chapter one hundred and one

Blair was in no mood for small talk as we drove the brown bomb to the Whitehall house so that I could retrieve my car. His motorcycle was still parked on the opposite side of the street, so after a brief conversation with Lynn, he used his one good hand and I used my two to push it up the driveway and into the back of the garage. That taken care of, Cameron headed off to the station to vanquish evil and I drove home, feeling badly at the way things had been left between us, again.

After a quick shower and a change into clothes without blood stains, I showed up at city hall mid-morning. I went to Viola’s office to begin my work and as I eased myself behind her desk, a heaviness flooded into my chest. I just had to pray for her. Oh God, please keep Viola safe and help her not to be afraid. Don't let those mean guys get away with anything else, okay? And, oh yeah, could you help Blair out today? I think he might need some assistance. That done, I opened a file folder and began to type.

Viola’s phone rang just before noon. It was Roman. He informed me that he was at the police station talking to Cameron and Richard Sanders. Blair had brought him up to speed on the Allstar case and my condition. My boss expressed his sympathy for my injured face and told me that if I wasn’t feeling up to a full day of work, I needn't stay. I assured him that I felt fine as long as I didn’t sneeze, cough, bend over, or attempt to pull on a turtleneck. He apparently didn't hear my incredibly witty words and simply let me know that he would be in the office after lunch.

The work completed at Viola’s desk, I moved to Roman’s office to do some filing. Michelle Whitehall walked past the open door and stopped, evidently surprised at what she saw.

“I didn’t expect to see you in today, Ms. Ellis” she said. “How are you feeling?”

“Okay.” I wasn't sure why, but her interest made me uncomfortable.

“Everything alright with Roman?”

“Yes,” I replied, not sure exactly what she was inquiring about.

“It’s too bad about Viola, isn't it?”

“Hmmm,” I replied noncommittally. The woman sure had a lot of questions today.

“Have you heard from her lately?” she continued the chit chat, as if small talk between us was normal.

“I saw her yesterday.” I decided to offer her a few bits of information to see where it would lead. “But that was before...you know.”

Michelle Whitehall didn’t blink. She didn’t ask what I was talking about. She just looked at me rather placidly, and I knew that she was aware of the kidnapping.

“Well, I hope everything turns out for the best,” she said in her best sweet voice which wasn't quite good enough.

“For everyone involved,” I added.

“I’ll let you get back to your work.” She smiled her cold, professional smile and made to leave.

I stopped her just as she turned away. “Say, I’ve been meaning to ask you. Are you related to Jim Whitehall?”

The briefest flicker of unease passed across her face, but she covered it well with a small laugh. “I suppose we may be distantly related somehow, but no, not in any meaningful way.”

“That's too bad,” I said, my eyes never leaving hers. “I have a lot of respect for Jim.”

“Many people do.” The comment sounded more sarcastic than I think she meant it to. The phone rang in Roman’s office and Michelle straightened her jacket with a practiced gesture.
“Well, I have a busy day. I hope you feel better.” Her heels clicked down the hallway at a quick pace. I let the phone ring until it went to voicemail. The exchange with the Whitehall woman had raised more than a few suspicions in my mind. If Cameron wanted to shake up the Allstar cage a bit, I believed I might be able to help him out. To my knowledge, the listening devices had not yet been removed from Roman’s office and phone, so I sat down at his desk and dialed the police station.

“Blair here.”

“Hello, Detective Blair. It’s Billy Ellis. I am here doing some work in Roman’s office and guess who just walked in? Michelle Whitehall.”

“Okay.” He said cautiously, quite aware that our conversation was being monitored.

“She started asking questions about Viola, too many questions, in my opinion. I’m sure she knows something about the kidnapping. How do you think that’s possible? Is the information public knowledge?”

“No, it's not," Blair confirmed.

“Well, she’s getting her information from somewhere.”

“Are you sure about this?” I could tell that Blair was asking me if I knew what I was doing.

“I don't know, but it wouldn't hurt to check her out. I would hate for Viola's kidnappers to get away without a trace. You understand."

“Got it." I heard a computer keyboard clicking at his end. “Thanks, Billy.”

“You’re welcome.” I hung up the phone and exited Roman's office, walking down the hallway until I was at the top of the stairs overlooking the main entrance. Within a minute, Michelle Whitehall hurried across the foyer and out the door. I believed we had just found our eavesdropper and the possible owner of the getaway car. I only hoped that she would lead us to Viola - an unharmed Viola.