Robert Walker - Shadows in the White City

“End it! End it now!” Ransom ordered.

“Say your good-bye to this world, you son of a bitch!” shouted Stratemeyer at the moment the hook was released and Denton, still bound and gagged, was sent to the depths of the Great Lake like a parcel of trash.

“Finally…it’s over,” Alastair muttered as if to himself.

“An end to the Phantom of the Fair,” added Harry.

“Fish food now,” muttered one of the younger men.

“We can all sleep better tonight,” added the other. “Knowing the mad garroter is gone at last.”

“Take us home, boys!” ordered Harry. “And let’s raise another cold Pabst.”

“I know old man Pabst,” said Alastair, “and I know he’d be thrilled to know to what purpose his beer was put today.” This made his firemen friends laugh uproariously as they got back to work, guiding the boat back toward Ransom’s city.

Alastair looked at Chicago’s growing, sprawling skyline in the distance. It all looked so different from here- no shadows, no crime, no poverty, no grime, he mentally quipped… only peace. How could the same place have so many different faces? This one face, he must one day show to Jane. Take her on an outing here on the lake to view the sprawling row of skyscrapers. He sipped at his beer, and he tried to imagine how it might look in five years, in ten, in twenty, in the next century.

He’d felt not a single qualm about disposing of Denton in the manner he had, and every man aboard the fire tug named the DuSable had reason to keep their combined secret. Each had been touched by the horror brought to their city by this madman; each had known one or more of the victims. Each wanted payback, and Ransom must admit, it did feel not only like justice and vengeance but right in its every aspect save for one.

“I should’ve cut his bleeding head off with that garrote before we committed him to the deep,” he complained as Harry handed him another beer.

“You shoulda made him walk the plank, sure, suffer more, but it’s done now, and Chicago is again yours, Ransom.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Means that everyone will eventually know that you took care of this mess when Kohler and Kehoe and all others failed.”

“That you took action,” said another.

“Regardless of your new status as Citizen Ransom,” finished Harry.

“Regardless of it, or due to it?” asked Ransom.

“We all take an oath on it boys, one and all!” shouted Harry, standing and raising his closed fist above his head.

“No one’ll ever know,” said one of the younger men.

The others joined hands, Alastair the last. “An oath,” he repeated, “that no one ever know where Denton’s body lies.”

“Sure…everyone will look cross-eyed at you, Ransom, any time the name Denton is mentioned,” began Harry, pointing to the depths of the lake, “but no one will ever find the cretin’s remains.”

“Denton can never harm anyone ever again,” Ransom assured Jane Francis and her daughter, Gabby Tewes. He’d sent word to Philo that they might all safely return to Chicago only to get word that he was to instead come to them, to see the beauty of Mackinac Island as an adult.

Unable to say no, he took the train north and joined them.

Tonight they dined at the Moosehide Lodge, and he quietly assured them that Denton was no longer a threat. He refused to go into any detail as to why this should be believed. Over dinner, Gabby and Jane began having fun with Philo Keane, who’d brought up the subject of bravery displayed by Dr. James Phineas Tewes, who had refused to leave Chicago, refused to step out of harm’s way along with his family, citing patient responsibilities. After a time, with Alastair joining in the fun, Jane finally confessed to being Dr. James Tewes, and Gabby explained the reasons why.

Ransom spent the remainder of the weekend enjoying the fishing and hunting, in watching Philo take photographs, and in conversations and walks and horseback rides with Jane Francis, Gabby accompanying them at times.

The weekend was over all too abruptly and together, the four of them returned to Chicago via train. While on the train, Alastair revealed secrets to the others, sharing his compartment and a series of items laid out before them. Bracelets, a silk necktie, lipstick case, a makeup case, a gold locket-two pocket watches, a gold ring.

“What is all this, Alastair?” asked Jane.

“After his sudden disappearance, I had Mike…ahhh, a cop friend, impound and search Denton’s cab…working on his unfortunate disappearance, you see.”

“All of this hidden in his cab?” asked Gabby. “But where? I was in that cab! There is no place where-and besides, you had no badge!”

“Beneath the cushions,” he explained. “As for the badge, well let’s just say I have more friends in more places than I’d realized.”

“What led you to suspect the carriage?” asked Philo.

“I did a break-in at his home and found nothing. Determined not to give up, I suppose an absolute stubbornness of will led me to…an epiphany.”

“Which led you to search below the cushions,” said Jane.

“Where I discovered all these items, all belonging to one or another of his victims. And I found this, Jane.” He held up a silver clasped locket and popped it open. Staring back at them was a picture of Gabby.”

“I’d thought it lost forever,” Jane said.

“Either he pickpocketed it or you dropped it in his cab.” Alastair handed the locket to her. “Proof positive that he was not only the Phantom but that he’d targeted Gabby.”

Jane held the locket to her breast. “Tell me…did you find these items before or after Mr. Denton, ahhh … left town ?”

“After. Not long after. Someone filed a missing persons report on Denton.”

“Who filed the report?”

“Landlord. Seems he left quite an untidy mess and a sizable bill.”

“And you thought a serious search of his cab might turn up something?” asked Gabby.

“So you searched his cab,” commented Philo.

“Actually, as I was ordered to stay clear of Denton even before I tossed my badge at Kohler, it was not logged as my impound. Beat cop called in on the nonpayment complaint lodged against Denton, so I put Mike on it, and he called me soon as he got a hit.”

“How well you obey your superiors, Alastair,” Jane said, smirking.

“I thought it wise to let others search the cab.”

“And who might that be?”

“I asked it of Dr. Fenger and any eyewitness of his choosing. He wanted you, Jane-well, Dr. Tewes, that is-but since Tewes proved unavailable, he chose another prominent person.”

“Kohler?” she asked.

“Yes, Christian talked Nathan Kohler into being on hand.”

“Then you’ve been vindicated?”

“Yes, and a wanted poster’s gone out across the land with Denton’s mug above the line wanted dead or alive.”

Philo saw the dark humor in this and said, “It might so easily’ve been me on that poster, Alastair.”

“And you still couldn’t level with Nathan?” asked Jane. “After all that’s happened; after losing Griffin? After the truth’s being dragged into the light?”

“Nathan has not changed his opinion of me, no.”

“And the horse and hansom cab?” asked Gabby. “It was a horse needing relief and a pasture.”

“Belongs to the company. Returned to them. Horse and cab consigned to a new driver. Fischer company reoutfitted the interior as the cushions had blood stains.”

Jane only half heard this as she stared at the photo of Gabby in the recovered locket.

“It’ll all have to be returned to evidence lockup,” Ransom explained, gathering all the items up again.