Chapter IV
MURDER
FREDRICK sent Jessie to the bedroom after the dishes were done. She sat stone still on the bed; she knew what was going to happen.
Raised voices in the living room caught her by surprise. She didn't hear anyone enter the house. She cautiously made her way to the living room, making sure she couldn't be seen. If Fredrick caught her, she would receive a very severe beating. She saw two figures in a heated argument. She recognized one as Fredrick, but she didn't know who the other was.
"What do you mean you closed the deal?! That was my deal!"
"You were slacking, Fred, it needed to be done."
"Slacking?!"
"Yes. He's been waiting to close for weeks. He was about to completely abandon it because you won't close it! You're not making the company look good. You're always at the tavern."
Fred fumed.
"You have a problem. Get some help before you cost the company even more money."
"I don't need your help, Doug. I need you to stay out of my business."
"This is the whole company's business."
Fred turned toward the mini-bar located at the far end of the room. Jessie ducked into the shadows to avoid detection.
"See. You can't stay away from that infernal bottle."
Fred turned around quickly, something flashed in his hand. Jessie silently sucked air. "Stay out of my business, Doug." He raised the gun, but Doug was quicker. Fred's now limp body sagged against the counter of the mini-bar and then fell to the floor.
"Sorry, Fred, boss's orders. You were in her way."
Jessie stood there, still trying to comprehend what just occurred.
Doug carefully placed his gun back in his jacket and began to leave. Movement in the shadows caught his eye. He grabbed Jessie by the arm and dragged the frightened woman into the light. "Did you see anything?"
Jessie remained silent, wanting to escape this awful nightmare.
He shook her by the shoulders. "Did you see anything?!"
"Please let me go." She managed to say.
"Answer my question."
She left as if a ton of bricks was suddenly placed on her shoulders. She looked up at the man who had a death grip on her shoulders. His eyes flashed and she winced for what she thought was coming. "...No."
He immediately released her. "That's a good girl." He smiled fakely and left.
She stood there for moment and then walked over to the telephone.
"To whom do you wish to call?"
"Harry Vincent, please, at the Hotel Metrolite."
"I'M SORRY, Miss, he's not here right now. Would you like me to leave a message?"
"Just that Jessie called. He has my number."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Miss."
Jessie put the receiver down. "Oh, why do I always get into these messes?!" She looked over at the dead body of her fiancée and picked up the telephone once more. This time to call the police and hopefully straighten out what she could.
VINCENT was on his way to Hillsboro when Jessie made her call. He wanted to stop by and visit with her, and since he now had an order to be there, he figured why not.
"But I didn't kill him!" He heard someone cry as he drove up to Jessie's house. The entourage of police cars attracted his attention. When he arrived, they were dragging a young woman out of the house, in handcuffs. Bruises covered most of her face, looking somber and forlorn.
"Excuse me, officer?" Vincent asked as he walked up the driveway.
"Yes?" The officer turned to face him, slightly irritated.
"May I ask what is going on?"
"Do you live here?"
"No. She is an old friend of mine. Her brother and I grew up together."
The officer nodded. "She is being arrested for the murder of her fiancée."
"Murder?" Vincent was blown away. This did not sound like the Jessie he knew.
"Too bad too. We could have helped her before it got this bad." The officer shook his head sadly.
"Helped her?" He was slightly confused.
"Look at her. She's been beaten regularly. All she had to do was notify us instead of taking the law into her own hands."
He looked over at Jessie.
"Harry, you must believe me. I didn't do it!" She cried, reaching out for him.
The officer forced her into the car. "Well, you better get going. This is now an official crime scene."
Vincent nodded. "Thank you, officer." He looked over at Jessie and headed back to his coupe. As he got in his car, remembered the envelope in his pocket. He took it out and opened it. He was to watch for any suspicious behavior relating to a possible drug ring. He pushed the mishap with Jessie aside and focused on his new assignment. He vowed obedience and that is what he was going to do.
THE morning newspapers were filled with the murder of Fredrick Bobrick. Vincent tired to ignore them, but to no avail. He had a hard time believing that Jessie would have done a thing like that.
Yesterday's events tumbled through his mind. He didn't notice an envelope slide under his door. He bolted upright and, temporarily forgetting about the slight incline in the part of the ceiling he was under, whacked his head on the ceiling. He immediately fell back into his chair and favored the newly formed bump on his head. It was then he noticed the envelope on the floor. He picked it up and opened it. Change of plans. His original assignment was just to keep him busy until something major came up. Vincent always seemed to have a nose for trouble. He now was to investigate the Bobrick murder and report anything to Fellows. The message disappeared and he mentally checked off the number that was on the bottom of now blank page. The new twist for this mission was he needed to find the information quick if he was going to do Jessie any good.
MURDER
FREDRICK sent Jessie to the bedroom after the dishes were done. She sat stone still on the bed; she knew what was going to happen.
Raised voices in the living room caught her by surprise. She didn't hear anyone enter the house. She cautiously made her way to the living room, making sure she couldn't be seen. If Fredrick caught her, she would receive a very severe beating. She saw two figures in a heated argument. She recognized one as Fredrick, but she didn't know who the other was.
"What do you mean you closed the deal?! That was my deal!"
"You were slacking, Fred, it needed to be done."
"Slacking?!"
"Yes. He's been waiting to close for weeks. He was about to completely abandon it because you won't close it! You're not making the company look good. You're always at the tavern."
Fred fumed.
"You have a problem. Get some help before you cost the company even more money."
"I don't need your help, Doug. I need you to stay out of my business."
"This is the whole company's business."
Fred turned toward the mini-bar located at the far end of the room. Jessie ducked into the shadows to avoid detection.
"See. You can't stay away from that infernal bottle."
Fred turned around quickly, something flashed in his hand. Jessie silently sucked air. "Stay out of my business, Doug." He raised the gun, but Doug was quicker. Fred's now limp body sagged against the counter of the mini-bar and then fell to the floor.
"Sorry, Fred, boss's orders. You were in her way."
Jessie stood there, still trying to comprehend what just occurred.
Doug carefully placed his gun back in his jacket and began to leave. Movement in the shadows caught his eye. He grabbed Jessie by the arm and dragged the frightened woman into the light. "Did you see anything?"
Jessie remained silent, wanting to escape this awful nightmare.
He shook her by the shoulders. "Did you see anything?!"
"Please let me go." She managed to say.
"Answer my question."
She left as if a ton of bricks was suddenly placed on her shoulders. She looked up at the man who had a death grip on her shoulders. His eyes flashed and she winced for what she thought was coming. "...No."
He immediately released her. "That's a good girl." He smiled fakely and left.
She stood there for moment and then walked over to the telephone.
"To whom do you wish to call?"
"Harry Vincent, please, at the Hotel Metrolite."
"I'M SORRY, Miss, he's not here right now. Would you like me to leave a message?"
"Just that Jessie called. He has my number."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, Miss."
Jessie put the receiver down. "Oh, why do I always get into these messes?!" She looked over at the dead body of her fiancée and picked up the telephone once more. This time to call the police and hopefully straighten out what she could.
VINCENT was on his way to Hillsboro when Jessie made her call. He wanted to stop by and visit with her, and since he now had an order to be there, he figured why not.
"But I didn't kill him!" He heard someone cry as he drove up to Jessie's house. The entourage of police cars attracted his attention. When he arrived, they were dragging a young woman out of the house, in handcuffs. Bruises covered most of her face, looking somber and forlorn.
"Excuse me, officer?" Vincent asked as he walked up the driveway.
"Yes?" The officer turned to face him, slightly irritated.
"May I ask what is going on?"
"Do you live here?"
"No. She is an old friend of mine. Her brother and I grew up together."
The officer nodded. "She is being arrested for the murder of her fiancée."
"Murder?" Vincent was blown away. This did not sound like the Jessie he knew.
"Too bad too. We could have helped her before it got this bad." The officer shook his head sadly.
"Helped her?" He was slightly confused.
"Look at her. She's been beaten regularly. All she had to do was notify us instead of taking the law into her own hands."
He looked over at Jessie.
"Harry, you must believe me. I didn't do it!" She cried, reaching out for him.
The officer forced her into the car. "Well, you better get going. This is now an official crime scene."
Vincent nodded. "Thank you, officer." He looked over at Jessie and headed back to his coupe. As he got in his car, remembered the envelope in his pocket. He took it out and opened it. He was to watch for any suspicious behavior relating to a possible drug ring. He pushed the mishap with Jessie aside and focused on his new assignment. He vowed obedience and that is what he was going to do.
THE morning newspapers were filled with the murder of Fredrick Bobrick. Vincent tired to ignore them, but to no avail. He had a hard time believing that Jessie would have done a thing like that.
Yesterday's events tumbled through his mind. He didn't notice an envelope slide under his door. He bolted upright and, temporarily forgetting about the slight incline in the part of the ceiling he was under, whacked his head on the ceiling. He immediately fell back into his chair and favored the newly formed bump on his head. It was then he noticed the envelope on the floor. He picked it up and opened it. Change of plans. His original assignment was just to keep him busy until something major came up. Vincent always seemed to have a nose for trouble. He now was to investigate the Bobrick murder and report anything to Fellows. The message disappeared and he mentally checked off the number that was on the bottom of now blank page. The new twist for this mission was he needed to find the information quick if he was going to do Jessie any good.