The Floating Corpse

by James Walker

  Rowan looked more annoyed than impressed, but I was thrilled to see my uncle’s talent at work.

  “Now,” he continued. “Does it not seem odd that the Navy would take such an important ship off the front lines-in these critical times, and sail her across the ocean-just to restock their beans or whatever? It makes more sense to believe she was dispatched to deliver something of grave importance to America. The Delaware may not be the largest in the fleet, but she is the swiftest for a long journey. I thought I saw a hole in my Uncle’s reasoning. “Then why wouldn’t they just sail to Washington and skip the rail trip?”

  “For the reasons your uncle just mentioned.” Rowan explained, “That would add three days to their journey each way. The Navy can’t have her separated from her group any longer than absolutely necessary.”

  “So, what do you think it is, Chief?” William asked. “Perhaps war plans or a treaty?”

  Rowan threw his hands in the air. “William, I don’t know, and you don’t know, and we don’t WANT to know! The orders for secrecy came from as high up as you can go! If I didn’t trust you so, I’d be holding you in a cell until the train went past.” He gave me a steely look, “I’ll trust your behavior to William.”

  I was about to tell him what I thought of that, but William gave a slight shake of his head so, I just nodded.

  “In any case, Chief.” William went on. “As I see it, your only real point of concern is the bridge. A train would be most vulnerable there.”

  “Not really,” Rowan replied in a condescending tone. “No room to mount an attack and even if someone sabotaged the trestle-it would only cause the train to drop in the river, losing them their prize. Besides, there is still that railroad barge working on the rock footings. I went out and talked to them myself. They are a motley bunch, but they are armed and keeping a watch out for suspicious activities.” He looked well pleased with himself.

  “I told them there was a gang of river pirates in the area. That’ll keep them on their toes!”

  I thought it was kind of funny, but William seemed less than impressed. “From what little activity I have seen from that operation, I have no doubt they could find the time to guard the river for you!”

  “Just what are they supposed to be doing,” I asked.

  “They’re here to inspect and repair if needed, the footings around the train bridge’s trestles in the river. The barge has several cranes and if they find an area that may have been weakened or washed away, they shift the rocks or add fill. They have been here two weeks already, William said, “How much longer are they contracted for?”

  Rowan shrugged, “I dunno. Have Catty ask Marquis. He’s been quite chummy with them, I hear. Takes supplies out to them almost every day.”

  William shook his head quickly. “It is of no importance.” He then drank the last of his tea and reached for his hat and goggles. He stood and offered a hand to Rowan.

  “Well, Chief Inspector. Thank you for joining us. We shall leave you to finish your lunch in peace.” Rowan shook his hand and William said to me, “Come along Frohman. I wish to give you the nickel tour of the county before it grows dark.”

  I got up and nodded to the copper. The book was still out on him, so I said nothing.

  Rowan shook William’s hand and pointed a finger at him with a squint. “You be careful if you take the bridge home, William. I keep telling you it’s not safe!”

  William just nodded in acknowledgement, and as we started to go, Rowan put a hand on William’s arm and gave us both a hard look, “And remember to keep your observations to yourself. Loose lips sink ships!”

  I’m not sure if he even realized what an offensive remark that was to us. William stiffened, but managed a smile as he nodded and turned to go.

  I rolled my eyes and followed him.

  12

  The houses thinned out as we headed up the river. The road was dirt but fairly level and wide enough for us to ride side by side. The train bridge spanned the river to our right and it loomed larger as we approached it. Soon we came to a steep rise where the road crossed over the railroad tracks.

  To my surprise, and despite the No Trespassing signs, William slowed then turned on to the trestle! I stopped to watch him as he bounced along the center of the bridge between the two tracks. There was, of course, no solid ground beneath him, just the beams that were spaced apart. The tires on William’s Chief were big enough to traverse the railroad ties, and his tires dipped between each one. He was rattling along like a cocktail shaker.

  I had a better idea and I lined my tires up on the outer rail, and then gunned the throttle. Between my speed and balance, my tires rode smoothly along the metal rail.

  I had an unobstructed view of the river, as there was no fencing on this trestle. I could see William’s castle clearly in the distance and the town across the river from it. The ferry was plying its course across the river in its slow and steady fashion. The Connecticut River itself looked like a streak of blue paint, splitting the lush green forests on either side. It was a spectacular view-not as good as the one from Uncle Will’s, but grand nonetheless.

  In moments, I passed William bouncing along. I wanted to tip my hat to him, but I had to keep both hands on the bars, lest the bike slip off I would tumbl into the water, far below. I had to settle for a nod.

  I reached the other side way ahead of him and stopped my bike at a road that crossed the tracks on that side. William pulled up next to me. I thought he would be amused, but he looked a bit stern. He shut off his motor and put his kickstand down and I followed suit.

  Pulling off his googles, he growled, “Though I commend you for you riding skills Collin, that was a foolish thing to attempt! If your bike had slipped off or hit an oil patch-you would have gone for a swim!”

  I laughed. “Not on your nelly, Uncle. Besides, you know I swim like a fish.”

  “You would not have survived the fall! The river here is notoriously shallow. Except for the very center of the channel, it is no more than twelve feet or so.”

  He pointed a long finger at me and said earnestly, “You are a man of responsibilities now. Your family and your company are counting on you. It is far past the time for you to disengage from these unnecessary stunts!”

  I should have just nodded, but then again, I never could do the easy thing. “You tell me to be armed in case a thug with a grudge comes after us, but you’re worried I might fall off my bike?”

  His eyes flashed, but he simply said in a sarcastic tone. “Is this the benefits from seven years of college? A higher form of sass?”

  I threw up my hands in surrender and tried to look contrite. “You’re right. I’ll be more careful.”

  He merely grunted in response then stared down at the river. His face grew long and his ears began to jut out. In the space of less than a minute, he looked gaunter with more prominent cheek bones. I was marveling at the change in his appearance when he reached into his saddle bag and pulled out a spyglass. He put it to his eye and after a moment, simply hummed and handed me the eye piece.

  “Tell me what you see, Frohman.”

  Curious, I put the glass to my eye and focused. After a moment, I began my narrative.

  “I see your run of the mill railroad river barge. I’d say she was twenty by forty, with a low bow and double stacked structure on the stern. Most likely it’s the crew quarters with the wheelhouse on top. There are rows of windows on all sides and a walkway with a door on one side. In front of the box is a large metal crane, in the upright position, that I’d guess to be thirty-five feet. On port bow is another, smaller, crane of about fifteen feet in length.

  There are barrels and timber on the deck, all stacked neatly perfectly wound coils of rope on all four corners.” I lowered the glass and a thought occurred to me. The deck and structure were pristine. ‘Ship shape and Bristol fashion’, as they say. I put the piece to my eye again and looked but I could not see one thing out of place, nor any signs of rust or stain. I had never seen a
ship, outside the Aunt Polly, that was so well maintained. The captain must be a hard case.” I observed to my Uncle. “He runs a tight ship!”

  William looked down at me and replied, “Or an idle one. You missed the anomaly, Frohman. Look again and this time, concentrate!”

  I sighed and did as he asked. Nothing had changed in the last thirty seconds, except that when I focused on the wheelhouse, I could see the shadows of all three men moving about. I said as much to my Uncle. He sighed theatrically and took the glass from me to stow it away. He shook his head and looked at me as if I had the sense of a mule.

  “I did not ask you for a census, Frohman! I asked you to find what was missing.”

  I took a bit of umbrage at that. “How would I know what was missing? I’m no expert on railroad barges!”

  “Irrelevant! You have spent a good portion of your life around boats. The missing piece is obvious!”

  I just stared at him, not wanting to give him the opportunity to belittle whatever I said next.

  He gave me that sly grin and said, “A boat. There is not so much as a dingy tied up to the barge. All three men are aboard and there is no way for them to get to shore, or do you think they spent twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week on board? There certainly does not look as if a great deal of work is being done, for such vigilance!”

  That did strike me as odd. Any watercraft that was moored usually had some type of transport to get back and forth to shore. Still, he was talking down to me again, so I played the devil’s advocate.

  “Yeah, well, doesn’t Marquis bring them supplies regularly? Perhaps he brings them to town from time to time. And I doubt that they’re just sitting around day after day. You know the railroad — they don’t pay for idleness!”

  That sparked some reaction in him. He looked pensive for a minute then broke out in a big smile. “Frohman — you are a diamond in the rough!” He pulled on his helmet and googles and got back on his machine. “That is enough sightseeing for one day! I need to make use of that marvelous telephone!”

  I was relieved when he let it drop and we were on our bikes returning to the castle. The day’s events and my Uncle’s inquisition had put me through the wringer. I figured a nice stiff drink to soak up all the stew in my stomach was in order for the afternoon.

  We rode a short way along the road, and then William turned onto a well-worn path that wound through the woods and took a sharp turn upwards. Suddenly, we at the entrance to the road that led to the castle.

  I found myself, not forty minutes later, lounging on William’s over-sized sofa with a Presbyterian in my hand. Uncle Will had dumped me here as he dashed about between the telephone and his study. He made several calls and though I could not hear distinct words, William’s tone was somewhere between disgusted and cajoling.

  For myself, I was quite content to sip my drink and contemplate the morning. I was in the perfect spot for it. I’m not sure what Uncle was thinking when he installed this particular piece of furniture. It wasn’t a sofa by any standards I knew. It extended out from the windowsill by a good six feet and the walls on either side wrapped around it. It was more like a king- sized bed with curved edges. Not five feet from the bar! I felt like a small prince when I sat upon it. I kicked off my shoes and propped my back up against the wall opposite the bar and stretched my legs out on the soft surface. A small comfy cushion at the small of my back and I was comfortable for the afternoon, providing I could get a refill from time to time. For that, I fell short on my first two attempts. Ozaki walked past and I raised my empty glass to him and grinned. He glared at me for a moment then swore in Japanese and stomped off. I was equally unsuccessful when Mrs. Woods came into the pantry. She gave me such a look that I dared not even try to finagle another cocktail out of her! I was resigned to breaking my comfortable repose to fend for myself, when Catty suddenly rounded the corner from the conservatory with a cleaning bucket in her hand. I flashed my best smile and she came over to stand at the edge of the sofa.

  “My, don’t we look content?” She cooed. “Are you as comfortable as you look?”

  “Not really,” I replied wistfully. “I was getting lonely, waiting for a hooch fairy to flitter by.”

  She gave me a stern look, but there was a twinkle in her eye when she said, “Hooch fairy! What a lovely term! What girl wouldn’t be proud to wear that name? Hooch fairy!”

  I set my near empty glass on the cloth carefully and put both my hands up in a placating manner. “That’s just a short version. I meant to say, an ethereal beauty whose comeliness is only surpassed by her grace, intelligence, and compassion for the thirsty.”

  She grinned and nodded as she plucked the glass off the seat. “That’ll get you a snort!” She sniffed the glass as she stepped over to the bar, sniffed my empty glass again and asked over her shoulder, “Scotch and Ginger ale?”

  “Please,” I answered. “Your nose is as accurate as it is cute.”

  She quickly fixed the drink and walked it over to me. As she was handing it off, she asked, “Are you planning on sitting there all day, swilling Presbyterians?”

  I couldn’t be certain by her expression if she was disgusted or amused, so I chose a light-hearted response. “Why not? I have a comfy roost, a cold drink, and a panoramic view of some of God’s best work! I may just stay here until dinner.”

  She raised her eyebrows and crossed her arms over her ample bosom. “Oh really? Well, you’ll have to find yourself another ‘Hooch Fairy’! This one’s got work to do!”

  I didn’t want to put her off, so I said seriously, “Actually, I’m just waiting for my uncle to get off the phone. Then we’ll see. He’s pretty bent out of shape over this…morning.”

  “I know.” she replied, semi-sarcastically, “Us ‘Hooch Fairies’ keep our ear to the ground.” Before I could come back, she went on, “Listen, I’ll be done in a half hour or so. If you’d like, I could show you a part of the castle you haven’t seen yet.” She gave me a steely eye, “Unless, of course, you’d rather lay here swilling booze for the rest of the day?”

  I wasn’t really sure how to reply, because I wasn’t sure of her intentions nor how I wanted to respond due to our positions. I was a guest and she was the help and any chumminess --no matter how platonic -- was frowned upon in our society. Yet, Catty was more like a ward to my uncle and I found her company more than pleasing. A thousand thoughts whirled in my head while I just stared at her like a jackass. Thankfully, I was saved when my Uncle’s booming voice filled the small room,

  “What are you two scheming?”

  Catty and I both jumped. She snatched up her cleaning bucket and I leaned forward to see my Uncle come out of the hallway with a big grin on his face.

  Catty caught her breath and wheeled to face him, “There’s more sneaking than scheming going on! “She caught herself and went on in a calm voice, “I was simply offering Mr. Frohman a full tour of your home- if he wished to crawl out of his glass anytime soon.” She looked over her shoulder and winked at me. I could love her for that alone.

  William’s eyebrows shot up and he made an O with his mouth. “Why Catherine! That is a capital idea! I’m sure he’d much rather see it with you than his old curmudgeon uncle.” He grinned slyly and checked his pocket watch. “I fact, I’ll tell Ozaki to serve dinner at 8:30. That will give you plenty of time for the good part.”

  “Very good, Sir,” She replied politely, yet almost mockingly. She turned back to me, “I just get dinner in a low oven and you can come and find me when you’re ready.” She flashed me that magnificent smile and went off.

  “What are we having?” I called out.

  “Chicken and dumplings.” was the faint reply.

  “Excellent!” William said as he sat on the edge of the sofa, crossing his legs and rubbing his hands together. “If you like Mrs. Wood’s biscuits-wait until you taste her dumplings!”

  William went silent after that, with a thoughtful look on his face. I was about to ask him what was on his mi
nd, but Ozaki appeared out of the conservatory and asked William if he could get him anything in a respectful, servant-like tone. It was just his way of rubbing it in my face.

  William just heled two fingers, one above the other, about six inches apart. Ozaki nodded and stepped over to the ice box and withdrew one of those Coca-Cola’s. He levered the top off and brought it over to his employer, giving it to him with a small bow.

  I stuck my tongue out at him. Ozaki gave me a smirk and moved off, but I noticed he went no farther than the pantry. Well within earshot.

  William looked as if he had something to say but was reluctant to speak. He took out his case and offered me a smoke. I accepted and he lit us both up.

  “So, what’s the buzz, Unc?” I asked just to break the ice. “You were on the telephone for quite a while.”

  “Yes, and I’m sorry to abandon you so long. Though, I dare say, you seemed to have made yourself quite comfortable.”

  I laughed. “I’m like one of your cats, Uncle Will. I can find a way to lounge anywhere, anytime. Though, I’ll admit the view from here makes it a whole lot easier.”

  Speak of the devil, I had no sooner spoken when an orange cat jumped onto William’s lap and another black and white came out of thin air to land on the sofa, to prowl about. I had a feeling more would show up, so I held my glass high.

  “Yes, and I’m sorry that I won’t have the time to share it with you. There was so much I wanted to show and do with you.” He paused and drank a good third of his soda pop down, as if it were courage, “I’m afraid this matter with the child will have to be the focus of my attention until it is resolved…I had hoped to discover something by now, but all of my inquiries have met with dead ends. ” He looked more crestfallen than when we found the child.