Ill Wind by Jean Heller

Author:Jean Heller [Heller, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Chicago, mystery, thriller, Mafia, politics, Murder, female protagonist, Newspapers, Journalism, Locked-room mystery, Deuce Mora, Maximum Impact, Steve Pace, conspiracy
Publisher: Jean Heller Books
Published: 2020-02-13T16:00:00+00:00

36

I had grown weary of conducting newspaper business over meals, so when I met up with Steve later in the day I suggested we drive up to one of my favorite thinking spots in the city, Montrose Harbor. It sat next to the Uptown neighborhood north of the Miracle Mile. The park had a beautiful beach, marina, and a bird sanctuary where we could sit and talk in private and watch dozens of species of birds, some that spent the full year in the city, some that came only for the summer, and others that stopped along their migration routes as they moved with the seasons. Currently, migration was in full swing. We probably would encounter a few avid bird watchers, but they would be more interested in the feathered visitors than in us. It was still too cool to be crowded, a plus for me. I brought a jacket and suggested Steve bring one, too.

I let my security team know where we were going. They said they would be right behind us, and they were. They stayed close enough to be able to react quickly if we needed help but not so close that the bad guys would make them, assuming the bad guys were looking for them. When we exited Lake Shore Drive the ramp took us right to Montrose Drive, the entrance to the park complex. Just beyond Cricket Hill we found the parking lot almost empty. We took a first-row spot that made for a short, easy stroll into the sanctuary.

We stayed in our vehicle until we saw the security team pull into the same lot. Their vehicle of choice this day was a white GMC Yukon, which made it a bit less conspicuous than if it had been black.

Steve and I walked toward the sanctuary leaving our watchdogs behind for the moment. I assumed they might follow later.

The first birds we encountered were a flock of about 100 Canada geese. They paid no attention to us. They focused totally on chomping whatever Canada geese chomp on among the blades of newly greening grass.

“They don’t seem to care that we’re invading their turf,” Steve said.

“They don’t. There are probably tens of thousands of them in the city, all used to sharing ground with humans. In fact, humans are the reason they’re here. They came to get away from hunters. They thrive here, though they didn’t escape hunters completely. In the last few years there’s been an uptick in the numbers of coyotes and red foxes around. You remember the pedestrian bridge over Lake Shore Drive a few miles back?”

Steve thought for a moment, “Oh, yeah,” he said. “It’s very pretty.”

“Wildlife officials live-trapped a coyote crossing the bridge a few years ago. They were fairly certain it was anticipating a goose dinner.”

Steve had skepticism all over his face. “There are literally tens of thousands of geese living inside Chicago’s city limits?”

“Yep. Chicago has something like 570 parks that cover almost 10 percent of the land in the city.

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