Murder at Saint Mary's
Chapter 17
17.1
Ironside pulled the van off the highway as instructed by Morgan Haynes. He knew they would have to act shortly or both he and Eve would be dead.
He thanked God that Otto was so well trained. The German Shepherd had not let out a sound since he had pulled the van from the curb at Saint Mary's Hospital. He had been waiting for the opportunity to command the dog to attack but it had not presented itself as of yet.
"Turn left at the next road," Haynes commanded.
Ironside did as he was told. He drove the van down the dirt road. It had not rained in several days and the road was dry. Dust was kicked up by the tires as he maneuvered the vehicle toward the destination Haynes had chosen for them.
Soon a house came into view at the end of the road. "Pull into the driveway, Chief. Shut off the engine."
Unable to do anything but what Haynes instructed, Ironside drove into the driveway, shut off the engine and pulled the key out of the ignition. He turned and looked at their captor. "Alright, what now?"
"We are going to get out of the car and go in the house."
"And I suppose you have permission to go in this house?" Ironside said sarcastically.
"It pays to know who is on vacation," Haynes said with an evil grin. As he turned, he almost tripped over a wooden box that contained Mark's tools for the van. Haynes picked it up and set it on the bench that Otto was hiding in.
Damn it! Ironside said to himself. Otto would never be able to get out of the hidden interior of the bench now. Mark's tools weighed more than the dog could force off the seat in order to open it. He and Eve were on their own. He hoped Ed had kept them under surveillance. He might be their only chance of escaping this ordeal alive. A plan that had gone so smoothly now seemed to be shot to hell.
Should he issue the order to blow the van's tire? No, it would not make much sense now that they were not moving. It would not tip the van and Otto would not be able to get out to help them. Ironside knew he had to come up with an alternative. He started running every scenario he could think of through his mind.
"Alright, get out of the van but don't try anything. Remember, Ironside, I will kill your policewoman if you do."
Haynes pushed the button that opened the door. "You are coming out the side with us, Miss Whitfield. Don't try anything and you will live a while longer."
Eve unbuckled her seat belt and moved into the back of the van. "Okay, Ironside, get on the lift." Ironside glanced at the bench and then wheeled onto the lift. Haynes stepped on the lift and motioned for Eve to do the same.
Ironside looked at Haynes and snarled. "This thing is not built for this much weight."
"Well, it's going to get it." Once Eve stepped on the lift, Haynes pushed the button and the lift lowered to the ground. "Inside," Haynes ordered.
Eve stepped in behind the chief's chair and began pushing. When they reached the door, Haynes, using the gun, broke one of the panes on the window. He reached inside and unlocked the door. Eve pushed her boss into the house.
Haynes indicated for them to settle into the living room. Eve pushed the chief over near a chair, turned him around and sat in the chair beside him.
Morgan Haynes picked up the phone and began dialing.
17.2
"They pulled off the highway," Carl exclaimed.
"The chief's phone GPS indicates they have stopped somewhere. It is no longer showing any movement." Sgt. Brown reached for the phone. "This is Sgt. Brown. I want to know what is in the area they have stopped. All units, pull off the highway but stay well away from the area that the GPS says they are at."
"I don't get it. Why didn't the chief have us blow the tire before they reached there and why hasn't he turned Otto loose on Haynes?" Carl wondered.
"The highway was too busy. He could not take the chance that someone else would be involved in the accident. He was probably hoping for a country road," responded Ed.
"What about the dog?"
"I don't know." Ed sighed as he looked at his watch.
"Sgt. Brown." A voice came over the police radio. "Officer Duffy, here. The chief's GPS shows they are in a house just off the highway." Duffy gave him the address.
"What about the layout?" Ed asked him.
"It is at the end of a very long road. It is the only house on the road."
Ed thought a minute and then said, "What do we know about the owners?"
"The house is owned by Gordon and Mabel Bivins. We were able to reach their son who said his parents are on vacation in Europe. They are an elderly couple. He has been checking the house every few days."
"When was the last time he checked the place?"
"He said he has not had time to check the house for more than a week," Duffy answered.
"That means Haynes could have been living there since the murders began," Carl pointed out.
"Duffy, did you ask the son for the layout of the house?"
"Yes, sir, I did. The front door enters the living room. The kitchen is to the left and the bedrooms, two of them, are on the right side if the living room. There is a utility room off the kitchen. It has a back door that goes outside."
"Any other exits out of the house?" Carl asked.
"No, Lieutenant. Just the two I mentioned."
"What surrounds the house?" Ed asked.
"Unfortunately, nothing. He would see us coming a mile away."
Ed rubbed his temples. "That means there will be no way to surprise him."
"We could if we wait until dark," Carl said.
"The problem is... will Haynes wait?"
17.3
Otto tried to stand up in the bench in the van. He whined and lay back down. It was not deep enough for the large Shepherd to stand on all fours. The dog pawed at the side of the bench. He whined again. The hair stood up on his back. He knew his friend was nearby. He could sense he was in trouble.
Otto attempted to stand up again. The Shepherd pushed against the top but was unable to push it upward. He whined and lay back down.
17.4
Ironside watched as Haynes continued to make phone calls. Haynes' back was to the chief and Eve. Eve picked up a vase and slowly began to stand up. Ironside grabbed her wrist and removed the vase from her hand. Looking at her sternly, he shook his head back and forth.
Haynes slammed the phone down and cursed. "Damn you, Ironside!"
"What were you expecting, Mr. Haynes? Did you think I would not have your accounts frozen and your visa cancelled? You can't get away. Why don't you give yourself up?"
"Not a chance, Ironside. I am not spending one single day behind bars. You are going to help me get out of here."
Haynes flew into a rage. He got up and went over to Eve. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her out of the chair. As Ironside reached out for her, Haynes cocked his gun. "I wouldn't if I were you, unless you don't care what happens to Officer Whitfield." He stared into Ironside's eyes.
Robert Ironside knew when to pick his battles and this was not one of them. He put his hands down and backed his wheelchair just slightly. "It's your show, Mr. Haynes."
"That's right, Ironside. I suggest you not forget it again. You will help me or I will kill Miss Whitfield. Do we understand each other?"
Ironside stared back at Haynes, his face as hard as granite. "We understand each other."
"Good. Now, I am going to let go of you, Miss Whitfield. Don't try anything or I won't hesitate to shoot your boss."
Eve nodded. Hayes loosened his grip on her and then threw her back onto the chair. "Now, I am not stupid enough to believe you followed my instructions. How many cops are following us?"
Ironside looked him square in the face and lied. "There is no one following us. You would have spotted them if there were."
Haynes took his gun and shoved it against Eve's temple. "Are you sure you want to lie to me, Chief?"
Ironside said nothing. He looked at Eve. She was frightened, he was sure of it but she did not show it. She had come a long way since the day she screamed when she thought she had found the pack rats in the woods while they were looking for clues to find the sniper that put him in the wheelchair.* No one would have been able to tell now.
"Don't help him, Chief!" Eve shouted.
Haynes backhanded her with his gun and quickly turned it back at Ironside, who had moved toward him. "Don't try it, Chief. I won't lose any sleep if I have to kill you or your officer."
Ironside backed off immediately. "If you want my help, don't touch her again," he said in a steely cold voice.
"Then I suggest the two of you behave yourselves." He continued to hold the gun on Ironside.
"What do you want, Haynes?"
"A minute ago you called me Mr. Haynes. I guess that means the honeymoon is over, huh?"
"Forget the attempt at humor and tell me what you want," Ironside growled.
"I want to know how many cops are following us."
"I don't know. Quite frankly, I am not sure they are. If they are, I did not spot them."
"Look, Ironside. I am not a very patient man. So stop with the bullshit. How many?"
"How many times do I have to tell you? I don't know. They probably assigned some men against my orders but I don't know how many."
"They assigned some men, alright, but I doubt it was against your orders. Your sergeant would be running the operation. What's his name? ...Ed Brown. Call him. Call off your cops."
"I don't know where Sgt. Brown is at the moment."
Haynes pointed at the phone. "Call him. Tell him to back off or I will kill Officer Whitfield." He walked over to the phone ready to listen in on the conversation.
Ironside wheeled over to the phone and dialed Ed's car phone. He waited a moment and heard the voice of his sergeant.
"Sgt. Brown."
"Ed, listen very carefully. I want you to..."
"Chief! Are you alright? Is Eve alright?"
"We are both fine. Now listen to me. I want you to back off whatever units you have following us, if you do," he added.
"But Chief, that would leave you and Eve without any protection at all!" Brown protested.
"That is an order, Sergeant," Ironside barked out gruffly. "We will be alright. Just follow orders, just like you did in the Clemens case. You backed off and stopped following Mark and me. Everything came out alright and so will it this time. So back off. That is an order."
"Yes, sir, but I am obeying it under protest."
"As long as you obey it." Ironside hung up the phone.
"That is better, Ironside. You better be playing straight with me. If I spot anyone that looks like a cop, I will kill..."
"Officer Whitfield. You are beginning to sound like a broken record, Haynes." Ironside waited for the killer's next move.
17.5
"You can't possibly obey that order!" Carl shouted. "If you do, the chief is as good as dead and so is Eve!"
Ed smiled. "I am going to obey it to the letter."
"Have you lost your mind? The chief gave the order under duress. He had no choice. You can't obey an order given under duress!"
"I can and will. Carl, you have known the chief as long as I have. Have you ever known him to give in to thugs?"
"Well... no."
"And he is not... this time either. Carl, what was the Clemens case?"
"I only vaguely remember it. The chief and Mark were taken hostage by a bank robber... Daniel Healy, I think that was his name. He had Mark drive the paddy wagon out of town. He ordered us not to follow."
"Under duress," Ed added.
"But we did it anyway because..." Carl stopped as he realized the implication of what Ironside had said. "Because the chief said something about a past case that told us to ignore his order."
"That's right and that is what he was telling us by mentioning the Clemens case. He wants us to do exactly as planned. Blow the tire in the van when he gives the order."
Carl got on the police radio and issued explicit instruction to stay well back of the chief's vehicle. Anyone seen or discovered by Morgan Haynes would, he said using the chief's favorite, find themselves directing traffic.
17.6
It had been a half hour and Morgan Haynes had said nothing and had done nothing. Ironside wondered just what the blazes he was waiting for. He just wanted to get the van on the road and get back to the plan at hand.
Eve never left her boss's side. She knew he was pretty good at protecting himself but she still had a protective streak in her where the chief was concerned. She also knew he had to have some kind of plan as he would not have walked into Morgan Haynes' web without one. Eve only wished she knew what it was. Robert Ironside was not an easy man to read. In fact, he was nearly impossible to read.
Finally, Morgan Haynes walked over to the two detectives. "It had occurred to me that your people must have had some way to follow you. You lied to me, Chief. There must be a bug in the van."
"I did not lie to you. There is no bug in the van. You underestimate the police, Haynes. They are a lot smarter than you give them credit for."
"I don't believe you, Ironside. There must be a bug in that van. I am going to check it out. We are not going anywhere until I am satisfied that we cannot be traced. If you have lied to me, you will have forfeited your..."
"I know. You have only told me a dozen times now," Ironside grumbled.
Haynes reached into his jacket and pulled out some rope. "Just to make sure you two behave yourselves, I am going to tie you up." He proceeded to tie Eve's hands and then tied her to Ironside's chair. Next he tied Ironside's hands and then tied the rope through the wheel on one side to keep it from moving. Haynes left the two of them and headed for the van.
"Chief, what do..." Ironside shook his head.
With a puzzled look, Eve stared at her boss. She didn't understand. This was a perfect time for the chief to tell her what the plan was. She looked at him with a questioning expression. Ironside mouthed a word. Eve was sure the word was bug. Then Eve understood. He wanted her to help mislead Haynes. "Chief, how far behind us is Ed?"
Ironside smiled. Eve had picked up on his signal. She understood what he wanted her to do. "Unfortunately, even if Haynes doesn't believe me, Ed has backed off. No one will follow us out of here."
"Was that wise?"
"I had no choice."
"Is the bug in the van concealed well enough that Haynes won't find it?"
"There is no bug, Eve. Again, I could not chance Haynes finding it."
"Then we are on our own?"
"I am afraid so." Ironside winked at Eve to be sure she understood that nothing he had just said held a bit of truth.
A moment later, Haynes returned to the house. He walked back to Ironside and Eve. He untied both of them and then reached down and removed the rope restricting the wheel of Ironside's chair. "Thank you, both of you." He reached once again to the lower portion of the chair. When he pulled his hand back, he had removed a bug and displayed it to the detectives. "I heard every word you said. Now that I know you don't have anyone to help you, we can leave. Change of plans, I am not going to kill you as of yet. We are going to take a little trip. I have changed the license plate on the van so no one will disturb us on our little journey. I am sure your Sgt. Brown put out an APB on your vehicle. We are going to Mexico. If you behave yourselves, you may extend your lives until then."
"Why Mexico?" Ironside asked.
"You really didn't think I would not have a plan B, did you? I have a plane there, fully fueled and ready to fly me out of here."
"You will never get past the border," Eve remarked.
"You Americans have terrible control of your borders. I have slipped in and out of this country many times through the Mexican border. Rest assured, Officer Whitfield, I will do so again. Now if you will be so kind as to get back in the van."
Eve wheeled her boss out of the house. Ironside backed into the lift and pressed the button. Once back in the van, Ironside noticed that Haynes had removed the tool box from the hollowed out bench. He did not know it yet but he had just increased their chances of getting out of this mess alive. Otto was back in the ballgame.
17.7
"Ed, they are on the move again!" Lt. Reese announced.
Ed grabbed the police radio. "All units, remember, no one is to approach the Chief's van. Stay back. When the chief gives the order to blow the tire, we will move in." Ed looked at Carl and asked, "How's the signal on the chief's phone GPS?"
"It is fine. Let's hope they don't enter an area that is not covered by towers."
Ed shook his head. "That is not a problem. The chief's phone is a satellite phone. It will work anywhere."
"As long as Haynes does not discover it."
"He won't. The chief will make sure of it."
17.8
Ironside looked in the rear-view mirror. Haynes was looking out the back window, probably making sure they were not being followed. Even after having heard him say they had no one to help them, Haynes was still checking. The chief knew that Ed would never let the police close enough to blow their cover. Hayne's paranoia gave him another opportunity. He caught Eve's eye and touched his fastened seatbelt. He frowned at her and she got the message. Eve immediately fastened her seatbelt.
"We are going to avoid main expressways and stick to untraveled highways. Just in case the police decided that this van matches the description despite the change of license plates, we will be less likely to be pulled over. So head south, Ironside."
Chief Ironside nodded. "There is a highway up ahead about forty miles that meets your qualifications."
They drove in silence for the next forty-five minutes. When Ironside reached the exit, he turned on the blinker and left the crowded expressway. Catching Eve's eye, he nodded.
Eve realized that whatever the chief had planned was about to go down. She braced herself for what was to come... whatever it might be.
Haynes looked over the surroundings carefully for any sign that Ironside was up to something. He did not trust the detective. He had given in much too easily. The man had a reputation for being tough as nails but he had rolled over like a dog who wanted his belly scratched. It just did not fit the character of the man. Haynes was sure he had something up his sleeve. He would have to stay alert and keep a close eye on him. He was not the least bit fooled by that wheelchair. Too many had underestimated the man because of that chair but Haynes would not. Ironside was more dangerous in that wheelchair than any man standing.
He wondered how Ironside's cops had found them. If he was telling the truth that he did not tell them he was leaving, then how did they come to find them. He had swept the vehicle with a detector and did not find any bugs. The police did not find out that way. Could the van be equipped with a GPS? That would make sense. But where? He had not located anything of that nature and he had checked for anything electronic.
"Where's the GPS, Chief?" he finally asked.
"What GPS?"
"Your boys were able to find us. There are no bugs in this vehicle so it had to be a GPS. Where is it?"
"If you swept the vehicle for electronic devices then you already know there is no GPS," Ironside snarled.
"Then it must be on you or Officer Whitfield."
"But you searched us as well," Eve said.
"Why don't you just give the police credit for being able to trail you at a distance? Besides, I ordered them off. Sgt. Brown will follow my orders. They are not following us now." Ironside glanced in the rear-view mirror. He could see that Haynes was not entirely convinced.
Haynes pointed his gun at Eve's temple. "Give me the GPS, Chief."
"I told you, I do not have one and you know it. You searched me."
Haynes cocked his gun. "I am going to tell you one last time, give me the GPS. Then if you don't give it to me, I will kill Officer Whitfield." Haynes looked into the mirror at the expression on Ironside's face. He could not read him. His expression never changed. "So what will it be, Ironside? The GPS or a dead officer?"
Eve looked over at her boss. She attempted to hide the alarm she was feeling. Did the chief have his cellphone hidden somewhere? It could explain why Ed knew where they were. She could not read his expression because there wasn't any.
Ironside knew he had no choice. He had to reveal the existence of the phone. He could not allow Haynes to hurt Eve. That would mean only one thing. He pulled the phone out from under his leg but before he handed it over to Morgan Haynes, he pushed the button Mark had set up for him.
"I should kill her anyway for that, Ironside." He pulled the gun back from Eve. "But I won't. Not yet. I want you to sweat it out."
17.9
Ed continued to follow the chief's signal. He wanted so badly to move in but he knew that would only get the chief and Eve killed. He had to wait for his order. All he could do right now was follow him and hoped the chief knew what he was doing. But then, didn't he always?
"They have been headed south for some time. Where do you suppose they are headed?" Carl asked.
"Mexico," Brown responded. "There is no other way for Haynes to get out of this country except through Mexico. You know what our border is like down there."
"Yeah," was all Carl said.
Ed's cellphone began chirping. He quickly pulled it out of his pocket and looked at the message. 'Blow the tire'. "That's it, Carl, blow the tire!"
Reese hit the remote and grabbed the police monitor. "All units, move in!"
17.10
Ironside gave Eve a look that told her to brace herself. Suddenly, the back tire on the driver's side blew out. Haynes felt the van pull to the one side. "Keep your foot off the brake and slow down gradually," he shouted without thinking.
Ironside turned the wheel sharply. The van pulled violently to the one side and lifted up on two wheels. He again turned the wheel forcing the van to tip on its side. Strapped in, Ironside remained in place on his left side as the vehicle slid down the highway, metal screeching as it met cement.
Eve remained strapped in her seat. Ironside turned his attention back to Haynes, seeing that Eve would get out of this unharmed.
Haynes fell to his left, hitting his head against the window, shattering it. He started bleeding from a cut that opened on his forehead. As the van came to a stop, Haynes scrambled for his gun. "You're dead Ironside! And so is Whitfield."
As Haynes reached for the gun, Eve calmly but quickly tried to get out of the seatbelt that held her in place. She heard her boss yell, "Otto, zip!" The German Shepherd came out of the hidden compartment of the bench with teeth bared and snarling. He reached Haynes just as the killer picked up the gun. Otto tore into the potential assassin of his master and ripped at the flesh in his gun arm. Haynes screamed in agony as the police dog turned his arm into raw meat.
Eve, having released herself from the seatbelt, took the gun out of Haynes' hand. Ironside shouted, "Otto, flack!" The Shepherd backed off, continuing to snarl and warning Haynes that he was ready to continue his assault if ordered by his master.
Haynes held onto his bloody arm, not believing that a cripple had outsmarted him, as police sirens wailed in the background.
Epilogue to follow...
*Refers to a scene in "Ironside", the pilot movie for the series.