Cold Justice

by Rick Polad

“Can you tell me anything else about her?”

  “Likes strawberry ice cream.”

  “She ever go in the back room?”

  “Nope. Sometimes gets a table but usually sits at the counter.”

  “She ever talk to Mike?”

  “Never. Just ice cream.”

  “She ever ask about me?”

  The fidgeting ramped back up. He’d be a terrible poker player.

  “No. I… Why would she ask about you?”

  Since she had stopped at the office, she had somehow found out my name and that I was an investigator. Someone had told her. I watched him fidget for another minute.

  “This is how it is, Jimmy. My job is to find out who framed Joey. You’re telling me you can’t help me with that. Right?”

  He nodded vigorously. “Right.” He looked relieved.

  “But here’s the problem I’ve got. If someone lies about one thing I have to wonder if they’re lying about another.” He didn’t look so relieved anymore. “Do you follow me?”

  “No… no, I don’t. I’m not lyin’ about nothin’.”

  “Well, from where I’m sittin’ you have to be.” I watched him fidget some more. “Would you like me to explain?”

  He nodded, hesitantly.

  “Jamie stopped by my office. So she had to get my name from somebody. And you said she never talked to Mike or went into the office?”

  Another hesitant nod. He was still perplexed. He knew he was trapped. He just didn’t know how or why.

  “So, if the only person she talked to was you, you must have been the one who gave her my name.”

  He was trying to think, staring at his shoes.

  “And if you’re lying about that maybe you’re lying about Joey too. I’ll have to tell him you’re holding back something. How do you think he’d like that?”

  “Please, mister. I’m not lying. I just…” He thought for a few seconds. “Just that she made me promise.”

  “Okay, I appreciate a promise. But some things are more serious than a promise. How did she get my name?”

  “She gave me a big tip and said there was a guy who had come in here a few times and gone into the back room. She described you and said she was interested. Thought you were good looking.”

  He looked up at me, and I nodded for him to continue.

  “Wanted to know your name. I didn’t see any harm. Names aren’t secret.”

  I agreed but found that ironic seeing as how we were talking about someone with more than one. “How much was my name worth?”

  “A ten spot.”

  I was disappointed. I was worth more than that.

  “And how did you know my name, Jimmy?”

  “Marty told us you’d be in to ask questions.”

  “Okay, that makes sense.”

  He was wringing his hands. “You aren’t going to tell the boss, are you?”

  I handed him a card. “No, but if you see anything or think of anything give me a call.”

  “Okay, mister.” He got out fast, and Marty closed the door and sat behind the desk.

  “You solve the case, Manning?”

  “Yeah, the butler did it.” He didn’t appreciate my humor. “Can you get Danny here?”

  “The driver?”

  “You got another Danny?”

  “No and no. He comes back at five to drive everybody home.”

  “What does he do in the meantime?”

  “Errands and who knows what else.”

  “Don’t you wonder about an employee who disappears all day?”

  “He’s never given us anything to wonder about. He just drives the car.”

  “You’ve never wondered who he’s seeing in his spare time?”

  “He gives me something to wonder about it will be taken care of.”

  “You know Jack Eigen?”

  “I know of him.”

  “So does Danny.”

  Marty didn’t react. I wondered if that was enough to make him wonder.

  “I’d like to talk to him. When can you arrange that?”

  “Be here at five. If he’s still working for us you can talk to him.”

  “I can talk to him either way.”

  “If he’s talking, you can.”

  I left without following up on that. It was 11:40. Just in time for lunch.

  Chapter 13

  I walked to my car and called the office. There were two calls, one from Ben and one from Mooneen at city hall. Ben had information and was going to be late to lunch. I told Carol I’d be back in a couple of hours.

  I entered the restaurant through the side door off the parking lot. Mr. Chin said hello and said everyone was in the party room in the back. Everyone was there but Ralph, who was tailing Danny, and Ben who would be late. Helene would watch the parlor until Chester finished eating, and then they would switch. I had filled Mr. Chin in on our need for privacy. After the food was served we didn’t want to be interrupted. If we needed something we’d ask. After giving him two fifties, he had no problem with that. A waiter took drink orders and explained the buffet. They would bring refills if needed. That wouldn’t be needed—there was enough food there for lunch and dinner. I had eaten there when I first approached Mr. Chin. The food was excellent. We talked while we ate.

  I filled them in on the interviews. Everyone agreed that Marty would take Joey’s position if for whatever reason Joey wasn’t in the picture. They also agreed that he probably wouldn’t be the guy to make that happen, but the ‘probably’ left the door open. Whoever was doing this didn’t care if they ended up dead. And none of us could think of why anyone would think that way.

  We all had full plates from the buffet. I was working on my egg drop soup.

  “Chester, why don’t you go first so you can relieve Helene.”

  He pulled out his notebook.

  “My surveillance was from five to midnight. There was only one incident. Last night, just a few minutes after I got there, the front door opened, and Mike walked out. He stood on the porch for a minute and lit his cigar. He walked to the corner and then turned west a coupla blocks to a house at 342 Belden. He looked up at the house for twenty seconds or so and then put his cigar out in the snow and left it there. He walked up to the door and knocked. The door was opened by a woman who looked late twenties, thin, about five foot eight, long brown hair. He reached into his overcoat, pulled out an envelope, white business sized, and handed it to her. She took it and let him in. He was there for an hour and ten minutes when he walked out and back to Joey’s. He lit another cigar on the walk back and put it out on a porch post. That one he kept in his mouth. He entered the house at 10:32. There’s a garage behind the Belden house off the alley with a dark green Oldsmobile Delta 88, four-door sedan in it.”

  “Do you have any idea what was in the envelope, Chester?” I asked.

  “I do not,” he answered in the same matter-of-fact tone of his report. “Do you want to cover the woman?”

  “Not at the moment. Mike is the one we’re interested in. But I’ll run the address and see who owns it.”

  Paul sat down with a second plateful. “A man walks to a house in the dark, hands an envelope to a woman, and goes in. Hard not to figure there’s money in the envelope. And not hard to figure what for.”

  “Agreed,” I said. “But not a fact. Morrie, what… hang on. Chester, did anyone else show up at that house while you were there?”

  “No, just Mike.”

  “Okay. From now on, when the boys are buttoned up in the mansion, switch to the house on Belden. I’d like to know if anyone else is visiting. And if Mike comes back, you’ll see him. Go ahead, Morrie.”

  Morrie reported that Jimmy Smith was out four times over the weekend, two to local stores and two social events. He had met people for dinner Saturday night and lunch on Sunday at a neighborhood diner. He had photos of the people he had met Saturday night if I needed them. Sunday lunch was the interesting part. It was with Marty. And Jimmy had said he just ran the coun
ter and knew nothing about anything else.

  “Given that last tidbit, why don’t you go next, Paul.”

  Paul never needed a notebook. It was all in his head. He ate while he talked.

  “I have Marty. He only went out twice over the weekend, but who’d want to go out in this icebox? Saturday afternoon he drove to the Bear Arms gun range in Franklin Park. He took a black satchel out of the trunk and was inside for an hour and ten minutes. He went straight home and stayed in until the lunch on Sunday with Jimmy.”

  Chester took a plate of dessert out of the room and switched places with Helene. As soon as she filled her plate and sat down, she reported that the black Lincoln had just pulled up, and Joey got out. He was back in his lair.

  Rebecca had nothing to report on Moose. Ralph had reported by phone that he had a journal of Danny’s movements, but since the Eigen meeting there was nothing out of the ordinary. I set up the next meeting for Wednesday at noon.

  Ben arrived when we were about done eating. He filled a plate and ate while the others left. I filled him in on the meeting.

  “So, what did you learn?” he asked.

  “I learned what I already knew. Everyone has something to hide.”

  “But there certainly are some interesting parts.”

  “Yup, I’d love to know what was said at the Jimmy-Marty lunch. And what was Moose doing out at night handing out envelopes? Paul thinks there’s only one answer to why a man would hand a lady an envelope.”

  “Maybe he supports the neighborhood food drive,” Ben said.

  “Maybe, and maybe Paul’s assumption is wrong. Maybe she was hired, but not for that.”

  “Like maybe she has ordnance in her closet?”

  “Like maybe that. No saying women can’t handle guns. But why would he go in and spend an hour if he was just paying for services rendered?”

  “Lots of whys, Spencer.”

  “And then there’s the gun range. Why does the books guy need a gun?”

  “Well, he isn’t exactly in the ice cream business.”

  “Nope.”

  “You know, I haven’t shot in a while. I could use some range time,” Ben said.

  “I was thinking the same thing. You wanna join me tomorrow?”

  “Love to.”

  As he finished his chicken and green beans, he handed me an envelope. I opened it. Inside was a blank piece of paper.

  “I’ll bite. What’s this?”

  “That’s the detailed report on Loretta Hands.”

  “It’s blank.”

  “Right. My source is the deepest you’ll find. He’ll tell you when someone sneezed. There’s nothing besides what you already have. You want me to tail her?”

  “Not yet. Let’s see how she plays out. I might stop back at McGoon’s. And if we do tail her, it can’t be you—she’s met you.”

  We arranged for him to pick me up at the office at ten in the morning, and I settled up with Mr. Chin. Helene had resumed her seat by the window. I stopped and made sure she was comfortable. She was, and not only comfortable, but by the look on her face she was enjoying it.

  ***

  Carol was always glad to see me. It had to be lonely by herself in the office. But Billy would be there at three. I told her just to go home when he got there. She handed me two messages, one from Mooneen and one from Joey, who was requesting my presence. I sat and filled her in on the highpoints of the meeting.

  I pulled out my notebook and gave her the address on Belden and asked her to run down the owner.

  “Did you talk to Ben?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” I told her about Loretta.

  “Well, that’s certainly odd.”

  “Certainly is. But as I learned at lunch, everyone has something to hide. Doesn’t make them a criminal.”

  “Don’t you want to know what she’s hiding?”

  “Curiosity killed the cat, and I don’t have nine lives. I also don’t have time unless it ties into Joey, and liking strawberry ice cream isn’t a crime.”

  “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  I gave her my best smile. “Yes, I’d like to know.”

  She tilted her head and looked at me sideways with a coy look. “And do you want to see her again?”

  “Sure. But only to find out what’s going on.”

  “Right. I’ll remind you of that.”

  “I’m sure you will,” I said as I walked to my office and called Mooneen.

  “Hello, Spencer. I found something about our nasty woman. She had another working dog before this one.”

  “Any more information?”

  “No. Same general stuff, but listen to this.” She paused. I listened. “The dog died. Doesn’t say how, but she was only four years old.”

  I didn’t answer.

  “You there, Spencer?”

  “Yes, interesting.”

  “Also interesting is the lack of information. If a dog dies there’s usually an investigation. These dogs are valuable.”

  “Gets more interesting all the time. Is there a signature on that application?”

  “It’s the same scrawl as on the other one. Can you do anything? There’s something wrong here. I’d love to get this woman.”

  “Me too. I’ll look into it. What was the address on the first form?”

  “Same as now. If I can do anything let me know.”

  “You already have. Thanks, Mooneen.”

  “I mean anything else. I’d love to be a detective.”

  “It sounds better than it is. Sitting in a car all night in the cold doesn’t make the papers.”

  “Well, you keep it in mind, and let me know what happens.”

  “I’ll do that. Thanks again.”

  I told Carol about the dog lady.

  She was disgusted. “Billy asks every day. I’m not going to tell him that.”

  “I agree. Just tell him I’m still working on it.”

  “Okay. You want me to get Mr. Mineo on the phone?”

  I sighed. The last thing I needed at the moment was Mr. Mineo. “No, he can wait. Call and tell him I’ll stop and see him sometime tomorrow.”

  “Sure.”

  I had found Carol by serendipity. I was glad I had.

  ***

  Stosh wasn’t in his office. I ran into Reynolds in the hall and asked if he had seen him.

  “On his way down the hall with a newspaper under his arm. How urgent is it?”

  “Not that urgent. I’ll wait.”

  I chatted with Kate for a minute and closed my eyes in one of Stosh’s chairs. I was still catching up from being up all night. I woke up to voices forty minutes later, stretched, and asked Stosh why he didn’t wake me up.

  “Best to let sleeping dogs lie.”

  “Nice, I—”

  He held up his hand. “I’ve got a busy afternoon. The shot came from directly across the street. The occupant of the third-floor apartment works a second shift on the weekends and is always gone at that time.”

  “So, somebody did their homework.”

  “We found no signs of forced entry or any evidence that anyone besides the occupant had been there. The bullet was from a rifle. Two shots. The second shot was a waste of a good bullet.”

  “A pro.”

  “Looks like it.”

  “We’re keeping the rifle to ourselves. I don’t want it going any further than your ears.” When I didn’t respond, he said, “Got it?”

  “Yup. You have any doubts that Joey was set up?”

  “Why would I not consider that the mob ordered a hit on someone?”

  I started to reply and he waved me off.

  “I know… this is the new mob. They’re all fancy suits and lawyers. But if talking nice isn’t working, there’s always the old way.”

  I sighed. “I know. If Joey set this up, what better way than to frame himself and make it look overwhelmingly like he did it.” I stared past him at the picture of Dad in dress uniform on the wall behind Stosh’s chair. He had t
aught me you had to think the way the criminal thought, and sometimes that wasn’t all that easy.

  “How about the phone calls?”

  “The first was to a number that has been disconnected. The second was to the apartment across the street.”

  I took a deep breath and blew it out slowly. “Well that answers a few questions. Whoever pulled the trigger set up Glunner.”

  “It poses more questions than it answers,” he said. He asked if I was getting anywhere and I told him about what my team had seen.

  “That’s what makes this job so fun,” he said. “Everybody’s guilty of something. I hear Joey’s out.”

  “Yup. He’ll be sleeping in his own pajamas tonight.”

  “That warms my heart.”

  Kate leaned in the doorway and said, “Lieutenant, you have a meeting in ten minutes with the captain.”

  “Thanks, Kate.”

  “Just one more thing, Stosh.”

  “It’s never just one more thing, kid.”

  “Well, for today.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “I’d like to see the warehouse. Mind if I poke around?”

  He stood. “I don’t think my saying yes or no would matter. So, to keep you legal, go with Rosie… during the day while she’s working.”

  I frowned. “But that’ll mean she’ll have—”

  “Suck it up.” He slapped my shoulder as he walked past me.

  “Oh—one more thing.”

  “Maybe you didn’t notice me walking away.” But he stopped.

  “I’d like to read Glunner’s statement of what he saw at the warehouse.”

  He asked Kate to pull it out and refile it when I was done. She handed me the file, and I sat in the wooden chair in the corner opposite her desk. Martin Glunner had been a very observant fellow.

  ***

  I got back to the parlor at a quarter to five and parked in the restaurant lot where I could see the front of the parlor. Joey’s Lincoln pulled up five minutes later and parked in Joey’s spot next to his hydrant. Ralph pulled into the lot, parked next to me, and got into the Mustang. He tossed his brown cap on the dash, and I filled him in on my chat with Marty. His money was on the kid being fired. A minute after Danny parked, Moose came out and invited him inside. I was glad I didn’t bet. Twenty minutes later they all came out and piled into the Lincoln. Danny was still driving.