“Do you know how to drive?” Joe asked.
“I started driving a tractor when I was eight and my dad had me driving the truck around the farm not too long afterward.”
“You’ve done enough,” I said. “I’ll drive myself. I’ll call Joe and let him know where to pick up the car after we get there.”
Alice raised an eyebrow. “If you leave the car in D.C. and the coppers stumble across it, they’ll be able to trace it to Mister Granger, won’t they?”
“It will take awhile,” I said.
“Maybe,” she said. “They know the two of you are close friends and they’ll figure you drove it there. Someone needs to drive you there and bring the car back home so you can get away clean. I’m swell with that.”
I glanced at my watch. “Mary should be calling here pretty soon. I’ll tell her we’ll pick her up on our way out of town.”
Alice shook her head. “If we drive up in Mr. Granger’s car and her place is being watched, they may see you. It would be better if she took a cab someplace and we picked her up there.”
I looked over at Joe and he nodded. “She’s got a good point. You got a good head on your shoulders, Alice.”
I carried the bag over to the door. “All right,” I said. “We’ll do it your way.”
Joe was right. Alice was a lot smarter than I’d given her credit for. It made me look at her with a new respect. I set the suitcase down outside the office door. “I’m beginning to think you might make a good gun moll after all.”
Her face turned red and she let out a throaty laugh. “I need to change if I’m gonna be driving all night. Give me fifteen minutes.” With that she was gone.
“The girl’s more with it than I thought,” Joe said.
Before I could agree, the phone rang. It was Mary. I gave her a rundown on what was happening and our change of plans. We agreed to meet outside her office building.
While I was on the phone, Joe picked up my bag and waved me over to the bar where he poured us both a beer. I joined him, downing my drink in one fluid gulp. It did little to steady my nerves and when I set the glass down I could see my hand was trembling. I was scared and I was worried and I had doubts that I could handle what was coming without Ed’s help.
***
I spent an hour sitting on a beer keg in the storeroom so that none of the staff would see me when they arrived for work. We’d decided it would be better if no one suspected I was there. I knew all of his employees were loyal to Ed, but loyalty goes only so far. They didn’t owe me a thing.
Alice burst into the room at a little after five. She was flushed and breathing hard. Somewhere in the distance I heard shouting. Alice slammed the door closed and locked it.
“We’ve got to go now,” she said. “Joe says he can only buy us a couple of minutes.”
We knew the coppers would be waiting outside. Joe had decided to pay one of the regulars to start a fight. Our watchers would come in and try to break up the melee, and that’s when we’d make our break. At least that’s what we were hoping for.
I picked up my bag and stood off to the side as Alice opened the back door. I followed her out, pulling the door shut behind her.
We stopped in front of the trunk and I swung it open and tossed my bag in. when I reached up to close it Alice stopped me.
“Uh,uh, Jim,” she said. “Climb in.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“It’s the safest place for you. If anyone’s watching Mary’s office they won’t think twice about her getting into the car with another woman. We can’t risk them spotting you.”
My heart started pounding in my chest, like a sledge hammer trying to work its way out. My hands began to perspire and I felt light-headed.
“I can’t.”
Alice slapped my arm. “Quit kidding around. Joe said this distraction wasn’t going to keep the coppers busy for long. They’re gonna find you if you don’t get in there.”
“I don’t like small spaces.”
“How do you feel about bullets?”
She had a point. Taking a deep breath I climbed into the trunk. I knew I was being foolish, but it felt like I was stepping into a coffin. I willed myself to relax, and when that didn’t work I closed my eyes and tried to pretend I was at home in bed.
Everything was fine until Alice closed the trunk. I started hyperventilating in the darkness, and once again did battle with my inner demons. A moment later the car door slammed and the engine rattled to life. Alice ground the gears, the car started rolling, and Alice called out. “I hope Mary’s waiting where she’s supposed to be.”
“She will be.” I said a silent prayer I was right and shifted my body around. The trunk was a tight fit, the jack dug into the fleshy part of my hip, and the spare tire made an uncomfortable pillow. I kept reminding myself of where I was, and why I was there.
By the time we stopped I was back in control of my emotions. The car door opened, followed by Mary’s voice. “Where’s Jim?”
“Toss your bag into the back seat and get in. I’ll tell you as soon as we get moving.”
“I want to know where he is.”
“Look, Mary, see the guy crossing the street? I’m betting he’s a copper and if you don’t get your ass in the car, he’s gonna join us. Believe me, we don’t want that.”
Mary grunted and uttered something under her breath. The door slammed closed, a little harder than I thought necessary, and the car started rolling. I heard a man shout from behind us, but the car began to pick up speed.
“Now where’s Jim?” Mary asked.
“In the trunk,” Alice said.
“Pull over right now and let him out, for Christ’s sake. He’s claustrophobic. Has been since I’ve known him.”
“I’m all right,” I shouted with more conviction than I felt.
“They’re looking for a man trying to get out of the city,” Alice said. “They’re less likely to stop two women going out of town for the weekend. We need to have a story.”
“How long does he have to stay back there?” Mary asked.
“At least until we get out of the city. Could be a couple of hours—depends on the traffic.”
As if to accentuate her words, she turned onto another street and slowed to a crawl. From my perspective, it was better this way. I sure as hell wasn’t happy stuck in the trunk, but at our current speed I wasn’t being jostled around as much either.
I didn’t have a clue where we were until Mary called out, “The Holland Tunnel is up ahead. It looks like they’re stopping all the cars going to Jersey.”
“How thoroughly are they searching?” I asked.
“They’re not spending a lot of time on each car. Looks like they’re talking to the drivers and letting them go.”
I shut up and we drove in silence for another fifteen minutes. Although I knew there was plenty of air in the trunk, I found myself struggling to catch my breath. I tensed up each time the car rolled to a stop. I wondered if they were checking trunks. It didn’t matter. It was too late for us to turn around. I had to trust to luck, my silent prayers, and the ability of the two women in the front seat to talk their way through the checkpoint.
When we arrived at the checkpoint a male voice asked, “Have either of you ladies seen this man?”
I assumed he was a copper and that he was showing them my picture because Alice said, “He looks kind of cute.”
“In a loutish way,” Mary added.
“He’s not cute,” the man said. “He’s a cold-blooded killer.”
“Is this the reporter we’ve been hearing about on the radio, the one they say killed his sister and a detective?”
“That’s the one,” the man said.
“Well we haven’t seen him, officer,” Mary said. “Should we be worried? Alice and I are going to visit my family. I’ve been promising to introduce her to my brother and I’ve set up a blind date for them this weekend.”
“Maybe we should turn around, Mary,” Alice said. �
�I can always meet Bruce some other time. I don’t want to go if it’s too dangerous.”
“You should be all right, ladies. We don’t think he’s gotten out of town. If he has, I don’t expect him to stick around the area. To be safe, make sure you don’t stop for anyone along the way. Don’t pick up any strangers.”
“Thank you officer,” Mary called out as the car started moving.
We drove for another half hour before Alice pulled over. The car shuddered, the engine died, and I heard Mary say, “Give me those keys.” A few moments later the trunk flew open and I sucked in the fresh air. It was getting dark, and we had stopped in front of a small neighborhood park.
A young boy rocked back and forth on a rusted swing. He watched me climb out of the trunk, and then he jumped from the swing and ran across the lawn to the car. “You playing hide and seek, Mister?” he asked.
“We sure are,” I said. “But they found me.”
“Can I play?”
“I think we’re going to quit now,” Mary said. “But don’t tell anyone you saw us playing, will you? They might think it’s silly for adults to play games.”
He nodded, but his shoulders slumped and I knew he was disappointed. He began walking away but stopped after a few steps and glanced at me over his shoulder. “You a movie star or something?”
I shook my head. “No. Why do you ask?”
The boy shrugged. “I saw your picture in my daddy’s paper.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
I protested when Mary announced she was driving the rest of the way to D.C., but she wouldn’t listen. "I’m too wound up myself,” she said. “We’ll get a room once we get to Washington and I’ll sleep there.”
“Let me doze for a couple of hours,” I said. “I can drive part of the way.”
“How much sleep did you get last night?” Mary asked.
“Not much.”
“Then I’ll drive.”
I wasn’t happy with the idea of Mary driving for four or five hours at night and I turned to Alice for support. “Will you tell her it’s safer if we switch off along the way?”
“Like she’ll listen to me. She’s your girlfriend. If you can’t convince her, nobody can. Besides, I’m tired.”
I mouthed the words, “Thanks a lot,” to Alice and said aloud to Mary, “You can drive as long as you promise me you’ll wake one of us if you get tired.”
“I’ll wake up Alice if that happens, but just so you know, Jim, I don’t feel I need your permission to do this.”
This was the second time she had chastised me for worrying about her and I wondered if I was being over protective. I might have argued the point further but Mary started driving and within minutes I was sound asleep.
Mary woke us a little before eleven.
“We’re a few blocks from the Commodore Hotel,” she said. “It’s a nice place. I spent the night there once in the past. We can get a room, and it’s only steps away from Union Station. It will make it easy for us to catch a train in the morning.”
I rubbed my eyes and stretched in an effort to get the kinks out of my back. “I think you should get a room too, Alice,” I said.
“It would be better if I leave right away,” she said. “The car can still tie you to Mr. Granger. Besides, I slept the whole way here and feel fine.”
“It’s your call.” Mary glanced at us in the mirror. “Give her some money, Jim. That way if she gets sleepy, she can stop along the way.”
I pulled out my wallet, took out a hundred dollar bill, and handed it to Alice. Her eyes widened and she shook her head.
“This is too much.”
“It’s some of the money Ed gave me. You’re going to need gas and something to eat. Get a room if you need one. The rest is for you.”
“I can’t take this.”
“Take it, Alice,” Mary said. “Jim can afford it.”
I thought I caught a glint of a tear in Alice’s eyes. When I forced the bill into her hand she examined it as if she’d never seen a c-note before. She didn’t take her eyes off the bill until we stopped in front of the hotel. Then she tucked it into her purse, reached out, and opened her door. We all climbed out of the car.
As I threw open the trunk, the night bellhop appeared at my side. While he grabbed our bags, I took a moment to look around. It was becoming a routine now. I checked first for coppers, then curious strangers. When I was certain no one was paying extra attention to us, I checked out the building.
The Commodore was a red brick rectangle, eight stories high with a flag flying from the roof. Newly planted Maple trees lined the street. Off to the left the Capitol building lit up the night. I’d never been to D.C. and despite my woes I stood gawking at the sight.
I waited until Alice drove off down the street, then took Mary’s arm and followed the bellboy into the hotel. We checked in, I paid with some more of Ed’s money, and sent Mary up to our room with the bellboy. I was anxious to get hold of Joe, and as soon as Mary was on her way, I rushed over to the phone booth I’d noticed when we first entered the hotel.
Joe answered on the first ring. I’d expected to hear the band playing in the background, or at the very least the chatter of customers gathered around the bar. I looked at my watch and verified what I already knew; the club should have been in full swing. The lack of any background noise left me feeling apprehensive. “It’s me,” I said. “Has Ed been released yet?”
“I’ve been waiting for your call. Ed’s dead, Jim.”
The news hit me like a line drive to the groin. I couldn’t catch my breath. My thoughts went fuzzy. The phone booth felt as if the heat had shot up thirty degrees and was going to explode into flames.
Tears formed in the corners of my eyes and reappeared as soon as I wiped them away. I wondered how much more I could take. First Helen. Now Ed. Helen had been a supportive sister up until a year ago when she decided I’d crossed a line she couldn’t tolerate. For Ed, that line never existed. We’d been friends for fifteen years and he always accepted me for who I was. He didn’t judge me and I didn’t judge him. Because our friendship was unconditional, I knew I’d miss him more than I missed Helen.
“What happened?” I asked when I could speak.
“I’ve had to piece it together. Some of the information came from Ed’s lawyer. The rest I got from your boss.”
“You talked to Otis?”
“Yeah. He stopped in here tonight. He knew you were good friends with Ed. He wanted to know if I had any idea who your lawyer was. Something about a letter and now being the time to run your story.”
“Shit, I forgot about the damn letter. I left it on Ed’s desk. It’s addressed to Mary, but a lot of good it will do with her down here. I wrote it when I thought Alice was coming with me. I wrote down everything that’s happened, including what I discovered about Greeley.”
“Your boss is right. Now’s the time to get your side of the story out in front of the public.”
“Could you get the letter to Otis?”
“Sure.”
I had an unfettered view of the lobby from the phone booth. Across the room a large, middle-aged woman in a blue evening gown and an oversized plumed hat stared at me. I turned away and hunched down.
“So tell me about it,” I said.
“The story I got was that Boyle and another detective were questioning Ed. They took him to a garage to question him instead of headquarters. Beat him pretty badly as I understand it.
“Ed denied knowing where you were, but when they searched him they found your train tickets. Boyle pulled his gun and put it to Ed’s head and asked him if the tickets were for you. According to the other copper, Ed said he was taking his mother and sister on a trip. Boyle laughed, reminded Ed his mother was dead and that he didn’t have a sister, then Boyle shot him. After that he turned and shot the other copper. Boyle set it up to make it look like the two of them shot each other.”
“How the hell did anyone figure out what happened?” I demanded.
“Boyle left them both for dead. Somehow, the other copper lived. He managed to drag himself out of the garage and flag down a car. Boyle’s disappeared.”
“Boyle must have killed Belcher too,” I said.
“I suspect the coppers are beginning to think along the same lines,” Joe said. “They’ve been around asking about you.”
“So they’re still looking for me?”
“They are,” Joe said. “But there’s less talk about you killing Belcher. I talked to a copper who told me the talk around headquarters is that since Boyle’s gone rogue, maybe he did in Belcher too. The D.A. claims he was told you have an alibi.”
“He’s trying to cover his ass,” I said. “It looks like it was a good thing Mary went to see him after all. Do they seem to have a motive?”
“If they do, they’re not saying. You do realize Boyle may not know the copper he shot is alive and talking. He’s going to be looking for you. He probably thinks you’re the only thing standing between him and getting away with it all.”
“And Boyle found the tickets on Ed.”
“So he knows where you’re going,” Joe said. “I’d still watch my back if I were you.”
“I will,” I agreed. “What’s going to happen to you and Alice and the band?”
“It’s sort of up to you,” Joe said.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“It seems you and I are going to be partners. According to his lawyer, Ed left the club to us, fifty-fifty shares.” Joe’s voice indicated no joy at the prospect when he told me the news.
I felt the weight of another burden pressing down on me. In the past week I’d become a wealthy man, but at what cost? If I could ever shake the shadow of Ed and Helen’s deaths, I might learn to appreciate the newfound wealth. Even then, I knew I would always be uncomfortable at how I had attained it.
“Do whatever you think needs to be done,” I said.
“You might want to keep checking in with me,” Joe said. “Ed had a lot of friends, even among the coppers. If Boyle turns up, I’ll hear about it. Good luck, Jim.”
I should have headed up to the room. Mary was waiting for me and she deserved to know what happened to Ed. I started for the elevator, but my path took me right past the bar. It was a room designed for men, although half the customers were women. The walls were mahogany, the lighting was dim, and deeply cushioned leather chairs were peppered throughout the lounge area. The bar itself was carved from some exotic wood I couldn’t name. A dozen chrome high-back stools lined the bar and the biggest fish I had ever seen hung from the wall behind the counter. The ambiance drew me into the room, but it was my desire to escape from the reality that had become my life that made me break my vow to Mary.
The Storm Killer Page 19