Steeplechase, page 4
“Okay. Since I’m now holding all the cards, boys, I’d like you to—”
The red-faced Moon pushed himself up from the floor with a knife in his hand and aimed it at Corrigan’s thigh. The shot from Corrigan’s gun blasted Moon across the room, where he landed on his back, dead.
The older man, who had been calmly watching all this happen, reached over and picked up the now squalling baby. Before Corrigan could react, Josh tossed the baby to Ned, who was standing by the open window.
“Drop the piece or my boy drops the kid,” the old man croaked. Ned swung the baby out the window and dangled her over the street below.
Corrigan approached the seated man, his gun pointed, and, in a dead cold voice, asked, “You think I care about that kid?”
The now-anxious older man glanced over at Ned.
Without taking his eyes off the old man, Corrigan swung his gun over and picked off a shot, clipping Josh on the shoulder. The big man clutched his spurting wound and went down in a heap.
Grinning like a madman, Corrigan backed away from the old man and approached Ned.
“How about you?” Corrigan demanded, his face screwed up with rage. He pulled back the hammer. “You really think I care whether you drop that baby, change its diaper, or eat it with a side of mashed potatoes?”
Spooked by Corrigan’s crazy intensity, Ned grew wide-eyed and couldn’t seem to decide between dropping the baby and pulling it back inside. The movement caused the infant to bawl even more fiercely. While his son was stunned, deciding what to do, the old man jumped to his feet and fled out the open door. Ned turned his head toward the distraction—giving Corrigan the opportunity to clock him with his gun. As Ned slumped to the floor, Corrigan snatched the wailing bundle out of his arms.
“Now, now. ’Course I care for ya, darlin’!” he said, rocking the unsettled babe. “We didn’t find your mom today, but maybe tomorrow. Though I’m beginning to think we’ve got a pretty good partnership going here. You’re tougher than those three mugs put together.”
The baby gurgled with delight.
“That settles it. I dub you first woman deputy of park security,” Corrigan declared. “Some of the boys might not like it, but that’s too bad. The times are changin’.…”
Chapter 13
The circular steel tower stretched so high into the heavens that necks and backs cracked from looking up. The safety wires dangling around its circumference gleamed in the sunlight and looked more than strong enough to do their job. The multicolored parachutes added the perfect festive touch. But as Katie gazed up from the ground, there wasn’t quite that terrifying, vertiginous sense of ‘This is the last ride I would ever get on’ that she had been hoping for. She looked back critically at the detailed plans in her hands.
“It’s fine, Katie,” Nathan Caps said with assurance. “I am confident that strong men will find their knees quaking, and any woman brave enough to climb to the top will swoon in her companion’s arms.”
“That’s the best compliment you’ve ever given me,” Katie replied. “If I can earn a few stomach upheavals and one or two fainting spells, I will consider my work a success.”
As Katie rolled up her design, Caps vainly tousled his shock of white hair and then took her arm. They stepped onto the brightly colored stairway and began the steep climb to the top of the ride. As they ascended, Katie looked out at the nearby surf and at the beachgoers who were pointing excitedly up at the parachute ride. She finally allowed herself to feel a bit of pride at the realization of her plans.
When they finally reached the apex, Katie could tell that Caps was trying mightily not to look as winded as he was—especially since she had easily climbed the distance they had just covered. The MC nodded to both of them and then lifted his megaphone and addressed the crowd below.
“Ladies and gentlemen! Tonight we present another stupendous attraction at Steeplechase Park!” he boasted. “Our most thrilling yet! A miracle of aerodynamics! Twenty-five stories from the top to the bottom! As thrilling—and terrifying—an experience as you can imagine. The Parachute Jump!”
The crowd looked up at the fifteen empty harnesses that swung ominously in the wind, and then down the length of the great distance that they would soon fall.
“And folks, you won’t believe who came up with this death-defying ride! Hold on to your hats, but an actual lady designer: Miss Katie Silver!”
Katie smiled wryly at the backhanded compliment and waved to the crowd below. She turned to Caps. “This is awfully nice of you, Mr. Caps.”
“For the hundredth time, it’s Nathan,” he said as he intimately pressed her hand. “And this isn’t anything you don’t deserve. Only you could have thought of a parachute jump as a park attraction!”
Caps smiled brightly at Katie, but she noticed how he paled and moved back a little when he glanced over the railing where they were standing. Not a fan of heights, she mused.
The MC continued to try to get people to line up for the ride, but only a few worried-looking men stood at the entrance. Katie smiled at her companion.
“Shall we give it a try, Mr. Caps?”
“Oh! No, Katie,” he hemmed. “It’s your big day. You get the honors. I insist.”
Katie bowed slightly and went over to the first harness. The attraction workers stole glances at her face—clearly dismayed by her cool. She politely nodded to all.
“You sure ’bout this, miss?” one of the workers worriedly asked.
“Quite.” Katie smiled.
“Can you believe it, folks?” the MC exclaimed. “Miss Silver is going to inaugurate the ride herself! Yes, this is one brave little gal!”
Snugly strapped into the harness and with the safety wires reassuringly tensed, Katie stepped out onto a small platform. She gazed out at the glorious ocean view, and then down at the park far below her feet. Caps nervously watched from the sidelines. Katie took a deep breath, nodded to the head worker…and dropped like a stone.
Her initial fall lasted only a second or two, but to the crowd, it seemed an eternity. Her tiny form grew larger and larger as it plummeted toward them. Suddenly, a dazzling yellow sun opened above the falling figure: a huge chute opened, and her body raced back up to the heavens. From there she seemed to hover for a moment, and then slowly and gracefully wafted down to earth.
The crowd went wild with applause, and a stampede of men and children elbowed their way to the attraction’s entrance. Several news reporters ran to greet the breathless Katie as the ground workers released her from the harness.
“What was it like, Miss Silver? The Herald wants to know!”
Katie was aglow from the physical thrill of the ride—and from the satisfaction of its reception.
“Oh, it was like flying! I felt like a bird—or maybe even an angel!” she enthused.
“You sure look like an angel, angel,” the newsman smirked at her. “But why’s a nice girl like you doing men’s work?”
Katie frowned in annoyance but then caught sight of the jumpers who were following in her wake. One by one, the brightly colored parachutes opened and their passengers floated gently to the ground. The people around Katie exclaimed every time someone landed.
A pretty, very blond young woman standing nearby was waving to someone at the top of the attraction. Katie looked up and could just barely see a muscular young man strapped in the harness above. Seeing the woman’s wave, he did a mock fall forward before pivoting back onto the platform with a pleased-with-himself grin.
“Be careful, Ted!” the woman cried.
“Whoa…hope I don’t fall, Jessica!” he heartily yelled down.
The woman noticed Katie smiling at her and shook her head. “My fiancé. He makes me so angry—he always has to show off. Always!”
Katie approached and kindly put her hand on Jessica’s arm. “He just wants to impress you. And make sure that you care.”
After a moment, Ted stepped off the platform and began falling toward the women.
“Oh, my!” Jessica exclaimed. “I don’t think I can watch!”
Ted sailed happily through the air, hurtling closer and closer to Jessica; his features were even beginning to come into view. Katie’s expectant smile suddenly froze and then instantly flipped into a look of horror. The young man fell and fell and fell.
But there was no yellow sunburst behind him.
He did not race back toward the heavens.
The parachute stayed closed.
Chapter 14
Katie reflexively grabbed Jessica’s shoulders and wrenched her body away from the sight of Ted’s fall just in time to miss the horrendous moment of impact. The shocked young woman stood rigidly with her eyes screwed shut, frantically willing away the reality of what had just occurred. A stunned silence fell over the crowd before screams and shouts pierced the afternoon air.
Katie tried to draw Jessica into her arms but the younger woman collapsed to her knees, chalk white and aghast. They were instantly surrounded by park security—and by the news reporters.
Everyone was yelling and rushing about at once; the grounds were total bedlam. The mass of sound and bodies made Katie feel as though she were twisting about in an underwater riptide, with the glinting calm of the surface far out of her reach. She was dimly aware that the emergency medical team had already arrived. Despite her mind’s turmoil, she realized that she hadn’t even noticed them standing by during the opening. As an attendant gingerly drew Jessica away, the young woman stared back at Katie with a look that was a terrible mixture of grief, disbelief, and accusation. Katie knew instantly that she would never forget it.
“How did this happen, Miss Silver? What went wrong?” The newly aggressive Herald reporter forced himself in front of Katie. “How do you feel? Is the man dead? Was that his wife? What did she say?”
Katie stared back in astonishment, and then all her pent-up shock, anger, and horror exploded in a sharp slap across the reporter’s face. It knocked him completely backward—right into Corrigan’s arms.
Using just as much force, Corrigan shoved the man forward, to the ground. “You getting the message, fella? Beat it.”
The reporter scrambled to his feet. “I’m just doing my job. Who the hell are you, anyway?”
“Jake Corrigan. Park security. Not a fan of newspapers. Too many words, not enough comics or horses.”
“Well, I’m Thorton Maxwell with The Herald,” he sneered. “And I was invited here by Mr. Tilyou himself.”
Corrigan roughly took Katie’s arm. “Speaking of, the big boss has some questions for you, miss. And you’d better have some answers.”
He steered the protesting Katie away from Maxwell and the rest of the reporters, all but dragging her through the still-panicked throng.
“You don’t have to rough me up! I’m going willingly,” she said, angrily pulling her arm from his grip.
“Sorry about that,” Corrigan said, looking back. “I needed to get you away from that wolf pack and I thought it would look better…well, if things looked worse for you.”
Katie sighed. “Things could not possibly be worse. That poor young man…”
“Wasn’t your fault,” Corrigan said as he led her out of the park.
“Of course it was!” she protested. “I dreamed up and designed that ride. I built it. I tested it—”
“How many times?” Corrigan asked. “Hundreds, right? And no accidents.”
Katie stopped and stared at him. “No accidents. Not one.”
A wave of defeat and resignation engulfed Katie; Corrigan thought for a moment that she might collapse.
“You need a strong drink. And a hearty meal,” he said, taking her arm again—but gently this time. “And a good friend.”
A half hour later they were sitting in tree-dappled sunlight at a patio table at Feltman’s, Coney Island’s most popular restaurant. A small orchestra played on a low stage. As it was too late for lunch and too early for dinner, Katie and Corrigan nearly had the place to themselves.
Katie gave a distracted nod. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
“What, you’re so surprised that a tough like me can be a gentleman?” Corrigan teased through a mouthful of Feltman’s specialty, the hot dog. “Two reasons. You’re part of my case now. And…well, you got this smile that’s sorta heartbreaking. I like to look at it.”
“What case?” she asked with alarm.
“How’d I know you’d ignore the compliment?” Corrigan asked, throwing up his hands. “Look, that accident wasn’t your fault. Somebody murdered that young man. I was brought in by Tilyou to solve this string of accidents at the park.”
“What ‘accidents’? And what do you mean, you were ‘brought in’?” she demanded.
“Aren’t you going to eat any of that? Old Charlie Feltman will be seriously displeased.” Corrigan gave a reproachful look to Katie’s full and untouched plate.
“I can’t possibly eat now,” Katie moaned. “Even just sitting here in this lovely setting feels so wrong, so disrespectful to what happened this afternoon. Please tell me what you’re talking about!”
Corrigan slowly wiped his mouth. “I’m a detective. I’m the best in New York City. ‘Corrigan Knows the Right Way to Catch a Crook.’ That was an actual headline in the New York Times.”
“Now I thought you didn’t read newspapers.”
“You don’t let me get away with nothing!” Corrigan laughed. “Funny, I don’t mind when you take that tone with me.”
“So, what are these accidents?” Katie asked again.
“Three weeks ago, a woman lost her right hand on the Tickler ride.” Corrigan leaned in. “Two weeks ago, a rich galoot disappeared from the Dreamland Ballroom. Poof! Gone! Then, earlier this week, the horse race malfunction. And now today, the parachute. Not accidents. Intentional acts. And there will be more—a lot more—unless I find out who’s behind them.”
Chapter 15
Katie stood outside the restaurant, tapping her foot and looking back impatiently at the door until Corrigan came out. He was frowning as he shuffled his wallet back into his jacket.
“That is the first time I’ve ever left Feltman’s without having had dessert,” he complained. “Skipping their ice-cream sundae is practically against a city ordinance! We’re lucky Charlie didn’t issue us a stiff fine.”
“I’m sorry. I just couldn’t sit there any longer,” Katie sighed. “Not after what you’ve told me.”
“I understand,” Corrigan said, again gently taking her arm. “You’ve had a hell of a day. I’ll get you home.”
“Home?” Katie looked at him incredulously. “Absolutely not! We have clues to uncover! There are people we need to interrogate or rough up or—or whatever is done. We have to get to the bottom of this. Now!”
“‘We’?” Corrigan asked, just as incredulously. “I’m the detective, Miss Silver. Your boss, Mr. Tilyou, called me in. ‘Right Way,’ he said to me, ‘make this park safe for families again.’ And that’s what I’m doing—my way, on my own.”
Katie drew a deep breath. “Mr. Corrigan—”
“Jake.”
“Jake. You can’t expect me to just sit around like a good little girl and hope everything works out. A young man with his whole life ahead of him died today on a ride I designed, that I am responsible for. Please let me help.” She was all but begging. “Solving problems is part of what I do.”
Corrigan gave her a thoughtful look up and down. “What if I told you I already have a lady partner?”
Katie looked thrown for a moment. “I—I’m talking about a professional relationship.”
“So am I.” Corrigan grinned. “But suit yourself. I do have a contact I’d like to see tonight. I guess you can come along—but not as an official detective.”
Relief flooded Katie’s face.
“Ah, there’s that heartbreaking smile! It’s worth everything.…”
He led her down the boardwalk for several blocks. The neighborhood of storage units and warehouses became increasingly disreputable compared with the area surrounding the park.
“What would be the point of causing the accidents?” Katie asked with her brow studiously furrowed.
“Lots of reasons, partner,” Corrigan said. “Could be a criminal ring of sorts. Or an insurance racket. Or maybe a competitor.”
“You’re joking!” she exclaimed.
“Why not?” Corrigan shrugged. “Amusement parks are big money. Maybe the swells that own Luna Park or Dreamland don’t like having this three-way split on Coney Island. Or it could even be that some hungry reporter is out to make a name for himself with a few on-the-spot exclusives.”
“No! Why, that’s downright immoral,” Katie protested.
Shaking his head at her naïveté, Corrigan pointed Katie toward the Coney Island Athletic Club, a huge waterfront structure with darkened windows that sat next to the island’s main pier. Corrigan opened the front door, which unleashed the foul odor of cigar smoke mixed with sweat. Katie paused momentarily, unsure whether she should enter.
“Now if it’s too rough for ya…” Corrigan dared.
Narrowing her eyes, Katie lifted her chin and strode in.
The front of the club was a dingy open gym with an assortment of weights and workout mats. In a center ring, two young boxers were sparring. A balding, extremely short man was barely visible behind the front counter. He had a newspaper right up to his face and hardly glanced up as the two entered. After a beat, he squinted at Katie.
“Hey! No ladies in here! Jake, you know the rules!” he yelled.
“What happened, Mouse?” Corrigan asked. “Did ya hock your eyeglasses to cover a bet?”
“Nobody’d take ’em,” Mouse grumbled. “Nobody got as bad a prescription as I do. Come on. What’s with bringin’ a skirt in here?”
Corrigan leaned in toward the little man as Katie walked farther into the gym, fascinated by this exclusively male domain.
