Forty-six
"Listen Wally, I'll try to keep it brief," Stetson said, closing the door to his office.
Wally took a seat near Stetson's desk.
"First let me say, I don't normally pry into the personal lives of my workers, but considering the circumstances, I need to ask you a few questions," Stetson asked politely.
"Okay sir," Wally replied calmly.
"Forgive my bluntness, but what can you tell me about your relationship with Sarah Monocello?"
"There is nothing to tell. There is no relationship sir," Wally answered growing uncomfortable. He did not like where this was going.
"I understand Flash brought her in the other night on charges that she gained illegal entry into your apartment. You were to sign the documents pressing charges," Stetson hesitated.
"Yes, sir."
"Well, you never signed the charges against her and as a result we had to release her. I see this all the time in domestic disputes, but not so much in other situations. Let me say, you can feel completely free to speak openly here. Everything will remain confidential and none of this will leave this room," Stetson said looking directly into Wally's eyes.
Wally realized there was no going around this. He had to be as honest as he could, without betraying his secret. "Okay sir. I can assure you that there was never any relationship between Sarah Monocello and myself. Whatever rumors there are going around are completely foundless. Her attack on me resulted from the belief that I had something to do with the Justice League. She and her husband do not have a high regard for the Justice League's service to the community and her actions were a result of that attitude. I have reason to believe that her actions were influenced by her husband's opinions and job situation."
"Thank you Wally for your help. You may not be aware of this, but we have Sarah in custody again; she is facing a new set of charges. She claims her husband is behind everything and has been acting on his behalf. She says she no longer agrees with her husband's allegations against the Justice League and asks that we drop all the charges against her in exchange for her full cooperation in the case against her husband."
"I believe what she says is true," Wally agreed.
"Anything else you can tell me about her or her husband?" Stetson asked.
Before Wally could answer, there was a knock at the door.
"Excuse me Sergeant," said the secretary as she opened the door, wide enough to poke her head into the room. "There is an Officer Tyler here from the Sheriff's County Jail. He says he has something urgent for you to look at. It is about the Monocello case, sir."
"Send him in please, Janice," the Sergeant said.
"I guess that will be all then, Wally. Thank you for your time," he said rising from his seat and stepping out from behind his desk.
"No problem, sir. Glad I can help," Wally replied.
Wally nearly collided into Officer Tyler as the two met face to face at the doorway to Stetson's office.
"Excuse me," Wally said, stepping back in to allow the officer to pass.
Officer Tyler nodded, "Are you Wally West?" he asked in surprise, noting the identification tag Wally was wearing.
"Yes I am, officer. Why do you ask?" Wally answered curiously.
"Oh… well, it's just that you're mentioned on this video tape," the officer said, holding the tape out to the Sergeant.
"Oh?" Wally said, getting nervous. "Whose conversation?" he asked, knowing it had something to do with Vern Monocello.
The officer looked from Wally to the sergeant, uneasily. "I'm sorry sir, perhaps I spoke out of turn."
"Officer, have you viewed this tape in its entirety?" Stetson asked seriously.
"Yes sir, it is my job to monitor the video equipment while it is in use," the officer stated.
"You say his name is mentioned on this video tape?" Stetson questioned.
"Yes sir," the officer answered. "I have a written transcript of the whole conversation here, sir," he said handing him a large white envelope.
"May I view the tape Sergeant?" Wally asked. "I believe I have a right to know if this involves me in any way."
"Both of you please have a seat," the sergeant instructed, slowly walking back to his seat behind his desk. He removed the papers and quickly perused them before speaking.
After a few moments of silence, the sergeant looked up from the papers and spoke. "Wally, I see no reason why you can't view this video. In fact, after you do view it, I would appreciate it if you would consider…"
Forty-seven
C.J. looked up in her direction. There was no place to go and nowhere to hide.
"Miss. O'Malley?" C.J. asked, looking at her suspiciously. "What are you doing here?"
"Uh… hi, Mr. Jensen, nice to see you," Kali replied unsteadily. "I… uh… needed to come by… to… pick up a few things,… but I can see that I'm interrupting something important, so I'll just be on my way…" she said making a b-line for the door.
"Stop her C.J.!" Vince shouted.
C.J. grabbed Kali by the arm and pulled her back into her bedroom. "Stay here, while I figure this out," he warned. He angrily slammed the door shut.
Kali headed for the window and yanked it open. She knew she had to get out of there and fast. There was no fire escape outside the window, no ledge to step onto or an awning to stop her fall should she have the courage to jump.
Think! Kali, think! she muttered nervously. Maybe she could tie sheets together and climb out the window to the ground, like they do in the movies. Did she have enough time? She did not have time to waste. Pulling a sheet off her bed, she began to tie an end to the bedpost. Good, this is working, she thought. The first sheet was fastened to the bedpost. Kali let out an audible sigh.
She grabbed another sheet and tied it to the end of the first. Would they stay fastened together? Would this hold her weight? Worried that the knot may slip right off the other sheet she grabbed a stapler and stapled the ends of the sheets together. Between the staples and the knot, she should be okay, she reasoned.
Next, she grabbed the blanket. It was thicker than the sheets, but that would serve just as well. She tied and stapled that sheet to the makeshift escape rope she had begun. Hurry, Kali hurry!
For some reason, the image of Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz film popped into her mind. She remembered how the Tin Man axed down the door in the Witch's tower to save Dorothy from the wicked Witch. She wished someone were coming to save her. Where was her hero? she wondered.
Forty-eight
The persistent beeping of the alarm on the clock beside her bed drew Margo out of her restful slumber. "Is it 7:30 already?" she groaned. She lifted her head just enough to read the time on the face of the clock. Maybe Marty reset the alarm and it wasn't really 7:30, she hoped optimistically. One look at the clock told her this was not the case. "Marty, it's time to wake up," she whispered into his ear, gently nudging him.
"Not yet," he replied, turning from his side onto his belly. "Five more minutes," he mumbled sleepily.
"No… not five more minutes… you have to get up now," she insisted, nudging him some more.
He lifted his head and looked in her general direction, his eyelids hanging low, covering the pools blue beneath them.
"Yes Marty, it's not a nightmare. You really have to get up now," she insisted sweetly.
"Why don't you get in the shower first, honey, I'll wait," he mumbled, shifting into a more comfortable position.
"That's very thoughtful, Marty, but you have to leave for work before me. Come on sweetie, it's time for you to get up," Margo said in a louder voice, rocking his shoulders more forcefully.
Marty pulled the blanket over his head.
"Marty?"
"No one here by that name," came the voice from the lump beneath the blanket.
"So, who is this under the blanket then?" she asked curiously.
"Phil."
"Phil who?"
"Phil me up, I'm hungry!" Marty shouted, pulling the blanket off his face. He pushed the blanket to the floor and began tickling Margo.
Margo doubled up with laughter. She wiggled and squirmed trying to escape Marty's mad attack, but could not as his hands seemingly were everywhere at once. There was no defense to these tickle attacks. "Okay! Okay! Stop!" she cried between bursts of laughter and gasps of breath. "Anything you want!" she cried.
"That's better." Marty pulled the blanket back onto the bed and flopped back down on his pillow.
"Mart.. er… Phil?.. didn't you want some breakfast?" Margo asked catching her breath and regaining her composure.
"Uh-huh."
Margo climbed out of bed and slid her feet into her slippers. "I'll get in the shower then," she said quietly. As she stepped out of her bedroom, she heard the rhythmic sound of his quiet snores.
As she passed Kali's room, Margo noticed that Kali's bed was made. Good, she thought, I don't have to wake her up too!
As she turned to close the bedroom door, her eye caught sight of Kali's Psychology textbook. I'll bring this downstairs for her so that she won't forget it, she decided.
"Kali, have you eaten breakfast yet?" Margo called entering the kitchen. "Kali?" The kitchen was clean and spotless. Kali had obviously not ventured into the kitchen this morning, Margo surmised.
Maybe she's in another room, reading or studying, Margo thought as she searched the house room by room.
Not finding Kali, Margo returned to her bedroom.
"Marty," she called.
"Five more minutes," answered a sleepy voice from the bed.
"Marty, I can't find Kali," Margo said firmly, ignoring her husband's plea.
"She probably left for class already," Marty mumbled, shifting positions.
"Her textbook is still here," Margo retorted.
"She probably forgot it," Marty answered more coherently. He shifted positions again.
"I think something's wrong."
"Nothing is wrong, she's a big girl. She'll manage," Marty insisted. He sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"
"It's almost 8:00."
"What? Why on earth didn't you wake me!" Marty said leaping out of the bed, "I'll never make it to work on time!"
Margo shook her head. "Never mind… I'll just take her book to class for her," she called.
Marty didn't answer. He was too busy muttering to himself about setting the clock's alarm earlier next time.
She heard Marty turn the shower water was on full blast, as she stepped out the door with Kali's psychology textbook.
It did not take her long to arrive at the University. She was relieved to see that Kali had penciled in the time and room number of her psychology class on her textbook, 8:30 room 101.
The campus was fairly empty, Margo observed. She knew how unpopular those early morning classes were with college students. She, herself, had made it a rule not to take any classes before 10:00 a.m. preferring to sleep in.
As she approached the front entranceway, she spotted a glass-enclosure sporting a large map of the entire campus. It was well done and made it very easy to spot the location of Kali's class. Thankfully, it was on the first floor nearby. According to the map, it was just around the corner.
Glancing at her watch, she noted the time was 8:30 a.m. exactly and hurried around the corner to room 101. Through the window beside the classroom door Margo could see the entire classroom. With most of the seats occupied, the teacher had begun writing the day's lesson on the blackboard. Margo quickly skimmed through the many faces in the seats facing the front of the room. Kali was not there. She double-checked. Kali was not there for sure.
Margo decided to wait out in front of the school where she could spot Kali's arrival. Pacing back and forth, Margo waited another 15 minutes. Kali was not coming and Margo had this sick feeling in her stomach that something was wrong. Not only was this Kali's favorite class, but Margo knew it was a required class for Kali's major. Definitely, something was wrong.
She decided to call Marty on her cell phone. Marty's voice mail picked up. "Hi, Marty, this is Margo. I'm at the University and there's no sign of Kali. I really think something is wrong. Give me a call please, okay? I'll try Wally, maybe he knows something. Bye," she said disconnecting from the call.
She pressed the autodial for Wally's apartment and got his voice mail. He must be at work, she concluded, and hung up without leaving a message.
Margo dialed the Police Department's phone number and finally got through to Wally.
"Margo, everything okay?" he asked sounding concerned.
"Uh, I hope so, Wally. I'm looking for Kali. Do you know where she is? She forgot her psychology textbook for this morning's class."
"She said she had an 8:30 class today," Wally answered.
"She's not in class, Wally. I'm getting concerned," Margo asked worriedly.
"Oh, I guess she decided to skip it," Wally replied. "She had breakfast at my place this morning. She's probably still at my apartment then. We are supposed to meet for lunch at 1:00 pm. If you want, I will tell her you are looking for her when I see her. Okay?"
Margo hesitated, "She was at your place? I just called there and there was no answer," she said.
"Maybe she is sleeping or ran home for something. You probably just missed her at the house," Wally said calmly.
"You're probably right. Where else could she be?" Margo laughed nervously. "I'm probably making a mountain out of a mole hill!"
"Don't worry, I'm sure everything is fine," Wally reassured her.
"Okay, thanks Wally. Bye," she said as she hung up the phone.
Forty-nine
"Sorry for the interruption, Sarge," Wally said respectfully.
"No problem, Wally," the sergeant said as he popped the video cartridge into the machine and immediately the screen sprang to life. Wally recognized C.J. and Vern, in what appeared to be some sort of holding cell. There was not much in the room beside C.J. and Vern. He wondered what kind of equipment the Sheriff Office uses that would be so inconspicuous in such a small room. It was clear from the video, that both C.J. and Vern had initially been reluctant to speak openly until they had mistakenly assumed the outdated camera equipment was still in use.
Wally could not believe his ears when he heard C.J. say, "We're ready to set up the deal at the O'Malley apartment. The busted pipe worked like a charm. We have the place for at least a week." The water leak was no accident, he realized. And what 'deal' were they setting up in Kali's apartment?
It did not take long to get his answer; the video tape continued:
"How are they going to pack the drugs this time?" Vern asked
"Vince says they'll deliver the stuff inside the rolls of the new carpeting," C.J. answered
It suddenly dawned on him; this whole thing was all about drugs. C.J. and Vern were using emergency repairs as an excuse to get the tenants to vacate their apartments. C.J. and Vern were using these apartments for conducting drug deals. Now, the latest deal was going to take place at Kali's apartment! What was he going to do? He couldn't very well leave in the middle of this video to contact the Justice League. He decided he had to sit tight and get all the details he could from this video. He also wanted to know what the police planned to do about it, now that they were aware of the situation.
Wally watched in horror as he heard Vern tell C.J., "Flash is a personal friend of West. He hangs out at West's apartment. The place is some kind of home base, pit stop or something… who knows. But, the point is, that's where he's vulnerable."
Wally's heart sank with every mention of his name in connection with Flash. Now the Sheriff's department AND the Police department know of Wally's 'friendship' with Flash. It was more than dangerously close to the truth. How do I get myself into these things, he wondered. Shouldn't I be waking up from this nightmare by now? he thought.
Just when he thought it could not get any worse, he heard Vern say, "I have a little job for you to do. I want you to go to West's apartment and plant some camera equipment and listening devices. You know the kind of stuff I'm talking about, right?"
Wally noted the date and time stamped on this video. It had only been recorded this morning! That meant that the audio-visual equipment could be installed as early as today. It was possible that when he returned home for lunch, his every word and action would be recorded.
Wally stared at the screen trying to sort things out. There was not much time; C.J.'s visit with Monocello was coming to an end. The video showed C.J. and Vern separately being escorted out of the room and concluded with the final audio comment, "This is Officer Tyler, I am confirming the end of Vernon Monocello's visit with Carl Jensen."
"This is incredible!" Stetson said to Officer Tyler. "I've never seen a more complete video-taped confession in my life!"
"So, is this enough to file charges on Carl Jensen and keep Vern Monocello in jail?" Wally said, hoping this would be the end of it.
"It is enough to file charges against Carl Jensen, and Vern Monocello, but I'd really like the chance to bring down the rest of the operatives in the ring," Stetson replied. "I'd like them to think that they are getting away with this so they will lower their defenses and make the drug deal. It's going down soon, we know where and how, we just don't know when. Are you willing to help us catch these guys in the act?" Stetson asked with interest.
Wally had no choice. What could he say...? No,... I'll take care of it myself thank you…? don't worry about a thing, Sarge… I'll just contact the Justice League and we'll handle it?... "Sure, what would you like me to do?" he asked, silently vowing he'd take care of all this as Flash.
"Is it true, that you're a friend of Flash's?" the sergeant asked. "Can you get in contact with him?"
These were the kinds of questions Wally didn't want to answer. Any answers would bring more problems because he didn't want to get further into it with his boss.
"Well… what did you have in mind?" Wally asked, evading the questions.
"We need to know when the drug deal is going down, so we can catch the rest of them in the act. Can you arrange for Flash to visit you at your apartment on and off for the next few days? I am sure it will not take more than that to bait them into action. Just hang out at the apartment pretending to be sick with a stomach virus, allergic reaction or something. We will fit you for a hidden microphone so we can monitor the situation. Whatever you do, do not leave your place. As soon as you arrive at your apartment, you will be under constant surveillance. Our men will be stationed just outside your apartment building. I will put you down for sick leave the rest of this week. That ought to give them enough time to make a move and when they do, we'll be right there," Stetson said confidently."
"How long do you want me to wait before returning to the apartment?" Wally asked.
"I expect it will take about 30 minutes to an hour to brief the officers and get set up outside your place. Go see the Detective division about obtaining a hidden wireless transmitter. By the time you get to your apartment the team will be in place," Stetson answered.
Wally agreed and left Stetson's office quickly heading for the telephone. The nearest telephone was the one in the break room. He hoped that the room would be empty so he could make a quick call to the Watchtower.
Upon entering the room, Wally spotted two patrol officers seated at a table at the far end of the room. They glanced in Wally's direction, but immediately returned to their conversation.
Stalling for time, hoping the officer's would be leaving soon, Wally strolled over to the coffee maker and poured himself a cup of coffee. He slowly added some sugar and cream to the coffee, taking quick peeks over at the officers.
He sniffed the coffee and stirred, pretending it was too hot to drink. The officers were STILL engrossed in some kind of debate over the latest baseball game.
Wally sincerely hoped he would not actually have to drink this stuff. The first time he ever drank coffee was the last time he ever drank coffee; it had made him so jittery he could not sit still. Everyone in the Watchtower got on his case for making them nervous with his constant darting around. It took him a week to calm down; he thought he'd never have a good night's sleep again.
The two officers looked up at Wally. He got the impression they felt he was eavesdropping on their conversation. He just wished they would leave already.
Wally walked over to an empty table nearby and sat down. He stared into his coffee cup, stirring it some more.
Wally realized that the officers weren't talking or moving. I am not going to drink this coffee! he determined. No matter how long they stare, I am not going to…
They were still staring.
Wally lifted the coffee to his lips…
They were still staring. Oh God, why don't they just leave? he pleaded.
"Porter! Anderson!" a voice shouted, from the doorway.
The interruption startled Wally, making him drop the coffee cup and spilling it all over the table.
"Stetson wants you in the conference RIGHT NOW!" the officer continued.
Both officers tossed their cups into the trash and headed for the door.
With a grateful look of relief, Wally grabbed some paper towels and began cleaning up the mess he had just made.
As soon as the room was empty, Wally raced to the telephone and dialed the emergency line at the Watchtower.
"J'onn! I need your help again!" he shouted into the phone when the Martian picked up the line.
Fifty
Kali pulled on the makeshift rope she had just created to test its viability. The rope in its entirety consisted of two sheets, one blanket, one bedspread, seven bath towels, two long beach towels, and a bathrobe. It looked good and felt strong enough.
The living room was unusually quiet, but she did not want to bother to find out why. All she knew was that she had to get out of there and fast. She carefully opened the window and tossed the loose end of the odd-looking rope out the window.
"Here goes," she said, as she carefully began her descent out the window and down to the ground, four floors below.
At first, it was awkward climbing down the wiggly cord. It swayed back and forth and twisted round and round with her every movement. She wondered how they made it look so easy in the movies. Carefully, she made her way down, easing herself slowly, inch by inch. "You're almost there," she whispered softly, trying to keep her mind focused on this impossible task. She stared directly at the roping in front of her, refusing to look down; for fear that, she would be overcome with vertigo.
It seemed like she was progressing at a snail's pace, but she was determined to make it to the ground safely. A few feet lower, she realized she was face to face with the window of the apartment below hers. This is Wally's apartment, she thought gleefully. Maybe he is home early! she hoped. Peering in the window, she struggled to steady herself.
There was someone in the apartment, but it was not Wally. The man was much shorter and rounder looking from behind. He was fiddling with something behind the stereo system in Wally's bedroom. What is that man doing? she wondered, straining to get a closer look into the window.
Just than, another man entered the bedroom.
"I just got a call from Janice," the man announced. His voice sounded strangely familiar, but Kali could not place it.
"Wally leaving work now?" the man at the stereo asked, continuing his work.
"Janice said he's gone, could have been a while now, but no more than 20 minutes. She said she's sorry; she had to step away from the window to sell some movie tickets to a group of teen-aged girls." As he spoke, the man turned toward the window and Kali got a clear view of his face. Her heart stopped as she realized who he was.
"She had to step away from the window? Vince, in those 20 minutes Wally could have driven across town. He could be pulling up outside right now!" The second man stopped what he was doing and turned to speak with him. Kali nearly lost her grip; the two men in Wally's apartment were Mr. Jensen and Vince!"
If they spotted her, she would never make it to safety. She HAD to get away from that window before they spotted her. Frantic to make her way down the now swaying cord, she loosened her grip and began to slide toward the ground. The material was lumpy and uneven. Kali's jerky descent on the snaking cord made it impossible for her to keep a tight grip. Suddenly she lost her hold entirely and began falling. She fell fast, but it seemed like slow motion.