The Crusader Ch. 06

"You live in California?"

"No. Tuition and housing for my kids would be cheaper if we did. We live in Prescott, Arizona."

"You said you've been doing this for six years; what did you do before?" Rollie changed his mind and poured two cups of coffee and took one to Jessica.

"I played the violin. Don't look so shocked," Max said at Rollie's reaction. "I was pretty good, but not good enough, you know? Unless you're a virtuoso like Itzhak Perlman, well no one is like Perlman, anyway you can't make a lot of money playing in symphonies, or recording sessions, or in a big band. The pay might be okay for a single guy but not for a man with two kids and a wife."

"So, how did you go from an almost good enough violinist to a rock star?"

"Actually it was luck. I'd gone to see a buddy of mine who owns a couple of clubs; I wanted to see about a gig playing dinner music at his supper club. I met him at his other club; a bar that has live music three nights a week." Max smiled remembering his good fortune.

"The lead singer and guitarist, Ronnie Swanson, dropped a bottle of beer on the stage. When he picked up the broken pieces he cut his hand so bad he couldn't keep playing. Well Jeff, he's my friend, went bananas. He said he'd have to refund all the cover charges. I'd been listening to the band and knew I could play the rock and roll they'd been doing, so I offered to sit in."

Max laughed, looked at Sid, and said, "I can play almost any stringed instrument. Anyway the rest is history, as they say. The guys and I hit it off and started playing together on a regular basis. A promoter signed us as a lead in band for a big name group at the local auditorium and we were sort of discovered. We started calling ourselves 'The Flaming Savages' and we took off." Shaking his head Max said, "I don't know how much longer I can stand the grind or how much longer we'll be successful but I've got to ride the wave until it breaks up on the shore."

"How did Swanson like you stepping into his spot? Was he upset or angry at you?" Rollie asked, already in his detective mode.

"Funny that. Ronnie had been two weeks away from quitting the band anyway. He'd gotten a job teaching music at a college in Oregon. Ronnie said I solved a problem for him and wished us luck."

"Where's this guy that's gonna tell me how to do my job?" The voice came from the entry way. Then a big man stepped out onto the terrace.

Rollie eyed the new comer. The man was as tall as Max at 6'5, but where Max was rail thin this man was broad and heavy. He looked like a block of granite on two strong looking legs. His long, dark hair hung down, pulled back into a pony tail.

"Jim, come meet our guests," Sid said walking over to meet and make the introductions. "Rollie this is Jim Steele; he's the head of security for Max and the band. Jim, this is Rollie Chambers and his assistant Jessica Talbert. Rollie's going to handle special security while the band is in town."

"We don't need a special security detail," Jim said to Sid, ignoring Rollie's outstretched hand. "I can take care of guarding the guys."

"Like you did in New York?" Rollie asked.

"What?"

"You were so good at guarding Max that he got hit with a balloon full of paint."

"That was a freak accident. Besides it was only paint."

"The very next night he got shot with paint pellets." Rollie shook his head. "Another freak accident? It could have been a real gun and the balloon could have had something nasty in it."

Jessica walked over to Rollie. "You'd think he'd take better precautions after the first attack," she said softly to Rollie.

"Go take notes or whatever you do," Steele responded. "And keep your mouth shut bit..."

"Steele," Rollie said in a cold hard voice as he stepped between Jessica and the large bodyguard. His blue eyes had gone icy and knife sharp. "You've already stepped over the line. I'd be real careful about my next words, if I were you."

"Rollie...." Jessica said as she put her hand on his arm.

Steele started to reply, but something in Rollie's laser like, blue eyes made him stop. After several tense seconds, Steele said, "Sorry. Let my mouth get away from me there. No hard feelings? "

Steele extended his hand to shake with Rollie. He tried to bear down on Rollie's hand to show him who was the better man. Rollie smiled at Steele and began to return the pressure on the big man's hand. Very shortly, Steele pulled his hand away with a grimace of pain on his face.

"If you're done playing games, we need to set up a game plan for the next week," Rollie said, smiling as Steele rubbed the circulation back into his hand.

Steele nodded begrudgingly and explained the security plan he'd laid out. Rollie listened and made notations in a journal he carried.

"That's good as far as it goes," Rollie told Steele, "but we need to fine tune it. We'll get back to you later today with our suggestions."

"Call me instead of Max," Sid offered. "The band has rehearsal tomorrow evening and a benefit at the Fox Theater the next night. Then the regular show at Kiel Auditorium two nights later."

"Where's the rehearsal?"

"The sound equipment is already set up so we'll rehearse at the Fox," Max answered.

"We'll go to the rehearsal with you. Then we'll talk to you Sid and set up our precautions for the benefit and the concert."

Rollie and Jessica left the suite. As they waited for the valet to bring the truck, Rollie turned to Jessica and with a big grin he asked, "How do like being my assistant Dr. Talbert?"

Jessica snorted. "Typical male superiority complex; can't believe that a woman is equal to a man."

"I think it was because you are so hot," Rollie said grinning. "Sid couldn't believe that a gal that looks like you would have brains too.

"Never mind that, I thought you and Steele were going to go at it for a minute."

"We would have if he'd finished his sentence."

"He's a giant, and you would have hit him?"

"Just as hard as I could."

"Why?"

"Nobody talks to you like that."

"You could have been hurt."

"Maybe, but Steele would have been hurting more."

"My protector," Jessica said and fluttered her eye lashes at Rollie. He laughed and put his arm around her.

"You get what we needed Tully?" Rollie asked as he and Jessica entered their apartment.

"Got the communications gear right here and for your edification, I've got a disc set up in the DVD player. By the way, you're running low on beer."

"I wouldn't be if you didn't keep coming over here and drinking it all," Rollie said laughing.

"You invited me this time."

"How did you know Tully was here Rollie?" Jessica asked in a confused voice.

"You forget; I'm a trained detective. I saw a truck with the MTA logo about 25 yards down the street, our front door was unlocked, and I could hear Tully opening another beer all the way out on the sidewalk."

"You heard a beer being opened," Jessica replied. "I don't believe it."

"Him telling me to meet you guys here at noon might have had something to do with it," Tully offered.

Rollie and Tully broke up laughing at the peeved look on Jessica's face.

"Just for that, I'm not going to fix you guys any lunch," she said and stomped down the hall way to the bedroom. Jessica returned in just a couple of minutes. "Will ham sandwiches and soup be good for lunch?"

"I thought you weren't going to fix lunch for us," Rollie replied.

"I'm not, at least not for you. I was asking Tully." Rollie stuck out his lower lip.

"Well, okay," Jessica said, "I can't stand to see a grown man pout."

Rollie hugged her. "Sandwiches and soup would be great." Rollie and Tully walked toward the living room. "Tully, did you know Jessica is my assistant?" Jessica growled and snapped a dish towel at Rollie's backside. "But she's touchy about it."

Tully tossed Rollie a file folder. Inside were sheets of paper with a lot of privileged information about the members of the Flaming Savages. Financial records, tax returns, expenditures, and assets of each member were documented as were pictures and personal data.

"Where did you get all this?" Rollie asked.

"I called your old boss Captain Mallory and asked to borrow Ricky," Tully answered.

"Ricky?"

"Oh that's right. You don't know Ricky. He came to work for the Department after you resigned." Tully smiled and thought for several seconds. "Ricky Willard was and is probably the most intelligent guy I've ever met. He graduated from the University of Missouri in two years and got his Masters the next year. Then he dropped out of school."

"Dropped out? How does that make him so smart?"

"During his freshman year he learned how football crazy people are in a college town with a good football team. Ricky heard the guys in his dorm talking about point spread, over/under points, parleys and how much money they'd won or lost the last week. So he investigated, learned about betting, and opened his own bookmaking business. He made a fortune.

"Then Ricky got caught. Some little honey saw his car and the money he was spending, so she decided to play the geek for a free ride over the next couple of years and put the moves on him. Poor guy; she had him wrapped around her little finger. One night Ricky left his laptop at her apartment; the same laptop that he used to run his bets.

"And now he's working for the Department? Why?"

"Wait. The girl's real boyfriend booted up the laptop and saw what was on it. It seems Ricky was not only a bookie; he was a hacker also. Ricky hired his hacking talents out to students who wanted a little help with their grade point average. He'd get into the school's computer and changed grades for whoever would pay him." Tully smiled at Jessica as she brought the sandwiches and soup out to them. Rollie waved his hand for Tully to continue.

"Ricky was arrested, but Ricky's father knows Captain Mallory; they go to the same church. Mr. Willard asked the Captain to help Ricky; keep him out of jail. Mallory looked into the charges and thought the St. Louis Police Department could use his talents. At the Captain's urging the judge fined Ricky enough to wipe out any of the betting money Ricky had squirreled away and sentenced him to a whole lot of community service. Captain Mallory thought the community service could best be used by Ricky helping the Department. He ran the request up the chain of command to Major Taylor; now Ricky helps the Department solving computer crime and stopping hackers."

"Did Ricky doctor his own grades too?" Jessica asked as she joined them in the living room.

"He didn't need to. Ricky seems to learn by osmosis; he never studies but always aces his tests. He has one of the highest grade point averages the college has ever seen. Of course, his legal troubles forced him to drop out of school for awhile." Tully smiled and added, "I don't really think Ricky will be going back to school soon; at least not full time. He seems to have found something to keep his mind occupied working for the Department."

Motioning toward the file and the DVD case, Tully said, "That's where I got all this info."

Rollie, with Jessica hanging over his shoulder, perused the records in the file folder.

"Max, lead guitarist Tommy Gibson, and bass guitarist Donnie Smith have substantial assets including very healthy bank accounts. It looks like the Flaming Savages are doing alright for themselves," Jessica said after several minutes. "Except for the drummer. What's his name?"

"Riley Thornton, aka Bubba," Rollie answered and held up a picture of Thornton.

"Is he a southern boy?" Jessica asked.

"Born and bred in southern New Jersey," Tully replied. "Is that 'good ole boy' enough for you?"

The picture of Riley Thornton, aka Bubba, showed a man 30 to 35. He didn't have to wear a wig as his hair was long and hung down to his shoulders; although his hair was thinning in the front. Bubba was about 6 feet tall with a big belly that hung over his belt line. His face was full, almost fat, with beady little eyes and thin lips.

"The girls go after this guy?" Jessica asked. "I find that hard to believe."

"Some young women, or groupies as they're called, will do almost anything or anyone to hang out with celebrities," Rollie said. "And no matter what kind of musicians the band is, they are definitely rock stars and celebrities."

"How do you know so much about groupies?" Jessica asked with a playful push against Rollie's shoulder.

"Doc, our boy Rollie is a celebrity in his own right," Tully said. "Words gotten around down at the First Squad about some of Rollie's cases and the cop groupies want to get close to him. You should see the ladies flock around him every time he goes in."

"Well they better be the only ones doing any flocking," Jessica said. She looked at Rollie with a playful scowl and asked, "You don't need to return their attention. Understand?"

"But if my public calls I owe it to them to be at least friendly," Rollie teased.

"Understand?"

"Yes dear."

"Are you two done with your little spat?" Tully asked as he laughed at his two friends. "Can we get on with this?"

"Bubba is a charter member of the drink, gamble, and hump club. He specializes in booze, broads, and bedding; and he has the money problems to show for it. His accounts are tapped out and his credit cards are maxed," Jessica said. "He owes money to a lot of people."

"Tully could you have that friend of yours in the Bunco Squad see if there's any connection between Bubba and our local loan sharks? They may be doing a favor for a group or groups in other cities or they could have bought out his prior debt's elsewhere and now he's on the hook to them too." Rollie turned to Jessica and said, "If Bubba's in hock to the loan sharks he could be getting desperate."

She thought for a little while. "The ransom note was delivered to the desk at the Chase, so it had to be someone that knew the band would be staying there."

Tully looked puzzled. "It wouldn't take much to find out the Flaming Savages, or Max Duncan or either of the other band members is registered at the Chase."

Jessica laughed. "The suite is registered to a 'Izzy Perlman'."

"Why a crazy name like that?"

"It's Max's idea of a joke. Itzhak Perlman is a violin virtuoso; maybe the best in the world."

"He's a fiddle player Tully," Rollie explained.

"I know who Perlman is; I'm not as ignorant as you think. I even went to see him at Powell Hall when he played with the St. Louis Symphony last year. What I don't understand is why Duncan would use that name."

"Max was a good fiddle player, back in the day," Rollie explained. "Just not good enough to make the big bucks. He's got two kids going to high dollar schools so he needs the extra cash. Ergo, the Flaming Savages." Rollie held up the letter demanding money. "If we can find the blackmailer it's all good, but we were hired to protect Max, we'll only worry about the money aspect if it endangers him."

"I think we may have a line on the suspect that wrote the first four letters," Tully said. He picked up a remote and motioned at the TV. "Ricky got hold of some recordings of the band's two shows in New York and two in Chicago." He turned on the TV and played a DVD.

"These are good pictures," Rollie said. "They're not from some cell phone video or a small camera."

"The record label is doing a documentary on the Flaming Savages; sort of like a Behind the Music, on VH 1," Tully answered. "It's to coincide with the release of their new album next month."

"How'd Ricky get hold of this footage?" Jessica asked.

"Got no idea, but if information is out there anywhere, Ricky can get hold of it," Tully replied shaking his head. "Don't put nothin on the web if you don't want it to become public."

The DVD started. A venue and the date of each concert was shown and then the tape of the show. Tully fast forwarded through parts of the Chicago and New York shows. He would go back to real time at each of the several shots showing the crowd. As the DVD ended, Tully turned to Rollie and Jessica.

"Notice anything special?"

Jessica shook her head but Rollie nodded.

"The same guy was in the crowd, near the stage, at all four of the concerts. Blond, about 6 feet based on the height of the stages, and very slender."

"Yeah, same guy, as close to the stage as he could get. Did you notice his face?"

"He looked like he was really angry," Rollie said. "Maybe angry enough to kill."

Tully took some 8 x 10 photos from a large envelope and handed them across the table. Jessica looked over Rollie's shoulder at the pictures.

"He's got the look of a fanatic, maybe even a zealot," Jessica said.

"You can tell that just by looking at him?" Tully asked in surprise.

She pushed a close up of the man toward Tully. "Look at his eyes, his facial expression and his body language. He's as tight as a guitar string." Jessica tapped the picture with her finger. "I believe he could be the one that sent the letters."

The phone rang and Rollie heard Sidney Colder's voice when he answered it. "There's been another letter delivered to the front desk."

"What does it say?" Rollie asked as he hit the button for the speaker phone.

"I'll read it to you. "Put $250,000 in a small duffel bag and bring it to the benefit on Wednesday. Call the phone number when you have the money and I'll tell you where to drop the bag. This is your only chance to avoid damnation and death". That's it."

"How is it written? What's the style?" Jessica asked.

"It's written in the same block style as the first one that demanded money. Rollie I'm getting a little worried here," Sid remarked.

"I won't tell you not to worry Sid, but we're on this. We promise you, nothing will happen to Max," Rollie said. "When will the set up crew get to the theater?"

"The equipment is already set up so they'll get there about an hour before the 8 PM rehearsal," Sid answered.

"Talk to you at the rehearsal Sid." Rollie hung up and turned to Jessica and Tully.

"I want to get to the theater about two hours before the rehearsal starts so we can check the layout of the area."

Rollie looked around as he, Jessica, and Tully walked into the Fox. He'd visited the theater several times and never got over his awe at the grandeur of the old theater.

The Fox Theater, known at the time as The Fabulous Fox, was built in 1929 by movie pioneer William Fox. It was one of five grand theaters that he built around the country. It was to have been a venue for the movies of the Fox Film Corporation and elaborate stage productions. The old theater had fallen on hard times but was restored to its original greatness in 1982. Since the restoration, the Fox was home to many grand stage productions, concerts, and musicals.

"In Xanadu did Kubla Khan, a stately pleasure dome decree," Jessica softly quoted as she looked around; it was her first time at the Fox. The grand entry hall and staircase leading up to the mezzanine almost required whispered tones.

"Where Alph, the sacred river, ran through caverns measureless to man, down to a sunless sea," Tully continued the quote from the Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem. "Don't look so surprised Rollie; I studied English Literature in a correspondence course."

"I wasn't surprised at the poetry; I was surprised you even know how to read. Didn't think Gunnery Sergeants needed to know how to read." Before Tully could retort, Rollie turned to Jessica.

"Nice little theater, isn't it?" Rollie said grinning at Jessica's reaction to the palace. "I can remember my Dad and Mom bringing me here to see a movie. The movie wasn't that good but I was really impressed with the Fox. All I could think about was how much fun it would be to slide down that two story banister."