PATSY by Kenneth L. Ehrenthal (fantasy novels to read .txt) 📕

things occur to you that occur out-of-the-blue, that later make sense?"  'Indulge me"  "Okay, you’re indulged!"  "Look. Even though there are thousands of lawyers in New York, that's still a rather narrow circle.  We might know someone who knows someone who can get us in close to the wedding.  And who knows what we might find out then!"

Monday morning, a slightly tan Sid enters his office.  Margie, as usual has left his call sheets on his desk.  He shuffles through them.  There are many more than usual since he had not been in the office for almost a week.  One of the slips indicated that Sal had called.  Oh shit, he thought, he's in trouble again.  He called.  No, he wasn't in trouble.  He just wanted to remind him that it had been a year since he won his case and just wanted to remind Sid that he stilled owed him.  It was a nice call.   He also said that he had called Heidi and left a message thanking her.  His business was back doing fine.  Well, thought Sid, one big case good, one big case, not so good.  The other calls were the usual, clients complaining about the slow movement of their cases, others wanting to talk to him about new cases.  Business seemed good.  It amazed him that even during the time; most of his thoughts were working on getting Mohammed out of jail.  Various members of his "crew" came in at different times, made fun of his tan and left some bits and pieces
of the cases they were working on.  He held back the material they had discovered for Friday's meeting.  He liked having something to contribute then.
 
On Tuesday night, Heidi came home just after he did.  She had a grin on her face.  "Sid, I got us an invitation to the wedding."  "How in the world did you arrange that," he said.  She smiled, "working for a large prestigious firm has its perks.  My boss was invited and he was going to be out of the country so he publicized the event, so that we could have some representative there.  I jumped on it, and I got us the invitation.  I guess you could say that's the good news.  The bad news is that I'm going to have to buy a new gown, and you're going to have to wear a tuxedo. But the firm will spring for the gift." 

"Talking about gifts", said Sid, I got you one on St. Croix. But it's a rather special gift.  It represents a thought I've had in my mind for a long time".  Heidi got very quiet.  "Unfortunately, this is not the time or place for me to give it to you."  Heidi looked at Sid seriously, "That's a terrible thing to do to me.  Holding up some kind of surprise and then pulling it back.  That's not fair."  "Oh sweetheart that is not my intention", said Sid.  She gently punched Sid's shoulder.  "Oops", he said, domestic violence!"  Come on Sid, you can't leave me like this.  Sid sighed, I want to make this very clear, and when you find out what it is you'll know why I mentioned it now."  "My great fear is that for the rest of our lives, you'll hold this up to me about my insensitivity."  "I don't know Sid", she said, "Is it not insensitive whetting my imagination and then holding out?"  "I'm trapped by you keen sense of logic."  "Wait here", he said.  Sid moved to the bedroom part of the loft.  He went into one of the armoires. He came back holding something behind his back.  "Before I hand this to you, I want you to know that this is NOT the place and event that I had planned."  "Oh Sid" she said, hand it over."  He did!
 
 
 
Chapter 37
 
 
They now all knew that McGinty was up, to his eyeballs. In this case,    they was still not sure if he was protecting someone or, and it made sense knowing McGinty that McGinty was only protecting himself.   He was
having a long term affair with this girl and either had someone kill her, or he did it himself.  The girl was pregnant, McGinty was the father.  He wouldn’t get a divorce and marry her and she wouldn't abort it and she was killed.  It was now just the DNA that had to be faced.  I'll bet, the DNA was McGinty's and he somehow got it into the evidence.  He stashed the girl, his lover, in the 5th Avenue apartment, therefore had access, and was there numerous times.  No one who was questioned in the building, as is the police procedure, would even consider him, He was in the building and seen there many times.  Some of them, not knowing who he was, probably thought he lived there. I'll bet that the City really paid for her pad as a stash house for witnesses.
 
George Hyman had come home from St. Croix very angry.  He had worked as a cop for over 25 years.  Had been wounded very badly, when he was a cop, It was bad enough that there were skells all round.  In his life you were either with the good guys or the bad guys.  He had always thought McGinty was one of the good guys.  He had worked his way up in the DA’s office by hard work.  As a cop, McGinty’s attitude, toss’em in jail and throw away the key, suited him fine.  But now McGinty was hiding behind his position and his image to protect himself from the worst of crimes.  When the good guys go bad, that, to George, was the worst.  Now he thought was the time to pull out all the stops.  He would use as many of his contacts as he had, to get McGinty.  The first thing he decided to do was to find out the list of witness places that the DA’s office used.  He didn’t have to go to McGinty or the DA for that.  While the DA’s office assigns protection and the place, squads of New York police actually perform the protection.  They would certainly know where they went to guard witnesses.  He decided to reach out to the Lieutenant in charge of the protection detail.  He would have to concoct some good story.  He called Sid, told him what he was doing and asked for his help.  Sid of course agreed.  

Manuel DeSota has been a cop for fifteen years.  He moved rapidly in the department getting his detective shield after only three years.  Affirmative action everyone said.  But George knew Manuel and felt that even without affirmative action, he would do well.  He worked his way up passing test after test, and now he was a Lieutenant and headed the Protection Detail.  While George didn’t know him personally, they did have mutual friends.  And it was by mentioning a friend that got George into see Manuel.  After the usual reminiscing, George got around to the subject.  It seemed that since he was wounded and had to leave the force he worked as a solo investigator.  Most of his clients were defense attorneys, but he only worked with the good ones, ethical, you know!  He was working on a case now where the attorney had a witness who needed protection, the lawyer was Sid Lowenthal.  I’ve heard of him Manuel told him and had heard good things about him.  He needed a place to stash this woman and, I wondered if you knew any good places.  We don’t want to put her up in a sleazy motel in Queens.  She has money and is willing to pay, but is absolutely in fear of her life.  Manuel told him that he knew of a place that was really safe, no one would look there.  I’ll check it out and call you.   


                                                                     
 
 
 
Chapter 38
 
 
June is a funny time in New York.  It can be very spring like, or really get hot.  Today it was hot but there was a breeze.  Central Park was full of people in various stages of dress or should I say undress.  George sat on a park bench watching.  The building he watched was the address of one of the safe houses.  About 3 o’clock a long white limousine pulled up.  The driver went inside the building and moments later came out and stood against the car.  He lit a cigarette and seemed to be enjoying the fresh air.  About ten minutes later a group of people began to exit the building.  First out was Thomas McGinty, followed by a young bridal gowned girl.  Followed my several other gowned women.  They all entered the limo which then took off down the street. “Son-of-a-bitch, said George.  I’ll bet that bastard is using one of the stash houses as his own little Pied-a-Terre.  


Sid fiddled with his tie and Heidi said to him, “it looks fine Sid, but you do look so uncomfortable.”  “I am uncomfortable”, he said. He looked at Heidi.  She wore a simple gorgeous teal gown, off the shoulder and ankle length.  It had a white silk belt sash and white shoes.  Her hair was a nicely coiffed and streaked and she wore a teal bow in it.   Sid of course wore a tux. With a teal colored tie. They looked like a sort of matching pair.  Joking he said they were beauty and the beast.  A car was waiting for them downstairs and they were quickly whisked to the Plaza.   The outside of the Plaza looked like Grand Central Station at rush hour.  Cars, cabs, limos kept arriving leaving well dressed people all over the place.  Believe it or not, there were even television cameras around.    

The formal service was held in one of the side ball rooms.  The bride walked down the aisle, in her Vera Wang gown, toward a very uncomfortable young man standing by the altar.  The ceremony lasted about a half hour, and after the bride and groom exited, the guests were ushered into the Plaza Grand Ballroom.  Even with the 1,000 odd guests, the ball room seemed immense.  The whole room was pink and red.   There were pink billowing draperies hanging from the ceiling, bright red candles, and pink and red flowered center pieces on each table.  At the front on a raised platform was a long table, for the special’s and of course the bride and groom.  Sid spotted McGinty, and saying to Heidi,” he looks like his counting the crowd and subtracting his money.”  A twelve piece band was playing softly as the crowd found their tables.  

Monday morning George was waiting for Sid in his office.  “How was the wedding councilor”, he said.  “Well”, said Sid, “just your average 1000 guest Plaza ritual”.  You didn’t miss much.  But the liquor and wine were good and the cake was the best.  What brings you out at the crack of dawn?”  Sid did you know where the bridal party spent the night before the wedding?”  “Not really”, said Sid.  “They stayed the night at 6215 5th Avenue.”  Why does that address seem important, to me”.  Because it’s one of the stash houses, said George.  “No no”, said Sid, it’s something else.”  Hold it, I know.  That was the address where Sarah Alpert was murdered.”
 
 
 
 
 
 
Chapter 39
 
 
Sid had tried to go and see Mohammed at least once a month.  But it had been more than 2 months now and he went.  Even in the bright sunlight of June, Sing Sing was still the old, cold, dark walled edifice.  Mohammed smiled and
seemed happy to see him.  He didn’t mention the fact that it had been two months