Hazards on the Hardwood (Hazards and Hijinks) (11 page)

“I wonder who these guys are.” Sophie said her eyes as big as saucers.

“I don’t know Sophie but obviously they must have said something to the policemen. The policemen are being very forceful.” Sasha loved the drama. These guys were probably going to spend the night in the slammer. “Take that Willie! Your buddies are going to jail and soon you will be joining them, too.” Sasha said in her mind.

This drama that was unfolding down in the street was escalating. There were cops sealing off the road from nosey passersby. The bad guys were being handcuffed and were put in the squad car. It didn’t look good for the suspects.

Shaken from their watch Sasha and Sophie heard a heavy knock at the door. They looked at each other with worry in their eyes. “Who can that be?” Sophie said in a quivering voice.

“I don’t know but I’ll go. You take Zoe to the bedroom and stay there.”

Sasha went to the door and looked through the peephole. The hole didn’t show much other than a dark colored piece of clothing. “Who’s there?” She asked.

“Officer Collins. May I come in and talk to you?”

She opened the door carefully and saw the officer’s badge and I.D. She knew those kinds of things could be “faked” but had to trust him.

“Come in please, Officer. What is going on?”

“I need to talk to Mrs. Sophie O’Brien please. Is she here?”

“Yes I will get her. Please wait here. Would you like a cup of coffee?” Sasha tried to sound calm but was not doing a very good job at it.

“Thanks but I’ll pass on the coffee. I have news for Mrs. O’Brien…Important news.”

Sasha went into the bedroom to get Sophie. Sophie was shaking and hesitant of following Sasha back out into the living room. She did so reluctantly.

“Hello officer. I’m Sophie O’Brien. What is happening? Have you found my ex-husband, Willie? Were those guys part of his crew?” She was full of questions.

“Whoa please Mrs. O’Brien. One question at a time!” He tried to sound pleasant as he answered.

“As you could probably see, after your sister made the phone call to the police station, we came out immediately and questioned those two men in the white SUV. They were definitely up to no good. They couldn’t even produce legal title or registration on that vehicle. They both had priors and warrants were on file for them. Real fine upstanding citizens. Yep they were following someone’s orders. Someone that wanted you gals watched. When we asked them who their ring leader was, they simply shut their mouths and refused to cooperate and since they had warrants and police records, we are hauling them off to jail. They won’t be bothering you ladies for some time.”

20

Spending a night or two at the hospital was almost more than Sparky could bear. He husband was hooked up to various beeping machines, sounding much like an electronic symphony. The chair provided for her to sleep in was uncomfortable but tolerable. Her neck was stiff when she woke up earlier that morning. Now, after a cup of coffee and an anxious butterfly or two in her stomach, she started to worry. She hadn’t heard from Landon yet. “Where was he?” she asked herself. “It’s not like him to say he’d be here in a few hours and then now it’s twelve hours later and he’s still not here.” Her nerves were already worn thread bare.

Landon had flown in on a later flight.
All flights into the New York area were delayed because of bad weather on the East Coast spilling over into the metropolitan areas along the Atlantic seaboard.

He had gone ahead and stayed overnight at the closest hotel to the airport and then caught the early morning flight into JFK. He thought it best to get some rest before facing “Edward’s and Sparky’s” situation.

Landon strolled into the hospital room and Sparky’s face lit up with a big smile. “Landon I’m so glad you finally made it. I’ve been worried sick. Why didn’t you call me and let me know you’d be late?” She hardly gave him time to answer before she continued talking.

“Sparky my flights were delayed and I thought it best to stay overnight and come here in the morning, after a good rest. There’s a big snowstorm headed this way and it caused problems down the coast and is making its way here pretty soon.
I’m here now…tell me about Edward. What happened?”

Sparky relayed all she knew about Edward’s condition to Landon over another cup of coffee and a cafeteria breakfast of cinnamon rolls, biscuits and jam. Landon had heard some of the details from talking with Nicholas Kincaid earlier in the week so he wasn’t too shocked at what she was telling him.

“Arsenic and cyanide? Seriously? Where would Edward get ahold of something like that and why? Did you ever see those items in your home previously?” Landon sounded like a detective instead of a brother.

“No Landon I’ve never seen anything like that stored anywhere in our home.” Sparky’s voice began to shake.

“Have the police come? This could turn ugly, Sparky.” Landon reminded her that these poisons were suspiciously placed and used to hurt her husband.

“I’m well aware of the situation and where the blame for him ingesting these ingredients might fall. But I swear to you Landon, I’ve never bought anything like that ever, and I mean it.”

They walked back to the room after their breakfast and sat discussing the situation quietly when a nurse walked in the door to check Edward’s vitals. She asked Sparky and Landon if they minded moving to the outside of the room. She pulled the curtain around Edward’s bed.

Sparky and Landon continued their conversation and at that moment a couple of official looking gentlemen walked up to the nurses’ station.
Landon thought maybe they were inquiring about Edward. The gentlemen looked in the direction of Edward’s room. They moved closer to Landon and Sparky with serious looks on their faces.

“Excuse me could you tell me if this is Edward Haversham’s room?” The first gentleman spoke.

“Yes I’m Sparky Haversham, Edward’s wife. Who are you?” She sounded rather business like in her tone.

“I’m Detective James and this is Inspector Morris with the F.B.I.
We’re here to find out a few things about Edward Haversham’s condition.”

Detective James continued with the questions while Inspector Morris just quietly observed.

Inside the room the nurse was through with her tasks and pulled back the curtain and told Sparky that everyone could come back in.

“Thanks.
Gentlemen did you wish to come inside? Edward is just sleeping right now. He hasn’t spoken yet. The doctor should be in shortly to let me know what Edward’s status is.”

“No thanks Mrs. Haversham. We have gathered what we need for now.
You aren’t planning on leaving town any time soon are you?” Detective James had a sarcastic tone to his voice. “We would like for you to stay in town in case we have further questions.”

The two men walked down the hall toward the elevator.

“Whew! I wonder what they are thinking happened to Edward.” Sparky said. She was worried. Would suspicion fall on her?

“Look Sparky those guys are just doing their job.
They are looking for reasons why Edward landed up in the hospital with poison in his system. They are not the bad guys here.” Landon always had a way of taking charge and calming Sparky.

“Thanks Landon for coming.
I couldn’t handle this without you. You are so calm and you keep it together when I feel like falling apart.”

The two siblings found chairs and quietly waited for Edward to show signs of awakening.

“So what did you think, Detective James? Did that lady try to do her husband in? She looked like she could do a number on him; all refined and sophisticated. She’s probably some society lady that has a large insurance policy out on her husband.” Inspector Morris smirked and looked at his partner as if waiting for a response.

“I think she’s definitely hiding something. Ladies like that are used to covering up their indiscretions.
They can be very secretive when they have a mind to.” Inspector Morris had a cynical side to his personality. He’d seen so many people playing mind games when he was doing his investigating. They were all liars! They all had hidden agendas and didn’t usually show their dark side. He could read a person’s character like a book. He had observed enough body language in his career. There were “tells” just like in poker and he knew when a person was lying.

“How about that Landon character?
What’s his story?” Inspector Morris asked.

“I will research him on the system and see if anything comes up.
I think he said something that hinted of being an attorney. If so, he’s probably on alert for anything that would trigger suspicion smearing his sister’s integrity. He strikes me as a watchdog kind of person.” Detective James said with a slight smirk.

21

Willie hadn’t heard from his buddies for a day or two and was getting tired of being stowed away in rundown fleabag hotel in a bad part of the city. The place smelled of stale cigarettes and mildew. He didn’t need this. He wanted to get out that hole and snatch up his daughter. “Sophie you think you’ve seen the last of me. I will get Zoe and you won’t be able to stop me.” His mind was plotting deviously. He had to get back to his vantage point by the apartment but he’d seen so many patrol cars driving by and the fact that his friends hadn’t contacted him meant something might have happened to them. “Maybe they’re in jail,” he thought as he combed his hair, washed his face and put on the same clothes he had on yesterday. “Better wear my heavy jacket out there today. It looks like there’s some bad weather blowing in.” He said to himself.

He walked out of his shabby room and down the dimly lit hallway. As he rounded the corner by the stairwell, he noticed a man standing against the wall. He figured the guy was just another poor soul down on his luck like himself. But he took another closer look as he approached the stairwell door. The guy looked straight into Willie’s face and turned and walked in the other direction; but not before Willie got a better look.

“That guy’s a cop.” Willie said quietly as he opened the stairwell door. “He’s tailing me.” Willie almost said the words out loud.

He ran down the stairwell as quick as his feet would go and into the brisk morning greeting him on the street. “I will find out pretty soon if that witch of an ex-wife called the cops on me. She will pay!” His temper was kicked into high gear as he grabbed his phone out of his jacket pocket and called Sophie’s number. He noticed his minutes were running out and he would need to refill them on the cheap phone.  He didn’t care as long as he could keep tabs on his ex. 

The phone rang but Willie only got Sophie’s voice mail. “Just like her to ignore me. She’s been doing that for years.” He spoke under his breath. He didn’t leave a message, just ended the call. “I’m going to have to go over there risking a stay in the joint but I’ve got to see what’s going on.” He needed breakfast first. Heading down to the coffee shop on the corner, he had the feeling again that he was being tailed. He took a quick look over his shoulder and there was movement back a few feet, but whoever it was had darted into an alcove or a store entrance so they wouldn’t be noticed.

He strolled briskly into the coffee shop entrance, looking in the window’s reflection, searching for a sign of the person tailing him. Whoever it was wasn’t very good at shadowing people. He quietly laughed. He was slick and savvy. It took a great deal of “know how” to fool him.

The officer tailing Willie had made mistake after mistake this morning. He hadn’t had much sleep since two days ago when he was called on the case. His feet were aching, his eyes were barely open and his stomach was rumbling for food. “Ah what I wouldn’t do for a comfortable place to sit and a huge breakfast for my belly,” said Officer Nelson.

He wasn’t a rookie but the Captain always put him on these kinds of details because usually he was on top of his game at this sort of stuff. But he was off nowadays…if only his wife, Trudy, had been faithful. She’d been caught a few days ago with one of his poker playing buddies and it hadn’t been pretty.

After Willie got inside the restaurant, he quickly shed his heavy quilted coat, hanging it over the back of the booth. It was weathered and worn but had served Willie well. It kept him comfortable and warm when the weather acted up. He was grateful for it. It had been a gift from his now ex-wife; the one thing good she’d given him except for Zoe. “Ah Zoe,” he thought. She was going to be happy in her new home with her daddy. Willie would find a nice cozy place for just the two of them. He had an idea or two on where they could go to make a fresh start.

Willie had many low-life buddies he’d met while living in Vegas. Contacts were valuable in his line of work.

He absently looked out the restaurant window and there in a sheltered place across the street was “his tail.” The guy thought he was so slick. Willie knew these guys were clueless at following a person. This guy was no exception. “Maybe I should go out there and give him a lesson in shadowing a person.” Willie thought as he waited for a menu.

Officer Nelson hadn’t been as careful as he should have been. His training had been cut short by a family emergency but the instructor had passed him anyway. He had other things on his mind and it became obvious that this was not his favorite type of duty. He preferred a warm squad car or a desk job with an endless supply of coffee. He hoped this was going to be over soon and the suspect thrown into jail. Then he could concentrate on settling things with his wife. 

A waitress approached Willie. She was dark-haired, tall and pretty. Willie always liked pretty ladies. “Good morning. Would you like a cup of coffee sir?” She said in her most “New York” of accents. “Yes I just want to order now. I’ll have two eggs over easy, two strips of well-cooked bacon and toast. That cup of coffee sounds good, too.” Willie flashed a grin, but the waitress hurried off with his order.

Taking a chance on being discovered, Officer Nelson braved it and walked in the opposite entrance of the coffee shop. Hoping that Willie was distracted for a moment by the menu and waitress, he took a seat at the very back. The shadows should hide him and he could enjoy a good cup of coffee and maybe even a danish. Another waitress headed his way, he noticed she was a little on the short side, hair obviously dyed and the makeup thrown on her face was very thick; not an attractive look!

“What will you have sir? Would you like to see a menu?” She seemed preoccupied…refusing to make eye contact.

“I’ll have a cup of black coffee and a piece of apple pie please.” He said trying to figure out what she’d look like without the “clown makeup.”

“Okay sir I’ll get it right away.” And then she rushed off with his order. He then, nonchalantly scanned the room. There in one of the front booths was Willie. So far, he hadn’t noticed Officer Nelson.

Willie seemed to be engrossed in his breakfast and had a furrowed brow, as if he was thinking about something very important. The officer kept watching Willie until the waitress returned with his food. “Thank you Miss.” He said.

He was so grateful to be seated in the warm restaurant for a while. His phone was set on vibrate and he felt it in his shirt pocket. “Oh now what? Those guys at the precinct never give me a break.” He thought as he stuck his fork in his pie. “Nelson here.” He answered quietly, not wanting others in the restaurant to be disturbed and overhear his conversation. “I’m in a restaurant warming up. It was cold out there. What is it?” He was almost whispering.

“Officer Nelson you need to finish your coffee and get back out on the street,” the voice on the other end demanded.

“I’m in the restaurant where the suspect is seated about twenty feet away eating his breakfast. Do you still want me to leave?” Nelson asked his commander.

“No but be careful. If you blow this gig you’ll be passing out parking tickets in the Bronx.” His commander sounded like he’d sat on a porcupine.

“Yes I’m keeping an eye on him. I will report in later.” And with that, Officer Nelson ended the call and slipped the phone back in his shirt pocket, hoping no one had heard the exchange. He wasn’t a good actor, getting embarrassed easily when someone chewed him out.

Willie looked up obviously still thinking about something that was disturbing him. He glanced around his surroundings and took a quick look out in the street. There was no one out there now. He wondered where the cop had disappeared to. Finishing his coffee, he beckoned the waitress over to get a refill. She walked toward him and as he looked up he noticed someone sitting in a back corner. “It could be the policeman.” He thought to himself.

“You know what, Miss, just give me the bill and I’ll be out of here.” He said hurriedly. He was starting to get nervous. “That guy has the nerve to actually come inside the same restaurant as me. That was either stupid or the guy just wanted to be warm.” Willie grinned. He laid the tip on the table and headed to the register to pay the bill and then walked out the front door of the restaurant with beads of perspiration dropping from his forehead.

“Where should I go now? If this guy keeps following me I’ve got to give him the slip. This is crazy!” Willie was getting desperate. He had to keep a clear head about this. Maybe he should just go back to that fleabag hotel and wait it out.

Officer Nelson watched from behind a newspaper he’d found in the booth. He hated this kind of detail. The suspect had gotten up, paid his bill and walked out of the restaurant. Nelson didn’t want to be too obvious. He left the money for the bill on the table and walked out. “Which way did that guy go?” He wondered. He looked up and down the street and thought he saw Willie dart into an alley a little further down the block.

“This guy is certainly no amateur at losing a shadow.” Nelson thought as he continued toward the alley.

The breeze had picked up and a few flurries hit Nelson’s nose. People were walking rapidly now trying to outrun the snow. It had been predicted that New York might receive a few inches of snow that evening.

“I’d better get with it and find this guy before I’m knee deep in a snowstorm!” Nelson said as he stepped up the pace.

Willie rounded the corner breathing rapidly. He had to find a safe place to stay while this cop was on his trail. “Maybe I should just give it up for today since there’s the smell of a snowstorm in the air and high-tale it back to the hotel.” Willie wasn’t anybody’s fool! He turned the corner and was back in front of the hotel. He rushed in the door and stopped instantly. There standing at the counter were two guys in suits…cops or FBI. Willie was trapped!

He could barely hear the conversation as he hid behind a dingy column. “We’re wondering if you’ve seen this man?” One of the men asked the clerk.  The clerk stared at the picture for a moment.

“He looks familiar. I think he rented a room here a few days ago. In fact, he may still be staying here. Let me check the computer. What’s the name?” The clerk asked.

“Willie O’Brien however he may be using another name. He’s under police surveillance and so he may be under an alias.”

There is a Willie James in room 302. Could that be your man?” The clerk inquired.

“That could be our guy. Do you have a spare key? We’d like to take a look now or we could come back with a warrant. It’s up to you.”

“I don’t want no trouble.” The clerk answered. “Please take the key but be quiet about it. I don’t want to disturb our guests.”

The two agents smiled at one another, knowing what kind of place this “hotel” was. It was run-down and offered cheap sanctuary for all sorts of less than upstanding kinds of people. Shady characters usually found these fleabag places to hide out from the law. This place was just that sort of location. It smelled of stale cigars and cigarettes. The curtains had faded and were frayed at the edges. The furniture in the lobby needed to be reupholstered and the ancient looking tile floor had darkened with layers of dirt and needed a good cleaning. The place was dilapidated and needed a serious upgrade!

Willie was trapped! Where could he go? Should he take his chances, climb up the stairs and grab his stuff or just hide until these guys had left and then figure out another direction to take?

His mind was a bundle of shot nerves. He’d wanted this to be just a simple task of grabbing his daughter, with some help of course, and heading to an unknown destination and living the good life. But somehow those plans had now fallen apart. He didn’t have much choice.

The two guys thanked the clerk and headed up the creaking stairs. Willie remembered that his backpack was in the room and inside was evidence he didn’t want them to find. His plans were quickly deteriorating – he was sunk. He’d be going to jail now for sure. There was a picture of Sophie and the baby and the separation papers were stashed and an address book with all his “friends” written inside. This was not looking good for him.

All he could do at this point was walk back out into the street and then he remembered the shadow! “Maybe it would be better if I just turned myself in. Maybe they’d go easy on me if I confessed my actions and let them jail me for a month or two. After all, they didn’t really have any clear cut evidence of the kidnapping angle.” He was in a panic by this time.

As Willie walked out in the street he was deep in his thoughts and wasn’t paying attention to his surroundings. A gray-haired man dressed in a dark suit waved a badge and put it away before Willie could even read it. “Are you Willie O’Brien?” The man didn’t even give Willie a chance to answer. “Come with me. You have some serious questions to answer.” The man was holding Willie’s arm so that he couldn’t move. “Hey aren’t you going to even read me my rights?” Willie asked.

“There will be plenty of time for that later. Now shut up and climb in the car.” The guy had a partner in the driver’s seat and he beckoned to him to start the engine.

“You guys aren’t cops are ya? Who are you working for? Let me go.” Willie’s cries weren’t being heard by anyone. The gray-haired man told him to be quiet.

Willie remembered the guys from Vegas had their own circle of less than respectable “friends.” These were probably them and they were making sure their package (him) was tucked away safely from curious eyes. What could they possibly want with Willie?  He was the one that wanted to kidnap his daughter…they were just supposed to be the extra muscle if it was needed to complete the job.  All this was running through Willie’s mind as the car sped through the streets. “Where are they taking me?” He thought. He wished they would let him ask a few questions.