The Next Morning
Kitty and Matt finished the last crumbs of breakfast and piled their plates on the room service cart. Matt rolled the cart off to the side and Kitty stood to finish getting ready for her shopping trip. Her eyes rested on the flowers and note that were waiting for her yesterday. The flowers' sweet aroma would linger a bit longer, the note would be treasured forever. She glanced into mirror on the wall above the dresser, and saw Matt's reflection. He was watching her with admiring eyes. Smiling softly, she picked up the broach he'd given her just before the trip, a cameo set in silver filagree. She pinned it to her pale blue blouse, just below the ruffled collar, and turned to face him. Without saying a word, he wrapped his arms around her. She wished that time would stop for just a moment. He gently kissed her forehead. "Kitty I don't have to meet with Mike this morning if you'd rather I didn't." She shook her head. "It's fine Matt, really. He's an old friend asking for a favor, and it won't take long. Besides, if I shop by myself I don't have to worry about you getting bored. So, let's get going, I have a a lot of stores to get to before we meet for lunch at 1:00." Matt grabbed his hat and ushered her down the hallway to press the buzzer for the elevator. "Kitty, that breakfast was something, I couldn't eat another bite." She raised an eyebrow, "Well that is saying something. I admit I'd love to get that sweet roll recipe, to bring home to the Delmonicos."
The elevator appeared, and Loyd tipped his hat in greeting. They slowly descended to the lobby. "Matt, let's stop at the desk for a moment."
As soon as Kitty approached, the morning clerk looked up and smiled. "How can I help you this fine morning." Kitty returned his smile. "I was wondering if you had a map of the downtown area, one that would be helpful for shopping."
"I have just the thing." The clerk reached into a drawer. "This map is very popular with the ladies. It highlights all the stores in the area – milliners, shoe stores, dress shops, leather good, and in the center is a store called Marshal Field & Co. It has a variety of products, many from England. Then of course there's a perfume store and many others." He placed the map in Kitty's hands "Enjoy."
"Thank you, I'm sure I will." Kitty took Matt's arm and they stepped out into the morning sun.
Matt couldn't help but smile at the eager anticipation on the lovely red-head's face as she clutched the map. "Looks like you have a busy morning ahead of you, just don't get so carried away you forget to meet me at the Century Club at 1:00." Kitty smiled coyly. "Any you Marshal, don't get so involved with police matters that you lose track of time."
"I won't." He bent over and quickly brushed his lips across hers. A man could get used to something like that. A woman could too. With a smile on her face, Kitty unfolded the map and walked briskly away. Matt hurried off in the other direction.
Downtown St. Louis
In his crisp business suit, Adam Bates stepped out of the St. Louis Municipal Bank, where he headed the Loan Department, and hurried down the street as fast as dignity would allow. With a quick, nervous look over his shoulder, he turned the corner onto Empire Street. Belying its grand name, Empire was a narrow, desolate street. Weeds pushed up between the weather beaten planks that formed an uneven walkway, and the only thing to be seen was the back of an empty warehouse that was owned by Jasper Wellington. Most folks could think of no reason for anyone to be on Empire Street. Adam Bates had a reason. He, Jasper and Carl had paid a lowlife cowboy a lot of money, to kidnap a man and lock him in the basement of that warehouse. Damn, they had good reason for that.
Halfway down Empire, Adam stopped outside the door to the basement, and pulled a key from his pocket. His stomach churned. He didn't fancy going down there alone, but Carl and Jasper had appointments this morning so he was on his own. With a deep, fortifying breath he unlocked the door, slipped inside and lit the lantern that hung on a wall peg. He went down 5 uneven steps, and tried to quiet his pounding heart. This was not typical banker's work.
"Kill me or let me go." The voice coming from the corner of the room was scratchy with stress and fatigue. Adam held the lamp up, and felt a surge of satisfaction, at the man's bloodied, disheveled condition. One wrist was tied to a pipe in the wall, and he paced, like a caged animal, as far as the rope would allow.
Adam set the lantern on the floor and, feigning calmness, walked to a small table at the far end of the room. He held up a pitcher of water. "You must be thirsty. I'm sure it's frustrating seeing this pitcher right here, but not being able to get to it." Adam poured water into a glass. "I'll give you some. We don't want you to die of thirst lord knows."
"What do you want from me? You can't keep me here forever and I'm not wanted by the law."
"Ah that's the heart of the problem. If you were on a wanted poster, everything would be so simple. The way things are, we three men have to do the best we can, for the sake of our sons." Adam set the glass the floor. "Go ahead. Pick it up and drink."
The man's ego told him to defiantly kick the glass, but thirst won out. With his middle-aged body aching. he suppressed a groan, bent over and lifted the glass. He drained it quickly and licked his dry lips, but his thirst was still bad, and his outrage worse. Adam's smug face was just inches away. Now or never – make a move. He slammed the glass into Adam's forehead. Blood flowed, the glass splintered, pieces broke off. Adam staggered back stunned, blood dripping into his eyes. Energized, the prisoner grabbed a shard of glass from the floor, and cut through the thin rope that held him to the metal pipe. Escape was near, only Adam stood in his way. He hurled himself at the banker. Adam, unused to fighting, found himself pinned to the ground, a piece of glass held to his throat.
"Stop, stop – I have a gun." The two men on the floor froze, and looked up towards the voice. Adam breathed a sigh of relief and scrambled to his feet. Jasper Wellington, large and fleshy, was cooly holding a pistol. Wellington pulled a set of handcuffs from his pocket. His eyes narrowed. "I knew you were a tricky bastard, so I worried about restraining you with a measly rope. That's why I acquired these. He shook the handcuffs in he air. "Seems I was just in time. Get up." He clipped one end of the handcuffs around the metal pipe and the other around the man's wrist. "Your little outburst will cost you food for the rest of the day. We'll be back tomorrow. Adam, let's pick up the broken glass and get out of here. You have to get yourself cleansed up before you go back to work."
Matt
"Matt Dillon, right on time." Police Lieutenant Mike Haley spotted Matt striding into the St. Louis Police Station. Heads turned. Matt felt eyes boring into him. Mike took his friend's arm. "Don't mind the curious looks, you have quite the reputation, and deservedly so. Come this way." Matt followed Mike down a hallway, and looked left and right as they walked. The place was like his office in Dodge City but multiplied. Instead of one room with a desk, table, chairs, and wanted posters, there were several rooms like that. In the back of it all was a row of holding cells.
Mike opened a door at the end of the hall. "Here's my office, Matt. Have a seat, coffee's ready." He handed Matt a steaming cup. "Let's get to it." Matt's attention was already on the photographs of three young men, spread across Mike's desk. Mike tapped a finger on each picture. "Each of these – an 18 years old son of a prominent man in finance. They grew up together almost like brothers, raised by their fathers. Their mothers died young. Matt, they went missing over two weeks ago. Their fathers were in here – frantic, demanding action, threatening all manner of things if their sons weren't found right away. We started an organized search with a lot of manpower. The three men kept hounding us, and I didn't blame them, they were sick with worry about their sons."
Matt sipped his coffee, eyes still on the photos. "You haven't found them yet."
"Right, and that's troubling, but it's not what's making my gut yell that something's gone crazy. What's doing that is the fact that the fathers seem to have lost interest in the search. Matt, all of a sudden they stopped coming here, stopped hounding us, stopped demanding we do more. I don't hear from them for days, and when I go to speak to them, they barely seem interested. It's like they gave up caring about their sons."
"You know that can't be it." Matt met his friend's eyes.
"Exactly, I think they know what happened to their sons and they're hiding something. I can't figure what or why. That's why I asked for your opinion, Matt. You've always had a way of getting to the truth."
Kitty
Map in one hand, and drawstring purse in the other, Kitty walked down Washington Street trying to strategically plot a route for her shopping expedition. Eyes glued firmly to the map, she didn't notice a slight fork in the street, and veered left around a corner. She looked up to get her bearings and frowned. There wasn't a shop, store, or person in sight, or even much of a walkway. She took a few tentative steps. The only thing she could see was the back of a big, empty building. She looked around and noticed a sign – Empire Street – what a name for a street like this. With a shake of her head, she stopped to think. Would it be better to try to retrace her steps, or should she go to the end of the street and find her way from there? Still thinking, she heard some sounds and saw two men emerge from an almost hidden door. They were dressed in business suits, although the thinner man seemed oddly disheveled. She walked closer waving her map, "Sirs, sirs. I'm hoping you can help with some directions." The two men turned, eyes wide at seeing someone on Empire Street. Jasper Wellington quickly recovered his wits and manners. "Of course, I'd be happy to help." He took a step in her direction. Behind him, Adam started to close the heavy door to the basement.
"Is someone up there? HELP PLEASE."
Kitty stopped in her tracks. The sound was muffled, but she could have sworn she heard a man's voice calling for help. She looked up at Jasper, but could see Adam behind him, pushing the basement door shut.
"Wait. Don't close that door. It sounds like someone's down there asking for help."
"No, no it's nothing." Jasper smiled broadly. Let's look at that map of yours. I have a feeling you made a wrong turn. A lovely lady like yourself must be seeking the finest stores."
"HELP, HELP." The muffled voice sounded desperate.
"Someone is down there, surely you can hear it."
"It's the wind." Jasper tried to back Kitty further from the door.
"The wind my foot." She stepped around Jasper and marched over to Adam as he pushed the door shut and locked it. Outraged, she snatched the key from his hand. "Someone is down there."
Adam shook his head, trying to look bewildered. "I don't hear anything."
"That's because you shut the door. I'm opening it." She put the key into the lock.
Desperate to stop Kitty, Adam grabbed the front of her blouse. She dropped the key and pulled away. Her blouse ripped; her broach fell to the ground. She growled at Adam. "You won't get away with this. I'll get the police."
Jasper panicked. Moving his bulky body with unusual speed, he grabbed Kitty from behind. Adam quickly opened the door. Jasper shoved. Kitty flew inside. Adam shut the door and locked it. The men looked at each other, barely believing what just happened. Jasper smoothed his hair back. "We did what we had to do, but this complicates things. We'll meet later and have Carl join us." He frowned at Adam, "Your finger is bleeding. Try not to get any more blood on your clothes. That gash from your head is enough." Adam pressed his bleeding finger to his lips, "It's nothing, the lady had some jewelry or something that cut into my finger. No matter, I'll get cleaned up and get on with the day."
Inside, Kitty stumbled down the uneven stairs to the basement. By the time she reached the bottom step, she found her footing and took stock of herself. Unhurt, a torn blouse, and still holding her purse. She blinked to adjust to the dimly lit room. "Is anybody here?"
She heard heavy breathing and turned her attention to the far corner of he basement. A man was there, mostly hidden in the shadow. Her heart pounded in her chest. Whoever that was, some respectable looking bankers had him locked in a basement. Maybe he was a violent lunatic.
The figure straightened up and shuffled as close as his handcuffed arm would allow. His eyes widened. "Kitty?"
Squinting hard, she cautiously stepped towards him. Even in the semi-darkness, there was no mistaking the man."Will. Will Stambridge."
TBC
