The press television story about the e?-mayor's murder had sparked off an
outrageous e?plosion in the city that kept the important and influential
people behind closed doors. They all feared for their life and this had kept
the telephone bell at the NYPD ?ead?uarters constantly ringing.
Mayor ?oodgate paced up and down in his e?clusive penthouse at the top
of the ?otelle De La Corona. It was the best hotel in the city and the
costliest with an accommodation fee of more than three grand per night. ?is room was well furnished and decorated in an e??uisite taste. A large
bed lay in the middle with lounging chairs at the wall side. ?is li?uor
cabinet at the opposite wall was well stocked with e?pensive wines from
round the world.
None of these mattered now to him as he thought about their killer.
Could he strike again? ?ho would be ne?t? ?im who just became the new
mayor? ?e had no answers to this.
Fear and confusion surged through his veins as his brain darted around his
head like a trapped mouse. ?e went to the li?uor cabinet and poured
himself a stiff shot of brandy. ?e gulped it down his throat like water then
waited until the li?uor took hold. Another shot followed, then another and
then came the fourth.
Yes, he felt a bit stabili?ed now. ?e had arranged a meeting at the Chief's
house and he must get there, no matter what. ?e walked over to his
e?pensive wardrobe and slid into a black overcoat and brogues. Knotting a
tie, he got up and left.
At the sight of him e?iting the elevator, his chauffeur ran up to him, taking
the briefcase he was holding and they made for his Rolls-Royce which
stood in his personal garage.
The chauffeur slammed the driver's door shut as he turned to the mayor.
“?here are we heading to, Sir?”
“Been to the Chief's place before?”
“Yes Sir”, he nodded.
?oodgate lit a stogie and stared outside the window puffing smoke.
“?ood...that's our destination”
“?kay Sir”
The Rolls Royce rolled out of the hotel onto Avenue P and joined the
crawling traffic of cars moving to and fro. The road was lined with
streetlamps which shone brightly and would make anyone like me want to
take a stroll on the curb. You could see nightclubs open, gambling joints filled with people and all sorts of gatherings at this moment of the day.
?owever, the regular New York streets where you will find workers
moving to and fro, was not in session and you could mistake here for Las
?egas if you were not so careful.
?oodgate lay back in his seat and sucked at his cigar, drew out a lungful of
smoke and puffed it towards his chauffeur, thinking deeply.
The arrival of a killer in the city was not something the police or himself
needed to take lightly. ?f course, it was only the e?-mayor that was killed
but no one could guess e?actly if the killer was trying to settle a score
between himself and the deceased or if that was just the debut kill for a
killing spree he was launching. ?ence, it was necessary to be on the safer
side and assume he was on a killing spree, which meant that e needed
protection? lots of it.