And Four To Go - Chapter One
The bright corridor lights made it difficult to misinterpret the significance of the big black lettering on the door: NARCOTICS DIVISION. Inside the light was dimmer and showed the empty desks of the day shift; in one corner Sanders was busily typing and keeping an eye on the switchboard at his side. The clock on the wall said twenty past six.
As he rolled a piece of paper out of the machine, Sanders could hear music and smiled to himself. The Chief was listening to a symphony again. Great fellow for music, the chief. Well, after today he could listen to symphonies any time at all. Funny thing a man his age retiring. Couldn't be more than fifty. Keen on his job, too; no doubt of that -- 'waged a ceaseless war of the nefarious narcotics distributors' was the phrase one of the newspapers had used in reporting his retirement. Been in the service thirty years -- probably in line for commissioner if he stayed, and with that in sight he up and retires to go farming, of all things. What could he know about farming? Oh well, he rolled a fresh sheet of paper into the machine and went on with his typing.
In the inner office Inspector Ian Duncan called Deedee by his friends, finished checking the blue cards for the second time; his secret blue list, a file he had kept ever since he joined narcotics nine years ago. In one pile, the largest, there were fifty-two cards; names of men, and women too, none of them directly connected with the narcotic trade but who had been associated with known agents or addicts, socially, through a business connection, or perhaps even accidentally. Once in awhile a name would start a tiny bell, he liked to think, and he would mentally register the name, and watch for it to reappear. If that happened more than once, the name went on a blue card; from this very list now and then a card had been removed and marked "arrested - convicted". Sometimes a card was destroyed from lack of any further evidence. From time to time new names were added. The list was top secret always kept in a locked drawer to which he alone had the key.
Now he slipped a rubber band over the pile and put them in his pocket; the second pile, much smaller, was scanned again briefly and then each card torn into small pieces, the third pile had four cards; he glanced at the first three and the placed them in an inside pocket. The fourth card he held in his hands not looking at it, just considering; then, suddenly he tore that one up too.
altogether it was a warm evening, he put a match to the fire that was always ready in the snall open fireplace, and burned all the pieces. His blue list was fairly well known and he was taking no chances of having the bits pieced together by any inquisitive mind.. Tonight he would give the list to the Commissioner; then he would be free. Free to develop the ranch as he had so often dreamed, and free to marry Alissa. The two things were so interwoven in his thinking the had to remind himself that Alissa had not yet promised to marry him.
The ranch at Klitsaw was a reality. Six years ago he had bought the land and every year he had seen some development accomplished; the cabins, then the big barn; last year the nucleus of a small herd and this year the cottage, ready for him to live in. With or without Alissa, he made himself admit. A small tremor ran through him at the possibility; with or without Alissa, but, please God, with.
At first glance Ian Duncan was not impressive; just about average height, his slimness made him appear taller. His separate features were ordinary - grey eyes, a rather large nose, a firm mouth, half hidden by a clipped military mustache, and greying close cropped hair. But somehow, you took a second glance and then you noticed a quiet charm, perhaps it was the twinkle in his eyes, or an understanding look, perhaps sort of a steadiness sensed, but you found yourself liking him, trusting him.
Now taking his raincoat from the closet, he glanced around the room. A square brass chronometer clock, about three inches in diameter still standing on the corner of the desk with the wrapping on it, a farewell gift from his staff, went into the raincoat pocket. A green jade letter opener went into the inner pocket; this had come from old Lee Mun Kee, whose foolish son was nearly caught up in ' the trade' through blackmail over gambling debts -- that the old man had known the value of swiftness and silence -- and gratitude, too. For a moment he wondered how many of those anonymous 'tips' he had received these last years had come from the old man. Well, it was over now. No more tips. No more coups. No more swift arrests. As of this moment he was through. No longer a policeman. Then the clerk's voice broke through his musings;
"It's the Commissioner, sir, on the line."
Duncan picked up the reciever - ' Duncan speaking."
" McNair here. Sorry I couldn't reach you sooner. Been tied up all day with that riot investigation. Are you free now?"
" Yes, sir."
" Good. I suggest you come home with me; Ruthy will give us a cold snack and we will have more privacy there. There are one or two things I'd like to talk to you about."
"Same here."
" Meet me at the entrance in a couple of minutes, then."
On his way downstairs he ran head-on into Geoff Anders, homicide Inspector -- "Hi," called Geoff, " free-as-air Ducncan, I believe. No more worries, no more troubles, just the simple life. And what do I get, three murders to solve- something wrong somewhere, wouldn't you say?"
Anders looked really depressed and Duncan stopped of a moment's chat.
"Don't let it get you down, Geoff. You'll solve them -- you always do."
" Not always - I have my failures, you know, and this Minnis case has really got to me -- not a clue - no one saw it, no reason for it, just nothing. Just the body lying on the roadway where it had been run down by a truck....
Duncan would have spoken, but nothing could stop Anders.
" A real nice girl, engaged to be married to a fellow in Edmonton. She was on her way to spend an hour with his folks, but never arrived. Her parents are broken hearted--- seems a particularly happy home life. She was well liked in the office whe worked in - been there four years and was very friendly with all the staff-- no quarrels, not even tiffs. There doesn't seem to be any reason for it. Duncan it was no accident, it was a planned killing. The more I work on it the less I seem to know, except that I'd like to get my hands on the guy that did it...."
"You will, Geoff -- and say goodbye to maureen, will you- always my ideal policewoman until you did the Department a wrong and married her. You know Maureen never looked like a policewoman, never acted like one and yet she was the very best. She had that quality of understatement down to perfection, didn't she? Always right on the ball, but never let it show; you sure were the lucky guy, Geoff - hope you appreciate it."
" Maybe I'd better," grinned Geoff, " and get home for dinner - late as usual. You know something? First time I've thought about any woman other than Esther Minnis all day."
The Commissioner joined them and Duncan said " Geoff seems to be pretty well hung up on this Minis case, not to mention the other two, or is it three murders still unsolved?"
"Nothing new, eh Anders?"
" Nothing new --- nothing old, nothing, nothing, nothing,"
Anders answered.
For a moment the three men stood in silence, then the Commissioner replied, "Take it easy, Geoff -- something will break soon, I am sure."
Anders stared at him, still worried, but now there was a new look on his face, a faint look of hope. The Department had what amounted to a superstition about the Commissioner. He seldom offered any remarks about the solving of cases or breaks coming, but when he did, something always happened. Now Anders went off with a cheery 'Goodnight', maybe he'd get that much needed break.
"Do you really think something will turn up soon, sir, or were you only cheering Anders up; he sure needed it?" Duncan asked.
The Commissioner smiled - " Oh, it's not any form of precognitions, if that's what you have in mind; look at it this way; Anders had done all the spade work, and done it well. At the present it seems as if he's up against a blank wall; he's still looking for a clue to unlock the puzzle, he's uncovered lots of leads, really. There's the truck; it must have been stolen. but stolen by whom? Oh, I know it's wide field but not just anyone could have done it who had access to where it was parked?, not just 'anyone' could drive one of those big jobs through the city and park it just there. It must be someone who knows trucks, who knows the city - knows the girl. There are plenty of places where the facade could crack, and Anders is keeping the pressure on--- You know what they always say-- ' something has got to give' - Anders will get his break all right. But we'd better get going, Ruth will have dinner waiting."
posted by Mosaic10 @ 1:12 PM
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