been peaceful. Only one violent crime along the coast. A young woman was robbed, beaten and raped in her room at the Perdido Beach Hilton. Her boyfriend, a tall blond-headed man with strong Nordic features, had found her bound and gagged in her room. His name was Rimmer, Aaron Rimmer, and he was from Memphis.
The real excitement of the night was a massive manhunt in the Mobile area for the escaped murderer, Ray McDeere. He had been seen arriving at the bus station after dark. His mug shot was on the front page of the morning paper, and before ten, three witnesses had come forth and reported sightings. His movements were traced across Mobile Bay to Foley, Alabama, then to Gulf Shores.
Since the Hilton is only ten miles from Gulf Shores along Highway 182, and since the only known escaped murderer was in the vicinity when the only violent crime occurred, the conclusion was quick and inescapable. The hotel's night clerk made a probable ID of Ray McDeere, and the records reflected that he checked in around nine-thirty as a Mr. Lee
Stevens. And he paid cash. Later, the victim checked in and was attacked. The victim also identified Mr. Ray McDeere. The night clerk remembered that the victim asked about a Rachel James, who checked in five minutes before the victim and paid cash. Rachel James vanished sometime during the night without bothering to check out. Likewise for Ray McDeere, alias Lee Stevens. A parking-lot attendant made a probable ID of McDeere and said he got in a white four-door Cutlass with a woman between midnight and one. Said she was driving and appeared to be in a hurry. Said they went east on 182.
Calling from his room on the sixth floor of the Hilton, Aaron Rimmer anonymously told a Baldwin County sheriff's deputy to check the car rental companies in Mobile. Check them for an Abby McDeere. That's your white Cutlass, he told him.
From Mobile to Miami, the search began for the Cutlass rented from Avis by Abby McDeere. The sheriffs investigator promised to keep the victim's boyfriend, Aaron Rimmer, posted on all developments.
Mr. Rimmer would wait at the Hilton. He shared a room with Tony Verkler. Next door was his boss, DeVasher. Fourteen of his friends sat in their rooms on the seventh floor and waited.
It took seventeen trips from the apartment to the U-Haul, but by noon the Bendini Papers were ready for shipment. Mitch rested his swollen legs. He sat on the couch and wrote instructions to Tammy. He detailed the transactions at the bank and told her to wait a week before contacting his mother. She would soon be a millionaire.
He set the telephone in his lap and prepared himself for an unpleasant task. He called the Dane County Bank and asked for Harold Sutherland. It was an emergency, he said.
"Hello," his father-in-law answered angrily.
"Mr. Sutherland, this is Mitch. Have you - "
"Where's my daughter? Is she okay?"
"Yes. She's fine. She's with me. We'll be leaving the country for a few days. Maybe weeks. Maybe months."
"I see," he replied slowly. "And where might you be going?"
"Not sure. We'll just knock around for a while."
"Is something wrong, Mitch?"
"Yes, sir. Something is very wrong, but I can't explain now. Maybe one of these days. Watch the newspapers closely. You'll see a major story out of Memphis within two weeks."
"Are you in danger?"
"Sort of. Have you received any unusual wire transfers this morning?"
"As a matter of fact we have. Somebody parked a million bucks here about an hour ago."
"That somebody was me, and the money is yours."
There was a very long pause. "Mitch, I think I deserve an explanation."
"Yes, sir, you do. But I can't give you one. If we make it safely out of the country, you'll be notified in a week or so. Enjoy the money. Gotta run."
Mitch waited a minute and called Room 1028 at the Holiday Inn, Panama City Beach.
"Hello." It was Abby.
"Hi, babe. How are you?"
"Terrible, Mitch. Ray's picture is on the cover of every newspaper down here. At first it was the escape and the fact that someone saw him in Mobile. Now the TV news is claiming he is the prime suspect in a rape last night."
"What? Where?"
"At the Perdido Beach Hilton. Ray caught that blonde following me into the hotel. He jumped her in her room and tied her up. Nothing serious. He took her gun and her money, and now she's claiming she was beaten and raped by Ray