The Floating Corpse

by James Walker

  “Well, it paid for itself tonight,” Rowan said off-handedly.

  William, seeing the confused look on my face, explained. “Last year I had the system converted to a fire suppression system. Luckily, Ozaki activated it before he was attacked, or the old girl would be sitting on the bottom of the river now for sure!”

  He paused to reach for another bottle of soda, opened it, then he gave Blum and Rowan a smirk. “That, gentlemen, was the start of the ‘River Monster’ episodes.

  “Marquis, Roy, and some of the crew took the suit out onto the river to practice with it. Therein lays the basis for all the mysterious bubbles and underwater damages discovered. The mechanical grips, used as hands on the suits, are extremely powerful and more than capable of crushing bait traps or scoring the keels of boats.

  “Working at night, with the sound of the compressor muffled by the padded box built around the unit, they were neither seen nor heard. I’m sure if we were to interview some of the more adamant witnesses to the mysterious events, we would find that they recalled seeing Marquis’ boat in the area, although they would not have made special note of it as he was a common sight on the river at any times of the day or night.

  “When Roy was sure they could handle the recovery, he set the other half of his plans in motion at the right time. His henchmen killed the two agents in Providence and took their place. The rest you already know.”

  Something occurred to me. “But the compressor wasn’t on Marquis’ boat-- It was on the barge. Why would they go to the trouble of moving it?”

  “And you’re leaving out a big part, Gillette,” Rowan announced. “You surely haven’t forgotten the payroll robbery. From what you told me, it was obviously pulled off with the new underwater skillset Roy and his gang had. And why would they kill a man and take a safe—just to return it within twelve hours?

  Uncle Will was dreading the answer he had to give. In a sad voice, he said, “The answers to both your questions stem from the same source. Marquis acted alone when he attacked that boat.”

  Blum and Rowan both gasped and Catty made a strangled moan. I turned my head to see tears streaming down her cheeks but was proud when she said in a level voice “My brother killed that man…”

  William sighed. “If it is any consolation, Catherine, I do not believe that Marquis acted with any real malice. I want to believe he started out by simply trying to show off to his new friends; the barge gang. I know he could be wild and sometimes reckless, but I do not think he was evil at heart.”

  Rowan look as if he was about to dispute that observation. I’m sure the police tendencies in him would see the murder and the payroll robbery in a much harsher light. Doctor Blum seemed more concerned for Catty’s feelings as he watched her closely. As a guy who did a lot of dumb things in his life, I could see where things got out of hand once it started, but I had my doubts also.

  “Are you sure he did the job all by himself Uncle Will. I mean, that suit weighs a ton and there was a lot of equipment to handle. I don’t see how he could have managed stopping a boat dead in the water, capsized it, and then smashed through the bulk heads to tear the payroll safe off its mount and carry it off.”

  Uncle Will said nothing as he sipped his drink, so the Chief piped up. “He makes a lot of sense, William. I think he has torn some considerable holes in your theory.”

  Uncle Will looked up sharply, his face blank. “Then consider this, Inspector. Aside from the two men on the boat, Marquis was the only person who knew they would layover at the spot. It would be a fairly simple task to tie up on the riverbank or in one of the nearby estuaries and hide it == perhaps making use of one of the existing duck blinds that riddle that side of the river. He then donned the suit and turned on the compressor before slipping over the side in the shallows and walking out into deeper waters. The suit, while cumbersome on land, would be buoyant in the water and easier to handle. Then he only had to wait for the boat to come along.”

  “That doesn’t explain how he stopped it so suddenly. Even if he grabbed the keel, the weight of the boat would have just carried him along!” I argued.

  “Do you recall the missing pin, Frohman?”

  I took me a moment to remember. “Sure. It was missing from the shackle on the end of the chain attached to the anchor we found lying on the deck of Marquis’ boat.”

  “Excellent! I see you have learned to file information! Marquis came up with clever plan. He must have found a spot in the boat’s path that was deep enough to hide, but shallow enough so he could nearly reach the surface. He then drove a spike into the river bottom and attached the anchor and its chain to it. When the boat passed over him, he reached up and smacked the prongs of the anchor into the bow, below the waterline.”

  I slapped my forehead and groaned. “Of course! That was bottom paint on the anchor, not blood!”

  “Correct again, Frohman. The result of the jarring stop was two breeches in the hull. As the boat swung around, Marquis used the mechanical grips on the suit to disable the props and then began to try and capsize the vessel. That’s when things took a turn to the worse. As we heard from Mr. Larabino, just before he was tossed overboard, the pilot went to the stern and saw something in the water. He drew a knife and leapt over the back.

  “Now, no sane man would have attacked a creature in its own element. Gentlemen, what the pilot saw was neither natural nor supernatural! He saw a man shape and knew what was happening. Sadly, his dedication to his responsibilities cost him his life.”

  “That poor man.” Catty said in a low voice. “My brother murdered him! I can’t believe I grew up with that monster!”

  After a pause, William shrugged. “Perhaps you should not judge him so harshly, Catherine. Although he was the cause, one could almost make a case for self-defense. After all, if the pilot had succeeded in cutting the hoses to the suit, Marquis would have surely drowned before he could make it to shore. I doubt Marquis had mastered control of the power in the grips on his suit. When he grabbed the arm that was wielding the knife, he nearly tore it off and in the ensuing struggle he fatally wounded his attacker. I am sure he was more scared than vicious.”

  We all looked to Catty, who mulled it over and replied softly. “Thank you for that. I know Marquis was a bad apple, but I never saw that much meanness in him.”

  William nodded, the Chief scowled, and the Doctor shrugged.

  “In any event,” William went on. “As Mr. Larabino was floundering to shore, Marquis managed to turn the boat turtle and then used the grips to smash through the cabin roof and tear the safe from its mount. After removing the shackle to the post in the river bed, he took the anchor and strong box, and then made his way to his own boat to escape.”

  “Whoa, wait a minute, Uncle Will,” I protested. “I can see everything you’ve said so far, but he must have had help when he got back to his boat! That safe was heavy and there was no way he walked out of the water in that cumbersome suit, carrying it—much less getting it onto his deck, all alone!”

  “Ah, Frohman! Two steps forward and one step back! Do you not recall the other point of significance I told you to take note of?”

  I thought about it and then let my breath out slowly in a long ‘ooooohhhhh’, with my eyebrows raised.

  “Correct.” He looked to Rowan to explain. “We discovered a long cord attached to the engaging lever on the motor that drives the winch on his boat.

  Before he set out to trap his quarry, Marquis lowered a harness into the river with his winch and tossed the cord in after it.

  “When he got back to a spot below his boat, he simply put the harness on the safe, then pulled the cord to raise it. After that, he walked out of the water and, once on deck, swung his prize onto the deck.”

  William paused as he reloaded his pipe again. The wait was too much for the doctor.

  “What happened then?” Blum demanded.

  “Why, he took his ill- gotten gains to the barge,” He replied as he lit his pipe.

  �
��Where he did not get the reception he expected!”

  33

  We all began to ask him what he meant by that, well, everyone except the Chief Inspector. Rowan stared at his feet for a minute then slapped the arm of his chair loud enough to cut us all off in mid-query.

  “That’s why the money was returned so fast!” He nearly shouted, giving my Uncle a bug-eyed stare.

  William looked as proud as a mother hen. In a challenging tone, he said “Tell us what happened then.”

  Rowan rubbed his hands together briskly, his excitement growing over his epiphany. “Well… I imagine Roy was furious when Marquis showed up with that stolen payroll.”

  “He was mad?” Catty asked. “Why would he be mad? They were all a bunch of thieves and murderers!”

  Still looking to my uncle, he replied, “The last thing Roy would want at that late stage of his plans was attention that could upset the apple cart! As long as that money was still missing, my men would have been all over that area until we figured it out. He knew I’d be all over that barge with a fine-tooth comb. So, he secretly left the money on the dock where someone would be sure to find it.” He slapped the arm of his chair again, “And he got just what he wanted! I pulled my men off the river and reassigned them, leaving him a clear field to pull off his train caper!” He stopped there and his eyes flickered towards Catty. He knew the next part of this tale would be hard for her to hear.

  Oblivious to the drama, the Doctor blurted out, “Well? What happened then?”

  Still keeping his eyes averted from Catty, Rowan replied. “You already know the answer to that, Doctor. In his rage, Roy beat and mutilated Marquis and tossed his body in the river. Then he took the suit and the compressor off Marquis’ boat and set it adrift.”

  I thought about it and couldn’t agree. “I don’t know about that. Gordon told us he recovered the boat past Essex and that’s miles down the river. A boat that size wouldn’t drift that far that fast.”

  Rowan flicked a hand at me in dismissal. “It’s the only way it makes sense…” He broke off his explanation when there was a loud knocking at the door. He pulled out his watch and checked the time. “Hm. That was quick.” He stood suddenly and said to my Uncle. “That must be my men. They’re here to give me a ride back to the station. He called out and two constables hustled in and carried the documents off to the car on his orders

  We all stood, and the Doctor gathered his hat and cane. The Chief took a step towards the door then stopped in front of Catty.

  “I am going to write a report on your brother. I have to close out the case, or there will be too many questions asked.

  But I won’t make it public. In light of the outcome, it wouldn’t do much good anyways. The only hitch is that the victim’s family deserves the truth.”

  “I understand, Chief Inspector.” She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you. I would spare my family if I could.”

  Rowan nodded and then added one for me as he held out his hand to my Uncle.

  William took it and clapped him on the shoulder. “Congratulations Inspector—this will be another feather in your cap! Fortune and glory wait!”

  Rowan smiled and shook his head slowly. “Again, none of this would have been resolved without your help, William. I am in your debt.” My Uncle opened his mouth to protest, but Rowan cut him off. “Never fear, William. I know the routine by now…I will leave the two of you, “He jerked his head in my direction, “out of my official report. I will protect your privacy—as much as I can without committing perjury!”

  “That is all I can ask, Chief Inspector. I know you’ll do your best.”

  “Then it’s Good night, William.” He headed for the door, calling out over his shoulder, “Coming Doctor?”

  “Be right with you.” Blum replied as he picked up his medical bag. He stopped at Catherine and took her hand. “I’m so sorry, my girl. You should get some rest.” He patted his bag. “Do you want something to help you sleep?”

  Catty declined his offer and bid him a goodnight and then, I think to hide her tears, Catty began to gather up the empty glasses and took them to the kitchen. The Doctor looked at her glumly as she walked away and came over to my Uncle and me. He looked over to be sure Catty was out of earshot and said. “One thing that doesn’t make sense to me William, is the condition we found Marquis in. Why would Roy bother to maul him so? He could have just shot him or tied an anchor to him and toss him in the river! Leaving him around for us to find would just draw the kind of attention he didn’t want.”

  William hesitated, and then shrugged. “Who knows what transpires in the criminal mind, Doctor.”

  Blum looked him straight in the eye, “You do, usually.”

  With that, he made an exit as dramatic as any William ever did on stage.

  Uncle Will laughed as the Doctor went out the door. I was amazed at how alert he was, but I was grateful. There was still a lot left unanswered. “Uncle Will, there are a few things I still don’t understand...”

  Just then, Catty came back in the room and William held up a hand to stop my questions. “We will finish this tomorrow, Collin.”

  Then he stepped around me and took Catty by the shoulders as she bent down to gather another tray of dishes. He gently pulled her upright and said softly. “Leave them, Catherine. It’s been a long day for all of us. You need to get some rest young Lady, so march yourself up to your room and get to bed.” Then he shocked me, by folding her into his long arms and hugging her fiercely.

  When they broke apart, Catty and I stared at each other for a moment, but it was too awkward with my Uncle standing between us. She said her goodnights and headed up the stairs to her room. When we heard the door of her room shut in the stillness, William put a hand on my shoulder and gently shoved me toward the stairs. “Now you, Collin. Get some rest. We have another long day ahead of us tomorrow, I’m afraid.”

  Later on, as I was lying asleep in bed, I awoke to feel movement next to me. I carefully rolled over to find, Catty snoring softly in a deep slumber.

  That was fine with me.

  34

  Catty was gone when I awoke, but I still wasn’t alone in the room. I heard a ‘whish, whish’ noise as my eyes cracked open, and saw Ozaki standing at the foot of my bed, holding a dark suit up with one hand and brushing it with the other. A bright white bandage encircled his head, but otherwise not a thing about him was out of place.

  “Good morning, vera saku.” He said cheerfully. “It is good you are awake. Your Uncre is getting dressed. He wants you to meet him in the kitchen for coffee when you are ready.” He hung the suit on a hook on the back of the door and said, “You need to pack your crothes better. It took me an hour to get the wrinkres out.”

  I was amazed at his resiliency. Aside from the bandage that encircled the top of his head, you would never know he nearly died twelve hours earlier.

  I swung out of bead and reached for a robe hanging off a chair. “It’s not like I can hang a garment bag on my motorcycle, Uncle Ozaki.” I quipped as I belted my robe.

  He gave me a sly look and smiled as he opened the door to the hallway for me. “Then again, I suppose you will have someone do it for you from now on.”

  That hit me right between the eyes as I headed for the bathroom. After everything that happened in the last few days, soon I would have to return home to take the mantel of a million-dollar theater business --- that I knew little about. Then, there were the feelings inside of me that were growing for Catty. It was all too much.

  At least, I had the ability to push everything else to the back of my mind and concentrate on the here, and now. First, I would get past Marquis’ funeral then I could start making plans. After a French bath and a shave, I returned to my room to find Ozaki gone, the bed made, and the suit laid out on it. On the floor next to the bed, were my boots, polished to a high shine. A tie clip, cufflinks, and my father’s pocket watch were laid out in a row on the nightstand. From the smell emanating from the kitchen
as I approached, I knew the coffee was ready and I was more than ready for it! I found Uncle Will sitting at the counter by the window as Ozaki poured him a steaming cup of the brew. When I entered, Ozaki flipped another mug and filled it.

  “Good Morning, Collin,” Uncle Will greeted me. He looked me up and down as he reached for the coffee Ozaki held out for him. “I hope you got some sleep last night.”

  I knew where this was going and decided to nip it in the bud. I took my coffee from Ozaki and took a sip. “It wasn’t like that, Uncle Will. Nothing happened between us last night. She just needed some …human contact. Can you blame her after what she learned last night? When I woke in the middle of the night, she was just there lying next to me in the dark, sawing wood. When I woke the second time, she was gone, the sun was up, and Uncle Ozaki was brushing my suit. That’s all.”

  Ozaki’s eyes crinkled over his cup of tea. He took a sip and said in a low voice, “Some Romeo.”

  I would have retorted but Uncle Will cut me off. “Enough!” He snapped, glaring at both of us. “Catherine is in for a long difficult day and deserves nothing less than your sympathy and compassion for her feelings!”

  My stomach dropped to my knees. “Gosh, Uncle Will, has she come down yet?” I asked in a panicked voice. I wouldn’t be happy if she was listening in right now.

  He seemed slightly amused by me trepidation. “Relax Collin. She’s long gone for more than an hour. The Doctor picked her up this morning to give her time to be reunited with her family before the Church service.”

  “Oh,” I was relieved she didn’t hear me telling William and Ozaki our private business. To change the subject, I asked, “What time does it start? Do I have time to clean up our bikes before we go?”

  William shook his head somberly. “No need. We won’t be taking our motorcycles.”