The Harrison: A Beautiful Place to Die (Madeline Donovan Mysteries Book 2)

by Madison Kent

  She impulsively kissed Hugh's cheek as he leaned over her to say good-bye. He looked somewhat startled, his eyes warmly looking searchingly into hers. Smiling, he grasped her hands and said, "Take care, my friend. You will be in my thoughts until I see you again. Till tomorrow..."

  She continued resting on the divan, sleeping on and off, sometimes waking to Alfred's snarling face. She was about to retire when she heard a carriage outside. Looking out the window, she saw Jonathan. She ran to the door to let him in, anxious to hear what news he had.

  "Jonathan, how wonderful to see you."

  "It is not too late?"

  "Under the circumstance, no hour would be too late. I have thought of you all day, hoping you might come by and tell me what you have learned. But first, tell me how you happened to be at the hotel when I thought you were going to Joliet?"

  "I attempted it. I think I had gone about five miles before I turned around. I just felt so uncomfortable that you were searching for the killer without anyone even knowing where you were. You will have to tell me later how you found the cellar."

  "That is indeed another story. But go ahead, tell me about Alfred."

  "Alfred was taken to the hospital for his gunshot wound and his hand injury from the lye. He waived his right to a lawyer, and all he wanted to do was talk to the press. He didn't want to talk to me at first but then sent for me. He said that since I was the one to bring him in, I could hear his story.

  He ranted and cried and then ranted again. He truly has been a tormented soul, probably all of his life. He killed the girls almost methodically, doing it as a means to have finally the life he so craved...to be with his love, Margaret, and to be away from the Harrisons.

  He said he wanted to speak with you if you were willing to come into the spider's web."

  "Me? Heavens, that's extraordinary, but, of course, I will. I will go tomorrow. Perhaps he will explain more of why this all came to be. That is if he even knows. His problems must be deep rooted."

  "Indeed."

  Jonathan went on, and they conversed for two hours until she insisted he stay the night and sleep in the spare room. He looked weary and in need of a peaceful night, as she did. Tomorrow she would tell the story to the group.

  She awoke at five, and if she could have gone to see Alfred at that moment, she would have. She was anxious to discover why he wished to see her. To the world, young, agile, intelligent Alfred had everything to live for. More than anything, she wanted to know the underbelly of this nightmare scenario.

  Lighting a candle, she began the arduous task of documenting everything that had happened the last few days in her journal so that she might use it as a reference.

  At just eight, when she knew she would be allowed into the hospital, she arrived. At first, the man guarding his room would not let her in. Then it was decided she would be given permission to converse with Alfred as long as an officer stayed in the room with her.

  When she entered his room, he was warned again that his words could be used against him, but he motioned for her to come in. He waved the one bandaged from the damaging lye, and this was not lost on her.

  "Madeline, come sit by me."

  "No, she must remain on the other side of the room," said the officer.

  "What a pity. You know I should hate you for ruining everything, but somehow I believe I will survive. Perhaps we will meet again someday,"

  The officer laughed and said, "The only thing you'll be meeting, sonny boy, is the noose."

  "I think not, there is no noose that could take me. Someday we must all die, but I will not die by the noose, I can promise you that."

  The officer laughed again and said, "Get on with it. You only have a half hour allotted to you."

  "Madeline, I will tell you a story about a boy―just like any other boy―wanting love, a home, and a family, and what happens when those things are never found."

  Alfred went on to tell her his defense of why he had to commit the crimes he did. His pain was so justifiable to him that he failed to show only momentary regret for what he did to his innocent victims.

  "Everyone has their life's tragedies, Alfred. As much as you would like to believe you are alone in life's miseries, we all suffer. Now you have inflicted untold suffering to so many who were innocent in every way. I hope you may someday at least find it in your heart to repent for what you did."

  As she turned to leave, he said, "Until we meet again, Madeline, may you rest as uneasy as I will. If it weren't for you, I'd be in Paris with my Margaret. Yes, until we meet again."

  When she stood, she felt one of her feet give way and had to steady herself against the wall. Even with the police officer sitting five feet from her, she felt as if she was isolated on a desert island with a madman.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The Final Analysis

  When she arrived home, Jonathan had departed for the Harrison to prepare his article for the Times, and also to continue with his interviews. He would return later for dinner.

  The hotel would be abuzz with activity. Jonathan wanted to hear all that was going on in the aftermath, but for Madeline, her job was now over. She had no compulsion to revisit the hotel.

  Hugh appeared early in the afternoon to assist her and Mrs. O'Malley in preparing for the evening's guests. They spent the time talking about the progress being made at his home in Oak Park, and the upcoming dinner. They did not discuss Madeline's dramatic encounter with Alfred, agreeing that they would wait till the evening. She would then reveal all that she had come to know about his gruesome actions.

  Champagne and wine were provided, along with several liqueurs. When the guests began to arrive, Hugh and Madeline ensured everyone had a glass in their hand. Somehow she believed the business they would be discussing might set easier if they were all somewhat relaxed.

  Mrs. O'Malley prepared a sumptuous meal of beef, dumplings and other delicacies. She had gone to the bakery and brought an assortment of jellies and cakes. After they had all dined and thanked Mrs. O'Malley for her superb effort, they turned to her and requested she begin her story.

  "Thank you for coming. Those of you who have suffered a terrible loss because of Alfred may find it difficult to hear the details, but I have asked you here to give you the opportunity to learn everything that I know about his motives and how he was finally apprehended."

  Mr. Gapinski said, "It will be difficult―we all agree, but we choose to know, so please go on."

  Louie and Rosa nodded in agreement, and so she began.

  "There were some things I surmised, but I learned directly from Alfred yesterday at the hospital many of the facts I am about to tell you.

  Many years ago, Lady Mary, her daughter, sister, and mother lived with the Harrison family. She was the boy's nanny. Her mother was the family's cook, and her sister performed the duties of a maid and assisted her mother in the kitchen. She said her sister was the beauty of the family, and the Harrison's father had an eye for her. He apparently promised her many things, saying the mother of the boys was ill, and that someday he would marry her. When she became pregnant, she was sent away. She died in childbirth, and the old man apparently did show some genuine remorse at her passing and arranged to adopt the child. That child was Patrick.

  Alfred learned of these things by listening in on Lady Mary's conversations as a child and going through her things whenever she was inebriated and didn't pay close attention to him. He was closest to her, as she treated him like family. In his earlier life, he held no real resentment for the brothers. He did not learn, however, of his own blood connection to the family until about a year ago. That is when his hatred and plans to hurt them took root.

  Lady Mary's daughter, like the sister, had become pregnant by yet another Harrison, Joseph, and Alfred was the result of that pregnancy.

  Joseph, however, did not wish any further involvement with her, agreeing only to adopt the baby and financially support him. However, Joseph did not give him his name or rightful place in
the family. He gave her a monetary supplement, and she disappeared. Neither Lady Mary nor Alfred has ever seen her again.

  Alfred had been stealing small things from the brothers for years, but not for himself―to give money to Lady Mary. He didn't know then that she was his grandmother, but he thought of her that way.

  He knew that Joseph had a weakness for the ladies and that he carried his passion to extremes by offering young women money to spend time with him. He and Patrick chose those who he thought might be desperate for money and might agree to his terms. Whether they stayed a day or a month, he gave them each a platinum ring to signify his connection to them. He swore them to secrecy and hid his identity and where they were being taken."

  She went on at great length describing how the girls were made to wear blindfolds and how they about their treatment once they arrived in the cellar.

  "Maria, like many of the girls―according to Alfred―was swayed by the promise of the easy money. The ring alone, she thought, would bring enough money for her to maybe start her own bakery here in Chicago. But, after only a few days, she thought better of it and decided to leave. Unlike the others, she noticed the peculiar reaction everyone had after eating the chocolates. Alfred overheard her speaking to one of the girls about leaving, and taking the evidence with her to the authorities. Alfred had Willie tie her up until they decided what was to be done. Willie thought Alfred might harm her, and told her he would release her if she promised not to go to the authorities. He snuck Maria out, but then he found information in her bag, notes about what happened. He became afraid and wanted to take her back to the hotel. She bolted from the carriage. He then chased after her. He told Alfred he hadn't meant to harm her, just warn her. But then when Willie had almost caught up with her, the carriage came rushing up, and he pushed her in front of it. He had done it in a state of panic believing that he and Alfred would go to jail. Willie never knew that Alfred murdered the girls, he only thought he was stealing from them.

  Joseph had several locations besides his hotel where he looked for beautiful women. But most ladies were chosen from those who were seen at the hotel, or at the Auditorium. That is why the hotel had so many events that attracted women, such as the fashion shows.

  What Joseph didn't know was that after he paid the girls their money, and released them to Alfred, who'll be returning them to the Auditorium or some other location, that many of them never to be seen again. Alfred did not harm all of them, just those that had been given the greater amounts of money. He left with them, stole whatever money Joseph had given them, then suffocated them. He felt that was the most humane way to kill them, and to preserve the body in tact. He then placed them in the lye vats to strip the human remains and sold the skeletons.

  Wanda, unfortunately, like Maria had decided to leave and was overheard by Alfred talking about how bizarre the situation was and that someone should be told about it. When Wanda proclaimed she wished to leave immediately, Alfred was not inside the hotel. Joseph then enlisted Patrick to take her. But Alfred saw them outside the hotel and took his place as the driver. He charmed her into going for a ride in the park with him. Alfred gave her enough opium to make her woozy and disoriented. He stopped at the river, telling her the night air would make her feel better. They got out of the carriage and walked by the river, and it was easy enough for him to then push her in. She was probably too drugged to have put up much of a fight, or survive the waters.

  He never took the rings from any of the girls because he knew that the diamonds were imitation, unbeknownst to the recipients. It would have taken an expert to tell. When I saw the rings, I thought they must be very expensive.

  It was then that Alfred believed the situation had become too dangerous to continue. He believed he would either be found out by the brothers, by the police, or by the efforts of our snooping. He had deliberately been kind to me, hoping that I should never suspect him.

  Although, he had hoped for an even bigger cache, he was content with the money he had and booked his passage for him and Margaret.

  Poor Margaret believed him nothing less than a prince, and had agreed to run away with him without telling anyone."

  "Was it just about the damned money?" asked Louie, his face reddened with rage.

  "No, it was more than that. The money was a way for him to escape, but he left a trail, thinking the brothers would be eventually be arrested for what he did. He believed if even one of them were prosecuted, the hotel would not sustain the scandal, and they would end up losing everything. He said he always felt slighted by the brothers, but still was grateful for what they had done, until he learned he was the actual birth son of Joseph. He felt that he should be given the prominence of being part owner. He resented Patrick, for although he was also adopted, he stood to inherit. Alfred received none of the things that Patrick had, which made him bent on revenge. He also knew that they did not provide for Lady Mary, as she thought they did. Most of the money she received to be able to remain in her luxury accommodations came from Alfred. He told her the money was from the brothers to spare her from the hurt it would have inflicted if she knew they actually had done little to help her.

  He had taken enough money to be able to marry Margaret, and live abroad, at least for a few years. He already had booked his passage and had false passports for the two of them. Chances are, he would have left the country before anyone found out the truth.

  Willie is in custody for his part in this, and of course, the brothers are being investigated. However, the only action that was prosecutable was to give the girls drugs without their knowledge. Everything else, was done with the girls consent. They did not hold them against their will; they were always free to go at any time."

  "What part did Christopher and Patrick play in this?" asked Marilyn.

  "Patrick only wanted to continue to be in the favor of Joseph, so he helped his brother hide the goings on in the cellar from Christopher. There were only the four of them that even knew the cellar existed. All the brothers wanted to keep the existence of the cellar unknown to the police. Patrick and Joseph for obvious reasons, and Christopher because of the fact that some of the items stored in the basement were contraband from other countries, and to hide their worth from the internal revenue service," said Madeline.

  "Did he say why he assaulted Jonathan?" asked Hugh.

  "I can answer that. I asked if it was him who hit me across the back, and he said it was. He said he had been at the Austin all along with Margaret and saw me go after the brothers. He was afraid I would catch them in the act of soliciting women and ruin his plans prematurely. He wanted to be certain I couldn't continue to follow them," said Jonathan.

  "Christopher was the only one who played no part in this at all. He is the serious one who was always busy with the running of the hotel. He sensed his brothers might be up to something and tried to keep a watchful eye on them, but never caught them doing anything. He had no knowledge of the girls being held in the cellar. Alfred brought things up from the cellar for him, and he never went down there," said Madeline.

  "What about Lady Mary?" asked Marilyn.

  "Alfred said she had no knowledge of what was happening. I am sure she will be shocked to find out what her grandson did, and to lose her friend, Willie at the same time.

  Alfred even took the clothing from the girls that he thought might fit Margaret and stored it in the cellar. He wanted to have the trunk filled with the dead girl's clothing shipped to Europe. He was planning on giving the clothing to her as a wedding gift," said Madeline.

  "Do they know how many girls he may have killed? And who was the unidentified man who took us in the carriage?" asked Nancy.

  "Jonathan said they found the receipts to the places he sold the skeletons to, and they will follow the trail from there. They found as many as eight receipts, but they believe there to be more as he may have dabbled in murder before they built the Harrison when the brothers were in Detroit.

  As far as Joseph's part in getting the girls
to the hotel undetected, according to what Alfred said, he hired a different man to pick the girls up each time. The man then proceeded to some unknown destination near the hotel where he was paid and let go. Patrick, in disguise, then took the carriage the rest of the way."

  "So Joseph and Patrick were aware they had been with the missing girls. Why didn't they tell the police? And what about the first girl that I told you about, the one in the stockyards―was she also his victim?" asked Uncle Hank.

  "Scandal. They felt no remorse in not conveying their knowledge because, as far as they knew, the girls were all still alive when they saw them last. They felt whatever happened to the girls did not have anything to do with them. Christopher already had diminished some of their authority, and they felt that if he learned of this, he would be very displeased with their actions and what that would do to the reputation of the hotel.

  I asked Alfred about the girl thought to have committed suicide. He did not lay claim to killing her, but the police will reopen that case to be certain, " replied Madeline.

  She and Jonathan went on to discuss the other particulars of the case, including finding the secret passage into the cellar.

  It was a bittersweet meeting for all. They expressed their relief that Alfred had been stopped, but they found his actions so horrifying that many wept as she told the story.

  When everyone had gone and only Jonathan and Hugh remained, they sat together, true friends now bonded forever.

  It was almost ten―her father and Mrs. O'Malley were still sitting at the dining table talking. Jonathan, Hugh and Madeline went outside to walk in the cool, moonless night.

  "Thank goodness you are safe. I think you took too great a risk. You may have been killed," said Hugh.

  "I may have, but I believe this is my life now, and what I choose to do. I will get better at it," said Madeline.