Scrabble Spells Murder
Chapter 9
9.1
Ironside could not understand why the Hacker did not make his move. The seminar was almost completely over. Neither he nor Ben had been approached. Had the Hacker found out what their plan was? And if so, how did he know?
As the doctor made his closing remarks, Ironside decided to make himself a target. He wheeled out of the center and into the hall. The detective glanced around. He could spot campus security keeping an eye on him. The problem was of course, if he could spot them then so could the Hacker.
Ironside called over one of the security men to him. "It doesn't look like he is going to show up."
"You and the doctor are still here, Chief. He may be among the crowd," the security officer reminded him.
Ironside shook his head. "He knows. There is no reason to keep up this charade. Where is Wayne Morton?"
The security officer looked around. "Come to think of it, I have not seen him for some time now."
The hair on the back of Ironside's neck began to rise. "I suggest you find him. Have him report to me immediately."
"But sir, I don't think it is a good idea to leave you alone."
"That is an order, mister!" Ironside growled at the former police officer.
Years melted away as the officer immediately responded to Ironside's order as if he were still working for him. The detective motioned for another campus police officer to join him. "Have you seen Wayne?"
The security officer thought for a moment. His face lit up and he answered, "The last time I saw him he was headed for the south exit. He wanted to make sure it was secure."
"Break silence and contact him over your intercom," Ironside ordered him.
Obeying his former boss, the security officer tapped his ear piece and attempted to contact Wayne Morton. After several tries, he turned to Ironside and said, "It's no use, Chief. He is not answering."
That hair on his neck was now standing straight up. Ironside knew that something was seriously wrong. Wayne Morton had been one of the best in the San Francisco Police Department before retiring a couple years back. He would not stay out of communication with the others.
"Let's go. Show me the exit where he was headed."
"This way, sir."
Ironside followed the security officer down the hall as they made two turns toward the south end of the building. When they arrived at the exit, there was no one there. "Who did Wayne assign to this exit?"
"The man that he assigned to this exit had an emergency. He called in before the seminar began. Wayne was covering this exit in his place."
Ironside pointed to the door. "Check outside. Make sure he's not patrolling the area."
The security cop left immediately and headed out the door. Ironside looked around. If something happened to him, it would not have happened in the hall. Looking left and right, he could not see where anyone could hide with the exception of entering one of the rooms.
The detective began checking the doors of each room. After six rooms, he had found them all locked. Ironside headed back toward the exit door. The security cop was re-entering the building.
"Sorry, Chief. There was no sign of him."
"Well, he didn't just disappear into thin air. Nor would he have just left. He's here somewhere." The frustration in his voice was beginning to become apparent.
"I'll start checking these rooms," the security cop offered.
"Don't bother. I have already checked them. They are all locked." It was then that Ironside noticed the smaller door at the end of the hall toward the exit. "I missed that one. Check it out."
As the chief wheeled his chair toward the utility closet, the security cop raced over and opened the door. "Chief, I think you better come and see this."
Ironside placed both hands on each side of the door casing and pulled his chair into the small utility room. There on the floor was Wayne Morton. He was staring straight up at the ceiling. Although he knew that Morton was dead, Ironside checked the pulse in his neck.
He did not understand. The target was supposed to be Ben Stern. Why did the Hacker kill this man? Had he been wrong in deciphering the clues? He did not believe so. Everything pointed toward Dr. Stern being the victim.
The Hacker had definitely been at Ben's office building. That is where he had attacked Katherine. No, he had been correct about the where, the when and the who. But why then had he killed this security officer? The only logical explanation was that Wayne Morton had recognized the Hacker. And if that was the case, that meant that they were on the right track. It had to be someone within the police department itself.
Ironside reached into his suit coat pocket and removed his cell phone. He dialed the number to Brown's mobile unit. "Ed, I need you and Eve at the south exit of the building."
"What's going on, Chief? Are you alright? What about Ben Stern? Is he alright?" The urgency could be heard in Ed's voice.
"We're both fine at the moment. Just get over here, Ed! We got a dead security officer." Ironside hung up the phone before Ed got a chance to say anything else.
He looked at the campus cop and said, "Do not let anybody in this room. Stay with him." Ironside turned his wheelchair around and left the utility room.
9.2
The Hacker watched as Ben Stern left the building. It would not be long now. He would finally have his first kill. He found it amusing that Ironside was running around chasing his tail. He had no idea what was going on. He had expected him to attack the doctor inside the building. It had not been his intention from the very beginning. He had placed that bomb in his car several days before.
One thing that did bother him was Ironside had not played by the rules. He had enlisted the help of the campus police. However, isn't that exactly what he wanted? He now had good reason not to extend a clue to Ironside for the next killing. That would mean that there would be two killings. That would send the city council and the mayor into a complete and total panic.
He watched as the doctor approached his expensive vehicle. It was only a matter of moments now. The Hacker smiled at the thought.
9.3
Robert Ironside wheeled his chair into the center. He looked at the many doctors that were still standing around talking. After checking around the room, it appeared that Ben was not among them. Where was he?
He looked for a member of the campus police. As soon as he spotted one, he wheeled his chair directly to him. "Where is Dr. Stern?" he demanded.
"He just left, Chief. He said he had patients to see in his office."
"Why did you let him leave without checking with me first?" Ironside snarled.
"Relax, Chief. We have him covered by two of our people," the officer said. "That guy will never get anywhere near him."
Ironside looked at the officer quickly and said, "What did you say?"
"I said the guy will not get near him," the campus officer repeated.
Ironside heard his words over and over in his head. The Hacker had not tried to go near Ben. He realized he had no intentions of going near him!
He grabbed the man's hand as he tried to walk away. "How did Dr. Stern get here?"
He looked down at Ironside and replied, "He drove in his own car. Why?"
The chief removed his cell phone from his inside suit coat pocket. After dialing, he waited impatiently.
"Sgt. Brown," Ed answered.
"Ed, where are you?"
"Just pulling in front of the building parking lot now. We will be at the south exit shortly."
Ironside shook his head. "No! Forget the south exit. Get to Ben. The Hacker has not tried to go near him. I don't think he ever intended to. Ed, you must stop him! Don't let Ben near his car!"
Stemming from years of working with Robert Ironside, Ed quickly picked up on his boss' thinking. "A bomb?"
"It makes sense. Stop him!"
"On my way, Chief."
9.4
Eve, having listened to the frantic conversation, asked, "What is going on?"
"The chief thinks the Hacker has planted a bomb in Ben's car. You clear the people out of the area. I'll stop Ben."
Eve nodded in acknowledgment as she waited for Ed to pull the vehicle to a stop.
As he slammed on the brakes, Brown spotted the chief's van. He motioned for Mark to join them.
Ed ran toward Mark. "We have to stop Ben from reaching his car!" he shouted at his colleague.
The two men raced toward the area where they knew the doctor had parked.
Eve ran toward the other physicians who were standing around discussing the day's events. She pulled out her badge and shouted, "Police! Everyone, back in the building... Now!"
Although confused, the doctors obeyed and headed back into the center. Not moving fast enough to suit Eve, she began pushing them and shouted, "Move! Your lives are in danger."
That was all it took for the doctors to break into an all out run towards the door they had previously exited.
Meanwhile, both Ed and Mark raced toward Ben Stern and the two security officers that were escorting him to his vehicle.
Sgt. Brown did not like the proximity of the car to Ben and his bodyguards. "Stop! Go back!" He continued running towards them. Mark, who was keeping up with Ed step for step, began yelling at them and waving his arms.
The security officers stopped. They were unable to make out what Ed and Mark were shouting. They began pushing Ben towards his car at a faster pace.
9.5
The Hacker watched as the chaos developed. He glanced down and spotted Brown running, shouting and waving his arms at the doctor and the men who now were obviously campus police officers in plainclothes.
"Damn Ironside!" the Hacker said aloud as he surveyed the scene in front of him. "Damn, he's good!" Realizing that Ironside had figured out that he had placed a bomb in the good doctor's car, the Hacker was not about to let the crippled detective win this one. He pushed the button on the detonator that would explode the bomb.
9.6
Ed and Mark watched as the campus police raced Ben toward the awaiting ticking time bomb that was his car. Brown knew he could not allow them to get any closer to the vehicle. He leaped into the air at Ben Stern. Mark, who had also sensed that they were reaching a point of no return, joined his friend as he aimed for the closest security officer.
Both men hit Ben and the one security officer as if they were professional linebackers for a NFL football team. They collided with their targets, knocking them to the ground.
The vehicle behind them exploded into a huge fireball as they felt the heat of the fire.
Sanger glanced at Ed and shouted, "Are you all right?"
"I'm okay," Brown replied quickly. He reached out and grabbed Mark's hand momentarily as if to assure himself that his friend was alright. He then checked the doctor and determined that he too was unharmed. The security guard that Mark collided with was unharmed as well.
"Ed!" Mark called out as he pointed to the second security officer.
The sergeant went immediately to the bloodied officer. Taking his wrist in his hand, he checked for a pulse. He turned and looked at Mark and shook his head.
Ed got up and pulled Ben to his feet as Mark did the same with the campus police officer. They both could see Robert Ironside wheeling out of the building toward them.
The chief was flooded with relief when he saw that Mark and Ed were unharmed. Both men had read the concern on his face. "Close down the entire area," Ironside shouted. "I want this man apprehended, now!" Brown took off on a dead run.
Ironside looked down at Ben who was kneeling next to the dead campus police officer.
"Ben?"
He shook his head. "He's dead, Bob."
"Are you alright?"
"Thanks to Ed and Mark, I am. How did you know?"
"I am beginning to understand how this guy thinks. Let's get you back inside."
Three hours later, Ironside had released all of the physicians. The Hacker was nowhere to be found. Even though they had acted quickly, he had quietly slipped away from their grasp.
Ed and Eve approached Ironside. "I don't know how he did it, Chief, but he got away," Eve told her boss.
"He may have gotten away," Ironside agreed, "but he has given us the first clue to his identity."
"It is somebody in the police department," Ed said.
"The only reason for him to kill Wayne Morton would be that he recognized him. He would've had to eliminate him to keep us from finding out who he is," Ironside remarked.
"I want every one of those people on that list checked out thoroughly. I want to know what they are doing on their off-duty hours. I want to know who they are seeing and where they are going," Ironside ordered.
"So far we don't have much," Ed told him. "None of them seem likely suspects."
"Well, somebody hacked into my computer," Ironside growled. "Someone with the expertise to tie up my computer and trace what we are doing. Likely suspects or not, check them out right down to their wisdom teeth."
"Yes, sir," Ed and Eve said at the same time.
"There is nothing else we can do here. Let's get back to the office." Ironside began to wheel his chair in the direction of the van when he stopped suddenly and turned back to his staff. "Just exactly what is my van doing here?" He looked over at Mark for an explanation.
"I brought the van in when I heard the campus police call for backup from the SFPD."
"Mark, I told you to stay away from here."
"I am glad he didn't," Ben said. "That other campus cop would probably be dead right now."
The chief shook his head. "The van really doesn't matter at this point. The Hacker is going to know that we called for the help of the campus police. He may consider that a breach of his rules."
Everyone remained silent as they knew what the consequences of that would mean.
9.7
Mark let go of Ironside's wheelchair as he rolled down the ramp into his office, slowing his pace as he descended.
"Mark, put on some coffee would you please?" Sanger headed for the kitchen. Ed and Eve sat down at the main table.
The chief was silent as he loosened his tie and opened the top button of his shirt. "Well, we blew it."
"We had no way of knowing that he would not directly come after Ben," Eve said.
"The only way we are going to catch this man is to anticipate him," Ironside snarled.
Mark brought the coffee pot and several mugs to the table and set them down. He filled each one of them and set a cup of coffee in front of his coworkers.
"Ed, where is that list of officers that are capable of hacking into computers?"
Brown walked over to the chief's desk and picked up the list. He carried it back to the main table and set it down in front of Ironside. The detective did not have a chance to look at it as his computer came to life. Ironside looked at his staff and then wheeled to his desk. They joined him in front of the computer.
There was a message on the screen. Eve read it out loud.
I am disappointed in you, Chief. You broke the rules. You were supposed to handle this one by yourself. But you enlisted the help of the campus police. I warned you what would happen if you broke the rules.
Ironside began typing on the keyboard.
I did not break the rules. You did not say I could not look for help elsewhere. You only said that I could not enlist the help of my staff. Therefore by your own definition, I did not break the rules.
Everyone was silent as they waited for a response from the Hacker. Would he accept Ironside's explanation? Or would he refuse to give them the next Scrabble clue to the identity of the next possible victim?
A new message appeared on the screen.
No, you broke the rules. Even if I let you slide on the campus police, I cannot excuse you for bringing Sgt. Brown and Mark Sanger on the premises to save Dr. Stern. No, Ironside. You broke the rules. There will be no clue for the next murder in our game of Scrabble Spells Murder.
The screen went blank. They all knew there would be no further communication with the Hacker. All of them were silent. The same questions ran through all of their minds. How would they ever stop the next murder? How could they possibly know who the victim would be, where the murder would take place and when?
Ironside was the first to break the silence. "I want the most logical possible targets protected. That means, Ed, police protection for you, Eve, Mark, Carl, and Katherine. None of you is to go anywhere without at least two police officers assigned to you. In fact, I want Dennis Randall added to that list."
"Chief, the Hacker said that he would not target Commissioner Randall again after you successfully prevented his murder," Mark pointed out.
"I'm not taking any chances. Since he considers that I broke the rules, he may decide that he doesn't have to follow them either. So add the commissioner to that list."
"And add the chief to that list as well," Mark said.
"So what do we do next, Chief?" Eve wondered.
"We work on that list of cops capable of hacking into my computer and hope to God that we can protect whoever the next victim is with a wild guess."
TBC...