The Floating Corpse

by James Walker

  Frank nodded once. “Goodnight then.” Then he simply turned and walked away toward the ferry.

  I didn’t understand that grin on his face. ”What did he mean, ‘I’ll clean it on the ferry’?”

  William laughed, “Just that. Frank likes to clean whatever he had hunted that day on his ferry ride across the river. I think he does it to scare the townsfolk. He’ll tear the feathers off and toss them into the water, then he’ll disembowel the bird and the offal will join the feathers. That’s when the faint hearted will be hanging over the railings. Then he’ll tie a rope to the carcass and toss it in the water to clean it. The meat is usually very appetizing looking by the time he pulls it back in. Unless, of course, it’s squirrel or possum.” He laughed again, “It drives Captain Burke bonkers!”

  “I imagine so,” I agreed.

  When Frank was well on his way, Wiliam turned to me, “Are you ready for some lunch? You must be famished after the walking.”

  Having gotten up early and having only a muffin for nourishment, he was right! “That’d be great, Uncle Will. Tell me, what did Rowan and the doctor say? I thought you and the Inspector were going to have at it!”

  “Bah!” He exclaimed as we walked back to the house. “Chief Inspector Rowan is not convinced of the serious nature of this crime! He seems to view it as if we had found a dead dog in the road. A view I intend to dissuade him of!”

  Stepping inside, he called down the side hall, ”Mrs. Woods! We are ready for lunch!”

  There was a faint undiscernible reply, but it satisfied William. He gestured to one of the couches set into the wall. “Let’s sit for a moment. Collin, I can’t tell you how much I was looking forward to your visit. I have missed my connection to your family as much as I miss your father. I can’t put into words how saddened I am about the child, just when your visit is beginning.”

  I sat up, not liking where this was going. I tried to derail him by saying, “Are you sure you are not taking this a little too hard, Uncle? After all, anyone in the world could have left that child there. It has nothing to do with you personally! Unless… you think it may have been Roy or one of his gang? Trying to scare you...or send you a message?”

  “He laughed and clapped me on the knee. “Don’t be so melodramatic, Collin. Of course not! Though, to be frank, the thought did cross my mind, but a murdered child has no significance to our relationship.. After all, if not for my railroad whims the baby may have just decomposed into the forest with no one the wiser.”

  “Even so,” I conceded. “That still doesn’t make it your problem, Uncle Will. You’re just the guy paying taxes on that tree.”

  “Ah! But that is exactly the point, Collin! Call it fate or providence, or just dumb luck, that poor baby girl was left on MY property!” A deeply sadden look came over his face, “And the one thought that keeps rolling about my mind is- Why did they have to let the child die out on the middle of nowhere. Whoever did it must have been able to see my home. Why did they choose death for the baby instead of simply leaving it on my doorstep?

  I didn’t know what to say to that, really, but I blurted out, “What would you do with a baby?”

  He looked surprised at the question, “Why, raise her, of course. With the help of Ozaki and Mrs. Woods, I’m sure I could have raised a fine young lady.”

  That statement rocked me on my heels. I never really thought of Uncle Will with a child of his own but judging from the love he showed me and my siblings, well, it shows he had the heart for it. Growing up in a castle with a rich and indulgent caretaker would have made a great life -for anyone!

  “I imagine so,” I said softly.

  William gathered himself. In any case, this is my problem. I’m sorry I won’t have time to spend with you now, Collin, perhaps, when I have…”

  I jumped up and whirled to face him, before I was even thinking of it. My mouth just started going before my brain could catch up. “Don’t say it! Don’t even think it! We’re going to have plenty of time together because I’m not going anywhere until this is settled, see?” Before I could stop myself, I poked him in the chest.

  “Now, Collin,” he began as he rubbed where I jabbed him, “There is no need for you to put any more on your plate…”

  “Stop!” I cut him off again. “I was here when it started, and I’ll be here when we get to the bottom of this! I’m not going anywhere! Besides, after that little chat we had this morning, I’ll stay right by your side until I’m sure you are safe.” I patted my revolver under my coat. “Consider me your armed shadow!”

  Looking both pleased and satisfied, he jumped to his feet and placed his hands on both my shoulders. “Excellent! I was hoping you’d feel that way!” He barked a short laugh, “I always think better when there is a Frohman around!”

  In short order, we were seated at a narrow table that graced the only window in the kitchen, eating cold chicken and salad. Mrs. Woods had laid out a basket of biscuits and Catty was kind enough to scrounge me a pint of cold ale. I stuffed some chicken in the biscuit, took a bite and asked, around a mouthful, “So, what’s our next move?”

  “We,” He stressed in a teasing way, “shall have to wait a bit longer before we proceed. I have already made two telephone calls. The first to my older brother, George, who, as you know, is in the State Senate. He was not in his office, but I shall try him again later.”

  “Who was the second call to?”

  “The Agent in charge of the nearest Pinkerton office. There is one in New London.”

  “Pinkertons? If you have the State Police asking around, why do you need to pay those guys?”

  “Two sides of a coin, Frohman! The State officers will ask politely, within the law and most likely to law abiding folk. The Pinkertons, however, have a vast network of sources in the criminal and seedier side of our society. If the child was a victim or a casualty of a criminal act-they will know.

  “Gosh, Uncle Will, we just found the baby this morning and you already have half the state working on this!”

  He laughed, “Think of them as my Irregulars! If in fact, the child originated from outside this county, between the two, I should dare to hope they would discover something.”

  “And if they both come up blank?”

  “Then, as I suspect, our answers will be local. Now, finish up and get ready for a ride. The good Doctor assured me that he would make the autopsy a priority as soon as he returned to his office. He should have started at least an hour ago and it will take us three-quarters of an hour to reach his office. Two hours is certainly enough to discern some answers from a body that small!”

  In short order, we were back in the kitchen, this time wearing our leathers and jack boots. Taking a staircase at the back, we descended into the lower part of the castle. I surmised it was his work room as we passed a long trestle like table that had a scattering of tools and bits of wood strewn across it. Here the unique hinges and closers were created.

  But that took up only half the space. Around the corner was a rather cavernous, open room with a stone roof and sides. The floor wasn’t solid, rather a layer of gravel that glowed softly in the light coming from under the two miniature barn doors on one side. The only things that occupied the room was my Harley Davidson motorcycle, an Indian Chief I knew to be William’s, and a tarp covered machine.

  “This is the garage?” I asked, skeptically. The doors were awfully low and there was no real room for a lift or chain pull, items you had to have if you owned an automobile and wanted to keep it running.

  “Oh No!” he replied. “This is really just storage and receiving area. I have no desire to own an automobile. Ozaki refuses to drive one and my Indian Chief is all the transportation I need.”

  William had donned his gloves and goggles by then and straddled his machine. I followed suit and right before he kicked the engine into life, he said, “Follow me. It is a short ride down to the ferry landing.”

  “We’re taking the ferry?” I had hoped for a longer ride.
>
  He nodded. “It will be much faster than riding all the way up to the train bridge and back to town. There is something else I wish to show you.”

  Having said his piece, he started his bike and shot out the door onto the driveway, spraying gravel behind him. I had to laugh and let my bike idle for an extra moment, just to give him a head start.

  Of course, I caught him before he was halfway down the hill and the rest of the ride was short. As we passed a half-built home with a donkey tied up out front, William took a hand from his bike and pointed to it. I slowed and gave it a good look- over, but it seemed to be nothing more than middle-class dwelling, though I thought it was in an odd spot. I thought William had told me his property ran right up to the ferry landing.

  The ferry was still in the middle of the river and we would have to wait until it docked and unloaded before we would get on. We parked the bikes and when we got off, I asked my uncle, “What’s with the house you pointed at? Isn’t that your property?”

  He nodded. “Ozaki is building a house of his own.”

  I raised my eyebrows at him but said nothing. Ozaki had been by William’s side my entire life. They lived together on the Aunt Polly for years and years and I assumed he would bunk in the castle until they put him in the ground.

  William gave a little shrug. “Ozaki and I have been in each other’s shadow for many years Collin. Though I treat him less and less like a servant, we are getting older and surlier with each passing year. We need to spend some time apart or we will turn into an old married couple, sniping at each other constantly.”

  He shrugged and added, “If he was willing to spend his own money building the house, I was more than happy to give him the land.”

  “His own money? You pay Ozaki a salary?”

  William looked at me like I had two heads, “Of course I do. A generous one, I might add. What did you think?”

  “Well, I don’t know. I just never really thought of you paying Ozaki. I thought you just kind of kept him.”

  He furled his eyebrows at me. “You will need to rid yourself of those romantic notions when you go to work, Collin. Yours is a business of negotiations and any naiveté will cost you dearly!”

  Upon reflection, I knew he was right, but I didn’t want to hear a lecture on fantasy from a man who lived in a castle and was building his own toy railroad. I almost said as much when my attention was suddenly pulled to the far side of the ferry lane.

  A gaggle of seven young women were gathered in a tight circle next to a pile of bags. They kept their voices low, and there were at several conversations going on at once, punctuated by a group giggle. Every few seconds, one or more would throw a quick glance in our direction, though they tried hard to act nonchalant about it, and that would spur another round of titters. It was obvious that they recognized William and they were local, because a few of them called out greetings, of which, William nodded and waved in return. I of course, affected a disinterested manner, though they were all close to my age and a shapely lot. Two were a cut above the rest and the better of those glided across the lane to greet William.

  “Good Afternoon, Mr. Gillette.”

  William gave her his most charming smile, “Good afternoon to you, Miss Scott.” With a smirk, he glanced over at me, “May I introduce my…houseguest, Mr. Collin Frohman?

  “Collin, this is Miss Irene Scott.”

  She was a petite thing, but with a good and ample figure. The cut of her dress and the great plume in her hat was of the latest fashion, though her travel boots were stained and dusty. Her face was beautiful but her most striking feature was her long, dark lashes that framed blue-green eyes. She held out her hand and I took it with a slight bow.

  “Enchant’e,” I said, giving her fingers the slightest squeeze as I released her hand.

  By then, she had gleaned me head to toe and I’m sure she could have told you what my boots cost within the dollar. She must have liked what she saw, or at least the appraisal, because she gave me quite the steamy smile under half lidded eyes.

  She looked up at William and said coyly, “You could never guess what my friends and I have been up to!”

  Obviously, she was trying to lead into a story, but William took it as a challenge.

  “Aside from the fact that you and your friends just returned from an overnight trip, where you attended the Prohibition rally yesterday… I’m glad you managed to get in a little shopping on top of your civic duties and had a pleasant stay at the Montfort. That is one of my favorite places to lodge when I am in Boston. How was the train ride home, this afternoon? Pleasant views from your window seat, I hope?”

  Both the girl and I were standing there with our mouths hanging open. The girl stamped her foot, in mock frustration, and gave William her best pout.

  “Well! At least you missed one thing!” she hesitated for dramatics, “We also went to see the USS Delaware steam into Boston Harbor. They say she’s back in America for a refitting, whatever that may mean, and then she’s headed right back to the war! Though,” she added, “it didn’t seem like much of a refitting to us!” She looked back over her shoulder to the other girls she was with. “Poor Monica. Do you know her, Mr. Gillette? Monica Lewiston?”

  “I believe I met her parents at church.” William replied. “Why would such a lovely young lady be the object of pity?”

  After another glance at her friends, she turned an answered in a conspiratorial low tone. “You see, Monica has a beau on the Deleware. A junior officer and she was hoping to spend the afternoon with him. But she was turned away at the dock! No one got liberty at all! A few gentlemen, definitely not naval, disembarked along with a squad of Marines carrying a steel box, but there were the only ones. A crane lifted a few pallets of supplies, and she sailed right back out to sea! Poor Angela never even caught a glimpse of her beau!”

  “Geez, that’s too bad. I guess she needed to get back on station.” I observed. “If the war breaks out, she’ll be needed on the other side of the Atlantic.”

  She nodded sagely, and then addressed my Uncle. “But, however did you know all the rest? Everything you said was true!” she simpered.

  “Simple logic, really. There is an overnight bag for each of you in that mound over there, which told me you, had all been on a trip together. The bags are big enough to hold a lady’s necessities, but not large enough to satisfy her needs for more than overnight. That you came from the train station I know, because only the transport that services the station could hold all of you and you are all energetic to have made the walk from there. It is no secret that there was a grand march in favor of prohibition in Boston yesterday and the stains above the soles of your shoes are definitely the result of the copious amount of beer, wine, and spirits that were poured in the streets.”

  “I know.” The pout was back, “These shoes are ruined! They are all I had for travel until I get home. How did you know what hotel? Or that we went shopping?”

  “Why, that gorgeous new hat, and its magnificent feather never came from a haberdashery in these parts!” Uncle Will was really laying it on now. “As for your accommodations…”

  As they were talking, I took a closer look at the scene and saw something. “The location of your lodging was perhaps the simplest observation. There is a tag from the Hotel on each of the handles of the bags.” I could not read the tags from here, but obviously William could or he recognized the color pattern of them.

  Wiliam arched his eyebrows and said nothing. The girl gave me a quizzical look and purred, “Are you a sleuth also?”

  I flashed my best smile, “I’m in training.”

  “And where do you stand on Prohibition?”

  I placed a hand over my heart, “Lips that touch liquor shall never touch mine!” I said with conviction. Then I quickly added in a rush, “Unless they are attached to a beautiful woman!”

  William bit his lip and looked away, but I could tell the girl didn’t quite catch what I said. I’m sure she only heard the last two
words clearly, so she brought just enough color in her cheeks to acknowledge.

  “Why thank you, Mr. Frohman. I’m glad you took the pledge. Drinking is such an awful vice!” She hesitated for a moment then went into a coy act. “Well, I should be getting back to my friends. Perhaps we shall meet again. Will you be staying long?”

  I took her hand and kissed it again, “Long enough, I hope. Good day to you, Miss Scott.”

  She nodded and gave me the look again before she glided back to her friends.

  “You have so much of your father in you.” He said between chuckles.

  9

  Only a few passengers and no vehicles got off the ferry, so William and I each took our motorcycles by the handlebars and pushed them onto the ferry and to the front where we could get off quickly. The small crowd streaming onto the ferry either waved or called out a greeting to my uncle. I was afraid he would have to hold court the entire ride as he often did when he was spied out in public. Yet everyone just acknowledged him and took up a position around the perimeter of the boat, leaving the middle and the two of us alone. I was surprised at first. I had never been out with Wiliam Gillette when he wasn’t swarmed by fans. Yet, I supposed that, having lived here for a few years now, the locals were used to him. I was happy to see him fitting into the community as I know he always wished to do.

  But the passengers’ actions puzzled me for another reason. They lined the gunnels like sentries waiting for an attack, peering out over the water. Every single one of them had their backs to us.

  “What’s going on, Uncle Will? What are those people looking at?”

  He heaved a great sigh. “Not ‘at’, Frohman. They are all seeking a glimpse of the elusive ‘River Monster’!”

  No sooner had he spoken, when one of the girls in Miss Scott’s’ party, screamed as she pointed out. “There! Right there! I see it! The Monster!”