ROSS INDUSTRIES - LATER THAT MORNING
Becca Ross pushes open an office door and stands in front of the desk. Harry looks up in surprise. “Done already?”
Becca cuts him off. “What’s this?” she asks angrily, throwing a contract on his desk. He looks at it briefly. His expression becomes cautious. “Why do you ask?”
“You know why!” Becca responds in clipped tones. “I specifically rejected the idea of any dealings with this company. You knew that, yet the minute my back was turned, you signed the acquisition papers.” She points at a signature at the bottom of the contract. “That is your signature, isn’t it?”
Harry sits back in his chair, unruffled. “Yes, it is. But I would hardly say I went behind your back. It was you who left the company. I just picked up the pieces you left behind. In my opinion, it was a good deal, so I recommended it.”
“I’ll just bet you picked up the pieces! I’ll bet you couldn’t wait to move into my office. Do you think I didn’t have you figured out? Daddy was blinded by your social status and business credentials, but I knew why you were dating Helen. There’s no surer way to the top than marrying the boss’s daughter, is there? When Helen met Richard, it spoiled your plans, didn’t it? But she had you figured you out already!”
“What’s the matter, Becca. Jealous that I didn’t make a pass at you? As if you would have noticed.” He tosses the contract back at her. “What’s done is done. You can’t change it. This deal has turned out to be very profitable for the company and that’s all your father is interested in. And if I moved into the vacuum you left behind, well, that’s just business, isn’t it? Carpe diem. Sieze the day.”
Becca looks at him furiously. “You and my father deserve each other!” She walks out, slamming the door.
CHICAGO, IN THE KIMBLE'S
OLD APARTMENT BUILDING, LATE AFTERNOON
Agent
Kari Holmes looks down at the list in her hand and crosses off another name.
Moving down the hallway, she knocks on the door of another apartment. The
door cracks open and an elderly woman peers out.
"Yes," the woman says
pleasantly.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Kowalski. Agent Kari Holmes, FBI." Kari holds up her ID and the woman looks startled. Kari hastens
to reassure her. "I'm working on profiles of the people involved in the murder
of Helen Kimble in 1999.Your landlord gave me your name as someone who has
been a resident here for many years. Were you living here then?"
"Oh my, yes. Such a frightening affair. She was so lovely.
I couldn't believe that handsome young husband
of hers killed her."
"I believe its more complicated than that, Mrs. Kowalski. I
know it was a long time ago, but did you see any strangers in the vicinity
of the building that night?"
"Oh, I wasn't here that night.
It was my bingo night. When my daughter brought me home, the police were everywhere.
It was so horrible. Thank heavens they caught him. I couldn't sleep at night…I'm sorry,
I just don't even like to talk about it,"
she says, pushing the door shut, her hands fluttering.
With a look of resignation, Kari
crosses off another name on the list and moves to the apartment across the
hall. A young woman in her 30's answers the door. "Yes?"
"Agent Kari Holmes,"
Kari says, once again displaying her ID. "I'm working on a profile of the people involved in the murder
of Helen Kimble in 1999."
"I'm sorry. We weren't home that night,"
the woman replies hurriedly. Inside, Kari hears a girl's voice asking "Who
is it, Mom?"
"No one, and nothing for you to worry about, darling", the woman calls behind her. She turns quickly back and moves
to close the door. "I'm sorry. I don't think I
would be able to help you."
Her sixth sense alert, Kari moves
to block the door, keeping her FBI ID prominently in view. "Actually, Mrs. …Herbert, is it? Your landlord indicated to
me that you knew the Kimble’s. I'd be interested
in anything you remember that could help us apprehend the murderer."
Mrs. Herbert glances worriedly
at Kari's ID. She looks uncomfortable and undecided, but
she reluctantly lets Kari enter and turns to her daughter. "Melissa,
you have to study for that algebra test, don't
you?" The teen-age girl in a wheel chair looks rebellious, but
wheels herself out of the room.
Mrs. Herbert turns back to Kari.
"I really
don't want my daughter disturbed by this again. She was very upset
when it happened. You understand."
"Of course," Kari says.
"How did you meet the Kimble’s?"
"You make it sound as though we were good friends," Mrs. Herbert says nervously. "Actually, we only met occasionally in the elevator - Helen
Kimble, that is. Dr. Kimble kept very erratic hours. She was always friendly,
especially to Melissa. Some people don't
know how to react to a child with a disability."
Kari nods before changing the subject.
"Do
you recall seeing any strangers in the vicinity around the time of the murder?"
"No, there's really nothing
else I can tell you. I'm sorry to have wasted
your time. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have
a doctor's appointment in a half hour."
Kari realizes she will get nothing
more from the woman and reluctantly rises and follows her to the door.
"Thank you. If you think of anything else, here's my card."
"Of course." She shuts
the door in Kari's face and sinks down on
the couch, switching on the TV with a distracted look.
Five minutes later, Melissa emerges
from her bedroom. "Mom, do you have any change? I'm
going to run up the hall to the candy machine."
Her mother reaches for her purse
and hands her a handful of change. Impulsively, she kisses her. "Don't be gone long."
"I won't."
The girl wheels herself down the
hallway quickly, and rounds the corner. She comes up behind Kari just as the
elevator door begins to open.
"I saw him."
Kari glances at her with a look
of puzzlement that turns to excitement. She kneels down beside the wheelchair.
"Saw
who?" she asks intently.
"The one-armed man."
"Where?!"
"Out on the fire escape. I like to sit and look out the window
sometimes. Mrs. Kimble used to come down the fire escape and bring me cookies.
She was nice."
"When did you see him?"
Kari asked urgently.
"The night Mrs. Kimble was…First, there was another man. He
was almost running down the stairs. He looked scared and I was scared, too,
so I hid behind the drapes. Then the other man came down. He only had one
arm. I had a doll whose arm got ripped off. He looked like that. He was carrying
the other one - a fake one. He looked really mean."
Kari
takes out the photographs of Charnquist and Bill
Walsh and says, “Are these the men that you saw?” Melissa nods affirmatively.
"Did you tell
this to the police?"
"Mom said she would tell the police. She said I shouldn't say anything to anyone. But you said you still haven't caught the murderer and I'm
afraid. Maybe he'll come back."
"Don't be afraid," Kari tells her reassuringly. What you've told me will help us catch him and put him in jail where
he belongs. I'm going to talk to some people
and we'll take care of you. Let’s go talk
to your mother right now.” Melissa nods.
They walk back into the apartment and Mrs. Herbert is surprised that Kari is walking in behind her daughter. “Agent Holmes, did I miss something?”
“Yes Mrs. Herbert, you missed your daughter sneaking out to talk to me and you’re guilty of obstruction of justice.”
“Agent Holmes, I don’t understand.”
“Mrs. Herbert, Richard Kimble was convicted of killing his wife. He didn’t kill her. Your daughter is a witness in a homicide investigation.”
She looks at Melissa and says, “Melissa, I’ve warned you many times about your imagination.”
“Mom! I didn’t imagine it! Helen Kimble was nice to me…”
“You mean she played with you when she brought you those cookies.”
Kari asks, “What do you mean?”
“Helen Kimble used to play make believe with Melissa. The cookies were a tea party and she had my daughter spinning all kinds of stories about their adventures together on the fire escape.”
Kari raises her eyebrows and says, “Sounds like Helen Kimble would have made a good Big Sister!”
“Agent Holmes, my daughter also tells lies from time to time.”
“Mom, you don’t believe the truth. That’s why you never told the police. I saw the One Armed Man and his sidekick run down the fire escape. I want to make an official statement.”
“Agent Holmes, this puts my daughter in danger.”
“Don’t worry Mrs. Herbert, I’m taking Melissa out of here and nobody but myself will know where she is.”
Melissa says, “I want to do it. Mrs. Kimble was always nice to me and I know Dr. Kimble didn’t kill her.”
“Mrs. Herbert, I promise, she’ll be in a safe place with a good influence.”
ONE HOUR LATER
Kari is standing in the office of Mother Superior Emily Welch. “You see Reverend Mother why it’s imperative that she stay here and that no one be told why she’s here. The fewer people who see her the better. I’d like you to refer to her as Ellen Bailey.”
“I understand Agent Holmes. We’ll take good care of her and perhaps we can help her be a little less angry. You just keep us posted on your progress.”
“I will, thank you.”
“Agent Holmes, I never believed Dr. Kimble killed his wife. I hope you can find the rest of the truth.”
“I intend to Reverend Mother, thank you!” She walks out to her car and as she gets in, can’t contain herself anymore. She clenches her fists and hits the steering wheel and says, "Yes! We have you, Ben Charnquist! Your days of freedom are numbered" She has a look of satisfaction on her face as she starts the car.