All Hallows' Eve Heist, Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery #2 (Georgie Shaw Cozy Mystery Series Book 3)

by Anna Celeste Burke

  I passed the rows of lockers with comfy benches in front of them. Shower areas and restrooms were behind those. Suspense grew as I entered the outfitting room. The large room was brightly lit, filled with colorful objects and outfits. Items hung not only on the carousel in the middle of the space but from portable clothing racks and hooks on the walls. Bins contained items too.

  At one end of the room there was a wall of mirrors and a bank of vanity-like areas where women could fix their make-up and do their hair. That was especially important for characters like the Shepherdess Arielle, who was expected to be a picture-perfect recreation of the film idol.

  “Julie, where are you?” I heard rustling sounds from behind the carousel and a couple of racks of items.

  “Here. I’m back here.” I walked around following the sound of her voice and tried not to smile when I spotted her. Julie Kennedy resembled a fly caught in a spider web. A modest fly, apparently. She was in a state of undress, wearing nothing more revealing than what you might see in a television ad for a fast food restaurant.

  The elaborate hoop skirt she wore under her shepherdess outfit was hooked on something, raising it up and exposing the frilly pantaloons. She must have tried to get out of her outfit from the top, too, because the bodice was open, and she had managed to slip one arm out. Somehow, her strap had slid off one shoulder and become entangled, while the wig she wore had caught on something too. With the wig half on and half off, her head was pinned at an awkward angle.

  “When I heard the shouting and a gunshot, I dove in here. I got all tangled in the hooks and hangers. The more I tried to get out, the worse it got. I’m stuck,” she said with a face that told me she was close to letting loose with an I Love Lucy “waaa."

  “It’s going to be all right. Don’t cry.”

  “This is humiliating. I should have let those guys shoot me.”

  “No, you don’t mean that. I understand how you feel. I’ve had one of those ‘skirt stuck in the back of my pantyhose’ moments, so I get it. Not the sort of thing you want anyone to see, much less a new boyfriend or a police officer, right? Aha, scissors,” I said. “Just what we need.”

  “I've trashed Arielle’s lovely dress, haven't I?”

  My heart melted when I heard the sorrow in her voice.

  “After what you’ve been through tonight, please don’t worry about the dress. They can make a new dress, but there’s only one Julie Kennedy. Detective Wheeler said you were clever to hide when you heard that trouble start. Let’s get you out of this thing.”

  In less than a minute, I had snipped her wig loose so she could straighten her head. A couple more cuts, and she was free of the dress, too.

  After Julie had her street clothes back on, and was allowed a minute to thank Matthew for sending help, she was more than ready to talk about what had happened. I sat with her in the break room as she sipped vitamin water and told us what happened. Her story had us all on our feet again within minutes.

  5 In Character

  Julie explained, “I had just rushed into the locker room and started to unhook things. You have to be careful getting out of Arielle’s dress.” She glanced at me and reddened before adding, “Not too careful today, I guess.”

  There was a pause as Julie quit talking because she was overcome. I smiled and nodded, hoping that would get her to move her story along, while Jack, Ralph, and I sat on the edge of our seats.

  She continued, “I hadn’t been in there for more than a minute when I heard shouting in the hallway. I ran to the door to peek out and see what was going on. Before I could do it, this guy giving orders said something like: ‘You sure it’s empty at this hour?’ I froze. Another guy answered him, ‘Ouch, that hurts. I’m bleeding already.’ It got even worse.” She stopped speaking again.

  “Please, go on. You’re safe now.” I reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

  “That’s when I knew I was in trouble. The first guy said, ‘It’s not my fault you got shot, you idiot.’ Then one of them pushed the door open and looked around. I let the door push me back against the wall and held my breath. The hoop on my skirt made this scraping sound as I lifted it so it would go flat against the wall. I guess they didn’t hear it because the guy leaning on the door spoke up just then. It was a different voice from the other two. ‘It looks empty,’ was all he said, but that must have been enough to cover the noise I made. They were right to expect the place to be empty. Most days there's no one around down here at night between shifts. I stayed over to cover for a friend, and I only came down here once she showed up.”

  “From what you’re saying there were at least three guys in the hall, correct?” Jack inquired.

  “Yes, Detective. The first man spoke again telling them all to ‘Get a move on.’ I hoped that meant they were leaving. Then I found out that wasn’t going to happen right away because he asked, ‘Where are the character costumes, Damon?’ That’s the only name I got. They went into the men’s locker room at that point, but I still couldn’t move. I was too scared. It was quiet for a couple of minutes, and then they started arguing about something. That’s when I heard a gunshot and left the women’s locker room for the dressing room. I had my phone on me, hit the speed dial button to call Matthew, and told him what was going on. Then I practically dove into that rack of clothes. Matthew said I should stay put until help arrived. It’s a good thing he didn’t say run for it since by then it was too late for me to do that. Stupid, huh?”

  “No, not stupid at all. Smart and quick thinking. I’m also surprised you remember as much as you do about what happened given how terrifying that must have been. Did you hear what that argument was about?”

  “Only a few words. The guy who had said he was bleeding yelled something about ‘No hostages.’ I thought he meant me. That’s one reason I panicked. Another one mentioned something about getting into Catmmando Mountain, but I didn’t hear the rest of the conversation.”

  Jack, Ralph, and I looked at each other. When Julie mentioned hostages, I felt a chill run through me. The grim expression on the men’s faces told me they were concerned too. Jack brought the interview to a swift conclusion.

  “We’ll need to speak to you again, but you’ve had more than enough for one day. It’s time for you to go home. Thanks. You’ve been very helpful.”

  “Glad I could help.”

  “Shall I get Matthew to drive you home?” I asked. “It’s probably a good idea for you to have someone hang around with you once you get there.”

  “I have roommates, so I won’t be alone. They won’t believe this.”

  “You need to keep the story under wraps for a day or two, please.”

  “Sure, I understand. Matthew’s shift isn’t over until midnight.”

  “No problem,” Ralph said. He had been completely silent while Julie told her story. “Matthew.” he shouted. The young man must have been hovering outside. He bolted into the break room where we had been interviewing Julie and she ran to his side

  “You can take me home. Your boss said you could,” she told him.

  Matthew glanced at Ralph for permission

  “Yes, take her home, please. Good work, tonight. Both of you.”

  “Do you want me to come back? I’d like to help you get these guys,” Matthew said.

  Ralph didn’t respond.

  Perhaps I should have waited to speak, but I felt protective of the young couple. I didn’t want anything more to happen to either one of them.

  “I’m sure Jack and Ralph can use all the help they can get, but Julie could use your support more, don’t you think? She probably needs to talk, and that should be with someone already in the loop. We don’t want word to get out yet about what went on here, and we don’t want anyone to know we have a witness. Hopefully by the time you drop her off and make sure she’s settled in, this will all be wrapped up. I think you should stay with her.”

  Ralph rubbed his hands over his face. He looked miserable as he wrestled with
what had to be a new Security Chief’s worst nightmare. This had to be harder for him than for the PR Department, and I couldn’t imagine what Stacy must be going through. That “shots fired” message sent to my phone earlier surely would have gotten out to the public-at-large by now. And the incident wasn’t over.

  Earlier I had turned my phone off, not wanting a ringing phone to signal our arrival at Area 3 West. I turned it on and checked it now. Sure enough, I had received a press release confirming a break-in at a building in the Marvelous Marley World office complex, adding that security had interrupted the burglary and exchanged gunfire with intruders. The usual reassurance followed that police and security were investigating the incident, and there was no reason to believe the situation posed any immediate danger to members of the Marley World Family or the public.

  That wasn’t exactly accurate. I’m sure Stacy felt pressured into issuing that statement, but it might have been better for her to hold off a bit longer. Since we hadn’t updated her on events underground, there was no mention of a shooting in the tunnels. It would have been better for her to confer with Ralph before issuing such a reassuring statement.

  It wasn’t my place to second-guess her actions, but it was premature to assume there was no longer any danger. The report of shots fired in the tunnels hadn't gone out through formal channels yet, so there was nothing official for her to address. Issuing a statement before confirming that another shooting incident had occurred was a tactical decision, perhaps, and a deliberate way to avoid bringing it up.

  She might have been concerned about getting ahead of rumors and avoiding panic among Halloween revelers in a jam-packed Arcadia Park. Tonight of all nights, not just the park associates but many of the guests would be “in character.” Marley World creations roamed side-by-side with all the witches, ghosts, and goblins. My sense of urgency returned.

  “Let me walk you two out.” I used my best corporate hostess voice, but I was desperate to get the young couple out of there. I needed to hear what Ralph planned to do next. Thank goodness Jack was there. He’d have some ideas about the best strategy to avoid a dangerous confrontation in Arcadia Park, or whom to call if this turned into a hostage situation. As soon as Matthew and Julie were in a golf cart and on their way to the employee parking lot, I returned to the break area.

  “So now what?” I asked.

  6 Cat’s Cradle

  Ralph was bent over a map of the tunnel area spread out on the table in front of him. I peeked at lines he had drawn on the web of tunnels running underground. He designated two routes leading from our location to Catmmando Mountain. The lines reminded me of a string held between fingers in the Cat’s Cradle game we used to play as kids. An equally elaborate game was afoot for sure.

  “What’s the quickest route to Catmmando Mountain? What is it about that place? Is it haunted or something?” Jack asked. It did seem a little spooky. I shuddered as I recalled that awful Valentine’s Day scene.

  Before I could respond to Jack’s questions, Ralph said, “We have Crowd Control on their way to block off the area around Catmmando Mountain. Park guests won’t be happy to find the attraction shut down. Given that two well-armed lunatics used ‘hostages’ and ‘Catmmando Mountain’ in the same conversation, I don’t see that we have any other choice. Not that we know for certain that a) there are only two of them and b) their destination is the main attraction in the park. Why would they do that? You know, go to Catmmando Mountain rather than take the nearest exit to the parking lot? That doesn’t make sense because they must have had a vehicle parked somewhere to get away with the stolen art.”

  “I’ve been wondering about that too,” Jack said. “I'm sure whatever plan they had went up in smoke once that alert went out about gunfire at the Gallery. My department will look for a vehicle parked outside the administration building that they could have used to get away. Heading to the parking lot with Max’s artwork and memorabilia could have been a workable plan until they got caught in the act.”

  “Once they started shooting, that alert provoked an immediate response, not just from your shop, Ralph, but from authorities all over the area, right?” I asked.

  Jack and Ralph muttered agreement.

  “Even if they had a getaway car outside the Gallery,” I said, “the exits at street level would have been blocked in minutes. So nix the idea of escaping at street level. They must have gone to plan B—exit via the tunnels. Normally, the keycard Damon used to get out of the Gallery would have allowed them to exit from the associates’ parking lots—if they could get a car. You’ve got checkpoints in associate and guest parking lots tonight, right, Ralph?”

  “Yes,” Ralph agreed. “It’s standard protocol when we have an active shooter. Cover all exits and entrances throughout the park and the office complex until we have a handle on what’s going on. Our patrols would have been securing employee lots even before Matthew alerted us to Julie Kennedy’s situation here in 3 West. The park then became their only option."

  "According to Julie, that was the plan," Jack said.

  "We might be able to catch them before they get into the park,” Ralph offered. “The special teams we used to sweep the administrative building are in the tunnels now. I have them patrolling the two routes that lead to Catmmando Mountain from underground, looking for anyone on foot or using a golf cart.”

  “There are dozens of exits that associates use to come and go from the tunnels to the park,” I said. “Some open into backstage areas and others open directly into the park. You must have used them, Jack, during your investigation into Mallory’s murder.”

  “Yes, I used them. You don't post Security Associates at all those points, do you, Ralph?” Jack turned to the head of security.

  “No. I have guys watching the spots closest to Catmmando Mountain. The elevators go into lockdown mode, so you have to swipe a company keycard to enter or exit. But since they have one of those, they could use any elevator to get them into the park.” Ralph couldn’t hide his frustration as he uttered those last few words.

  Dread seeped into my voice. “Yes, and getting into the park is one way to dodge both security and the police. Especially after stopping along the way to slip into character outfits. That would help on any night, but the burglars will be even harder to spot tonight. If you showed up dressed as a Marvelous Marley World character you got in free, so there will be more characters than usual roaming the park.” I felt the hope that Ralph’s special teams might apprehend the thieves before they got into the park slipping away. “If I were being chased, I’d get into the park as fast as possible.”

  “These guys are pretty good on their feet, even though I doubt they’re pros. I don’t know much about transporting art, but the way they handled items taken from the Gallery you’d think they were stealing coloring books from a drugstore.”

  “I’m glad you said that, Jack. I felt uncomfortable about a little sidebar conversation I caught between Max and Clara. They were going at it about something. If this were insurance fraud or an inside job at that level in the corporation, they would have hired pros to steal the art.” I suddenly felt even more uncomfortable being so openly paranoid about Max in front of Ralph. “Sorry to suggest something like that about our fearless leader. I still haven’t fully recovered from discovering that former colleagues were running a conspiracy for months right under my nose. That ended badly for the boss’s daughter at Catmmando Mountain.”

  "That’s not news to me,” Ralph said. “Although nobody explained all that until after I accepted the position as Security Chief. I agree that they don’t seem like pros. Some of their ineptitude could be because we changed things up on them. Even if they had done their homework, surveillance of the Gallery ahead of time wouldn’t have helped tonight. We recently made the decision to add extra patrols for the All Hallows’ Eve Hullababooboo or whatever the heck it’s called. Partly in response to the murder at Catmmando Mountain, but also in the wake of the attack in San Bernardino.”

 
“Hullabaloo Boo. It’s the All Hallows’ Eve Hullabaloo Boo. Not that it matters at the moment.” I shut up, and Jack picked up the conversation with a comment that was more to the point.

  “I hear you, Ralph. These guys also strike me as a little too gun happy to be real pros. Sometimes amateurs are way more dangerous than the pros. None of this answers your question about ‘why Catmmando Mountain,' does it? Let’s say they get into the park in character, as you say around here. Why not leave through the guest exits as soon as possible?”

  “I suppose we could be dealing with something else entirely if we consider that disaster in the Gallery as a decoy. Getting into the park from underground lets them bring guns or explosives that wouldn’t get past the metal detectors installed at the entrance gates. Unless they ditch those along the way, they won’t get out through those gates, either. Or with a big haul of Gallery art, either.”

  “They went to a lot of trouble if the break-in was meant to be a decoy,” Jack said. “Why not just grab a couple of the big ticket items and get out of there if it was a sham? These guys had a long shopping list, even if they didn't come well-prepared to handle the goods. A botched theft by amateurs backed into a corner by their bumbling, plus surprises from your security team, works for me."

  "If they’re spooked because we're watching all the exits, the idea of leaving by the front gates might not be appealing either. Maybe they're looking for a place to hide out."

  A surge of excitement hit me. “Not a hideout. They’re looking for a back door out of here, guys, and Catmmando Mountain has one. Two of them, in fact. One that takes them to a street level exit, large enough for cars or trucks to come and go. That route’s used to get repair equipment and large parts into the inner workings of the Catmmando Conquest, the most complex APEX attraction in the park. There’s also a point at which they could access the public sewer system and escape that way, too.”