by Greg Miller
“Campbell Classic Cars. Oh, hi, Andrew. I normally stay until four on Saturdays but I can stay later if you want to stop by? Oh, really? Have you had another offer? Well, I’m intrigued, but okay, that’s fine. Do what you’ve got to do. I’ll be here. See you later.” Gavin put the phone down and bit his lip, gazing out through the showroom window.
Andrew parked at the entrance to the Watkins Glen State Park and grabbed his camera. He passed a few hikers who were leaving as he walked toward the tunnel which led into the gorge. Andrew didn’t see the other car that drove in slowly behind him and crawled to a stop at the far end of the lot.
Emerging from the tunnel was like entering a Tolkien fantasy world as he stepped out onto a high, arching stone bridge that crossed over the gorge. The roaring water below echoed against the towering, moss covered rock walls, carved into which were walkways and steps that led down to a series of pools and cascading waterfalls.
It was an amazing place for a photographer, and the sun was in just the right place to capture the shadows and beams of light which highlighted the gorge’s features and made it look even more otherworldly.
Andrew snapped a wide angle picture and descended the stone steps. He stopped halfway down to frame another shot, but suddenly froze in place and shivered. He looked back up at the bridge and the tunnel’s opening, but there was no one there.
Continuing down the steps, he zoomed in through the spray of a gushing waterfall that the walkway passed behind. It wasn’t long before he entered a narrow section of the gorge that was overgrown with vegetation. Further on, it opened up into an area with more soaring rock walls, which gave the impression of an enormous cathedral.
Andrew was contemplating how to frame his next picture when he shivered again. After looking over his shoulder, he ascended the steps that led up toward the top of the gorge. He was in fairly good shape, but was still out of breath when he finally reached the top and paused to rest.
It was there, leaning against the low stone wall, that a familiar figure approached him out of the blinding sunlight.
“Hey, what brings you here?” he called.
“I was looking for you,” the silhouetted man replied.
As they talked, the two men walked out onto the narrow Mile Point bridge that passed high above the gorge.
“What’s that?” Andrew asked, as his companion pulled something from his pocket.
The device emitted a spark as it was thrust against Andrew’s side. His body spasmed and he fell back against the railing. It only took a gentle push to send him tumbling backward over the side, plunging into the chasm below.
The figure walked hurriedly away as Andrew’s lifeless body brushed against the slippery rocks before being carried downstream, eventually coming to rest in one of the pools near the gorge’s entrance.
CHAPTER 2
Gavin strolled in through the shop’s side door, carrying a cardboard tray with two large cups of coffee. “G’morning,” he called to Gus, who was busy organizing his tool chest. He set down the cups on a workbench, then went to unlock the showroom and turn on the lights.
When he returned, Gus was standing by the bench with a newspaper in his hand. Gavin tore open a packet of sugar and fixed his coffee, not noticing the troubled expression on Gus’ face.
“Did you hear about the body they found in the gorge?”
Gavin took a sip from his cup and leaned back against the bench. “Yeah, I heard something about it on the radio. Terrible.” He looked up. “Why?” He reached to take the newspaper from Gus’ outstretched hand.
“Oh, God!” Gavin choked as he read the headline. “Body of man in gorge identified as Andrew Van Der Hout …” Gavin put his cup back on the bench as he read: “It’s thought that Mr Van Der Hout, an executive with Allied Insurance Group of Syracuse and an avid photographer, strayed from the park trail while taking pictures, and slipped on the unstable cliffside near the park entrance, falling to his death.”
“It’s awful,” Gus said. “He seemed like a really nice guy.”
Gavin shook his head in disbelief, his face pained. “Oh, his poor sister. She must be devastated. I don’t think she had anyone else. I think it was just the two of them with no other real family.” He looked down. “Andrew called me on Saturday. He was supposed to stop by, but never did. He said he had something important to tell me about the car.”
“What kind of something?” Gus asked.
Gavin took a deep breath, staring into space. “First, Andrew told me he received a strange offer, then he wanted to tell me something important, and now he’s been found dead. Don’t you think that’s a little strange?”
Gus nodded. “Maybe a little.”
“Something’s not right about this.” Gavin turned, gazing at the Jaguar in the dimly lit shadows at the back of the shop. “There’s something unusual about that car. I knew it from the first time I saw it. Maybe Andrew found out what it was … I’m not sure this was just an accident.”
Gus furrowed his brow. “I don’t think you can jump to any conclusions as far as foul play. And if there’s one thing I’m sure of it’s that there’s nothing unusual about that car. I’ve worked on dozens of them, and it’s a completely ordinary E-Type.”
“I can’t quite put my finger on it,” Gavin said, “but there is.”
“Even if there was,” Gus replied, “how would Andrew’s death help someone to get it?”
Gavin rubbed his temple. “Andrew wouldn’t sell it. Maybe someone thought they could buy it more easily from his sister.”
“That’s some pretty wild speculation.” Gus chuckled. “Whatever you, or Andrew, may have thought about that car, I think it’s a lot more likely that he just wandered off the path and had a terrible accident like the paper said.”
“Maybe.” Gavin shrugged. “But too many things don’t seem right to me. I think I should go talk to the police.”
Gavin warmed his hands in his jacket as he walked by the village shops. After passing an old British telephone booth he reached the neoclassical, limestone building which housed the police station.
Stepping inside, the blare of incoherent voices over the police radio filled the lobby, then fell silent.
“Can I help you, sir?” the officer behind the counter asked.
Gavin nodded. “Is the Chief available?”
“Why don’t we see if I can help you first,” the officer said.
“Mr Campbell,” the Chief called, entering the room. “What can I do for you? Did you finally decide to accept my offer for that Mustang?” He chuckled.
“No,” Gavin said, forcing a smile. “Someone finally made a reasonable offer for it.”
“Damn.” The Chief smirked. Then he noticed Gavin’s drawn face. “Something wrong?”
“It’s about that death in the gorge,” Gavin replied. “Andrew was a client of mine, and I just wanted to share some information.”
“Oh, I’m sorry to hear that,” the Chief said. “You should really speak with Detective Terrick – he’s the one handling that case.” The Chief looked over at the other officer who had returned to his desk. “Tom, can you see if Detective Terrick’s available?” He turned back to Gavin. “What kind of information have you got?”
“Well,” Gavin said, “Andrew commissioned me to restore a car for him, and he told me he received a suspicious offer for it. He was supposed to meet me on Saturday because there was something he wanted to tell me. But he never showed up.”
The Chief lifted his eyebrows, nodding, as a man in a gray suit appeared from a side hallway. “Detective Terrick, this is Mr Campbell, our resident classic car dealer. He has some information regarding the Van Der Hout case.”
The Detective stared at Gavin’s messy hair. “We can talk in my office, Mr Campbell. This way.”
Gavin followed him down a short hallway.
“Take a seat
,” the Detective said, positioning himself behind his desk and opening a folder. “How did you know Mr Van Der Hout?”
“He was a client,” Gavin replied. “He commissioned me to restore a car for him.”
“What kind of a car was it?”
“A Jaguar E-Type.”
“A Jaguar – very nice,” he said, lifting his nose.
“You see,” Gavin said, “the thing is, that when Andrew came in to check on the car he told me he’d received a strange call from someone wanting to buy it.”
Terrick leaned forward. “He specifically said that he thought the call was odd?”
Gavin nodded. “He wanted to know if I’d told anyone about the car.”
“And had you?”
“No,” Gavin replied. “I asked if he’d told anyone, and he said he’d only shown a few of his photos to some of the guys at his club.”
“His club?”
Gavin nodded. “He was in a Jaguar club. The Vice President, actually. You didn’t know that?”
“No,” Terrick said, writing in his notebook.
“He told me that someone wanted to buy the car for twice what he’d paid, which would have been considerably more than it’s worth, but Andrew said he wasn’t interested. He also told me that the voice sounded strange, as if it had been electronically altered.”
“Or just bad cell signal?” Terrick asked.
“Maybe,” Gavin said. “Andrew thought that was a possibility, too. But then on Saturday, he called and told me he wanted to stop by again, that he had to tell me something regarding the car, but he never came. Then this morning, I learned that he’d died in the gorge.” He sighed, looking away.
“How much would you say the car is worth?” Terrick asked.
“In it’s present condition? Not very much. It needs a lot of work as well as an engine.” Gavin thought for a moment. “I think Andrew paid around twenty thousand dollars for it.”
“Hmm.” Terrick frowned. “I would have thought more. Alright,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Was there anything else?”
Gavin furrowed his brow. “Don’t you think what Andrew told me makes his death seem a little suspicious?”
“Well,” Terrick said. “I certainly think what you’ve told me is of interest. But at this stage we’re still treating this as an accidental case. Although I do still have to get the final forensic report.”
Gavin gazed out the window. “Have you spoken with Andrew’s sister?”
Terrick cocked his head. “You know his sister?”
“I only met her briefly.” Gavin sighed. “She came with Andrew when he bought the car, but I’m concerned for her.”
The Detective nodded. “She was understandably extremely upset by it all, of course, but we have social services looking in on her.”
Gavin bit his lip, looking back at him.
“Don’t worry, Mr Campbell,” Terrick said. “I promise we’re doing a thorough investigation. Do you have a business card? I’ll need to follow up with you at some point.”
Gavin took a card from his wallet.
“Thank you for coming in,” Terrick said, taking the card and standing up.
Gavin shook his hand and left.
Gavin was back in his office, staring at the computer, when Gus came in.
“So how’d it go?”
“I’m not sure,” Gavin replied. “The Detective seems pretty convinced it was an accident. He said he was doing a thorough investigation, but he didn’t even know about Andrew’s club.”
“Well, it only happened on Saturday,” Gus said. “He’s probably just started looking into it. What are you doing now?”
“Looking up Andrew’s sister’s address – I might pay her a visit.”
“Oh.” Gus nodded. “I think that’s a good idea.”
Gavin lifted his eyebrows. “You do?”
“Yeah,” he replied. “I think she probably needs all the support she can get right now.”
Gavin bit his lip. “If someone really is after that car I think his next move would probably be to try to buy it from her.”
“You aren’t letting this go, are you?” Gus grimaced. “Why don’t you just go offer your condolences, and see if she needs any help. Then let the police do their job. And whatever you do, don’t tell her you think there could have been something more to Andrew’s death.”
“I’m not a fool.” Gavin frowned. “I wouldn’t want to upset her even more.”
Gus stared at him.
“Right,” Gavin said, reaching for his keys. “What time is Daryl due in?”
“He should be here at noon.”
“Okay, put him to work on the Alfa. I’ll be back in a few hours.”
Gavin drove his British Racing Green Morgan – a low, retro-styled sports car which, although it wasn’t really all that old, looked like it had been driven straight out of the 1930s – up the steep road that left Watkins Glen and ascended beside the lake.
It was a misty, overcast day, and the passing scenery, damp and gray, reflected in Gavin’s melancholy eyes as he drove over the series of hills that led to Ithaca. The half hour drive passed slowly.
Arriving at lunchtime, downtown Ithaca was crowded with both traffic and pedestrians – a busy and genuinely metropolitan city.
Gavin saw the sign for Aurora Street and stepped on the accelerator.
The car zipped past the wheels of a bus, before diving into the left hand turn – just making the yellow light.
Soon he was driving sedately through a quiet residential neighborhood with rows of closely-built, working class, clapboard homes from the early twentieth century. He spotted Emily’s house number and pulled over to park.
Gavin climbed out of his car with a sympathy basket containing gourmet coffee and snacks. He glanced at a dull and dented white Honda parked in the driveway as he walked up the steps to the front porch. Looking down at the snow shovel and bag of rock salt left beside the entrance, he hesitated before pushing the doorbell.
He bit his lip, waiting. Eventually one of the curtains in the front window moved, and there was a faint thud as someone bumped into something inside. Then there was silence. He knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” an angry voice shouted back.
“It’s Gavin Campbell.” He cringed. “I met you and your brother at that barn, when Andrew bought the Jag.”
There was another moment of silence. He heard the door being unlocked and it opened a few inches.
Emily looked out through the narrow opening with dark, puffy eyes.
“Um. Hi,” Gavin said, sadly.
“My brother’s dead. What do you want?” Emily snapped.
“Yes, I know, and I’m really sorry. I liked Andrew a lot. I just wanted to offer my condolences and see if you needed any help.”
She peered around the door and saw the basket under Gavin’s arm. “What’s that?”
“It’s for you.”
Emily opened the door a little more, revealing her tired face and tangled hair. “Andrew wanted me to go out with you.” She twisted her nose. “You want to ask me out at a time like this?”
“No, of course not,” Gavin replied. “I’m not interested in –”
Emily’s eyes narrowed. “In getting involved with someone crazy like me?”
“With anyone, right now.” He sighed. “It’s not why I came.”
“So, how did you think you could help?”
“I don’t know.” Gavin shrugged. “With funeral arrangements, or anything else.”
“There isn’t going to be a funeral,” she said. “There’s no way I could handle it.”
“Oh,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. “Look, I just found out about it this morning and I’m probably still in a state of shock myself. Do you think I could maybe come in and
we could talk a little?”
Emily’s eyes opened wide.
“No? That’s okay,” he said. “I’m fine with staying here.”
“Did you really like my brother?”
Gavin nodded. “I was just getting to know him but, yes, I really did.”
Emily, in her blue sweatshirt and yoga pants, opened the door wider. She squinted, studying his face before frowning.
“Here,” he said, handing her the basket. “Please take this. That’s my business card on the cellophane. If I can help in any way, just give me a call.”
She nodded with a tear in her eye.
Gavin looked up at the porch ceiling for a moment. “Oh – this isn’t really important, but if anyone should call you about Andrew’s car, will you please let me know?”
Emily lifted her eyes from the basket. “The car? What does the car have to do with anything?”
“Nothing,” Gavin said. “It’s not important.”
“If it’s nothing then why did you bring it up?”
“I don’t want to upset you. It really doesn’t matter,” he replied softly.
Emily pulled the door wide open. “Andrew left everything to me. The car is mine now, and I want to know what you’re talking about.”
Gavin bit his lip as she stared at him. “Alright. Andrew told me he’d received a strange offer for it.”
Her pupils darted left and right as she processed his words. “You think someone wants that car. You don’t think my brother’s death was an accident. Do you?”
“I’m not sure of anything,” Gavin said. “I really don’t know.”
Emily took deep breaths. “They told me it was an accident. The Detective said he was sure it was just an accident!”
“I know, and it probably was.”
Her breathing got heavier as she glared at him. “What do you mean ‘it probably was?’ You obviously don’t think so!”
“I’m sorry,” he said with a pained face. “I didn’t want to upset you. I really just wanted to help.”