My apologies, I put out the wrong chapter last time. This release is Chapter 19 and the last chapter I sent out incorrectly in sequence was Chapter 20.
The chime of the mantle clock woke Warren. At first, the man jerked up, unsure where he was. Struggling to remove the blanket curled around him, he saw the pale moonlight coming from the window and slowly recognized the room. The darkness outside struck him, and he checked the clock, which told him two o’clock. The man wondered where Amber was. Then he saw the closed door to the bedroom. Rising from the couch, he noticed the bundles and a hatbox on the table. Pulling the blanket over his back, he went to the table and opened the packages. The twine surrounding the paper surprised him. The man quietly opened the packages and quickly dressed himself. Warren approved of the blue suit, which fit well. The white shirt was stiff and a little scratchy. Amber even remembered to get him a nice fedora as well. He put his silk tie on top of the hat while he sat down to put on his socks and shoes. Warren glanced at the opened newspaper his new roommate brought back. Seeing his name headlined on the front page caused him to stop with one sock still in his hand.
The wanted man read through the article several times, each time another knot twisted into his stomach. The only good news for him was the crude picture, possibly taken some time when he was younger. Even he had a hard time telling who the person in the photo was. Setting the paper aside, he mulled over the information, pulling out his notebook again. Now dry, the paper was stuck together, and he dragged back the pages to review his notes. Warren looked over at the same cryptic note, which he believed was an address at first. It bothered him, but no new ideas came. A folded receipt fell into his lap, and he picked it up. This time, Gilchrist’s logo at the top of the receipt caught his attention. It was the same as the receipt from the package of his clothes. The damp receipt showed him Warren had purchased two trunks before he left Boston.
He went back to the article about the murders one more time. After staring at the paper for a while, he finally caught the line. The newspaper referred to a single trunk with Warren’s initials that was found by the body. It omitted the bag of cement. Warren recreated the scene in his head. It was likely that the second trunk of Warren’s was on the ship. He searched through his documents, checks, and cash and found the red ticket stub confirming his idea. It was an important clue. He knew it.
The article made no mention of a second trunk, so Warren hoped the luggage remained back at the pier. He had to go back and find it. Trying to hurry, Warren worked on his tie, grumbling to himself about the formal attire people wore during the age. At the same time, he was trying to ignore the warning bells going off in his head. Yes, he might be jumping from the pan into the fire, but he had no other solid leads. He stuffed his wallet and money into his pants pocket and looked around before grabbing his hat. A hatless man would bring extra scrutiny to someone walking around at night. Silently, he went to the front door. Warren hesitated before leaving, wondering if he should let Amber know. He was unsure if she fully supported his side. However, the clothes that he wore were proof of her help.
No, she’s done enough for you.
Warren ensured he locked the front door before he closed it after leaving the apartment.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to The Pulpist to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.