Chapter III: Tailing Viola

(Note, if you haven’t read Chapters I and II yet, find them below!)

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!

Previously

Chapter I: A Visit from The Professor
Chapter II: The Elks’ Masquerade Ball