Voices of the Dead by Peter Leonard on Tour, January, February, March, April, 2011

Hess found out the woman lived on P Street in Georgetown, not far from the consulate. He told the ambassador he was having dinner with potential clients, and wanted to drive himself. It was unorthodox, but plausible. He had been issued one of the embassy’s Mercedes sedans. He stopped at a bookstore and bought a map of the area, and located P Street. He drove there and saw the Goldman residence, a federal-style brick townhouse. Hess went to a restaurant and had dinner and a couple drinks. At ten o’clock he drove back, parked around the corner on 32nd Street between two other vehicles so the license plate was not visible to anyone driving by. He walked to the Goldmans’, stood next to a tree in front of the three-storey townhouse. There were lights on the first floor. He walked to the front door and rang the buzzer. He could hear footsteps and voices inside. A light over the door went on. Hess stood in the open so whoever it was would see he was well dressed. The door opened, a man standing there, assumed he was Dr. Mitchell Goldman, dark hair, big nose, mid-forties, top of the shirt unbuttoned, exposing a gold chain and a five-pointed star. Hess smiled. “My car is on the fritz. May I use your phone to call a tow truck?” Dr. Goldman stared at him with concern. “I am staying just down the street at the consulate,” Hess said, smiling. Now the
door opened and he stepped into the elegant foyer, chandelier overhead, marble floor. “Mitch, who is it?” a woman said from a big open room to his right. Dr. Goldman looked in her direction. “Guy’s having car trouble, wants to use the phone.” “It’s ten o’clock at night.” “He’ll just be a minute,” the dentist said. Hess could see the woman sitting on a couch, watching television. “The phone’s in here.” The dentist started to move. Hess drew the Luger from the pocket of his suit jacket,and aimed it at Goldman. The dentist put his hands up. “Whoa. Easy.” “Who is in the house?” “Just the two of us.” “Are you expecting anyone?” He shook his head. “Tell her to come in here,” Hess said. “What do you want? You want money?” He took his wallet out and handed it to him. “There’s eight hundred dollars in there.” “Call her,” Hess said. “Hon, come here, will you?” “I’m watching ‘All in the Family.’ Can you wait till the commercial?” Hess could hear people laughing on the television. “Just for a minute,” the dentist said. Hess saw her stand up and step around a low table in front of the couch, moving across the room, still looking back at the television. She turned her head as she entered the foyer and saw him holding the gun. Her hair looked darker in the dim light but he had only seen her briefly that day. “Oh-my-god,” she said, hands going up to her face. “We’re reasonable people,” the dentist said. “Tell us what you want.” “The pleasure of your company,” Hess said. “Where is the cellar?”