Kendall - Private Detective - Box Set

by John Holt

  There was the sound of screeching tires behind him, and horns blaring loudly. He looked behind just in time to see the blue Mercury Marauder narrowly avoid colliding with a school bus, and pull into the line of traffic four or five vehicles behind him.

  As Kendall approached the next junction the traffic lights turned to red. The lights to the right hand lane were still showing a green filter. The truck stopped at the lights, Kendall close behind. Suddenly Kendall put his foot down, and pulled out from behind the FedEx truck, on the left side. He immediately cut in front of the truck, turning to the right, narrowly avoiding a slower car, which was coming from the left. The Mercury Marauder driver saw what was happening and quickly pulled up level with the FedEx truck just as the lights changed to green.

  The truck slowly moved forward just as the Mercury Marauder increased speed, pulling past the truck, and then cutting in front of it. The truck driver quickly applied his brakes, and stopped. The car behind had no chance, and careered into the back of the truck. The following car skidded and ran into the back of the car. The Mercury Marauder continued to the right chasing Kendall. An oncoming car swerved to avoid it, and mounted the sidewalk, hitting a low wall. Kendall sped away, increasing acceleration, and headed towards the coastal road, which led out of the town. With a squeal from the tires, black smoke belching from the exhaust, the Mercury Marauder accelerated hard and followed close by.

  Three quarters of a mile further on Kendall entered the Interstate, heading west. In his mirror he could see the Mercury Marauder trying to get through the traffic, and onto the highway. It was blocked both at the front, and to the left. He saw it increase speed as it drove forward clipping the car in front, and shunting it to the side. Still there was insufficient room to get through. It pulled back slightly, and then shot forward again hitting the car once more, this time a lot harder. The car spun around partially into the pathway of the traffic already on the highway, blocking the nearside lane.

  Still there was insufficient space for the Mercury Marauder to pass through. Suddenly it drove onto the graveled shoulder, and up on to the grassed verge. It shot forward, overtaking three or four cars, and then cut in to the left, and straight across to the outside lane. As it did so it hit the crash barrier two or three times, before straightening up. The driver then put his foot down hard and sped away in pursuit of Kendall.

  By this time Kendall was ten or eleven cars up ahead. Another check in the rear mirror he could see the Mercury Marauder as it cut across the middle lane, overtaking two or three cars, and then turn back onto the outside lane. It hit one car and swerved violently, as it accelerated, hitting the crash barrier once again. Kendall could see that they were gaining on him fast. He also knew that his car did not have the power to outrun them. Any second now the engine was liable to stall. All that he could do was to try to out think them, and out maneuver them. Whatever he was going to do, however, would have to be done quickly, the Mercury Marauder was gaining on him, and gaining fast.

  Kendall could see an opening forming a few hundred yards ahead. There was a turnoff and very little traffic was using it. It offered a possible way out. If only he could get there before the driver of the Mercury realized what was happening.

  He checked his rear mirror. The sedan was still there, some four or five cars behind him, and gaining with every second. Kendall could see the turnoff a short distance ahead. It was a chance. A slim one admittedly, but a chance nonetheless. He put his foot down hard. The car started to shudder. Please don’t stall, not now. He changed gear, down to second and eased off the accelerator. The car slowed violently and then suddenly shot across the center lane, on to the near side. Slowly the engine settled back into a normal rhythm. He gently put his foot down on to the accelerator, and changed gear back up to third. The car eased away, gradually increasing speed. He checked his mirror. The sedan was closing on him fast. Kendall put the car into fourth, and accelerated.

  Fifty yards further on Kendall took the turn off. He had waited until the very last possible moment before taking the turn. His tires squealed, as he struggled to get round, the car objecting and putting up a fight. The car following him had to brake hard, and swerve in order to avoid a collision. The following car did not stop in time and drove straight into the back of the first car, spinning it violently, and hitting the crash barrier. The Mercury driver swerved to avoid the crash site, and went past the turnoff before he realized what had happened. He could just see Kendall’s car in his rear view mirror, as it completed the turn and sped away along the slip road.

  The Mercury pulled across the center and near side lanes and pulled up on to the hard shoulder. The driver then reversed fast, back down to the turn off junction. At the junction he turned to the right, following Kendall, accelerating fast. Kendall pulled in front of a large truck and slowed down. Through his side mirror he could see the sedan gradually gaining on him once more. It was now only a few yards behind the truck, and travelling fast. As the sedan started to close in, Kendall pulled over to the right, onto the hard shoulder, and reversed hard. The truck continued on its way, followed by a line of traffic, blocking his view. But Kendall could just see the Mercury as it went by at high speed.

  It was a little while before the driver of the Mercury realized that Kendall was nowhere to be seen. If he had looked in his rear view mirror he might have noticed Kendall pull away from the hard shoulder, and take a turn to the right one hundred yards behind him.

  * * *

  Two hours later Kendall turned into Main Street in Rosemont. He drove down to the junction with Market Square, and then turned into the Square, pulling up outside the Gazette office. He switched off the engine, and applied the hand brake. He had made it in one piece. It had been touch and go for a while, but he had survived. He patted the steering wheel. As he got out of the car, he felt a gentle tap on his shoulder.

  “You made it all right, I see. Found your way okay,” Michael Cole said. “Was it a good journey? No problems?”

  Kendall smiled. Oh no, no problems. Only a dozen or so vehicles completely written off, that’s all. Not to mention damaged walls, safety barriers, lamp columns. Hopefully nobody had actually been seriously hurt. He wondered how much damage had actually been caused during the chase. He also wondered how the insurance companies were going to sort out all of the claims.

  “Oh, it was okay. Pretty much uneventful, really,” he started to choke. “You might say that it was boring.” He cleared his throat. “No trouble at all. It was a breeze.” He tried hard not to laugh, but failed. The tears began streaming down his cheek. “Not a hitch,” he spluttered. Cole looked puzzled but said nothing. Kendall would tell Cole the whole story later.

  Cole looked at Kendall, and shook his head. He’s cracked under the strain. It was all too much for him. Poor demented soul. He took him by the arm. “Come along with me,” he said soothingly, and started to lead him past the Gazette offices, and down towards the far corner.

  “Aren’t we going in there?” Kendall asked, as he was guided past.

  “Perhaps later,” Cole replied. “But first we’ll get a drink at Kelly’s Bar. Something tells me you need one.”

  Kendall wasn’t going to put up any kind of an argument. He was far too weak, far too traumatized.

  “Then we can compare notes,” Cole continued. “And see if we can make any sense out of this whole matter.”

  “Sounds good to me,” Kendall said. “Lead on, I’m right behind you.”

  * * *

  Less than ten minutes later they were seated in a side alcove in Kelly’s bar. It was the middle of the afternoon, and it was quite empty. It wouldn’t start filling up for another hour or so, Cole explained. “Gives us plenty of time to talk without interruption,” Cole had said, as he glanced around. “It’s not so noisy either.” He then turned and looked directly at Kendall. “Now,” he said. “Tell me all about this uneventful, not a bit of trouble, journey. I want every single detail, and I mean everything.”

  *
* *

  Another fifteen minutes went by and Kendall had told Cole everything about his trip, and the blue Mercury Marauder that had been following him. Cole picked up his glass and drained it. “For a while it was looking a little nasty, I can tell you,” Kendall continued with his narrative. “They were gaining fast. I was getting quite worried, I can tell you. My car wasn’t built for speed you know. I thought any minute that it was going to stall, or the engine seize up or something.”

  “Thank goodness you’re here to tell the tale,” Cole replied. He sat thinking for a few moments. “A blue Mercury Marauder, you said?”

  “Sorry, Mike?” Kendall asked. “I was miles away.”

  “I was talking about the car, the blue Mercury Marauder,” Cole explained. “It was a blue Mercury Marauder that Bill Clancy had seen, that first time he had gone up to the Ridges. I wonder if it was the same car.”

  Kendall looked directly at Cole. He knew that there were hundreds of Mercury Marauders. He also knew that in all probability it could be a coincidence, but he wasn’t convinced. “Could be I suppose,” he responded. The two men fell silent for a few moments. Kendall took a drink, and then continued. “What are the Ridges anyway?” he asked.

  “The Ridges is an area of woodland, up on the north road out of town,” Cole replied. “It’s a bit of a beauty spot, popular with tourists, and the locals. You get hikers up there, and people camping, especially in the spring and the summer. There’s a proper picnic area all set up, and everything, all done by the County.” He took a drink. “I should say there was a picnic area. It’s all gone now. Or at least it’s not accessible any more. Some weeks ago a wire fence was erected, and the area was completely closed off. Some kind of compound was established. No access of any kind was allowed. It was sealed off good and tight, restricted, off limits.”

  Kendall said nothing for a few minutes, wondering what this was all about, and did it really have any connection with his enquiries. “Okay, so it’s suddenly a no go area. Maybe there’s been a virus outbreak affecting the wild life, or the plants. Who knows?” he said. “Go on.”

  Cole took another drink. “Well, Bill Clancy,” he paused. “He’s one of the local farmers. He was the first to go up there, I mean after the fencing went up. He never got anywhere near the place. He never saw anything, apart from the fence, a security guard of some kind, and that blue Mercury Marauder.”

  Kendall sat up, suddenly interested. “Could you describe the guard?” he asked.

  “I can do better than that,” Cole replied. “Bill actually took a photograph.” He reached in to his inside pocket, and took out an envelope. He opened the envelope and carefully took out a small photograph. He handed it to Kendall. “There, that’s the guy,” he said. “I’m sure that you will recognize him.”

  Kendall took hold of the photograph. The lighting in the alcove was poor, and he had difficulty in seeing it at first. He turned his head slightly, and leaned forward into the light from the table lamp. The image became a lot clearer. The man shown was definitely familiar. He looked at Cole, and grinned.

  “That’s right,” Cole said. “Our old friend we saw in the bar yesterday afternoon.”

  “Yes,” Kendall said. “And the same man that was chasing me today.” Another piece of a puzzle, Kendall thought. But how it all fitted together he was still none the wiser. “It is the same car. The same blue Mercury Marauder,” Kendall continued. “Can I borrow this?” he asked holding up the photograph.

  Cole held the envelope upside down over the table. Four more copies of the same photograph fell out on to the table in front of him. “Keep it,” he said. He then reached forward. “Take another one with you, it might be useful.” He then pushed a second copy across the table towards Kendall.

  Kendall reached inside his jacket, and took out his wallet. He picked up the second photograph, and placed it on top of the one already in his hand. He stared at the image for a few minutes more, and then placed both photographs inside the wallet. He closed the wallet and returned it to his inside pocket. He was deep in thought. Apart from yesterday afternoon, and the car chase today, he was certain that he had seen that face before. He just could not recall the precise details.

  He turned back to face Cole. “Okay, so we know who the so-called security man is,” he said. “What about the compound itself? Is there anything else you can tell me about that?”

  “Well there are a lot of rumors flying around,” said Cole. “Some say it’s a military base of some kind. Others say it’s a chemical plant. Some say that it’s an experimental laboratory of some kind. Perhaps biological weapons or maybe it’s a secret government base.” Cole started to laugh. “Maybe it’s another Area 51, or Roswell.”

  “Well which is it?” Kendall asked. Why was everything so difficult, he wondered? Why couldn’t things be a little more straightforward? “I mean is it the chemical plant, or the laboratory? Or is it the military base?”

  “Who knows,” said Cole.

  “But if it is a government site then the Governor should know about it, right?” said Kendall. “I mean, if anyone does, then he should, shouldn’t he? Does that sound reasonable, or what?” It would not have surprised him if the answer had been no, it’s not reasonable. Nothing else had been so far in this investigation. Ever optimistic, he continued. “In fact he must have given his approval, surely.”

  “You’re probably correct, I guess, in theory,” Cole replied.

  Kendall waited for Cole to continue, but he said nothing further. “Well did anyone actually speak to Governor Reynolds, before he was killed?” Kendall asked, a little impatiently. “Or did anyone ask the Lieutenant Governor? What is his name anyway?”

  “It’s Jessup. The Lieutenant Governor’s name is Les Jessup,” Cole replied. “And yes, someone did speak to Reynolds. One of the reporters from one of the other papers saw him about a week or so before he was killed. He asked him about the site. All that Reynolds said was that it was top secret, and that it was of vital importance. Something to do with national security, and that was that. He couldn’t say anymore, or wouldn’t.”

  “The Lieutenant Governor apparently knows nothing about it, at all,” Cole continued. “Or at least if he does, he isn’t saying anything. Apparently there are no official records, not according to him. There are no documents, no nothing.”

  “That’s a bit odd isn’t it?” Kendall asked. “I mean surely something like that must have some formal official sanction. There must be a record of some kind.”

  “Apparently not,” said Cole. “I’m told that certain top secret establishments would have no formal documentation.” He paused, and took a drink. “It’s meant to prevent information falling into the wrong hands. That’s what I’m told anyway.”

  Kendall could not believe it. It just sounded so incredible. With so much secrecy it must be a very important place, and obviously it has to be the military. “How can such a place be set up, and yet no one knows anything about it?” he asked no one in particular. He turned to face Cole. “I wonder if Reynolds’ murder had any connection with the compound?” he asked. “Perhaps it was somebody who was anti the military or something.”

  “I very much doubt it,” Cole replied.

  “Why do you say that?” asked Kendall, looking puzzled. “I mean, you sound so sure, so definite. Come on what do you know. Out with it.”

  Cole looked down at the table for a few moments. He then looked up. “I went up there myself, up to the Ridges, a few days ago,” he said. “It was very odd. There was nothing there, nothing at all. There was just a high wire fence, and a whole lot of warning signs, you know keep out, top secret. No entry, authorized personnel only.” He looked back at the table, and picked up his drink. “I managed to break in though. I expected the fence to be electrified, or something, but it wasn’t. It was just an ordinary barbed wire fence. I just cut through it with a pair of wire cutters. It wasn’t difficult. I wasn’t stopped. I wasn’t challenged. There was no alarm. There was just
no one there. No security of any kind. Not even our old friend.”

  He pointed at the photographs still lying on the table. He looked down, and gathered them together, and placed them back into the envelope. “There were no cameras. No infrared detectors. No searchlights. I saw no buildings, no chemical plant, and no troops - no nothing. The place seemed to be completely deserted. It seems to be just a barbed wire fence surrounding natural woodland. And that’s all.”

  Kendall gave a low whistle. It didn’t make any sense whatsoever. But there again there wasn’t much about this entire investigation that did make any sense. “How long were you there?” he asked, although not absolutely sure that it mattered.

  “About an hour all together,” Cole replied. “I walked from one side of the area, right over to the other. Generally, I just followed the perimeter fencing. There was nothing to see, anywhere. Except trees, that is.”

  “It just doesn’t make any sense,” Kendall said. “It’s a strange kind of set up, a top secret location but with no security. What’s the point of it?” He was beginning to wonder what the point of any of it was.

  “That’s a good question,” Cole replied. “It had us stumped for a long while. Bill and I had a long discussion about it. We spent many a happy hour sitting here, drinking, and thinking.” He paused and started to laugh. “We may have done slightly more drinking, than thinking.” He looked up. “Talking of which, what about another?” Without waiting for a reply he looked over to the bar and signaled that another round was required. He then turned back to face Kendall. “Now where were we? Oh yes. The reason for the compound suddenly occurred to us. It’s quite simple really. It is there for one reason and one reason only.”