Identity (14 page)
Authors: K. J. Cazel
Carole was in the kitchen preparing a celebratory dinner when Sarah brought Tom and Steve in.
“Just in time. We’re just about ready to eat. Let’s go to the dining room.”
As Carole poured a glass of Champagne as everyone gather around the table, smiling.
Tom asked, “Well, Sarah, how does it feel to be alive?”
“Great. Now I have to deal with my loving husband.”
Steve looked at Carole. If on cue, they took their glasses into kitchen for their own privacy and giving Tom and Sarah theirs.
“Well, I guess I will see what a good divorce lawyer can do. Of coarse, if you could get him on murder charges, it would make my life easier.”
“We're working on it. He’s really good at disguising his crimes. Like they say there is no such thing as a perfect crime.”
***
Rodney paced around the library with a brandy in his hand and muttering himself, “bitch, bitch, bitch.’” He knew he was going to lose everything he every wanted. “Think, think.” He withdrew his iPhone and when through his contact list. When he found the number he wanted he pressed the ‘call' button.
“Naldo. Williams here.”
“Si, what can I do for you?”
“It seems my plan didn’t work. My wife is back in my life and I don't want her there. Can you arrange something?”
“You are talking about doing something in the states. This is going to cost you.”
“I don't care what it cost. Make it look like an accident.”
“I will get back to you.”
Rizzo's Blackberry rang and familiar ringtone. “Ciao, brother. What's up?”
“It seems we have a problem with Williams. Is he is bothering you again?”
“The police have called me in. They are getting closer. He has threatened me if I cooperate with the police.”
“He has asked me to take care of his wife. Is she a problem for you?”
“No. I don't think so. And, I don't think she would cry if something happened to him.”
“Yes, and he is the link to me. I will get back to you. Take care brother.”
Naldo didn't wait for his brother to acknowledge his last comments.
***
Tom sat at his desk at the precinct reviewing the testimony of the cab driver that picked up Hailey Morgan. He returned to review the testimony of the bar tender on duty that night. It was obvious that the man who picked up Hailey was complicit in her demise.
Turning to Steve, “Steve, we have to go back to The Towers to see if Williams has a connection to one of those apartments.”
“Do you think we can do it without a warrant?”
“It's worth a try. We have to make a connection. The description by the bartender sure points to Williams.”
Fifteen minutes later Tom and Steve arrived at the concierge's desk at The Towers building. They presented their Chicago detective badges at the white haired man.
“We like a list of residents.”
“I'm sorry. We respect our residents’ privacy.”
“You know we can come back in an hour with a warrant. Why not just give us a list now.”
Both Steve and Tom looked at the man with pleading eyes. The man did not waiver. He was proud of his job and he needed the small income it provided. He wasn't going to jeopardize this.
In a weak voice, he replied, “I'll see you in an hour.”
Tom and Steve left the building at entered Tom's car. Steve turned to Tom,
“You know we don't have a sufficient cause to get a warrant.”
“There has to be a way to find out if Williams has an apartment there.”
In the morning, Sarah looked out the front window of Carole bungalow. There were still three hanger-on news reporters waiting to rush her if she opened the door. She had made an appointment with Dunham and Kirk divorce attorneys for 1:00 p.m. and knew she would have to confront the media again. Carole had left for work before 7:00 a.m. and was able to bypass the reporters once they saw that she wasn't the one they wanted to talk to.
The minutes ticked by. If she wanted to make the appointment on time, it was time to leave. She went around to the back door to see if that would provide her a way to get out without encountering the news people. No luck. Their news vans were parked in the alley. Sarah grabbed her coat from the hook, slipped it on and braced herself for the onslaught of microphones being pushed in her face for any comment they could garner from her. As she cracked opened the door one of the reporters spotted the activity and rushed to be the first to question her.
“Mrs. Williams, what are your plans now? Are you going back to your family home? Are you going to divorce Mr. Williams?”
Sarah hurried down the stairs giving no comment to the questions. How could she? Some of these were questions she wasn't able to even answer to herself. She looked left and saw the cab she called earlier was waiting two houses down. The reporters followed her to the cab still pressing more questions at her until she entered the cab and closed the door. The cab driver quickly pulled away from the curb.
“Where to?”
“425 Randolph.” Sarah turned back to see the reporters gathering their camera operators to trail Sarah.
They reached the address in front of a building that was built in the 60's. Although it was relatively new to it's surrounding buildings, its exterior had a dinginess caused by the city's pollution. Sarah paid the cabbie and went through the revolving doors. Ever since 911 all the downtown building prohibited persons from entering the elevators without a pass or an appointment with one of the occupants. Sarah smiled as she addressed the rotund security guard sitting at the front at desk.
Once cleared and issued a visitor's badge Sarah took elevator to the tenth floor. When the doors opened she could see that Dunham and Kirk Law Office encompassed the entire floor. As she approached the reception desk, the receptionist recognized her from the recent newscasts and greeted her.
“Good morning, Mrs. Williams. I'll let Mr. Kirk know you're here.”
Sarah thanked her. She just sat down when a young well-dressed woman came to greet her.
“Mrs. Williams. Mr. Kirk is waiting for you in his office. If you would be kind enough to follow me.”
Sarah followed the woman down a walnut paneled hallway. Each side had original works of art placed perfectly on the walls. The woman opened the door for Sarah. As she entered, a tall dark-haired man stood up from his desk and walked toward her while introducing himself. He ushered Sarah to the chair in front of his desk.
Once they both sat down, Kirk addressed Sarah. “Mrs. Williams, I’m glad you chose us to represent you in your divorce. I must say that Mr. Williams also approached us to represent him, but it was a mutual agreement among the partners to represent you.”
“Thank you.”
“I would like to go over a list of your assets with you that you wish to retain after your divorce.”
“One of things that is important to me is to retain my control of Robinson—Williams. I know the court gave back my controlling percentage; however, I know my husband, would like to keep control.”
“What about your real estate?”
“I own the house in Lake Forest and a condominium in The Towers. As far as the house, I don't plan returning there and Rodney is living there now. I've given it some thought. I'd like to have some of the contents left to me by my parents and then bulldoze the house. There are too many bad memories. I've spoken to the management office of the Towers, and I'm picking up new keys later today. I’m not sure if I want to live there either. My friend, Carole, has offered to let me continue living with her until I can find a place that meet my needs. My living conditions are up in the air.”
“Once you sign these papers, we'll get a team out to the house to photograph the belongings so Mr. Williams doesn't try to hide any of your family heirlooms.”
Sarah searched in her purse and gave him the key that she and Tom retrieved from behind the garage. “Take these, they will give you access to the house.”
The discussion continued about procedures and timelines for divorce proceedings in Cook County. When they finished, Sarah left the building and grabbed a cab to take her to The Towers management office. While she was there she picked up the keys and thanked the manager for changing the locks. She advised him that she might be moving-in in the next few days.
Tired of taking cabs around town, Sarah got to the “L” train and took the Red Line back to Carole's neighborhood. When she arrived she looked down the street. The news media had finally left the front door of Carole's home.
***
When Carole came home she entered the door with Steve and Tom following close behind.
“Look what the cat dragged home,” she called to Sarah as she came through the door.
Sarah came to the front door. She was so glad to see familiar faces. These were her new true friends. These were the people who have supported her through her trials and tribulations.
“We bring food,” Steve said smiling.
Everyone adjourned to the dining room, while Carole went to the kitchen to bring back plates.
As the meal started, Tom innocently asked, “So Sarah, how did your day go?”
“Well, you know I was meeting with the divorce lawyers. Unless Rodney wants to contest the divorce, I think it will go smoothly. The hardest part is to make sure I get to keep my 51% of Robinson—Williams.”
Tom looked at Sarah with a quizzical expression, “You mean he could gain control of the company?”
“I might have to give him a percentage to get the divorce finalized.”
You could see the anger in Tom's face with that statement. “It seems this worm always wins.”
“Well, it's not over yet. Carole, I really appreciate you're putting up with all the news media and me. I thought I’d move into my condominium in The Towers.”
Steve looked at Tom and mouthed, “ The Towers?”
“Sarah you have a condominium at The Towers?”
“Yes, I bought it when I graduated. I wanted to be part of the nightlife of the city. Then, I just held on to it if our authors needed a place to stay.”
Carole asked, “When do you plan moving in?”
“I picked up the keys today. I'll want to see if I need to make any changes before I move in.”
Tom looked at Sarah shaking his head. “Sarah can Steve and I check it out before you move in?”
“Why?”
“We think the killer of Hailey Morgan took her to an apartment in The Towers.”
You could see the shock on Sarah's face. “Are you saying Rodney killed her there?”
“Well, we don't have sufficient evidence for a warrant. So we can't find out if there is any evidence.”
“Damn him. I could kill him. He is still ruining my life.”
Rodney sat in his divorce attorney's office. His attorney reviewed the documents sent over from Dunham and Kirk.
“Mr. Williams, it seems Mrs. Williams isn't asking for much.”
“Whatever she is asking for is too much!”
“Mr. Williams, this seems to be a very fair settlement agreement. Can you explain why you feel this way?”
“She was always trying to get me to sign over my ownership in Robinson—Williams. Then she implied that I was responsible for her injuries and death. I believe she would have killed me if she had a chance. People don't know how evil she is.”
His attorney didn’t wish to press any further on the last comment, “So what do you want?”
“I want control of the company.”
***
It was past 2:00 a.m. as Rodney sat in Sarah’s black SUV. He was watching the bar on Broadway where Michael liked to go to meet new friends. At 2:17 Rodney recognized Michael walking toward his parked car. Rodney stepped on the gas and steered the car directly at Michael. There was a thud as the vehicle struck Michael. Then to make sure that Michael was no longer a weak link, he backed the vehicle over Michael. He put the car in drive and sped away.
***
Alitalia Airlines touched down at O'Hare International in the late afternoon. Naldo disembarked with his carry on and proceeded to Immigration and Customs. Naldo presented his Italian Passport and answered the questions. ‘No he had nothing to declare. Yes, this is a vacation. I will be visiting my brother in Chicago. I plan returning within a week.’
Once cleared, Naldo checked his carry on in a storage locker and went to Hertz to get his rental car. When he received the keys, he followed the attendance directions to his rental car. While still in the Hertz lot, he punched in Michael's number. The phone rang, but his brother did not answer. He turned on the car. The radio blared with music. He pressed the seek button and finally found an all news and talk station. The broadcaster mentioned that there was a hit and run last night. The next number he punched in was Rodney's.
“Mr. Williams, I just arrived at O'Hare.”
“Good, when do you think we can get together to discuss my problem?”
“I have to meet with my brother. Right now I can't seem to reach him.”
“Oh, I'm sorry. You must not have been notified. Your brother was killed in a hit and run last night.”
There was no immediate reply from Naldo. He knew his brother and he knew he was in fear of Williams.”
“They probably contacted my home in Italy. I would like to get our business done as soon as possible.”
“I agree. Can you come out to my Lake Forest home tonight?”
“Yes, that is fine. I have GPS. I will find it.”
***
Sarah sat at the dining room table having her morning coffee. Carole came in and sat down next to her.
“What are your plans for today?”
“Well, I thought I'd go out to the house and see if Rodney will give me the keys to the SUV. I know it is a reach, but using cabs is getting tiresome.”
“Do you want me to go with you?”
“No, I know Rodney. He won't want any strangers to witness our discussion.”
“Aren't you afraid?”
“He knows he didn't get away with killing me and right now he is on a tightrope. He'll cooperate; he wants more out of the divorce settlement.”
“When are you leaving?”
“I'll go later today. He usually stays at home at night.”
“I don't like it. Are you sure I can’t go with your?”
“I’ll be fine.”
It was just past noon when Sarah finally got herself together to call Rodney. She knew he would either be in his office or at home. She tired the office first. Mrs. Green answered her call and informed her that he was in a staff meeting. Always willing to pass on some gossip, she informed Sarah that they needed to find a new Chief Editor to replace Michael Rizzo who had been killed in a hit and run accident. Sarah listened and Mrs. Green rambled on about company gossip. Finally, Sarah was able to leave a message for Rodney that she would be by the house tonight to pick up her SUV. She looked at the kitchen wall clock. She still had at least five hours before Rodney would even be at the house to meet her. She punched in the numbers of the house and got the answering machine.
“Rodney, Sarah here. I think it would be better if I pick up the SUV around five when you get back from the office.” The phone beeped acknowledging the saved message.
***
Naldo looked at his watch. The sooner he got done with Williams, the sooner the better. He followed the GPS directions to the nearest drug store. He was limited to what he could use to solve his problems. One thing he certain, he needed a pair of latex gloves. When he was through with his purchase, he punched in Williams’ address and followed the directions to the house in Lake Forest. He drove by it first to see if there was any outside activity. Assessing the landscape, he drove on and parked the rental car four blocks away and walked to Williams' house.
Naldo used the brass knocker to see if anyone was home. As expected, there was no answer. He walked around to the back of the house and found the kitchen door. Using the latex gloves, he reached in his pocket pulling out his lock picking tools. In a few short second, he was entering the house. Looking around he spotted the knife block. He walked over to the counter and took out the large butcher knife; he placed the knife in his belt. As he left the kitchen he found a cache of plastic food shopping bags and placed one in his pocket, the majority of it hanging out.
As he strode from the kitchen to the rest of the downstairs, he eyes searched for things that he would be taking back to Italy. When he reached the library, he could see that it was Williams' sanctuary. He looked at the desk and saw the flashing light of the answering machine. He pushed the button to listen to the message. Smiling he knew how much time he had before all hell would break loose. Rummaging through the desk drawers, he found a combination to a safe.
He commented to himself, “Stupid people leaving safe combinations for any thief to find.”
Looking around the room he could see that the safe was probably behind the large Jackson Pollock abstract. Again he commented, “These American call this art.” Lifting the frame of the painting, he pulled the painting back on it hinges revealing a wall safe. Naldo smiled as he opened the safe. He pulled out the shopping bag and proceeded to take out bundles of cash and jewelry boxes, peeking at the contents as he threw them in the bag. The bag was full.
Naldo looked out the window and could see that a car was coming up the drive. He checked his watch, 3:33 p.m. It seems Williams couldn't even work a full day. He moved to the side of the doorway to wait for Rodney. He heard the key in the lock. It would be a few seconds before he would be taking action.
Carrying his computer case, Rodney entered the library. Before he completed his entrance, Naldo stepped behind him with the butcher knife at Rodney's throat.
“Mr. Williams, would you like to tell me about my brother?”
“There's nothing to tell. He was in a hit and run.”
“And, you were responsible, Si?”
“No, no. I had nothing to do with it.”
“I do not believe you. He was afraid of you.”
“No, I didn't do anything to him.”
Naldo released Rodney pushing with a force that caused Rodney to stumble. He grasped his the corner of the desk to balance himself. He turned and faced Naldo.
“I thought you were here to help me.”
“I was until you decided to harm my brother.”
“I told you. I had nothing to do with his accident.” Rodney looked around the library to see if there was something he could use in his defense. Naldo came toward him; the knife was still in his hand.
“Don't worry I don't plan of killing you.”
Rodney picked up the answering machine pulling the cord from the outlet. He threw it at Naldo. Naldo deflected the machine with his free arm. He charged and plunged the knife in Rodney's side. Rodney doubled over clutching the wound with his hand. The blood seeped through Rodney's fingers. Naldo plunged the knife again creating another wound in Rodney. Rodney slumped to the floor.
“It will be several hours before your wife will find you.” Naldo threw down the bloody knife grabbing the grocery bag as he left the room. He locked the kitchen door as he left. He walked slowly to his car so as not draw attention to himself. Just one of the neighbors saw him carrying his groceries.
***
It was shortly after five when the cab pulled into the driveway behind Rodney's car. Sarah paid the fare. The cab didn’t wait for Sarah to enter the house but drove around Rodney's car and left. Sarah climbed the stairs and used the knocker. She waited. There was not response. She knew he was inside because his car was in front. She tried the handle. The door easily swung opened.
Once inside the entryway, she called out to Rodney. He didn’t answer. She went to the library where Rodney liked to imbibe in his brandy after work.
As she walked in she could see Rodney lying by the corner of the desk. His hand was holding the wounds, which were slowly seeping blood. She ran to Rodney. His eyes were closed. She wasn’t sure if he was dead or alive.
Hysterically she asked, “Rodney?”
Rodney's eyes flashed open and he could see Sarah kneeling over him.
“Fucking bitch.” He closed his eyes. Those were the last words he spoke to her.
Sarah stood up. Her body broke out in a cold sweat. She was unsure what to do.
She walked over where she dropped her purse. She took out her phone. With a shaking hand she punched in 911.
