by J A Whiting
Claire nodded.
“A few weeks ago, I heard him talking on the phone. It was very late. I think Mr. Freeman thought he was alone in the office. I stayed late because one of the other partners needed something done for early the next morning. I walked by Mr. Freeman’s office when I went to the other lawyer’s office to leave the reports I’d finished for him. Mr. Freeman’s door was closed. I paused because I thought he’d left for the day and I wondered who was in his office. I got scared for a moment because I thought I was the only one still working that night.” Siobhan’s chest was rising and falling quickly. Prone on the hospital bed in the shadowy room attached to a beeping monitor, Siobhan looked frail and small.
“What did you hear?” Claire asked softly.
Siobhan took a deep breath and her shoulders gave an involuntary shudder. “I listened at the door to hear who might be in there and I made out Mr. Freeman’s voice. I was about to walk away when I heard something that made me freeze in place. He was angry. He said something like, I told you to get rid of him. He knows too much. Why is he still walking around? I nearly choked. He kept talking. He said, this punk is a loose end. I don’t like loose ends. He’s not getting in the way of everything we’ve set up. If he does, you know what will happen to us. Keep emptying those planes. Keep those cards flowing. And get rid of him.”
Claire didn’t know what it meant, but she knew it wasn’t anything good. “What does it mean? Do you know what he was talking about?”
A few tears gathered in Siobhan’s eyes. “I don’t know what he means about cards and planes. It sounds like he wants someone killed though.”
The same thought had run through Claire’s mind, but she thought of something. “If Mr. Freeman is involved with something illegal, he would be smart enough not to be making a call like that using the firm’s phone lines.”
“He wasn’t using the firm’s phone. Mr. Freeman has at least three cell phones. One of them looked like one of those prepaid phones. I saw it on his desk. Lots of the attorneys have multiple cell phones, at least one for business and one for personal use. I’m sure Mr. Freeman wasn’t using the law firm’s phone when I heard him that night.”
“Have you ever heard him talking about something that didn’t seem above-board before?”
“This was the only time.” Siobhan’s lower lip trembled. “It sounded bad. I was afraid. I still am.”
Claire mulled over what she’d heard trying to make sense of it, trying to think of any legitimate reasons for what Freeman had said over the phone.
“Claire, do you think I was the target of the shooting the other day? Freeman might know that I heard him. Maybe he wants to get rid of me, too.”
A cold shudder ran over Claire’s skin. “But the target must have been Merritt. Merritt was at both shootings, the one in front of the Old South Meeting House and the one at the Jasper Building.
“Maybe Merritt is in on whatever Mr. Freeman is up to. Maybe they’re working together. Maybe they wanted to have me killed, but set up the shooting at the Meeting House first to throw people off. Maybe I’m the target after all.”
Claire felt her throat closing up. Was Merritt working with Freeman? Did they set things up to make it seem like Merritt was the one in danger? “Did Mr. Freeman see you the night you overheard his conversation?”
“No, I left the building right away.”
Claire relaxed a little. “Then I don’t think you’re in danger. Mr. Freeman would have no idea that you heard him talking on the phone.”
Siobhan swallowed hard. “I guess you’re right. Being in bed all day messes with my mind.” Giving Claire a little smile, she added, “I’m sorry to have been so dramatic. I’m sorry I made you come over here for nothing.”
A nurse came into the room to take Siobhan’s vitals and she looked at Claire with surprise. “Visiting hours are over. I thought Siobhan was asleep. I didn’t know she had company. I’ll have to ask you two to say your goodnights.”
Claire squeezed Siobhan’s hand. “Call me if you need anything.”
Siobhan nodded and thanked Claire again.
As Claire was leaving the room, she stopped short and turned back to Siobhan. “Have you mentioned what you just told me to anyone else?”
Siobhan nodded. “Mr. Johnson, one of the other partners. I’ve always liked him. I think he’s a good man.”
Oh no. Claire’s stomach clenched. “What did Mr. Johnson say about it?’
“He said not to worry. He said Mr. Freeman could be very dramatic at times. Mr. Johnson was sure I misheard or misunderstood. He wasn’t concerned at all.” Siobhan gave a weak smile. “I guess I let my imagination get the better of me tonight.”
Misheard or misunderstood? Claire didn’t believe it, not for one second. Mr. Johnson must have told Freeman about Siobhan’s concerns. Freeman knows she heard him.
16
Claire left Massachusetts Medical Hospital in Boston’s West End and walked along under the streetlamps on the dark streets towards Beacon Hill. Usually, she enjoyed watching the tourists and residents moving about the neighborhoods of the city bustling to their jobs, sightseeing, strolling past stores, or heading to restaurants and bars, but Claire was so deep in thought going over the recent events and happenings that when she was only a few blocks away from Tony’s market and apartment building, she wondered how on Earth she’d gotten there so quickly.
Claire wished that Nicole would return from visiting her sister so that she could help sort out the facts and try to make sense of the mess that had gathered around them. Taking out her phone, she texted her friend to ask when she might be returning to Boston and before sliding the phone back into her bag, Claire, her jaw set with annoyance and anger, sent another text to Merritt asking her to get in touch.
Climbing the stairs to Tony’s apartment above his market, Claire knocked, entered, and sat down at Tony’s kitchen table with her chin in her hand. She spent the next hour telling Tony every single thing that had happened over the past days including her seeing Merritt’s and Melody Booker’s clandestine meeting at the airport and the visit, an hour ago, to Siobhan Ellis’s hospital room.
Tony sat across from Claire with a look that was mixed with equal parts worry, fear, and exhaustion. The two Corgis sat on each side of the man leaning against his legs. “What this is, is a big fat mess.”
“You can say that again.” Claire’s voice was weary. “What do you think is going on?”
“It sounds like this Freeman guy is involved with illegal activity. Either the other lawyer, Johnson, is involved in it, too and is trying to cover things over with Siobhan or he really does think that she misunderstood what she heard that night.”
“What could the activity be? Freeman mentioned planes and cards.”
“Did he say cards or cars?” Tony asked. “Siobhan was listening though a door. The words were probably muffled. Could Freeman be smuggling? He and his companions move things in and out on planes? Transports the goods to and from the planes and the buyers via cars?”
“That’s a good idea. You think it’s drugs?”
“Likely, I’d say. It could easily be something else, but drugs are the probable choice.”
“I wonder if Merritt is involved with whatever Freeman is up to. That could be the reason she isn’t friendly with the other lawyers working at the firm. It could be that she wants to keep some distance from everyone so they don’t get suspicious about anything.” Claire raised an eyebrow. “Siobhan said that Merritt is only friendly with the partners. Convenient, huh?”
Bear and Lady let out low growls.
Claire went on. “And what was that meeting about at the airport between Merritt and Melody?” She rubbed her temple, thinking things over and then her eyes went wide. “Melody works for the airline. She could be working with Merritt and Freeman. Melody could be helping them by getting their contraband on and off the Fast Freight cargo planes.”
“Genius.” Tony smiled. “But why was Melody crying? And
what did she give Merritt? You said it looked like a notebook.”
“Maybe Melody is afraid of getting caught. Maybe the notebook has details of what’s being moved. Maybe she gave it to Merritt so that police wouldn’t find it.” Claire stretched her arms over her head trying to get the kinks and tension out of her muscles. “Something about this whole thing is picking at me. Something doesn’t add up, but I don’t know what it is that I’m missing.”
“Do you think that Siobhan should talk to the police about her concerns?” Tony reached down to scratch both dogs’ ears.
“I don’t think it could hurt, could it?” Claire sucked in a long breath. “Although, if Siobhan talks to the police, they’ll start an investigation. That partner that Siobhan revealed her concerns to, Johnson, he’ll know she was the one who talked to the police. He’ll know that she was the one who brought an investigation on the firm. Could they fire her?”
Tony’s face clouded. “Maybe.”
“It might be worth taking the chance. Siobhan could be in danger. I think she should talk to the police.” Claire eyed Tony’s laptop that was pushed to the side of the table. “Can I use your laptop? I’d like to look up Alex Freeman and that other partner, Johnson.”
Tony pushed the laptop over to Claire. “Help yourself.”
Claire tapped away at the keyboard. “Here’s Alex Freeman’s biography on the firm’s website. He graduated from Yale with a bachelor’s degree and then went to law school at Columbia. His specialties are in estate planning, wealth management, and taxes.” Claire grunted. “Wealth management, huh? Maybe his own wealth is partially from the movement of illegal drugs.”
“Maybe he advises other people in such matters?” Tony raised an eyebrow and frowned.
Claire read more from the internet. “Here are some articles about Freeman attending charity events. Here’s a picture of him at a political fundraising thing. I bet he makes big donations and gets some sort of preferential treatment from politicians.”
Scanning other articles, Claire read facts out loud to Tony which elicited comments about what a money-bags Freeman was or how he mingled with the social and political elite. “Maybe everybody turns their heads and closes their eyes and lets Freeman get away with his side businesses as long as he keeps things discreet.”
“Are all bigwigs involved in things like this?” Claire voice was angry.
“I don’t think so,” Tony said. “Some are, but it’s my hope that most people are honest.”
Claire rolled her eyes at the man sitting across from her and returned her focus to the laptop screen where she continued to read about Alex Freeman. After several minutes, Claire let out a gasp of surprise. “Oh, no.” She turned the laptop to angle it so that Tony could see what she’d found and she pointed to the line that had caused her reaction.
Tony put on his reading glasses, peered at the words Claire was pointing at, and sat back, blinking. “This isn’t good.”
“Alex Freeman is on the Board of Directors of the Fast Freight Group.” Claire felt sick to her stomach. “Being on the Board would give Freeman access to all kinds of information about the company. He could use that information to benefit his clandestine activities.”
“When did Siobhan overhear Freeman’s phone conversation?” Tony asked.
“About two weeks ago?” Claire’s cheek was pressed against the palm of her hand. “Shortly after she reported what she heard to the other partner, the shootings started. Merritt could be in on this with them. I wonder if Freeman arranged the shootings to make it look like Merritt was the target, when it was Siobhan all along.”
“Maybe you should warn Siobhan.” The creases on Tony’s face seemed to have deepened in the past minute.
“I agree. I’m going to suggest she contact the police. She and I exchanged phone numbers. I’m going to call her right now.” Claire checked the time. “If she’s asleep and doesn’t pick up, I’ll leave her a message. It will make me feel better to know I suggested she report all of this to the police.”
With shaky fingers, Claire tapped at her phone screen and put the call through. Siobhan didn’t answer and her voice mail came on so Claire left a carefully worded message about her worries regarding Alex Freeman and, in light of the shootings, she suggested that the best thing to do would be for Siobhan to share the information with the authorities. When Claire ended the call, a terrible feeling of anxiety flashed through her veins just as Bear let out a loud bark causing her and Tony to nearly jump out of their seats.
Claire looked down at the dog and then slowly raised her eyes to Tony. “Something’s wrong,” she whispered.
“What do you mean?” Tony’s words came out hoarse and he tried to clear the worry from his throat.
“I’m going to call Siobhan’s room.” Claire found the number of the hospital and placed a call to the woman’s room, pacing around Tony’s small kitchen while the phone rang and rang. “No one’s answering. I’m going to call the nurse’s station that’s right outside Siobhan’s room.”
“Why are you so shook up? Siobhan must be dead tired from all she’s gone through. She’s probably in such a deep sleep that she can’t hear the phone at all.”
Someone at the nurse’s station picked up and Claire said, “Hello, I’m a friend of Siobhan Ellis and I’ve been calling her room and she won’t answer. Can you please check on her for me?”
Claire listened to the voice on the other end, her mouth dropping open, and then she ended the call and turned to Tony with wide eyes. “The nurse told me that she couldn’t release any information about Siobhan. She told me to call the family. Her voice was odd. She sounded uncomfortable.” Claire reached over and squeezed Tony’s arm. “Tony, I think something is very wrong with Siobhan.”
17
The next morning, Claire arrived at the chocolate shop an hour early to get things ready for the day. When Robby and the two other employees showed up, Claire took off for the hospital to find out how Siobhan was doing. Approaching the room, she could see that it was empty and, sucking in a deep breath, she hurried to the nurse’s station to inquire about where the woman had been moved.
One of the nurses stood staring at Claire, her long lashes blinking over her dark brown eyes. “Are you a family member?”
“I’m a friend.” Claire knew that she was stretching the truth, but she didn’t think she’d get a shred of information if she admitted she was only an acquaintance of Siobhan’s. “Has she been moved to another floor?”
“Why don’t you call Ms. Ellis’s family? I’m sure they’d be happy to share information with you. You understand that we’re bound by privacy laws and we’re unable to divulge a patient’s personal information.”
“You aren’t allowed to tell me where Siobhan has been moved?”
“I’m sorry.” The nurse shook her head and started towards the other end of the long desk. “Talk to the family.”
Claire stood by the counter with tension squeezing the back of her neck. She didn’t know what to do. The nurses weren’t going to give her any information and she didn’t know the family so she couldn’t call or talk to them about Siobhan’s condition. She shuffled a few steps down the hallway feeling miserable and unsettled, unaware that the nurse who was in Siobhan’s room last night was heading in her direction.
“Oh, hello.” Walking next to a man in a white lab coat, the nurse slowed and nodded as she passed, recognizing Claire from being in Siobhan’s room the previous evening when visiting hours were over. “I’m sorry about your friend.”
Claire’s heart skipped a beat and she could feel her throat constricting. The nurse kept walking and disappeared down the corridor. Claire stumbled, her legs had gone all rubbery and weak, but she caught herself from losing her balance and righted herself. Her only thought was to get out of the building and into the fresh air and sunshine, away from the terrible thing that had happened. Rushing out of the hospital’s front entrance, Claire hurried along the walkway to a bench on the green grass i
n the center of the circular driveway.
Sinking onto the seat, Claire wrapped her arms around herself and rocked gently back and forth trying to calm down. I just saw Siobhan last night. How could her condition change so swiftly? How could she have died? I was talking to her only a few hours ago. Claire realized that Siobhan must have been more seriously injured than she’d let on … still, it seemed beyond comprehension that Siobhan could have taken a fatal turn only a short time after Claire left the hospital last night.
Claire’s stomach lurched and she sat stock still on the bench staring vacantly at the traffic rushing by on the busy street in front of the hospital. Did Siobhan’s condition worsen because … because she had help? Did someone visit Siobhan’s room late last night, after I left the building? Did someone kill her?
Claire glanced around at the well-landscaped grounds feeling light-headed and woozy. I need help. I need to tell someone my worries. I….
Reaching into her bag, she took out her wallet and removed a business card she’d put there less than a week ago. Detective Ian Fuller. Claire pushed the detective’s number into the phone and left him a message.
Claire managed to get back to the chocolate shop, but she worked in a daze refusing to answer any of Robby’s questions about what was wrong with her which only made him more interested in knowing why she was so distant and preoccupied.
Among the questions Robby peppered Claire with included, “Are you ill? Did something happen to Nicole? Did someone shoot at you again?” – all of which received an answer in the negative leaving Robby stumped about why Claire was acting so oddly.
By early afternoon Claire felt like she’d been awake for days and as she contemplated going home and crawling into bed as soon as they were finished with the day’s tasks, the shop door opened and a tall, fit man entered the shop. Claire did a double-take when she realized it was Detective Fuller.