by Judith Lucci
"Yeah, OK. Thanks for the tip. I'll do just that." The men shook hands as they parted.
As Francoise returned to his vehicle, his cell rang and as he grabbed it he felt a flood of relief when he heard Alex's voice on the other end. "I'll be right there. Sit tight."
Francoise displayed his badge for Steve, who motioned for him to come into the back room. When Steve pushed the button for the ancient elevator, Francoise broke out into a sweat.
"There's got to be another way to get up there. Don't you have some steps or something? These old things give me the creeps. Ain't you violating the fire code?"
"Nope, sorry. Building's been like this for years. Predates the building code. This old baby looks worse than it is. She usually makes it." Steve was studying the captain carefully.
Francoise continued to sweat as the elevator came to a screeching halt in the back room. His heart almost stopped when he noticed that the elevator had lodged almost a foot below the entry level. Steve opened the door and urged the Captain to jump on. Francoise felt his knees buckle as Steve punched the button for the third floor. "Are you okay, Captain?"
They started their slow ascent. "How long before we get there?" Francoise said as he unbuttoned his collar.
"Just a few seconds. Sure you're okay, Captain? You don't have any chest pain or anything, do you? Are you breathing okay?”
"No, I'm okay’, Jack gasped. “I just have a phobia about these things. Got shut in one when I was a kid. Never have worked through it."
In an effort to divert Jack’s anxiety, Steve started an idle conversation. "Sure seems like a busy Mardi Gras. This place's been packed. These people are drinking like fish. I've never seen so much booze go down people's throats so quickly. Should be a profitable weekend for me. Any special activities planned for crowd control?"
"Nah, just the same old thing. No glass, weapons. Anything and everything else goes. Business is good?"
"You bet. I'm busier now than last year on Fat Tuesday. Wish I'd raised prices. Every taxi driver I've talked to has turned down at least four loads tonight. Every hotel's filled. I, for one, am a happy man." Steve was smiling.
"Are Alex and Bonnet okay?"
"Yep. They're a little shook up, had a real nasty go of it with that bastard. Chased them all the way from Alex's house. Sounds like he was going to kill them."
"No question about it in my book. Shit, is this thing close to getting us to the third floor?" Jack broke out in a fresh sweat.
"Almost there, another minute or so. Relax, I ride this sucker two, three times a day. I get it serviced every six months. Those guys over at Otis Elevator swear it's the best elevator in all New Orleans." The elevator groaned and came to a grinding halt. Steve opened the door.
Francoise hopped out in a flash, his eyes sweeping the room. "I'm sure glad to see you both," the captain's voice boomed as he relished the open space.
"Jack, he almost got us. The ponytailed man. We were saved by two dogs and a clown." Alex couldn’t believe how ridiculous she sounded.
"I know. Just talked with Frank. You all right?"
"Yes," Alex replied, "Thanks to Steve for hiding us. You two met?"
"Yeah, on the forty minute ride up on that albatross of an elevator. Bonnet, you okay?" Francoise extended his hand.
Robert clasped Francoise's hand. "Sure am glad to see you. You look a little winded though." Robert's practiced physician's eye was scanning Francoise disheveled, sweaty appearance. His face was beet red, and he was a little short of breath.
“I thought he was gonna stroke out on the way up,” Steve reported.
"Yeah, I feel like I just tangled with an iron monster."
Steve interrupted. "The good captain doesn't like my elevator. Broke into a sweat while we were coming up and he was short of breath. I told him we'd be okay, but he acted like he'd rather tangle with your ponytailed buddy. I was afraid he was going to pass out."
"Oh shit, I'm fine. I just hate elevators. You don't need to do that, Robert."
Bonnet had grabbed the captain's wrist and was counting his pulse. "Just sit down a minute and rest, Jack. Your pulse is racing. Thank goodness I don't have a blood pressure cuff. When this is over, you’re coming to my office for a physical."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure I am. When this is all over, we'll talk. Tell me everything that happened, from the top."
Alex and Robert took turns telling the story. Between the two of them, no detail was overlooked. The Captain asked numerous questions and took notes. Alex almost cried when he told her that both dogs were dead, strangled by the ponytail man. She wondered how a man could strangle two powerful dogs.
"Oh, no. Peter'll be so sad. He let them go to help us. Did he call 911?"
"Peter knows and he is heartbroken. Don't know who called 911. Your house is pretty wrecked. Is there something in your apartment he could've been looking for? It looks like he went through a pile of papers in your office and beside your chaise lounge, and he also pulled out some drawers in your kitchen. Any idea what he wanted?" The Captain looked at Alex directly.
Alex searched her mind and tried to visualize her home office. "I can't think of a thing. I have some files from the hospital, but I don't think any of them would interest him. Let me think about it. There's an address book by the phone in the kitchen."
"I don't remember seeing it, but I left the uniforms to dust for prints. I'll call in and ask." Captain Francoise reached for the phone.
"Wait a minute, I think I know. Mitch called me at two. Was the tape in the answering machine?"
Jack shrugged his shoulders. "Don't know Alex. I was intent on finding you, so I didn't stay too long. What'd Mitch say?"
"He said he was out of town, but he'll see me at the Extravaganza tonight. He also said not to tell anyone I'd heard from him. Do you think the ponytail's after Mitch?"
"I'm sure he is. Was Mitch's conversation recorded on the tape?"
"Yes. I didn't pick up until the third ring and the machine picked up, too. It's all there."
"Let me call in." Francoise called the crime team, while Alex and Robert sat on the sofa. Steve had retreated into the kitchen to make more coffee.
Robert and Alex could tell from the captain's conversation that both the address book and the answering machine tape were missing.
After Captain Francoise hung up the phone, Alex and Robert pressed him for details. "Your address book and answering machine tape are both gone. They couldn't get any prints, he probably wore gloves."
"Damn, my address book had everything in it. Numbers for my grandparents, family, friends." Alex had risen from the sofa. "Do you think he'll try to get at any of my family or my friends? I couldn’t live with myself if something happened…."
Francoise's voice was curt because he knew the ponytailed guy would do anything and go to any length to get what he wanted. "You've got to calm down. This isn't helping."
"My phone book's my life line."
Francoise held up his hands. "Alex, I think it's okay. He doesn't have a lot of time to hassle people. I don't think he's going to bother your family or friends, unless it's to find you. Who's in the book locally? Your family isn't local, is it?"
"No, they're in Virginia. Robert, I have to call my grandfather in the morning. He threatened to come out here if he didn't hear from me. Jack, everybody's in there. Elizabeth from work, Bridgett my secretary. I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to them." Alex was interrupted by the phone ringing.
Steve answered the phone. "Who is it," he said into the receiver. "It's for you." Steve handed the phone to Francoise who looked embarrassed.
"Sorry. I gave out the number on the phone."
"It's okay. I don't mind. I'll change it again next week."
Francoise smiled and picked up the phone. "Yeah, yeah, that's good. What, who was it? Yeah. Interesting. I'll check back shortly. I'll need a place to hide two people out for today. Check it out. Sounds pretty safe." Francoise slowly hung up the phone while Alex p
aced impatiently wanting to know the other end of the conversation.
"Good news. They found your address book, near the dogs. Apparently he lost it in the bushes, and was so eager to get you, he didn't notice. So, your friends and family are safe. No cell, though. They didn’t find your cell."
Alex was not mollified. “My cell? All of my personal information is in my cell. That’s even worse than my phone book. Oh my God. He can even access my email.”
The captain glared at Alex and said, “Chill out. We don’t even know if he has it!”
Alex heaved an audible sigh of relief.
Robert said, "What else?"
"Well, seems there was an attack on the Governor tonight, here in New Orleans in his temporary residence. Some son of a bitch broke in through the glass doors about midnight and tried to strangle him. Killed two state troopers assigned to guard the governor. Strangled them."
"Is George okay?" Robert asked, as he wondered once again about his part in these events.
"Yeah, seems to be. He's resting under strict guard.” There was a long silence as the three thought about the attack on Governor Raccine.
Alex broke the silence. "It's tied together. The ponytail must have done it. He was at my house at two this morning, right after Mitch called." Alex stopped to think, and continued, "He strangled the dogs. He strangled the state police. That's why he didn't shoot us, Robert. This man strangles people. I can still feel that killer grip he had on my neck at the voodoo feast. It must be the same man who attacked Governor Raccine."
Robert and Francoise nodded then Francoise spoke. "Yeah, but he didn't want the Governor dead. Must still need him alive for some reason, or he'd have killed him, too. Just don't know his motive. We are missing that piece and it’s a big one."
"Do you know who he is? If we knew that, we could probably put it together." Robert directed his question to Jack.
"No, but I gave a description to the local agent who was working out of the emergency department situation, and he sent it to the FBI at Quantico. I was hoping we'd get fingerprints from Alex's house to speed things up but no such luck. It could take weeks to get a match on a description only."
"Yes, but since he's attacked the Governor, maybe they'd give it priority," Robert said.
"Yeah, maybe, but we've got to get the Governor's permission, though. I'm not sure he'll cooperate."
Robert gave a short laugh. "Ridiculous. Raccine's a law and order man. I'd stake my life on his cooperation."
"Hope you're right, Robert. I think Raccine's knee-deep in shit at this point. I doubt he'd be willing to push it."
"Raccine's been a good governor. You know the pathetic excuses we've had for governors. Besides, I know him. He’s like my second father. He'll cooperate."
"Well, we'll see. In the meantime, I've got to get you guys to a safe place so we can all make it to the Extravaganza tonight. You two mind spending the day together?" Francoise looked at Robert and Alex happily grinning from ear to ear.
"None of you leave before breakfast," Steve hollered from the kitchen. "Then you can all get the hell out of here, so I can go to bed." Steve came into the living room with four omelets accompanied by link sausages, tomato juice, and a pot of coffee.
"I'll eat. No problem for me." Francoise said. "Smells delicious." Jack reached for a plate.
The other three laughed and followed.
Jack pushed back his plate, looked at his watch, and said, "Well, it's six. Got to move you guys before daylight. Don't want to run into any trouble. I'm saving up my energy for tonight. Any way to get out of here, other than riding that damn albatross elevator?" Francoise asked as he eyed Steve.
"Not unless you jump through the window. Bourbon Street is three stories down. Could be a hard landing.” Steve laughed at the police captain’s grimace.
"What comes up must go down. I'll make it. Thanks for letting us hang out."
"My pleasure. You can return the sweats later. Robert, next time settle for a drink on the house instead of an escape from death? You guys be careful. Take care of them."
Francoise nodded and moaned as he stepped gingerly into the elevator. “Wake me up when we land.”
After an uneventful couple of minutes, Jack said, “Humph, guess I must have beaten this thing,” obviously pleased with himself for not panicking.
"Maybe, but the true test is riding it every week for three months. Then you're cured," Alex said definitively.
"Not a chance. I pick my battles,” Francoise said.
After the three of them got in the captain's car, Alex said, "Where're you taking us? Is this really necessary?"
"No lip. It sure as hell is if you want to live. Besides, we have a ball to attend tonight. You're going. You've got to rest up for tonight."
Chapter 23
The safe house was a pit. The apartment was a third-story walk-up on Constance Street, in the outskirts of the Warehouse District. It looked as though it'd seen its last renovation in the early l970s. The living room had gold shag carpeting. The appliances in the closet-sized kitchenette were avocado, as were the fixtures in the small bath. The half bath even had a pink toilet.
Alex was intrigued as she surveyed her surroundings. “This place is incredible, it looks like a hippie movie set. At any moment I expect to see Jerry Rubin, Abbie Hoffman or anyone else in the Chicago Seven come bounding in here,” Alex said as she glanced around the living room. “Maybe even Martin Luther King Jr. or Peter, Paul and Mary….”
“Yeah, it sure is. That ancient TV could come on any minute and report the Kent State Shootings or the Viet Nam War. I'm glad we're only going to be here today," Robert agreed, as he smiled at Alex who was checking out the kitchen.
"At least it's neat and clean, and the kitchen's stocked. We'll make do. Besides, Retro is really in now," she said cheerfully, "You know, the new pop-up culture!”
Robert had opened up the cabinet of the old hi-fi. "Yep, I feel like I'm caught in a time warp, too. Look at this record collection. Some of these album covers are collector's items." As he sorted through the record cabinet he continued, "Some good tunes here. Want to play some?" Robert smiled at Alex and eyed albums on top of the ancient hi-fi player.
"You mean play a record? I’m not sure I could figure out how to work it. Sure, put a stack on but not too loud, though. We're supposed to be hiding you know." Alex laughed as she poured each of them a glass of orange juice.
Without talking, they sat on the couch and listened to music. Robert was dropping off to sleep when Alex exclaimed, "How can I go to the ball tonight? I don't have any clothes, neither do you. I've got to call Yvonne to ask her to deliver my gown and everything else I'll need. I'm sure she'd bring it here."
Robert raised his hand in objection. "Call Francoise first. We can't give anyone our location. He told us to not even use our cell phones unless it was an emergency."
"This is an emergency! I'm going to the biggest Mardi Gras ball in New Orleans and I have nothing to wear, except this sweat suit. You're not looking too spiffy yourself. Call him,” Alex demanded as she pointed at his phone.
Robert reached for the cellular phone and entered their number in Jack’s pager and Francoise returned their call immediately.
They talked for a few minutes while Alex tried to decipher the conversation from her end. Finally, Robert handed the phone to her.
Francoise's speech was rapid. "Order everything you need from whats-her-name and I'll have someone pick it up. I'll bring it to you around five this afternoon. I'm getting Robert a tux, too. We'll go to the ball together." He sounds almost jovial - probably punch drunk, Alex thought.
"Jack, you need to get some rest. You've got to be at your best tonight." Alex's voice was reprimanding but earnest.
"I'm okay. Running on pure adrenalin. Listen, this is important. Your phone kept ringing this morning so my men put a new trace on your voicemail just to see who was trying so hard to get in touch with you.”
Alex looked puzzled. “I can’t i
magine.”
“Your grandfather was the persistent caller.”
Alex laughed and said, “On second thought, I can imagine.”
“First he told your voice mail to go to hell, that he had important information for you. He hung up and called back fifteen minutes later. He was obviously agitated because it was six in the morning and you weren't at home. Sounds like a real character,” Francoise added.
Alex laughed, as she could imagine what her grandfather had said to her machine. "That is an enormous understatement. Yep, he's quite a man. He doesn't mince a lot of words. Don't let him fool you, Jack. He's a political genius and always gets what he wants."
"What's he do?" Francoise was intrigued.
"He's the Senior Congressman from Virginia, Adam Patrick Lee."
Francoise had heard of Adam Patrick Lee, and knew that he was a law-and-order politician. He’d had no idea Lee was Alex's grandfather.
"Well, I called Virginia and talked to your grandmother. She said your grandfather was a wild man and that he was so upset about you that he'd hopped a jet to New Orleans. He'd already left for Dulles International Airport, and he's due to arrive at three-fifty this afternoon. I'll have one of my men pick him up and we'll be there about five."
"You'd better get my grandfather a tux, too. I can assure you he'll attend the Ball as well. He’s never missed a good party!"
"But, I don't have his measurements." Jack Francoise began, pissed because he'd become everyone's personal valet.
"You can handle the 'buts' with him personally, Captain. In the meantime, I suggest you order him a tux. You can call my grandmother for his measurements, or still better, call Nathan's Clothier on Main Street in Richmond. That's his tailor."
"OK, OK, OK. If you insist." Francoise was resigned. What the hell, Jack thought. The last thing he needed was a rift with a senior politician from Virginia about a damn tuxedo.
"Do you mind if I call my grandmother from this phone? I think she'd feel better if she heard from me."
