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

“Hey, I understand. Do you want the money now”.

“Honey, you have to let me know what you want and expect before I can figure out your bill”.

“As I recall anything extra costs me more”.

“That's correct'

“Well then, just a normal toss in the hay”.

“Then, my standard rate is five hundred dollars”.

“Fine. Are we going to do it here?”

“Heavens no. We go upstairs”.

“I don't know. I don't like the idea of being in another man's bed”.

“Donald, you won't be, I promise”.

“Alright, but I want two things first”.

“What's that?”

“I want to pay you now”.

“It can wait, but if you insist”.

“Here is, one, two, three, four and five hundred dollar bills”.

“Thank you Donald and what else do you want?”

“I want to see what I'm getting before I start”.

“Sugar you know what I look like”.

“Yeah, with clothes on. I have only seen you on the show ramp”.

“Very well. What do you want to see, top or bottom?”

“Top is fine”.

O'Neil sat and watched as Martha Hanes slowly removed her blouse and then her bra. Just as she placed the bra on the sofa cushion and was ready to stand she heard footsteps coming through the foyer. Seconds later she looked up and recognized Detective Myers. “Martha Hanes, you are under arrest for prostitution”, said O'Neil.

“You lousy son of a bitch!”, she screamed.

Detective Hedly removed the five hundred dollar bills from the woman hands and then handcuffed her. Five minutes later Captain Wallace walked into the living room following a maniacal-ed Derrick Butler.

“Guess who we found downstairs”, said Wallace.

“I can see”, answered O'Neil.

“Yeah but, there's more. I suggest you execute your search warrant”.

“No kidding”.

“Oh yeah”

Down in the room built under the house, a room that once contained the water pump before city water was run and connected, Captains Wallace and O'Neil stood looking at the latest updated video taping equipment. Mounted on the wall were five T.V. monitors which would expose views to the front, left, right, and above. Wallace figured that the fifth monitor was attached to a VCR allowing for full playback of the finished video tape. Both men paid particular attention to pictures hanging on a bedroom wall. This would tell them which bedroom was being used and they could then search for the hidden camera.

On another wall were three wooden shelves. The two men estimated that there was at least fifty video tapes on the shelves. They took the tapes as evidence and would look at them later.

When O'Neil and Wallace arrived from the lower room they were surprised to find another man seated and in handcuffs. “What do we have here?”, asked O'Neil.

“Captain, meet one John Hanes. We found him upstairs in the master bedroom”, said Detective McIntyer.

While O'Neil co-ordinated his investigation Captain Wallace walked carefully through the house taking his time to inspect closed closets and drawers. He picked up and looked closely at photographs of the Hanes taken at various social functions. When he entered the room next to the master bedroom the first thing he noticed was the mirror on the wall. He knew immediately that either John Hanes or someone sat in the master bedroom and through this two way mirror watched the actions that were being video taped by someone, probably Derrick butler, using the equipment in the lower room. He reached for the notebook and pen in his inside jacket pocket and made notes on his finding. “Two way mirror on wall between master bedroom and guest bedroom. Have photographs taken”, he wrote. He then stood and allowed his eyes to focus on the items in the room. Besides the white and gold, French double bed, there were two night tables, one on each side of the bed. In front of one wall was a matching chest of drawers. On top of the chest was a vase containing artificial flowers. Wallace looked up at the ceiling and saw the three blade fan which contained three glass, tulip shaped globes each globe containing a light bulb hanging down from the center of the ceiling. He then visibly scanned the walls and saw the air condition vent, the blades of the vent were slightly open. He walked and took a position where he could look up and see inside. When he did he saw the small camera it contained. Another camera he found inside a Tiffany Lamp replica.

Leaving the room Wallace walked down the hallway. He stopped in front of two, mahogany colored louvered doors. “This must be the linen closet”, he thought. Opening the doors he found that he was right as piles of sheets, pillow cases and towels were neatly stacked on four white enameled wooden shelves. As he looked downward he saw the gray, steel, two drawer filing cabinet. He reached down to opened the top drawer, but found it locked. As he started down the spiral staircase he saw Tom Mckenna. “Tom, come up here. I need you to help me with something'.

The two men upon reaching the filing cabinet, picked it up and together carried it down stairs placing it on the foyer floor. “Go ask Mr. or Mrs. Hanes if they will give us the key. I already know the answer, but ask anyway. We'll open it at headquarters”, said Wallace.

A few minutes later, McKenna returned and said, “No go. He demands to speak to his lawyer”.

“I figured that. Are any of them talking?”, asked Wallace.

“Not that I know of. The only one who is nervous is Butler. The Hanes appear cool, calm and collected. In fact, Mrs. Hanes is just sitting there with a large smile on her face”.

Together Captain's O'Neil and Wallace stood and watched as Butler and the Hanes were led away in handcuffs to be sent in and booked at headquarters. They then turned their attention to the Crime Scene Technicians making sure that all collected evidence, video tapes, address books and the gray, steel filing cabinet was labeled, numbered and placed in the marked, C.S.I. van, parked in the driveway. The only thing not placed in the van were the video tapes. Wallace held on to the cardboard box containing eighteen tapes taken from the fifty they had found, making sure they were safe and secure. As he did Lieutenant June Campo made sure that her staff photographed the entire house paying particular attention to the bedroom with the two way mirror and the lower room containing the video taping equipment.

By the time O'Neil and Wallace returned to headquarters both Martha and John Hanes had contacted their lawyer, who then tried to contact the municipal judge who in return could set bail.

Chapter Eleven

Trial and Error

On Monday, September 4, 1978, Labor Day, the morning at eight o'clock was relatively quiet for a holiday. Tourist families were getting up out of hotel beds. Some headed for the dinning room eager for breakfast.

Others ordered room service. Those who had imbibed of the alcoholic beverages offered by the many bars and saloons on the island sat on the sides of their bed nursing hangover headaches, nausea, and vomiting. The lucky ones slept soundly. At headquarters the members of both the Vice and Major Crime Squad sat drinking coffee waiting to see the first video tape seized as evidence at the Hanes home. Bill O'Neil picked one out of the box and read aloud the writing on the black, cardboard cover. “It says, Martin Donahue. Let's see what we have”.

When the color images appeared on the sixteen inch screen television everyone leaned forward in their chairs wanting to see, just what the tape contained. What they saw was a bald headed man who sat on the edge of the bed while a brunette woman began to disrobe.

“Carol, do you recognize the woman?”, asked Wallace.

“She looks like Amanda Wells. In this video her hair style is different then what she has today”.

“Notice that at the bottom of the tape it runs and shows the date, time, minutes and seconds. How nice of them”, said O'Neil.

“Some one take notes. Write down the mans name, the date that's displayed in the tape and the year 1976”, said Wallace.

“I got it Captain”, said Myers.

“Do we have to watch the entire tape?”, asked Detective Hedly.

“If you're uncomfortable watching what's happening you can leave, but just suppose someone else joins in the fun and you didn't see who it is?, said O'Neil.

“It's like watching a porn movie”, Hedly replied.

“How many porn movies have you watched making you an authority?” asked McIntyer.

The rest of the vice squad began to laugh as Detective Hedly blushed.

For the remainder of the morning the police officers watched tape after tape with Captain Wallace's squad members identifying each woman they recognized in the video's and as they did they wrote down the names of the victims, along with the date and times of the recordings.

There was a knock on the door of the closed conference room and it was opened just enough for Tom McKenna to see a uniformed officer.

“What?”, asked Tom.

“There's a woman here demanding to see Captain Wallace”, said the messenger.

“O.K. I'll tell him. Captain Wallace, there's a woman here to see you”, said McKenna.

“Did they say who it is?”

“No sir”.

“Alright. Let's take a break. I'll see who it is and what they want and if anyone is sending out for more coffee, I'll take another cup”.

Wallace walked out of the room and took the elevator to his office floor. When he stepped out on to the floor he saw Erica Butler sitting outside his office door. “Good morning Mrs. Butler. I understand that you wanted to see me”, said Wallace.

“You must be Captain Wallace. I recognize your voice from the rude, short, conversations we've had on the telephone”.

“Ah yes, you accused me of being rude and I believe I replied, that if I was rude I apologize. Now, is that why you are here?”

“No, I'm here because you have arrested my husband. Since I'm here I want you to know that I intend to bring charges against you for harassing both Derrick and myself. I don't know what you have against us other than the fact that I want the designer dress back from you”.

“Are you quite finished Mrs Butler?”

“Yes, for the moment”.

“As usual you're talking about things you don't know and things that you've got wrong. For instance, I didn't arrest your husband. Some one else did. Next, police officers are protected providing they can show probable cause for their actions and believe me the evidence we have gives us more than enough probable cause. As for the dress, we've been over it and over it. I don't intend to waste my time telling you again what to do it about the dress. Now, unless you have something else you want to know or another threat towards me I'll say good by. You see, I'm very busy”.

“What has Derrick been arrested for?”

“I believe the charge is, Being an Inmate of a Disorderly House”.

“How much is his bail?”

“I have no idea. However, today is a holiday. Good luck finding a judge who will set his bail. Now, if it isn't too late, have a nice day. Good by”.

After returning to the conference room Wallace rejoined the others and continued to view the video tapes that has been taken as evidence. He noticed that although several of the housewives appeared in the tapes, Martha Hanes appeared in most of them. Then, he sat further on his chair as he watched Mrs. Hanes in bed with a woman. “Bill, is there a name on that tape?”, he asked.

Bill O'Neil picked up the black, cardboard video sleeve and read,

“ALICE BALDWIN, APRIL 15, 1977”. Wallace wrote the name in his notebook.

Near noon, those in the room learned that Wilbur Sims, the attorney for the Hanes and Derrick Butler were able to reach Judge Homer Wilkins who not only did not set bail, but released each defendant on their own recognizance. “I smell a fix”, said McKenna.

“Don't be too hasty to run your mouth. Right now the Hanes are viewed