Change of Address

by Rick Polad

  We both got up. It was Kelly.

  Stosh whistled at the car. “Nice crowd you’re running with, kid.”

  “That’s nothin’, wait till you meet her.”

  I answered the door and put my arms around her. Sleepy and no makeup and she looked beautiful. I took her bag and her hand and led her into the living room where Stosh was waiting. After introductions, we all sat, she on the sofa next to me. She turned to me.

  “Now that you’ve got me scared to death, can I get an explanation?”

  “Sure.”

  “Would you like some coffee, Miss Green?” asked Stosh.

  “That would be great. Thank you. And please call me Kelly.”

  He got up and headed for the kitchen. “Spencer, hold that explanation till I get back. I’d like another run at it. Why don’t you two put your cars in the garage? Spencer, put mine in the drive.” He tossed me his keys.

  I reached out and touched Kelly’s hair and told her I was getting worried because it had taken her longer than expected.

  “Well that’s your fault. You got me so paranoid I thought every car I saw was following me. I took several detours.”

  “Do you think anyone was?”

  “Probably not. But there was one yellow car that was behind me for a couple of turns in a row.”

  “Ronny’s?”

  She laughed. “No. I’d know his beater anywhere. This was a real car. Anyway, whoever it was finally turned off.”

  “I’m glad you’re okay, Kelly. I was worried.”

  “I’m okay. But I’d feel better if I knew what was going on.”

  “Wait for Stosh and I’ll tell you everything.” Almost. We moved the cars.

  When we sat back down, Kelly put her head back and closed her eyes. The world is full of all kinds of things, some wonderful, some nasty. I was going to do my darndest to keep her from running into the nasty.

  Stosh came in and set the coffee cup on the table, returned to his chair, and pulled up the footrest. He stretched and yawned. “Okay kid. Once more. But if the young lady wants to hear, you’d better wake her up.”

  “I’m awake,” she said. “Just resting my eyes.” She opened them and sipped the coffee, grimacing a bit.

  “Sorry,” said Stosh. “I don’t make it much.”

  She shook her head. “No, it’s fine. Thank you.”

  I repeated the story, leaving out the threat to Kelly and some of the window dressing. By the time I was done, she had moved close to me and was holding onto my arm. I expected her first words to be concern for her plight. I was wrong.

  “Spencer, I am so sorry about your parents. Manning. You know I didn’t remember what their names were. Why didn’t you mention it before?”

  “It’s not the kind of thing that comes up in conversation.”

  “Well it did. Remember when we were having lunch and you asked me if Bobby had any trouble with the police? I was about to tell you that when we were interrupted by your friend.” She shuddered. “You would have known then.” Her voice was soft and caring and tired.

  “But if you had maybe we wouldn’t have Bobby. And I think there are other things he knows.”

  “I think you’re playing with dynamite.”

  “I think so too,” Stosh chimed in. He put down the footrest and sat forward in the chair. “Lets see what we’ve got here, I mean besides the laws you’ve broken. Should we count those first?”

  “Broken?” I asked. “Maybe bent, but not broken.”

  “No? How about kidnapping.”

  “Geez. Whose side are you on?”

  “The law’s side, kid.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, the law that handcuffs the cops while the bad guys roll out their cannons and stand there laughing.”

  “We’ve been down this road before, Spence. We know where we stand and it ain’t gonna change. It’s the way I have to do it.”

  “Yup. We both have our ways. I’ll just continue with mine.”

  “It’s a free country. Till you break the law. Then I come after you, my way of course.” He leaned back. “I’d rather not see you behind bars.”

  “Me too. In the meantime, my way turned Accidental Death into Murder. And maybe got you a witness for whatever the hell is going on at the track that you are scratching your butt about and who knows what else. And, by the way, I even got some info on my own case while I was out solving yours.”

  “Let’s not get too cocky. I agree you opened some doors. But you are also here because you’re hiding from the bad guys that you’re so proud of bringing to the surface. And may I point out that you’re not the only person you placed in the line of fire?”

  I looked down at Kelly. Her head had slumped against my shoulder and this time she was asleep. Her breathing was deep and her breath was warm on my arm.

  “Yeah okay. I’m not a big shot. But we got something, didn’t we?”

  “We?”

  “Yes, we. I was coming to you anyway, even if I didn’t need a place to hide.”

  “Yeah we got something. Probably a lawsuit. Even a half-assed lawyer could make kidnapping stick.”

  “It wasn’t kidnapping, Stosh. I gave him a choice. He decided to come with us.”

  “Sure. After you scared him to death.”

  “I don’t see it that way. And I don’t think Bobby will either. I think he’s on our side.”

  “I hope so. It’s done. We’ll just have to see where it falls. But these aren’t amateurs you’re playing with, Spencer. They mean business. I don’t think they meant to kill your folks. It probably was just supposed to be a warning. But I guarantee you they don’t care much that they did. Where’s the kid?”

  “I’m not sure. I figured I didn’t want to know in case they grabbed me and tried to torture it out of me.”

  He pointed his finger at me. “Spencer, this is not a TV show. It’s not a game. These guys are real and they won’t care if you happen to die.”

  “So I guess we better catch them first.”

  “Not we. Me, and my friends with the badges. I’ll get some protection for you and Kelly. Nice lady by the way. And you butt out. Got it?”

  “Got it. I don’t have a death wish.”

  “I know. But you do have this streak of justice. Sometimes the bad guys win.”

  “Not if I can help it.”

  He stood up, ran his hand through his hair, and frowned. “I won’t always be there to help, Spencer.”

  “I know. I’ll be careful. And you do have Bobby and a confession.”

  “To you.”

  “And Johnny.”

  “To me would be better. I’ll go have a chat with him and see if the story stays the same.”

  I nodded and twisted on the sofa. The arm Kelly was leaning against had fallen asleep. “You haven’t said thank you.”

  He laughed. “Sorry, so far all I see is trouble.”

  “Well if that’s how you feel, next time I won’t call,” I said with a smile.

  “Sure you will, you’re not stupid, just too brave for your own good.”

  As he picked up the coffee cups he asked, “Now what’s this about your case?”

  “I talked with the mayor last night.”

  Stosh raised his eyebrows but said nothing.

  “He knows Elizabeth but says he’s not Marty’s father. Wasn’t too talkative.”

  “What did he say about Ronny?”

  “I didn’t mention Ronny. The mayor had pretty much told me that since he wasn’t the father, he was done talking. And I figured he wouldn’t be too impressed with my source of information about Ronny. So I decided to wait till I had some proof that tied Ronny to Elizabeth.”

  He nodded. “Probably a good idea. But how are you going to get proof?”

  “ I already got some. I have a picture of Marty and canceled checks made out to Elizabeth that tie in Ronny.”

  “Ronny’s checks?”

  “No. The checks were signed by the mayor.”

  “Stosh set
the cups back down and sat on the edge of the table. “So how do they tie in Ronny?”

  “They were found in Ronny’s possession.”

  “By you?”

  “Yes.”

  “They just happen to fall out of his pocket while you were waltzing in the alley?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “Then?”

  I decided I was in enough trouble. So far my infractions were just bending the rules; breaking and entering was a different story. “Let’s just say I know where they are.”

  “Okay, but if your ass gets caught in the wringer, I can’t help. Your doing something illegal is just as illegal as their doing something illegal.”

  “Yes sir.” I glanced at the clock on the wall. A little after three.

  He gathered the cups and shook his head. “Kids. I suppose you’re going to talk to the mayor again?”

  “I’d like to. You want another group meeting first?”

  “No, I don’t think so. As long as it’s still personal, you handle it. Don’t accuse him of something you can’t back up. Best to show him what you’ve got and let him do the talking.”

  “Sure. You want to set it up?”

  “No, you call him. I’ll get you his private number before you leave. And please remember there is a murder case there too.”

  I promised. “You thinking he could have done it?”

  “I try not to think without facts. How many checks are there?”

  “Nine.”

  “Over what time span?”

  “A few years.”

  He pursed his lips and left the room with the cups. A clink in the kitchen was followed by footsteps back into the living room. “Why would the mayor write checks to Elizabeth if he wasn’t the father? And if he was willing to pay her for that long, why would he suddenly kill her?”

  “Two good questions.”

  “See if you can get an answer to the first. Don’t go near the second. Understand?”

  I did.

  “Okay, let’s get a little sleep. I put sheets on the bed in the guest room for your lady friend. You can have the couch.”

  I woke Kelly enough to make it down the hall and into bed. I returned to the sofa and put off doing any more thinking till morning. After kicking off my shoes, I sat on the sofa and don’t remember lying down.

  Chapter 28

  I woke up to birds chirping, a room filled with sunshine, and the smell of coffee. But the smell of this morning’s coffee was more enticing than that of last night’s. I soon found out why—Kelly had made it. I stretched and fought the urge to stay on the sofa. It was only a little past seven and I wasn’t trying very hard. I wanted to stay and listen to the birds; they sounded so carefree. Nobody was threatening them. The cats must have slept in. But then I got another incentive to get up; the sizzle and pop and aroma of frying bacon pulled me into the kitchen feeling a little self-conscious in my slept-in clothes. I must have looked awful. My face felt like the skin was sagging downward. But I took some solace in the fact that Kelly was in the same boat. The only good-looker this morning would be Stosh and that was a stretch at best.

  Turning the corner of the kitchen, I found I was wrong about Kelly. Somehow she looked like a fresh breeze feels on a hot day.

  I kissed the back of her neck and asked, “How do you do that?”

  She turned the bacon and answered, “Do what?”

  “Not look like I feel.”

  She laughed. “It’s magic we women learn at an early age. Hair pulled back and up and add a ribbon and you have something far different than the scraggly mess I’d have with it down. And I have the benefit of a shower and makeup and fresh clothes, casual as they may be. I didn’t take much time to pick out an outfit. You probably just ran out and didn’t think of clothes. Right?”

  “Guilty.” I put my hands on her shoulders. “Can I help?”

  “You can go wash up. I think your friend is done in the shower. If you hurry you can crack some eggs.”

  I hurried and met Stosh coming out of the bathroom.

  “All yours, kid. You look like hell.”

  “Good morning to you too.”

  “Nothing personal. We can’t all be Greek gods.” He slapped me on the back and took a deep breath. “Something smells good.”

  “The cook is busy.”

  He lost his bluster and whispered quietly, “God I miss that smell.”

  I patted his shoulder.

  “You’d better hurry or I might steal your woman. There’s a spare toothbrush in the vanity.”

  “I’m hurrying.” Everybody was in a hurry this morning. My woman. Happy and scared at the same time. As I washed my face, I thought about Kelly. She was certainly “a keeper” as Dad would have said. But I wasn’t sure if I was in the market for keeping. And I didn’t know if she was either. But what if she was and I walked away and never found another? Too much to think about. I had other problems, like whether or not I’d be a statistic tomorrow. I toweled off, brushed the taste of Ronny’s filthy apartment out of my mouth and headed for the feast.

  The back door was open. Birds were singing as they waited for their turn at the feeder by the porch, and a breeze was blowing the yellow and green curtains on the window over the sink. Stosh was brushing eggshells into the garbage and Kelly was turning the eggs. Bacon and orange juice were already on the table. A police radio crackled softly in the background. We ate like people who planned on living another day.

  Between bites, Stosh said, “Kelly, I wish you didn’t have to be here under these circumstances, but this is wonderful. I usually run off to work with a bowl of cereal.”

  That pretty smile filled the room with everything nice. “Glad you like it. But give me your opinion, Mr. Powolski. Do I need to be here?”

  He soaked up some runny egg with his toast and ate it before answering, “I really don’t think so. But your white knight here thinks so. So better safe than sorry. And please call me Stosh.”

  I knew he was saying that to make her feel better. He thought she needed to be there too.

  “Do you think I can go back to the hotel, at least to get some more clothes?”

  I let him do the talking. She’d probably listen to him more than me. “Well if you want to keep Mr. Big Deal P.I. happy, maybe you’d better stay here for a couple of days. If you want to give me your key, I’ll send an officer to your room to pick up some clothes. Same for you, Spence.”

  There was an ongoing chatter on the radio.

  “Let me see if I understand,” I said slowly. “You want me to spend the day here alone with Kelly?”

  He washed the last of the toast and eggs down with orange juice. “Think you can handle that?”

  “I’ll give it a try,” I said and wiped my mouth on my paper napkin. “So what’s the plan?”

  “The plan?” he asked.

  “Yeah. What about Bobby and my appointment?”

  Stosh quickly glanced at Kelly and raised his eyebrows.

  I put my hand on Kelly’s arm. “Don’t worry Stosh. She already knows most of my case and the accident is public news.”

  “Yeah, but if it’s murder, I don’t want that public. And I’d rather...”

  Kelly put up her hand and butted in. “I understand. I’ll go make the bed. Spencer can clean up while you guys talk.”

  “No offense, Kelly. I don’t mean that you would...”

  “No offense taken.” She touched his arm lightly.

  He looked like a neglected puppy. Kelly’s kiss on his cheek perked him up again. We both watched her go. As she did, the room lost some of its brightness.

  “Whew. Spencer, where did you find that one?”

  I explained.

  “So the track taketh away and the track giveth. I don’t know if she makes up for threats on your life, but she’s a big step in that direction.”

  “I agree.” I pushed back my chair and started to clear the plates. “So what’s the plan?”

  “The plan is you stay here and let m
e do my job. Let’s let things calm down and see what’s what. I’ll pay a visit to the Blue Note.”

  “Okay. Tell Johnny what you want to do with Bobby. But what about my call to the mayor?”

  “I’d rather you lay low for a couple of days. The mayor isn’t going anywhere. And I’d rather no one else knew about him.” He carried his plate and glass to the sink.

  I caught his meaning. “I’m sure she’s okay Stosh, but I’ll keep it to myself.” I ran the water till it was hot and rinsed the dried yellow egg off the plates. “I’d like to talk to the mayor though. I hate sitting on a lead.”

  He looked at me and winced. “You’ve got to sit on it for awhile anyway. I know you’re not much on fashion, but slept-in clothes are out this year. Give me your key and make a list and I’ll have someone run over and grab some fresh clothes. We’ll talk about the mayor when I get home tonight.”

  “What time do you get home?”

  “Usually around six. Stay put till then. Watch the Cubs game. Get some sleep. Now make me a list of what you want. Make it enough for a couple of days. I’ll call during the day. I’m going to say goodbye to Kelly.”

  I found a piece of paper and tried to make a list of things I needed. It wasn’t very long. The hardest part was trying to remember if I had anything halfway decent besides the clothes the mayor had already seen me in.

  A door slammed next door and a deep voice yelled something back at his wife. He started his car and revved the engine before backing out of the drive. Road rage. It starts at home, at least in this case. Stosh grabbed the list out of my hand and waved as he went by.

  “So long kid. Behave.”

  I waved to his back. At the moment I was too tired to not behave. But by afternoon I would be rested and couldn’t make any promises.

  Chapter 29

  I don’t like sitting and doing nothing, even if I get to take it easy and watch a ballgame. If there was something going on, I wanted to be in on it. So if it weren’t for Kelly, I would have taken my chances. But she did change things. I was responsible. I put her in this situation. And I wanted to have a serious talk with the guys that would threaten an innocent bystander.

  I was reading the sports page in the den when Kelly reappeared looking like flowers after a spring rain. She sat on the other end of the couch and crossed her legs under her.