Trip to Murder 16
Author's Note: JudyH, you said something about this having the feel of being set in the fifties and I guess you're right in a way. While I was writing this I was watching an old movie of Amanda Blake's which was made in the fifties and was one of those crime dramas. Guess it inspired me a little. Anyway, thank you. And thanks to everyone else for staying with me on this so far. CallMeAbe, not sure this chapter is any longer but I'm working on it.
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"Matt, are you sure about this?" Kitty questioned the next morning as they sat at the breakfast table, sharing some of Herman's wonderful cooking.
"No, no, I'm not, Kitty." Matt sat back in his chair with a shrug. "I'm not sure at all, but I can't think of anything else to do either. Can you?"
Kitty ruefully shook her head. "No. I just don't like the idea of Herman risking his neck anymore than he already has. You know what could happen to him, if Owens found out that he was hiding us here."
"Dat is my concern, Fraulein, not yours." Herman said as he entered the room. "I valked around de block." He looked over at Matt. "Dere is no one new or different. Dey do not follow you."
"I really appreciate that, Herman." Matt gave him a grateful smile. "But I agree with Kitty. We have placed you in a risky position. And if you do this…"
"Dere is no, if." Herman declared. "I vill do dis. You are my friends und I vant to help."
"But you hardly even know us." Kitty protested. "And to do this, you'd be risking jail or worse." Turning to Matt she implored him to change his mind. "Matt, I can…"
"No, you can't." Matt said emphatically. "Kitty, not only are you hurt, but there's no way you'd escape detection. Neither one of us are exactly inconspicuous. Besides, Herman lives here. No one would take any notice of him or tie him to us what so ever. All he has to do is take these files to Dr. Sheridan and have him contact my superiors."
"But what if someone wonders why Herman is going to a doctor clear on the other side of town and then finds out that you were there to see Dr. Sheridan?" Her worried mind continued to come up with troubling ideas of things that could go wrong.
"I vas de one dat vent vhen you vere hurt." Herman told her. "No one questioned den. No one vill do so now."
"Well, that's not exactly true." Sean spoke from the doorway.
"You have the dangedest way of coming into a room unannounced." Matt grumbled. He knew Sean was on their side but he couldn't be but be irritated every time he saw the man and the way he looked at Kitty.
"Sorry about that." Sean said. "Comes in handy as a patrolman some times, but I forget it's not always the best way to enter a room."
"Dere is no problem." Herman said graciously. "Here, Sean. Sit, eat. I vill get you coffee."
"I'd appreciate the coffee, Herman." Sean took a chair near Kitty. "But I'm not real hungry. I just thought you all'd want to know what I heard down at the station."
"You went back there last night?" Kitty asked. "Well, you couldn't have gotten any sleep at all."
"Not much." Sean agreed, giving her a slow smile. "But until this mess is cleared up and over with, I doubt I'll be able to sleep a whole lot."
"What'd you hear at the station?" Matt asked pointedly trying to get Sean's attention away from Kitty.
Sean glanced over at him as Herman handed him a cup of coffee. "Thanks, Herman. I need this." Taking a sip, he looked back at Matt. "I grew up around that station and I know all kinds of nooks and crannies where I can sorta hide and listen without anyone knowing I'm there. I was in one of those last night, when I heard a brief conversation between Owens and Sgt. Roberts."
"Roberts?" Matt questioned. "I remember that name."
"He was there the other night when you were shot at. I don't think he's involved in Owens' little schemes but he's a good company man, if you know what I mean. He'll do whatever Owens orders him to, no matter what it is."
"And… uh, what exactly was it that Owens ordered him to do?" Kitty asked with a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
"Well first off, Owens has ordered Roberts to check the both of you out. He's sending wires to the War Department as well as Dodge, and any place else he can think of, to see what kind of contacts you have here in the city. It won't be long until he finds out that you were ordered to see Dr. Sheridan." Sean looked at them both regretfully.
"I don't believe Sheridan will say anything much." Matt said confidently. "Most likely he'll just tell them I was there for a one time visit and leave it at that. And I don't believe for a minute he'll tell them anything about coming here to treat Kitty. He seemed pretty straight with me when I explained about Owens."
"You're probably right." Sean agreed. "But what about his office? Does he have a secretary or any one sharing an office with him?"
Matt shook his head. "No one else that I saw when we were there." He looked over at Herman. "Anyone see you at Dr. Sheridan's house when you went to get him?"
Herman paused for a long time before finally shaking his head. "No. I saw no one and no one saw me."
Sean nodded as he got up and refilled his coffee cup. "Got anything stronger?" He asked Herman. While Herman rummaged around in his cabinet, Sean looked back at Matt and Kitty. "Sheridan may not be a problem but you all still have a big one looming over your head."
"You mean the breaking and entering?" Matt asked. "I agree, time in jail isn't too appealing, but well, if they caught us, I guess we could hang on until this is cleared up." Matt sounded less than confident in that but he wasn't about to show it. For Kitty's sake if nothing else.
Sean shook his head though. "I'm afraid a little jail time would be mild, Matt."
"What do you mean?" Matt's brow knotted as the remorse he heard in the patrolman's tone.
"I mean, Owens has every policeman in town ordered to keep a look out for you two. If anyone spots you, they are to try and arrest you but if you resist, the orders are to shoot to kill."
"For burglary?" Kitty asked, stunned at the thought.
Sean shook his head again, as Herman finally found the bottle of whiskey and began to pour some in everyone's cup. "For murder." He said quietly. "Seems they didn't quite hide Frank Peat's body well enough and it was found a couple of hours ago. Owens is charging you with his murder, Kitty. And word is, Owens won't mind if you don't live to see a courtroom."
TBC