Murder.com

by David Deutsch

  "Murder. And I've done business with the man. I can't believe it," another added.

  After an hour of listening to the shared shock of the guests, the majority of them began making their way out of The Club. Despite Ken's earlier statement imploring everyone to remain and enjoy the party, it had become evident that this party was over. Ken became aware of the exodus, so he moved himself toward the entrance, trying to entice the partygoers to stay.

  "Stay. Enjoy some drinks," I overheard him saying. "There's no need to leave so soon. Please."

  Despite his pleas, the guests continued to walk through the door. Ginny and I had decided that we too would exit and make our way over to the police station so that we could find out what had actually happened. We followed the crowd and bumped into Ken as we were exiting.

  "Max, you're leaving too? And bringing this lovely lady with you?"

  "I think it's time to head out, Ken. It was a lovely party." That was the understatement of the year.

  "I wouldn't say lovely. Before you both head out, would you mind if I grab you for a moment?"

  What did he want?

  "Sure."

  He motioned toward the large doors. "Can we talk in my office?"

  What's wrong with right here?

  Ken escorted Ginny and I through the open doors, past the now dejected Santa, through the reception area, and into his office.

  Ken's office was almost a replica of Mike's. It was stately, stuffy, and dark. When we entered, Kitty was standing in one of the corners, looking at one of her nails. She noticed that Imogen and I had arrived.

  "Well, hello, Dutch," Kitty said coldly. "And Miss Whitehall, so nice to see you as well."

  "Why don't you two have a seat," Ken forcefully suggested, ushering us into a couch that formed a sitting area off to the side of his desk. Ginny and I sat together.

  Kitty made her way over to the door while Ken spoke. "Can you believe what just happened out there? What a travesty of justice. To just walk into a man's place of business and accuse him of murder. I've never…"

  "It's shocking," I said.

  "And how the police just barged into the party and arrested him in front of all of those people," Imogen added.

  "I believe you had a hand in helping us catch this killer," Ken said. "Over the past few weeks Mike had been hinting that you thought that he killed Ted. He thought it was why you contacted us about POP. To, well, keep an eye on him."

  "I'm glad the police got him. I did think that Mike did it. It certainly looked that way. Especially with Kitty's help. She pointed us in the right direction. That email was great, Kitty," I said, trying to appeal to her sense of pride.

  "I'm glad that it helped, Dutch."

  "You said Mike was innocent out there," I said.

  "Well, what was I supposed to say?" Ken said. "We have a killer in the company? That would be bad for business."

  "So, you're not planning on helping him?"

  "Max, there's no way to help him. The man killed his business partner. He's going to prison for a very long time."

  "But—"

  "Anyway, that's not why I asked you to join me. I wanted to personally thank you for your help."

  I just listened then asked, "So, why is Kitty here?"

  "Oh, Mrs. Baxter, well, she wanted to thank you too."

  "Yes, thank you Max," Kitty said coolly. "You've been a great help."

  This was a sham. I had seen Ken and Kitty pull out of the offices of BMC together in Kitty's car. I decided that I needed to speak. "So, Mike killed Ted. Why?"

  "Oh, Dutch," Kitty said, giggling. "You do make me laugh. Isn't it time that we end this charade?"

  "Kitty, I don't know what you're talking about."

  "I think you do, Max." Ken pulled out a gun and pointed it at Ginny and I.

  "Surprised?" he asked.

  "It was you," I said, playing dumb. "You're the one killed Ted."

  He ignored my comment.

  "You shouldn't be surprised, Max. I saw you the other day when you were following us. We both did, and I know that you saw me." Ken was getting angry. "And then you put two and two together, didn't you? You should have just followed your leads, Max, instead of following us. After all, Mike was your man. But you couldn't do that, could you? You had to go ahead and keep snooping around."

  "Things weren't adding up," I said. "Like you investing a hundred million in POP."

  Ken laughed. "I had to keep an eye on you, my dear boy. Make sure you were taking the bait that we threw your way. Money is always a good insurance policy to keep people around. Email helps too."

  "So, you're Delator?"

  "Boy, you really are slow on the uptake, Max. We're actually both Delator. It means informer in Latin. You like that touch? Sometimes it was me sending the emails. Sometimes Kitty over there sent them. I figured you had that one figured out from the get-go. Well, now that you have the whole story, I'm going to give you the ending. Here is where the story takes a tragic turn. Two more people are going to have to die."

  "So you set Mike up to take the fall?" I was grasping for anything to keep this conversation going.

  "Really, Max, are you always this slow? How on earth do you run these companies? I'm really beginning to regret that POP investment," Ken said. "If we didn't set up Mike, how else were we going to get Kitty her money? You must know it's all tied up."

  "I do, but what the hell do you want Ted's money for, Kitty? I mean, you and Ken must be…" I was still stalling for time. "So you and Ken are a couple?"

  Kitty laughed. "We've been together for years. I couldn't stand Ted. I've been asking for a divorce since I married him, but he never would. Said it would cost him too much. All that bastard ever cared about was money." She stopped for a minute and thought. "Funny, you never heard anything about that at the country club. I figured it was common knowledge."

  "But if you and Ken were a couple, what did you need the money for?"

  "You can always use more money, Max. See, that's the part you never could understand. You can never have too much money," Kitty enlightened us.

  Rich people always want more.

  "So you decided that the easiest way to be together was to kill Ted? Didn't you realize that would ruin both your lives?" I asked.

  "Ruin my life? Are you kidding? I put a bullet through his head. It was simple. One shot and he was gone. If anything, getting Ted out of the picture made my life easier. Ted was a pain in the ass. Screwing up the SCV deal and then refusing to divorce Kitty."

  "Did he know you two were together?"

  "Yes, he knew. It was an open secret. But he still wouldn't divorce her. He was out to make her life miserable. Killing him really was the only way to, well, make things right. And you think that ruined my life? Thanks to you, the police have Ted's killer in custody and Kitty has a resolution to the whole estate issue. Problem solved on all fronts."

  My eyes darted frantically around the office for something that I could use to attack Ken. I could take him. He was an older guy, albeit in good shape and about six inches taller than me, but with the right weapon I would be able to disarm him. In the meantime, I would continue to keep him talking. He was now lounging a bit on the front of his desk, leisurely holding the gun in front of us, almost begging for us to try to make a move.

  I had to keep him talking. Maybe even appeal to his vanity. "And you killed Seth Cohen too?"

  Ken looked at me, his body taut with anger, clenching the gun.

  "You shouldn't be talking about things you know nothing about," Ken said sternly. As if I were his student.

  "I know all about it," I said. "That you stole his patent. That he knew something about you that could sink you. That you needed him out of the way so that you could own everything free and clear. His company. His patent. His invention."

  Ken couldn't control himself. He walked over to me and backhanded me across my face. It stung. First my head jolted to the side, and then the pain set in. He might have broken my cheekbone. That
fat Harvard school ring did some damage when it hit the bone.

  "You don't know anything," Ken said, bits of saliva flying out of his mouth into my face as he bent down to yell at me. "That patent is mine. That invention is mine. Seth was an inconvenience that had to be dealt with. He was another one who couldn't leave well enough alone. He was paid for his work. He had more money than he could spend."

  I was still reeling from the hit. My head throbbed, my cheek swelled, and my pride was bruised. I focused and managed to say, "But you want the fame. You want to be the man who started a revolution. The man who killed the cell phone. The man who changed the way human beings communicate." My words came out the way one would expect someone with a broken jaw to talk. Slow and drawn out, but slightly more articulate.

  Ken spat in my face. "You smug little bastard."

  "And when did you figure that one out?" Kitty asked me.

  "It all came together tonight. I knew someone killed him, but tonight I knew it had to be Ken. But what I don't understand is why you wanted my help, Kitty? Why me?"

  Kitty smirked, then smiled, then started laughing, as laughing has quickly become the norm in this moment. "Oh, Dutch. You were part of the plan all along. You've always been a sap. I knew if I told the police about our past and made you out to be the jealous lover, they'd consider you a suspect. They had to. It was all they had to go on at the time. And if they pinned your back against the wall, you'd have no choice but to help us set up Mike. Mike was the fall guy all along; you were just the one who was going to help him take the fall. That's why I came to you and told you that the police suspected you were the killer. I needed a willing sap. So I came knocking, and you took the bait. Even after I dumped you all those years ago for Ted. You're such a sucker. You can't help it. That's your nature. But I also knew you were smart. I just didn't count on you being this smart." Kitty walked over to Ken so that she was facing me then continued her backhanded compliments. "You took every morsel I, we, threw your way, and followed up on it. Then turned over your information to the police. Mike was a goner, but then you had to go ahead and discover that Ken and I were behind it all. Too smart for your own good. Underestimating you was my one mistake."

  "Always has been," I said.

  "Oh, shut up," Kitty snapped.

  "Don't worry, my Kitty Kat, we're going to remedy this problem for good shortly."

  "You know what's funny," Imogen said, laughing. "I actually thought you and Mike were an item. I really did. His wife as much as told me that you two were having an affair."

  Ken gave Kitty a look and then said, "That's preposterous."

  "No, it's true," I said, latching onto Imogen's ploy. "Kate told Imogen in the bathroom at Gramercy Tavern that Mike and Kitty were having an affair. She saw them a few times. Once at a restaurant and then checking into a hotel when he was supposedly working late." The longer we could postpone Ken pulling the trigger, the better.

  I noticed a golf club leaning against one of Ken's bookshelves. I could jump up off the couch, lunge at Ken's hand to deflect any shot that he may have, grab the club, and swing it at his head. I wasn't worried about Kitty. What was she going to do, anyway?

  Ken looked at Kitty, disgusted. Had we started a lover's quarrel?

  "Ken, this is ridiculous. I've never been with Mike."

  "She's lying, Ken," I said.

  "Shut up, Max," he said. Then glared at Kitty. "I always thought you had a thing for him. What, have you slept with everyone at this office?"

  "You're listening to these two?" Kitty asked. "Let's shoot them already and move on."

  "Ken, you don't want to kill us. You're not a murderer, you're a banker. Let's just pretend that Imogen and I don't know anything and go our separate ways. I never really cared about Ted anyway. I'm glad he's dead," I said, lying, hoping to get him talking again. I didn't like where Kitty was taking this conversation.

  "Oh, but I do need to kill you, Max, and your girlfriend over there too. You know I killed Ted. You know I'm the man who killed Seth. You know I was the man who sent those anonymous emails to you. You know way too much to live. Granted, it's an unfortunate turn of events. Even for a sap like you. Kitty, tie them up."

  Ken handed a couple of plastic restraints to Kitty. "Finally." She walked over to Imogen first and told her to place her hands behind her back. Imogen defiantly ignored her. "I said put your hands behind your back." Kitty grabbed one of Ginny's arms and started pulling it behind her back while Ken pointed the gun at Imogen.

  "Get your hands off me, bitch," Imogen shouted, pulling her hand away from Kitty.

  "She asked you to put your hands behind your back nicely," Ken said. "Do it. If you don't, I'm going to blow your pretty little head off right now."

  "Imogen, just do what she says."

  "Listen to your boyfriend," Ken said.

  Kitty turned to me as she was binding Imogen's hands behind her back. "You should have married her while you had the chance."

  "You'll be happy to hear that I was just about to propose," I replied.

  "You were, Max?" Imogen said, shocked, as her hands were being clipped together.

  "I was, Ginny. I even bought the ring."

  "You did!" Imogen started to cry. "My God, Max, I'm shocked!"

  "It's been in my underwear drawer for the last few days."

  "Terrible hiding place, Max," Imogen said.

  "You didn't find it," I said.

  "Underwear drawer? Really, Max? You could have done better than that," Kitty added.

  "How were you going to propose?" Imogen asked.

  "Well, we were going to fly to Whistler and ski for a few—"

  "Enough!" Ken shouted. "I don't want to hear this. Let's get them tied up so we can get out of here."

  "I want to hear it, Ken. Go on, Dutch."

  Kitty always loved a good story.

  "As I was saying, we were going to ski, and then on the last night I was going to propose over dinner."

  "Aww, how romantic." Kitty sighed. "Ted never did anything like that for me. He proposed in our house over coffee. Then he went into the office."

  "That's sad," Imogen said.

  "Yeah, well, that's the price you pay for millions."

  "It didn't have to be that way," Imogen said.

  It was now or never. Kitty would be handcuffing me in a moment. If I was going to make a move, I had to act.

  "I'm afraid it did, Miss Whitehall—Ted had everything that I wanted, and now it's all mine. It just took a little longer to get it than I had planned."

  "Kitty, can we get on with it?" Ken said, motioning with his gun for Kitty to handcuff me.

  As she approached me, I started to get up, and then the office door flew open, and in stormed the man with the beard.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  "Drop your weapon! Drop your weapon!" the man with the beard screamed while accompanied by three additional men dressed in suits. "Police! Drop your weapon or we will shoot!"

  Everything after that happened quickly. Ken fired a shot at one of the men, and then the man with the beard fired a shot into Ken's arm, at which point Ken's gun fell, and in an instant he was surrounded by three of the men as another man apprehended Kitty. Ken's bullet went directly into the wall. He wasn't much of a shot.

  The bearded man threw Ken onto the ground and had him restrained in seconds.

  "You shot me! You shot me! My arm!" Ken was screaming in pain, to which the bearded man suggested that he shut up or he was going to put another bullet into him.

  Kitty was facedown on the floor with the policeman's knee in her back. "You're going to be sorry," she yelled. "Don't you know who I am, you filthy pig?"

  "If you don't shut up I'm going to hog-tie you. That'll give you something to squeal about," answered the cop, holding up a pair of striped cuffs that he'd pulled out of his pocket. He turned to Imogen and I. "It's an old good luck charm. They'll fit great on her ankles."

  Kitty stopped talking.

  The men lifted Ken
and Kitty up off the floor, and the bearded man made his way over to Imogen and myself. One of the other police officers began reading Ken and Kitty their Miranda rights.

  "You're behind this, aren't you, Max?" Kitty asked.

  "Quid pro quo, Kitty."

  "Screw you, Max."

  "A favor for a favor. I'm a quick learner too."

  "I should have killed you when I had the chance," Ken said, grimacing in pain.

  "You should have stuck to investing in companies. Murder doesn't suit you."

  The bearded man walked over to me.

  "Mr. Slade, allow me to introduce myself. Detective Tim Connolly, NYPD. It's nice to finally meet you." He extended his hand.

  I shook it. "Detective, I can't tell you how happy I am to see you, but what took you so long?" I said.

  "We were listening outside the door. We have his office bugged. I wanted to make sure he spilled his guts before we broke up the party. I hope you weren't scared."

  "Scared? No, I enjoy getting bitch-slapped while being held at gunpoint by deranged psychopaths."

  The detective started to laugh.

  "I was scared!" Imogen admitted.

  "I'm sorry, Miss Whitehall. I wasn't going to let anything happen to you."

  "I wish someone would have told me. Max!"

  Then he turned to me. "Sorry about the face, Max."

  "At least I've got a story to go along with this cracked cheek," I said.

  "Drama. Max, it's just a bruise," Imogen pointed out.

  "Well, it's always rewarding when things go as planned," the detective added.

  Imogen was confused. "What? Plan? What are you—"

  "Miss Whitehall, it's a pleasure to meet you, finally, as well. I've been watching you for some time."

  "Max, you knew about this?"

  I turned to Imogen with a guilty look on my face. "Not the whole time, my dear."

  Detective Connolly continued, "When you both moved into your brownstone, Detective Carrington got in touch and I kept an eye on you two in the city. He's an old college buddy of mine. Wanted to make sure you two were safe. Max, over here, caught me once, tailing him."