Tahoe Silence by Todd Borg

Author:Todd Borg
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, detective, tahoe, owen mckenna
Publisher: Todd Borg

I did an online search and found the property owner, a Manford Poltacci who lived in Contra Costa County in the Bay Area. I called the number listed for him, got a machine and left a message asking for a return phone call. Then I called the City Hall in the town where Poltacci lived. They were closed on Saturday, but the message gave an emergency number. I dialed it, got an operator and eventually got routed through to a woman who could access the city’s database.

“This is Detective Owen McKenna calling from Lake Tahoe. I need to get in touch with a Tahoe property owner, a Mr. Manford Poltacci who lives in your town. We have an urgent situation that requires his attention. The number we have is the nine-five-nine-eight number, but all we get is his machine. I’m calling to see if you have an alternative or emergency phone number in your records.”

“Oh, dear, I hope everything is all right,” she said, exuding worry. “You said you were a detective?”

“Yes. Working on a case that may impact one of Poltacci’s properties. Of course, this is all very confidential until the case is sorted out. But I’m sure we can count on you to keep this to yourself.”

“Oh, yes, sir. We have the utmost respect for our citizen’s privacy rights. Here, I found the record. There is a cell listed. Would that help?”

“Yes, thank you.”

She read the number, I thanked her again and dialed it.

“Yello,” a high male voice answered.

“Mr. Poltacci?”

“Yessir.”

“Detective Owen McKenna in Lake Tahoe calling. Sorry to intrude on your private number. We’ve got a situation that may involve your tenants in your house in Sierra Tract.”

“Damn! I knew I shouldn’t have rented it to them. They were clean-cut, gave good references, you know the routine. But afterward I thought the references were probably relatives. And those kids are young. Never rent to kids, I always say. But landlords all face the same dilemma, you know what I mean? The people who’d make the best renters already own their own homes. So what did they do? Burglary? I wouldn’t think they were bold enough for robbery. Then again, they’re not smart enough for

anything complex. Things like embezzlement, tax fraud, identity theft, people who do those things probably own their homes. Am I right?”

I was thinking about Marky and Tiptoe. They weren’t clean cut, and they weren’t kids. But the bikes matched. It could be a coincidence. Or it could be that one pair of men borrowed bikes that belonged to the other pair. Or maybe Marky and Tiptoe lived with the renters.

I said, “Mr. Poltacci, what I need is their names and some identifying information. Whatever you’ve got. Birth date and Social Security number are the most helpful.”

“Right. Hold on, I’m just pulling up to my office. It’s in the file inside.”

I waited and listened to car sounds and doors being opened and shut and the heavy breathing of an out-of-shape man negotiating a hallway and an elevator and another hallway.

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