Chapter 60

 

The simultaneous raids of the house in Goshen and the jewelry Store in New York City provided benefits much greater than what Jim could have asked for. Some of the missing jewelry was found hidden in the back room of the store on 86th Street. Fortunately, Baker had not yet fenced a couple of the boxes of the jewelry that had been sent to him. Both the New York City and Goshen police were ecstatic.

Jim was simply cold. The eastern seacoast had encountered a freak arctic freeze extending from Newfoundland to Maryland. Jim wasn’t sure he would be alive long enough to return to Florida. And all he could think of was, Fred, you owe me big time!

The only other problem facing Jim, as if freezing to death was not significant in itself, was that there was no sign of Ford anywhere. Mr. Baker was only too happy to spill the beans in hopes of a plea bargain: but when it came to Ford, he insisted that he had not seen him. The last he had heard from him was when Ford had called him from Sarasota; and at that time Ford had indicated he would shortly be on his way up to New York. That was four days ago, and Ford had never showed. The phone records of Mr. Baker verified the timing of the last phone call with Ford.

Jim felt Baker was not lying. There was no evidence to indicate that Ford had ever reached Goshen. Where in hell was he? It would not take him three days to go from Sarasota to Goshen even under the worst of conditions.

Jim decided to close down shop in the New York area. He told the New York City police, as well as Sgt. Johnson, that he would be available, if needed when the jewelry theft cases came to trial.

“But, please,” he added, “puleeze make sure the trials are held in summer.”

Sgt. Johnson laughed. He said, “I was born in Monticello, New York, the heart of the Catskills, and I’ve lived in this region my whole life. I don’t feel good until my breath freezes in chunks and falls heavily to the ground.”

Jim said “Well, I guess masochists hold all sorts of occupations.”

The only remaining element was to post someone in the house owned by Baker in case Ford showed up. Neither police department would break the news to the media for a couple days to insure that they wouldn’t scare off Ford in case he was still on his way north.

* * *

Jim was warmly ensconced back in Sarasota, in Fred’s office briefing him on his New York visit, when Jan broke in.

“Lieutenant, you will not believe what just happened! Mr. Flynn – one of the division heads at AU—he’s dead! We just got a report that he committed suicide this morning!”