Lament for Julie (1961) by Robert Colby

Author:Robert Colby [Colby, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781440539237
Publisher: F+W Media
Published: 2012-12-14T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

He made a point of going first to Bennett’s Anchorage. He had to maintain the pretense or become suspect. He found the old man in a little office off the showroom with its display of boats and boat supplies.

Bennett was a dried-out, bony little man with a great mass of disordered, perfectly white hair. He had sun-parched, freckled skin and watery eyes. He spoke so softly as to be almost inaudible and there was in his manner a suggestion of the ascetic. He seemed incapable of driving anything like a hard bargain — an impression that was quickly erased the first minute his price came under discussion.

Meanwhile, Bennett took him on a painstaking inspection of the slips and docking facilities, the grounds, the dry storage yard, the work sheds, the equipment and boats, new and used. Corwin was able to ask a great many educated questions, for there was nothing shown him he did not understand. He had a thorough knowledge of boats and everything pertaining to them.

Back in the office, Corwin spent some time going over the books, said if he was interested he would have an accountant check them and give him a detailed report. He then pretended to haggle over price, justifying his position with intelligent observations. Bennett was adamant, even raising his whisper of a voice and looking almost angry. Corwin made certain that they were never separated by anything less than thirty thousand, though hinting that he was still pliable.

They parted in friendly disagreement, Corwin promising to come again after he had given it more thought.

From a pay phone, Corwin called Floyd Whitlock, the ex-detective who had been fired from the Longport homicide squad. Corwin explained his progress with the Vollmers and Whitlock seemed pleased. For once his tone was not quite so negative.

Whitlock said he had begun a sneaky investigation of his own, that he was slowly warming a cold trail to the whereabouts of the Lansky couple. He would admit no details on the phone, but he did say that he had gone out twice in his car and both times he had been tailed by a man unknown to him, or at least unrecognizable in the dark. Himself an old hand at tailing, he had lost the guy after some adroit maneuvering.

Whitlock agreed that, at the moment, there was little chance of finding out who murdered Gordy Steadman and the best approach was by way of Julie Steadman. The who and why of Julie’s end was the key to both deaths and hers was the trail to follow.

Whitlock said finally that he did not want Corwin to think the Longport Police Department was hopelessly corrupt. There were highly placed factions under the control of Vollmer politics and Vollmer money. There were also the honest but frightened elements who could only work with absolute evidence. Whitlock felt that if he could bring in that absolute evidence, even a Vollmer would be brought to trial and he, Whitlock, would be restored to his job.

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