The Pastor's Daughter: Episode IX

By the time I got to the Atlantic City International  Airport, it was already six O’ clock. I was told by the workers at the airport that his plane was on time, and was due in at any moment.

There were some seats inside the airport building. I went to one of them, sat down and waited. Four people were also sitting around me, probably waiting for someone I believe. One of them was a black lady with a bust on her you only see in adult movies. She was wearing a red dress and a small black hat. Her necklace, ring and watch were sparkling, and I believe they were diamonds. They must have cost some guy a pile of money.

I was looking at her while all these thoughts are going on in my mind. And then, she suddenly, our eyes met. She smiled.

“You must be Harry?” she asked.

“That’s right,” I replied, surprised that she knew who I was.

“I am Mrs. Susan Waters,”

I stared at her in disbelief.

“Is that right? I’m so pleased to meet you” I said, getting up and going to sit beside her. “Reverend Waters hasn’t arrived yet, has he?”

“If he have, I have not seen him so far,” she replied, her beautiful eyes searching my face. “I’ve been shopping in London for the past week. My husband – the Reverend as you call him – called me to meet him here today. Brittany’s death is really a very bad news.”

I kept  looking at her as she spoke. She is really a beautiful woman. In my estimation, which was based on what Brittany told me, she couldn’t have been more than twenty – three or twenty four years at the time. However, there was a worldliness about her that made her look older than her age.

“Sure, it is really a sad news,” I replied.

“She was so young. I can’t believe she’s gone just like that,” she said.

“I know,” I said.

As we spoke, she continued to look at me directly in my eyes. Honestly, that made me very uncomfortable.

“Did you know her well, Harry?”

“Not really,” I said.

“It’s unlike her to have fallen like that.”

“The police think it might be an accident: she was taking photographs and didn’t look where she was going. Then she fell.”

At this point, we heard the sound of an approaching aircraft. This sound cut our conversation, which I found very uncomfortable, short.

“I think that’s Reverend Waters’ plane coming in now,” I said.

We watched the aircraft land. The passengers began to alight after a few minutes. I wasn’t surprised at all when I noticed that Reverend Waters was the first off the plane. He came out quickly through the barrier and hugged his wife. I drew back and let them talk for a few moments. Soon he came to me and we shook hands. He stared hard at me, and then said, “I hope everything is under control Harry?”

“Yes sir,” I replied.

“Please take us to a nearby hotel as quickly as possible” he said. “I cannot go to Middle River yet at the moment. I’m so tired and sad at this point that I don’t want to discuss my daughter yet. Meanwhile, do arrange a meeting for me and the police. I will like to meet with them at my hotel at seven.”

“I will be on it sir,” I replied.

I had previously hired a Rolls Royce for him and his wife when I was coming down to the airport. So they both got in the back seat of the car while I got in front with the chauffeur. When we got to the Marriott Hotel, he curtly dismissed me by saying , “I will see you at seven Harry.”

Now Reverend Waters, to me, is not somebody one can call “handsome”. The best description I can give him is that he was short, fat and built like a barrel. From the way he looked and how he was built, I sometimes find it hard to believe that he can be the father of a girl like Brittany whose flashy beauty had been so fatally attractive to me. He had changed, obviously shaved and showered  by the time Lieutenants Ludlum, Reid and I trooped into the lush lounge that the Marriott hotel had provided for him. He had a glowering, dark expression on his face as he sat at the head of a big table in the middle of the room.

His wife, Susan, was sitting by the window. She had on a light green dress that made her look even more beautiful than when I saw her at the airport. I noticed that Lieutenant Reid’s usually gloomy dark face took on a more animated expression when he looked at her long, shapely legs, which were crossed, showing her beautiful   knees.

For a moment Reverend Waters stared fixedly at Lieutenant Ludlum. Then he said in a very friendly voice, “Lieutenant Ludlum, I will like you to give me all the facts about this incident. Don’t try to sugar-coat anything.”

Now, I’ve known Lieutenant Ludlum pretty well for close to three years. Although I knew he was thorough, and had a reputation for solving his cases, I had never thought much of him as a policeman. I mean, up to this moment. I never considered him as someone who had any great talent for his job. But today, he surprised me. I was impressed by the way he faced up to Reverend Waters during the next twenty minutes. What he said during this period gave me an entirely different opinion of him. He was definitely a great cop.

“I’m afraid the facts may be bitter, Mr Waters,” he said quietly, “but you shall have them since you asked for them.”

Reverend Waters sat motionless and continued to stare fixedly at Lieutenant Ludlum.

“I guess I’m ready for them, regardless,” he said.

“Ten days ago, your daughter Brittany left Middle River and came to Atlantic City. She took the local train from Penn Station to Atlantic City Rail Terminal,  and from there  she paid a visit to a realtor,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. He was speaking very calmly, much like someone who had reversed this speech for some time and learned it by heart. “She introduced herself as the wife of a college professor on vacation in Atlantic  City. In fact, the name she gave the realtor was Mrs. Graham Reed.”

I sneaked a quick look at Reverend Waters. He sat impassive, with his hands crossed to his chest. I looked from him to Susan. She gave no sign that she was listening. All this while she was looking out of the window.

“She wanted a vacation house for two weeks,” Lieutenant Ludlum went on in his gentle voice. “She insisted on a place that was isolated. She told the realtor the price will not be a problem. Well, coincidentally, the realtor had a good place that will be perfect for her. So he took her to the house and she immediately paid for it.  She asked the realtor if he knew someone she could hire to look after the place during their stay.   So the realtor recommended a woman of a nearby village for the job. Her name was Karen Fulton. When I interviewed her she told that she went to the vacation house the day your daughter checked in. According to her, your daughter arrived a few hours before she get there on a Mercedes convertible.”

Reverend Waters said, “Was the car registered on her name?”

“Sure,” Lieutenant Ludlum said.

“Go on,” Reverend Waters said.

“Your daughter then told Ms Karen that she expects her husband to join her there the following day. Ms Karen noted that your daughter was very excited. According to her, your daughter seemed to be very much in love with this man. She also said that the man’s name was Graham Reed.”

When he said the last sentence, Reverend Waters, for the first time, revealed his feelings. His fingers immediately turned into fists and he hunched his broad shoulders.

Lieutenant Ludlum went on, “By eight-thirty on the morning of the 29^th, Karen Fulton came to the vacation house. She dusted, swept and washed up the breakfast things. Your daughter told her she was going to the train station. She had to meet the train coming from Baltimore City. She told Karen that her husband will be on the train. Karen did not remember the exact time she left the vacation house, but she did said that it was before noon. She also said that your daughter was arranging flowers in the lounge the time  she was leaving. And, so far as we know, that was the last time that anyone saw your daughter alive.”

Susan Waters crossed her legs and turned her head. I felt uncomfortable the way she stared directly at me. This made me to look quickly away from her.

“We are still not sure what happened between that time and eight-fifteen in the evening,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “And we may never know, given the way things are at the moment. It could be anyone’s guess.”

Reverend Waters eyes were almost teary. He learned forward and said, “Do you have any reason for saying eight-fifteen?”

“We believe that was the time your daughter died,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “She was wearing a wrist watch. This watch was smashed in the fall. When we checked it, we discovered that it showed exactly eight-fifteen. So you can see why we were convinced about the time of her death.”

While it doesn’t look like Reverend Waters was too surprised about this new information, it did make me to stiffen to attention. It means that I was already in the compound when Brittany had fallen. Did the intruder saw me then? How come I did not hear the sound? Well, that’s not necessary at the moment. What is important, though, is this: If it became known I had been up there at the time, no one, including a judge and jury, would believe I hadn’t had something to do with Brittany’s death.

“I wish I could tell you that your daughter’s death was caused by an unfortunate accident,” Lieutenant Ludlum went on, “However, at this moment, it is difficult to say that with certainty. Saying that will make it easy to conclude our investigation of course. I said this because, she may have taken her camera too close to the window. She may have been sitting on the window while using the camera. Nobody know. She may have been too absorbed in the picture she was taking with the camera. This can cause anybody, your daughter included, to forget themselves and fall over. This is very possible as you may know.”

“In other words, you are trying to tell me it wasn’t an accident?” Reverend Waters said.

I noticed that Susan Waters had stopped staring at me. She now looked interested in what was going on.

“We are waiting for the medical examiner or the coroner,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “He’s the only person that can make that conclusion. There are a few complications. We need some explanations for a few things about your daughter. So far, we have two theories about her death. The first one is that it was an accident: she accidentally fell from the window while using her camera. The other one, which you may found uncomfortable, is that your daughter committed suicide.”

Reverend Waters’ face frowned.

“Why did you say that?” he said. “You must have a reason for saying things like that I believe?”

“We found out that your daughter was pregnant,” Lieutenant Ludlum replied.

There was a long, heavy silence. My hands started sweating and I stared down at them because I dare not look at Reverend Waters.

Susan Waters broke the silence by saying, “Are you sure about this officer? Oh Reginald! How can…”

At last I was able to look at Reverend Waters. His face doesn’t look good at all.

“Hold on honey,” he said to his wife. “Lets talk about this later.”

As Susan Waters turned to look out of the window, he said to Lieutenant Ludlum, “Did the doctor told you that?”

“It is in  the autopsy report” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “I can show you a copy of the report if you want.”

“Brittany pregnant? Unbelievable!”  Reverend Waters said.

He suddenly pushed back his chair. Then he got to his feet. He really looked worried. He walked slowly around the lounge while Susan continued to stare out of the window. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Ludlum, Lieutenant Reid and I stared down at our feet.

“I don’t want to believe that my daughter committed suicide,” he said suddenly. “She is simply not the type. I mean, she had too much strength of character. But pregnancy? Oh my God!”

I almost laughed because, to me, his words does not make much sense, coming from a man like Reverend Waters. I found myself wondering if he had ever made any effort to find out if Brittany had had any character at all in the first place.

We all remained silent.

With a face that is set and frowning, he put his hands in his pockets and  continued to  walk around the lounge. He stopped suddenly and said, “Who is this man Graham Reed?”

By this time, several uncomfortable minutes had ticked by.

“At the moment nobody knows who he is,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “In my opinion, your daughter may have purposely misled the realtor by giving him that name. She also misled Ms. Karen by telling her he is her husband. We have checked around the area and the train station. There is nobody of that name.”

Reverend Waters came over and sat down again.

“Have you also considered  the possibility that he may be using a fake name?” he asked.

“Of course that is possible too,” Lieutenant Ludlum said, “Our inquiries did reveal that there was a black man travelling alone, on the three-thirty train from Baltimore City.”

When he said that, I felt my heart contract. I don’t like the feeling at all. I had difficulty breathing.

“The man in question left a suitcase at the station,” Lieutenant Ludlum went on. “However, the problem is that the description of him varies. Nobody was particularly paying attention to him. A passing motorist did saw him walking on the road that led to the vacation house. All the people who saw him were sure of one thing though: he wore a dark suit. I asked the station clerk and he told me he was sure that this man was tall. But the motorist’s description was different. He thought this man was of middle height. One other individual I asked was a boy from a nearby village. He said the man was short and thick-set. So, as you can see, there is no clear description of this mysterious man. He collected his suitcase around ten O’clock in the evening. He also took a taxi to  Absecon station. According to the taxi driver, he was in a great hurry. The driver also said that he offered him double fare plus five dollars tip to get him to the Absecon station. He said he needed to catch the eleven-fifteen train to Baltimore City.”

Reverend Waters was sitting forward. The look on his face reminded me of some beast of prey.

“Someone saw this mysterious man on the road to the vacation house that evening? He asked.

“Yes,” Lieutenant Ludlum replied.

“Brittany died by eight-fifteen?”

“As far as we know, the answer is yes.”

“And this man, who was in a hurry, took a taxi around ten O’clock?”

“Yes.”

“I wonder how long it would take to get from the vacation house to Atlantic City train station?”

“Well, it would take over an hour and half if the person is walking,” Lieutenant Ludlum explained. “But it won’t take that long with a car – around thirty minutes.”

Reverend Waters brooded for a moment.

By now I was breathing through my half-open mouth. I felt pretty bad. I was convinced that he will come out with some devastating discovery after asking these questions. I was relieved that he didn’t. The only thing he did was to hunch his shoulders and say, “Brittany wouldn’t commit suicide. I can feel it. She is my daughter and I know her very well. So you can put your ‘suicide’ theory out of your mind, Lieutenant. It is as clear as crystal: she fell through the window while using  her camera.”

I guess Lieutenant Ludlum did not know what to say because he remained silent. Lieutenant Reid, on the other hand, seemed to be uneasy. He just stared hard on his hands.

“From your explanations,” Reverend Waters went on, “This is the most credible verdict as to the cause of my daughter’s death.”

Lieutenant Ludlum said quietly, “Mr Waters, I am required to give the facts to the coroner. I will leave it to him to find the verdict.”

Reverend Waters stared at him.

“Sure,” he said. “Who is the coroner?”

“His name is Russell Jacoby”

“And he’s here in Atlantic City?”

“Yes. He is at their main mortuary.”

“I want to see my daughter.”

“Not a problem sir. I will take you there whenever you are ready.”

Again, Reverend Waters stared at him.

“You don’t have to go with me Lieutenant” he said. “ I will like to go with Harry.”

“Not a problem sir,” Lieutenant Ludlum.

“Just let whoever is in charge know that I want to see my daughter.”

“Yes sir.”

Reverend Waters turned to me and said, “Is Atlantic City press covering this business?”

“Not yet,” I replied. “We were able to keep everything quiet until you came.”

He studied me, then nodded.

“You did a good job there,” he said, and then he turned to Lieutenant Ludlum. “I must say I appreciate all you have done so far Lieutenant. Please keep me informed. If anything comes up between now and the inquest, I will like to know about it. I will stay in touch with you.”

Lieutenants Ludlum and Reid got to their feet.

“It’s always our pleasure to help,” Lieutenant Ludlum said.

When they had gone, Reverend Waters said quietly, “They are good police officers.”

“Yes they are,” I replied.

“However, his verdict as the cause of Brittany’s death is incorrect,”

I did not say anything.

He sat there, staring down at his hands. My mind told me that this is the best time to unload the box of Jewels Lieutenant Ludlum had entrusted to my keeping. So I put the box on the table in front of Reverend Waters.

“These are Brittany’s stuff,” I said. “They were found in the vacation house.”

He frowned. Then he reached forward and opened the contents. The jewels spill out on to the table as he turned the box upside down. At this time, Susan got to her feet and crossed over to stare over his shoulders.

“Did you gave her those jewels Reginald?” she asked.

“Of course not,” he said, staring at the jewels in disbelief. He poked at the diamond collar with his index finger. “She is too young to have all these stuff.”

Susan reached over his shoulder to pick up the diamond collar but he gently pushed her hand away.

“Hold on Susan,” he said. “We will go through these together later.”

Susan shrugged and returned to her sit by the window.

Reverend Waters put the jewels back into the box and shut the lid. He sat motionless for a long time, consumed by his thoughts. Then he said, “Listen Harry. I want you to get this coroner fella - Russell Jacoby – on the telephone.”

I searched the telephone directory and got Russell Jacoby’s number.  Then I put through a call. While I was waiting for the connection, Reverend Waters went on, “You can now give the news to the press. However, don’t give them any details. Just tell them that Brittany, while on vacation in Atlantic City, fell off the window of a three-story building and died.”

“Yes sir,” I said.

“I want you here tomorrow morning at nine O’clock. I want to go to the mortuary and see her, so come with a car.”

While he was saying this, a female voice said on the line that this was the coroner’s office.

“Can you put me through to Russell Jacoby?” I said.

“Sure,” she replied.

When Russell Jacoby came on the line, I said to Reverend Waters, “Russell Jacoby – the coroner.”

He took the receiver from me and said to me, “Now Harry, get busy. And, don’t forget – no details.”

“Yes sir,” I replied.

As I was leaving the room, I heard him say on the receiver, “This is Reverend Waters…”

I do give him credit for the way he always made his name sound very important.

END OF EPISODE IX

P.S. Episode Ten  will be published here next Monday. 

The Pastor’s Daughter: Episode VIII

Lieutenant Jim Ludlum completed his examination of the vacation house and his interrogation of the maid from the village around three-thirty. While I didn’t see her, I did hear the faint sound of their voices as he talked with her in the kitchen. All the time he was talking to her, I remained in the lounge, smoking cigarette after cigarette, my mind whizzing round in panic like a squirrel in a cage.

I can’t believe Brittany had been pregnant! I’m sure it wasn’t mine for I only made love to her a few days ago.

This new information would be the final nail in my coffin if they ever found out who Graham Reed was. Even though I knew I was innocent of her death and, perhaps of her pregnancy, no one would believe it if ever the facts came out. I told myself once again that I was crazy to have ever got tangled with Brittany.

So, who was her lover? I had no idea. I thought again about the mysterious intruder I had seen at the vacation house last night. Was he Brittany’s lover? I told myself that it was quite possible. All the facts we have so far shows that he hadn’t been a thief. I have never seen or heard of any thief who would  have left two thousand dollars’ worth of jewelry on the dressing table.

I continued to turn this situation over in my mind,  because I knew that in, say, another half hour or so, I would have to give the details of her death to Reverend Waters. The more I thought about it, the more worried I became. I became more acutely conscious that only one step would sink me for good.

As the hands of the clock on moved to three forty-four, Lieutenant Ludlum came into the lounge.

“I believe you know by now that there are complications,” he said gloomily.

“Sure,” I replied.

“Since you knew her for a while, do you think she was the suicide type?”

I was startled by  his question.

“I don’t really know much about her,” I said. “All I can tell you is that Reverend Waters asked me to pick her up from the airport and take her to their house in Victory Villa. That was  months ago. I have scarcely seen her since then. I just don’t know anything about her, except that she is my boss’ daughter. And I’m so shocked that this happened to her.”

I don’t think he paid much notice to what I had said because he simply said, “Lieutenant Reid is convinced that her lover deserted her and, because of that, she threw herself off the window in despair.”

“I doubt it,” I replied. “Black girls are usually practical and they seldom do that sort of thing. You will have to be very careful when you talk to Reverend Waters. Before you suggest a theory to him, think about it very well. This may not be the best thing to tell him. I’m sure he might not like it.”

“Actually I’m suggesting it to you, not to Reverend Waters,” he said quietly.

Lieutenant Reid wandered in at this moment and sat down. He looked at me. His eyes were cold and hostile. Maybe it’s  because I’m black but I had this feeling he don’t like me for some reason.

“You are free to make all the suggestions you like to me,” I said, looking at Lieutenant Ludlum. “However, you will need to be extremely careful about what you say to Reverend Waters.”

“I do understand that,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “But I want to rely on you for help in this situation. You never know – this may be a case of love affair gone wrong. According to the maid Brittany came here two days ago.  And she came alone. She told the maid that her husband will be joining her the following day, which I believe would be yesterday. The maid says that she was very excited to meet with him here. She was very happy.” He stopped to stare at me. “What I’m telling you is what the maid said. In matters like this, women are very reliable.”

“You could be right,” I said. “I will not argue with you. So, go on.”

“This man, her so-called husband, was supposed to be arriving at Atlantic City Rail Terminal from Penn Station in Baltimore at three-thirty. Brittany told her she was going to meet the train. She also told her to come in at nine in the evening to help her clean up the dinner things, you know. According to the maid, she left the vacation house at eleven in the morning.  So, something happened between that time and the time it was necessary for Brittany to leave to meet the train – something that made her to change her mind about meeting it, or have prevented her from meeting it.”

“What kind of thing do you have in mind?” I asked.

He shrugged.

“Perhaps she  received a message,” he said. “But I have already checked: there’s no record of her receiving a telephone call. Still she may have learned somehow that her lover wasn’t coming as they planned.”

“Are you going to tell that to Reverend Waters?” I said

“By the time Reverend Waters arrives here, we may have some facts,” he said. “But before then, I will continue to try theories.”

He moved restlessly, and I could see he was not happy with the situation. “I’m just trying to see if Lieutenant Reid’s theory that she killed herself in a fit of depression sounds reasonable.”

“Does it really matter?” I said. “Brittany’s dead. Can’t you guys put this through as an accident? I don’t think it is necessary to broadcast that she is pregnant either.”

“We can’t keep it quiet,” he said. “You  seem to have forgotten that the coroner will have the autopsy report.”

Lieutenant Reid said impatiently, “ I guess I have to leave you guys now. My goal now is to find this man Graham Reed.”

When he said that, I felt very uneasy. It was like a feeling you have when someone touch the back of your neck with a splinter of ice.

“I think this would be the best time to call Reverend Waters.” I said. I tried with great difficulty to make my voice sound casual.

“You think so?” Lieutenant Ludlum asked.

“Yeah,” I replied. “ I know that by now he will be wondering what is happening. What do you think is the best thing to tell him?”

Both Lieutenant Ludlum and Reid exchanged glances.

“I will suggest that at this stage of the investigation it would be best to tell him as little as possible,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “Please don’t mention the name Graham Reed at this point. You can just tell him that she fell off the window while using her camera, and that we are currently arranging an inquest and a full investigation. You can also tell him that until these are completed we…”

Before he could complete his statement, the telephone started to ring. Lieutenant Reid lifted the receiver and listened for a moment.

“Sure, he’s here,” he said, looking at me. “It’s for you.”

I took the receiver from him.

“Hello” I said.

It was Candace.

“Reverend Waters called just a few minutes ago,” she said. “He wants you to meet him at Atlantic City International  Airport tomorrow.”

I wasn’t really prepare for this, and I drew in a long, slow breath.

“Eh, how did he sound on the phone?”

“Well, you know him. He was very curt and sharp,” she said.

“He didn’t ask any questions at all?”

“Not really. He just told me he will be flying out right away, and ask for you to meet him.”

“Okay,” I said. “If he calls again, tell him I’ll be there.”

“No problem. Is there anything else you want me to do?”

“Not at this time,” I replied. “You can go home Candace. You have done your job. I won’t be needing you  now.”

“Just in case you need me later, you know where to find me – in my apartment,” she said. “I’ll be there all the evening.”

“That’s very nice of you Candace. But I don’t think I will worry you. Go ahead, go home and relax yourself,” I said, and then hung up.

I noticed that Lieutenant Ludlum was watching me, and his eyes were frowning.

“Reverend Waters will arrive at Atlantic City International  Airport tomorrow evening,” I said. “Between now and then, I believe you guys will get some facts. I know him very well: telling him as little as possible will simply not work. He will need a detailed account of what happened to her daughter.”

Lieutenant Ludlum grimaced and got to his feet.

“By tomorrow evening we should be able to find this man Graham Reed,” he said,  and then he looked at Lieutenant Reid. “Please leave your man here. Let him stay here until he is relieved. We are driving down to the train station Harry. You come with us, and don’t forget the jewels.”

I picked up the leather box that contained Brittany’s jewels and slipped it into my pocket.

We all went down the steps and down the drive to the police car. As we were about to enter the car, Lieutenant Ludlum said to Lieutenant Reid, “I will leave you at the trains station. Ask around and find out if anyone knows Graham Reed. You can go into the neighborhood too. Do all you can to see if he was seen in Atlantic  City. You can also look at the station’s records to check up all visitors who arrived yesterday, especially any visitor travelling alone.”

Even though it was a hot day, the sweat on my face felt cold. If I ever survive this, I will donate a large part of my paycheck to the Salvation Army!

END OF EPISODE VIII

P.S. Episode Nine  will be published here next Monday. 

The Pastor’s Daughter: Episode VII

The dead body lying on the trestle table was Brittany, as I expected. There was a sickness inside me that made me feel faint as I stood there looking down at her dead face. I felt so bad that I turned away. I couldn’t stand the sight of her dead face. As Jim pulled the sheet back into place, I walked out into the corridor. There was a fresh draft of air coming in through the open doorway. The breath and feeling of this fresh air did a lot to help me pull myself together.

Soon Lieutenants Jim and Reid  came out silently and we walked back to our cars.

As we reached the car, I said to Jim, “It’s Brittany Waters. There’s no doubt about it.”

He shrugged.

“Even though I already knew it was her,” he said, “I was hoping I was wrong. This is where the trouble begins. I am worried about the publicity, because there will be a lot of it considering Reverend Waters’ influence.”

I can both see and understand why he  was worried about Reverend Waters. A powerful and influential man like  the Reverend can lift him right out of his job if he makes any mistake during the investigation.

“I know,” I said. Lieutenant Jim’s worries doesn’t really bother me. I have my own problems to worry about. “I’ll have to send a telegram to him.”

“We can help you,” he said. “You can use the telephone at the station to contact him.”

          Although I was still pretty shaken, I was feeling a little more like my old self by the time we got down to the Police Station. Lieutenants Jim and Reid went off to another office for a conference and left me in an office. So I called Phorbus.

“It’s Brittany,” I said when he came on the line. “It’s really a bad news to have at this time.”

“Oh my God!” he exclaimed. “So, what’s the next move?”

“Well, I will send a telegram to Reverend Waters and call him on long distance by, say, two hours later,” I said. “I believe two hours is enough time for him to get over the shock.”

I know Phorbus is very worried and scared. Over the phone, I could hear him breathing hard like an old man with asthma.

          After a long pause, he said, “Obviously you have everything under control. Is there anything I can do?”

“Sure,” I replied, “Just look after the job and the office. You know, the job can’t stand still just because Brittany is gone. I know he has significant stake in the company but, I believe he won’t want this incidence to interfere with the job.”

“No problem Harry,” he said. “Just take care of Reverend Waters and you won’t worry about the job. I have it covered.”

“Sounds good,” I said. “Please put Candace on the line. I need to talk to her.”

“Sure. Just give me a minute.”

Obviously he was relieved. I can feel it from his voice. Soon Candace’s voice came on the line.

“So this is true Harry? She’s dead for real?” she asked

“Yes Candace,” I replied. “Very sad, isn’t it?

“I still couldn’t believe it,” she said.

“I want to send a telegram to Reverend Waters. Are you ready to take the message?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

          I must admit this: Candace Lateef was the most efficient secretary anyone can have. She never got rattled no matter how big an emergency is. That’s a rare quality which I had always admired about her.

          With Candace taking down the notes, I dictated a telegraph message  to Reverend Waters. I told him I will call him at 14.00 hours European time with the details. I believed this will give me enough time to cook up my end of the tale if necessary. It would also give me enough time to find out how much the police had discovered about the case. When I finished, I told Candace to send the telegraph right away.

“Sure Harry,” she said.

“And one more thing,” I said. “I won’t be surprised if the Reverend calls before I call him. In any case, tell him you don’t know a thing if he does, understand? Let me handle this myself. Just tell him I will call him by the time I stated in the telegraph. You don’t need to get mixed up in this.”

“No problem Harry.”

I love this girl! Her calm, matter-of-fact voice reassured me that, in the end, everything will be okay.

“Bye for now,” I said, and hung up. As I did so, Lieutenant Jim came in.

“We are going to the vacation house where Ms Waters died,” he said. “Do you want to keep us company?”

“Oh yeah,” I said.

          I stood up and followed him out of the office. As we entered the hallway, Lieutenant Reid joined us and we all went to the police car at the parking lot. From the way Lieutenant Reid was looking at me, I had these uneasy feeling that I was his number one suspect.

………….

The police car entered the vacation house in Atlantic City. I was sitting in front of the car, with Lieutenant Jim Ludlum driving. Lieutenant Reid and two other policemen were sitting at the back of the car. As soon as we entered the compound, we all walked to the back of the house where Brittany had fallen. Lieutenant  Ludlum stared up at the house, and made a little face. I told myself that I knew exactly what he was thinking: what it must have felt to have fallen from a two-story build and hit the concrete ground. To be honest, I thought the same thing too. The height of the building, which is almost thirty feet, made me feel like a midget.

Lieutenant Reid said to his colleague Lieutenant Ludlum, “So far, all we did was to remove the body. We didn’t touch anything here yet because I wanted you to see the scene first.”

Lieutenant Ludlum grunted.

Both of them started to search the area, including the surrounding wood. I and the other two policemen stayed on the spot and waited for  them. Soon they found the camera case I had tossed in the wood. They examined it the way NASA scientists would have examined something that had fallen off the space. I was so thankful I had got rid of all my prints as I watched the careful way  Lieutenant Ludlum handled the case. Then he looked at me and said, “I believe this must be hers. Do you know, by chance, if she was interested in photography?”

I almost said she was. But, somehow, I was able to stop myself in time.

“I have no idea,” I said. “In this day and age, most people on vacation likes to bring a camera.”

He nodded and gave the camera case to one of the policemen. He immediately put it carefully into a plastic bag. Meanwhile, the two lieutenants continued their search. After about fifteen minutes, I saw Lieutenant Reid bent and picked something up from the grassy wood a few feet from the back of the house. Obviously, they had made another discovery. The two of them stood close together, while they examined what it was that  they had found. My heart skipped a beat as I lit a cigarette and waited.

At last, after what seemed like a century, Lieutenant Ludlum made his way to where I was sitting. As I watched him coming, I saw he was holding what remained of Brittany’s Bell and Howell 8mm Reflex Zoom Cine Camera. To tell you the truth,  I have no idea how the camera fell so far away from the house. Even if it hit the rocky ground as Brittany fell, I doubt that it would bounce and fall that distance away from the house. Some things are just simply mystery. When Lieutenant Ludlum showed me the camera, I noticed that its telephoto lens had snapped off and also that there was a dent in its side.

“This camera may explain how the accident happened,” Lieutenant Ludlum said. “Maybe she was taking a picture while looking out of the window, holding this camera like this.” While saying this, he held up the camera and gently peered through its viewfinder. “If she had stood on the edge of the window, which is very possible, it would be easy for her to lose her balance especially with this camera obstructing her view.”

Taking the camera from him, I looked at the little window panel at the back. This is the panel that usually showed how many feet of film the user had run off. It showed thirty feet. I told him that there is still a film in the camera.

“From the look of the camera, I don’t think water has got into it yet,” I said. “Perhaps we can know for sure if she was taking something from the window in the second storey if you get the film processed.”

He seemed to like the idea.

I knew he had been secretly worrying about the trouble Reverend Waters might make for him all the time we were heading to the vacation house where Brittany had died.

“This would have been a very straightforward affair if she hadn’t called herself Mrs Graham Reed,” he said again, taking the camera from me. “I think this is now the right time to enter the house and talk to the servant she hired.”

So, leaving two of the policemen to continue the search for clues, we entered the vacation house. As we were entering the house, I took another look at Brittany’s Mercedes convertible. I noticed that Lieutenant Ludlum was looking at the car too.

“Is this her car?” he said.

I told him I didn’t know.

“Sure, it is hers,” Lieutenant Reid said. “I have already checked the registration plates. She bought the car weeks ago, soon after she had arrived in Middle River.”

I wondered where she got the money to buy such an expensive car. I thought I heard her say the car belonged to her father. Even though I told myself that it was possible that her father had sent her the money, one part of my mind continue to doubts it, given what he told me about keeping her within her allowance.

We entered into the lounge. Lieutenant Ludlum said to me very politely, “Harry, please sit down and wait for us, while examine the house.”

I sat down and waited.

They went into the bedroom and spent some time there. Lieutenant Ludlum came out after  a while, carrying a small leather box. He put the box on the table and said, “Please take charge of this thing. Make sure Reverend Waters gets them. “

I nodded.

“I will need a receipt from you,” he said.

He lifted the lid of the box. The box contained pieces of jewelry. A few of these stand out: two rings, one of which had a large sapphire stone, while the other had three diamonds. There was also a pair of diamond ear-rings and a collar of diamonds in the box. I may not be a jeweler but one thing I do know is that the contents of this box would be worth quite a lot.

“Wow!” Lieutenant Ludlum exclaimed. “These are very nice. It is a good thing that no one broke in here while the place is unguarded”

When he said that, I remembered the intruder who had broad shoulders.

“You found these in the bedroom?” I asked.

“Sure,” he said. “They were on her dressing table. Like I said earlier, it’s good that no one broke in here. Otherwise, they were there all this while for anyone to steal.”

“Do you think they’re genuine? I mean, they are not fake?”

“I believe they are real” he said. “I could be wrong but my guess is that they are worth two thousand dollars.”

Two thousand dollars is a fortune  in the 1970s.

He started writing out a receipt for me to sign while I stared at the box and its contents in disbelief. Two thousand dollars worth of jewelry on Brittany’s dressing table for anyone to steal! Unbelievable! I was so scared that  I felt a chill of uneasiness crawl up my spine. I knew exactly what this meant then: the intruder I had seen in the dark was not a sneak thief. But, if he was not a thief, then who had he been? I was startled by the sound of the telephone bell.

Lieutenant Ludlum answered it.

He said, “Yes…yes…yes.”

He listened for a long moment. He then grunted something and then hung up.

Lieutenant Reid came into the room, with expectant expression written all over his face.

Lieutenant Ludlum lit a cigarette before saying to me, “The autopsy report is out.”

Something must have upset him as I could see that his eyes are uneasy again.

“Well, from your current investigations here I guess you now know how she died,” I said, trying to bridge over the long pause that followed.

“Sure, I have no doubt in my mind about how she died.”

He gently stood up and moved away from the telephone. His uneasiness was so real that I could feel it the way you feel the touch of a hand in the dark.

“You look upset,” I said. “Is there anything else in the report?”

I was sure there was something else in that report because of the way his frowned at me. That made me worried too and I was aware that my voice had sharpened. I saw Lieutenant Reid turn to look at me.

“Yes, there is something else. Actually it is a bad news” Lieutenant Ludlum said and grimaced. “Brittany Waters was pregnant.”

END OF EPISODE VII

P.S. Episode Eight will be published here next Monday.