On our way through to Chamberlain's office we passed by Sergeant Bowers' desk. He spoke to Chamberlain, ignored me. Chamberlain got a big kick out of it. I was not amused.
"Don't worry about our esteemed Desk Sergeant,” he said, with a grin. "He's been suffering from S.P.T.A. ever since he met Mabel two years ago."
"S.P.T.A.?"
"Slow Progressive Testicular Atrophy. In his case, it's a condition in which his ego has been destroyed by a good-looking woman leading to sleeplessness, humiliation, and confusion. A cumulative collapse of confidence and pride." Chamberlain was laughing. "He'll get over it."
It was good to see Chamberlain's sense of humor intact. What he was facing with the slow deterioration of his wife must be extremely hard. As far as Sergeant Bowers and Mabel were concerned, I would have to worry about them later.
"Let's see what we can find out about this Whopper Chopper outfit. We need the information from them before we call Anastasio tomorrow."
"I agree." Chamberlain sat down stiffly behind his desk. "This flying thing is in your realm of expertise. I'll listen in. You do the talking." There was a swift, involuntary look of eagerness on his face, the look of a competent person's appreciation. Smiling, he glanced at me and said, "Let's do it."
I punched in the numbers.
"Whopper Choppers. You call, we haul." A male voice answered the phone.
"Let me speak to the owner. This is the Rockland Police Department."
"You got him. Name's Charlie Walters. What can I do for you?"
"Last week, on the dates of the 13th through the 16th, did you have a helicopter operating in this area?"
"I could check." He was hesitant. "Who did you say you were?"
"Name's Leicester. I'm an investigator working with Detective Chamberlain of the Rockland Police." I said, putting as much officialdom in my voice as I could.
"Okay,” he mumbled. "Give me ten minutes, I’ll call you back. Collect."
"Fine. We need this information now, not tomorrow."
"I said ten minutes." He hung up.
"What do you think?" Chamberlain asked, propping his feet up on the desk.
"We'll wait ten minutes.
"Whopper Choppers calling for Investigator Leicester." Sergeant Bowers' cold, professional, voice droned over the intercom exactly ten minutes later. Chamberlain smiled.
"Leicester here,” I said into the mouthpiece after Chamberlain picked up the extension so he could listen.
"We had a charter operating in Rockland on the 14th and 15th,” Charlie Walters said slowly, as if reading from a printed flight schedule. "Is there a problem?"
Looking at the dates on the fuel tickets, I saw that they matched. "We need to know who chartered your helicopter, and we need to talk with the pilot."
"Just a minute, now. We can't give out that kind of information." He sounded arrogant. "That's against company policy. You would need a court order."
Winking at Chamberlain, I said, "A Fairchild-Hiller, model 1100, N819WC, made four trips to, and landed illegally on, Monhegan Island the 14th and 15th of this month. We have six witnesses willing to testify to that effect. I'm sure the local FSDO, (Flight Standards District Office) which oversees your certificate, would like to have this information. On top of the Federal Aviation Regulations your pilot violated, he also hauled a cargo of stolen goods extorted from an old couple on the island." I paused, waiting for Mr. Walters to assimilate this information. It did not take long.
"My pilot who flew the charter is out on an overnight. He will call you tomorrow afternoon around three o'clock with all the information you requested. Is this satisfactory, Mr. Leicester?"
"Yes, thank you. I'm glad you were able to come around to our way of thinking, Mr. Walters. We'll be waiting to hear from your pilot." I hung up.
"Well done." J.L. smiled and hung up his receiver. "We'll wait until we talk with the pilot before contacting the 'Chairman of the Board." He got up and turned out the lights. "Come on, I'll escort you out past the Desk Sergeant's office. I want to be sure you get safely out of the building."
Chamberlain dropped me off at the Navigator Inn. It was seven-thirty. Entering the lobby to get a newspaper, I found that Henry was nowhere in sight. The place seemed deserted. A toilet flushed somewhere in the rear. Henry appeared, wiping his hands on a paper towel.
"Ah,” he said, spying me. "Room 412. We have messages for you. How was Monhegan?"
"Nice. Let's you and I retire, liquidate our assets, and build a house on the island. Spend the rest of our days fishing."
"I'm ready,” he said with overt eagerness. "Here are your messages."
"Newspaper?"
"Sorry, they didn't deliver any today."
Shrugging, I started out the door, then paused. Looking back at Henry, I said, "Don't wake me in the morning. I'm going to try and sleep late."
"Okay. Sweet dreams." He reached over and turned on a small television.
Up in my room, I opened the sliding glass doors to the balcony and let the cold night air pour in. Sitting down at the table, I read the messages. They were the same as last night. One was from Guy Robbins, the other from Sandy. There was one sealed in a white envelope. I opened it: 'There's a fire in the fireplace and a bottle of champagne in the fridge.' There was no signature.
Feeling the chill of the night air against the back of my neck, I dialed Guy Robbins, but got no answer. Reaching Sandy's answering service, I left a message saying I would call at ten o'clock tomorrow morning.
It took me ten minutes to get to Mabel's house.
* * *
We lay on a blanket in front of the fireplace. The flames had burned low. One log lying atop the grate still kept its shape. It was checkered into squares and glowed without flame. Sweat glistened off both our bodies. Mabel lay, one leg draped across me, rubbing the hair on my chest. I had no idea what time it was. Or cared.
"Are you and J.L. going to find out who killed those two men?" She asked, holding me unashamedly.
"We already know. Proving it will be something else." Running a hand through her hair, I smelled the soap in it, a clean, earthy, musky odor.
A car light flashed through the window. I wondered if it was a certain policeman on the way home. "You know, Sergeant Bowers won't speak to me anymore because of you."
"Sergeant Bowers never had a claim on me." She climbed on top of me, and straddled my waist. "No man's had a claim on me until you came along. I still don't know why I'm attracted to you."
It did not matter why me as long as she didn't figure it out in the next few minutes and stop what she was doing.
* * *
Awaking cold, I was wrapped in the blanket. A breeze wafting down the chimney ruffled the remnants of last night’s fire in the fireplace and blew a faint scent of charred ashes and wood into the room. Mabel was gone.
Shivering as I dressed, I read a note on the dining table that said Mabel had gone to work, and asked me to stop by for coffee.
Driving back to the motel, I went up the back way. There was time to shower and shave before calling Sandy.
Deciding to give Guy a call first, his secretary said he was in court. I told her I would try again, tonight.
Sandy answered on the first ring. "Have you found out anything?" She asked immediately.
"We're pretty sure Anastasio's responsible." I explained all we had learned on Monhegan Island, telling her about the upcoming meeting with the helicopter pilot.
Sandy sighed. "I know someone's following me. I don't like it."
"It's Anastasio's people." I reminded her of our earlier conversation. "Don't worry about them. They want to see what you do, if you go to the police, or contact anyone else. He's playing a game."
"Well, it's not a fun game." Her voice was cold and serious.
"I'll let you know what we learn from the pilot. Also,
if someone were to dump the Kent Collection on the market, could there be any way to check and find out about it? Some 'Art World' network?"
"No way. Too many avenues. Think about it, the thousands of galleries, museums, boutiques, and private collectors. Impossible."
"Well, I needed to know,” I said, feeling stupid. Maybe I should have known, but I was going through a learning curve with this art thing. "I'll be in touch."
"You call every day. You promise me."
"I promise."
Walking out on the balcony, I saw a low cloud line lying barely visible far out to sea, the last vestiges of the cold front. The wind was calm. The sun was warming the air into a truly nice spring day in the State of Maine. A flock of sea birds, too far away to identify, moved in an ever-changing line toward Vinal Haven.
Leaning back in the chair, I let the morning sun wash warmly over my face and thought about last night, and Mabel. She is quite a woman. It was going to be hard to leave when the time came.
Then I thought about the face of defeat. The helpless look of Ben Barnes as he stared vacantly in despair. His courage had failed. The sad thing about courage is that a man must be a little careless of his life in order to keep it. Courage to me had always been not in blindly overlooking danger, but in recognizing it and conquering it. But what could a little old man on an isolated island in the Atlantic Ocean do up against a powerful Mafia figure like Gino Anastasio? I made a silent promise that Mr. Boss of Bosses would somehow pay for the suffering he had caused this old couple.
The coffee shop was empty except for three people sitting around a table near the cash register. Two of them were Mabel and Henry. The other one had his back to me. I did not realize it was Sergeant Bowers until we looked at each other face to face.
Expecting some form of antagonism from Bowers, he surprised me with an invitation to sit and have coffee. Henry excused himself, saying he had work to do. Mabel went for the coffeepot.
"Look, Mr. Leicester,” he said, peering into his cup. He had a prominent nose and brown, intense eyes. The hair at the sides and on the back of his head curled like shavings in a boat-builder's shop. "I'm sorry about the way I've been acting. It's been childish. I had a talk with Mabel. She pointed out some things I seemed to have overlooked. You being from out of town, a stranger and all..."
It took guts to say what he was saying. "Forget it, Sergeant. Water under the bridge. I'd feel the same way if the situation were reversed."
What motivated Sergeant Bowers to have such a change of heart? Had he done it on his own, or from something Chamberlain said to him. He and Mabel could be involved in these killings in some way. Maybe she pointed out how his petty jealously could blow their scam.
Sergeant Bowers excused himself. I spent an hour talking with Mabel, drinking coffee, drawing her out. We had not had much conversation since that first night. She told me how her husband died, drowning at sea, his body never recovered. We talked a little about the murders. Henry finally interrupted us, saying Detective Chamberlain wanted to talk with me on the phone.
Leaving, I promised Mabel that I would see her tonight.
* * *
Picking up the phone at the front desk, I said, "Yeah, what's up, J.L.?"
"Mr. Walters from the helicopter service phoned, his pilot's flying in from Bangor. He'd planned a fuel stop in Augusta; he'll stop in Rockland, instead. Walters said he would have all the information we'd need."
Looking at my watch, I asked, "Arrival time?"
"In about forty-five minutes. I'll pick you up out front of the Navigator in ten minutes." He hung up.
* * *
"How's Kathleen?" I slid into the passenger side of J.L.'s unmarked police car.
"She had a good night. Bill was by this morning checking on her. He seems to think this crisis is over."
"I'm glad." We turned onto the highway in front of the hotel and headed for the airport. "Did you say anything to Bowers about this situation with Mabel?"
Chamberlain looked at me for a moment. "No, I didn't think it necessary. Why? Something happen?"
"No. Bowers apologized to me this morning in the coffee shop for the way he's been acting. That's all."
"Bowers is a good man, Jay." Chamberlain slowed for an old man crossing the street with a small dog on a leash. "All of us let things cloud our judgment from time to time. I knew the jealously thing would pass with him."
"I wanted to know if he did it on his own. It took guts. I'm glad it wasn't coming from you. One more thing, was Bowers involved in any of the investigation on Bilotti's killing?"
"Yes. In fact, he was the first officer on the scene. He's only working the desk until the regular officer returns from vacation. Why?"
"You figure it out."
Chamberlain looked intently at me, but didn't say anything. Leaning back in the seat, I clasped my hands behind my head, and stared at the car's headliner.
Parking in front of the FBO, Chamberlain shut the engine off and rolled down his window. I did the same. We heard the helicopter long before it appeared. The whop, whop, whop of the blades were unmistakable. There is only one machine which makes that sound, a Bell HU-1, better known as the 'Huey.' The helicopter was designed for the Vietnam War and used as an air ambulance, a gunship, and a troop carrier. It now serves many rolls in civilian life. I did not fly helicopters, but I had never heard pilots who flew them ever say anything bad about the Huey.
The pilot air-taxied the helicopter up to the fuel dock, and kept the engine running for a few minutes while it cooled down. After engine shut down, the pilot and passenger exited the Huey and walked into the fixed-base operation. We followed. Chamberlain and I waited until the pilot finished with his duties before introducing ourselves. He gave the brusque, limp handshake of someone with little patience for basic pleasantries.
The man was apprehensive in talking with us. "Look, we're not from the FAA." I was trying to put him at ease. "The only thing we want to know is who hired you, and where you off-loaded the art collection."
He was an extremely tall man. How he managed to fold himself into the cockpit of the Huey was beyond me. Slim and lanky, with coal black hair, his face was scarred and pitted. They were not acne scars, they were from wounds. The eyes were black, piercing, and alert.
"What's this all about?" His gaze flitted erratically around the ramp as though he was tracking an enemy fighter plane. "My boss called all upset, said you were bitching because I landed on Monhegan and threatened to go to the Feds.”
We told him about the murders, the strong-arm tactics against the old couple, and the Mafia connection.
"Wow...” He sat down slowly in a cushioned recliner in the lobby. "Both those guys killed? One of'em was an asshole, probably no great loss. The other one was a nice-seeming sort."
Would not be hard to figure out which one was the asshole, I thought.
"Look,” the pilot continued. "I plead guilty to landing on Monhegan. I had nothing to do with any murders or pushing two old people around. I didn't even get out of the helicopter while we were on Monhegan."
"Who hired you?"
"I don't know, truthfully. Charlie said the charter came out of Chicago. He said to tell you a company called Vittoria Enterprises wired the money for the two-day charter, in advance. The guy I dealt with was Tony Bilotti."
"The asshole."
"Yeah,” the pilot grunted. "You knew him?"
"Just a lucky guess."
"You spent the night in the area,” Chamberlain said. "Where?"
"A motel in Thomaston. Bilotti had a van. He directed me to land in a field next to where it was parked. We'd unload the stuff into it and make another run. Made two trips the first day, and one the next."
"What else can you tell us?" I prodded.
"Not much. I had my own room at the motel. They disappeared right after we got there. Did not even invite me to eat with them. The next day, after the run, I flew over to Rockland, refueled, and headed to Portland."
"Think hard, man. Did they say anything, mention any names, talk about money?"
"I'd really like to help, but there's nothing else to tell. Are you guys gonna report the Monhegan thing to the Feds?"
"We told you from the start what we're interested in. Let the FAA do their own police work. It won't come from us."
"Just stay off Monhegan,” Chamberlain added.
"No problem."
We shook hands. He gathered up his passenger and walked out on the ramp towards the Huey.
Halfway to the helicopter the pilot suddenly turned around and came back. "There was one thing. I don't know if it means a lot, but the other guy, the nice one, he kept saying something about his sister looking at the cargo. It stuck with me because I never saw a woman."
"His sister?"
"Yeah. He kept saying his sister was going to look at the cargo. The asshole would just nod, not seeming to pay any attention to the fact."
"Okay, thanks." I waved good-bye. "Have a safe flight."
"Wonder what that means?" Chamberlain asked.
"Sandy said Nat was supposed to meet her at the gallery the Monday after he bought the Kent collection, if he bought it. Maybe the deal was a lot better than he thought, and he wanted her to see it. Then he and Bilotti got whacked before he could get in touch with her."
"Could be,” Chamberlain said, watching the blades start to turn on the Huey.
"We find the art work, we find the killer. Let's check out some truck rental agencies. Maybe we can find out something on this van. Then we need to call Gino Anastasio."
"Right,” Chamberlain shouted, holding his ears against the whine of the turbine engine on the helicopter, leading the way out to the car.