The Charlatan Murders by Jennifer Berg

Author:Jennifer Berg [Jennifer Berg]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level Best Books
Published: 2021-08-02T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Chief Goes Off the Record

Riggs stared at the slip of paper. He had never seen the chief’s secretary’s handwriting before, but this couldn’t be a joke.

Pier 59 at lunchtime.

Riggs walked at a good stride when he wasn’t anxious. He reached the boardwalk in record time. When he approached the pier, he had no trouble spotting the chief. The tall, broad man always wore a black hat with a notably large brim. He was behind the fish stand, eating his lunch at one of the rustic wooden tables and watching the seagulls flying around the pilings. Riggs ordered fish and chips, a cup of clam nectar, and headed the same way.

The chief was an imposing figure even when he was seated, and when he saw Riggs, he frowned. “I want to talk to you, Riggs. Sit down.”

Michael Riggs sat down and had a few of his chips to settle his stomach. “The seagulls sure are busy, aren’t they?” he remarked. “I guess that’s because the low tide exposes the rocks.”

The police chief swallowed his bite of fish. “I can watch seagulls without you, Riggs.”

“Yes, sir.”

The chief kept eating his lunch, and after a few minutes, he said, “Your brother was the best investigator the department ever had. That was talent. You’re not him, but you’ve been around long enough to get promoted. That’s predictable. And you got this case because it’s a hot potato and I won’t let any of my good investigators get burned. That’s politics.”

Riggs frowned. “So I’m the stooge.”

The chief had a gulp of coffee. “Let’s just say, I don’t like our odds. The Abbotts are too wealthy and too well-connected.”

“But I’m making progress,” Riggs said, “and I think I’m going to solve the case.”

“I hope you do,” the chief said. “Not that it will mean anything without the proof to convict. It’s your hide, either way. And if you don’t make an arrest soon, I’m putting Cheshire in charge.”

Riggs felt warm and tense. A group of tourists sat down at the neighboring table. They were laughing and joking, and one of the women was tossing chips over the pier for the birds.

“You have to give me time,” Riggs insisted.

“No, I have to show the city that I’m taking this crime seriously. That’s my hide. If my first man doesn’t make an arrest, I call in someone with more experience. Cheshire’s young and eager and he’ll make us look busy.” The chief lowered his voice. “And there’s one more thing.”

Riggs turned to look at the other man. “Sir?”

The brim of the chief’s hat cast a shadow over his face, but Riggs could see his profile clearly. Two seagulls landed on the railing, and the chief watched them battle over a pale pink starfish. The bigger bird won and it gulped down the prize in gag-like spasms. The chief smiled and went back to his lunch.

“That numbskull, Fisher, tells me that you’re looking into that woman from city hall,” the chief said. “You think Bell’s mixed up with this Abbott murder?”

“Yes, sir,” Riggs repeated.

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