Chapter I: A Visit from The Professor

It was one of those stories that couldn’t be resisted … Late last night, when Tacoma had gone to bed and it seemed like no one in the world was making a sound, I found myself sitting on the porch of Leonard Coatsworth, a man who seemed old enough to remember when the railroad first came to Tacoma.

Leonard took a sip of his beer and looked out into the dark Tacoma street. “They found a safe in the road. Yessir, they found a safe in the road.”

“I heard about that,” I told him, following his gaze and wondering where this was going.

“Ah, you think you’ve heard about it. But you don’t know the full story, son. The story of that safe goes all the way back to 1941 … “

^ ^ ^ ^

Leo’s Story

In 1941 Leo Coatsworth was a washed up Tacoma reporter, kicked off the paper for having booze, mainly, but also sleeping with his editor’s wife. With a knack for research, he applied for his Private Investigator license and started taking cases in between shots of Jack Daniels.

Life would have continued for Leo without many changes if it hadn’t been for that fateful Halloween 1941 when he met two people who would change his life—and Tacoma—forever.

It all started on an ordinary day when a man arrived at Leo’s office. Refusing to give a name, he would only identify himself as The Professor. “The Professor” was a slim but muscular man who looked nothing like a tenured research professor. He radiated power like Leo radiated cheap cologne.

It was enough for Leo to put down the bottle—for good as it turned out—and take notice. The man offered Leo $500 to find a safe that had gone missing. If he found it within a week, The Professor would give him a bonus of $10,000. Not bad for a week’s work, Leo thought. How hard could it be?

The Professor explained that until the night before, the safe had been housed in The Professor’s laboratory at the College of the Puget Sound in North Tacoma. It held important research documents that would be vital to the US should the country decide to fight the Nazis.

“What kind of research do you do?” Leo asked.

“That’s none of your concern,” answered The Professor curtly.

“It is if you want me to find your safe.”

“It would be pointless to reveal the contents of the safe to a layman like yourself.”

“In that case, sir, let me help you find the door. It’s the part of the wall you can walk though.”

The Professor and the detective stared each other down.

Finally, The Professor caved. “I’m an audiologist. The safe contains the blueprints for a new and powerful weapon based on sound waves. It’s the kind of weapon that could bring an army to its knees or shatter their barracks while they slept. And the plans have been stolen!”

“Have any suspects in mind?”

“Yes. One. Viola Magnuson.”

Leo shook his head, “Haven’t heard of her.”

“You might know her better by her stage name, Viola Magdalene.”

“Oh. Well that’s a different story,” Leo said. “She’s Tacoma’s Sultry Mistress of Song. In fact, she’s singing at the costume ball the Elks are throwing tonight, isn’t she?”

At the mention of the Elks, The Professor spat, “Communists! I know they’re behind this!”

“What are you talking about, Professor?”

“Don’t fool yourself about the Elks! They see war coming and know that America is vulnerable and unprepared. The sonic cannon will give America the edge in the coming fight. That’s why they’ve stolen it.”

Sonic cannon? Leo wondered. But he moved on. “I thought you said Miss Magdalene stole it.”

“Well, yes. But…” The Professor, for the first time, looked abashed and stared at the desk. In a forlorned whisper he said, “I could not resist her. She seduced me. Somehow she got me to tell her the location of my lab. And the safe. That was yesterday, and she must have stolen it last night while I slept.”

The Professor looked at Leo with fire in his eyes, “I need you to get it back!”

Does the hope of the US really lie in the hands of one Leo Coatsworth? Was this mysterious and seductive Viola Magdalene really working against the US? Are the Elks really subversive Red Commies? Find out in Chapter II, published today during the 10:00 hour today!

Chapter II: The Elks’ Masquerade Ball

Leo and I were staring into the inky blackness. He pulled out a stubby cigar and the light of the match illuminated his leathery face as he puffed on the cigar to get it started.

“So you’re telling me that the safe they found originally held the plans for a super secret weapon called a sonic cannon?” I asked him as the night dragged on.

“That’s what I’ve said, son. But there’s a lot more of my story to go. Listen closely, because this starts getting complicated.”

^ ^ ^ ^

Leo’s Story

The Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks was hosting a Halloween Masquerade Ball. The Exalted Ruler of the Tacoma lodge went to the party dressed as Abraham Lincoln. Viola Magdalene went dressed as a ravishing black cat. Leo went as an ex-drunk private investigator in a rented and wrinkled suit. He filled the costume like he was born for it.

Finding his way toward the bar, Leo ordered two extra-dry martinis from the bartender.

“Dry sir?”

“If you even glance at the vermouth while you’re pouring I’m going to send it back.” The bartender nodded and went away to get the gin.

“Two drinks so soon, Leo?” asked a familiar voice.

Leo turned to see the Exalted Ruler of the Tacoma lodge, a portly built man named George, who really made a poor Lincoln. George stuck out his hand and Leo shook it warmly.

“You said a hell of a thing for me keeping that misfortune I had last year quiet, Leo, a hell of a thing,” said George. “I can’t thank you enough. What brings you here tonight?”

Leo’s martinis arrived and he used one to point up toward the stage. Viola was as sultry as he’d ever seen her and the crowd was eating up her performance.

George laughed.

“I have to talk to her, George.”

George laughed again. “You and every other man in here.”

“It’s about The Professor.”

Leo saw George’s face go stone cold. “No one gets to talk to her about that.”

But Leo did get to talk to Viola. In fact, it seemed to him that she was rushed off the stage and into her dressing room, where he and George waited, a few songs early.

“I take it you’re not here to get an autograph,” Viola said, strutting toward the mirror and checking her lipstick. Leo saw how The Professor had been seduced by her. She had only spoken a sentence to him and he was already entranced.

“No, Miss Magdalene. I’m here to ask about a safe.”

George and Viola exchanged glances and if Leo ever had any doubt they were involved in its theft, it was now gone. George leaned in and kissed Viola in such a familiar way that Leo realized they were long time lovers. He looked at Leo and smiled thinly. “I must get back to my duties running the lodge, Leo. Viola will answer any questions you have.” And with that George was gone.

“Would you mind unzipping me, honey?” Viola asked indicating the zipper at the top of her costume.

Leo held in his breath and sighed. He started the zipper down as far as he dared. “There you go,” he said, almost hoarse.

Viola disappeared behind a screen and began talking to Leo over it. “If you’re asking about the safe, I suppose I can conclude the The Professor has hired you to locate it. And if he’s gone to you, it means he’s decided he can’t go to the police. Either because he doesn’t trust them, because half of them are members of the Elks, or he doesn’t want a lot of publicity.”

She peeked around the edge of the screen. “Did he tell you what was in it?”

“He’s got a gold-plated trumpet in there for all I know,” Leo said.

Viola laughed. “Something like that,” she said, coming from around the screen dressed in a silky red robe. “He fell for me because of my name, you know. The Professor loves sound and he loves music. I guess a woman named Viola was right up his alley.”

“What were you after?” he challenged.

“The safe, of course.”

“So you admit you stole it.”

“Not at all. It was taken from him before we could get it. We don’t have it.” Viola batted her eyes. “We’ll hire you to find it for us instead of The Professor.”

If you believe that … Leo thought. She knew where the safe was, so did George. The offer of a job was a put-on, and a bad one at that.

Leo picked up his hat and nodded. “No, thank you, Miss. I’m already being well paid. Good night.” Leo made for the door but turned back at the last second. “One last question, Miss Magdalene. Why would you want to steal the safe? Do you really hate this country so much?”

Leo wasn’t sure, but it looked like Viola had suddenly teared up. She advanced right up to him in a fury. “I love this country, Mr. Coatsworth. More than you will ever know. More than Fascist infiltrators like The Professor will ever understand. Don’t you dare lecture me on my patriotism.” With that Viola decked Leo with a left-handed hook and he staggered out the door.

Is Viola really a patriot? What has she and George done with the safe? All this and more in Chapter III! Look for it in the 11:00 hour!

Chapter III: Tailing Viola

The day after the Masquerade Ball, Leo parked a few blocks from Viola’s North End Tacoma mansion on “I” Street and waited for her to start her day. Every day for the next week he kept a tail on her, following her around Tacoma. When she was on stage, he hung in the shadows at the back of the theater or club, soaking in her incredible voice. He couldn’t actually imagine that this woman was committing treason, but he knew that was because he was falling in love with her. It was clouding his judgement like the smell of Tacoma’s pulp mills clouded his nose.

During that week, Leo had to deal with frequent harassment from his employer, The Professor. On Wednesday, the Professor cornered Leo and told him, “While I told you there is a bonus for finding the safe within a week, Leo, I forgot to tell you there are penalties if you take longer. For your sake, I hope we don’t have to talk about those.”

Things were looking dire. Leo’s hunch to follow Viola and not George was starting to look like an awful mistake. Thursday dawned to find Leo holed up in his car again. The situation was not improving, but late that night after a show, Viola suddenly changed her routine. Leo tracked her through two attempts to ditch her car and a cab ride. Obviously she knew she was being followed, but Leo was too good to let her get away.

He followed her car across the softly undulating Narrows Bridge and to a ranch far out on the Peninsula. Killing the lights on his own car, Leo watched her look around furtively before entering the ranch house.

That’s where it’s got to be, Leo thought. Leo watched the house for a couple hours but when nothing moved and no one else came, he decided he would have to risk going in on his own. Just before dawn, Leo crept through the field between his car and the house. He picked the lock on the front door and entered.

In the early morning light, Leo could see well enough to not bump into any furniture as he navigated the rooms. From somewhere across the house he could hear quiet muttering. Leo followed the noise of the conversation and came to a partially cracked door, through which he could hear a man and a woman—Viola and George, he realized—arguing. The door sat at the top of a staircase, and Leo wondered if he could get through without being noticed.

He pulled his trusty .37 from its holster, took a deep breath, and burst into the room, gun drawn.

“Don’t even think about moving!” he called. But as he saw them, he realized they were in no position to move. They were fully occupied loading the stolen safe into the trunk of a car. They nearly dropped it, they were so surprised to see him.

“You!” Viola shouted, her eyes wide with anger.

“Thought you lost me, darling?” Viola only glared in response. “I do appreciate you getting the safe ready for me, though. Now, if you wouldn’t mind finishing the job,” Leo said, waving his gun at them.

With no other options, Viola and George finished loading the safe into trunk of the car.

“You don’t know what you’re doing,” George told Leo, shaking his head sadly.

“I’m taking this safe back to its rightful owner,” Leo answered. “The Professor and the United States of America.”

“The Professor is working against this country, Leo!” Viola answered. “He’s going to give the weapon to Hitler and everything will be lost.”

“Indeed I am, Viola!” said an all-too-familiar voice behind Leo. Leo turned to see The Professor standing above him on the staircase, a gun already neatly trained at him.

“I’m going to get this out of the country and over to the Atlantic before anyone can stop me.” The Professor pulled the gun out of Leo’s hand and trained both of them on the trio. “Now take that rope over there and let’s get you tied up.”

After a few minutes, Viola, George, and Leo were bound together in the ranch basement.

“And with that, I bid you adieu,” The Professor nodded. “By the time you see me again I’ll be at the right hand of the Fuhrer presenting him with a sonic cannon.” The Professor got behind the wheel of the car and pulled up the ramp that led out of the basement and into the morning air.

Leo looked at George and Viola apologetically. “I didn’t know … “

“Enough talk. I have a rough edge on the wall here that will cut the rope,” Viola cut in. “We’ll chase him down in your car once we’re free. Until then, Tubby’s our only hope.”

“Who’s Tubby?” Leo asked as he watched Viola run the rope that bound her wrists over a sharp edge along the wall.

“He’s a three-legged cocker spaniel,” George answered. “I gave him to Viola last year as an engagement present.”

“Where is he right now?”

“Right now, he’s in the backseat of the car. Don’t worry, he’ll give The Professor a fight to remember.”

Will Viola get the ropes cut in time? Will Viola’s dog Tubby stop The Professor from completing his dastardly plot? Will Leo make things right? Find out in Chapter IV, the thrilling conclusion to The Sound of the Furies. Look for it in the 12:00 hour!

Chapter IV: Showdown on Gertie

The Professor drove back toward Tacoma, the safe secured in the trunk of his car. He was smug and triumphant. The Fuhrer would be expecting him in Berlin soon.

Of course, he didn’t know that there was a three-legged cocker spaniel named Tubby in the backseat. And Tubby could smell evil.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch …

Viola had finally freed herself and her fellow captives from the basement. Leo rushed to get his car and bring it around to the ranch house.

In a flash, the trio was in the car and on their way after The Professor. Along the way, George explained, “Every member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks has committed himself to the protection of the US. When we learned about the sonic weapon The Professor was developing, we knew that he was going to turn it over to America’s enemies. I asked Viola, my fiance, to discover the location of the plans and to steal them. She accomplished that mission last week.”

“And the next day, The Professor hired me,” Leo finished. “I got it.” They were making fast time on the road and Leo hoped they could catch up with The Professor soon.

“If we get to The Professor before the Narrows, we have a chance,” he told them. “Otherwise, we’ll lose him in the city.”

As the car got closer and closer, Leo began to despair. It appeared that they had lost too much ground. Just as the top of the bridge towers came into view, Viola pointed forward and shouted, “Look!” Ahead of them was the car The Professor stole, speeding toward the Narrows.

“We’re going to be too late!” She cried as the car started up the bridge deck.

The bridge was undulating gently as it had since it opened, and Leo lost sight of the car in front of him between the waves concrete. Right near the midspan of the bridge, The Professor’s car jerked suddenly from side to side and came screeching to a halt.

“Tubby finally attacked! He stopped The Professor!”

Leo pulled to a stop behind The Professor’s car. Viola and George were out of the car nearly before he had even brought it to a complete stop. Ahead, Leo saw The Professor step out of the car in pain. Tubby was practically attached to his leg and gnawing ferociously. What held Leo’s attention was not the dog, but what The Professor held in his hand. It looked like a ray gun out of the pages of a cheap comic book. But it’s not a ray gun, is it Leo? It’s a sonic cannon.

Suddenly Leo realized that the Elks were not merely trying to get the plans for a sonic cannon, but for the weapon itself. The Professor had actually completed the cannon. And now he was pointing it directly at Viola and George.

A howl filled the air all around him, and Leo realized The Professor had pulled the trigger on the weapon. Everything seemed to be shaking with that unearthly noise. Viola and George were on their knees, their hands over their ears screaming in agony. The cannon was pointed directly at them, and if the noise was tearing the car apart, Leo couldn’t imagine what it was doing to the two of them.

Leo did the only thing he could think to do. He pulled his foot off the brake and slammed on the gas pedal, aiming squarely for The Professor. The Professor saw the car coming, but too late. He moved the cannon in the direction of the car and as the beam of sound waves hit the windshield, the glass exploded into a million tiny pieces. But Leo was not hit. The car caught the leg of The Professor who spun and fell to the ground. As he fell, the blast of the sonic cannon slammed into the bridge deck, and suddenly Leo felt everything begin to pitch violently.

It’s going to take down the bridge!

Leo rushed out of the car and grabbed the cannon from the hand of The Professor. The Professor’s index finger was still wrapped around the trigger and Leo pried it off, finally stopping the howl of the weapon.

But the Narrows continued to tremble.

Leo looked over at Viola and George who had righted themselves. “Are you OK?” I called.

They stumbled over to where I was standing. “I feel weird. I don’t know what that cannon did to me!” Viola shouted. Both of them looked odd to Leo, but he wasn’t quite sure why. But that was the least of their problems, he realized. “It’s going to collapse!” he shouted.

“We need to take the cannon back to the ranch,” George said, straining to make himself heard. He took the cannon from Leo. “Once this bridge is rebuilt, The Elks will store the cannon with the safe at our lodge where it can always be protected. We will keep it under our benevolent protection until America needs the cannon in its greatest time of need. You must go the other direction and buy us time. Go to the Tacoma side and but you must not tell anyone what has happened here today.”

“I’ll protect you!” I shouted. The noise was getting worse and the movement of the bridge was starting to become unmanageable.

“You have proved yourself to be a true Elk,” George smiled. Viola kissed me softly on the cheek, and with that the two jumped into their car and raced back toward the Gig Harbor side.

I looked down at the Professor who I had struck with the other car. Tubby was still at his feet, his jaw clamped down on The Professor’s leg. I attempted to pull him off, but Tubby wouldn’t budge. “I’m sorry, boy.” I started toward the Tacoma side of the Narrows when The Professor’s voice stopped me.

“You’re going to leave me, Leo?”

“You deserve to be on the bridge your weapon destroyed,” I told him. I turned and hurried toward the Tacoma side of the bridge as fast as I could.

Behind me, I heard The Professor call out, “You haven’t heard the last of me, Leo Coatsworth! This isn’t over yet!”

^ ^ ^ ^

Leo finished his story and I stared at him in wonder.

“Well, I suppose you know the official story. On November 7, 1941, Galloping Gertie came down due to cross winds. I told the press boys I couldn’t rescue my dog Tubby from the car and he perished when the bridge fell into the water an hour later. And I never told anyone about The Professor or the cannon.”

“Did the Professor die on the bridge? And what happened to Viola and George?” I asked.

“Well, that sonic cannon had some surprising side effects on all three—the two who were caught in its blast and the one who fired it. Strange, surprising side effects, indeed. But not everything was that surprising, I suppose. Viola and George pushed up their wedding and that next year she gave birth to a wonderful son. But all that will have to wait until next time. I’m a tired old man and I need to get to bed.”

“But what about the safe! I thought you were going to tell me why the safe was in the road!”

“Isn’t it obvious, son? Pretty soon they’re going to open that safe and do you know what? The cannon will be gone. It will be as if it never even existed. And that means Tacoma is going to see troubles the likes of which no one has seen since the day Gertie came down. Because The Professor didn’t die on the bridge that day. He’s still alive, driven insane by the sonic power of the cannon and now bent on finishing the destruction he started in 1941. No sirree, there won’t be a cannon in there. The Professor has it again. And only a true hero will be able to stop him this time.”

Next week: From the rubble, a hero will rise! What happened to Viola and George? Will they stop The Professor from reigning down chaos over Tacoma? Tune in next week, kids. Same bat time. Same bat channel.