Ghost of a Chance

Alex wondered about the plaque. Most men would have had their title engraved on it along with their names. Chief Montgomery was either so arrogant that he simply expected everyone to know that he was chief, or so humble that such accolades didn’t matter.

As he stepped inside the office Alex wondered which.

A humble man could be appealed-to, mistakes would be seen as human. An arrogant man would have to be told he was right, that he was smart, that mistakes were the fault of lesser, unimportant people.

Alex could work it either way.

Chief Montgomery’s office was surprisingly sparse. His desk was ornate, but clear of debris: only a phone and a note pad occupied it. A couch sat against the side wall with three comfortable chairs facing the desk. A sideboard filled with various awards and bric-a-brac sat against the back wall, and an enormous window behind the desk looked out toward Empire Tower.

There were five people in the room.

A slender man with black hair that was going gray at the temples and a pencil mustache sat behind the desk. He wore a dress blue police uniform with a gold shield and a white braid encircling his right arm. The buttons on his coat were polished brass and his gun belt had a leather strap that ran up and over his left shoulder. The leather gleamed with polish.

This could only be Montgomery, though Alex couldn’t tell if his immaculate appearance was due to respect for the job or if it was, itself, a demand for respect.

Detweiler and Rooney stood in front of the desk. It had been a while since Alex had seen the Captain, but he hadn’t changed appreciably. He reminded Alex of a puppy because the man’s hands and feet seemed disproportionally large for his body, only to be outdone by his nose. Due to his pale complexion and red hair, the nose always looked a bit red, as if Rooney were a hard drinker.

Alex didn’t know the other two people, though he recognized the man immediately. His name was Claude Banes. He was slender and big shouldered, with a handsome face, brown hair, and a cleft in his pointed chin. Alex was surprised a man that ruggedly handsome hadn’t already gone off to Hollywood, but he suspected being Mayor of the greatest city in the world had other charms.

The woman next to Mayor Banes was a study in contrast to her husband, as she could only be his wife. She stood with her shoulders slumped, looking down, like a schoolgirl anticipating a scolding. Alex knew from the list of potential ghost victims that her name was Nancy. She was pretty in a small-town girl kind of way, with delicate features, blue eyes and dark hair. She wore a dress with short sleeves and her bare arms came down in a V before her where she kneaded her hands together nervously.

“Thank you, Officer Thomas,” Chief Montgomery said, dismissing the officer. Once he left and the door was shut, Rooney looked at the Mayor.

So, Banes is running this meeting.

“I’d like to know just what you think you are doing, Mr. Lockerby,” Banes said angrily. “You can’t drag my wife’s name through the mud and expect to get away with it.” He was shouting now, and his wife cringed with every syllable. Alex couldn’t tell if she was embarrassed or afraid. “I’ll have your license—”

Montgomery stood up and the Mayor seemed to recover his temper.

“The last time I heard your name, Lockerby,” Montgomery said, stepping out from behind his desk to take over this interrogation. “Captain Rooney here was telling me how it was your fault that this department staked out the customs warehouse over at the Aerodrome for no good reason. Now I hear you’re giving highly sensitive information to a tabloid reporter,” he walked around Alex as he spoke, sizing him up. “As you heard, the Mayor is quite upset, to say nothing of Mrs. Banes.”

He stopped directly in front of Alex and looked him right in the eyes. Alex noticed that his eyes were a deep brown, almost black. His face was a mask, halfway between amusement and condescension. Alex was very glad he didn’t have to play poker with the man.

“Would you care to explain yourself?” he said.

It sounded like an invitation, a chance for Alex to tell his side of the story, but Alex recognized it for the trap it was. If he admitted to anything, it would be used at the roasting everyone was here to watch.

“I’m sure you got a report from Ms. Kincaid and the FBI about my part in stopping the attack on the city last year,” he said.

Alex caught Captain Rooney’s flinch out of the corner of his eye, but he kept his gaze on Montgomery. The Chief gave no outward sign that Alex had scored a point, but Alex detected a slight shift in his posture. He leaned away slightly. That probably meant that Alex was on the right track.

“As for Mrs. Banes,” Alex said, looking at her. She had been watching him, but when he looked up, her blue eyes darted away. “I haven’t been talking to any reporters about her or this case.”