Chapter 14- (a)
~~~~~*~~~~~
The crisis was over, at least for now. As
Gary made his way down the long corridor
of the police station, his mind was on the
paper. It had been a while since his last look
and Brigatti's detaining him hadn't helped
matters any.
He slid the paper from his back pocket and
unfolded it slowly to take a look. To his dismay,
a new headline had appeared.
'Another Body Found'
What now? He groaned. The paper was being
ruthless tonight. As he passed the elevators,
he nodded cordially at a beefy police officer
standing in front. Steadyng himself for another
task, he glanced back down at the paper to
resume reading.
'The body of a man was found yesterday at a
local bar located on Illinois and Franklin. Thomas
Parette--" he stopped abruptly. Tom? That was
his new bartender!
"Oh boy!" He looked around to see if anyone had
heard then glanced back down at the paper to
continue reading.
'Thomas Parette was found late last night by
his employer Gary Hobson who is also the
bar owner. He had been shot once in the back
of the head at close range. Reports are sketchy
at this time, and police aren't saying if this killing
is related to the others that have plagued the city
for the past month.'
His heart was racing as he headed through
the building. He spotted an officer sitting at a
desk in the front lobby and stopped.
"Excuse me. Can I use your phone?"
The officer peered at him over the top of his
spectacles, giving him the once over before
motioning to some phone booths through the
bullet proof glass doors leading out into the
lobby of the building.
"Thanks." Gary nodded making his way out to
the phones. He checked his watch. It was now
passed 9 PM. Tom should still be there. He dialed
the number to the bar hoping that he wasn't too late.
"Good evening, Mcginty's." A male voice answered.
"Tom."
"Mr. Hobson, " Tom greeted, "Good evening sir.
You had a visitor tonight."
"Howzat?"
"That woman who was here last night."
"Who would that be Tom?" Gary asked preoccupied
with the headline in the paper. The article was still
there and he had to figure out a way to get Tom out of
the bar.
"Not the detective," Tom continued, "but the other
pretty one. The one you were talking to at the bar."
"Ah, thanks--listen Tom--let me speak to Marissa
would ya please.?"
"Sure."
There was a short pause, and then a rustling
sound as Tom passed the phone to Marissa.
"Gary?"
"Marissa."
"Gary? It's late. Whats the matter, what's
wrong?"
"That's what I want to know. Is everything all
right there?" Gary asked.
"Yeah...everything's fine--whats wrong? Are
you all right? You sound awful."
"Yeah...I-I'm fine." he answered, wincing as a pain
shot through his side where he had been kicked.
Marissa knew Gary's tone, and that something was
wrong. "Did you stop the robbery?" she asked, keeping
her voice to a whisper.
He was tired and had almost forgotten about
the robbery. He glanced around the lobby and
noticed a police officer bringing in a couple of ladies
of the evening handcuffed and not very happy about it.
He waited until they passed before he continued.
"Yeah, everything's fine--I'll tell you about it later.
Look, I--I need you to do something for me."
"Sure Gary."
He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I--I need you to
phone the police and tell them that you think that
someone might be trying to break into the Mcginty's van."
"Gary?" Marissa's voice was surprised."What
are you talking about?"
"Just listen to me Marissa." he said trying to sound calm.
"Call the police station and tell them that you think there
might be a burglary in progress a-and get them to survey
the area too. I'll tell you about it when I get there."
"Burglary?"
"Never mind....just do it. I'll explain everything when
I get there." he whispered.
"Yeah... sure Gary." Marissa said softly.
"Ok." he said and drew in a tired
glanced up to find the officer at the desk eyeing him
suspiciously.
"Marissa, I--I gotta go."
"Ok."
"But you need to call the cops right away." He reminded
her hurriedly.
"I will as soon as you get off the phone Gary,"
Marissa sang.
"Oh--well, bye." He hung up quickly and again glanced
at the paper. The headline was still there.
Stuffing the paper back into his pocket, he hurried
out the door.
To be continued.......................
~~~~~*~~~~~
The crisis was over, at least for now. As
Gary made his way down the long corridor
of the police station, his mind was on the
paper. It had been a while since his last look
and Brigatti's detaining him hadn't helped
matters any.
He slid the paper from his back pocket and
unfolded it slowly to take a look. To his dismay,
a new headline had appeared.
'Another Body Found'
What now? He groaned. The paper was being
ruthless tonight. As he passed the elevators,
he nodded cordially at a beefy police officer
standing in front. Steadyng himself for another
task, he glanced back down at the paper to
resume reading.
'The body of a man was found yesterday at a
local bar located on Illinois and Franklin. Thomas
Parette--" he stopped abruptly. Tom? That was
his new bartender!
"Oh boy!" He looked around to see if anyone had
heard then glanced back down at the paper to
continue reading.
'Thomas Parette was found late last night by
his employer Gary Hobson who is also the
bar owner. He had been shot once in the back
of the head at close range. Reports are sketchy
at this time, and police aren't saying if this killing
is related to the others that have plagued the city
for the past month.'
His heart was racing as he headed through
the building. He spotted an officer sitting at a
desk in the front lobby and stopped.
"Excuse me. Can I use your phone?"
The officer peered at him over the top of his
spectacles, giving him the once over before
motioning to some phone booths through the
bullet proof glass doors leading out into the
lobby of the building.
"Thanks." Gary nodded making his way out to
the phones. He checked his watch. It was now
passed 9 PM. Tom should still be there. He dialed
the number to the bar hoping that he wasn't too late.
"Good evening, Mcginty's." A male voice answered.
"Tom."
"Mr. Hobson, " Tom greeted, "Good evening sir.
You had a visitor tonight."
"Howzat?"
"That woman who was here last night."
"Who would that be Tom?" Gary asked preoccupied
with the headline in the paper. The article was still
there and he had to figure out a way to get Tom out of
the bar.
"Not the detective," Tom continued, "but the other
pretty one. The one you were talking to at the bar."
"Ah, thanks--listen Tom--let me speak to Marissa
would ya please.?"
"Sure."
There was a short pause, and then a rustling
sound as Tom passed the phone to Marissa.
"Gary?"
"Marissa."
"Gary? It's late. Whats the matter, what's
wrong?"
"That's what I want to know. Is everything all
right there?" Gary asked.
"Yeah...everything's fine--whats wrong? Are
you all right? You sound awful."
"Yeah...I-I'm fine." he answered, wincing as a pain
shot through his side where he had been kicked.
Marissa knew Gary's tone, and that something was
wrong. "Did you stop the robbery?" she asked, keeping
her voice to a whisper.
He was tired and had almost forgotten about
the robbery. He glanced around the lobby and
noticed a police officer bringing in a couple of ladies
of the evening handcuffed and not very happy about it.
He waited until they passed before he continued.
"Yeah, everything's fine--I'll tell you about it later.
Look, I--I need you to do something for me."
"Sure Gary."
He lowered his voice to a whisper. "I--I need you to
phone the police and tell them that you think that
someone might be trying to break into the Mcginty's van."
"Gary?" Marissa's voice was surprised."What
are you talking about?"
"Just listen to me Marissa." he said trying to sound calm.
"Call the police station and tell them that you think there
might be a burglary in progress a-and get them to survey
the area too. I'll tell you about it when I get there."
"Burglary?"
"Never mind....just do it. I'll explain everything when
I get there." he whispered.
"Yeah... sure Gary." Marissa said softly.
"Ok." he said and drew in a tired
glanced up to find the officer at the desk eyeing him
suspiciously.
"Marissa, I--I gotta go."
"Ok."
"But you need to call the cops right away." He reminded
her hurriedly.
"I will as soon as you get off the phone Gary,"
Marissa sang.
"Oh--well, bye." He hung up quickly and again glanced
at the paper. The headline was still there.
Stuffing the paper back into his pocket, he hurried
out the door.
To be continued.......................