The Floating Corpse

by James Walker

  William was silent for a moment then came alive. “I have seen enough. Thank you for your time Gordon. I will collect my property and be on my way. Come Collin, lend me some of that youthful vigor!”

  He went right to the hatchway and descended. I could see Gordon struggling with his conscience, but I went to help my uncle anyways. William grabbed a case and handed it up to me, then got another for himself and brought it up on deck. I thought for a moment that Gordon was going to protest, but he just sighed as William walked past him and climbed up onto the dock. He looked to me and I gave him a face that said, ‘What’s a fella to do?’ Gordon grabbed two cases and followed us to the launch.

  By the time we made our second trip for the rest, I was grousing in my head that we should have been concentrating on whoever—or whatever—killed Marquis instead of worrying about a bottled drink that wasn’t even alcoholic!

  When we were loaded, I took out my flask and Gordon and I drained it while saying our good-byes. William didn’t partake, but instead saw to starting the Helena and making ready to get under way. As soon as I tossed the lines aboard and stepped on the deck, he shoved the throttles forward and we headed out. The Chief Inspector must have sent out a squad, because most of the traffic was gone and nobody was shooting at minnows with a shotgun.

  I walked over to stand next to my uncle. He looked very pleased with himself as he steered the boat with one hand and rested his other arm on a stack of Coca-Cola.”

  “You know, you never paid for that soda, so they are not really yours.” I observed, just to tease him.

  “Ha!” He replied grandly. “I’ll see to it that his family receives payment!” He looked up at me from his seat and grinned. “It would have been a shame to waste it on the Chief Inspector and his men!”

  24

  Uncle Will was silent for the rest of the trip. I knew by then he was in one of his thinking moods, so I let him be. Even after we got to the castle, he excused himself and went to his study alone. After, of course, he saw to his precious drink.

  I made my way to the bar and had a drink, refilling my flask while I was there. Mrs. Wood had not returned from taking Catty home and Ozaki had made himself scarce, so I just sat in the conservatory and sipped the rest of the afternoon away. Brooding mostly, as I railed against the circumstances that kept Catty away. I was surprised at how much I missed her company. After a few hours, I realized I was almost three sheets to the wind so I made my way to my room and took a nap. The dinner bell pulled me out of a groggy slumber.

  Ozaki prepared and served us dinner around eight o’clock that night, as was the custom here. It was simple fare but filling and just what I needed to get back to an even keel. When I brought up the mysteries all around us, William delayed any discussion until after dinner. In fact, he was silent for most of the meal. I almost thought he might have a glass when Ozaki put the opened wine bottle on the table. He didn’t and someone had to be polite so I took wine with dinner, but just one glass, as I wanted to be alert when we discussed the day’s event over brandy and a smoke.

  With the girls gone, it fell to us to carry our own plates and utensils to the washing sink. I would have washed them, but Ozaki told us to leave them to soak and shooed us out of the kitchen so he could put the rest away.

  William led me out to the great room where we settled into a pair of wing back chairs that generally faced the great fireplace. I had a cigarette but was delighted to see William amble over to the stone wall and pull a curved briar pipe from between two of the stones. There wasn’t a tobacco filled slipper to go with it, but I chuckled when he produced a sock stuffed with his favorite brand. I waited until he took his seat and had a good head on his bowl before I asked,

  “So, what’s our next move, Uncle?”

  He blew a few more thick clouds of smoke before he answered. “Patience, Frohman. Our next move is to exercise patience. There are several points I am still considering, but I am fairly confident I know how the murder and robbery of the payroll was committed and by whom. But there are still a few threads in this tapestry we need to unravel.”

  I wanted to pounce on his theory, but I knew he wouldn’t be any more forthcoming. I decided to try another track. “Any revelations about the baby?”

  “None, save the fact that I believe that both crimes are connected in a way, though I confess that I am not sure how.”

  That statement, I thought, was a bit far-fetched. “C’mon now, Uncle Will! How could they possibly be related?”

  He puffed away and gave me a sly smile as he answered. “Such negativity will never do! You will never see a solution unless you keep an open mind, Frohman.”

  I thought about that while I smoked and took a long pull on my drink. “That’s a load of manure, William.”

  He barked a laugh and sat forward. “Very well then, Frohman. I will give you four points to ponder between now and until after the child’s funeral tomorrow, at which point, we will follow a few threads until we arrive at an answer. Though I fear, we have not seen the rest of this play unfolding about us. There is still another act, unknown in nature, which worries me!”

  I knew it was the most I would get out of him until tomorrow and his enthusiasm was contagious, so I agreed.

  “Excellent! Now, point number one—Marquis was wearing nothing but long johns and woolen socks when he was pulled from the river. Number two—the payroll was returned untouched. Number three—the missing machinery from Marquis’s boat. Last, but not least, number four—there were eight cases of Coca-Cola in his hold.” He sat back with that smug look my father described as his ‘spit-in-your-eye’ smirk.

  I was too mellow for the complexities of the first three points, but the last stuck a chord. I remembered something Marquis said, and Catty echoed earlier at lunch. “Eight cases? I thought Marquis could only get six at a time?”

  William’s eyes flew open, and he plucked the pipe from his mouth as he broke out with a great grin. “Bully for you, Frohman!”

  “Marquis was always adamant that six cases were all he was allowed out of the warehouse per visit.”

  “Then what did he do with the other two? Catty said he hated the stuff!”

  I never got my answer because suddenly Ozaki appeared like a wraith to stand between uncle and me, at the edge of the gaslight. He was rigid in his stance, with arms crossed over his chest and a scowl on his face that made him demonic looking in the dancing shadows. “Enough talk of murder and mayhem! We have famiry business to discuss!”

  William suddenly looked stern and pulled the pipe from his mouth. Pointing the stem at me, he said in a lecturing tone, “I am very disappointed at your behavior towards Catherine, Collin. She is very special to us and has been through great personal drama this past year. I realize that you are both consenting adults and have seen this type of thing happen countless times in my career, but she deserves better than being seduced and eventually left behind when you leave.

  “I thought better of your morals and your common sense. Your little tet-e-tet is going to have an effect us all for the worse in the end!”

  I sat there stunned. I didn’t know whether to squat or wind my watch, as my father used to say. He was so far off base it was laughable. I felt my temper starting to flare and I groped around my head for the words to explain what really happened in a good light, “Look, Uncle Will, I’m sorry if you think I was out of line with Catty but the truth is…”

  Ozaki didn’t let me finish. He planted his hands on his hips and glared down at me. “No buts! You have disgraced yourseve, your famiry, your uncle…and your father’s memory!”

  I snapped. It was bad enough they were forcing me to say things I didn’t want to reveal before I could tell them to Catty, but I wasn’t about to be berated for them. And he should have never brought my father up!I leapt to my feet and squared off with Ozaki. “SHUT UP!” I hollered at the top of my lungs. When William went to protest, I snarled at him. “Both of you! Neither one of you know what the hell you’re
talking about, so, listen and listen good! Whatever has occurred between Catty and me…is occurring…or will occur is nobody’s business but our own and it’s going to stay that way until, if and when, WE decide to share it! Got that?”

  Both were too stunned to reply to my outburst and the looks of hurt and confusion on their faces drained the anger from me like pulling the plug on the bathtub. Only anger drains slower than water. This conversation had gone badly, and I needed to get away.

  Between clenched teeth I said, “I’m tired, I think I’ll retire now. Goodnight.”

  I turned and quickly walked to the staircase. Neither one of them said a word. There was dead silence as I walked to the second story balcony to my room. I snuck a peek at them from the corner of my eye and they were both staring at me, slack jawed, until I went into my room and shut the door behind me.

  I was still angry and I began stuffing my things into my valise, sure that I was no longer welcome at my uncle’s home. But as I went along, I thought of Catty and her grief, the baby’s funeral, and the cases we were working on. My thoughts got so clogged; I finally put my flask on the nightstand and got undressed to hop between the sheets.

  25

  I was up early enough to wash up and dress before there was a gentle knock on my door. I called out for whoever to enter and the door opened to reveal my Uncle.

  “Oh, good. I see that you’re almost ready.”

  None of last night’s harshness showed in his manner, but I reminded myself that he was an actor. He stepped inside and gently shut the door. I had but to look at him and I felt a bit ashamed over my behavior the night before. “I’m sorry I shouted at you and Uncle Ozaki last night, Uncle Will. I... I wish I could make you understand…”

  “No, Collin,” He waved a hand in a negative gesture. “It is I who owe you an apology. I let my emotions cloud my judgement and I made rash statements with no basis in fact.

  “I am fond of Catherine, yes, but no fonder than I am of you. You are both sensible adults and it shall be as you said last night. You shall have your privacy.” He glanced over and saw my overflowing valise and he looked crestfallen. “Are you leaving us, Collin? Did we anger you so much? I had hoped you would at least stay and accompany me to Marquis’s funeral, the day after tomorrow.”

  “Of course, I’ll stay Uncle Will.” I wanted to say more, but tears were welling in my eyes and I threw my arms around him. He hugged me back then pushed me out to arm’s length. He was grinning from ear to ear. “That’s settled then! Since you’re ready, I suggest we grab a cup of coffee before we head to the cemetery.”

  As we walked towards the stairs, a thought occurred to me. “You said you would give us our privacy…what about Ozaki?”

  William smirked and replied. “Him…you may have to fight him!” He laughed at the look on my face and added, “Just don’t shoot him! He’s vital to my day to day operations.”

  Reconciliation with Ozaki would be a longer road. When we came face to face, no matter how I apologized and despite my assurances that I had no intentions of disgracing anyone, his only response was a hard look and him muttering something about, “See what the future brings.” At least he gave me a cup of coffee. Halfway through a second cup, William checked his watch and declared it was time to make our way down to the Helena.

  Because of Ozaki’s aversion to motorized vehicles, we rode the tram down to the dock. As soon as we began our decent, the old machinery began to buck, as if the gears were slipping and catching out of sync.

  “Ozaki,” William proclaimed loudly patting the railing in front of us, “I think it may be time to retire the old girl!”, as if it were a living entity. We dropped a good foot or so just then, before the gears engaged and steadied descent. He said to me over Ozaki’s head, “She hasn’t been the same since she crashed last year.”

  I knew my Uncle was just trying to get a rise out of me, as he loved to do to my father, but I wouldn’t take the bait. I acted totally unconcerned though I did make sure I could reach one of the guide ropes in case the bottom dropped out from under us.

  The river was flat as glass this early morning and the warm spring air caused a mist to rise that made me think of the River Styx. Ozaki drove the boat while Uncle Will and I sat on the side benches and looked out over the river. There was no other boat traffic, but the air was so still, we could hear some machinery working on the barge downriver. A funny thought popped into my head as I gazed at the water and I half chuckled to myself.

  “Something amusing, Collin?” William asked me, with a little chiding in his tone.

  I shrugged, “I just thought how ironic it would be if some great beast surfaced right now.”

  William sniffed. “It will be so good to dispel the Chief Inspector of that ridiculous notion!” he grinned mischievously, “I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I present him with some hard facts to ponder.”

  “Facts? Not a solution?”

  He shook his head firmly. “That, I will not hand him on a silver platter. Not after the way he has clung to his fantasies!”

  That said, he looked away and stared off into space. I knew I’d have to wait again. In the silence, I started to review the four points my Uncle had challenged me with before our argument, or rather, my outburst last night. I hadn’t made any progress with even the first one when the sound of our motor changed, and we began to slow down.

  Ozaki shifted the boat into neutral and Uncle Will and I stood to find the Helena gliding up to a rickety dock. I saw rows of head stones behind the sparsely leafed bushes that grew in a rough hedge along the riverbank. Uncle Will got the stern line and I the bow. We tied her off and I was waiting for Ozaki to join us, but Uncle Will took me by the arm gently and led me down the dock.

  “Ozaki won’t come. He’s staying with the boat.” He didn’t offer any further explanation, but I knew the old man had his own set of ethics he rigidly adhered to.

  About a hundred yards from where we stepped onto the turf, there was parked a hearse, it’s all black team contentedly munching on the spring grass. Next to the back stood a distinguished looking gentleman, also in black, and a workman holding a spade in front of him. Ten yards closer to us and to the right stood the Doctor and the preacher. A small box lay at their feet, next to a small hole in the ground.

  It was a well-kept resting place, the ground free of sticks and leaves. The budding Oaks, Elms, and Maples were straight and spaced nicely. The property bordered the river for a half mile and was flat as a flap jack.

  We arrived at the grave and shook hands all around. After a moment of awkward silence, the Reverend asked, “Would anyone like to say a word before I perform the ceremony?”

  William cleared his throat and stepped forward. When he bowed his head, we all followed suit.

  “We beseech you, o’ lord, to take this child into your grace. She never had the chance to grow…to be loved…or even, perhaps have a child of her own to love one day. Her sole purpose on this earth was to show us all; the gravity of life. May she rest in your arms.”

  We all said ‘amen’ and looked to the preacher, who seemed a bit flustered. Uncle Will was a hard act to follow.

  The preacher opened his bible to a marked passage and began to drone on in scripture. As he went on and on in a low monotone, I began to hear wailing in the distance that seemed to grow louder by the second. When it was loud enough, the horses behind us began to prance nervously, shaking the glass of the hearse. I looked over my shoulder to see the undertaker using his considerable weight to keep his horses from rearing and bolting as the noise got loud enough to drown out the preacher’s voice.

  We were all looking at the road and the gospel had dried up altogether when a police sedan passed through the gates, lights flashing and siren at full blast. It screeched to a stop in front of the hearse and the passenger door opened and the Chief Inspector walked as fast as dignity would allow toward us.

  Uncle Will, obviously vexed, turned to face him, feet planted fir
mly and leaning on the cane in front of him with both hands. “What is the meaning of this? We are trying to bury this child!”

  Rowan had the good grace to go red-faced at the rebuke. “I’m sorry, William.” He looked around at all of us and stammered, “It’s important…something has happened and I need to speak to you about it…I mean…I’d like your advice…”

  William sighed and replied, “Calm yourself, Chief Inspector. Organize your thoughts and we will speak as soon as we are finished here.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned back to the grave and said, “Reverend?”

  I guess he wasn’t used to interruptions. He fumbled with his bible for a moment, and then gave up. “Um…ashes to ashes, dust to dust. Amen.”

  We all echoed them then gathered around the Chief in anticipation. William posed the question, “Now, what is so important you felt the need to interrupt this ceremony?”

  “The train was robbed! Somewhere between New London and Chester the strong box disappeared!” He pulled off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “That stretch was my responsibility, William! I’ll be lucky if they let me be a janitor on the force after this!”

  “Tell me everything you know quickly and concisely. What was stolen, where it was kept, and when it was discovered missing.”

  The chief seemed to find some reassurance in my Uncle’s manner and he answered in a calm, professional voice. “I was never told the contents, but they were locked in a steel case, three feet by two feet and eight inches deep. As you already know, it was being transported from Boston to Washington. The case was locked in the conductor’s office car with two Federal agents on guard. The passenger cars on both sides of the office car were each filled with a squad of marines.

  “The train stopped in New London, where two more federal agents boarded the train. They had the proper identification and they offered to take a watch. The first set of Agents from Boston took the opportunity to have dinner in the club car. When train reached the Chester Station, the train made a scheduled stop for water and coal. The original set of Agents, having finished their supper, returned to the conductor’s office—to find their relief Agents missing, and the box was gone!”