The Corpse Was Blind - Chapter 12

Ray Irish Mystery Case File #4

Cat finds a filled coffin when she returns!

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~~~

Inside her apartment, Cat kicked off her shoes before going into the counter, where she poured herself a shot of whiskey. She went to the refrigerator, peaking inside at the emptiness before shutting the door.

I guess I’m eating out!

As she went into the living room for her shoes, the phone rang. Cat picked it up and immediately frowned at the voice she heard.

“Why are you calling me?”

“Listen, I don’t have time to explain,” Omar stammered. “You need to get lost for a while. My partner is dead and I’m hightailing it out of here. I think someone might come for you. Good luck!”

The click of the line dropping caused Cat to look at the receiver before slamming it down in disgust.

Why is someone after me?

As she picked up her pumps, the woman went to the front window. Cat pushed aside the curtain and looked out at the parking lot. Aside from an older couple who were walking their dog, everything seemed normal. She went to a nearby chair and put on her shoes while thinking about the situation. After a few moments, a sly grin came to her face. She decided the call was another of Omar’s tricks. There was nothing about her involvement with Omar that required her caution.  

He probably thinks he can scare me! It’ll keep me from running to the cops before they can get him.

As she remembered his malicious name for her, the woman’s rage swept through again. Instantly, the woman came up with a devious solution to keep the man in town. Until Edward figured out the contraption that they found in her apartment; she needed to ensnare Omar. Her hasty plan centered upon using the cops to keep him on ice. Grabbing her purse, Cat hurried to the door.

So, you think I’m a whore? Well, wait until the cops hear my story!

~~~

Ray stopped by Mary’s temporary accommodations to let her in on his plan to rid themselves of the agents looking for her. He found Mary in her room wearing a robe she borrowed from Mrs. Purvey. She had her hair rolled up in a towel and appeared more relaxed. Even without the makeup, Mary still exuded a natural attractiveness, almost wholesome in appearance.  

After he ran through his idea with her, she nodded her agreement. The only question she asked was about the agents recognizing his car. Irish assured her he would use another vehicle. After they finished, the woman appeared distracted, lost in her thoughts. Ray started for the door when Mary suddenly asked a question.

“Tell me something. Do you believe it’s wrong to possess something that no one alive owns?”

Ray scratched his head, pushing back his fedora.

“No, but I’m not a lawyer. To my way of thinking, there’s nothing wrong with keeping something as long as you didn’t steal it from another.”

“Even if the government still wants it?”

The shamus raised an eyebrow at the obvious hint. However, he recognized from her earnest expression she wanted an honest answer.

“The same governments who send off kids to die and tell people how to live have no moral authority. For what it’s worth, right and wrong are something we have to determine. We will not get it from a bunch of fools sitting on their brains in a capital.”

Mary smiled at the comment.

“I think the same way. By the way, when you pick me up tomorrow, why don’t you drop me off a couple of blocks away so I can take the back alley to my house? Someone might recognize either of us if we drive too close.”

“Yeah, I suppose that’s better,” he agreed. “We can’t be too cautious. I’ve only seen those FBI agents. Well, I’ll see you in the morning. Enjoy your book.”

Mary glanced down at the book he left earlier.

“I read it this afternoon,” she told him.

Irish stopped at the door and looked back.

“You finished it already?”

She smiled at his expression.

“Yes, I have an excellent memory and can read things quickly. That’s one reason the OSS wanted me.”

“Where were you when I was in school?” he smirked as he continued out the door.

“Don’t spoil the ending for me. I’ve never read it.”

Irish closed the door. As she listened to his footsteps fade, Mary’s face held a bitter grin.

“As long as I don’t end up like Gloria.”

~~~

Cat entered the Orwell Apartments with a victorious smile on her face. She went to the elevator after nodding at the doorman’s greeting. The woman did not see the puzzled look on the man’s face, nor did she care. Cat planned on giving Omar both barrels at the same time.

When she entered the hallway leading to the apartment, she heard another door close at the end of the building. A quick glance toward the sound revealed nothing, and Cat never slowed her pace.

When she reached Omar’s apartment, she noticed the door partially opened. Cat rang the buzzer on the wall since she wanted to see his shocked face at her presence.

After a moment of silence coming from the apartment, the woman shook her head and pushed the door open. The light coming from the hall showed the open coffin in the same spot in the middle of the room. Otherwise, shadows filled the area.

“Christ, you haven’t removed this thing yet!” the woman mumbled as she looked around.

Catherine called out for Omar, but only silence greeted her. She walked to the open bedroom door, but after the woman turned on the light switch; she found no one inside the room. When Cat came back into the living room, she flipped the light switch. But no light came on. With a sigh, she walked by the long table on her way to the windows and pulled back the curtain.

“There’s no reason to put on this show any—more?”

What she saw on the table confused her at first. It was a person lying on top of the table. The man wore brown slacks and a white shirt, his hands lying across his chest. As she slid around the table for a better view, she realized the man’s eyes were open. The vacant look confirmed her rising fear.

Dead!

The man’s exposed neck showed a jagged line imprinted around it. His bluish pale skin revealed he had been dead for several days. It was something Cat could not forget after taking pictures of similar bodies for the newspaper. The woman also knew the means of his death.

Garroted with a rope!

Goosebumps filled her as she hurriedly headed for the front door as the smell of death reached her. Wishing she carried a gun; Cat went by the coffin. She suddenly stopped after glimpsing a familiar face. Looking down at the body inside, she recognized Omar.

Damn!

After taking another look around the room, she quickly inspected the body in the coffin. His neck showed the same marks as the other body. She started to the door and saw a shadow in the entryway.

“Well, what do we have here?”

Cat moved away from the coffin, sliding next to the counter of the bar. The shadow came into the light of the room, revealing the short man in his black suit and bowler hat. She remembered the undertaker from the day before. Behind him, two larger men entered the room as well.

“Gentlemen, one of you made a mistake and left the door open. It’s unfortunate that this lovely lady must pay for your error.”

The undertaker’s dark eyes twinkled for the coming prospects he envisioned for Cat. The woman’s face paled as the two larger men stepped around their boss and came toward her. However, she wasn’t going down without a fight.

Cat stepped around the counter, her hand coming upon a filled whiskey bottle, which she put her fingers around, gripping tightly.

“If you guys leave, I’ll give you a few minutes before I call the cops.” Her voice cracked slightly.

The largest thug chuckled, his fat face leering at her.

“Boss, can we have some fun with this one before we kill her? It beats those dead ones.”

“Shut your trap,” his partner hissed as he came around the other side of the counter.

Cat saw the larger man glance over at his partner with a grin. She took her chance. Swinging around the filled bottle with all of her might, it struck the man on his temple. The impact shattered whiskey and glass over her. It also sent the thug to the ground like a rock.

As the woman pulled away from the counter, a hand grabbed her. She came around with the broken stem of the bottle and sliced the man’s face. He screamed out in pain, releasing her.

Cat scrambled away, falling over the legs of the thug lying on the floor. As the woman got to her knees, she saw the legs of the short man. An evil smile filled his face as he struck her in the face with his fist. As she fell over, Cat heard one of the injured men calling for help.

“You can’t get good help anymore!” The undertaker said as he kicked the woman in the head.