M. Forsythe - While Rome Was Sleeping

“Yes, Andrew, I will do that. And may God bless you and your meeting with Mrs. Thayer.” Ben passed a verbal benediction over Andrew as he left.

4:00 PM

“Now that we’re booted outta’ there, what next?” Jake inquired as he and Leo left the Seamen’s Center.

“We gotta’ call Maxwell and tell him.” Leo replied. “He should be interested that we found out who the guy is that was with that priest at the hospital.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right.” Jake agreed. “Maybe he’ll forget about the damned package.”

Once again they found a pay phone and Leo placed the call. “Hello, Detective Maxwell,” exuded Leo confidently, “we found out a bunch of stuff for ya’.”

Monte had taken the call at his desk. Peterson was away and he was alone. “Cut the bullshit and just tell me,” growled Monte.

“First the real important news, we found out who the guy is that you wanted to know about; you know the one with the priest at the hospital.” Leo grinned at Jake.

“Well?” Monte urged, trying to hold his temper; he found talking with Leo irksome.

“Well, this guy’s name is Andrew Kincaid. He is a big deal newspaper guy and has some kind of radio show too. He works for the Seattle Times.”

“What?” Monte’s manner had changed. He was fully alert now. “Who did you say that guy is?”

Leo repeated the information. All was quiet at Monte’s end for a few minutes. Leo was nodding at Jake and whispered, “We really got him interested now!”

Leo heard Maxwell muttering something inaudible. “What else do you have for me?” he asked impatiently.

“Well,” replied Leo, “it kinda’ all turns to crap now. The priest and the Kincaid guy didn’t like us lookin’ around—you know for that package thing and they told us not to come back. The priest and Kincaid are real good pals.”

How did they know you were looking for something?” Monte had a terrible thought. “You didn’t tell anybody that you were looking for something did you?”

“Nooo, Detective Maxwell, of course not, we were really careful.”

“Then what gave them the idea that you were looking for something?” Monte asked sarcastically.

“I don’t know,” Leo mumbled. He was growing increasingly uncomfortable. He wanted to mention the money again but thought better of it; “Are we done, Detective Maxwell?” Leo asked in his nicest voice.

“No, you moron!” Monte exploded, “You still have to get whatever Kelshaw had on him and deliver it to me! That is part of the deal , remember? You’ll have to search the Center after it closes.”

“You mean break in? Leo had already come to that conclusion. “We’ll do that, and we’ll have a real good look around, but I gotta’ tell ya’, Detective Maxwell, we had a pretty good look today. Also, we really need to get paid the rest of our money; you know, breakin’ into a place raises the ante—I mean we can’t keep takin’ risks for nothin’, if ya’ know what I mean,” Leo babbled on.

Maxwell knew with or without them finding the merchandise, Jake and Leo’s usefulness was nearly at an end.

“Report back to me as soon as you have searched the Center and you will get paid,” assured Monte.

“Thanks Detective Maxwell, you’ll hear from us later.” Leo gave thumbs up to Jake as he hung up the phone.

Monte dreaded it, but he knew it was time to call Ramsey. Going downstairs to a pay phone, he dialed Ramsey’s private number.

A smooth voice answered. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you, Detective,” Lyle said. “I expect all went well?”

Monte wiped his brow. “Well, not exactly.”

“Why not?” Ramsey snapped.

“Well as a matter of fact there were some rough spots.” Monte filled Ramsey in on the Kelshaw fiasco including Jake and Leo’s encounter with Andrew Kincaid.

As he listened, Lyle’s face reddened visibly. “What about the merchandise,” he paused in exasperation, “do you at least have the merchandise for me?”

Monte mopped his brow again and responded in a reassuring voice. “No, not yet Mr. Ramsey, but I’m working on it”.

Ramsey’s icy voice became low and filled with malice. “What do you mean you’re working on it? Did they get… anything?”

Not waiting for an answer Ramsey went on, “My instructions, and I made them very clear to you, were that I wanted everything that Kelshaw had on him. So far all you have given me are excuses and you have delivered nothing Detective, nothing; it appears you have totally failed your guarantee.

“I warned you what would happen if you failed me and I, unlike you, always keep my promises.”

Monte was worried; he didn’t dare let Ramsey know how worried. He needed to buy some time. “My guys are going to search the Center later tonight, Mr. Ramsey. You can be sure the merchandise will turn up.” He wished he felt as confident as he sounded.

“Once more,” Ramsey spoke calmly with forced patience, “it is essential that I get whatever Kelshaw had on him, Detective Maxwell. Everything!” his voice rising, “get on it! And call me as soon as you have it!” Ramsey shouted and slammed the phone down so hard it hurt Monte’s ear.

After Monte’s phone call, Ramsey sat thinking. “What a fool I was to engage Maxwell for this job. I should have gotten someone else; this has gotten out of hand. Maxwell and his two incompetents!” he fumed.

“Kelshaw’s personal items have to be around somewhere,” he told himself. He knew that Kelshaw was traveling light, not even a duffel bag; that whatever he carried had to be on his person. If Kelshaw had it with him when he got to the hospital, or if it dropped in the ambulance, it should wind up in the police Property Room. “I wonder if Monte has looked there. I’ll make sure.” Lyle picked up the phone. “Detective Maxwell…”

Having just returned to his desk, Monte stiffened in his chair as he answered the phone and heard the humorless and demanding voice again.

“Go to another phone and call me back immediately on my private number.” Lyle emphasized “Now! ”

“Now what?” Monte groaned… He got up from his desk and headed downstairs again. He was thankful that Ed Peterson was away from his desk. Ed was getting suspicious of Monte leaving his desk after certain phone calls. “Ramsey and this job are getting to be a royal pain. He always wants something more!” Monte’s heavy side did not like the physical exertion of doing five flights of stairs, but he had been up and down on the elevator to the lobby pay phones so many times he was sure someone would notice.

“I need some information,” Ramsey told him when he came on the line.

“What kind of information?” asked Monte, in a worried voice.

“Detective, have you visited the Property Room in your establishment to see what personal effects might be there that were on Kelshaw?”

Sweating, Monte took out his handkerchief. For a moment Monte’s brown eyes held a surprised look and then with some relief he responded, “Well, no, but I’ll go and find out right now and call you back. You think it might be there?” Monte realized that was not the right question for a detective to ask Ramsey. The phone was silent on the other end then Monte added nervously, “I’ll go look right now and… ah, is that all you want?”

“Yes,” Lyle sighed impatiently, “for now. Call with the information when you get it.”

“Absolutely! Okay!” Monte eager to get off the phone and go back upstairs, agreed readily.

He sat thinking for a few minutes, pushing his oily hair back and rolling his chair away from his desk, “All I have to do is take a walk to Property; that’s probably where it is, just waiting for me to pick it up.” A trip to the Property Room was as easy as it gets. He smiled to himself.