The following day Louis Carter stood on the downtown corner in a bitter cold wind blowing hot fast licks on his licorice stick. He wore a heavy three-quarter length coat, a scarf wrapped around his neck, and a pair of thick heavy hiking boots. It was cold, near freezing on the day before Christmas. Last minute shoppers, bundled up in bulky overcoats, stocking caps and thick woolen scarves shuffled past the music-man carrying their over-stuffed shopping bags, while their frosty breath filled the chilly winter air.
Wes Russell parked his truck and jay-walked across the street carrying his trumpet case. Carter recognized him but continued playing as Wes came on to the sidewalk, dressed in a heavy overcoat, opened his instrument case, and extracted a shiny brass trumpet. He watched Carter for a few moments, then he joined him in the jazz classic St. Louis Blues. A few pedestrians stopped to listen, and when they were through the people applauded and tossed dollar bills in Carter’s instrument case.
“St Louis Blues…one of my favorites,” commented Wes.
“I won’t split the money with you.” said Carter.
“I’m not here for the money. I told you I’d come jam with you some time. What better time than the day before Christmas? Hey, how about we do some Christmas carols?”
“Christmas music?”
Wes began his rendition of Jingle Bells. Carter frowned, but after watching Wes toot a few bars on his horn he joined in. Pedestrians stopped to listen and donate as they played on…through Silent Night, Little Drummer Boy, White Christmas, and Santa Claus is Coming to Town.
That same morning Jan sat in her apartment, dressed in her bathrobe, eating cereal. She poured some milk into a separate bowl and put it on the floor for Eleanor, who quickly began lapping up the milk. Jan picked up her cell phone, checked her list of programmed phone numbers, and called. She heard the following announcement: “Hi, this is Susie. Sorry I can’t come to the phone. Leave your message and you’ll be the first to hear from me when I return…bye-bye.”
Jan disconnected without leaving a message, thought for a few moments, then called her own office. The phone rang a few times, and then someone answered. “Hello?” Jan recognized it as Susie’s voice and quickly hung up.
Half an hour later, wearing jeans and a t-shirt, Jan stepped off the elevator on the 14th floor and walked by the receptionist’s desk, through a long corridor flanked on either side by empty offices and into her own.
Susie Hampton was seated at Jan’s desk. She had her bare feet up on the desk top, the chair swiveled around to the side, as she read through a manuscript while chewing gum.
“Take your feet off my desk,” said Jan, closing the door behind her.
Susie swiveled around quickly in the chair, dropped the manuscript on the desk, and put her feet on the floor.
“Everyone’s putting their feet where they don’t belong,” commented Jan.
“Sorry Jan…but I told you I was filling in for you.”
“That doesn’t mean you have permission to use my office.”
“Yes it does. Harry gave me permission.”
“Oh did he?” Jan walked over to the desk and looked at the pile of manuscripts. “Have you found something worthwhile in that pile?”
“Actually I have. I’m going to recommend a couple of them to Harry. What are you doing here, anyway?”
Jan went wide-eyed; her nostrils flared. “I work here. This is my office. And you’re my assistant. And what are you doing here, the day before Christmas? The office is closed.”
Susie crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair. “I wanted to squeeze in some extra work before the holiday. And as for being your assistant, not for long. I may be getting my own office soon. I’ve been here for three years, waiting for my chance. Your personal problems gave me that chance.”
Jan felt her temper going. She threw her purse down on the desk. “First of all, my problems are none of your damn business, and you won’t ever advance in this company on the back of my problems, and hopefully never on your own talent, which is mediocre at best.”
“That’s your opinion; Harry has a different one. And his opinion is the only one that counts.”
Susie swiveled the chair around turning her back to Jan, who ran around the side of the desk, gripped the chair arms and leaned over until her face almost touched Susie’s. “You won’t ever leapfrog over me at this company…that’s a promise.”
Susie remained defiant. “We’ll see about that. I’m as capable as you, and I want to move up in the company, same as you did. Why are you so angry, Jan? I’ve been a good assistant for you. If I’m promoted it doesn’t mean that you lose your job. I don’t want to replace you. I only want a chance to show what I can do.”
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Jan relented. She stood back from the desk and gathered herself. “I’m sorry Susie…you’re right, you deserve a chance to prove yourself. And you have been a good assistant.” Jan moved closer and sat on the edge of the desk. “But there is something important I have to tell you.”
Susie looked up at her, waiting. “Yes?”
Jan hesitated, uncertain as what the reaction might be. “That man you’re seeing…you told me you met him at the Blue Angel.”
“Yes.”
“Do you know much about him?”
“Not too much. We’ve only been seeing each other for a couple weeks.”
“Did he tell you he’s a cop?”
Susie lost her smile. “Yes, I knew that. But how did you know?”
Jan lowered her voice. “The other night I also met him at the Blue Angel. After I left the club he followed me into the alley…and tried to rape me.”
Susie sat up straight, her eyes opened as wide as they could in disbelief. She shook her head from side to side, her blond hair flying in her face. “No…no…I don’t believe it. He’s sweet, he’s kind, he’s gentle.”
“He’s also married.”
Susie stood up. Tears came to her eyes. “Married? He told me he was divorced.”
“He lied, Susie.”
“I still don’t believe this…I don’t believe you. You came here to tell me this because you want to destroy me. You’re paranoid that I’m after your job. You must really hate me.”
“No Susie!” Jan reached out to put a hand on her shoulder, but the girl pushed her away and ran out of the office crying.
Wes and Carter sat together in the diner drinking coffee. Their instrument cases were on the chairs beside them. Wes was blowing warm air on his fingers.
“Your fingers caught the cold out there,” commented Carter. “Better to blow your horn indoors next time.”
“I’ll be all right,” replied Wes. “I had fun out there. Thanks for letting me join in.”
“I wouldn’t have, except you blow a good horn. Where’d you study?”
“Junior High, about eighteen years ago. After that, I played some in college, mostly with friends and for a while in the college band.”
Carter smiled. “You have some talent for it. But tell me one thing. Did Jan send you over here?”
“No, I came on my own.”
“You have some news about this mess I’m in?”
“Not really, but I want to know a little more about what happened that night.”
“What good would it do?”
“I won’t know until I find out. Let’s go for a ride.”
Carter looked surprised, suspicious. “A ride? Where?”
“To the scene of the crime.”
It was dark by the time they walked into the alley. The shadows cast by the street lamp were thrown against the brick wall on one side of the alley. The opposite side was shrouded in darkness. They stood in the center of the alley, their faces hidden in the shadows.
“This is where it happened?” asked Wes.
“Yeah, this is it,” replied Carter.
Silence fell. Wes looked around the alley, at the shadowed side, at the dark side, and then turned to Carter, who had a rather nervous look in his eyes. Wes pointed to the red brick wall drenched in pin-shaped shadows. Is that where he attacked Jan?”
“Yeah, he pushed her against the wall over there and tore at her clothes.”
“And where were you when that happened?”
Carter pointed to a dark area about twenty feet away. “Over there. I came walkin’ through here on my way to that night club. When I saw him jumpin’ on her I dropped my instrument and ran over to her.”
“And after that?”
“I pulled him off of her and over to the other side, away from her.” Carter gestured toward the darkness.
“Then you and he were in complete darkness, about ten or twelve feet away from Jan. She didn’t see or hear what happened, did she?”
“No, I don’t suppose she did.”
“And what did happen?”
Carter swallowed hard before he replied. “I wrestled him to the ground. We rolled over in the dirt two or three times, but I had him pinned to the ground. He gave up, and said ‘Let me go.’ I let him up, and then….”
Carter stopped. Wes saw the look of anger on his face. “And then what, Louis?”
“Then he walked away.”
“That’s when you picked up the fire extinguisher.”
“Yeah, just like I told you the other day.”
For a few moments the two men didn’t speak. They were both standing in the dark, shapeless black silhouettes. The distant roar of a siren split the night, and a stray cat strolled across the alley toward a pile of garbage, barely glancing at the two strangers who invaded her neighborhood.
Wes watched the cat cross their path, and then he spoke. “I don’t think you hit him because you thought he’d come at you again. I think you had another reason.”
A few moments passed in silence. “I’d rather not say,” Carter replied.
“You can trust me, Louis. Why did you hit him after he walked away?”
From the darkness came his answer. “After I let him up…he called me a good-for-nothin’ nigger…and he spit in my face. He turned to walk away, and that’s when I picked up the fire extinguisher and hit him. At first I thought I’d killed him, but then I heard him groaning and I knew he wasn’t dead. I went over to the lady to check on her, then I walked away.”
Wes shook his head in disgust at what the cop said. “I’m sorry this happened, Louis. But the more I know, the better chance we’ll have of getting those charges dismissed.”
“How’s this gonna help?”
“I’m not sure. I know a little more about you, and a little more about the cop. That may lead to something important.”
They walked through the alley and around the corner to the Blue Angel. The night club was almost empty. Wes and Carter strolled over to the bar, where the same young bartender was polishing glassware.
“Excuse me.” Wes beckoned to the bartender; he walked over and flashed a smile.
“What can I get you gentlemen?”
“Some information.”
“We don’t sell that here.”
“Good, then you won’t charge me for it,” replied Wes. “Last Saturday night a young woman was in here alone. Her name is Janet Lehman.”
“Oh yeah, Doctor Lehman. She’s been a regular for a while.”
“Did you see her leave that night?”
“No…I noticed she was gone, but I didn’t actually see her leave. Are you a cop?”
“I’m a lawyer. She hired me.”
“Something happen to her?”
“She was attacked in the alley behind the club.”
“Wow…is she all right?”
“More or less. Did you see someone with her that night?”
“She was dancing with a guy for a while. He’d been in a few times, but I didn’t notice when he left the club.” The bartender looked over at Carter. “I remember you…you came in that night looking for a gig.”
Carter nodded. “Yeah, and I’m still lookin’.”
The bartender shrugged. “Sorry man, the budget’s tight. When business picks up we might want some live music in here.”
Carter shook his head. “No…first you bring the good music…then the people come.”