Another Senseless Killing (12)
years taught me a lot of words --- including goniff.” We both sat and stared at the estate for several seconds. I couldn’t get over the enormity of it all. Then Foley turned to me. “Manny, when you’ve been in the Senate for as long as he has, you meet the right people.” He bit down on his cigar. “And marrying money doesn’t hurt either. He didn’t have to be a goniff.” Nick stopped the car, our eyes riveted to the mansion. The enormous dwelling was solid brick with ivy climbing up every inch of every wall. I counted twenty windows facing me. I couldn’t imagine how many were not. Rose bushes and exotic plants in all colors adorned the grounds. They were perfectly symmetrical in every way. The lawn looked as if each blade of grass was cut and manicured individually. A tall steel fence surrounded the grounds on all sides --- just like in the horror movie. We parked the patrol car in the wide circular driveway and got out slowly. I rang the bell. Even the chimes sounded opulent. After no more than thirty seconds a short thin man with no eyebrows, a bald head, small ears and a large nose opened the door. He wore a tailored black suit and his patent leather shoes looked spit shined. “I’m Lieutenant Foley and this is Detective Gold. We’re here to see Senator Carlson.” “I believe the Senator is expecting you.” He had a resounding English accent. “If you will please follow me.” The man in the black suit opened a large wooden door and led us into the library. “If you wait here, I’ll get the Senator for you.” He bowed and left. “Big, isn’t it?” Nick asked casually. I only nodded, still in awe. “Gigantic would be an understatement. My sister’s entire house could fit into this room.” Two large tables and several chairs were in the center of the library, equidistant from each other and from the walls. Several smaller tables and chairs were scattered neatly around them. One wall had two large windows ( representing the twenty I saw from the car) with the velour drapes pulled back. The other walls were floor to ceiling books. I took a casual stroll around the room while Nick studied Michelangelo’s Moses --- horns and all. There were books by Updike and Ludlum. One wall contained mostly books on the Civil War and the Orient. But the vast majority were law books. “I can understand the Civil War. Lots of people are Civil War buffs. But why the Orient?” I asked. Nick picked up a copy of ‘Shogun’. “If I’m not mistaken, at one time he was in line to be Ambassador of Japan.” “He didn’t get it?” Nick replaced ‘Shogun’ back on the shelf. “Nope. His wife didn’t like Asians.” He turned to me. “So that was the end of that.” “Good afternoon.” A tall handsome man in his mid sixties entered the library with his hand extended. He had thick curly salt and pepper hair with eyebrows to match. His cheekbones were high and his smooth face was evenly tanned. His suit and tie looked expensive and his white shirt looked like solid starch. As we shook hands we introduced ourselves. Then he gestured to one of the smaller tables and we all sat down in black leather chairs positioned in a small semi-circle. “This room is magnificent!” I meant it. “Thank you.” He responded politely. “I find it most relaxing.” “How long have you lived here?” I was curious. “Almost twenty years. I moved in right after I began my first term. Actually the house was built in nineteen-twenty-five. It was vacant for a while. A judge lived here prior to my taking residence.” His smile seemed genuine. “Everything looks fresh.” Nick joined in. “I do my best to keep things that way.” I was dying for a cigarette, but there were no ashtrays. I hoped I could wait it out. After a brief pause, the Senator asked, “So what can I do for you? You were rather vague over the phone.” Nick cleared his throat. “I know you’re a busy man and have more important things to do.” “I don’t weigh things by importance.” I didn’t know what that meant. I was certain Nick didn’t know either, but we acted like we did. “I feel the same way about things.” Nick said. Then he cleared his throat again. “Senator Carlson, I’ll get right to the point.” He hesitated for a moment. “It’s about Kate Blair.” Carlson began to rub his chin. His color faded. “And just what is it that you gentlemen wish to know?” Then the smile faded along with the color. “You do know she’s been murdered.” Foley made it a statement, not a question. “Why would I know that?” “You read the papers --- don’t you?” Nick asked. He rubbed his chin harder. “Well, of course, but --- “ “We want to know basically what your relationship was with her.” Carlson began to fidget. “Take your time, Senator.” Nick continued casually. “We have all day.” “I’m sorry.” His tone was much less friendly. “I do not. You see --- “ His sentence was interrupted when a gray haired woman wandered into the room. She was stooped over and shuffled her feet as she walked over to him. Her glasses were constantly slipping to the end of her nose. The senator got up quickly and put his arm around her shoulders. Then he gently led her out of the library. At the door the Englishman in the black suit suddenly appeared. He and Carlson had a brief conversation. Then the Englishman and the elderly woman disappeared. The Senator came back into the room and sat down. He looked drained. “She hasn’t been well. He turned briefly to the closed door. “Lorence is --- well --- he does everything.” I assumed he meant the Englishman. “He oversees the maids and the cooks. He makes certain the head gardener keeps the grounds in the best condition possible. He helps me with my own personal attire. And --- he helps me with Jesse. He has for nearly thirteen years. He is, in fact, the proverbial right hand man. I don’t know what I would do without him.” He adjusted the knot on his silk tie. “As you can see, my wife suffers from severe rheumatoid arthritis. She has also had several TIAs --- mini strokes.” He took a deep breath. “ And one major one. The right side of her body is partially paralyzed. She has been this way for close to five years.”
Go to part: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
Copyright © 1998 B J Bloch |