“Marks and Johnson, that’s it isn’t it?” she said while trying to feel for her purse.
“Are you looking for that cute little gun you keep in your purse? Well forget it. I’ve got it right here in a safe place. Let’s cut the crap, I want you to turn around and lay face down on the bed with your hands behind your back.”
His voice sounded vaguely familiar. “Do I know you?”
“Let’s just say we’ve bumped into each other a couple of times.”
“Yeah, I know who you are; you’re the guy on the plane…who gave me the food.”
“Boy, you are good. I can see why Marks hired you. And by the way, thanks for leading us right to Flynn. I would have found him eventually, but you just made it a lot easier. NOW ROLL OVER, or I’ll have to get mad!”
She slowly rolled to her stomach. She could feel her heart pounding against the bed. He crossed her hands and then cinched them with twine. He yanked her to her feet and looked her right in the eyes. It was still to dark too see him clearly, but she knew who he was.
“Okay brave guy, what’s next? You gonna smack me around and tell me if I ever say anything you’ll kill me?”
“No, not exactly.”
“What then? Just beat and rape me?”
He shoved her toward the bathroom. The tub was full of warm water.
“Get down on your knees,” he said in a frighteningly calm voice. She began to struggle and tried to get her hands loose.
“You can’t be serious. What have I ever done to you?”
She felt the blade against her neck. “I said, get down on your knees!”
He yanked her down grabbing a hand full of her hair.
“Come on! My God please don’t do this!”
He pushed her head into the water. She felt the warm water rush into her eyes and nose. She tried kicking, but he was kneeling on her legs. With one smooth stroke, he slit her throat. The warm clear water began to turn dark red. Sonja slumped into the tub - lifeless.
* * * *
Ty was only able to sleep about an hour. He tried Morgan again, still no answer. He’d go get something to eat, then come back and try again. By the time he had some dinner, bought a paper and got back to his room it was 9:30 p.m. He tried Morgan again, still no answer. He thumbed through the paper, but kept wondering if Morgan was alright and, how this was all going to work out.
A little before eleven he made his way to Sonja’s room. He knocked quietly. He knew she was expecting him, but there was no response. Finally, he tried the door. It was unlocked. He stuck his head in, “Sonja?” The room was dark, but he could see the light shining under the bathroom door. Not wanting to surprise her, he walked toward the bathroom, “Sonja, are you okay?”
A strange feeling came over him. It’s as if he knew something was wrong. He slowly pushed the door open, then dropped to his knees in horror. Her limp body half submerged in the bathtub full of her own blood. He began to panic, “Oh my God, what am I going to do!” Then it hit him.
“They know we’re here!”
He wanted to run, but he couldn’t leave her like that. She’d died trying to save his life. He decided to pull her out of the tub and cover her up with a blanket. He’d never seen a dead person up close before, let alone a friend. He began to shake and feel lightheaded. The look on her face, the weight of her body, with no life in it. He gently carried her to the bed and covered her up. He wasn’t thinking clearly, this was just too crushing. What was he going to do? He’d go back to his room and call Morgan. He had to warn her. He paused at the door, looking back at Sonja’s covered body. The grief was overwhelming. Quietly he slipped out the door and made his way back to his room. He made sure no one saw him leave. As he nervously dialed, he kept thinking, “Please be there, please.”
An eager voice at the other end said, “Ty, is that you?”
“Yes, Morgan, oh my God it’s good to hear your voice.”
“Ty, where are you?”
“I’m here, but something horrible has happened.”
“What, what’s happened? Where are you?”
“I can’t tell you over the phone, not from here anyway. I’ll call you back in twenty minutes.”
“But Ty, what’s going…”
“Morgan, please. I’ll call you back.”
He sat for a minute wondering how soon they’d find Sonja, and once they did what would happen then. It was around midnight. He left the hotel looking for a pay phone.
“Morgan, can you pick me up at the corner of Cermak and Michigan in fifteen minutes?”
“What? You’re here in Chicago? Yes Ty, I’ll get there as quick as I can.”
He stood staring out at Lake Michigan, still in shock over Sonja’s death. He couldn’t wait to hold Morgan, just hold her, feel her warmth and love, letting him know, he still had a chance.
He could see her car coming down the street. He felt like jumping through the window as she pulled up and parked. She threw open the door and ran around to give him a hug. “Ty I’ve missed you so much!” They stood holding each other in the dark.
“Morgan, let’s get in the car and drive. I have a lot to tell you.”
As they drove Ty explained it all to Morgan. How he’d had to run and how Sonja found him. The role she’d played in this and how it had cost her - her life. Morgan finally pulled over and parked. She sat silently. She didn’t know Sonja, but was heartsick over what had happened.
“Ty, what are we going to do?”
“I’m not sure. But I have to get back to the hotel, get my stuff and get out of here.”
“You can’t go back there. They’ll be waiting for you. If they knew she was there, then they know you were there too. No, please don’t.”
“Morgan, I have to get my clothes, shaver…or they’ll be able to trace it to me. Let’s just go by and if it looks clear, you can drop me off in the back. I’ll sneak upstairs, get my stuff and meet you at the end of the block.”
“Okay, but you’d better make it fast. Now that you’re back, I don’t want to lose you again.”
“Don’t worry; I’ll be in and out in a heartbeat.”
As they drove up Michigan, they could see flashing red lights. Ty slid down in the seat as they went by the hotel. Someone had found Sonja. The police and ambulance were there.
“Keep going Morgan. I can’t believe this - I don’t have a chance. I might as well just go turn myself in. You know their going to think I did it.”
“How? You guys weren’t together…were you?”
“No, no, but whoever killed Sonja has set this up so I’ll take the fall. My stuff’s there and I was in her room. My fingerprints will be there.”
“Okay, let’s just go back to my place for the night and try to figure something out.”
They drove silently back to Morgan’s apartment. Their lives had gone from bad to worse – and it wasn’t over yet.
Chapter 17
The phone woke him from a dead sleep. He looked at the clock…2 a.m.
He nestled it to his ear, “Hello.”
“It’s done,” a solemn voice said on the other end.
“What’s done? Who is this?”
“Bartlett – she’s out of the picture.”
Marks sat straight up in bed. “What do you mean she’s out of the picture? I told you to keep me posted and I’d tell you what to do!”
“No need, I took care of it myself. I’ll be in touch.”
The phone went dead. Marks sat staring into the dark. What had happened? How could Chef take it upon himself to kill Bartlett? He didn’t know, but he was damn well going to find out. He got up and went downstairs and called Johnson; maybe he’d know something.
“Uh-huh…hello?”
“Johnson, wake up. Chef just called and told me he eliminated Bartlett.”
“What! I knew this would happen,
damn it! I never liked that guy, now he’s gone off and killed an innocent woman. That son of a bitch! If I find him, I’ll kill him!”
“Yeah, that’s a great idea. What we need now is calm, rational thinking, not another murder.”
“Yes, I know, but…”
“Listen, I’ll meet you in the office in half an hour. We can sort through this and work out what we need to do. Now don’t go off half cocked. Get into the office – understand?”
“Yes sir, I’ll be there.”
Exactly what Jack Johnson feared, had happened. Sonja Bartlett had been killed by a psycho he never trusted, and who knew what this guy had planned next. Not once had Chef ever called him, then he finds out Sonja’s dead. By the time he got to the office, Marks was waiting for him.
“Mr. Marks, can I ask you a question?”
“What is it Jack?”
“Did Chef ever call you, because he sure as hell never called me…like he was supposed too.” The delay in Marks response told Jack all he needed to know.
“Well, Jack, to be honest, I had him call me. The guy seemed a little head strong and, I thought, if he reported directly to me, there wouldn’t be any confusion.”
So, Marks had decided to just cut him out of the loop. Jack could feel himself heating up.
“Well, that was brilliant. Now we have an innocent dead girl on our conscience.”
“Hold it right there Jack! I’m running this show and don’t you forget it. If you’d stop and think a minute about this, you’d see this worked out just the way we wanted it to.”
Jack couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “Just the way we wanted it to? Are you crazy, he killed Sonja.” Jack felt like leaping across the desk and smashing Marks’ face in.
“Jack, Jack, settle down. Listen to me for a minute. There was no way we could let Sonja live. As much as you liked and respected her, we had to eliminate her. I knew, and so did you, that once she saw what was happening she’d turn us in. Her honesty would take over.”
“Oh, so because she was honest, she had to die. Well, I don’t know about you, but I feel sick about this whole mess.”
“That’s too damn bad Jack, because you’re in this as deep as I am. Now, do you want to fold up on me – or do you want to hear how this has worked to our advantage? Either way, I’m moving forward. Your choice.”
Jack went over and sat down on the couch in Marks office. He was truly sick to his stomach and, when he looked at Marks, it was with pure loathing. He sat quietly, mulling over what to do. Marks was right about one thing – he was in this up to his neck and, as much as he detested what had happened to Sonja, there was nothing he could do about it now. Plus, by hanging in, he might just have a chance to settle up with the Chef.
“Okay, I guess I was just a little overwhelmed. What’s your plan?”
“Jack, this couldn’t have worked out better. Believe me, I’m sorry Ms. Bartlett was killed, but Tyler Flynn was there, in her room right after it happened and, he was staying in the hotel. It’s going to be pretty easy to hang this on him.”
Marks went ahead and explained how Chef had jumped the gun, but it was only a matter of time before he would have given him the go ahead anyway. And in actuality, Chef’s timing was perfect. The police were now looking for Tyler Flynn for one and possibly two murders, Marks had turned Woodburn loose and the Eastman political machine was crashing. The excitement in Marks voice made Jack nauseous. He went home aching with the pain at what had happened. If not for the chance to get to the Chef…well, who knows what he might do.
* * * *
“Morgan, what am I going to do. The police think I killed Sonja and Eugene. The only person who knew I was innocent was Sonja, and now she’s dead. I don’t see any way out of this.”
Morgan pulled him close. They held on to each other, hoping by some miracle it would all suddenly go away. The reality though was, he was right. The only person who could prove his innocence had been killed.
“Wait a minute Ty. Whoever killed Sonja is still out there. He obviously knows what happened and is responsible for all this. That’s who we have to find.”
Ty began to pace around the room. “You’re right Morgan. But how in the world do we find this guy. I can’t go out looking for him. As soon as the police spot me, I’m dead. You know I can’t even stay here. I’ve got to find another place to hide. I’m amazed the police haven’t shown up already.”
“Me too. That’s why I called Mattie while you were taking a shower. She’s on her way over and is going to drive you up to Milwaukee. You can find a room there and stay out of Chicago.”
“I can’t ask you or Mattie to do this. That’s harboring a fugitive and you could go to jail. No, I’ll find a place to…”
“Ty, listen to me. We know you didn’t commit any of these crimes. You’re being set up. All we have to do is prove it. If the police can’t find you, then hopefully neither can the real killer. But if he’s out there looking, maybe we can find him.”
“How – how in the world are you going to find a killer? I don’t want you involved in this. The guy’s already killed Sonja and, probably Eugene. He certainly wouldn’t hesitate to kill you.”
“No, not me. My dad’s security guard, Warren, is bound to have some great contacts in the investigative business and, even though my dad had an affair, Warren knows he didn’t kill Eugene, or have him killed. He’s still loyal to my dad. I’ll go to him and see if he’ll help me. You just get out of town. Go out the back way and meet Mattie at the end of the alley. She’ll be waiting.”
“Morgan, I don’t know what to say, except I love you. You’ll never know how much. We’re going to beat this one way or another.”
He held her in his arms, not wanting to ever let go. A long kiss and out the back door to the alley. Mattie was waiting. He knew once they crossed the border into Wisconsin, this became a federal investigation and the FBI would get involved. Mattie had picked up an early edition paper. There it was, “Private Investigator Murdered!” Not only had they found his stuff, but they’d also found the knife used to kill her in his room. The reporter had also linked this murder to the death of Eugene White. The police felt they were after one man responsible for both murders – Tyler Flynn. He tossed the paper in the back seat as they sped along in the dark.
“Can you believe this guy, Mattie?”
“Who?”
“Oh, this Bill Woodburn at the Tribune. He’s already got me tried and convicted.”
“Ty, you just worry about staying hidden. We’ll find out who’s behind this.”
“I hope so Mattie - I hope so.” Ty drifted into a light sleep as the car disappeared into the night.
Ty hadn’t been gone half an hour when the police showed up. They questioned Morgan intensely, but she denied having seen Ty, or even knowing he was in town. Having come up empty, they left, but told her not to leave town. The next morning she called her dad, then went to see him. He still didn’t look well, but was in a little better spirits. She explained how Ty was being set up as the fall guy for Eugene and Sonja’s murders and she needed help to prove his innocence.
“Dad, I need your help. Ty…”
“Come on honey, let’s go sit in the backyard.” He grabbed her arm and escorted her to a quiet corner of the back yard.
“Morgan, this has become so complicated, and it’s possible they could have the house bugged. We can talk safely out here. From now on we can’t discuss this on the phone.”
“Yes, you’re right dad. I guess I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Now, tell me what’s happened. Have you seen Ty, and is he alright?”
Morgan explained everything from the beginning and that Ty was safely out of town. This was the first time she’d had the opportunity to tell her dad what had happened. How Ty had unwittingly gotten involved. How Sonja tried to save him and lost her life in doing so. Her father was s
tunned. It was bad enough he had ruined his own family, but now he was punishing people outside. Morgan told him of her idea, about finding an investigator they could trust, to search for the real killer. She thought maybe Warren Gold, her dad’s security man, could help them. He agreed and told her he would immediately talk to Warren about it. Morgan decided to stay the afternoon and spend some time with her mom. She too was looking a little better, but the pain was still visible in her face. They talked for several hours, mostly about the old times, when Morgan and Steve were young. It was soothing therapy for her mother. Before she left, her dad came in and took her to the backyard.
“I talked to Warren. He’s going to get in touch with a man he knows who might be able to help us. As soon as I’ve made that connection I’ll set you up with him. I’ll do what I can to help you, but the press has a microscope on me and I don’t want to jeopardize this.”
Morgan thanked him and left. For the first time in a very long time, he felt like he was doing something right, something good. They’d agreed to only communicate through Warren.
The next person Morgan needed to talk to was Steve. With everything that had happened they’d lost touch. She felt bad about it, because they had just connected for the first time…ever. As soon as she got back to her apartment she called him. He too was aware of what was happening with Ty and agreed to meet her for dinner in a small café he knew would be private.
“Morgan, I’m so sorry all this has happened with Ty. Have you heard from him? Is he alright?”
“Yes I’ve heard from him, and yes, he’s alright.”
“Thank God! I know how much you love him.”
“Steve, I wanted to talk to you to let you know I’m going to help him any way I can. He’s innocent. He had nothing to do with any of this, but someone is setting him up to take the fall.”
“Morgan, you don’t have to convince me. I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”
He could feel her concern and anxiety and sincerely wanted to help. He thought how strange it was that through all these years they’d had virtually nothing to do with each other, and now, because of all this adversity, they were becoming close.
“Right now I don’t know what you could do to help, because I’m not sure what I’m going to do. But believe me, if I need you, I’ll call.”