Cold Steele - and Mrs. Robinson Ch. 05

""How are we going to do this?"

"We... aren't going to do anything," Frank answered. "In my capacity as a Detective for the St. Louis Police, I...will arrest Robinson. I got a warrant while you were talking to ADA Sawyer; that's why I left the room for a few minutes. You can come along, but understand Matt it is only as a favor from me. Don't screw it up."

"You know I told Robinson just after his wife was killed that I was gonna make sure he answered for Cynthia and Hamilton." I smiled at Frank and asked, "Can I at least tell him I told you so?" Frank shook his head, smiled and kept driving.

That girl gets prettier every time I see her, I thought as Frank and I entered Robinson's outer office. "Hello, Mr. Steele, nice to see you again," the efficient young woman said. "Mr. Robinson is in a meeting; please have a seat. He shouldn't be too long."

Frank stepped up to her desk and showed her his detective badge and ID. "I don't think we'll wait Miss." He turned and I followed him through the thick carved wooden door into the main office. I saw the secretary reach for her phone, but I held up a finger and shook my head. She replaced the receiver onto its base.

Jonathan Robinson and three other men were sitting at a conference table placed in front of the floor to ceiling windows in the north east corner of the huge office. There was a fourth, younger, man with a very large computer monitor mounted on a sort of cart standing between the table and the windows. He was giving some type of presentation because there were graphs and pie charts showing on the screen.

How anyone can pay attention to a computer monitor with that view of the Mississippi River is beyond me, I thought. Frank stepped toward the table with me following in his wake. He held up his ID when he got to Robinson who had stood as Frank and I walked in.

"Jonathan Robinson, you are under arrest." Frank said.

"What is the charge?" Robinson asked. His voice showed more anger that someone would disrupt his 'oh so important meeting' than fear.

"We'll start with premeditation to commit murder, conspiracy to commit murder, accessory to murder; both before and after the fact and conspiracy to commit a felonious act. That will do for a start." Frank again took a laminated card out of his ID folder and started to read Robinson his rights.

Robinson made a break as soon as Frank looked down at the card. He got past Frank and headed toward the door at a run. Unfortunately for Robinson he had to get past me as well; he didn't make it. I snapped a straight left hand into his jaw. He took a step backward and fell onto the seat of his pants.

Moving until I was standing over Robinson I said, "I told you I'd see you got what is coming to you Jonathan." The name Jonathan was said with sarcasm. "The fact that I just reminded you doesn't seem to be enough but it will have to do."

Frank rolled Robinson over onto his stomach and none too gently handcuffed him. "Guess we'll have to add fleeing from an officer and obstruction of justice to the charges." He pulled and helped his prisoner to his feet.

"Did I get involved too much?" I asked with an innocent look.

"Shut up," Frank replied with fake anger. "Let's get Mr. Robinson to his new home."

"I think we should sand and refinish the wainscoting," I told Abby. "I've never understood why people would want to paint over outstanding wood like this."

We were working on the renovation of the huge old house in Compton Heights that I'd bought for us. We'd decided to restore the place to its former glory while updating things like the plumbing, wiring and windows plus the heating and cooling systems. The large floor to ceiling windows were open to let in the soft summer breeze. This helped get rid of the paint smell from the other rooms.

Before she could answer my cell phone gave out its loud annoying ring. "Matt Steele," I answered in a less than friendly voice. I hate that damn phone; it's a necessity but I still hate it.

"It's Frank, Matt. Thought I'd let you know that the DA threw the book at Robinson; wouldn't let him plea bargain down to lesser charges. Told Robinson he was going to pay fully for his crimes." Frank chuckled and added, "The DA said he was going to prosecute the case himself. After all, it is an election year."

It had been better than three months since we...I mean Frank Wends had arrested Jonathan Robinson. "Good to hear buddy. Let me know when the trial will start; I'd like to see his face when the charges are read to him and I'd like to see his face when he hears the guilty verdict. By the by, if you and the Mrs. would like to join Abby and me, we are going to Rigazzi's about 7."

"Robinson?" Abby asked as I hung up. I nodded. "Good, now you can get your mind back on our house."

"Our house is it?" I asked in a serious voice with a serious look on my face. Abby looked hard at me; not knowing if I was kidding or not.

I walked over to my jacket lying on the old dining room table and took a sheave of papers out of the inside pocket. Handing her the papers I waited for her to read the top one. After a few seconds she looked at me again but this time with a little smile.

"That's the new deed and as you can see it lists the owners as Matthew and Abigail Steele," I told her. "To make it legal, I suppose we should get married." I watched as her smile got bigger and put an engagement ring on her finger. "And by the way, I love you."

Abby looked at the ring then slipped it up and down on her finger. Holding it up to the light she said, "I've always wanted to be a property owner."

The End