Rip Tide by Robert F Clifton (small books to read .txt) 📕

“Oh, poor you. The big brave policeman is afraid of dead people”.

“Yeah, well let me tell you something. I’m not afraid of seeing a dead body. I use to call Doctor Edwards Doctor Frankenstein. I might just start referring to you the same way”.

“What brings you here, Robert?”

“Hunger. Thought maybe we could go to lunch”.

“Sorry. I'm really busy, unless you want to eat here”.

“In the morgue?”

“No, of course not. The hospital cafeteria”.

“Better than a sandwich from a machine”.

“Alright, give me a minute while I get out of this lab coat and wash my hands”.

“How about the guy on the gurney?”

“He's not going anywhere, I'll finish with him after lunch.”

When Emily was ready they rode the elevator to the floor where the hospital cafeteria was located. Since it was just after twelve o'clock the place was busy and Robert and Emily joined the line of patrons who moved slowly pass soups, salads, cold cut platters, sandwiches, hot food and desserts.

Emily chose a garden salad along with a cup of coffee. Wallace took the cold cut platter and coffee.

After paying they both stood for a moment trying to find an empty table. Finally they found one back in the corner of the room. They walked to it, set down their trays then removed Styrofoam cups that had been left

by the last persons to use the table. Emily picked them up and walked a short distance to the trash can.

Finally seated they began to eat. Between bites they talked.

“So tell me, what really brought you here today?”, asked Emily.

“You mean besides wanting to take you to lunch?'

“Yes”.

“It's almost the fourth of July. Have you decided on my offer to pick you up so you can go to the beach?”

“I don't know, It seems that I might impose on you by doing that”.

“Nonsense. If you recall the conversation I offered to pick you up”.

“Yes, after I asked to park in the condo garage”.

“Emily will you please make a decision”.

“What if it rains?”

“Then, we can stand at the double doors in my living room that look down on the beach and boardwalk and pity all the poor bastards that had a lousy fourth of July”.

“Your impossible”,said Emily with a laugh.

“Then, it's decided. I'll pick you up”.

“Only if I can bring lunch”.

“I thought that you would stay for dinner. I enjoy playing chef once in awhile”.

“Just as long as you don't expect me to stay for breakfast”.

“Do I look like a cad? I do want to know if you want something other than seafood”.

“Since you are the chef, you decide”.

Arriving back at headquarters Wallace waited until the squad members entered his office and sat down. Then, he spoke. “The good news is Elroy will look into the Mariner Trust Corporation. That means none of you have to do it. The other good news is the fourth of July is near and we're all off for a long weekend unless, there's a killing and let's hope there isn't. Alright Frank, let's start with you”.

“I did some checking on the addresses. As a result I did find one, strange, interesting fact”.

“And?”,asked Wallace.

“Mary Ann and Harvey Bell have a home that is also mortgaged with Mariner Trust. What's strange and interesting is that Harvey Bell is the C.E.O. of the Regional Bank here in town. It seems to me that a guy that heads a bank wouldn't have too much trouble getting a mortgage with his own lending institution. Why then go to Mariner Trust?”

“Interesting. Appears we will have to dig deeper. O.K. Tom, what did you find?”

“I checked each address. Only one on the water had a boat, Derrick and Erica Butler. It's called the, “Model Life”. It's an Egg Harbor make, cabin cruiser I'd say about twenty seven or thirty feet long, flying bridge, outriggers, the whole package”.

“My ,oh my. It does get interesting doesn’t it?”, said Wallace

“Well, at least, we have now have suspects”, said McKenna.

Chapter Six

Independence Day

Robert Wallace sat in his favorite chair staring at the lithe and graceful body of Emily Wescoat as she stood before him in his living room

She was attired in a white bikini with matching sandals. Thinking that she might be offended with his staring he stood, diverting his eyes from her.

“You be careful on the beach. Your so fair that you could burn very easily. Many people make the mistake of disregarding the sun. Make sure that you're not one of them”.

“I brought lotion, but I can't reach my back. Would you put it on me Robert?”

“Sure”. He took the bottle of sun tan lotion from her and when she turned around he stood behind her. Placing a small amount of the liquid in his hand he first rubbed her shoulders. As he did he caught the pleasant aroma of the scented soap she used. Using more lotion he applied it down to where the bikini bra strap crossed her back.

“I don't know how much you paid for this bathing suit, but I'm sure it was expensive. I don't want to get this greasy stuff on the material”, he said as he spread the last of the lotion in his hand on her lower back.

“I thank you”.

“There you go, all finished'.

“Why don't you come with me?”, she asked.

“I'm not much of a beach goer anymore. When I was a kid I lived on the beach. I did two things, body surfed and chased girls. Now, I'd rather sit in my air conditioned living room listening to quality music while reading a good book. Besides, didn't you see the movie, Jaws?”

“Yes, but I don't intend to go into the water”.

“Why not?”

“I don't know how to swim. Remember, I'm from Iowa”.

“I could teach you”.

“I bet you could teach me a lot of things. That's why I'm leaving now for the beach. I should be back in about two hours. After I shower and dress we'll have lunch. Everything is in your refrigerator. Bye”.

After Emily left Wallace walked into his kitchen. There he washed and dried his hands, picked up the unread Sunday morning edition of the Nautilus beach Press and carried it to his favorite chair. As usual, he started by reading the sports page first. In disgust he mumbled under his breath a few profanities as glaring headlines announced, “Phillies Lose Again!” tossing the sports section on the floor he then read the world news. President Nixon finally made a speech since resigning in 1974. The Northern Territory of Australia becomes self-governing. “Same old bullshit!”, he thought to himself. He deposited the World news on top of the sports section. Now all that was left to read were the cartoons, society pages and the want ads. He always saved the cartoons for last. He never read the want ads so he opened up the society page and read.

He saw the always present engagement and wedding pictures, birthdays and charity events and was about to add this section of the newspaper to those piled on the floor when he spotted, Fire Cracker Boat Parade Tonight. The annual Fourth of July Boat Parade will be held this evening starting at eight pm. in Garwood Basin. Thirty five boats of various size, each one decorated with a patriotic theme in honor of Independence Day will compete for the honor of being the best in the parade. The judging will be conducted by Martha and John Hanes, last years winners with their boat, U Owe Me.

“Son of a bitch!”, he said aloud.

He got up out of his chair quickly and took the news paper with him to the desk. There, he cut out the article, saving it for the case file at headquarters. Then he sat and thought. “Why wasn't the Hanes boat mentioned in McKenna's report? He had found the Butlers Egg Harbor cabin cruiser. How in the hell could he have missed the U Owe Me?”.

His first thought was to call McKenna at home, but it being a holiday he decided against it. “Let the young guy enjoy his days off. My questions can wait until tomorrow”,he thought to himself.

Reaching for the telephone on the desk he dialed the number.

“Hello?”, said Mary, now Mary Wagner again.

“Hello yourself. I'm calling asking for a favor”, said Robert.

“I thought we agreed that I didn't have to pay you alimony”.

“Very funny. What I need is any information that might be in the archives of your paper in relation to John and Martha Hanes and Derrick and Erica Butler

“Such as?”

“I really don't know. At this point I'll take everything that has been written and collected”.

“How soon do you need it?”

“No rush. Yesterday would be fine”.

“So the great investigator and enemy of the free press needs and wants a favor”.

“Sadly, I must admit it”.

“Very well. Is there anything else you need?”

“No, not at the moment”.

“I'll get back to you, bye”.

Just as Wallace hung up the telephone Emily walked into the condo.

“Well, did you enjoy the beach?”, he asked.

“Yes and no. the beach is crowded. You were right about the sun. I felt the heat of it on my skin and the water was cold”.

“So you went into the water”.

“Up to my ankles”.

“Normally, the ocean temperature doesn’t reach seventy until about mid-July. That's two weeks away. As far as being crowded. It's the fourth of July weekend. Most of Philadelphia is spread out all along the Jersey coastline”.

“ Well, if you don't mind I'm going to use your shower. I'm afraid I left a bit of sand on the red rug in the lobby when I came in”.

“No problem. The door man has a Bissel sweeper. He also has a mop for the tile in the foyer when it rains”.

“I won't be long. Then, we'll have lunch. I'm hungry”.

“Take your time. I've got to put down some notes. A couple of things have come up”.

“About the Harris case?”

“Yes”.

“Can you tell me about it?”

“Sure, after you shower and dress.”.

The next day Captain Wallace sat watching Tom McKenna as the detective read the newspaper article about the Hanes and their boat. When he was finished the young man looked at Wallace and said, “Cap, there was no boat at their dock on the day I checked all of the properties”.

“Then, the U Owe Me wasn't behind the home of John and Martha Hanes?”

“Not when I checked”.

“Alright, what I want you to do now is check all the boat works in the area. Those here on the island and those on the mainland. It's possible that they put their yacht in one of them for repairs or maintenance. At the same time John Hanes is a sports fisherman. He's won both the Tuna Tournament and the Marlin Tournament a couple of times over the years.

It's strange that his boat isn't at his dock in the middle of summer”.

“I'll tell you what's strange. Now, instead of one boat in this case, now there's two”, said Sergeant Stiles'.

“True, but which one took Pauline to Great Bay?”, asked Wallace.

“I don't know Cap, but where do we go from here?”

“We keep digging. Let's focus on the Butler's and then Martha and John Hanes”.

“We got enough right now to lean on Derrick”, said Myers.

“True, but it's a city ordinance violation. He'd get thirty days in the County jail at the most”,Wallace replied.

“I say if nothing else we bring him in and question him about what he knows of Pauline Harris. After all, she was one of his models”, said Stiles.

“ I'll go along with that Frank. However, you do the questioning. I'll observe. What I really want to know is what this guy is like. I want to be able to evaluate him.”

“And, after you do that, then what?”

“Then I have two things in mind”.

Forty eight hours later Captain Wallace sat in a dark room looking through a glass window into an interrogation room. He waited patiently for Sergeant Stiles and Detective Myers along with Derrick Butler to enter and sit down. Then, when the questioning began he would begin his observation of the man. Primarily he was interested