There was no denying it; Maddie had used all her sleep. She stretched and climbed out of bed. Singing at Mister Moarn's nightclub kept her awake into the early hours of the morning. But she seldom got eight hours sleep. Six was the usual amount.
She dressed then prepared oatmeal for breakfast. Madeline Cooper had lived in Chicago for less than a year and was adjusting very nicely. Her mother fretted for her safety in the big city, but that was what mothers were for. As usual, Maddie pondered what to do until it was time for her leave for the nightclub. Had it been summer, she might have gone a few blocks north for a baseball, but it was February, and she was getting a taste of the raw winter wind off Lake Michigan locals called The Hawk.
As she was rinsing the now empty bowl, Maddie heard a knock at the door. Perhaps it was Charlie! With her golden curls flapping, she raced to the door. To her delight, it was Charlie, and he carried a one-pound box of chocolates and bouquet of flowers.
"Happy Valentine's Day!" he said.
"Oh, Charlie," she sighed.
It was a bit of a surprise. She'd only known Charlie for a few weeks. He said he'd just arrived from Detroit, but found a job and an apartment very quickly. Maddie took the candy and flowers, while Charlie tossed his fedora onto the hat stand. "The flowers are beautiful, but I don't think I have a vase for them," she said as she set the gifts onto the kitchen table. "I guess I'll have to go out and buy one."
Suddenly, Maddie felt herself being pulled backwards and a hand clamped over her mouth. "I hate to do this to you, Maddie, but I hate the alternative even more," he said. "Do as I say and don't make a sound. Understand?"
Terrified, Maddie only nodded. Charlie removed his hand from her mouth and stuffed a wadded handkerchief into it. Next he secured it with another that was folded over. He also pinned her arms behind her back and lashed her wrists together. With that petty chore out of the way, he hefted her onto his shoulder and carried her to a closet next to the small telephone table. He opened the door and set her down inside. Finally, he took two strands of rope from the pocket of his overcoat and secured her knees and ankles. "If you know what's good for you, you won't make a sound," he said before he shut the door.
Maddie was too terrified to make any noise. She tried to move around in the confined space, but was only able to get herself along the door. At least by pressing her ear to the door, she could hear what was going on.
It seemed like an eternity, but it was only a short while when she heard the door open and footsteps. There was another voice, male. He asked about somebody, no doubt Maddie. Charlie simply replied she went out to buy a vase.
There was a vague, conversation that had little to do with substance and much to taking the time. After a while, Charlie said noted an arrival across the street. The second man walked toward the closet, but instead of the door opening, Maddie heard the dial of the telephone. "He's here," Charlie's companion said and soon there were two sets of footsteps and the door closed.
As soon as the footsteps faded, Maddie counted to one hundred. On reach the number, she began to work on the ropes. Charlie hadn't tied the rope very tight, but she had no idea how to get the ropes off, short of wiggling. Maggie slowly, painfully tried to move her arms. Almost glacially, the ropes began to slide down her wrists. Every fraction of an inch the rope moved, the more pain she felt.
Maddie's determination to be free soon outweighed any amount of pain. She could tell the bonds were loosening and at long last, they gave way completely. Her fingers were numb, so Maddie rubbed hands and shook them vigorously in the. Once the circulation was restored in her fingers, Maddie went to work on the rest of the rope.
Fortunately, Charlie tied the knots in front, which made undoing the ropes around her knees and ankles much easier. She then slowly stood up and groped around in the dark for the doorknob. A quick turn and she was out in the front room. She was alone. After a quick sigh of relief, Maddie removed the gag.
As she walked around the room the shake the cramps out of her legs, Maddie noticed a great deal of activity going on across the street. Police cars were in evidence, as were several ambulances. In fact, a man was being carried out of the building, an auto repair garage, and into one of the ambulances. Curious, she donned her overcoat and went outside to see what was going on.
As she made her way across the street, Maddie saw another stretcher emerge from the garage only this one had the body completely covered. It was quickly followed by another then a third. All told, six dead bodied were removed from the garage.
"Step aside Miss," a police officer ordered.
Maddie recognized Mister Moran. She walked up to him and asked what had happened. His response was murmured and seemed to be more of an observation than a reply: "Only Al Capone kills like that."