Shell Game – Chapter 36 – Up In Smoke

Back out on the street, Evan noticed the unrelenting fog swirling around the streetlamps as they popped on one by one. He shook his head at this unexplained phenomenon and closed his eyes as the damage from the night before surged momentarily behind his eyes. Evan found the nearest payphone and called The Webster. He needed to put his eyes on at least one person to see what the current play was.

The desk attendant rang Harold Huber’s room. No answer. The line transferred back to the front desk. No one had seen Harold for hours. Evan, frustrated, returned the handset with a loud clack.

“It’s like everyone’s suddenly a ghost!” He muttered to himself.

Unsure of his next move or the location of the hidden truth in this flesh-and-blood shell game, Evan retreated to the haven of his office. It was like all the players were so busy strategizing and deceiving everyone in sight, it was impossible to make any reasonable predictions.

Sophie looked up from her typewriter when her boss entered. He looked ready to unload all his frustrations on her, but Sophie was able to cut him off in time. With an open hand and extended arm directing Evan to see the man sitting in the lobby chair, she said, “Mr. Henricksen is here to see you, Mr. Gold.”

Evan, puzzled, looked at Sophie for several seconds. “Mr. Henricksen is the general manager down at the Bijou,” she said, guiding Evan’s elbow toward a man seated very nervously in one of the reception chairs. Evan finally connected with what was going on and sized up this potential new customer. Henricksen was in his upper fifties with thinning, oily hair combed in the vain hope of masking an otherwise perfectly round head. The visitor smiled nervously at Evan and squeezed the life out of his bowler’s brim.

“Mr. Gold,” Henricksen began as he stood slowly.

“Won’t you come into my office, Mr… What was it? Hendrickson?”

“Henriksen. It’s Sweedish.”

“I’m sure it is,” Evan said. “We can talk more freely in my office.” He looked back at Sophie, who gave him an encouraging smile.

Evan guided the nervous man into his office. There was some unexpected drama happening at the movie theater. Mr. Henricksen told Evan of a plot he suspected between the projectionist and the weekday candy girl. According to Henriksen, the scheme was to skim several hundred dollars from the concessions’ till over a few months. The employees were dirt poor, recently engaged, and had hinted to different employees that they planned to run away and honeymoon in Mexico.

Once Evan was able to get his mind away from the ever-twisting pretzels he’d been straightening around Gabe, Katherine, and Lillian, this case seemed like a lazy stroll through a park in spring. Evan played a few scenarios in his mind of how quickly the matter could be sorted out, how much money he could likely make, and if it would be enough to mollify his creditors. It wouldn’t do much. Even if he cheated Mr. Henricksen by inflating the billable hours, he would still come up grossly short. Still, the simplicity of it was distracting enough to make him reconsider leaving the practice at the end of the week. If all the cases could be like this one, maybe he wouldn’t have to be out at all hours; he could still have a somewhat normal relationship with his wife and help a few people out of a jam. Evan grinned and said he would investigate the matter. Mr. Henricksen shook Evan’s hand and told him how much he appreciated his help.

“No problem,” Evan said. “Sophie can get your paperwork started before you go. Thanks, mister, er… um… yeah, we’ll be in touch.”

The whole interaction had taken a half-hour, and Evan took a few moments to let the day’s events wash off him. His limbs and eyelids started to take on extra weight. He swiveled his chair to face the window and propped his heels on the sill. He closed his eyes and tried to visualize a strategy he could use to simplify his life in the next couple of days. Sleep was about to overtake him when Sophie opened the door and entered the office.

“Should I gather from your relaxed posture that you’ve located Claire?”

“You should not gather that,” Evan mumbled, keeping his eyes closed.

“What are you still doing here then? You need to go back out there and find her,” Sophie said, sitting on the windowsill so she could see Evan’s face.

“No, I don’t. Claire’s a big girl and can take care of herself,” he said.

Sophie pushed his legs off the sill, and Evan caught himself from sliding out of his chair. Evan sat up and glared at his assistant. The smile he gave her had no warmth in it. “Is there something on your mind?”

Just then, Evan’s desk phone rang. He picked it up to hear his lawyer on the other end. Evan looked at his watch, a quarter past four.

“I called over to the DA’s like you asked me. They said you weren’t there.”

“They were right,” Evan said.

“What happened?”

Evan sighed and looked up at Sophie. “Same old thing. He wanted me to give up what I know so he doesn’t have to do the hard work of finding it out for himself. He did mention a possible connection with the Carrollo crime family,” Evan noticed Sophie’s eyes get bigger, “so there’s that to consider.”

“You think this is a mob thing?” the lawyer asked.

“I do not. But it’s fun to think about – in a terrifying way.”

“Because if it’s a mob thing, I’m going to have to respectfully wash my hands of you.”

“Believe me, if the mob wants to get involved with these crackpots, they’re welcome to them.”

Evan heard a faint buzz in his earpiece. “That’s my new appointment,” the lawyer sighed. “I’ll have to catch you later.”

Evan chuckled. “Not if I see you first.” He set down the receiver and rubbed his neck slowly. Then he felt Sophie’s presence again like a wall about to crush him. He looked at her, “Yes?”

“Are you going to go out and look for her?”

“Who?”

“Claire!”

“No,” said Evan.

“Why not?”

“Because I know where she went.”

Sophie leaned in, “Where?”

“The depot,” Evan said. Sophie sat on the desk’s corner.

“The depot?” Sophie’s face went white.

“What’s got you so shaken?” Evan asked.

“Why did she go to the depot?”

Evan shrugged, “The million-dollar question. Of course, at the rate I’m going, I’ll settle for ten thousand. As far as I understand it, I put her in the cab, gave the driver specific directions, but it seems she’s a pretty good negotiator all by herself and gave the driver a change of plans. I wonder how much farther I would have gotten in this world with a pair of doe eyes and long lashes.”

“Not as far as you think,” Sophie said.

“Anyway, after that, she vanished into smoke.”

“You think she was in the fire?” Sophie looked horrified.

“No! What? No! I forgot all about the fire. I don’t know. Probably not. How should I know?”

“You didn’t go down there to check?”

“I’ve been in – You think I want to lose sight of her and probably go to prison? I haven’t had the time, Soph. I’ve been busy.”

“Haven’t had the time? Haven’t had the time?” Sophie began to pace the floor. “You came back here. You aren’t still out there searching under every rock for her. You may not believe this, but I was about to tell Henricksen my last name was Silver and take the case for myself, but you came in and spoiled everything. Even I know how to solve that case. You need to focus on Claire. She’s our priority.

“Why is she our priority? All she’s done is lied to us. She’s dangerous like a live electrical wire – she looks like you can tame her, but she’ll burn you the moment you touch her.”

“Evan Gold,” Sophie crossed her arms, “I can’t believe you. She came to us. She’s in trouble. Last I remember, that was our job, that is our duty, to protect people who need it. I agree she’s a wild one, but even more reason to rescue her. We’ve already lost Gabe. We don’t need to lose her too! I promise you, Evan Gold, you can play aloof and tough and ‘I don’t care,’ all you want, but deep down, I know you care about her. If you abandon her now when you know there’s a killer after her at this very moment, I promise you I’ll never forgive you. I mean, if something should happen to her… well, I don’t know, but she’s a nice girl. I can see it in her eyes. She’s a nice girl that’s gotten mixed up with some shady people. She needs your protection.”

“Let’s tamp down the dramatics, shall we?” Evan said, holding his hands up. “I wouldn’t worry too much about Claire. I’m sure she’s been through far worse than anything she’s experienced in Athens. And survived, I might add. I don’t know what’s so important over at the depot, but I’d be shocked to my socks if she isn’t still very much alive and well. Probably not a smudge of soot on her.”

Sophie placed both hands on her hips and said, “Evan Gold, you need to, right now, march down to the depot and see what you can find out about her whereabouts.”

Evan sucked his teeth, paused, and said, “I think you’re a little too worked up about this. I think you got a little close to everything. You want to handle Henricksen, go ahead, but first, you need to head home for the day, get some sleep, and see if you don’t feel better, huh?”

“I feel fine,” she said through tight lips. “You’re going back to the depot, and I’m staying here in case Claire shows back up.”

The phone rang, saving Evan from his scolding. It was The Webster. Harold Huber had returned. Evan thanked them and stood up.

“Where are you going?” Sophie asked. “The depot?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Evan winked before escaping the office.

It was not long before Evan was in The Webster’s lobby, but it had been long enough because, after talking to the house detective, Evan learned Harold had arrived alone, packed up all of his belongings, and checked out.

“Everything?” Evan asked.

“Looks that way,” the detective said.

“You know where he went?”

“He didn’t leave a forwarding.”

Evan sighed and looked at the detective, “Ever had one of those days?” He stood there and placed his hands back in his pockets. He remembered the pearl’s absence and wished he could use its help right about then.

He thanked Mike and walked back onto the street. Though he couldn’t see it directly, the burned-orange hue that began to color the fog told Evan the sun was getting ready to set. Another day was almost over. There was one day less for him to keep his deal with Katherine, and he seemed as far away from finishing as ever. Maybe the good folks of Athens would spend an uneventful night in their houses. Maybe Claire and her associates could keep themselves away from more mischief for him to unravel. Maybe that would give him the elbow room to make actual progress on this case. Evan squinted at the brightest area of the fog and turned up his collar before strolling toward the depot.