Signal to Murder

by Rhone Sonnier

  Marguerite and Francis are extremely concerned about their Grandson’s safety. They feel that he should leave Illinois for a while. They plan to discuss with Keith an interim move to Charleston. He would not have to live with them, but he should consider the move; he needs companionship and protection. If Keith chooses, he can keep his apartment in Rockford and his business in Chicago; he has more than sufficient funds. Of course, all final decisions will be Keith’s, but he realizes that he has issues and must accept advice.

  Prior to learning of Keith’s existence, Francis and Marguerite were considering a move to Austin, Texas. They would both love for Keith to go there with them, but for right now they must take baby steps and allow Keith to fully recover his memory, heal his body, and regain independent control of his life.

  Marguerite phones Kate to inform her that she and Francis have rented the apartment next door to Keith. She says, “As we told you at brunch, we are not sure how long we will be in Rockford and it will be convenient for us to be close to Keith. We intend to provide physical and emotional support as our Grandson recovers.”

  In direct response to Marguerite’s announcement about the apartment Kate replies vehemently, “I love Keith and when we are married I will take great care of him.”

  After Kate’s outburst Marguerite thinks, “Kate is really reaching and is displaying unrealistic expectations of a relationship with Keith. I have observed the two of them together in his hospital room and he remembers her, but he is not overtly affectionate toward her, just polite.”

  In this same conversation with Marguerite, Kate says, “I have repeatedly refused Keith’s proposals of marriage and will not live with Keith unless we are married.”

  Marguerite had to bite her tongue, literally, she told Kate, “Francis and I are pleased that you care so much for Keith.” Marguerite cuts short her phone conversation with Kate saying, “I have to go Kate, you and I can talk later.” After disconnecting from Kate, Marguerite says out loud to herself, “Young lady, we will see what is going on here. Something smells very fishy.”

  Francis and Marguerite talked with Keith about Kate after Marguerite first arrived at the hospital and met Kate in Keith’s hospital room.

  After meeting Kate for the first time Marguerite asked Keith if Kate was just a friend or his girlfriend. Keith replied with, “Kate is a casual long term childhood friend and neighbor. I love her in that way, not as a soul mate.”

  Marguerite and Kate met later in the hospital cafeteria when Marguerite was having coffee. Kate inferred that Keith had proposed marriage, but she had refused; Marguerite decided to relate this to Keith.

  Keith said, “I have never considered Kate a serious girlfriend and I have never proposed to her. I know that Kate loves me in that way, but I have never encouraged her.”

  Keith asks that his Grandparents allow him to resolve the situation with Kate. He tells Marguerite that it sounds to him like she has become awfully possessive since the first attempt on his life and even more possessive since the ambush. Marguerite assures Keith that she and Francis completely agree with him in this matter.

  Later as Francis and Marguerite discuss Keith they both agree that Keith must get back to his work, hobbies, and Tai Chi as soon as possible. Francis insists we must all remember Keith’s life has been and continues to be in danger.

  Marguerite tells Francis, “Contrary to what I have told Kate, we will rent the apartment next door to Keith’s, but I will move into Keith’s spare room with you. The three of us will keep this our secret. Marguerite continues with, “We will put most of our luggage next door and feign living there to foil another attempt on Keith’s life.” Marguerite and Francis return to Keith’s apartment to visit with Dillon and see to his needs. They also plan to rest prior to going out to dinner to celebrate their anniversary.

  Marguerite and Francis are having their anniversary dinner in a popular Rockford steak house. As they eat Francis starts to discuss details of the Tuesday assault with her. He is speaking rather loudly. Marguerite insists that Francis lower his voice. She informs Francis that his voice is like a megaphone in a tight place. This frustrates Francis, but he knows Marguerite is correct about his voice carrying because of his hearing impediment.

  Lowering his voice while leaning toward Marguerite Francis says, “The punctures in my Kevlar vest have a tight pattern. I am confident that the shooters were trying to kill me. Keith was not fired at; he was accidentally injured by the cement shard found next to him at the scene. I am convinced that someone wanted to hurt Keith by having him witness my death. This means you are probably in danger Marguerite. The three of us must be vigilant, and remain in close proximity to ensure our safety.”

  Francis continues, “The shooters were expert marksmen/markswomen, and if they had intended to harm Keith he would be dead. He would have been hit in his upper body before any shots hit me. All of the shots were intended to harm me. I saw the woman with the guitar pulling a gun from her coat, and I threw my cane toward her to keep her from aiming and shooting. My cane flew over the carriage and woman and hit the guitar lady in the chest.

  The female with the guitar fired one shot hitting me in the chest as my cane hit her full in her upper chest causing her to stumble backwards toward the parked bus.

  The baby carriage woman had crouched down and she fired her first shot through the carriage and hit me in the chest. Having been hit twice I stumbled backwards grabbed a gun from a security guard and shot the guitar lady in the chest as she continued moving backwards. The guitar lady was back peddling to the bus and fired her second shot hitting the baby carriage woman in the back.

  This caused the carriage lady to roll to the pavement. When she fired her second shot it was erratic hit the curb causing a shard to strike Keith and puncture his leg close to his knee.

  I fired a second and third shot; they hit the carriage lady in the chest and shoulder. Before she could recover and fire again (her possible third shot) I walked up to her and fired my fourth shot directly in her face. When I reached her I could see that she was not dead, her limbs were flinching; I could not take a chance that she would recover enough to fire her gun again.

  Marguerite asks Francis to lower his voice again but listens intently as Francis continues relating his analysis of the ambush attempt. Francis grimaces knowing Marguerite is right about his booming voice and so lowers his voice again.

  Francis continues his analysis without skipping a beat, “I have been told there was no baby in the carriage, only a life-sized doll.” Francis catches his breath and moves on with, “I saw Dillon as he checked for the baby and found none. He then retrieved my cane returning it to me. At the ambulance Dillon tried to get in and the EMT told him to leave. I instructed Dillon to go home, take my cane and go home. He bit down on the leather string run through the handle end and started dragging the cane toward the apartment building.”

  Francis adds, “I know now that Ms. Seemore saw Dillon with the cane and followed him up to Keith’s door. She said Dillon scratched on the door and she let him in. When we got home from the hospital I found my cane lying under my practice mattress. I commented on the cane when we entered the apartment.”

  Exasperated Francis discusses his inability to train Dillon. Catching his breath Francis continues with, “I don’t understand why Dillon retrieved my cane, because he absolutely has refused to do so in the past. I am wasting my time pondering this fact. Dillon is a very independent spirit, that attribute is what makes him so special. I feel so fortunate that we all have this great little fella in our lives”

  Francis tells Marguerite, “Dillon will not perform tricks for anyone, perhaps he feels it undignified. I choose to believe he did not regard this as a trick, but a necessary service, even his duty which he wanted to perform in helping me. This fact tells me it is I who failed to become better trained and not Dillon.”

  Francis emphasizes, “Dillon is a great addition to the Sorrell family and a good, unrelenting, dedicated member of Kei
th’s investigative team, as are we.”

  Chapter 40

  Keith’s Private Detectives

  Weeks before the assault outside Keith’s apartment building on the morning of April 14, 2009, Keith Edwards’ attorney researched, with help from d’Artagnan, for the best professional private detectives in the Chicago area.

  Now that there has been another attempt on Keith’s life and also knowing that Keith has recovered some memory, Raj calls him on the morning of Wednesday, April 15 to discuss immediately opening Sorrell’s Investigations with d’Artagnan as Manager. Raj has already begun to legally change the agency name from Keith Edwards Investigations to Sorrell’s Investigations as per Keith’s request. Raj says, “I am aware that you are beginning to get your memory back, but you are still not recovered enough to open and run your office here in Chicago. With the business up and running we would have resources available to look further into the first attempt on your life and the ambush assault on Tuesday.”

  Raj continues, “Keith, d’Artagnan and I have interviewed and selected three detectives that would work full time along with d’Artagnan on cases. You had already lined up three cold cases that you wanted the agency to work on, but they will also be investigating the first attempt on your life and the ambush assault outside your apartment building which was either an attempt to kill you or Francis, or both of you.”

  Raj and Keith arrange for Raj to come to Rockford after lunch that day for a meeting. Meeting attendees will be Keith, Francis, Marguerite and Raj. Furthermore, Keith agrees with Raj’s suggestion on opening the investigation business and by that afternoon the doors of Sorrell’s Investigations have opened for business. For their protection, the three detectives along with d’Artagnan will use code names in the business. The investigators are to report at scheduled intervals according to a time table to be developed by Keith Edwards Sorrell, with input from his Grandfather Francis Sorrell, d’Artagnan, and Raj. Their code names are that of The Three Musketeers, Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. They will make their reports using these names only, no given names. Their actual names and that of d’Artagnan will remain private for a time.

  The four code names are derived from Alexander Dumas. 1844 March – July “The Three Musketeers” a serial in the newspaper Le Siele.

  Keith had previously written out a plan for opening his investigative business. With Francis’ assistance, after waking from his coma, Keith chose the code names of the cases for his hired investigators to work on. Raj and d’Artagnan had all this information when the switch was literally pushed to begin the operations of Sorrell’s Investigations. When Keith’s amnesia prevented the opening of the business, Raj and d’Artagnan had continued with activities moving toward the day when Keith could give his final okay for the business to become operational.

  Case Number one is assigned to Private Investigator Athos. The cold case is from 1983 and is The Kermitt Smith kidnapping murder in Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

  Case Number two is assigned to Private Investigator Porthos. The cold case is from 1983 and concerns the suicide of a twelve year old from Tarboro, North Carolina.

  Case Number three is assigned to Private Investigator Aramis. The cold case is from 1963. The case was referred to as The Totem Pole Suicide/Murder of a Ms. Hightower and her boyfriend in Ocean Springs, Mississippi. (It is important to note that Aramis is the most mature and experienced of the private investigators and he was the first of the three investigators to be hired by Sorrell’s Investigations.)

  Keith’s records show that he already knows from preliminary investigation that over the years all significant case reporters, detectives, or witnesses in North Carolina, and Mississippi have seemingly vanished as they retired, passed away, or changed occupations and cities. Manager/Investigator d’Artagnan has instructed the three investigators to take a fresh look into each case and endeavor to come up with some new information. The firm Manager emphasizes “We will use fresh eyes to review cold cases with the hoped for end result of uncovering new and pertinent information.”

  Keith’s records and notes further state that local and state public libraries have little in their computerized archive data about the cases. Locating original documentation may take a while to uncover. Knowing that these cases will require a great deal of research, d’Artagnan will act as the fourth investigator, the fourth Musketeer, and will be available to support each of the three in the field as needed. Mgr. d’Artagnan will remain in Chicago at the main office; he will manage all business, staff, and case activities.

  Aramis will be lead investigator reporting to d’Artagnan. In addition, d’Artagnan has elected to assign double duty to Athos and himself to investigate the two attempted murders of Keith Edwards Sorrell.

  Aramis and d’Artagnan know that the two deceased women shooters involved in the ambush have been identified by Breau and Hernandez; they are Celina Gomez Valenzuela a Hispanic American, and CeCe Brown an African American. They are planning to drive over to Rockford and talk with the Homicide Detectives. Aramis and d’Artagnan will then begin to build their own case files of the attempts on Keith’s life. They know that Detectives Hernandez and Breau are seasoned professionals, but using Keith’s resources they are hoping to uncover some overlooked information. From the Chicago office, Aramis will begin looking into the Ocean Springs murder/suicide case.

  “The administering of anticoagulant into Keith’s food supplies is particularly disturbing and the source will be revealed,” says d’Artagnan, Manager of Sorrell’s Investigations, as he sits in his new Chicago office.

  Chapter 41

  Anticoagulant Verified

  Thanks to an excellent EMT and Keith’s Grandfather, Francis Sorrell, Keith has a chance to reflect on his past. If it were not for the quick response and knowledge of the EMT in the emergency vehicle, Keith would have died before reaching the hospital. Keith’s blood was not clotting, and the EMT administered the necessary drug to assist his clotting process.

  Keith is ecstatic that his memory is coming back. It is a slow process, he wishes he would have recovered all of his memory at once, but he did not. Keith remembers that someone attempted to murder him last year. He also knows that he has been suffering total memory loss since the murder attempt and that his Grandfather Francis has been by his side for months. On Tuesday morning, April 14, someone attempted to kill Keith and or Francis. Keith recalls that a SWAT team entered his apartment by mistake early that morning. After his dog, Dillon, was taken by a canine officer he ran in pursuit of Dillon and was fired upon outside his apartment building.

  I am currently recovering from the second attempt on my life, an ambush. I am once more in Rockford Memorial Hospital with police and private security guards at my door around the clock. My Grandparents and Raj said that a second attempt on my life warrants extra protection, at least for a while.

  My Grandfather and I have talked extensively, and we both suspect that I (we) have a nemesis. This nemesis is someone that hates me enough to want to harm me and or my family.

  Upon awakening from the anesthesia after being injured in the ambush yesterday morning, I am becoming more alert and my analytical abilities are sharper. Best of all my memory is back, at least some of it. Of course, no one knows what I do not remember. My doctor informed me that he is sure I will recover all of my memory in time.

  Grandfather Francis told me Detectives Hernandez and Breau suspect that the same person or persons, male and or female probably made both attempts on my life and possibly his.

  Grandfather said, “Thank God their attempts failed.”

  I was severely injured during both murder attempts; each time I have been near death or have had no pulse for minutes. This has taken a physical toll on my body and mind, no one knows to what extent, only time will tell.

  I, Keith Edwards Sevan Sorrell, believe, but I am not certain, that I had an out of body experience. The occurrence is very troubling to me. As I continue my awakening and thoughts I wonder, “Was I really out of
my body and in spirit form, or was the experience just a very vivid dream occurring during a trauma?”

  I remember seeing a bright inviting light and I felt a wonderful warmth envelope me. I know that nothing like that has ever happened to me before. I never experienced or witnessed either of these events before. I remember seeing my Mother and Father standing in the light. I know that the man was my Father, because although I never met him, Grandfather Francis has shown me his picture. My parents had their arms up and spread open with the palms of their hands extended out telling me not to walk toward them. They said, “You have unfinished work. Do not continue walking toward us. Go back Keith, go back. It is not your time to enter the light.”

  Keith thinks, “I reflect on this experience over and over, it is quite unsettling, but at the same time was and is extremely comforting.”

  I remember that as I was awakening from my out of body experience or trance or dream or whatever, Grandfather was holding my hand saying, “Don’t leave us again Keith, you have work to do here. We need to get to work. You have much work to do. Stay with us Keith, we need you.” I remember as I was listening to my Grandfather’s words, I became determined to stay; after all I was outnumbered by people telling me to stay.

  “I’ll stay,” I remember saying out loud. I woke myself up when I spoke, and I was looking at the ceiling in the emergency room treatment area. I was given a sedative and woke some time later.

  When I next woke something got my attention and when I looked toward the foot of my hospital bed I was looking at Detective Sergeant Javier Sanchez Hernandez; he had re-entered my life.