The valet’s arrived and set up their stall in front of the restaurant. They were dressed in black shirts and slacks with white belts and a white owl insignia on the pocket of their shirts. They had black masks covering half of their faces.
There was no chatter between them but they lit up cigarettes as they waited for the guests to arrive.
Wilson was getting worried about leaving so when their replacements came he told the officer to ride back with Burns and he would stay.
“Wilson what are you trying to pull? You want me to look bad?”
“No Burns I want to stay because I am curious. Something is going down and it isn’t just the food and drinks. Can’t you feel it?”
“The only thing I feel is my weary ass. Here come the boys, okay you,” Burns pointed to the driver, “you drive me back to the station so I can pick up my car and you stake out with Wilson. See you tomorrow.” They drove away as silently as the car had arrived.
Wilson watched the car drive away then turned to his new addition, a beat cop, indicating the restaurant and told him to watch carefully, plus get as many license plate numbers as possible when the cars start arriving.
The lights on the path from the valet station to the front door went on at that moment. Wilson checked his watch, close to five o’clock, the exclusive invitations for this private party stated it would begin at six.
Wilson’s trusty binoculars found out that information by studying the placard by the front desk where the Keeper of the Keys was still standing. Besides the placard there also was a large black leather bag close to his feet. He side- stepped it to give last minute instructions to the staff. They gathered around the White Owl as the Keeper of the Keys explained that they were about to get the cash bonus they deserved for being loyal and devout members of the congregation.
Wilson and the officer stared at each other as a cheer went up in the restaurant and there was much back slapping and clapping. They watched as everyone on the staff put on their peaked hats and went about their chores and waited at their stations because the first guests were entering the front door showing the black robed guards their invitations and South Sea Pearl medallion
The white robed men in their white peaked hats and robes entered the restaurant. Their invitations had their table number written in clear black script so it was easy to show them to their seats as they entered. The Keeper of the Keys finally left his post nodded to the White Owl and made his way to his well designed office. No one noticed as one of the white robed figures followed him into his office, closed the door behind them and shook hands and unmasked.
“Carter this is quite an operation I am proud to be a part of it.”
“You are an integral part of it Burnsey and to prove it here is your cut from the latest operations, One hundred Thousand dollars in cold cash.” Carter handed Burns a bag full of cash and then moved the black case closer to him. “In this case are ten thousand dollar packets to be distributed tonight to the congregation, by you.”
“By me, why not you? You are the Keeper of the Keys.”
“Yes but you are Second in Command and my right arm. I will merge with the members because I am dating Priscilla Smith and I want her to be apart of tonight, but I don’t want her to know my role in the organization so I cannot preside, I have to leave that honor to you this evening.” Carter started to remove his embroidered robe that identified him as the Keeper of the Keys to the membership and passed it to Burns.
“It would be my honor, I live to serve the White Owl and you, sir. You have introduced me to a life that stirred my visceral sense of evil. The other side of the coin, love and hate, evil and good. All the conflicting opposites in human beings. Dr. Jekle and Mr. Hide are a part of all our psyche, more than the money I thank you for the opportunity to explore mine.”
“You are my prize student now take off your robe and exchange it for mine. It is getting late and Priscilla will be out front any minute, lets move.”
“You are the boss.” Burnsey followed Carter into the restaurant and waved to the seated members and gave the high sign to the black robed waiters to start serving the dinner.
Burns lost track of Carter and never did see Priscilla but he was having so much fun feeling the power of the occasion and his new role as leader, he never gave It a second thought.
“The sense of power I feel, never having to answer to anyone and presiding over life or death. I feel god like. My wish is to keep control, maybe not an impossible wish. No one knows the face behind the mask, it easily could be me. One dark night and one bullet, it is something to be studied.’ He smiled and waved to the congregation.
The bowls of thick Vegetable soup were whisked away and the leafy green lettuce salad was served with crusty black bread and creamy butter. The wine was chilled and flowed non-stop into the silver Chalice’s at each place setting and as the congregation drank more and more of the delicious wine conversation rose to a fever pitch. The faux Keeper of the Keys stood up and a gong was sounded above the din. Silence followed and the Keeper spoke.
“Gentlemen, this is the new headquarters of the White Owl. We will be meeting here once a month as usual and our next operation will be Don Gaudio’s wedding party for Sal and Kendra which can go one of two ways either a payoff of one million dollars, now quiet, stop cheering till I FINISH, or a large bomb blowing up the whole building and us getting zero. No booing now, like all our murder operations timing and opportunity are key. Suffice to say your Board of Governor’s and the White Owl are working to arrive at the best results for our club.” Burns turned and indicated the black satchel that had been put on a table with two black robed figures standing guard. “Now that everyone is seated and quiet we will go table to table and give you the bonus that you have earned over the year we have been together, will table one start?”
As the members were handed a packet of money one by one and table by table the cash was distributed till gone. The volume in the room became a roar as they realized the amount of money each packet contained so it took quite a while for them to realize the place was being raided. The police were all over the room, bar and office. The police removed all the masks from the participants. Wilson went into total shock when he recognized Burns behind the mask of the White Owl, Keeper of the Keys.
Wilson held on to his arm so he would not get away and asked sarcastically. “I thought you had errands to do for your old lady, is she here then?”
“Don’t be stupid Wilson, let me go and you will be rewarded beyond your wildest dreams.” Burns tried to jerk his arm out of Wilson’s grasp, but Wilson held on tight.
“Believe me Burns you are in so much trouble there is nothing you could give me that would match the satisfaction of watching you burn. Move out.” Wilson pushed Burns toward the squad car, “Your car awaits.”
Jake and Murphy were outside next to the policeman taking names and pictures of the congregation as they passed in front of them.
When Wilson came out pushing a hand cuffed Burnsey toward the car, Jake stopped them, “What’s going on here Wilson?” Jake asked looking from one to the other.
“Chief may I present the White Owl Keeper of the Keys.” Wilson announced proudly.
“No way, that is impossible, take him to my office and stay with him. I have many questions for this man.” Jake turned his back on the traitor so he missed the punch Murphy threw to deck Burns.
“Back away Murph this man obviously slipped and fell on the wet pavement.
Get him out of here, out of my sight for now.”
Wilson lifted and half carried the injured man and dumped him into the waiting squad car and headed for headquarters lights blazing and sirens roaring. He silently congratulated Murphy for throwing the sucker punch something he was itching to do personally.
Murphy stood there at the curb rubbing his knuckles, they showed traces of teeth marks, there was also blood, Murphy’s b
lood, where Burns’s teeth broke the skin on his right hand.
“Here Murphy wrap this around your hand and get a Tetanus shot in the morning, I don’t want you to get hydrophobia from that mad dog.” Jake said as he extended a clean white linen handkerchief to his detective.
Murphy grunted and followed Jake to the sleek black car. “Police station Chief, I presume.”
“Never presume, that bastard will keep, lets drive to Jefferson hospital I want to check on Tony McCane.”
“Now you want to check on Tony McCane? Now at this time? We are about to break open the case, we have the White Owl and The Keeper of the Keys.”
Murphy looked at Jake, “Or do we? Obviously you don’t think so.”
Jake lit a cigarette with his lucky Zippo lighter and lit Murphy’s cigarette that was dangling from his lips as well. Puffing away they looked at each other for a minute and Murphy returned his eyes to the road with a blast of smoke from his lungs. ”Of course you think Burnsey was set up and Carter is getting away with murder. Am I on the right track??”
“Yes and no, don’t think Burns is an innocent victim. He is all the way dirty and I intend to throw the book at him. He took us for a joy ride and compromised the integrity of our whole department. Sweat him till we find out who else is on the payroll of the White Owl. We can keep him for 24 hours without an attorney present, let’s make the most of that time. But no more violence, understood?”
“I understand but I would enjoy beating him to a pulp!”
“Here’s Jefferson, park in front Murph, no one will bother this car.”
When Jake and Murphy walked out of elevator on the 5th floor a vision in white whooshed over to them in a flurry of starched skirts.
“Detective’s I can’t believe you are here so quickly, I just called the station for you. He is awake, your prisoner Tony McCane is awake. He asked for coffee, hot and black.”
“Nurse Sherrill that is good news. How have you been and Dr. Capi?”
She patted her hair and beamed at the handsome detective at being remembered by him.
“Please take us to your patent, we have waited a long time to talk to that man.” Jake said in a gruff tone, all serious business now politeness, aside.
They followed the nurse down the immaculate hallway to the guarded room of Tony McCane.
Murphy was in awe. How did the chief know that McCane would wake up just now? He of course did not know, he just assumed. Never assume. He guessed. Lucky.
When they entered the room the detectives were greeted by McCane sitting up in bed drinking hot coffee and smiling broadly.
“Gentlemen greetings! I find myself in the cat birds seat, are you here to deal?”
“Murphy go to the nurse’s station and phone Babs Babinsky to get here immediately, now. Glad to see you are conscious Tony, we have been waiting to see if you would recover from your attempted murder.”
“Yeah that was a close one, who would suspect Johnny? Let me guess he is no longer with us? Thought so.” McCane took a large drink from his coffee and smirked at Jake.
Jake sat down at McCane’s bedside and lit a cigarette offered one to McCane who took it and Jake lit both with his Zippo. He was in no hurry to question the suspect until Babs got there no sense being redundant. So he sat and smoked and chit chatted with McCane until things intensify when Babs arrives.
McCane inhaled deeply on his cigarette and enjoyed the taste and the smoke filling his lungs. It seemed forever since he felt so good, so relaxed. He knew he was in a strong bargaining position, they needed him.
The hospital elevator stopped at the 5th floor and the small figure of Babs Babinsky made her way around a stretchered patient and stepped lively onto the polished linoleum flooring, heading for Tony McCane and the detectives.
She now officially was active District Attorney replacing the slain Richard Smith and she takes her job very seriously. It would be star making if she could have a big part in breaking this case, and she was determined to do so.
Not just for her personal prestige but to bring justice for Richard Smith and the other unfortunate victims.
She entered the room with determination and was surprised to see the men smoking and gabbing like a fraternity party all that was missing was the booze.
Jake stood up and offered Babs his seat next to the bed and patient. Babs sat down and opened her notebook, pen ready to write down the answers to her many questions. They exchanged looks and Babs was impressed by his clean cut good looks and poise.
He smiled at her showing good white teeth and said, “I hope you won’t be too hard on me after all I have been in a coma for months.”
“I was and am well aware of your plight which was brought on by your association with the White Owl. Do not think that you will not burn for that conspiracy. You are a mass murderer and equally guilty by association if not fact. But when the facts come out it will show that you were the ring leader and master mind behind all the crimes. I expect to prove in a court of law that it was you that put the organization together and you and your partners in these vicious crimes amassed great wealth and power. Your motive greed.”
“You have it all wrong, I only had a small camera club in the down stairs room of my studio with no idea what it had turned into.” He protested.
“It was you that staged the girls’ deaths in elaborated tableaux. They needed you and could not achieve the effect without you.”
“Yes but they threatened to expose me and even kill me if I did not help them carry out there plans. I took pictures of the meetings, I know who the Keeper of the Keys is and I have evidence to prove it. You need me or he will get off scot free.’ His poise was gone now and he could see if they did not believe him he would die a horrible death, not the humane one he orchestrated for the women.
“Will you testify in court as to the identity of the Keeper of the Keys and sign a confession as to your role in the deaths of the women?”
“Yes, yes I will.’ Anything he thought to save his own life.
Though he knew the answer he still had to ask the question, “Who is the Keeper of the Keys?”
“Joe Carter is the Keeper of the Keys.” Tony lay back on his pillows exhausted as though he had run a mile.
The door to the hospital room opened and a nurse walked in, “Sorry I will have to ask you to leave, this man just woke up from a coma after many months in that state. He needs his rest.”
“No one is leaving until a special detail of trusted detectives are scheduled to watch till this man is dismissed. Get me nurse Sherrill Capi, she is in charge.”
“I beg your pardon sir I am the head nurse Eleanor Anderson and I am in charge.” She said, sticking her chest out.
“That is all well and good nurse but I am District Attorney Babs Babinsky and D. A. trumps head nurse. They will wait till an official detail arrives,” softening her words, Babs continued, ‘You do understand that the reason he was in a coma was that someone was trying to kill him.” With that she got up off the chair and headed for the door note book in hand. “I want to write up this confession and have him sign it as soon as ready.” She continued out the door. The nurse gave a glance at Jake, who was hard to miss, and followed Babs out.
“Well, well a little friction in the ranks, all about me. Am I important or what?”
“Only important in your own mind,” Jake retorted. “Murphy you stay with the Prima Donna here until our detail arrives then meet me back at the station. Get a ride with a patrolman in a squad car. Do not detour I need you with me when I question Mr. Burns.”
“Oh so you figured it out that one of your crack detectives was on the take big time.” McCane laughed.
“Not that it is any of your business Tony but that is one of the topics you will be questioned about. How did you get to Burns? Care to answer it now for our ears only?”
“I think I’ll
wait for the D.A. I don’t want to dilute my deal with Babinsky.”
CHAPTER 30
When Murphy entered Jake’s office Burnsey was sitting in front of the desk handcuffed and slouched miserably in a hard wooden chair. Jake sat smoking and pointing a finger at him demanding to know what provoked him to betray his oath and become a turncoat and criminal to the department and Philadelphia.
“Money Is my guess. Something you’ll need to spend on lawyers to keep from the electric chair.”
“Okay Murphy take a seat I am still questioning this man. So Mr. Burns what is your story? How did you get roped into the dark side? Was it money, just money? Did you and John Davis plan to go rogue together or did Davis go off the deep end and you followed? Unh unh, it had to be you that led Davis astray. You have never been much of a follower. I am just surprised that you thought you could win, with an all out man hunt and the death of the D.A. You must have known just by your years on the force that we would be after your gang with guns blazing. Speak up man I am giving you a chance to come clean and save yourself from death.” Jake lit another cigarette off the butt of his first one and waited for Burns to respond.
“You can sit there Mr. Big Shot chain smoking but you are nothing compared to the Order I follow, the Keeper of the Keys and his acolyte Minerva the White Owl, and yes I am paid handsomely more than I can make at this crummy job if I slaved for ten more years.”
Murphy interrupted again, “This crummy job as you describe it kept food on your table and put your kids through school, gave you promotions and took care of you medically. What does your wife say about your sudden wealth and philosophy?”
Burns hunkered down in his seat even more and muttered. “She left me a year ago. She took the kids and moved in with her mother, no loss there I have plenty pf woman, gorgeous woman who get off on bad men. That ‘s me. I am evil. I wallow in evil. I owe the Keeper for showing me the path to the dark side of life and never look back, never feel guilty. That is what the Nazi party did in World War 2, extermination camps and medical experimentation. The war served their purpose to commit atrocities in the name of conquest which in itself is evil.”
The Cult of the White Owl Page 26