CHRISTMAS IN NEW YORK
ALEXIS PAIKAI
New York is a busy city but during the holidays it becomes a beautiful city with all its' lights and glamour, especially when visiting Aunt Clara. She always manages to make it an interesting experience.
This Christmas season Danny and Steve decided to take sometime out and see Clara act in the "The Christmas Carol." They were going to see the closing engagement and then take Clara out to a late dinner. After enjoying a wonderful production of the play they headed backstage to pick up Clara and congratulate the other actors, they entered the back area and found a great deal of commotion going on.
"Oh, Steve, Danny," Aunt Clara cries out when she spots them, "Thank goodness, you're here."
"Aunt Clara calm down, what's wrong?" Danny asks.
"Well, we were about to take a second bow when we noticed that 'Death' was missing."
"You mean the actor who plays 'Death', Clara." Karl Marx who plays Scrooge interrupts.
"Yes, yes, well Johnny went off stage to the dressing area to see if he was over there and found him...laying on the floor-dead."
"Aunt Clara are you sure he's dead?"
"Danny, I know a dead body when I see one!"
Steve asks, "Who is Johnny and did someone call the police?"
"We were just about to call when you walked in. Johnny runs errands for us all." Mike Mitchell the stage director says. "I'll make the call now."
"No, stay here," Steve says. "Danno go and make the call. Sir, if you could get all the actors and stage people to stay here till they arrive, no one should leave the stage area."
"Of course, of course."
Steve turns to Clara, "Is everyone here? Can you see anyone missing?"
"No, they seem to be all here -- wait George Carlton, he plays Crachchit, is missing."
Steve leaves Clara and heads over to the body. The actor is still in costume.
"Kind of spooky seeing 'Death' lying there," Danny says coming up behind Steve. "Still has his sickle in his hand."
Steve bends down to get a closer look, "Get an ambulance, quickly, he's barely breathing but bleeding badly."
The police arrived; right behind them was the ambulance. Lt McGregor comes up to Steve. "Hear you're the head of Hawaii Five-0 and found the victim."
"No, a young man by the name of Johnny found him. I just bent down to take a closer look and found him still alive but bleeding from the head. It doesn't look like anything was touched." They both head over to the area when 'Death' is lying.
The paramedic is doing a preliminary exam and getting ready to move him onto the stretcher.
"Can you give us a little information about his injury?" McGregor asks.
"Yeah, he has a traumatic injury to the head, unconscious, bleeding from womb mixed in with brain fluid. Don't know how much injury the brain sustained."
"Was he hit from the back or side of the head?" McGarrett asks.
"The back, never knew what hit him." The paramedics begin to move him onto to the stretcher. "You'll have to save the rest of your questions for the attending doctor."
As McGregor and McGarrett watch the victim leave the area, they begin to walk over to the crowd gathered on stage. "McGarrett, let's split them up into groups and see what they have to say."
Two hours later everyone was allowed to leave; no one noticed anything or heard anything unusual. As McGregor told his men to go McGarrett asks him to join them for a very late dinner so they could discuss the case further.
As soon as they are seated at the table Clara starts talking. Mark Slate, you know 'Death' was not a nice man, the character fit him perfectly. He made everyone uncomfortable with his dour expression. He looked at the pessimistic side of life."
"He wasn't well-liked then?" McGregor asks.
"Not so much disliked, just unfriendly and such a down person during this holiday season. You were uncomfortable in his presence. He made you feel guilty about being happy during this festive time of the year."
"Maybe Aunt Clara he was a method actor and got too deep into his role."
"So someone wanted him to get deeper, Danny, by killing him?"
"Clara, did you notice anyone who especially disliked him or seemed to be avoiding him? Steve asks her.
"No, no one stands out" Clara replies.
Danny and Steve glance at each other, Danny smiles. Both are thinking how much Clara is enjoying her center stage.
"Aunt Clara, you said George Carlton was missing. Did he appear late on the stage?"
"Yes, I asked him where he was and he said he was there all the time but I really didn't see him on stage."
Lt McGregor and Steve decide to meet the next day to work on the case--Danny's assignment was to keep Aunt Clara out of the way.
That afternoon Steve and Danny compare notes. "Danny, did you know that Clara knew Mark Slate for a number of years?"
"She didn't mention it."
"It seems that they were friends a long time ago, until his wife died. Strange she didn't mention it."
"Guess I better have a long talk with her."
"After we eat dinner, give her a chance to tell us."
After dinner while walking down the street, enjoying the festive mood and looking at the shop windows Steve quietly asks Clara, "How come you didn't mention your relationship with Mark?"
"It wasn't a relationship. We were once friends; really his wife and I were friends. We appeared together in several plays."
Danny looks at her in disbelief that she didn't mention it to them sooner, "Aunt Clara why didn't you say something?"
"I put our friendship aside a long time ago. He killed her you know. They didn't put him in jail for it but he did it. She was such a sweet woman who adored him--it wasn't enough for him, he cheated on her so many times. Finally she got tired of the gossip and humiliation and ended her life. She couldn't live without him. Silly, sweet Helen" Clara is silent for a few moments and then continues, "I haven't seen in maybe 15, no 20 years. I didn't recognize him at first--he really aged horribly. Anyway, he had a new wife and seemed miserable, couldn't feel
sorry for him. We didn't talk and we didn't have any scenes together."
"Clara, you said he wasn't friendly with anyone but did anyone seem to be angry with him?"
"No, like I said he didn't associate himself with the rest of us." After a slight pause Clara continued, "I did hear him have some words with someone, I can't recall the exact words but I got the impression it was his wife."
Danny asks Steve, "Have they talked to her yet?"
"The police haven't found her yet, Danno."
Steve and Danny walk Clara to her hotel room and then go to the bar to compare their impressions of the evening conversation.
"You thought Aunt Clara had something to do with the attack."
"I know she didn't attack him but thought with her perception and curiosity she might know more than she was saying."
"You still feel that way?"
"It just seems like she's hiding something."
"Maybe the new wife caught him cheating and decided to end his life and not end up like his former wife. Aunt Clara might be feeling guilty that he deserved to die."
"That could be but he had a big amount of insurance on himself as long as his death was not suicidal."
"Do they think he's going to make it?"
"He's on life support, that's why they're looking for nearest relative. They already declared him brain dead."
Christmas Eve finds Danny and Steve making final arrangements for dinner and packing for their return trip home late Christmas day.
Lt. McGregor arrives at their hotel early the next morning and invites the threesome for an early breakfast. It's beginning to snow and Clara is wondering if their plane will be able to leave tomorrow. Soon their conversation is directed from the weather to the murder of 'Death'.
"His wife was found late last night in Brooklyn." Lt McGregor informs them.
"Brooklyn!" They all exclaim.
Steve continues, "Let me guess who she was with, Mr. Cratchit, commonly known as George Carlton."
"How did you figure that one out, Steve?" McGregor asks.
"Clara said he wasn't on stage but he insisted he was. Mark Slate was known to be very closed mouth, loner and having a beautiful woman as a wife but no one ever mentioned her. Clara you said you heard him having words and deduced it was his wife. I checked with Actors Equity and found one Lisa Hatch Slate. After talking to some of the stage hands, who were trying to be discreet, said they thought Mrs. Cratchit was playing Mrs. Cratchit off stage as well as on stage. Lisa Hatch was Mrs. Cratchit."
"It seems that he married someone like himself," Clara says, "not a wise decision on his part."
"No, he paid a big price, his life." McGregor adds.
"He died?" Clara asks quietly.
"Yes, he died around midnight."
Danny comments, "Kind of spooky, seeing he played Death."
Clara says very quietly, "Yes, but so sad, the man was not nice but no one deserves to be killed. Are they in jail? Did they say why did they killed him?"
"Yes," McGregor says, "being held without bond. She was tired of being married to an old man and thought he would die soon after they married. But he fooled her; he was healthy and planned to live a long time."
Clara after too much silence in the room says, "Well here it is Christmas Eve, I've still have some things to get. Steve, you and I will go shopping for the necessary food items, we don't want Danny in the kitchen. Lt McGregor you'll of course be joining us." Without waiting for an answer she leaves the room to get ready. The three men look at each other and laugh.
Danny gets up then and goes to his aunt who is standing just outside the doors of the restaurant. "I thought Aunt Clara I would go to St Patrick's later to light a candle. Would you like to keep me company?'
"You're so perceptive and such a treasure to me. It will be a wonderful Christmas, I'm so glad Steve and you are here with me."
"We are too, Aunt Clara. Maybe next year you better come to Hawaii. Steve and I are freezing."
Steve quietly enters the area and gives Aunt Clara a hug and smiles at Danno. The snow is beginning to fall harder.
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