the office I remembered Sadie and wondered what I’d do if she called.
***
I got to the office a little before two. Samantha wasn’t there. Thinking that she might have gone for a late lunch, I busied myself with paperwork for an hour and then realized she should have been back by now. I thought of calling her but decided to give it some more time. After another half hour I drove to her apartment.
She didn’t answer the bell. As I was thinking about picking the lock, another resident came in and we had a chat. She knew Samantha but hadn’t seen her all weekend. That wasn’t so strange… people in apartments keep to themselves and usually don’t notice their neighbors. She suggested I knock on the door.
I did, but softly enough so that the other people on the floor wouldn’t hear. If she didn’t answer, I was going to pick the lock. I got more concerned as I thought about what she might have done. She had nobody, and the loss of her father to deal with.
The lock was simple and it only took a minute to get in. I opened and closed the door quietly with lots of apprehension. The main room was empty and there were no sheets on the couch, but with Samantha’s father gone she may have moved to the bedroom.
That was empty too… as were all the drawers and closets. She didn’t live there anymore.
I stood in the middle of the room for a few minutes thinking, then decided it really didn’t matter one way or the other that she was gone, except that I owed her a week’s pay and I’d have to find another secretary.