The Pastor’s Daughter: Episode XXI

After he left, I remained motionless. I felt dizzy as my mind was crawling with alarm. I should have known that Lieutenant Ludlum wouldn’t have missed the importance  of the missing films for this case. This is something I couldn’t keep from Reverend Waters.

I told myself that I must move very fast to find this mysterious A before Lieutenant Ludlum found me. I didn’t underrate him. He was already getting too close to me for comfort.

The sound of the telephone snapped me out of my mood. I picked up the receive and it was Candace.

“You didn’t call me yesterday as you promised,” she said. “I’ve been waiting. Tell me the truth, Harry. What’s going on?”

I did some quick thinking. Now that Lieutenant Ludlum had told me this was a murder case, it doesn’t make sense to confide my troubles to her anymore. This is because she might get hooked in as an accessory if she knew I was Graham Reed.

“My apologies Candace,” I said. “I’m really up to my ears at the moment, and I’m on my way out. Just give me a couple of days and I will tell you everything….”

“But, Harry,” she said. “Can’t we meet tonight?”

“I’m so sorry Candace, but I can’t make it tonight. Don’t worry. I will call you in a couple of days. I have to run now,” and I hung up.

I waited a moment, and then put a call through to Trenton. The operator couldn’t connect me to Reverend Waters because his line was busy. She told me she will  try again after an hour.

There was nothing for me to do but to sit down and think over the information I had got from Leifert and to consider the threat that was beginning to develop from Lieutenant Ludlum. After a while, I got tired of frightening myself and turned on my Emerson transistor radio. Adele Addison was giving a recital of Dolly Patton’s songs. As I listened, her dark, exciting voice carried me out of my troubles for the next hour. She was at the middle of  I Will Always Love You, and making my hair stand on end, when the telephone bell rang and I had to cut her short.

Reverend Waters came on the line after only a ten-second delay.

“What have you got, Harry?” he said.

Even at that distance I could hear the anxiety in his voice.

“I’ve just had Lieutenant Ludlum here,” I said. “He told me he has concluded Brittany’s death looks like murder. He also said he will tell the coroner so.”

There was a pause, then Reverend Waters said, “How did he came to that conclusion?”

I told him about the camera and the missing films. I also told him how I had taken the camera and had found the scrap of film in it. Speaking very slowly, I explained to him how the camera had been stolen before I could hand it over to Lieutenant Ludlum.

The information seemed to stun him. I said this because he was hesitant when he began to talk again.

“What are you going to do, Harry?”

“I’m trying to get a list of Brittany’s men friends,” I replied. I also told him I had got Pinkerton’s Investigation Agency on the job. “Lieutenant Ludlum is working on the same angle. He’s convinced Brittany had a number of boyfriends.”

“If he tries to stir up a scandal about my little girl, I’ll deal with him!” Reverend Waters snarled. “Keep in touch with me Harry, okay? I must be updated of any development, understand?”

I said I understood.

“I also want you to talk to this coroner fella,” he continued. “He promised he would handle this Brittany’s pregnancy business so it won’t get out. If possible, get tough with him, Harry. Threaten him with a lawsuit. That would put a scare into him.”

“My only worry is that this may turns out to be a murder case, Reverend,” I said, “If that is the case, there’s nothing we can do about the verdict.”

“Stop telling me what we can’t do!” he bawled.  “Listen, Harry – do you want to do this job for me or not?”

“Sure,” I replied. “I’m with you all the way.”

“Then, talk to the coroner. I want you to call me back tomorrow at this time.”

I said I would, and he hung up.

I put a call to coroner Russell Jacoby. When he came on the line, I told him that I had been talking to Reverend Waters, and he needs his assurance that the arrangements he had made with him would stand. Russell was very friendly and compliant. He told me that unless further evidence came to light, Reverend Waters need not worry about the verdict.

“Point of correction, Mr. Russel: You will be the one who should worry if the verdict’s the wrong one,” I said, and slammed down the receiver.

I looked outside the window. It was dark and raining. I went into my bedroom to get my raincoat. I told myself that it was time to pay a visit to the house in Carrol Island.

END OF EPISODE XX

P.S. Episode Twenty-Two  will be published here next Monday.