The Breeze

As Ruth drove me home for some much needed sleep, I took the opportunity to ask her, "Tell me about those murders last summer?'

"Why they weren't connected to each other or this one. The only thing they have in common is that we didn't solve them." Ruth said reluctantly.

"Then just humor me," I suggested.

"The first one happened in the early summer like this one. They were both women but they were much younger. Neither of them was raped. The first one was a blunt instrument trauma and the second was drowned in her motel bathroom. The second one was over two months after the first.

The blunt instrument might have been a quarrel, but the bathtub drowning?" I asked.

"I know it was a bit peculiar. The girl was having troubles at home. She came down with a boyfriend for a week. He was on a fishing boat at the time of her death. We never even had a clue. I expect a tourist staying in the motel did her. We were just never able to find the right one. Never could pin down a motive either."

"So what was the motive in the first killing?" I asked.

"I really can't say for sure. Maybe she picked up a man, then decided not to play. Some guys get really pissed when you say no." Ruth informed me.

"Did you find the weapon?' I asked.

"No the M.E. couldn't give us any idea what it might be. Just something reasonably small and metal." she said.

"Like a tire iron?" I suggested.

"I suppose it could have been, or a piece of lead water pipe." she admitted

"Not lead, they don't make that any more, besides the M.E. would have found traces of lead in her scalp. Can you get me the case files on both of them?" I asked.

"Sure they are in the computer, but why?" Ruth asked.

"Three women killed in less than two seasons, strikes me as too much of a coincidence." I replied.

"Don't do this to me Johnny. If you find a link then the FBI is going to toss their serial killer unit on it. That would be in addition to their cops." she said.

"So what they are already here anyway," I said.

"This one is the organized crime unit here. They are here solely to tie a can to Edward Peterson's ass. Those disks had some interesting information on them. I don't know what, but the FBI sure as hell knows. All they want to do is tie Edward to his wife's murder so they can turn him. If they have to, they will make up the evidence as they go along." she said.

"So we stay with just the evidence we had before they entered the case. Speaking of which, what kind of knife are we looking for?" I asked.

"Long thin, like a fisherman's boning knife. There must be about a million of those at the beach." she answered.

"Is that something an artist might have in his car?" I asked.

"Hell, I don't know, why don't we ask your resident artist." Ruth suggested. We had reached the breeze and were siting in the parking lot by that time.

"I will, but first I am going back to sleep. Why don't you come by tonight. I might have some more thoughts by then. If you think of anything feel free to follow it up," I said with a smile.

"Gee thanks boss," she said sarcastically.

I left her sitting in the parking lot while I went inside the motel. Lori was behind the counter. "Johnny there was a man here looking for you. I think he was a cop," she said.

"What makes you think that?" I asked.

"He was wearing a suit. Who else would wear a suit at the beach?" she asked. "By the way," she said to my back as I entered the apartment. "He is coming back around five."

"Good then I can get two whole hours sleep," I said as I locked my door. I took a quick shower then crashed. It seemed only seconds later when the pounding began. I forced myself from the wide sofa where I slept during the daylight hours. I stuffed my naked body into a pair of cut off cotton slacks, and a grease stained white shirt before acknowledging the pounding.

When I opened the door, it was to a couple of men in tropical weight blue suits. They looked pretty uncomfortable. They immediately thrusts their ID cards into my face. The slightly heavier, slightly older one spoke. "Martin Evan FBI," he said to my back as he walked into the room.

I didn't even listen as I walked to the refrigerator. I picked up a more or less clean glass from the drainer. Into it I dumped several cubes of ice and a few ounces of tea from a plastic milk jug provided by Poppa John. The tea was in exchange for a couple of beers I bought him every night. With the iced tea in hand I removed the sheet from the sofa, wadded it into a ball, then tossed it in the corner of the room.

"So what is it I can do for the FBI?" I asked.

"You are the owner of this motel?" Evans asked.

"Me and the county, that is until I repay a tax lien," I said.

"I believe you told the local police you checked a Mrs. Katherine Peterson into the Motel last Friday night shortly before Midnight." he said.

"I never told them that," I said.

"Oh, what did you tell them," the slimmer younger agent asked.

"I told them I checked in a Mary Amos, they told me her real name was Katherine Peterson," I explained patiently.

"You found the body?" the agent asked.

"As I told the police, the maid found the body. I simply went to make sure she hadn't imagined the whole thing." I said.

"Did you really think she would make something like that up?" the older one asked.

"No, but people do get excited." I explained.

"Most anyone would in a slaughter house." The younger one said. "I saw the photographs."

"But you obviously never saw a slaughter house," I said.

"And you have?" he asked.

"More than one, and more than one kind." I answered.

"That's right you were a cop in some little burg inland," the older agent said.

"We say up north down here," I informed him.

"Right," he agreed. "So what are you doing down here?"

"You either know the answer to that or you are too stupid to be heading this investigation. Either asked me something about this investigation, or I am going back to sleep." I demanded.

"Try this one, I hear there is some off duty cop running around asking questions. She seems to have a burnt out gimp tagging along." the younger one said.

"Is there a question in there somewhere?" I asked.

"No, but there is some advice coming. Stay the hell out of our case." the older one said.

"To bad vaudeville is dead. You guys would have had a great career. You do a real nice song and dance." I said.

"You think this is funny?' The young one asked as he assumed a threatening position.

"What I think is that, if you try what you are thinking about trying, I am going to whip your ass." I said.

He hesitated before he reached me. "That would get your ass about three years behind bars." he said.

I pointed to the ceiling. "You do remember Rodney King?' I asked.

I was a dummy camera he saw but didn't know it was a cardboard box. "You really are a piece of work," he said.

"Coming from you, I am going to take that as a compliment." I stated evenly. "Now, you have delivered your message so get the hell out of my house."

"You did know that gambling is illegal?" the older one asked.

"I understand that, I also understand it is not a federal crime unless it crosses state lines. Now like I said, Get out."

They left quietly, before I got the shakes. It always happened immediately after a confrontation. It took me a few minutes to calm down. The first call I made was to Poppa John, then to a couple more of the regulars. I explained I had to lay low till the FBI left the area. Since it was again Friday, I would let them know when I could re-open thirty one.

"So Johnny now you pissed off the FBI," Poppa said. "Maybe you should go back to the motel business." he laughed at his own joke.

"Poppa, I should definitely go back to the Motel business." I said. When I had completed all the calls, I fell back on the sofa. I slept until Ruth arrived. I hadn't bothered to re lock the door, so I awoke to her sitting on the edge of the sofa.

"Hi there, I hear you had company today?" she asked.

"Sure, how about you?" I asked.

The FBI doesn't hassle local cops anymore. It is part of this new kinder gentler FBI bullshit," she informed me. The chief called me. He told me officially, I shouldn't be wasting my off duty time. Then he told me to watch my ass. I expect he is hoping I will fail. You know the 'woman after my job' jealousy." she said.

"God Ruth, all I asked was did the FBI come to see you. A simple no would have done," I said playfully.

"Prick," she snapped as she went to my refrigerator.

"Nice talk from my partner," I said walking naked to the shower. The shower took all of ten minutes. When I returned it was in cotton slacks and a clean white shirt. "How about you and I go to dinner?" I asked.

"Deal, but not to Poppa's. I want to go to the Denver Steak House," she said.

"Sure but why?" I asked.

"Because, I got Katherine's credit card purchases list. She didn't make any purchases on the day of her death but she did pay for a meal at one pm.," she said smugly.

"Let me guess, she had the giant salad bar at the Denver Steak House," I said.

"She even had soup. My god how that woman could eat." Ruth said with a chuckle.

"We are likely to be eating with the FBI," I said.

"Not really they have already been there. The woman who waited on Katherine told them everything. At least she thought she did. You and I are going to find out whether she did or not." Ruth said with a grin.

"So let's get a move on," I suggested.

"The Denver steakhouse was supposed to be called the Denver Stockyard Restaurant but a market research outfit found that people had a negative reaction to stockyard, so it was changed to steakhouse. A bit of useless information I thought I would just throw in free," I said to Ruth as we entered.

"You are just full of useless, or next to useless information," she informed me.

Ruth got us seated in the section of the waitress who waited on Kate that last day. The waitress was named Wanda. Ruth did the introductions as I expected her to.

"I was told not to talk to anyone else," Wanda said.

"They meant reporters," Ruth said simply.

"Oh, I guess that is what they meant." she said.

"I know you told the Agents everything, but have you remembered anything since then?' Ruth asked.

"I really haven't had much time to think about it." she stated.

"Well did Mrs Peterson eat here often?" Ruth asked.

"A couple of times a week. She would like to go shopping, then come in for a salad. I guess you would call her pretty much a regular." she said.

"Did she have packages with her that Friday?' Ruth asked.

"I'm sure she did, she always had packages." Wanda informed us.

"Do you remember the names on any of the bags?" Ruth asked.

"You mean from Friday?" she asked.

"Actually from anytime," Ruth asked.

"Not really but they were all from those fancy little shops at the Mall." Wanda said.

"Then Mrs Peterson shopped at the mall often," I jumped in before Ruth could leave the subject..

"Like I said a couple of times a week," Wanda said.

"You don't happen to remember if she had a large thin packaged. You know something that would have required her to place in a chair?" I asked.

"You mean the painting. Sure I remember it. She told me to be careful not to spill anything on it. She said it was a very valuable painting. I didn't pay any attention. I couldn't have spilled anything on it anyway. She had it pulled back from the table. So far in fact that it blocked the aisle. I would have mentioned it but we were pretty slow by the time she came in." Wanda said.

"Thank you Wanda," Ruth said dismissing her.

"So is there a gallery in the mall?" I asked.

"Hell this is Wilmington, I have no earthly idea." Ruth admitted.

During dinner Ruth asked, "Did you think of anything on the two unsolved?"

"Yeah, they have nothing to do with this one. Look for a motel employee, someone who worked there last summer and is gone now." I said.

"We checked them all out, nobody come up wrong," she said.

"When this is over, check them again. Both men and women." I suggested. "While you are at it check their husbands and wives and even their kids. The connection is the motel."

"We ran it that way but had to give up," she said.

"But love, time has passed. Check the people who have gone since the murders. Not right after them but the ones who left at the end of the summer." I said smugly.

We were on the deck the only area smoking was allowed working on our after dinner cigarettes, when of all people Bunny walked into the restaurant. She spotted us.

"Well hello there, I have been expecting you to call," she said to me.

"I have been busy, I figured that if the case was going badly you would call me." I said. I knew she hadn't been expecting me to call about the civil case but I didn't mention it.

"Why don't you sit with us?' Ruth asked.

"We are finished but we can wait a few minutes for you. We are going to the mall from here. Do you want to come along. We could probably find a movie or something." I suggested.

"Sure, it is Friday night and I have nothing to do." Bunny agreed.

"I would have expected you to have a date," Ruth said.

"I see you have one," Bunny said to my surprise she seemed pleased.

"Not at all. Johnny and I are working on something," Ruth said nervously.

"Well if that something includes a good movie, you can count me in for sure." Bunny said.

I had been away from the game a long time, but not so long that I missed the large blue Buick which followed us from the restaurant parking lot. When we arrived at the mall I asked the two women to go inside. I explained to Ruth in a whisper. She didn't want to leave me, but she understood the need to get Bunny out of the way without alarming her. After the women left, I stood by the car waiting. The occupants of the Buick either saw their big chance or recognized they had been made. Either way it approached me. The rear door opened quickly, a man in yet another suit jumped from the car.

"Mr. Sims, why don't we take a ride?" the young man said holding the door open for me.

"Why not, I have been expecting you," I said as I climbed into the car.

The young man climbed into the front seat after I was seated in the rear. I sat beside a man no more than ten years older than me. The car began to move through the parking lot before he spoke. "Mr. Sims, forgive me for not introducing myself to you. My name would mean nothing to you."

I nodded my understanding. I was nervous, but knew I was in no immediate danger.

"I wish to have a little talk with you." he said

"Sure, I don't mind talking to friends," I said.

"That's good. I hope we can remain friends. I see no reason why we shouldn't." he said.

"I don't either," I admitted.

"I have done some checking on you. They tell me you are an excellent investigator." he said.

"Thank you," I replied.

"I have a problem which you appear to be involved with at the moment." he suggested.

"The Peterson murder?" I asked.

"I see you are well informed. Needless to say it is to my advantage, if the government can not pin that particular murder on her husband." he said.

"Needless to say," I agreed.

"I understand you are making some progress in another direction?" he asked.

"I don't know but there is definitely a difference of opinion between me and the police on this matter." I said.

"Not all the police it seems," he commented.

"No, not the locals." I admitted.

"I have a friend who tells me it may not be in your best interest to clear Mr. Peterson. I just wanted you to hear it from me. There will be no lawsuit, regardless of the outcome of your investigation. So don't let that interfere with your search for the truth." he said calmly.

"I appreciate that, but frankly it wouldn't have swayed my decision." I replied.

"If you need anything," he said handing me his card.

"Thank you, it is possible that I may. I just don't know yet." I replied.

"Call me anytime." he said. "Jerry drop Mr. Sims at the entrance."

I left the car, then joined the two women in the food court. "So who was the mysterious man in the car." Ruth asked.

"He didn't say and I didn't ask," I said. "He just wanted to wish us well."

"I can imagine he did." she said knowing the occupant of the car as I had known him. Of course I had his card and she didn't.

"So ladies, I am going to sit right here while you visit all the dress shops in the mall." I said with a smile.

"Wait a minute," Bunny said. "I am not going to begin snooping around for you. I might have to defend you for one reason or another. I can't be actively involved in this."

"Right and I need you with me. You seem to be able to ask just the right questions." Ruth commented.

"So what do we do?' I asked.

"Bunny can wait outside the shops while we talk to the managers," Ruth suggested.

"Is that okay with you Bunny?" I asked.

"Sure it will be fun hanging around the mall with the other teenagers," she said sarcastic.

"Come on Bunny," Ruth said. "It beats watching Lucy reruns on TV."

The directory convinced me there were no Galleries in the mall. I hadn't expected any. The rent was much too expensive for a Gallery. Especially one carrying local artist's work. Ruth and I began the time consuming interview process. We found a couple of women who recognized the picture of Mrs. Sims. No one seemed to know anything about her, other than she had money and good taste. It happened after one especially long interview.

"So that woman knew her?" Bunny asked. It was one of those flashes Maude told everyone about. I knew for a fact at that moment that Bunny knew Kate Peterson. How the two knew each other was still unclear, but they definitely knew each other. I debated whether to confront her in front of Ruth or not. Not won out in the end.

The three of us found a movie which we all could live with. It was the first movie I had seen in a theater in years. Two hours after we entered we left the theater together. When we reached their two cars in the parking lot Ruth asked, "Bunny can you give Johnny a ride home. I need to see a man."

"Anyone in particular?" I asked.

"Yes and no, an old boyfriend who might be able to help us. At least tell us where the FBI is headed." she said. She didn't have to say any more. I knew it was Eddie and so did Bunny.

On the drive to the Beach bunny asked, "Do you have to get back right away?"

"Not really, I actually was hoping we could have a talk." I suggested.

"Good, I know a really nice spot to talk," Bunny said lightly.

The spot was atop a sea wall built by the corp of engineers. We sat listening to the pounding of the surf for a long time. "You know I love the ocean, even though it makes me feel small every time I see it." Bunny said.

"I know, there is something about it's power. They say it strikes some kind of animal chord in us all." I agreed.

"Well do you want to make out or have our talk?" she asked.

"Talk first, then who knows," I said.

"That sound ominous," Bunny laughed.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew Mrs. Sims?" I asked.

"Where did that come from?" she asked trying to regroup.

"Please don't tell me you didn't know her. I will be very disappointed in you, if you do." I suggested.

"Sure I knew her. She came to me about a divorce, but that's all I knew about her. I couldn't tell you because of the client attorney thing." she said.

"Do you know anything about her personal life?' I asked. I also watched her eyes while she spoke.

"Nothing at all," she said. "I don't think she was a plaster saint, if that's what you mean. I just don't know the details."

"That sounds right," I said.

"Good, then how about kissing me," she suggested.

I didn't talk to her anymore for a long time. When I did it was just before we left the rocky coast line. "I think we should either take this indoors or quite for the night," I said.