~ Naught For Satan ~

by

Lorraine McNammara

You have a problem.”

“Yes.” Steiner tossed down his drink and then pulled from his pocket a crumpled photograph: “The bitch here,” (it was a picture of Sarah Campbell with her previous year’s graduating class) “is making trouble. She was a friend of that traitor Belcourt, and we don’t know how much she knows or what she’s told the police. She should have been taken care of immediately, but the job was botched. Now it will be hard to get near her.” Steiner stared down at the photograph in his hand. “I want to talk to her first. Can you manage it?”

“I must have more information. Fill me in on everything you know about her. So far it does not sound good.”

Steiner related all the information about Sarah that he felt would be of assistance to Thomas. When he had finished, the owlish bookkeeper nodded reluctantly, then said:

“It’s too rushed, that’s bad. I can do it, but… is it absolutely necessary that you meet with her?”

Steiner responded grimly, “I must find out how much the police know. Besides…” his glance came to rest on the padlocked crawlspace door, “…she could provide a most satisfactory offering.”

Thomas’ black eyes came to life with an unholy flame. Licking his thin, pale lips in erotic anticipation, he spoke barely above a whisper:

“It’s been such a long time… tomorrow, then, if it can be arranged. You will be here all day?”

Steiner nodded, visibly relieved. Thomas had never failed yet. The matter was in good hands. Within a day or so there would be no need to worry about that interfering busybody of a schoolteacher. As an afterthought, he added:

“Watch what you say to Gallo. He knows she must be eliminated, but don’t let him know I want her first. He wouldn’t go along.”

Luigi Gallo, local crime syndicate and Family head, who, together with the motorcycle gangs, was chief distributor for drugs in the Toronto area, would most certain have objected strenuously to their plans. Not that he had any moral scruples--far from it. Steiner and his friends were an important and flourishing drug dealership, and although Gallo knew vaguely about the cult and of Steiner’s role as high priest, he deliberately avoided learning anything more. However, his Catholic background--which held, unfortunately, more superstition than Catholicism--was still influential enough to make him uneasy about the strange rites practiced by Steiner. He had no idea that Samuel Thomas was also a privileged member of the cult.

In response to Steiner’s urgent appeal, Gallo had agreed to obtain the services of Samuel Thomas to dispose of Sarah Campbell. Steiner had convinced him that the schoolteacher posed a serious threat to the drug trade in the Oshawa area, and it was simple enough to arrange. Gallo had an understanding with Thomas’ employer; occasionally he would “borrow” the little accountant for special assistance with an “accounting” problem. Aside from Gallo and Steiner, no one else had the slightest inkling of Samuel Thomas’ true role.

After seeing Thomas to the door, Steiner joined his wife in the living room. She was still reclining on the sofa, asleep now, soft snores issuing from her slack, half-open mouth. Gerhard stared in distaste at her thick body bulging under the thin nightgown, then walked to the television set and flicked the dial off. Velma woke up and drowsily asked what time it was. He answered shortly,

“Half past twelve. Better get to bed. Tomorrow will be busy; there are preparations to be made--”

Steiner turned abruptly, then strode to his bedroom, grateful that he and Velma had separate rooms and no further dialogue would be required. He certainly had no interest in sex tonight. More and more Velma was turning him off, with her lazy ways and piggish appetite. It was hard to get excited about her body now. What a change from when he married her twelve years ago! Well, he didn’t plan to put up with this situation forever. There were many exciting, attractive women around, one just had to reach out… it would not be too difficult to dispose of Velma either. Samuel Thomas had never liked her. Divorce was out of the question, of course; she knew too much.

With such pleasantries passing through his head, Gerhard Steiner retired for the night.

Fifteen

As Jack Kilian entered the Durham Police 17 Division at 1:00 p.m. the next day, a fellow officer called out the news. David Ransome had just been picked up in Toronto. When he reported to work about an hour ago, his supervisor had promptly notified the police. Ransome was being transported to Oshawa as they spoke.

Within the hour, an angry, uncooperative David Ransome sat tensely on the edge of the same chair where Eddie Gratton had been so uncomfortable. Vehemently, he denied any involvement in Mary Anne’s death: “I haven’t seen her for months, so help me, God! I’ve only been out this way once since we split up, and that was on a job. If she was in some kind of trouble it wasn’t my doing. I don’t do drugs, and I sure as hell don’t belong to any kind of kooky cult!”

“Then why won’t you tell me where you have been for the past three days?”

“That’s my business, and it’s personal. Look, I had nothing to do with Mary Anne. I didn’t even know she was dead! You have no right to keep me here.”

Kilian gazed disgustedly at Ransome’s darkly handsome, petulant face, then turned toward the door: “You’ll have to wait here for a while,” he snapped, then left the room. He’d give Ransome an hour or so to cool his heels and think things over. In fairness, Ransome seemed honestly shocked to hear of his former lover’s death, although not particularly dismayed. He was obviously concerned only about himself.

The detective was frustrated not just by Ransome’s lack of cooperation. Otto Ganzer had flown the coop. He was seen in town early last night but now was nowhere to be found, almost as if he had been warned.

When Kilian returned to the small interrogation room where Ransome’s Gucci-shod feet were nervously pacing the floor, he was greeted by a barrage of protests and threats. Brushing aside the other man’s furious accusations of police intimidation, coldly and quietly Kilian stated:

“David Ransome, I’m just about to charge you with first degree murder. Unless you can confirm your whereabouts for the night of November 13^th, between 7:00 p.m. and midnight, you’re not going anywhere.”

It was a brazen bluff, of course, but it worked. Ransome sank back into the chair. All blustering ended, he groaned: “I was with a woman, dammit, a married woman! And it’s nobody’s business but mine and hers.”

His words had the ring of truth. Kilian demanded: “She’ll have to corroborate your statement.”

“She can’t do that! Her husband could be home now--he’ll kill her!”

Unsympathetically, Kilian responded: “We’ll not give you away; we know how to handle these things. Name and address and phone number?”

By 4:00 p.m. Ransome had been released. His story checked out. The woman, a rather prominent Toronto socialite, was obviously terrified that her husband would find out about the affair. She and her Romeo had been safely ensconced in their little love nest in a quiet Scarborough motel from early Friday to 7:00 a.m. this morning. They left the premises only a couple of times, to dine, but she was sure the motel manager would verify their occupancy. Almost babbling in her anxiety to get rid of the police, she added that they had used her car and registered under the names of Mr. and Mrs. David Renton. Her story checked out.

Jack Kilian had watched in distaste as Ransome hastily quit the police headquarters. The detective was annoyed that the police were required, of course, to provide transportation back to Toronto. Had Jack had his way, the man would have used shank’s mare the whole way. There was, however, one consolation--Romeo still had to face his wife, and his wife was one very angry lady.

It was back to square one. Since David Ransome was not the murderer--if murderer there was--where to go from here? It looked as though they would have to wait until Ganzer was apprehended before any further action could be taken, if they could find him. In any case, he should let Miss Campbell know of this new turn of events, and warn her about possible danger from the elusive Otto Ganzer.