Shell Game – Chapter 27 – The Plan

On his walk back to the office, Evan remembered Katherine’s request to fill out the account paperwork at the bank. He made the necessary detour and took care of the details. It pained him to write every pen stroke and wondered if he was helping or hurting his chances of building trust with her. At least she would know that he thought of her while she wasn’t with him.

Fifteen minutes after leaving the bank, Evan walked through the Silver and Gold Detective Agency’s door. He instantly noticed the lines of worry crisscrossing Sophie’s forehead. She was on the phone, and Evan saw she was doing her best to end the call. He tried to slip past her, but Sophie snapped her fingers and waved him over. Evan froze mid-stride, took off his hat, and turned the brim through his fingers as he waited for her phone call to finish.

He then heard Sophie say, “As I’ve said… Judith… Judith… yes, Judith, as I’ve said, as I’ve said, I’ve been in and out a bit this morning. We’ve been like ships… Yes, I can double-check if Evan’s…” Her eyes looked at Evan to see if he was in or not. Evan waved her off. Sophie continued, “He doesn’t seem to be in right now, dear… Yes… Yes, I’ll have him phone when it’s… All right, I will,” and with that, Sophie looked at the receiver, shook her head, and rested it back on the phone’s cradle. “Thanks for finally coming in today. It’s been like Grand Central around here.” Then she got a wistful look about her, “Though I wouldn’t know. Not from personal experience anyway. I would have to have someone who could whisk me off to New York to see it for myself, but I’ve seen the pictures at the Bijou, so that’s something.”

“Your very own Prince Charming?” Evan smiled.

“I hear it’s every girl’s expectation,” she said.

“When your feet come back down, that’s the part they forget to mention,” he replied. “What’s the news?”

“Well, let’s see.” Sophie leaned back in her chair and folded her hands across her middle. “At this very moment, you have one Miss Claire Porter waiting patiently in your office. At least she seems to be sticking to that name for the moment. Between you and me, Evan, she looks a bit rattled, extra rattled is what I mean. Also, Lt. Abrams called-”

“What did he want?” Evan broke in.

“Didn’t say. Just that you should call when you got in.”

“Fine,” and Evan started to make his way to his door.

“Hold on, cowboy,” Sophie said, “I haven’t told you the best one. A strange man came in here, almost first thing, to see you. He had… let’s just say he had an odd personality. He wore nothing but black from head to foot. Like an undertaker or something, only creepier, if you can imagine, but I couldn’t place the style. Might be some costume from one of those spaceman serials at the Bijou. I saw one a few months back where some aliens from…”. Evan cleared his throat.

“Anyway,” she continued, “he wore an eye patch — a silver one. Never saw anything like it. I could see myself in it. It was very intriguing, to say the least.”

Evan’s attention spiked when she mentioned the eye patch and asked her, “Which eye?”

“The right one,” she said and unconsciously placed her right hand over her right eye just like he had seen Claire and Harold do.
“Mmm-hmm. Did he say what he wanted?”

Sophie shook her head. “Why would he? Seems like that’s the treatment I get from everyone these days. No one wants to tell me anything, only you. And even then, the info is spotty. Eye Patch said he’d come back by later, though, so you’ll get your chance to ask him.”

Evan nodded. “Good work, kid. Is that it?” Sophie nodded. “Fine. See if you can get Abrams on the phone, would you? Let me know when you have him.” He reached out and turned the handle on his office door, and stepped in.

He found Claire Porter staring out his grimy window. Her frame silhouetted against the hazy backdrop of Commercial Street. His client’s hands mindlessly fidgeted with a handkerchief. Evan recognized it as the one he’d given her. He closed the door and said, “To what do I owe this honor?” Claire turned, and Evan was taken aback by the expression of fear in her eyes.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” she said. “I didn’t know where else to go.” She almost ran into Evan’s arms, but something kept her at a distance. She began to weep openly without any attempt to shield Evan from her emotions.

“What’s got you so scared?”

“My apartment,” she sniffed. “Someone’s been in there, searching. They went through everything. Such a mess.” She looked up at Evan’s face. “I can’t go back there, Evan. I just can’t.”

“Was anything taken?” he asked. Evan tried to remember his search of her rooms. He remembered not making a mess. So, either she suspected him and attempted to catch him in something, or it was someone else. Harold? The woman? The man with the eye patch?

She shook her head and dabbed her eyes. “No, not that I can tell. But it may take me a while to know. Everything is in shambles. I just feel so… What if I’d been there? It gives me the heebies.”

Evan rubbed the back of his neck, “Who would have done it? Our Mr. Huber was tied up with the police all night.”
Claire shot her eyes at Evan, “It must have been that woman. That woman outside your apartment last night. You must have led her there.”

“Or maybe you did. It would be hard to know.”

“Or maybe I did.” Claire looked into Evan’s eyes. “If she knows where I live…” she muffled her sobs in the handkerchief.
“It’s likely as not nothing to do with any of this. I’ve been reading in The Gazette about several burglaries recently that fit this description. Always targets single women. Always strikes when the lady is out. The thief takes valuables, but so far, no one has been hurt in any way. My guess is you were just the next victim. The fact that you’re new to the building would make you an easier target.”

“You think that’s what happened?” Claire asked, with a hopeful look on her face.

Evan shrugged. “Let’s not forget that the woman outside my apartment was there till very late. If she wanted to go through your apartment, she could’ve done it then instead of staking out my place.”

“Maybe she has a partner. Maybe she was the lookout, and her friend was going through my things? Or maybe…”

Evan laughed lightly. “I’m afraid you’ve been reading too many paperback mysteries. Criminals in this part of the world aren’t often that coordinated. Not for something as small as what may or may not be in your apartment.”

Claire continued to pace about the office. “Still, I can’t go back there. Someone knows I’m there. They might come back. I can’t go back there, Evan, I can’t. Please don’t tell me I have to go back there. As far as I know, he’s coming for me, and I need to stay out of his reach.”

“Who? Harold?” Evan asked. “I think you showed you can handle him.”

“Not Harold,” Claire moaned and then said, him, before placing her hand over her right eye.

“Calm down, Claire. I’m sure it’s not as bad as all that. But I’ll see what we can do to find you a new place to rest your head.”

She looked at him suddenly and with a strange expression, “How do you know where Harold was all night?”

“Oh,” Evan said with a sigh, “that. After I dropped you off, I paid him a visit. He was just getting in if you can believe it. I guess the police had a lot of questions. He didn’t look too good. I wouldn’t have thought it would have taken so long, but then again when Bobby Short gets in a mood, who knows what he will do? That reminds me…”

Evan walked back to his door and opened it a crack to ask if Sophie had been able to reach Lt. Abrams. She hadn’t.

Evan closed the door.

“Why did you go to see Harold?” Claire asked, her tears drying a bit now that her mind had something new to feed on.
“Because this is a confusing case. The details keep moving around on me. I just wanted to ask him for some clarifications. Nothing much. Besides, I wanted to make sure he didn’t spill his guts to the cops.”

“I don’t like it,” she said. “The less we deal with that vermin, the better.” Then her mind seemed to snap back to her present situation. “Can you find me a new place to live, Evan? Someplace where I can’t be found? I can’t stand the idea of spending one more night in that…” her whole body shivered in fright.

“I’ll see what I can cook up. Hang on.” He smiled at her and stepped out of the office.

“I said, I’ll let you know when I have him on the line,” Sophie scolded. “I can’t make him show up on his phone.”

“It’s not about that,” Evan said, sitting on the edge of her desk and speaking in low tones. “What do you think of Little Miss Tragic in there?” Evan asked.

“What do you mean?”

“Is she a flight risk?”

Sophie shrugged. “How should I know? As you say, people do what makes sense to them, but that doesn’t mean it makes sense to me. If you want to know what I think of her, I like her. Sure, she seems like she’s had a hard time of it, but something tells me her damage happened early. You know? Before she had a chance to choose her direction. Kind of like a little bird that’s pushed out of the nest too early and can’t fly too well.”

“Uh-huh,” Evan mumbled as he stared at his closed door.

“What’s up?” Sophie asked.

Evan turned back to her. “You think you can put her up for a while?”

“How long is a while?”

Evan shrugged. “A few days, maybe. A week tops.”

Sophie took in a long breath and let it out slowly as she leaned back in her chair. She bunched her lips over to the side of her face and thought for a moment. “I’m going to have the dickens convincing my brother and his wife of it. But the baby is a few months yet, and there’s still a regular bed in the nursery. Money’s getting tighter and tighter, so I don’t know how we’re going to feed her.”

“Trust me, this girl is good to cover the rent. Leave that part to me. Just see that your brother says yes. Feed him your little wounded bird line. Men love helping the helpless.”

“They do?” Sophie said.

“That’s what I hear.”

“Remind me to twist my ankle in front of the gymnasium sometime,” she said with a wry smile.

“Thanks, kid,” said Evan, “you’re a doll.”

“Save it for someone who needs it,” she said. And then, before Evan had opened the door, Sophie asked, “Is she really in that much trouble?”

“I’m afraid so. I don’t yet know what kind of trouble, but the picture I’m getting is worse and worse.” He stepped back into the office. “It’s all set,” Evan clasped his hands together. “You’re going to stay a few days with Sophie. She lives with her brother’s family.”

“Oh, I couldn’t be a burden,” Claire said.

Evan shook his head, “No, they’ll love it. Very kind-hearted people. Salt of the earth.” He guided Claire out of his office and arranged how to get Claire to the new place without raising anyone’s suspicions, should they be watching the office.
Sophie quickly put in a call for a taxi to come by the office. She then packed up her things and headed out for the day.
Evan waited with Claire for another fifteen minutes before the taxi pulled up to the curb outside. Evan gave the driver the address, and Claire said to Evan, “Thank you for everything.”

Evan watched the cab turn a corner before he headed back into the office.