The Perplexed Pumpkin (A Nick Williams Mystery Book 5)

by Frank W. Butterfield

  "Well, you did a great job tailing me."

  "Not so great, since you caught me."

  "Yeah, but how long had you been on the trail before I did?"

  "As soon as you got off the boat in Newport Harbor."

  Carter and I, along with my best friend Mike, had been in Mexico and had been involved in a set of murders involving two movie stars and two brothers. On our way home, I'd bought a nice little yacht which we'd sailed up the coast from Ensenada in Baja California to Newport Beach. Carter and I had left from there to fly to Washington. This all happened at the beginning of the summer.

  "So, there you go, Andy. Took me several hours to catch you."

  He smiled his nondescript smile and asked, "So, what are the details?"

  "You remember our neighbor, Evelyn Key?"

  "Sure. Blonde dame. Lives on the other side of Pam and Diane."

  "That's her. She's having girl troubles. Seems like her Roberta is doing something fishy in the afternoons while Evelyn is at work. I want you to find out where she's going and who she's seeing. You know. The usual."

  He nodded. "This Roberta gal doesn't work?"

  "She works at the shipyard on the third shift. Sleeps days at Evelyn's house. Then they have dinner, a roll in the hay, and Roberta's off to work while Evelyn's visiting the sandman."

  "What are the particulars?"

  I gave him Evelyn's address, a description of Roberta, and the make and model of her car.

  "Just find out what she's doing and let me know. And, since you're kinda new to the P.I. racket, don't tell Evelyn anything before running it by me. If you should run into her, that is."

  "What do you mean?"

  "I mean, there's a way of telling a client the bad news. And it takes a kind of finesse that cops and g-men don't always have."

  Andy nodded, conceding the point.

  "So how're things at home?" I asked.

  "Good. We're still in the honeymoon phase."

  I smiled. "That's the best part."

  Andy smiled back at me. "Seems like you and Carter are still in it even after six years."

  I nodded. He was right.

  "Say," he said, "When is your anniversary?"

  This stopped me. "Anniversary?"

  Andy's eyes widened a bit. "Sure. When you had your first date."

  I thought back. "Sometime in August of '47."

  "August 24th." I looked up. Carter was standing in the doorway, looking serious. I hadn't heard him come in. I leaned over, trying to see around him, wondering where Marnie was.

  I suddenly felt bad. "I, uh..."

  Carter crossed his arms and looked over at me. "You, what?"

  Andy whistled. "Sorry, Nick. Didn't mean to get you in trouble like this." He stood up. "Is that all?"

  I nodded. As he escaped around Carter, I grinned at my husband but got nothing in return. Carter walked into my office, slammed the door closed with the heel of his shoe, and stalked over to my side of the desk. He glared down at me from his 6'4" height.

  "I'm not afraid of you, fireman," I said, quietly.

  He leaned down and, using his mouth and tongue, reminded me of why I would never forget our anniversary again.

  Chapter 4

  137 Hartford Street

  Wednesday, October 28, 1953

  Just past 8 in the evening

  The banging and sawing and general chaos of noise coming up from the basement was still in full force as Carter and I walked in the front door of our house. We'd decided to go out for dinner to get away from it all.

  What had started as a plea from Marnie for us to host a Halloween party had turned into a nightmare. As I put my hat on the rack, I had half a mind to go downstairs and put an end to it all.

  Carter, once again reading my mind, said, "Don't worry about it, Nick. I'll go down there and tell them to knock off for the night. I'll even bring you a glass of milk for your box of lace cookies."

  We'd gone to have "Eye-talian" food for dinner at a place on Market Street. The restaurant where we used to go on Columbus had closed after the old woman who owned the place died suddenly back in '51 and her son quickly sold out and moved on. The chef at this local spot had figured out how to make a sauce for Carter that was free of garlic, which was a requirement for him. And, they always had a box of lace cookies for me at the end of dinner. So, we were very satisfied customers.

  I stalked upstairs to our bedroom and turned on the reading lamp. I took off my shoes and tie and coat. After loosening my shirt, I picked up Ethan Frome from the bookshelf and sat down in the big armchair to read it while Carter did the dirty work down in the basement.

  Pretty soon, I heard the front door slam and a pair of big feet stomping up the stairs. The door opened and I was handed a glass of cold milk and a small plate of lace cookies. I put the plate on the foot stool and had a big drink of milk. While I did this, I watched Carter undress. Once he was down to his BVDs and undershirt, he sat down on the bed and looked at me.

  "How did it go?" I asked as I offered him a cookie.

  He took it, popped it whole in his mouth, and crunched and swallowed it fast as always. "They said they'll be back in the morning after 9."

  "So, does this mean Robert isn't coming into the office tomorrow?"

  "Yep. Along with Carlo and Ben."

  I rolled my eyes. "How did the Bobbsey Twins get roped into this?"

  Carlo Martinelli and Ben White were a couple who worked with us. Carlo had been a fireman with Carter and Ben had been a cop before the infamous night in May when they'd been fired for cavorting with a known homosexual, namely myself. Carlo worked with Carter on investigating arson cases that insurance companies and area small towns were hiring us to handle. Ben worked with Dawson and Andy and was our liaison with local police departments.

  "You know that the four of them have been going around together for a few weeks, right?"

  I shook my head. "No. And by going around together, do you mean all sleeping in the same bed, or just spending their evenings on Polk Street?"

  Carter laughed. "I know they've been going out at night together. And, based on what I saw in the basement, and how friendly everyone was, I suspect they may also be sharing a bed."

  I shook my head in disgust. "Why do I feel so old around those four?" It was bothering me.

  "I don't know, Boss." Carter looked down at me with affection in his eyes.

  As usual, I melted and came back to myself. "So, they'll be working on their little project through Saturday?"

  "Yep. They're building a haunted house down there."

  I nodded. That did sound promising. Maybe this wasn't going to be as bad as I thought.

  "Also, Joe wanted me to tell you that he sent out all the invitations like you asked."

  I shook my head. "Like I asked? What invitations?"

  "For Saturday."

  "No. I didn't talk to him about this. I haven't seen the kid except in passing."

  "Maybe he got confused. He is a little ditzy. Although he knows his way around a hammer." The admiration was evident in his voice.

  I stood up and stood in front of Carter. Looking down at him, I said, "Don't you be getting any big ideas there, Chief."

  He began to unbuckle my belt. "Oh, I have big ideas. But they don't have anything to do with any kids. They are all about..."

  "What?" I asked as my trousers fell to the floor.

  When Carter answered, I grinned and replied, "Now that's a plan I can get behind."

  Carter laughed and said, "That was my idea."

  . . .

  The next morning, I was in my office and talking on the phone with our attorney, Kenneth Wilcox, when Andy knocked on the door frame. I nodded and pointed to the chair.

  "Say that again, Kenneth."

  The voice down the wire said, "I was saying, I'm going to hire another attorney."

  "OK. Fine by me."

  "Well, I wanted to know if you're OK with continuing our arrangement of covering the costs of thes
e Polk Street and Tenderloin cases." He was referring to the agreement we had where he would represent the men and women who'd been caught in police raids at local bars and nightclubs. I would cover the cost if the clients couldn't pay. He didn't make money on the deal, but he didn't lose money either.

  "Sure. Of course. Why are you asking?"

  "Well, the crack-down continues. I don't think it's been this bad since '47."

  I shook my head. "Keep fighting the good fight, Kenneth. And don't worry about the money."

  "OK. Just wanted to let you know."

  "Why don't you come down and let me take you to lunch?" His office was on the floor above. But, if he kept expanding like this, he might have to move into a different building altogether.

  "Sure, Nick. See you at noon."

  "See you then."

  The line went dead and I put the receiver in its cradle.

  I looked up at Andy.

  He asked, "I read about how the cops are cracking down more than ever. Is that what that was about?"

  I nodded. "It's good old Rob-Rob." That was the mayor of San Francisco. "The Examiner is on his back about the 'Homosexual Problem,' and he's running scared." I shook my head. "So, what's up?"

  "I wanted to give you my report on the tail I'm doing for you."

  I nodded. "What did you find?"

  "Not sure, to be honest."

  "Oh?" I wasn't surprised. It had only been a couple of days since he'd started on this.

  "Yeah. Our gal Roberta is leaving the house around 3 every day. She drives over to a little house in an alley off Folsom Street, near 9th. Parks the car, goes into the house, stays for maybe two hours, then leaves."

  "Nothing else?"

  "Well, on Tuesday, she and a man, medium height, dark hair, and about 25, left together in her car. They drove back over to Evelyn's house and parted ways after Roberta parked the car on the street. Two curious things about that."

  "What?"

  "First, if this guy is her lover, I'd be surprised. He reads to me like he's in the life."

  "Another homosexual?"

  "That's how I see it."

  I nodded. That was interesting. "What's the other thing?"

  "Well, they stood on the sidewalk in front of Evelyn's house talking for about ten minutes. He kept pointing north and it looked to me like he was pointing at your house."

  "Really? Wonder what that's about?"

  "Dunno. But, when she walked up the steps to leave, they didn't so much as shake hands. She just turned and left. He did the same. He walked up Hartford to 19th. I followed him. He stopped inside that place called Cliff's but came out empty-handed. I followed him back up Castro towards Market. He got on the streetcar. I did, too. He got off at 9th and walked back to the house in the alley. And that was that."

  "What do you think?"

  "If I didn't know better, I would say that, instead of being lovers, they're part of a cell."

  "A cell?"

  "A party cell. Communists."

  I nodded. "And why do you say that?"

  "They have that kind of detached camaraderie that I've seen between other party members. They don't seem to enjoy each other's company, but they are very focused on whatever they're doing."

  "As a former agent, do you need to make a report to someone in the Bureau about this?"

  "I thought about that. Dawson and I talked it over last night. If these are just a couple of kids--"

  "She's hardly a kid. She must be ten years older than he is."

  "You're right. And so voluptuous."

  I smiled. "I thought you were a Kinsey 6?"

  "I am. But, Nick, the way this woman is built. I wouldn't have pegged Evelyn for a butch, but this dame is all femme."

  "Well, Evelyn did just cut her hair short, but Carter told me it was a pixie cut."

  "Like Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday?" Andy asked.

  "I guess. I don't really know much about women's hairstyles. But it doesn't strike me as either butch or femme. It's just short." I looked at Andy. "So, what about reporting them to the Bureau?"

  "Well, that's what Dawson and I were talking about. If we do that, we're dropping a bomb in their lives. And it could affect Evelyn, too. I'd rather wait another day or two and see what shakes out."

  I nodded. "Yeah. That sounds good. Let's meet again on Friday before you go out and see what you think then."

  Andy stood up. "I really do love this kind of work, Nick. Anytime you want me to tail someone, let me know."

  "I definitely will."

  . . .

  When we got home that night, the whole crew was gone. My interest in what they were doing was piqued, so I walked over to the basement door and discovered someone had replaced the doorknob. It was now locked and we didn't have the key.

  "Carter?"

  "Yeah?" He was coming down the stairs.

  "Come look at this."

  I heard him stomping through the kitchen. He put his hand on my shoulder as he walked up and leaned over to give me a kiss. "What?"

  "Someone replaced the doorknob and locked us out of the basement."

  Carter leaned over and said, "So they have. Musta been Robert or Joe."

  "For chrissakes, Carter. This is our damn house. We got half a million dollars in cash down there." We'd built a well-hidden safe in the basement wall not long after we moved in. My old man had a big safe in hidden in the floor of his office in the house where I'd grown up on Nob Hill. He kept at least a million in cash in it at all times and that's what had given me the idea.

  Carter laughed. "They don't know that."

  "I hope not."

  "If anyone found that safe, I'll eat my hat."

  Chapter 5

  Offices of Consolidated Security

  Monday, October 26, 1953

  Just past 9 in the morning

  I had just handed Carter a report we'd received about an arson case he'd handled back in August when Andy walked in.

  "Nick, I need to talk to you, right now."

  I nodded and said, "Sure. Have a seat."

  Carter asked, "Do you need me to leave?"

  Andy shrugged. "Up to Nick."

  "Is this about Roberta?" I asked.

  "Yeah. It sure the hell is."

  I nodded and said, "Hang around if you don't have anything else to do, Chief."

  Carter winked at me and turned to Andy who had taken the chair next to him and looked like he was about to jump out of his skin.

  "What's up?" I asked.

  Andy opened his mouth and then closed it. He hopped up and walked over to where Marnie was sitting in the front office. He whispered something to her, and she said, "Sure."

  I watched as she stood up and locked the front door. Andy walked back in my office, pulling the door closed behind him.

  "This must be something big," I said.

  "You could say that." He took a deep breath and then pulled out a package of L&M cigarettes. Once he lit up and took a big drag, he sat back and seemed to relax.

  "OK, Andy, spill." I was getting impatient.

  "After talking about this case last night with Dawson, I called over to the local Bureau office this morning. Talked to an Agent Brown. He was the go-to guy I was given by one of my pals down in L.A."

  He took another deep puff on his cigarette.

  "And?" This was Carter.

  "And, seems like they've been tailing me while I've been tailing Roberta."

  I sat up in my chair. "What?"

  "Yeah. I don't know why. He just told me to stop doing what I was doing and let them handle it."

  "Did you mention your suspicions that they might be reds?"

  Andy nodded. "Sure. And he just laughed. Was friendly enough but wouldn't tell me a thing."

  "Are you in any trouble?"

  "No. I told him we were tailing her for a client. When Agent Brown asked for details, I demurred. Client confidentiality and all that."

  "And did he try to bring the book down on you?" I asked.


  "No. He was unfailingly polite."

  I nodded. "That seems odd."

  "You got that right."

  Carter asked, "Did he give you any idea at all why they were following her?"

  Andy shook his head. "Nope. I got nothing. Except my suspicions, of course."

  "And those are?" I felt like I was pulling goddam teeth here.

  "That she's involved in some sort of sting. I got the definite impression that she works for them."

  Carter started. "For the Bureau?"

  "Yeah."

  Carter turned to me and asked, "Should we warn Joe? Or Robert?"

  I sat for a moment and thought about it. About all of it. I took a deep breath and said, "Nope. We can't. Interference in an official investigation."

  Andy nodded. "You still gonna go through with this Halloween party of yours?"

  I shrugged and said, "Of course. Why not?"

  "Doesn't it strike you odd that Joe has organized this whole thing?"

  Carter looked at me and started to say something. I knew what it was and shook my head. He eyed me for a moment and then shrugged.

  "What?" asked Andy.

  "Nothing," I said.

  "Wait, Nick. What are you holding out on me?"

  I stood up and said, "Nothing. Really." As I stood behind my desk, I began to move papers around like I was looking for something. I wasn't, of course.

  Andy stood up. "What should I do?"

  "Go ask Mike. I'm sure he has work for you." I wanted Andy to leave.

  As he stood up, he said, "OK." He sounded upset. I didn't blame him.

  Carter stood. His face was wrinkled with concern. "Let's go have lunch today, Andy. Just you and me."

  I said, "Actually, Carter. There's something I need your help with."

  He turned. "Really?" His voice was sharper than normal.

  I tugged at my shirt sleeves as though they were riding up. He nodded slightly and turned back to Andy. "Maybe on Monday. How's that?"

  Andy nodded and looked at me for a long moment. Without saying anything else, he opened the office door. Marnie stood up and unlocked the front door for him. Once he was gone, she closed it.

  She came into the office. Her high heels sounded irritated. "Gee, Nick. What was that about?"