The Murderer . . . Continued
The stupid homeless people are coming closer. But no, they are only after a store of liquor they stashed inside one of the old buildings. Now they are going back to their fire. The excitement of it all. It's almost too much for my mind to bear.
When Martha Brown disappeared, I knew that Ava must have told her something that would incriminate me and make her afraid for her life. I've felt safe all these years, hoping she'd died along with the information about Ava. I always believed that Ava had told the Brown woman everything about her home life.
When this stupid reporter let slip that Martha Brown was in town, and she was going to meet with her this afternoon, my fears came back. How foolish of you, Miss Collins, to leave your address cards on your desk in the office. It was simple to find your home number in the card file, and many other details on your laptop.
All I had to do was deal with potential troublemakers. Witnesses. Call them whatever you want, I will remove even more of them if necessary. I planned to do away with the Brown woman forever and have no more worries. Finding your meeting place was easy. I followed you in the car.
But when you kept looking in the shop widows, I couldn't keep stopping. I guessed where you were going. I knew that being away so long from the area, the most likely place where she would meet you, Miss Collins, was the park facing the Golden Towers, a place Martha knew well from the old days. So I went on ahead.
I hadn't planned to run her down. I was expecting to find you both in the park and invite the two of you for a little drive out of town to discuss my theories. Oh yes, your bodies might have been found eventually – out of state somewhere. Anyone who had seen you leaving in a car would have been able to describe a model exactly like Kim Blakely's Mazda.
Now don't you worry about it. If I'd not killed Martha Brown there, it would have been somewhere else. She was definitely on my list of witnesses to eliminate. Just like you are.
Martha Brown had to cross the main street to get to the park. And there she was, all alone, acting nervously and waiting for the signal to change. I couldn't believe my luck. When the light changed, I was ready. Another wonderful day! She was the only person crossing, so I gunned my engine and let her fly. That's exactly what she did, fly, and that was the end of interfering Martha Brown!
Now for the end for you, you stupid reporter. Two twenty-five pound sand bags tied to your ankles should do it. Tossing your body into the water will be easy. Down and down you will go, and where you come up nobody will know.
This building has water on both sides of the pier. The front side is where the street people stay, and the back is very close to the water's edge. With no place for anyone to stand around and linger, it's always vacant. Yes, I have searched out this place brilliantly. And this is where I will tip your body over the railing. Of course, it will be a good idea to stay around for a bit, to make sure you don't come back to the surface.
As if that could be possible! If you're unconscious when I throw you in, you will drown quickly. But it might be sensible to hit you hard again with the cane, in case you call out.
Oh yes . . . Kim Blakely's scarf. I knew it was hers when I found it in your apartment. It has the letter K imprinted on it. At the time, it seemed that having it could come in handy for planting false evidence. This whole plan deserves more than a pat on the back.
Another clever move was to buy a dark Mazda just like Kim Blakely's, knowing someone would see it. No one will find that car where I've hidden it. All I have to do now is put Kim's scarf in your hand and wind it around your wrist. What a master stroke! The police will think you grabbed onto it while I pushed you off the pier. Oh yes, such a clever plan. This is like directing one of those great old fashioned Hollywood murder mysteries the studio was so famous for.
The police probably already have enough evidence against Kim, and this will be the clincher to arrest her and convict her of your murder. And then all my worries will be over.
Your body will be like Ava's, going over the balcony all those years ago. The two weights tied to your ankles aren't helping . . . and it's . . . much harder work than I expected . . . dragging your body . . . onto . . . the top of the railing . . .
Rae knew something bad had happened. A figure in the shadow holding a cane. The cane coming down on her head, and then blackness. That's the only detail she could recall. She struggled to open her eyes. Slowly the memories returned. She had to get away.
Her hand had something wrapped tightly around it, and it felt like her legs were tied together and she couldn't move them. She looked down, saw the sand bags tied to her ankles, and let out a scream.
The figure was already pressing her body against the top rail. She could feel the cold metal on her back, and began to kick as hard as the bags on her ankles would let her. The person seemed to lack the strength to lift her high enough to throw her over the railing. In horror, Rae watched the cane being raised for another blow. She let out another loud scream and shut her eyes so she wouldn't see the cane come crashing on her head.
With her eyes closed as tight as they could possibly be, she heard a sudden commotion. She was afraid to open her eyes, but she felt there was someone else there. Then she heard the cane hit the floor and the sound of fighting.
And then that beautiful voice! "Rae, Rae, it's me, Max!"
She opened her eyes. Her first thought was that she was dreaming. Then she heard other people talking, one of them was the Chief. "Take him to the station, and don't forget to read him his rights."
She looked up and saw Sam smiling down at her. She looked at the police officer who was handcuffing an elderly man. She turned again to Max with a quizzical look.
Max said, "They have his wallet. It's Joseph Morgan."
It wasn't a dream! The people were real! She had been rescued.
She wanted to throw her arms around Max, but they felt too heavy to lift. "How did you know? What made you come looking for me?"
Max began to untie the sand bags. "After you left, I still had a little time before going to my assignment. Chief Edwards, Sam and I talked about your appointment. I mentioned to them that you had said you were meeting Morgan at Pier 9. Sam said, 'No, it's Pier 11. There's no Pier 9. All the piers from 1 to 9 have been condemned.' I told them I was positive that you said you were meeting Joseph Morgan at Pier 9."
Then the Chief added, 'Sam is right, The Pier House restaurant is now at Pier 11. We were there just last night. It used to be at Pier 9, but that was before the pier was condemned."
Max continued. "We knew something was wrong. Either you'd made a mistake, which was hard for us to believe, or Morgan was leading you to a remote place where he was going to kill you. So we jumped into a patrol car and came speeding over here. I was praying all the way for your safety. I got out of the car and ran over here as fast as I could. I looked around but didn't see anything. I was just about to go back to the police car and say we must have made a mistake, when I heard you screaming. I wasn't sure where your screams were coming from, but then I looked over at the street people and they pointed to this building."
While talking, Max finished removing the sand bags from her ankles. For the first time he saw blood on her forehead. "Rae, are you okay?"
Rae tried to smile. "Yes, my darling, I'm fine now. I'm just fine," as tears swelled up into her eyes.
RAE
THE REPORTER
CHAPTER 30
The Confession
The Chief asked Rae, Max and Sam to meet him at the police station the next morning at 10:00. He added he was also inviting Jake Austin and Kim Blakely Townsend.
It seemed that Joseph Morgan said he was going to confess to the murders of Ava Montez and Martha Brown, and the attempts on Rae's life. He had told the Chief as they were carting him off to jail that he wanted no lawyer, and would sign a confession statement. And that he wanted them all to be there to hear the confession.
Rae, Max and Sam were the first to arrive. The Chief explaine
d that Rae could go inside the interview room with him, but Max and Sam and the other two would have to watch through the two-way mirror.
He turned to Rae, "I'm letting you go in with me, but under no circumstances are you to say anything, unless I ask you a question about anything I'm not sure of. Are you agreeable to that?"
"Yes, of course. I'll be as quiet as a mouse." Rae had a smile on her face. "But why are you letting me go in the room with you?"
"Well, it's not because you're writing the story on Ava Montez, but because you're a victim of one of his crimes. He doesn't know how much information you've found out. Some of it, he might think will incriminate him even more. And that's probably why he wanted to murder you. Even though he said he wanted to confess to the crimes, he may have second thoughts while in there. You being in there as an investigative reporter as well as one of his victims will put him more on edge. Maybe he'll be more honest and the full truth will come out."
Jake Austin and Kim Blakely Townsend arrived together. Jake was in complete shock to learn that his so-called best friend was claiming to have murdered his wife, Ava. He kept saying that it was extremely hard for him to believe, because Morgan had acted like he was a good friend to both of them.
Kim, on the other hand, said she had always suspected Joseph Morgan had murdered her best friend, and said it was no surprise to her. Jake Austin and Kim Blakely Townsend walked into the waiting area together, with Kim doing the comforting.
Rae gave Kim a hug, and told Jake Austin how sorry she was. She said she was so relieved and happy that Kim was innocent, just as she had always thought. She looked over at the Chief and gave him a mischievous smile, as if to say, "See, I told you so."
The Chief's intercom went off, and a voice said, "Chief, he's in the room waiting for you."
"Okay, let's go. Morgan's ready to give us his confession."
Chief Edwards showed the four where they should stand to get a full view of the interrogation room. Jake, standing by the two-way mirror, took a deep breath as tears formed in the corners of his eyes and ran down his cheeks.
Rae watched Kim put her arms around him, and for a moment she rested her head on his shoulder. "Hang in there, Jake. We're finally going to get a closure on Ava's death."
The Chief took Rae and two other officers with him, and pointed her to a chair in the corner of the room. She had her notebook open and a pencil ready to receive any information that would help her complete her story, although she would have to clear it with the Chief first, of course. But it would make her write-up extra interesting.
Morgan didn't ask any questions when he saw Rae come in. From then on he didn't look directly at her, but kept his eyes on the Chief.
Chief Edwards switched on the video recorder, checked the settings, and announced who was present. Then he nodded to Morgan. "You are here to be questioned about the murder of Ava Montez and Martha Brown. Do you still wish for this interview to be conducted without the presence of a lawyer? You have a right to have one present."
Joseph Morgan said he didn't want a lawyer, and Chief Edwards asked him to start his statement.
"Where do you want me to begin?" Morgan asked.
"Let's start in 1968 when you threw Ava Montez off her balcony."
Joseph P, Morgan began his confession.
"In 1968 on March fifth I tossed Ava Montez, known as the most beautiful woman in the world, off her balcony at the Golden Towers." He looked over at the two-way mirror. "I don't know if you're out there watching, Jake, but if you are, I'm very sorry.
"I had made many romantic advances to Ava. Not only before she married, but several times after. When she threatened me, saying she would tell my best friend Jake Austin, I told her if she did she would no longer be the most beautiful woman in the world. One day I went a little too far. She slapped my face and said, 'That's it. I'm telling Jake.'
"I pleaded with her not to, but I could tell by the look on her face that in time she would, and then all hell would break out. That was when I started to plan her murder. I had no idea how or when it would happen, I just knew it had to be done.
"I'd gone over to their penthouse to get Ava to tell me if she had already told Jake. I had a key to their place, and I knew Jake wouldn't be home yet. I knew when the doorman would be off duty for his break. So I timed it right, and was lucky going in and leaving. When I went into the penthouse, everything was dark. I thought Ava wasn't there. Then I saw her on the balcony all dressed up like she was going out somewhere. The moon was bright that night and she had lit two candles that were on the table next to the railing. I could tell she was waiting for Jake.
"All of a sudden Jake was there. He'd come home early, I guess for a special date with her. They said a few words and then Jake went in to take his shower and get dressed for whatever they had planned.
"I approached Ava. She backed away, and said, 'So you're the one I heard come in. What do you want?'
"I asked her if she had told Jake about my advances. She said, 'No, but as soon as he gets out of the shower, and with you here, I'm going to tell him all about it.'
"A rage came over me like I had never had before. I started to shake her, but she broke free and slapped me hard on the face. That made me even angrier. So I picked her up and threw her off the balcony." He made it sound so matter-of-fact.
"How about the threats to Rae Collins and the death of Martha Brown?" the Chief asked, after a moment of silence.
"Yes, I tried to kill Miss Collins a couple of times." He still didn't look over at Rae. It was like she wasn't in the room. "I'm sure I would have continued until I succeeded, or got caught. Now that I've been caught, just send me off to prison so I can live and die there."
"I want you to tell us why you murdered Martha Brown," the Chief said.
Morgan gave a scornful laugh. "I think that should be obvious. Yes, I killed Martha Brown. I knew she had evidence that would incriminate me. I was sure Ava had told her of my threats. I'd been safe for over forty years since the murder, and now the whole mess was blowing up in my face. I was fighting for survival."
For the first time Joseph Morgan looked closely at Rae. It frightened her to see expression in his eyes. It was like he was blaming her for him being in there. All of a sudden he jumped up and leaped towards her.
It happened so quickly that all Rae could think to do was get up from her chair and run for the door. She didn't know if was locked or not. But before she had a chance to find out, the two officers grabbed Morgan and sat him back down. Rae was very thankful for them. She realized that the man still wanted to kill her.
The Chief was also angry . . . at Morgan. He walked over to him, and said, "If you ever try anything like that again, it will be the last time. Let's get this over with. What are you confessing to?"
"I'm confessing to the murder of Ava Montez, Martha Brown and the attempts on her life."
He nodded towards Rae, hate written all over his face. Rae felt chills again.
The Chief said, "Who's her? I need names for the record."
Morgan said, "Her. That reporter. Rae Collins."
Rae didn't look at him. She stared down at her notes.
"Where do you want me to sign?"
"I'll be back with your confession just as soon as I get it typed up."
The Chief and Rae left the room with the recording in the Chief's hand. Rae walked over to Max and hugged him, and stayed in his arms for a long time. She felt so secure with his arms around her.
In just a few minutes the two officers came out with Morgan. As they led him past Jake and Kim, Morgan looked over at Jake, but Jake turned away. His tears seemed uncontrollable.
Jake said, "I know someday, for my peace of mind, I will have to forgive him. But not now . . . not now!"
"Oh, Jake," Kim said, "you know that's what the Lord would want you to do. Ava was my best friend. I'm going to have to do the same someday myself."
Rae, Kim Blakely Townsend and Jake Austin walked out of the police station tog
ether. All three had tears in their eyes, but Rae knew they were happy that it was all over. Max was following a little distance behind.
Sam and the Chief left together.
Rae introduced Max to her two new friends, Kim and Jake. They both gave him a hug like he was part of their circle of friends. They parted saying they would see each other the next evening at the cantata at Rae's church.
As Max took Rae's hand, she said, "Thanks, Max, for supporting me. What an experience! I wouldn't want to go through it again, but it will make a great story and maybe eventually a great movie. Ava Montez was an extraordinary person. I owe it to her memory and her fans to know the truth about her. I pray the story will do her great justice."
CHAPTER 31
Max and Carol?
The cantata went well. Jake and Carol Austin were there, along with Kim Blakely Townsend and her husband Frank. They sat in the third row with Max. When Rae finished her song, Jake leaned over and told everyone that he had been let into the secret that Rae would be singing her solo.
Rae felt great, looking out at the audience and seeing their smiling faces. She gave Kim an extra big smile. Kim was innocent, just as she had always expected.
Sam, Chief Edwards and their wives were also there. They sat in the next to the last row. That was fine with Rae. She was just delighted that they had come.
Everyone Rae talked to afterwards said her solo was the highlight of the evening. She knew they were just being encouraging, although she did feel she had done a good job.
There was one thing that was a little puzzling however. When she introduced Max to Jake Austin's wife Carol, she had a feeling that they had met before. Carol started to say something to Max, then caught herself. Rae couldn't see Max's face, but she felt he was giving Carol a "don't say anything" look.
She would have forgotten all about it, except when they all went out for dessert after the cantata, she felt that when Carol thought Rae was not looking, she could almost see her smiling at Max. She was definitely going to ask Max about it later!
By the time they got home it was after midnight. Rae had asked Max to go to church with her in the morning, and he said he'd love to go.
As it was late and they had to get up early, Max kissed her goodnight and again told her what a great job she'd done with her solo. He said he felt good knowing that he didn't have to worry about her safety, or go up and search her apartment.
Ava Montez, Her Life and Death Page 14
