Chapter 10
In Orlando, it was late, and Angie wore a tee shirt for sleepwear while she brushed her teeth in her bathroom.
She spat out a mouthful of toothpaste then grabbed some mouthwash.
She opened the bottle and took a swig. She gargled then spat it out.
She turned off the bathroom light and left the bathroom.
The only lights on in her bedroom were the lamps by the bedside tables. Her husband Wayne read a book called Confession in bed while he waited for Angie.
Angie walked to her side of the bed and got under the covers.
Wayne placed his book down on his bedside table.
He leaned over and kissed Angie’s cheek.
She smiled then kissed Wayne on his lips.
They kissed, as tonight was the night for some passion. Wayne got on top of Angie, and they kissed.
Her cell phone rang on a bedside table next to a MacBook Pro.
Angie pulled Wayne off of him and reached over and grabbed her cell phone off her bedside table. She opened up her cell phone and looked disappointed.
“Why now?” she asked when she opened up her cell phone. “Yes sir,” she said when she answered the call.
“Sorry to disturb your evening, but the Columbus PD called to report Austin’s been spotted in Columbus. They’re on their way to the apartment where he’s been seen,” said Lane from her cell phone.
“This couldn’t wait until the morning?” Angie asked a little upset as she looked at Wayne, who was disappointed his romantic moves were interrupted.
“I want you on a six o’clock a.m. flight to Columbus. Go see Chief Tooley of the Columbus PD,” Lane said from her cell phone.
Angie sat on the edge of her bed, upset.
“But I have my daughter’s play at school in the afternoon,” Angie protested.
“Sorry. Duty calls. I want you to escort Austin back to Orlando,” Lane said from her phone.
“Okay. I’ll be on the flight,” Angie said with some hesitation.
Angie looked upset as she closed her cell phone.
“Now what?”
“I have to run up to Columbus, Georgia and escort a bank robber back to Orlando.”
“Lela’s play is tomorrow at two-thirty,” Wayne reminded her.
“I should be back by then,” she said.
“If for some reason, I get delayed. Could you please record it for me?” she said.
“Sure,” he said then pulled Angie back to the bed and kissed her.
Angie pulled Wayne off her. “Sorry baby, I need to get some sleep. I have an early flight to catch,” Angie said then kissed Wayne on his cheek.
She got out of bed.
Wayne looked frustrated when Angie walked out of the bedroom.
Angie opened Lela’s bedroom door and entered.
Lela slept so peacefully in her bed with a teddy bear tucked under her arm.
Angie walked up to Lela. She hated to wake her up but felt she should.
She leaned down and kissed Lela’s cheek. Lela woke up and saw Angie. “Hi mommy,” Lela said, still half asleep.
“Honey, I have to go to Columbus, Georgia in the morning because of my job. I’m so sorry, but I might not make it back in time to see your play,” Angie told her and hated it.
“Do you have to catch a bad guy?” Lela asked.
“Something like that,” Angie told her. “Now go back to sleep. I’ll see you tomorrow night,” she said then kissed her forehead. “I love you, baby,” Angie told her.
“I understand mommy. I love you,” Lela replied then blew Angie a kiss then closed her eyes.
Angie walked away and stopped at the doorway.
She turned around and took one last glance at Lela. This was one of those times she hated being a detective.
She left and closed Lela’s door.
It was four-thirty in the morning, and all was quiet at Kathy’s trailer.
Two Columbus police cars raced down her driveway and stopped at her trailer.
Four police officers jumped out of their cars. They removed their 9mm pistols and cautiously looked the trailer grounds over.
Two of them walked around to the back of the trailer.
The other two cautiously walked to Kathy’s front door. One of them knocked on the door. No response.
“Columbus police. Open up,” the officer knocked again. No response. “Could be hiding inside,” the one officer said to the other one who nodded in agreement.
The one officer ran back to one of the police cars. He opened the trunk and removed a crowbar.
He ran back to the front door. He used the crowbar on the front door and pried it open.
They entered the trailer and looked around the living area. They all went in separate directions to search her trailer.
Ten minutes later, they converged back in the living area.
“They ran,” one of the officers, said while they all placed their pistols back in their holsters.
The two officers exited the trailer and were greeted by the other two officers.
“They split,” the one officer from the trailer told the other two.
The officers walked back to their cars, got inside, started them up, and drove back down the driveway.
It was eight in the morning, and Angie sat on an American flight from Melbourne, Florida to Columbus, Georgia.
She opened up her purse and removed her wallet.
She opened up her wallet and looked at a picture of Lela, Wayne and herself at Disney. They all wore Mickey Mouse hats with huge smiles.
“Ladies and Gentlemen. We will be making our descent into the Columbus area and should land in fifteen minutes. I would like to thank you for flying American airlines,” the Captain informed everybody from the intercom.
Angie placed her wallet back in her purse, then put her purse under the seat in front of her.
Angie looked out her window and saw the Columbus city below, and it got closer while the airliner descended.
It was nine in the morning, and Kathy and Joey rode their Harleys, side by side, west down Interstate 40 in Tennessee.
Joey started to look like a biker as he drove Kathy’s Sportster and if there were a song to be played while they rode – “Born to be Wild” would be it. As this was the first adventure, Joey had been on his entire geeky life.
Eight Harley’s raced up behind them in the left lane.
It was the motorcycle gang called “THE RATTLERS” from Arizona. They had a rattlesnake as their symbol for their outlaw club, and it’s a massive patch on the back of their sleeveless jean jackets. They’re into petty crime and are not a huge threat to society. In fact, their bark was worst that their bite. But they try to keep up their badass image – like drinking beer while they rode.
The Rattlers passed Joey and Kathy in the left lane.
Joey felt like a biker, so he gave the last rider a thumb up sign, as they passed them.
Craig was the last Rattler, who rode a black Harley with orange flames on the fenders and gas tank.
He tossed his beer can at Joey. Then flipped Joey the finger while he rode away.
The beer can ricochet off Joey’s helmet.
Joey weaved all over the road.
He regained control of his Harley.
Kathy chuckled as they rode away.
Back in Columbus, Angie walked into the police department. She figured it would be a short trip as Joey’s probably waited in a jail cell. Maybe I can still make Lela’s play? She thought to herself while she walked up to the front desk where a sergeant worked.
“Good morning, I’m Detective Angie Williams from the Orange County Sheriff’s department. I’m here to see Chief Tooley.”
“One minute please,” the desk sergeant said then picked up his phone and made a call. “Chief, Detective Angie Williams from Orlando is here to see you,” the desk sergeant said then waited for a response. “Yes sir,” he replied, then hung up the phone. “Please have a seat. The Chief will be with you in a second,” the desk sergeant told her.
Angie walked over to a nearby couch, sat down, and waited.
Chief Tooley, sixty years old, looked bothered while he walked up to Angie. “Good morning, Detective Williams,” Chief Tooley said while he offered his hand to shake.
Angie stood up and shook his hand. “Good morning,” she said. “So, can you take me to Austin?” Angie asked.
“Let’s talk in my office,” Chief Tooley said with a serious look on his face. Angie didn’t like the way things were going so far.
Chief Tooley walked Angie down a nearby hallway.
Angie sat in Chief Tooley’s office and wrote on a pad of paper in her lap while she listened to him.
“We raided the apartment of a Wally Spencer as that’s where the truck driver said he dropped Austin off. He wasn’t there. Then while my officers were leaving, some neighbors of Spencer’s came out of their apartment. They claimed that Austin came out of Spencer’s apartment with Spencer’s sister, Kathy. They rode off on her Harley Davidson motorcycle. So late last night, we raided Kathy’s place and came up empty, and we believe she ran off with Austin. Where, we don’t know,” Chief Tooley said.
Angie looked disappointed while she reviewed her notes. She got curious about something. “Was Wally Spencer at his apartment?” Angie asked.
“No. He’s actually sitting in my jail cell,” Chief Tooley answered.
“For what?” Angie asked curiously.
“Well, he also robbed a bank here in Columbus,” Chief Tooley said.
Angie looked surprised. “He robbed a bank?” she questioned to make sure she heard him correctly.
“Yes,” Chief Tooley said.
“How much did he get?” she asked.
“Forty thousand. But we don’t know where he hid the money,” he told her.
Angie jotted down that information on her note pad. Then thought for a second. “Why would a bank robber in Orlando, run up to Columbus to hide out with another bank robber?” Angie wondered. “And your guy robbed a bank and got the same about as what Austin did down in Orlando. That’s strange,” she added.
“Well from the wanted picture I saw of this Austin character and from meeting Spencer, maybe we have some type of geek bank robber gang going on here,” Chief Tooley said with a chuckle.
“Would it be possible to talk with Spencer?” Angie asked. “Maybe he has some insight where Austin might be running to. It’s worth a shot,” she added.
“I don’t see why not,” Chief Tooley replied. He picked up his phone and made a call. “Detective Sanders, please come to my office. I want you to take Orange County Detective Angie Williams to chat with Spencer,” he said into his phone.
“Yes, sir,” Detective Sanders replied from the Chief’s phone. Tooley hung up his phone.
Angie waited.
Ten minutes later, Angie walked with Detective Sanders down a row of jail cells.
A couple of the criminals in the cells whistled at Angie when she walked past them. She ignored them.
The detective walked Angie up to Wally’s jail cell.
“Spencer. Detective Angie Williams from the Orange County Sheriff’s department in Florida would like a word with you,” Detective Sanders told Wally at the cell bars.
Wally got up from his bunk and walked to the cell bars. “I’ve never been to Florida,” he said worried Angie was here to pin some other crime on him.
“I’m here because Joey Austin came to Columbus from Florida and came to your apartment. To see you,” Angie told him.
Wally looked surprised. “Joey came up here to visit me?”
“Can I sit down with him?” Angie asked Detective Sanders.
“Sure, I think he’s harmless,” Detective Sanders answered and then unlocked the cell door.
Angie walked inside Wally’s jail cell, and Detective Sanders closed the door.
He walked off to the side about ten feet and waited so Angie could have some privacy.
Angie sat down with Wally on his cell bunk. She removed her note pad from her purse along with a pen.
She opened it up and wrote down Wally’s name and that she talked with him in the Columbus police department with the date and time.
“Joey didn’t come up here for a friendly visit. He’s wanted for robbing a bank in Orlando. I believe he ran up here for a place to hide,” Angie told him.
It took a few seconds for Angie’s information to sink in Wally’s head. “He robbed a bank? I don’t believe it,” Wally said.
“I heard you also robbed a bank?” Angie mentioned to Wally.
“I didn’t do it. I swear!” Wally insisted.
“How do you know Joey?” Angie asked.
“We were roommates and best friends at the University of Illinois in Chicago, ten years ago,” said Wally.
“You said you didn’t rob that bank. Then tell me what happened,” Angie asked with her pen ready to jot down notes.
Wally got off the bunk and paced the cell while he told his story.
“Her name was Liz, and she was so sexy. She had blonde shoulder-length hair and was so sweet to me. That was the first time in my life a beautiful and sexy girl showed an interest in me,” Wally said while he paced.
“How did you meet Liz?” Angie asked.
“She would show up at the apartment complex swimming pool. She claimed she just moved in from Detroit and didn’t know anybody in town. Then we would lounge by the pool and talk. She was fascinated that I was a software engineer for the Army. We also talked about our sisters,” Wally told her.
Angie jotted down some notes.
“Then, one day, she came up to me with the sweetest smile and asked for a ride to the bank. She said her car broke down and was in the shop. So I gave her a ride to the Regions bank.”
Angie jotted down some notes.
“Just before we arrived at the bank, she said she had a bad migraine headache and needed to lie down, or she might vomit all over my car. But before that, she asked me to use the drive-thru and place her deposit slip into the pneumatic tube,” Wally said.
“You didn’t find that odd?” Angie asked.
Wally looked a little embarrassed to tell Angie this but thought it might help him. “She wasn’t wearing a bra, and her shirt material was thin. I could see her breast and…” Wally turned a light shade of red. “I wasn’t thinking with the right head,” Wally admitted.
Angie chuckled lightly as she understood.
Wally paced over and stopped by the cell bars and leaned against them. “So the tubes came back with bundles of one hundred dollar bills,” said Wally.
“Again, you didn’t find that odd?” Angie asked.
“She said she was helping her sister buy a house. She claimed she loved her sister with all her heart and would do anything for her,” Wally said as his eyes welled up. “Just like I love my sister Kathy will all my heart,” Wally added then wiped a tear from his eye.
Angie noticed Wally was sincere, and her gut feeling was telling her that he might also be innocent.
“Then she wanted to be dropped off at a McDonalds off Buena Vista road where her brother would pick her up to take them to her sister's house. I drove her there and got the courage to ask her out. She accepted, and we were supposed to have dinner at my apartment that night. I stayed in the parking lot until her brother arrived. He picked her up in an old Pontiac GTO. Then they drove off. Then the rest of the story has me being arrested for robbing the Regions bank that night,” Wally said then walked back to the bunk and sat down next to Angie.
“I didn’t rob that bank. I swear! She tricked me into passing on the robbery note. She took the money,” Wally said while his eyes welled up again.
“Since she lived in your apartment complex, did you meet her brother before that?” Angie asked.
“No,” Wally answered.
“Can you describe him?” Angie asked.
Wally thought for a second. “From what I saw from that GTO, he wore a cowboy hat. On his left bicep, he had a tattoo of a pistol through the name, Jesse. He had slicked-back black hair and long sideburns.”
Angie jotted down some notes on her note pad.
“You know something?” said Wally.
“What’s that?” Angie asked.
“Her brother looked a little familiar. Like I’ve seen him before. But you know how that goes,” Wally said.
“I know what you mean,” said Angie then hesitated while she read over her notes. “The Columbus police department believes Joey ran off with your sister, Kathy. Do you have any idea where they would run? A family member in another state, maybe?” Angie asked, and she hoped he would come up with a lead.
Wally thought for a second then looked surprised. “Joey ran off with Kathy? Wow!” Wally said, surprised. Then he thought for a second. “I don’t know where they would go.”
Angie got off Wally’s jail bunk bed. “Thank you, Wally, for all your assistance,” Angie said but she really hoped more leads would come out of him.
She walked to the cell door.
Wally’s eyes lit up as he just remembered something.
“Wait a minute. I just thought of something,” Wally said to her just as she arrived at the cell door. She turned around.
“What’s that?” she asked, hoping useful information would come her way.
“Her brother. Now I remembered, he reminded me of this janitor we turned into the University campus police for smoking pot ten years ago. He was furious, and we thought he was going to kill us,” Wally told her. “I don’t know why I remembered just now,” he added.
“Memory is a funny thing. So, you believed he looked like a janitor you got fired for smoking pot. Is that all?” Angie replied, disappointed with the information he provided.
“Yes,” said Wally.
Angie thought for a second, and then she recalled a word he said - a word that she wanted clarification with. “You said we turned him into the campus police. Whom do you mean?” Angie said as she walked back to Wally.
“That would be Sidney Watson, Ricky Adamson, Lenny Roth, and Sammy Goddard. Joey and I were best friends with those guys. We spent about every minute of our whole four years at UIC together,” Wally reminisced.
Angie jotted down their names in her note pad.
“Do you think Joey and your sister ran to be with one of those guys?” Angie asked.
Wally opened his mouth to state he thought Joey and Kathy might have but decided to keep his mouth shut.
Angie looked at Wally’s tight lips and knew he was afraid to provide any more information.
She walked over to Wally and touched his shoulder to show she cared so he’ll provide more information.
“Listen, Wally, I’m not totally convinced Joey robbed that bank. But if he keeps on running, it will make it even more difficult for him to prove he’s innocent. Plus, if I find out you really know where he went, I’ll make sure your sister is arrested for helping Joey escape. Do you understand?” Angie told Wally while she stared him dead in his eyes.
Wally paced a little bit nervous as he didn’t’ want Kathy to go to jail and he didn’t want Joey to be arrested. But then he remembered the time she got arrested for shoplifting when she was fifteen years old. She’s been a little wild growing up since then, but at least she hadn’t been arrested again.
“Sidney Watson lives in Chicago, Ricky Adamson lives in Little Rock, Lenny Roth in Denver and Sammy Goddard in Phoenix,” Wally spilled the beans.
Angie jotted down that information in her note pad. She put her note pad and pen in her purse. “Thank you for your assistance,” said Angie.
She walked to the cell bar.
“I can’t spend my life in prison. I swear I didn’t rob that bank,” Wally told her while his eyes welled up.
Angie turned around and saw how scared Wally was when tears ran down his cheeks. She believed him and gave him a reassuring smile then turned to the cell door.
“Detective Sanders. I’m ready,” she called out through the cell bars.
Detective Sanders walked up and unlocked the cell door. She walked out of Wally’s cell, and he slammed the door shut.
Wally watched them walk away and wondered if there was any hope for him and also was there hope for his best friend, Joey.
“I’m really innocent. I mean it!” Wally called out to Angie while she looked at him from outside his cell.
She walked away with Detective Sanders.
Wally sat back down on his bunk and looked lonely and scared at his cell.
“Did you talk to this Liz women in his apartment complex?” she asked Detective Sanders while they walked past the other jail cells.
“We couldn’t find anybody that lived there with that name or description,” he replied.
Angie looked suspicious while she walked away with the detective.
Two hours later, Angie sat in the seat of her return American airline flight from Columbus to Melbourne. She reviewed the notes she took during her chat with Wally. But something bothered her as she studied her notes.
“Who is Liz?” She jotted down on her note pad.
“Who is Sandy?” She jotted down on her note pad.
She thought for a second. “The girl!” she jotted down.
“Who is this brother?” She jotted down. “Is he really her brother, or a lover?” She wrote down.
Angie closed her note pad, looked out her window, and watched the Florida countryside fly by down below and wondered how can she prove Joey and Wally might be innocent.
A few minutes passed, and Angie looked at her watch, it was four-thirty in the afternoon. Rats! She missed Lela’s play.