Vanishing Ladies

Chapter twelve

Anthony Mitchell, being duly sworn, deposes and says as follows:

I arrived in the town of Sullivan’s Corners at 5.45 p.m. on the evening of June 4th. I was driving an unmarked police sedan which Lieutenant DeMorra allowed me to check out. I have to admit that I was a little puzzled by the trouble Phil had got himself into, and a little surprised that the lieutenant was going out on a limb to help. Actually, I shouldn’t have been surprised by anything the lieutenant did. He’s about the greatest skipper there is, and I wouldn’t trade him for Christmas every Sunday.

I found the only bank in town, and I also found the restaurant next door to it. For the record, the place was called ‘Fanny’s’. I took a table at the rear, and ordered a cup of coffee from a blond waitress who winked at me. I didn’t wink back because I happen to be married, and 1 happen to feel that winks are for the teen-agers. I’m old-fashioned that way. I’m old-fashioned because my wife Sandy is old-fashioned, too. We agreed to the words, and the words were ‘and forsaking all others keep you alone unto him as long as you both shall live’, and that made it legal, and I’m a big believer in things legal, otherwise I wouldn’t be a cop.

I couldn’t have been sitting for more than five minutes when Phil came in. He looked tired. I work with the guy, and I’ve seen him on tough assignments, and I’ve seen him on all-night plants, but he never looked quite as tired as when he walked into that place. He’s a tall guy, with blond hair, and he was wearing grey slacks and a light-blue short-sleeved sports shirt. He looked very neat even though he hadn’t shaved-blond guys don’t have to shave except every other Thursday-but there was this tired slump to his shoulders, and this tired expression around his eyes. He spotted me immediately, and came straight to the table, extending his hand. I stood up and took it.

‘Tony,’ he said.

‘Sit down. Phil,’ I told him. ‘You look about ready to cave in.’

‘I’m kind of bushed,’ he said.

I signaled for the waitress and ordered another cup of coffee.

‘I haven’t had dinner yet,’ Phil said, and I don’t know whether or not you are familar with this boy’s appetite, but to be kind I’ll say it’s somewhat wolfish. He asked for a menu, and I listened in awe while he ordered. ‘I’ve got to eat to think straight,’ he said. ‘Did the skipper tell you what happened?’

‘He told me Ann’s vanished. He also said you think she’s safe. What else is there?’

‘The place she vanished from is a whorehouse.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Positive.’

‘Mmmm,’ I said.

‘What do you think?’ Phil asked.

‘I don’t know. I just got here. How’d she vanish?’

‘From her cabin. I don’t know how. She was there asleep, and then suddenly she wasn’t.’

‘Her clothes?’

‘Gone. Luggage, too. Whoever cleaned out the cabin did a good job. Even got new tenants to take over after she was gone.’

‘Oh?’

‘Fellow named Joe Carlisle, and his alleged wife, girl named Stephanie. I checked later. Carlisle’s not married.’

‘Who was the girl?’

‘I don’t know. I thought one of the hookers at first, but her clothes were in the closet, and there was a dresser full of underwear. The closet stuff wasn’t a hooker’s working gear.’

‘What stuff?’

‘Some dresses, skirts, like that. From what I could gather talking to Simms—’

‘Who?’

‘Johnny Simms. Boyfriend of one of the girls who, incidentally, is also missing. Tony, this whole setup stinks. Did the lieutenant tell you about the blood?’

‘Yes.’

‘Something, huh?. Any way, from what Simms said, I gather the girls live away from the motel. His girl was checked in at the local hotel. In town. Allegedly, she suddenly left the job at the motel. But she never checked out of the hotel.’

‘Give me the setup,’ I said.

‘About fifteen cabins at the motel. Run by a man named Mike Barter. He’s married, never met his wife. The local law is wise to the setup, I’m sure. In any case, they’ve been in on the coverup. You might look up a j.p. named Oliver Handy. And watch out for a state trooper whose name is Fred. He’s the son of a bitch who has my gun. And O’Hare’s, too.’

‘Burry? How’d he get into this?’

‘He had a .32 in the glove compartment of his car.’

‘Oh.’

‘Did you bring—’

‘I brought you the one I usually keep at home. It’s a Smith and Wesson. I gave it to Sandy, and I taught her how to use it. Now she’s defenseless, you see?’ I grinned. Phil grinned back.

‘Where is it?’

‘In the car. I’ll give it to you when we get outside.’ I paused. ‘What else should I know?’

‘Barter’s got a handyman named Hezekiah. Carlisle apparently does work around the place, too, but Hez is the regular. He’s a bruiser. Don’t get into a bear hug with him.’

‘I won’t. What’s Ann wearing?’

‘Her slip and brassiere, last time I saw her.’

‘Let’s assume she’s dressed now.’

‘I can only tell you what she was wearing when we left the city yesterday morning.’

‘Go ahead.’

‘A white cotton dress, one of these sun things with bare shoulders. She was carrying a straw bag, and she was wearing straw pumps. Lucite heels.’

‘Hat?’

‘No. Never wears one.’

‘What about her luggage?’

‘Just two plain brown leather bags.’

‘Anything else I should know?’

‘A hooker named Blanche. Flaming redhead, kid of seventeen. If you see her, you can’t miss her. She’s got it blazed in neon across her chest. She was told to stall me last night when Ann disappeared. She also seems to know a hell of a lot more about all this than she’s telling. She’s the one who told me Ann is safe. Oh.’

‘What?’

‘The j.p. — this Handy character — he also hinted that Ann would be all right if I just minded my own business.’

‘What are they trying to cover, Phil?’

‘I don’t know. I imagine the blood has something to do with it, though. Murder is something to cover.’

‘Who?’

‘You’ve got me.’

‘Okay,’ I said. ‘I’ll take a look. Where can I reach you?’

‘I’ll check in at the hotel. You can call me there. Where are you going now?’

‘Out to the motel.’

‘All right, I’ll wait for your call.’

‘It may not be until late tonight. I’d rather you didn’t waste the time.’

‘What do you want me to do, Tony? Phil asked.

‘This hooker. The one who’s missing, too.’

‘Lois is her name.’

‘All right. Find out all you can about her. There may be a tie-in with Ann.’

‘Okay, I’ll talk to her boyfriend again.’

‘I’ll try to ring you around midnight or so. If we run into each other anywhere in town, you don’t know me. I only hope we’re not being watched now.’

‘I don’t think so, Tony.’

‘All right, come on. I’ll give you that .38.’ I saw the look on Phil’s face. ‘You can eat your dinner after I give you the gun.’

We went out of the restaurant and over to the black sedan. Because we didn’t want to attract attention, the transfer of the gun took place inside the car. Phil tucked it into his waistband.

‘I feel better already,’ he said.

‘Don’t go using it unless you have to,’ I said.

‘I haven’t had to use it since I’ve been a cop,’ he answered.

‘I have,’ I said. ‘I’ll call you later.’ We shook hands, and he got out of the car, and I started driving towards Sullivan’s Point. It was just getting dark when I got there. I parked the car behind a Cadillac with a tag reading SB-1412. I walked up to the motel office and knocked. There was no answer. I knocked again.

‘Hello?’ I called.

My voice echoed out over the lake. I sighed and was turning back toward the car when I saw the woman.

She came off the dock at the edge of the lake. She had a towel in her hands, and she was patting her face dry. The rest of her was wringing wet. She wore a bikini of some stuff that looked like silver lame. She was tall and slender, with the remarkable combination of good legs and a magnificent bust. She wore a bathing cap, and the cap was white and decorated with plastic daisies. She looked like a Follies girl making an entrance, except for the fact that she was unaware of any audience. I leaned against the fender of my car and watched her. She pulled off the cap, and blond hair tumbled free onto her shoulders. She shook her head, the way a big dog does when she’s coming out of the water. I watched. She looked up then and saw me.

‘Hello,’ I said. I grinned.

Her eyes were green, and the lashes were wet, and even if she hadn’t just come from the water, they’d have been frigid. ‘Hello,’ she answered.

‘How was the water?’

‘Fine,’ she answered.

‘It seems to have done you a lot of good.’

‘How would you know?’ she asked. ‘You didn’t see the ‘Before’ picture.’

‘No, but the ‘After’ is most convincing.’

‘Thanks. Are you finished?’

‘I want a cabin,’ I said. ‘No one seems to be in the office.’

‘I’ll take you up,’ she said.

‘Do you know the owner?’

‘I am the owner,’ she answered.

‘Oh?’

‘Stephanie Barter,’ she said with a small nod. ‘Come on.’ We walked up past the Caddy with the SB plate. It did not take a super sleuth to figure who owned the Caddy. There were several other things I wanted to ascertain though, and it would have been easier to discuss them with Mike Barter, rather than his wife.

We went into the office. Stephanie Barter kept dripping water onto the floor. She was a pretty thing to watch. I’d never seen her swim but I was willing to bet she was good. She had a clean young body, a body she’d taken good care of. She was probably somewhere in her late thirties, but the body was much younger. The hair had an artificial look to it, but the bleach job was professional. Her nails were well manicured. Stephanie Barter, whatever else she did, spent a lot of time in the beauty salon.

‘What exactly did you have in mind?’ she asked.

‘Is there a choice?’ I said.

‘Not really,’ she answered. ‘Did anyone recommend you? Or did you just happen by?’

‘I was recommended,’ I said.

‘By whom?’

I dug into my memory. ‘A fellow named Joe Carlisle. Know him?’

‘Yes,’ Stephanie said. She was drying herself, but her green eyes never left my face. ‘Yes, I know him. He told you to stop here?’

‘Yes.’

‘Um-huh. What’s your name?’

‘Tony,’ I said.

‘Tony what?’

‘Mitchell.’

‘How long do you know Joe?’

‘Not a hell of a long time.’

‘I don’t like profanity,’ Stephanie said.

‘I’m sorry,’ I said, grinning.

‘How long exactly do you know Joe?’

‘I met him in a bar,’ I said.

‘And?’

‘I told him I was looking for a good place to’ — I held the pause long enough to make it significant — ‘sleep.’

‘And he told you to come here, is that right?’

‘He did.’

‘We might be able to accommodate you,’ Stephanie said.

‘Might?’

‘Yes. It depends on whether or not the facilities suit you. And, of course, the price.’

‘From what I’ve seen,’ I said, ‘the facilities are remarkable.’

Stephanie did not smile. ‘The other cabins aren’t quite like the office,’ she answered.

‘Oh. I was hoping for something just like it.’

‘Well, I don’t think you’ll be too disappointed. You understand, of course, that it would be impossible to rent out the office, don’t you?’

‘Would it be impossible?’ I asked.

Her eyes held mine. ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘I’m afraid it would be impossible.’

‘If you say so.’

‘I say so.’

‘Well then, it’s impossible, I suppose.’

It was a funny kind of conversation. She had told me a lot of things in the past two minutes, but we’d talked with our eyes locked, the way a man and a woman very rarely speak. I’d just been sounding her because I wanted to find out exactly what her role was in the setup. But I got the feeling that she was seriously considering everything I said, and that she was even carrying on a small debate inside her head. Maybe I was wrong. In any case, the woman to get close to was Stephanie Barter. If anybody knew what was happening here, she was that person; I decided to press my luck.

‘Naturally,’ I said, ‘rules are made to be broken.’

Our eyes were still clenched somewhere in mid-air. ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘rules are made to be broken.’

‘And I do like the office. I really do.’

‘Your eyes are brown,’ she said quite suddenly.

‘Yes.’

‘I like brown eyes.’

‘Thank you. About the rules...’

‘If we rented the office, we’d be losing a revenue on one of the cabins,’ Stephanie said. ‘Besides, my husband would be furious if he learned about it.’

‘I wouldn’t tell him,’ I said.

‘Neither would I. Besides, after...’ She stopped and shook her head. ‘But rules are rules.’

‘What’s the revenue on the cabin?’

‘Didn’t Joe tell you?’

‘No.’

‘A hundred and fifty.’

I must have blinked. Stephanie smiled for the first time and said, ‘Too high?’

‘A little steep.’

‘But the cabins are very clean and very decorative. You’d be pleased.’

‘I’m sure. I would. But I want the office.’

‘My husband is away,’ she said suddenly. ‘On some business.’

‘What kind of business?’

‘Something that had to be done.’

‘Will he be back soon?’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Then why don’t we talk this over a little more?’

‘Talk over what?’ she asked. She smiled again. ‘Your wanting to go to bed with me, do you mean?’

‘Yes,’ I said.

‘We can talk about it,’ she said. ‘Come inside while I change.’