The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown
Chapter 10
10.1
Robert Ironside waited impatiently for Ava Blake to complete her description of the men who beat her, to the police sketch artist. George placed the final sketches in from of her and asked, "Are these good likenesses of the men who beat you?"
Ava studied the sketches while Ironside looked on. "Yes, those are the two men who came into my home and beat me.
"Will there be anything else, Chief?" George asked him.
"No, thanks, George," Ironside said in dismissal. The police artist picked up his pads and pencils, then left the office.
The door to the office opened, and Sergeant Ed Brown entered with his suitcase in tow.
The chief watched as he came down the ramp. Mark came out of the kitchen and met him with a steaming cup of coffee. Dressed in his usual suit and tie, Ed happily took the coffee from Mark. He joined Eve and Ironside at the table. His boss' eyes were boring into his. Ed knew what he was thinking.
"Relax, Chief, I am up to this," Ed said, trying to ease the detective's concerns.
"This man is dangerous. Don't take any chances. When you get to Las Vegas, contact Captain Vince Gillis. He can help you bring Delano in. I don't want you to try and do it alone. Is that clear?"
"Perfectly clear," Brown answered.
Ava Blake got up from the table she had been sitting at and walked over to Ironside. She and Ed shared a glance that did not go unnoticed by the boss. "Chief Ironside, if you do not need me any further, I think I will be leaving."
"No, I will not need you any further. There are two policemen outside the door who will stay with you until we are able to pick up Corneilo. Do exactly as they tell you to do, and don't venture out on your own."
Ava nodded in acknowledgement, glanced at Ed and headed up the ramp. Brown was acutely aware that Ironside was watching him. Still, he was not about to leave the city without saying a proper goodbye to Ava. And a proper goodbye did not include doing it in front of Mark, Eve and the chief. "If you will excuse me, I will be right back." Without waiting for the chief's approval, he headed up the ramp at a swift pace and left the office.
Ironside sat at the table frowning. He never wanted to put his officers in the position of him controlling their personal lives, but Ed's infatuation with Ava Blake worried him. She seemed on the level, but there was always that nagging voice that kept telling him that Ed's involvement would only bring him more grief, and if she brought Ed grief, then it would bring just as much to him as well as Eve and Mark. They were a family after all.
Eve sat down beside him. As if she could read his mind, Eve said softly, "Ed knows what he is doing, Chief." As much as she loved Ironside, she did not like to see the worry in his handsome features.
"Did I say he didn't?" Ironside growled.
"No, but it is written all over your face," she said.
Mark came over and sat down, pouring the chief another cup of coffee. "I'm with the chief on this one."
Surprised at Mark's revelation, Eve turned towards him. "I am surprised that you are not on Ed's side in this. I seemed to remember you going off the deep end when the chief told you to stay away from Sam Noble."*
"I did, but as it turned out the chief was right about Sam," Mark reminded her. Is Ed making the same mistake I made?"
"It is different when a friend does it then when you do it, is that what you are saying?" Eve challenged him.
"No, I am not saying that. I am saying I learned my lesson. Next time the chief tells me to stay away from someone, I will examine the individual closer. Ed should do the same," Mark said.
"I never expected that coming from you, the man who said he was flesh and blood and could make his own decisions" Ironside added.
"Like I said, Chief, I learned my lesson."
"Ed is a grown man. I can't order him to stay away from Ava Blake. I have already expressed my concerns about her. I cannot do anything more about it," Ironside added.
"That's a far cry from what you told me," Mark pointed out.
"Are we going to get anything done in this office today or are we going to spend the day discussing Ed Brown's love life?" Ironside grumbled.
With raised eyebrows, Eve and Mark went back to work. That was the chief's way of saying the discussion was closed.
Out in the hall, Sergeant Ed Brown caught up with Ava Blake at the elevator. With her, were the two police officers assigned to protect her. Ed turned to the officers and said, "You two go downstairs. I will bring Miss Blake to the lobby in a minute. Neither officer questioned Brown. He was a member of Ironside's staff, and no officer wanted to tangle with the former chief of detectives. They got on the elevator and push the button that would take them to the lobby of Headquarters.
Ed took her hand. "I have to go to Las Vegas and pick up Antonio Delano. It may take me a few days to locate him, but I will call you every day."
"Ed, I am not sure your boss would approve of you seeing me," she said quietly.
"Did Chief Ironside say something to you about us seeing each other?" Ed asked her. He didn't think the chief would but he wanted to know.
"No. It is just ... "
Ed used his index finger to raise her chin so that her eyes would meet his. "It's just what?"
"Don't get me wrong; he has been polite and professional. It's the vibes that I get from him. I know he doesn't approve."
"The chief is very protective of his people. He is worried about me. Things will be different after all of this is over." He smiled down at her.
Ava dropped her eyes from his. "Will it ever be over? Can your chief actually put Benito in prison?"
"He has put many people just like him in prison. Just leave it to us. We will nail him. Enough about Chief Ironside and Benito Corneilo." Ed bent down and kissed Ava. "I'll see you when I get back. Be sure you do exactly what the officers tell you to do. They will keep you safe."
Brown rode down with Ava, made sure the officers escorted her out of the building, and then got back into the elevator. After pressing the button to Ironside's floor, he rode it up until the doors opened. Heading back into the chief's office, Ed came down the ramp.
"Don't you have a plane to catch, Sergeant Brown?" Ironside bellowed.
Ed smiled and picked up his suitcase. "On my way, Chief."
"Ed!" Ironside called out over his shoulder.
Brown turned back to the detective in the wheelchair. "Yes, Chief."
"Watch yourself and be careful."
"I will. I will call you as soon as I have some news."
"You do that." Ironside turned his attention away from his sergeant and went back to his paperwork.
Ed nodded to Eve and Mark, and then left the office.
10.2
Benito Corneilo slammed the receiver down and swore. He could not believe it! He hired a pro to take out Senator Murdock, and he might as well have sent one of the idiots that worked for him. Information had leaked out of the police department that Delano had left his overcoat and the gun in the trash can in the bathroom. No pro would be so careless. Maybe it was time that he found someone else to handle his hits. Delano obviously could no longer be trusted to do so. Since Ironside could find out that Delano left those things behind, the murder of Senator Murdock might be traced back to him. Pro assassins much better than Antonio Delano had been caught, and had been known to sing like a canary in order to avoid the death penalty.
"Dante!" he shouted through the closed door of his office. "Dante!"
His office door opened and Dante Domenico entered. "You need something, Boss?"
Benito picked up an ashtray from the desk and hurled it at the wall. Dante had to duck in order to keep from being hit in the head. The glass ashtray shattered into hundreds of pieces and scattered all over the floor.
"Did I do something wrong?"
Corneilo calmed slightly. "No not you, that idiot, Delano screwed up the hit."
Dante had not learned anything besides what he had heard and saw on the television. He knew from the news that Ironside had been assigned to find Murdock's killer. In a calming voice, he attempted to keep his boss from flying off the handle. He knew if that happened, he would strike out at the nearest person to him, and right now that was Dante. He did not want to get killed for something someone else did. "What do you mean he screwed it up?"
"He left his clothes and the gun in the trash can in a building near the hit site! Can you believe it? He is supposed to be a pro. I could have hired any street thug to kill Murdock and got that kind of job."
"Boss, this presents a problem," Dante said before being interrupted.
"You bet your ass it does. The news has already reported that Ironside has been put in charge of the investigation. That damn cripple is no ordinary cop! I swear he can solve cases with no evidence, let alone having been handed the gun and clothes on a silver platter."
"I don't mean to add to your problems but he also is protecting Ava. If she sings ..."
"She won't!" he shouted.
Dante knew he was on a slippery slope when it came to Ava. Benito just was not reasonable. Why didn't he just use women the way the rest of the boys did? Falling for them only caused problems. "Look, Benito, I have it from a pretty good source that she is hot and heavy with Ironside's sergeant." When he saw Corneilo's face turn red, he knew he was about to lose his temper. He put his hands up, palms facing his boss. "I know how you feel about her, but what if she talks to Ironside? How do we really know how much she knows about the business? She never acted like she was interested. Do you really want to chance that she wasn't just acting dumb? Benito, if she had not turned on you, Ironside would have nothing to hold her on. Yet, he has her protected and in hiding. One of our boys saw her at police headquarters today."
Corneilo walked around the desk and sat down heavily in the chair. He put his head in his hands. "I love her, Dante."
"I know you do but she has turned on you."
Running his hands town his face, he said, "It appears that she has. You are right, Ironside would have released her by now. We can't take the chance that she will talk to him. Maybe she already has. If so, it is more imperative that she be silenced. She cannot be allowed to testify in court if Ironside thinks he has enough evidence to take it to the district attorney."
Dante decided to go for broke before Corneilo changed his mind. "I will find her and take care of her for you."
"No, I have another job for you. Have someone we can depend on find her and pick her up."
"Boss ... "
"Look, I know you are right and we will kill her, but I have to see her first."
Domenico figured that was about the best he could hope for. "Okay, I will put one of the boys on it. Now what is this other job you want me to do?"
"I want you to go to Las Vegas and kill Antonio Delano. Ironside will find him and he will talk. The only loyalty he had to us was the money he made. That will be gone after Ironside arrests him."
"This one will be a pleasure," Dante said. He could not stand the arrogant jackass. He had been right about him all along. He was no professional. What kind of idiot leaves the kill weapon and the clothes he wore at the scene? Benito used this guy for kills one too many times. He was right, if Ironside got his hands on him, not only would he take down Benito but he would go down with him as well. That made it even more imperative that he take Delano out. "Shall I book a flight to Las Vegas immediately?"
"It is already booked." Benito reached into the middle desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. Handing it to Dante, he said, "Do this right or we all go down in a ball of fire."
"Yeah, a ball of fire named Ironside." After taking the tickets from Corneilo, Dante looked into his eyes. "You need to rethink what you are going to do about Ava. She can hurt us just as badly as Delano. I know you care for her, Benito, but no broad is worth losing everything. Broads are a dime a dozen. You would be better off to just have it done and not see her." Without giving Corneilo a chance to say anything, he left his office hoping he gave him something to think about. Their very lives could depend on it.
10.3
Sergeant Ed Brown handed his boarding pass to the agent at the airport. She ran it under the scanner and gave it back to him. Smiling at the detective, she told him, "Enjoy your flight, sir."
Ed smiled back at her, took his boarding pass from her and headed down the ramp. Up ahead of him, he noticed a man that looked familiar. He had only just gotten a glimpse of him when he turned his head, but he was sure he had seen him before. Realizing he would only bring attention to himself if he tried to press his way past other passengers, Brown did not try to increase his pace. He stayed behind others boarding the plane while trying to keep an eye on the man who had caught his attention.
Entering the plane, he was greeted by smiling flight attendants welcoming him aboard. He returned the smile, continued down the narrow aisle of the plane searching for his seat. Up ahead, the man he had been watching was putting his carry on in the overhead compartment. Having spotted his own seat about fifteen rows closer to the front of the plane, Ed lifted his suitcase and put it in the bin above. He glanced back, and his mystery man turned around preparing to take his seat. Although the man had not noticed the sergeant, Ed got a good look at him. He was about his height, but quite a bit heavier than Brown's lean frame.
As a policeman, Ed had forever burned the images of many crooks, thugs and criminals into his memory. It quite often came in handy in his line of work. This was one of those times. This face was one, whose image was not only familiar, but one that was relevant to the current case. Dante Domenico ... Benito Corneilo's right-hand man. What was he doing on this flight, a flight to Las Vegas? Did it have anything to do with Delano?
Making a quick decision, he decided he should inform Chief Ironside. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and turned it on. After thinking about it, he decided he did not want his conversation overheard by any of the passengers around him. It was better they did not know who they were traveling with. Instead, he pulled out a small notebook and a pen from his suit coat pocket. He jotted down a message.
Chief,
Just discovered Dante Domenico is aboard the same flight to Las Vegas. I intend to follow him. He might lead me to Antonio Delano.
Ed
He waited until the flight attendant came down the aisle closing the overhead bins. As she approached, Ed pulled his police detective's badge out of his pocket. Catching her attention, he opened the leather cover containing the badge, and showed it to her. He addressed her as quietly as he dared. "Sergeant Brown, San Francisco police. I need to get a message to Chief Robert Ironside at Headquarters, and I don't want to use my cellphone.
The attendant, having recognized the handsome detective from television news, where he quite often accompanied Ironside; took the paper from his outstretched hand. "I will ask the captain to send your message."
Allowing the other flight attendants to complete the cabin check, she turned and walked back to the cockpit. The door was still open, so she stepped inside. "Captain, a police detective is aboard the plane. He handed me this message and asked that it be sent to Chief Ironside. He did not want to use his cell phone. I don't think he wanted to be overheard."
Captain Steele took the paper from her and read it. He whistled, catching the co-pilot's attention. "What is it, Jim?"
Steele handed the message to his co-pilot. "Send that message to Robert Ironside at Police Headquarters."
David Baron read the message. "Who are these guys? Why are they so important?"
"Who? Ironside or Domenico," the captain asked.
"I know who Ironside is. Who are the other two?" Baron prepared to send the message.
"Let's just say you would rather have Ironside deal with them," Captain Steele replied.
10.4
Dante Domenico hoped he had contained his recognition of Ed Brown. He tried to give the impression that he had not noticed the cop, but he was not kidding himself. Brown had seen him. No doubt Ironside would have schooled him in a Whose Who of Benito's men. Was it a coincidence that he and the cop were on the same flight? He didn't think so. Had Ava known more about the operation than she let on? Dante had to go on the assumption that she did, and that she had spilled her gut to Ironside.
Ironside must have Brown following him, hoping to be led to Antonio Delano, in order to get something on Corneilo. He didn't care why the cop was on the same flight. He was certain that Ironside's detective knew he was on the flight and that he had seen him.
It looked like he had more than one man to deal with while in Las Vegas. He would determine if Brown was following him. If he was, he would deal with him first. Then he would kill Delano. What difference did it make whether he had to kill one or two men. He would do whatever it took to protect Benito and the organization.
TBC...
*Refers to the Ironside episode, "Memories of an Ice Cream Stick."
A/N: Sorry for the long delay. It just seems to be one thing after another. Before Christmas, I had to have emergency surgery and spent the Holidays in the hospital. Recovery has been slow, but I am beginning to feel up to writing again.