Gifts From The Kasbah - Robert F. Clifton (read any book .TXT) 📗

from, but we'll have it checked. Can we use it? Sure, if it's of no value to us, we'll give it to George Fillmore or Andy Cummings. Holding up another sheet of paper,, he said,”Now this baby, this piece of paper, an old invoice listing the Mexican farm, Camelite la granjo, or, “Garden Land Farms”. This baby tells us that the order was filled on January, the twenty eighth of last month. Figuring that it took three or four days to drive to Greenfield, New Jersey using U.S. One and back roads to get to Lews, Delaware, delivery should have been made on or about February second or third. That means that armed with this information any agency can maybe sit and wait for a delivery to the Kasbah during the first week of any month and if there are drugs involved make an arrest.

As he was talking Sergeant June Campo walked into the office. “Sergeant, I'm glad you're here. I want these sheets of paper and the remains of this cardboard box tested for cannabis and heroin”, he said.

“No problem Captain. I just came in to see if there are any prints on the canisters”.

“I got plenty Sarg”, said the technician.

“Good, but which belong to employees of the manufacturer, the supplier and the last person to use them?”, asked Campo.

“Hopefully there are the prints of one of my suspects”, Wallace replied.

“Do we have the prints of your subject on file?”,asked Camo.

“Not yet”, Wallace answered.

After the Lab technicians left the office, Wallace carefully packed the items retrieved from the Kasbah's trash pit, then typed a list of the items making sure he had the original and three copies. Looking at McKenna he said. “Tom. It's been a long night. Long, but productive. Go home get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow. Come on, I'll walk you to the elevator. I have to give this evidence to the

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evidence clerk, then see the Chief and tell him that we worked all night”.

At six P.M. Robert Wallace woke from a deep sleep. He looked at the alarm clock on the night stand, stretched and yawned then got up off of the bed. Walking barefoot he went to the kitchen and poured a cup of coffee that was now eight hours old. Taking the cup he moved to the kitchen table and took a seat. He hated the feeling he was having. He had always disliked night work, particularly the midnight to eight A.M. Shift. It was his opinion that the human body was made to sleep at night and any deviation from that caused stress on the human system, making it difficult to function in day light. He took a sip of the coffee and finding it now strong and bitter got up from the table and dumped the contents of the cup into the sink. He stood and watched as the dark, brown liquid flowed down the drain.

After turning off the coffee maker he walked back to the bedroom and sat again on the bed. He reached for the telephone, dialed Jane's number and waited for her to answer.

“Hello?”, she said.

“Hi”.

“Where have you been?”

“We worked all night”.

“You sound tired”.

“Not really. What you hear is the hangover of daytime sleep”.

“I won't ask where you were or what you did”.

“Good, I wouldn't tell you anyway. Do you have any plans for the weekend?”

“No, why?

“I want to drive up to Princeton University on Saturday. I thought maybe you would like to go along”.

“After you do what you have to do there where will we go?”

“I don't know. Why?”

“Again, I have to know what to wear. Are we having lunch, or dinner, at the university or some place else?”

“Here's what I'll do. You dress the way you want for the type of

restaurant you desire. Don't over dress because I'll be comfortable and casual”.

“Thank you. The word casual gives me a clue”.

“See how helpful I am”.

“Speaking of eating, do you want to come over and have dinner here?”

“Sounds good, what's on the menu?:”

“ Don't you like surprises?”

97. “Yeah. Give me time to shower, shave and get dressed and I'll be there”.

“Alright, see you when you get here”.

An hour later Robert Wallace rang the bell and waited for Jane to open the door. When she did she greeted him with a large smile and a quick kiss on the lips. When he walked into the house he stopped and said, “I smell sauerkraut . I love sauerkraut. I haven't had it in a long, long time”.

“We're having sauerkraut and pork with mashed potato's. I like mine with apple sauce. What about you?”

“Hey, that's fine”

“Good, go into the living room. Make yourself comfortable while I set the table.”

Wallace walked into the living room and instead of sitting down, he stood admiring the framed oil paintings on the wall. He studied a seascape noticing the fine detail of the sandy beach and sunlight shining down on calm ocean waves. “This seascape? Does the sunlight on the water represent sunrise, or sunset?”, he asked.

“Sunrise”, she answered

“Really, how do you know?”

“Because I painted it. Thats Dover Beach”.

“I don't believe it”.

“What? That it's Dover Beach or that I painted it”.

“That you painted it'.

“I painted all that you see in this room. I've got a few others, but they're stored away”.

“You're good enough to sell'.

“I thought about it at one time. Then, I decided that I liked eating three meals a day better than a career as a painter'.

“ I like this one of a church”, said Wallace.

“ That's the Presbyterian Church in Tom's river”.

“Amazing”.

“Come on. It's time to eat”.

“Well, if you cook as well as you paint. I'm in for a treat”.

“Thanks for the compliment. Now sit down and while you're eating tell me about why you or we are going to Princeton”.

“I'm going to meet with the campus police. Actually, I want information on Emma Prescott and the Thomas kid. You are going along because I've missed you all week and I want some time with you. So, you could say, I'm mixing work with pleasure”.

98. “I have a question for you”, she said.

“And, it is?”

“Why haven't you tried to get me into bed?”

“Hell, that's obvious. How many times have I told you that I love you”.

“Several times”.

“Well, there's your explanation”.

“Robert?”

“Yes?”

“Thank you”.

“Now, I have a question”.

“What is it?”

“What's for desert?”

 

On a brisk, February, Saturday morning Robert Wallace drove his Ford sedan north on route 206 heading for Princeton, New Jersey and the university.

Jane Chambers sat beside him. Looking out of the car window. She saw the dormant farm fields, some coated with ice. Here and there the remains of melting snow could be seen on the onetime neat rows where once corn stalks grew. In the distance, white smoke rose gently from the chimney's of farm houses. Soon, the vast growth of tall, pine trees came into view as the highway touched the edge of the “Pine Barrens”.

Wallace looked over at Jane and asked, “What are you going to do while I'm meeting with campus security?”

“I was thinking that I'd take a look at the Firestone Library. Who knows, I may never get here again”.

“Sorry dear, entry to the library is restricted to outsiders”.

“Now you tell me”.

“Honey, you should have said something before we left. How about taking in the Art Museum? I'm sure there's plenty of different art works that you'd enjoy. At the same time, once I'm finished with security, i'd like to see their collections”.

“Alright, once you find it, drop me off”.

“Yes Mam”.

 

Wallace pulled the Ford in front of the building located at 200 Elm Drive. He got out of the car and walked into the building that housed the Campus Security. A young lady greeted him. “Good afternoon, may I help you?”, she asked.

“I'm Captain Wallace of the Nautilus Beach Police Department. I'm

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supposed to meet with Detective Ed Mullen”, he answered.

A young man seated at a desk got up out of a chair and said, “I'm Ed Mullen Captain. Come on in and have a seat. Can I get you anything, coffee perhaps?”

“Hey, you just said the magic word, but no thanks”, Wallace responded.

“How was your trip up here?”, asked Mullen.

“Nice, I brought the girlfriend along with me. She wanted to see the Firestone Library, but I told her it's off limits to outsiders”.

“It is, but we could escort her through it”.

“No matter, right now she's in the art museum”, said Wallace as he stirred his coffee.

“Well Captain, if I recall our telephone conversation you were interested in the course curriculum for one, Emma Prescott, student. Here are Xerox copies of her records. I figured it would be easier to copy what you wanted rather than wait for you to subpena them with a court order”.

“And, I appreciate it Ed.'

“Do you mind if I ask why you are interested in Miss Prescott?”

“Not at all. I'm investigating a homicide. Four young people from Nautilus Beach, all of them friends either are attending Princeton or had applied to attend Princeton in one way or another. Miss Prescott is one of the four”.

“You say four, yet you have only asked for her records”.

“Now, Detective Mullen would you really have enjoyed standing Xeroxing record after record? In all probability I'll be back for the records of the others. Meanwhile, I've taken enough of your time, So thanks for everything and if you're ever in my town stop in and say hello”, said Wallace as he shook hands with Detective Mullen.

Together, Jane and Robert toured the Princeton University Art Museum looking at works of art from antiquity to the contemporary period. When finished looking at paintings they admired the large collection of Roman and Greek

antiquities including, ceramics, marbles , bronzes and Roman mosaics taken by Princeton University's excavations in Antioch. By the time they got to the Medieval Europe collection they had had enough and promised each other that they would come back one day to complete the tour.

As Wallace drove off of the campus Jane asked, “Where are we going now?”

“To a place I ate in several years ago when I was up here, the Peacock Inn”.

100. “I never heard of it, but knowing you it must be fine dining”.

“It is”.

“What's their specialty?”

“It's been so long since I was there that I don't remember”.

“Oh well. I'm sure that the waiter will tell us”.

“Yeah and when he does you'll stick your nose up at it, read the menu and order something else”.

“Am I really that difficult?”, she asked.

“Not to me, just to waiters”.

Later, after parking the car Jane and Robert entered the Inn. Once inside they were shown to one of the small dining rooms that had four tables. The chairs were covered in dark maroon velvet and they were given a table next to a window with bamboo shades. A large, red brick fireplace was centered in one wall with the color of the hearth accenting the soft, gray, painted ,walls of the room. Framed oil paintings and prints hung on the other walls.

Jane sipped her usual Bloody Mary as she studied the menu while Wallace examined the long list of fare that the restaurant offered. His attention to the bill of fare was interrupted when Jane, in a low voice said, “Do you see those prices?”

He looked up over the top of the menu at her and said, “If I couldn't afford to dine here I would have taken you to McDonalds. Now, stop worrying about the price and concentrate on what you want to eat”.

“Have you decided Robert?”

“I settled on the duck”.

“Really, I think I'll have the chicken”, Jane replied.

The waiter poured ice water from a stainless steel pitcher, filling Chrystal goblets. After finishing, he asked, “Are you ready to order?”

“Yes”, to start with, I'd like the heirloom tomato salad and for the entree, the roasted organic chicken, please”,said Jane.

“And you sir?”, asked the waiter.

“For the appetizer, the seared sea scallop and almond puree. Then you can bring me the honey-glazed duck breast and duck con fit. However, I prefer the toasted cashew Basami rice instead of the