While Rome Was Sleeping

by M. S. Forsythe

  “The reservation is in my name,” Andrew told him. “If you get there first just ask for my table. Everything is set.”

  “Good, I’m looking forward to meeting you.” Evan responded, “We have much to discuss.”

  ✽✽✽

  Charlene Thayer answered the door at 7:30 AM and was surprised to see Detective Jim Savalza standing on her front porch. “Good morning, Mrs. Thayer,” Jim said cheerfully.

  “Good grief! Detective, don’t you have a home? What are you doing here so early and, I might add, without calling?” Charlene chided.

  “Sorry Mrs. Thayer, but this is official and we seldom call on official business. Besides, I wanted to get together with you prior to you talking with Kincaid.” Squinting as he looked into the sun, he said, “It is a great morning to be up early...aren’t you going to ask me in?”

  Charlene stepped back and held the door as the detective entered. She had risen about 6:00 AM and felt fortunate that she had taken the time to get dressed. She looked at the detective, who was bright eyed and reasonably well groomed and offered “Would you like some coffee?

  “I suppose after the events of the past few days I shouldn’t be surprised at anything, but somehow finding you at my door in order to get here before Andrew Kincaid, is probably the most outrageous thing I have ever heard. Why on earth do you think he would be here or even be calling me?” Her annoyance was showing and she decided to back off a bit.

  “Yeah, I’d really love some coffee, and well,” Jim still cheerful spoke cautiously, “I just thought that since you and Kincaid were, you know,” he paused again, “an item, it would stand to reason that he might....” his voice trailed off with an embarrassed shrug.

  Charlene’s face registered first incredulity then a look of understanding. “Aha, you thought that Andrew Kincaid and I were...how did you put it...an item? Really, Detective, Mr. Kincaid and I are not lov--.” She stopped mid-word and found herself wondering what Andrew might have told Jim Savalza and why. She mentally back pedaled to answer. “What I mean to say is that we are really just getting to know each other; there’s a long way to go. You do understand?”

  Jim watched her face carefully, thinking, “She’s figured it out. “Okay, Mrs. Thayer, I understand. Now, I’d like to ask you a few questions about George Kelshaw and your relationship with him.”

  Charlene seated herself across the small kitchen table from Jim Savalza. Quietly she said, “I told you yesterday that there was no relationship. I never met him, I didn’t know him and I wish I had talked with him when he called, but instead I hung up on him because I thought he was a harassing caller.” The edge in her voice told the detective she was close to tears.

  “But, Mrs. Thayer,” he insisted softly, “There is a connection. What did he say before you hung up on him?”

  Charlene answered, “He said he had information about Paul, my husband. I couldn’t bear to listen to any more and I hung up. I was angry and sick that anyone would...” She didn’t finish the sentence; Detective Savalza nodded and patted her shoulder.

  “I don’t like adding to your distress, Mrs. Thayer, but someone deliberately murdered George Kelshaw and I think wanted it to appear that he was just some drifter who got stabbed during a mugging.” Jim Savalza was on his feet pacing back and forth in Charlene’s small kitchen. “I don’t have much in the way of leads, but I’ve got to tell you that I think Mr. Kelshaw deserves better. I also think if he wanted to talk with you that he had a reason and I think you know what that reason was or is!”

  The detective’s tone had become serious and authoritative. He continued, “As I said, Mrs. Thayer, I don’t like adding to your distress, but you know something and I want to know what it is. Why did this George Kelshaw call you?”

  Charlene swallowed hard and stood up. “Just a minute,” she said softly as she left the room to return moments later with the letter in her hand. “This is why he tried to call me. He wanted this letter to get to me. I still don’t know what he had to tell me. ”

  Jim Savalza took the letter and read it slowly; looking at Charlene’s face he could see that it was exceedingly difficult for her to share it. He said finally, placing it back in her hands, “I’m sorry. I’m afraid this only adds to the puzzle. Who was George Kelshaw? You must have some idea. Is the George mentioned in this letter, George Kelshaw?”

  Charlene sat back down in the kitchen chair and said slowly, “Possibly, but I don’t really know; if so, then I know he was Paul’s friend, but where has he been all this time? I don’t know any more than what I’ve told you and the letter. You must know I have questions of my own that now may never be answered.” she said in finality.

  “And what about Kincaid?” he queried.

  “Mr. Kelshaw gave the letter to Andrew Kincaid to give to me.” He was only the messenger.

  “Do you think he knew Kelshaw before the stabbing?”

  “No, I’m sure he didn’t. George Kelshaw was at the Seamen’s Center with Father Lee before all this happened. It was Father Lee who called Andrew about him after he had tried to call me.” She paused, “Have you talked with Father Ben?”

  “Not as much as I plan to. Thanks, Mrs. Thayer, Charlene, I know this is rough but we will get to the bottom of it. Too bad that you and Kincaid aren’t—well you know,” he paused, “I had higher hopes for him.” Then he added, “He’s a pretty good egg, overall though. Maybe, who knows...” he mused. Then he left.

  She stood in the kitchen watching him get into his car and drive away. Mixed feelings washed over her as she thought of Andrew Kincaid. She shook her head as if to realign her thoughts. “Surely he wouldn’t deliberately... get on with your day, Charlene,” she said irritably out loud, but she felt peculiarly abandoned.

  ✽✽✽

  9:30 AM

  Jim checked his watch, 9:30, “I think talking to Father Lee right about now would be a good idea,” he said to himself. As he parked his car across from the Center,

  he saw Father Ben just about to open the front door. “Wait up, Father,” he called and hurried toward Ben. “Just thought I’d stop by and see if the Center needed anything; also I wanted to talk with you about George Kelshaw. Do you have a little time?”

  “Of course, Jim, so this is an official call?” Adding, “Come in,” in response to Jim’s nod in the affirmative. “As you can see everything is pretty much back to normal,” he said smiling and leading Jim past a few sailors sitting in a corner having an animated conversation in an Asian language.

  As they entered the office, Sister Ruth looked up surprised to see the detective with Ben. She rose from her chair commenting, “I suppose this is private?” Not waiting for an answer she smiled and shook hands with Detective Savalza and said to Ben, “I will go check on the supply cabinets and see if we need to order anything. If you need me I’ll be close by,” she said protectively. Ruth knew Jim Savalza, but was still uncomfortable about the things that had taken place at the Center in the last few days.

  Savalza settled himself in the chair close to Ben’s desk. Leaning forward, hands folded on the desk and narrowing his black eyes, he looked intently at Ben and asked, “Father Ben, who was George Kelshaw? And before you answer that question I want you to know I have already talked with Charlene Thayer and read the letter he carried to be delivered to her. The letter itself suggests that Mr. Kelshaw was more than a transient sailor. I suspect that his demise was not an accidental death that occurred as a result of an attempted robbery. I believe it was deliberate.” Jim paused and sat back in the chair waiting.

  Ben looked squarely at the detective and then at his hands and nodded. He was thinking how much he could share with Jim Savalza and wished Andrew was there. Ben knew he couldn’t lie to Jim. “Oh Lord”, he prayed, “guide my words.” Speaking more deliberately than usual, he said, “Yes, Detective Jim, he was more than a transient sailor, in fact he was not a sailor at all. As I told the policeman at the hospital, he did come in on a cargo ship, the Tsein-Maru. I suspe
cted he was not a merchant seaman and those suspicions were confirmed by members of the crew. He spent his time here writing letters and made one phone call. One call to Mrs. Thayer as you already know.” Ben stopped. He wasn’t sure how to continue from there.

  “Go on,” Jim urged. “What happened then?” Jim looked at his notes, “You also told the officers that Kelshaw had left the Center and then you heard the commotion outside. Is that right?” He waited as Ben nodded and continued, “and you and Davey interrupted the attack did you not?”

  “Yes.”

  “Did he say anything about who attacked him or why?”

  “No,” Ben paused, “He handed me a letter for Mrs. Thayer and asked me to give it to her.” Ben did not want to talk about Kelshaw’s request to speak to Andrew, but he knew he must be as forthcoming as possible without mentioning the packet. “He also asked to see Andrew.”

  “Father Ben, you have to level with me. I need to know everything that happened and how is Andrew Kincaid connected to all this?”

  Father Ben weighed the question carefully and then opened a desk drawer and withdrew his own letter from George Kelshaw and handed it to the detective.

  “What’s this?” Jim queried, “another letter?” As he read more questions formed in his mind. Laying the letter back on the desk and he looked at Ben again and said firmly, “I will ask the question one more time, Father. What is the connection between Kelshaw and Kincaid? Who did George Kelshaw work for? C’mon, Father Ben, I’ve been reading a letter that suggests three people, you, Kincaid and Charlene Thayer could be in some kind of danger if something should happen to George Kelshaw. Well, Kelshaw is dead.” Jim stopped in obvious exasperation.

  Father Ben sighed, “Perhaps it is time; Mr. Kelshaw worked for the CIA.”

  “So that’s it—and Kincaid?”

  “Jim, I really cannot tell you what the connection is to Andrew. As you know he was with me at the hospital when Mr. Kelshaw died. He had asked me to give a letter to Mrs. Thayer, but I asked Andrew to do it for me.”

  “Why was that, Father?”

  “I was not comfortable with the task and I thought Andrew could handle it much better than I,” he hesitated, and Jim could see Ben was uncomfortable attempting to explain so he let it go.

  He was standing preparing to leave, “Father, I’m going back to my office now, here’s my card; that phone number comes right to my desk. If you remember anything else or if anything happens that even looks suspicious, I want you to call me right away. I don’t mind telling you that I’m a little bothered by the implied danger in your letter. Still, I can’t do anything about it unless there is some overt threat. Do you understand?”

  “Oh, yes, you undoubtedly know that Kincaid identified the two guys who broke in here and there is an order to pick them up. We’ll all feel better when they’re in custody and we may get answers to Kelshaw’s murder as well. And by the way, if Detective Maxwell should by some chance show up here again, refer him to me.”

  Ben nodded, “Of course I will do that, Jim, and I do understand what you are saying about a threat, but I think we will be fine. I will call if anything unusual occurs. Thank you for all your help.” He rose to walk Jim out as Sister Ruth was answering the Center phone.

  “Excuse me for interrupting, Father, but Andrew is on the line and needs to speak with you. I forgot to tell you that he wanted you to call him when you got in.”

  “Goodbye, Jim, and thank you again,” he said as he picked up the phone. “Good morning, Andrew. Yes, of course, I will be available. 12:30 at the Washington Athletic Club. Very well, I will see you there.”

  Walking slowly toward the door and pausing to search his pockets for some imaginary item, Jim, listened intently to Father Ben’s brief conversation with Andrew. “Well, I know where Kincaid is right now,” thought Savalza. He noted the time at 10:30 as he headed back to his office. At his desk he went through his calls quickly and then dialed Andrew. He was puzzled about Maxwell’s visit to the Center and decided he would ask him about it later.

  ✽✽✽

  Andrew answered his desk phone at the Times to hear, “Kincaid, this is Jim Savalza.”

  Andrew gauged the official tone in Savalza’s voice, determining that this was an official call. Trying to lighten the mood Andrew queried easily, “Hi, did you get the guys that trashed the Center?”

  “Not yet, but I just came from there and talking with Father Lee. I want to see you; now! You remember that breathing room you asked for? Well it has just run out.”

  Andrew sucked in his breath, wondering what Ben had told Jim. He said in a matter of fact tone, “I can’t come right now.”

  “Right now, Andy, or I’ll send someone to escort you.” Jim was adamant and Andrew knew he meant it.

  “Okay,” Andrew replied grimly. What had Ben revealed? He was certain that Ben would not have discussed the packet—that is if he could help it.

  He grabbed his car keys and headed for the Public Safety Building. When he arrived on the fifth floor Jim spotted him and waved him to an empty room and pointed to a chair.

  “Okay, what’s going on?” Andrew sensed the serious nature of Jim’s demeanor and felt slightly cornered. He decided to play the scene in a casual manner. He cracked, “Shouldn’t there be a bright light shining in my face while being interrogated?”

  Jim gave him a penetrating look, “I had a long, interesting talk with Mrs. Thayer and then Father Ben, this morning.

  “Wow, you have been busy!” Andrew quipped in mock admiration.

  “Are you through being a smart-ass? Because if you’re not, I can lock you up until you are? Comprende’?”

  Andrew could see that his casual routine was definitely not working to his advantage. Jim was getting angry and he was sure the detective would do exactly what he promised. He dared not risk getting locked up so close to the meeting with Neil Klein.

  “Okay, all right, what do you want to know?”

  “Good! I want to know about George Kelshaw. I’m all ears; besides being CIA what else can you tell me?” Jim could see he had taken Andy by surprise.

  “What else did Ben tell you?” he asked cautiously.

  “Never mind what Father Ben told me...I want to hear your story.”

  The phrase from Kelshaw’s letter, ‘don’t give the packet to the police, FBI or anyone other than Klein,’ flashed through Andrew’s mind. He decided to gamble.

  “Did Ben tell you about the letter?”

  “You mean letters plural don’t you?”

  Andrew wished that he had talked to Ben first. Jim had said he had talked to Charlene this morning so Andrew would throw the dice again. “So you know about the letter to Mrs. Thayer?”

  “Yes.”

  “And about the letter to Ben?”

  “Yes,” Jim stood up and said impatiently, “Look, Andrew, I have had it! The ‘cat and mouse’ games are over. This is a homicide investigation and I take that seriously, so don’t make me charge you with obstructing. As it turns out, it’s not just some transient guy that got iced, but a CIA somebody; and from what I saw in Father Ben’s letter from Kelshaw, he thought there could be some potential danger to you, Father Ben and Mrs. Thayer if somebody got to him. Well, someone did so now that makes the threat real. What is the threat, and why and who is threatening you, Andy?”

  Taking a pack of gum from his pocket he offered Andrew a stick and then unwrapped one and stuck it in his mouth waiting for an answer. He continued chewing slowly and looking first at his notes and then at Andrew shaking his head, “You know I can’t protect you or Ben or Charlene Thayer if I don’t know what’s going on or what kind of threat we’re talking about. For crying out loud, talk to me, Andy! Who else knows Kelshaw was CIA?”

  Andrew was serious now as he answered, “Jim, I honestly don’t know, but somebody else knew and, like you, I suspect that’s why he’s dead. Beyond that I don’t know what’s going on either, Jim, so I can’t tell you what I don’t know.”

&
nbsp; Standing up he looked Jim squarely in the eyes and argued, “But I do know I have to get out of here, now. I have an appointment to meet a guy at the WAC and it is important that I be on time.”

  “You know, Andy, since Kelshaw was CIA, the Feds are probably going to be all over this in a matter of hours. If you know anything it would be better for you to tell me ahead of time.”

  “We’re not as far apart on this thing as you think, Jim. And about the threat, as I said, I don’t know who or why; don’t worry about us, we’ll keep our eyes open.”

  “Does that go for Charlene Thayer, too, or does she know any of this?”

  Andy paused drawing a deep breath and then said, “No, but I guess we’d better tell her.”

  Jim threw up his hands letting the pen he was holding drop to the table, “Okay, it’s over for today... go on, get out of here and if you think of anything you would like to share, call me. You have my number.”

  “Yeah I do. Oh, by the way, while I was coming down here today it looked like something big had just happened by the Rainier Tower.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yeah, they had the whole street blocked off—police cars, Medic I, fire trucks and the whole nine yards. What was that all about?” Andrew queried.

  Jim shrugged, “I don’t know, possibly a heart attack or fire drill with Medic I there. How should I know?” he responded irritably.

  Andrew interjected, tongue in cheek, “Well, ‘Holmes,’ you are a detective aren’t you? C’mon.”

  Jim eyed him warily, knowing he was baiting him. “I don’t handle traffic,” Jim replied enunciating each word deliberately. “I am a homicide detective, remember? But just to satisfy your insatiable curiosity, I’ll find out,” he said as he picked up the phone.

  Andrew was poised in the doorway to leave as he heard Jim’s query and turned when he heard him whistle and say, “Wow, really? Bad way to go! Yeah, thanks for the info.” Swiveling in his chair, Jim turned to Andrew and said, “It’s pretty grim—a couple of window washers fell off the Rainier Tower, thirty stories,” he added somberly.