McKenna by Robert F. Clifton (good beach reads .txt) 📕

“Well, since you haven't introduced yourself, let's start with your name”, McKenna replied.

“That's easy. It's Stanley Holtz”.

“Alright Mr. Holtz. As you know there was a murder out there on the boardwalk on Tuesday, October 14. As a matter of fact it happened about fifty or sixty yards from the boardwalk entrance to this hotel. What I'd like to know is if your night security force saw or heard anything that morning”.

“I doubt it. Each security officer is required to submit incident reports at the end of their patrol shift. If anyone saw or heard anything I would have seen it in a report. No one reported an incident on the morning that you are mentioning”.

“Interesting. What kind of incidents do your personnel report?”

“Drunks, guest rooms broken into, money and/or jewelry missing or lost. Damage to guests automobiles in our garage. Things of that nature”.

“You haven't mentioned trespassing”.

“Oh, that. Once and a while a hooker will come in off of the street, usually by cab. They try to get upstairs to the John's room. Other than that the only problem we have is with the homeless bums out there. In warm weather they climb up the stairs and sleep in the chase lounges on the sundeck. We use to file charges, but now we just chase them away.”

“What about fall and winter?”, asked Kevin.

“As far as I know they sleep under the boardwalk. They seem to sleep and live if you will, next to the outside, concrete wall of our heater room. I've never been under there, but we figure that that wall must be producing enough heat to keep them warm under there”

“And, you say you don't go under there?”

“I mean not me personally. You see Sergeant, I work at the pleasure of the Barnett bothers. Charles Barnett views the homeless out there the result of gambling casino's in neighboring Atlantic City. He believes that some went there looking for work, most of them to freeload. As a result, he wants them moved and away from and out of the area of the hotel. On the other hand Steven Barnett is pro gambling and pro casino. He sees the homeless as people that come as a result of progress and to be ignored and dealt with by the charitable organizations and churches. So that puts me between the two brothers both of which are my bosses. One day we move the homeless other days

we ignore them”.

“I see, then what did your people do on the morning of October 15?”

Holtz looked at the calendar on his desk then answered.

“Steven was on and about that day, so I can easily say that if there were any homeless about, they were ignored”.

“Can you give me the names of the security guards that were on duty the morning of the fourteenth of October?”, asked Kevin.

“Certainly. Would you like me to write them down for you?”

“No, that's not necessary. I'll do that”.

“Very well. Mike Thompson and Sheila McCormick. Do you want their home address?”

“No, I prefer to talk with them here”.

“Then you need to know that both of them are off Thursdays and Fridays. Is there anything else I can do for you Sergeant?”

“No, you've been very helpful. Thank you”, said McKenna as he got up to leave.

Arriving back at headquarters McKenna briefed Captain Myers on what had transpired at the Regal Hotel. “I want to speak with the two security guards that were on duty at the time of the murder”, he said to the Captain.

“Why didn't you bring them in for questioning?”, she asked.

“I want them to be comfortable in their own setting”, he replied.

“I see. Alright, you're the one who will be working late. Give me a report, both verbally and written after you're done with them”, Myers ordered.

When he returned to his desk he took a seat, reached for the telephone and pushed the number buttons. After several rings a woman answered. “Hello?”

“Aunt Mary? This is Kevin”.

“Kevin, this is a surprise. Are you alright? Do you need something”,said Mary Wagner.

“I do. I need some information. I was wondering if I could stop by and talk with you”.

“Certainly you can. Come any time you wish”.

“Thank you. Is seven o'clock this evening O.K.?”

“Yes, that's fine. I'll see you then”.

As he was hanging up the telephone receiver Kevin looked up to see John Collins. “Anything new?, asked Collins.

“Not yet. I have to talk with two security guards at the Regal. In the meantime I'm seeing my godmother this evening. She was a local news reporter, but she still has contacts and her ear to the ground, as they say. I need to know what's gone on in this town.”

“Well, if you ask me nothing new ever happens here. Same old shit, day after day,” Collins replied as he waked away.

At six forty five that evening Kevin parked his car in the driveway of Mary Wagner Wallace. Although divorced years ago Mary Wagner still used her married name. Just as he was ready to ring the doorbell Mary opened the front door. “Kevin, how nice to see you. Come in. Come in. Can I get you something?”, she asked.

“No Aunt Mary, I'm fine”, he answered.

“Then have a seat and before you begin asking me what you want to know catch me up with your life young man. I had hoped by now that you would have had a wife”.

“No, no wife”, said Kevin.

“A fiance' or at least a girl friend?”

“Nope, sorry”.

“Are you still living in Robert's condo?”

“Yes, while he's in Australia”.

“He'll probably die in Australia. He just turned eighty and Sharon told me in a letter that his diabetes is chronic”.

“Well, at least he'll be among friends”.

“Yes, instead of loved ones”.

“Aunt Mary, you must know that he doesn’t want to be a burden on you. Coming home to Nautilus Beach would mean that you would rush to take care of him. He knows that. You would have to do his shopping, take him to the doctors, make sure he took his medications. You might even have to give him his insulin injections”.

“Don't you imagine that he will have the same issues in Australia?”

“Yes, I guess he does,” Kevin replied.

“Alright, let's change the subject. You said you need some information. What is it?”, asked Mary.

“Right now, I'm investigating a homicide. The victim was a homeless man killed on the boardwalk near the Regal Hotel. I learned that there might be a faction in this town that are anti-homeless. In particular one of the owners of the Regal Hotel.

Charles Barnett is said to be slightly more than anti-homeless. I'm hoping you can tell me something about him or the homeless problem here in town.”

“Oh, the Barnett brothers. Where to start? I can tell you this. Charles Barnett is a miserable man, but he is is no murderer. He's the oldest of the two. Steven, his brother is just the opposite. When I say opposite Steven is friendly, out going and many say a progressive businessman”.

“How progressive?”, asked McKenna.

“It is said that he has two Assemblymen in Trenton putting together a bill that would allow casino gambling in other cities in New Jersey. Right now as you know the Casino Gambling Laws only allow Atlantic City the right to have the casinos. Another

thing that is required is the number of rooms in a hotel casino. At present only the Regal would qualify”.

“I see, but I was told that Charles Barnett hates casinos and the results of casinos in a city”.

“That's right. You see, what happened was this. The business establishments in their haste to gain casinos in Atlantic City gave the casinos everything they wanted. Therefore, the casino's not only had the tables and slot machines, they had entertainment, alcoholic beverages, haberdasheries, jewelry shops, restaurants and even the souvenir counters. As a result those same type of business on Atlantic and Pacific Avenues were crushed. The gamblers coming into the city never left the casinos. They didn't have to. Everything they needed was right there in the same building”. One by one those businesses that were successful before casinos went out of business after casinos”.

“Interesting. I can see why Charles Barnett dislikes the idea of casinos in Nautilus Beach”, said Kevin.

“That's not the only reason. Prior to the casino industry coming into Atlantic City Charles owned a very successful restaurant on the White horse Pike. One year after the casinos he had to close the doors. Before casino gambling patrons that visited the seashore would stop at his place to dine on their way back to Philadelphia. With casinos the people after gambling and dining in the casinos just drove by his place.”

“I see”.

“What you don't see is Steven Barnett's desire to own and operate a hotel-casino in Nautilus Beach. Where Charles raises his voice at city hall demanding action be taken against the homeless Steven just assumes that as part of the casino package. The casinos draw pimps, prostitutes, drugs, the homeless and scams. But he's willing to accept those conditions in our city just as long as the Regal has and operates a casino license. Why? Money of course. Those adverse conditions I just mentioned mean nothing to Steven. He knows the mistakes those in Atlantic City made and he has no intentions of doing the same. His idea of hotel casinos in Nautilus Beach is a place to gamble and a place to stay. He has no intentions of disrupting local businesses. As a result many merchants are lining up behind him. The thing to keep in mind about Steven is that he is completely different then Charles, Steven is, for the lack of a better word, a libertine.

He has a different woman on his arm every week. Besides women his other interests are his classic automobile collection and flying.”

“Flying. Is he a pilot?”, asked Kevin.

“Yes, he keeps his Cessna at the Atlantic City International Airport. He use to keep it at Bader Field in Atlantic City, but that closed in 2006.”

“Very interesting, but why his interest in casinos?”

“It's well known that Steven Barnett has lost a great deal of money. In fact he lost big twice, once in Las Vegas and another time in San Juan Puerto Rico”.

“Do you think that the casino laws will be changed in Trenton?”, asked Kevin.

“Right now, no, but keep in mind that things can and often do change. At one time the casinos in Atlantic City could be visited by seventy five million people within driving distance by automobile. Then, over a few short years other states got into the gambling business. Casino like enterprises sprung up at race tracks where slot machines were made available to the horse players. A mini- casino was created in Philadelphia. You know the result. Competition began killing the golden goose. However, smart businessmen, men like Steven Barnett learn from the mistakes of others. Let me put it another way. Steven has the contacts and the money to have the law changed. If there is ever a casino in Nautilus Beach it will belong to the Barnett brothers”.

“I see”, said Kevin. Looking at his wristwatch he got up out of the living room chair. “I'm sorry Aunt Mary, but I have to leave. I have to talk to a couple of people this evening, so I better get going”, he continued.

“You're just like Robert and your father. Once you sink your teeth into an investigation you won't let go until you have the answers”, said Mary as she walked Kevin to the front door.

“If that's true then I had two great teachers. You take care Aunt Mary and if you ever need anything you let me know, O.K.?”

“I'm fine Kevin, but thanks for the offer. Come see me again and make it soon”, said Mary as she kissed Kevin on the cheek.

“I will and thanks for your help”.

“You're welcome. Stay safe”.

At ten forty five that same