Rip Tide - Robert F Clifton (red white and royal blue hardcover txt) 📗

“About Derrick Butler”.

“What about him?”

“I'll come right to the point. Did he ever directly or indirectly suggest that you prostitute yourself with customers of his related to the fashion shows for conventioneers?”

“Listen Sergeant, I really don't want to get involved in any police matter, particularly with Derrick Butler”.

“What if I was to tell you that Patricia Baker, a friend of yours who modeled at the same time as you has told us that Butler asked her to turn tricks with conventioneers?”

Angela sat quietly for a moment then said, “ Yes, he asked me to do that. He told me how much I could make a night charging three to five hundred dollars with each customer. All he wanted was half. He considered that his fee for setting me up with whoever wanted me”.

“And then what?”

“What do you mean and then what? I told him to go to hell and I left the agency for good. Here I am and I hope I never see or hear of the Butler's again for the rest of my life”.

“How about Erica Butler, did she approach you or any of the other girls?”

“She never approached me. Remember younger girls my age were just being hired for the agency. To my knowledge Erica spent most of her time with the older models”.

“Alright Miss Rodman thank you for your co-operation. Hopefully we won't need to talk to you in the future. Now, I'll get out of your hair, pick up my wife and go home”.

At ten o'clock that evening Wallace answered the ringing telephone on his desk. “Hello?”

“Cap, Stiles here. Just got home a little while ago. I questioned Angela. She was a little reluctant at first, but then she opened up. Seems that Butler tried the same thing as he did with the Baker girl. He even quoted an asking price for each trick”.

“How much?”

“Between three and five hundred”.

“The girls on the street and getting forty a throw”.

“Yeah but look at them”.

“You have a point. Go ahead”.

“Anyway, she refused to do it and quit the agency”.

“Anything else?”

“I asked about Erica Butler trying to see if she was involved. Evidently

she isn't. Not at that stage anyway. And, that's about it”.

“Sounds good. Give me a written report in the morning. Did Emma enjoy herself?”

“Yeah, hell I might even get lucky tonight”

“Then don't waste time talking to me, Bye”.

The next morning Captain Wallace, Sergeant Stiles and Detective McKenna sat around the commander's desk drinking coffee and eating doughnuts. As they did they discussed the Harris case going over and over the physical evidence they had, the information gathered from witnesses and then, their suppositions.

“If Derrick Butler or whatever the hell his name is, operates as a pimp then what about Erica Butler”, asked Stiles.

“What about her?”, asked McKenna,

“Well, for one thing does she know that her old man is trying to recruit young women to put in his stable”, Tom McKenna answered.

“Good question Tom. I think that it's about time we started looking into the background of Erica Butler. Speaking of background is there anything from N.C.I.C. on Desilvio, Frank?”,asked Wallace.

“Can I use your telephone? I'll call Communications and see if anything came in on their computer”.

“Be my guest”.

Stiles dialed the number then speaking to someone in the Communications Bureau asked about any information coming in from the National Crime Information Center. He waited while a check was made of all incoming correspondence. Finally, he was told that a report had come into the Bureau from the F.B.I..”Read it to me please, I'm in sort of a hurry”, Stiles said.

“ Dominic Desilvio, a.k.a Donald Barns, a.k.a Derrick Butler. W.M. age 39, D.O.B. 3/20/39 place of birth, Baltimore Maryland. Arrested

5/31/57 larceny, 12/15/58 bookmaking, 6/10/60 pandering. Arresting authorities, Baltimore Maryland Police Department.

9/02/62 pandering. Arresting authority, Philadelphia Pennsylvania Police Department. Do you want the convictions and sentences?”, asked the communication clerk?”

“No, print it and send it down to me”, said Stiles. Turning to Wallace Frank Stiles read aloud the information he had written down. “Looks like the boy has a record”, he added.

“Well, at least we know Angela Rodman and Patricia Baker are telling us the truth. Alright, Tom I want you to swing by the office of the modeling agency. Get the license plate number of the vehicles there. Then, do a look up with Motor Vehicle. That should give us a home address of the Butler's.

It appears they might be in deeper in this case then we thought. Frank, send out a look up on Erica Butler, state, federal and Philadelphia”, said Wallace.

“I'm way ahead of you Cap. Myers was working on Erica before you sent her to Vegas. As I recall she found an article in Fashion Magazine titled, Erica Butler, Style. Seems to me Myers said that Erica Butler's maiden name was Erica Lippmann. She was born and raised in Philadelphia, went to Temple University where she studied fashion design and business. She didn't graduate or gain a degree. Here's the interesting part. She never mentions her marriage or Derrick Butler”.

“With his record it's not surprising. Frank, check in I.D. and see if he registered as a criminal. If not. We got him by the balls. Either way we'll get to him sooner or later”.

“Failing to register is just a violation of a city ordinance”, said McKenna.

“True, but it's enough to hold him for awhile”.

“O.K. I'll get going. Both vehicles should be there now. I'll be back after lunch”.

“Anything more from Myers?”, asked Stiles.

“No and I don't expect anything. Right now she's on vacation and doesn’t have to check in”.

At two thirty two pm, Detective Thomas Mckenna walked into the Captains office holding two sheets of paper in his hand. Wallace looked up from the paper work he was doing and said, “What did you find?”

“The van they use for transporting models, equipment and clothing is registered to the Nautilus Beach Modeling Agency. However, a 1976, light blue Mercedes-Benz 350 two door is registered to one, Erica Butler. According to the tag information she lives at 1400 Bay Avenue, Nautilus Beach, New Jersey. Nothing shows on Derrick Butler as far as being co-owner of the automobile”.

“Very good. Now, go to the tax office and have them look up any and all information they have on that property”.

“Such as?”

“Such as the value, the taxes being paid, if there is a mortgage and if so, who holds the paper?”

“What happens if they won't give that information to me?”

“Then, you threaten to arrest the bastards for obstruction of justice. Then tell them that they will have to appear in front of a grand jury to explain there actions”.

“Do you think that will work?'

“It works every time for me. Of course ,you have to be convincing”.

When McKenna left Wallace returned to the hand written notes that he had made. Then, with the information that McKenna had obtained he added the make and model of Erica Butler's automobile and her home address. Next to the address he added several question marks. “Bay Avenue is one of the most expensive real estate sections in the city. The properties were only second to the beach front and boardwalk. Either the model agency was bringing in more funds then what meets the eye or money is coming from some other source. But, what is it?”, he asked himself mentally.

His thoughts were interrupted by the ringing telephone, He answered it, spoke briefly with Detective Myers and wrote down her airline, arrival time, flight number and hung up.

****************

Two days later in the morning, Captain Wallace looked at Detective Myers as she walked into his office. Sergeant Stiles and Detective McKenna were seated drinking coffee. “Welcome home. Your tea and muffin is in the bag. How come you're came back so soon? I thought you wanted to stay a couple of more days out there?”, asked Wallace.

“I couldn't afford it. I got hooked on the slot machines”, answered Myers.

“Were you a good girl?”, asked Stiles.

Myers took a sip of tea and then smiled. “Someone said I was perfect”.

“Alright, we'll bring you up to date later. Right now I want to go over what Tom found by checking the tax records of Erica and Derrick Butler. Tom, you can tell us what you found”, said Wallace.

“Yes sir. The house they live in is located at 1400 Bay Avenue. It is

valued by the city at two hundred and eighty thousand dollars. Taxes paid each year in the last two years by the Butler's is eight hundred and forty dollars. The property is mortgaged and the lender is Mariner Trust of Nautilus Beach”.

“Really?, That's somewhat unusual. Most mortgages are held by banks”, said Stiles.

“True, but trust companies, can and do handle mortgages. They also deal in stocks and bonds, real property and such things as the purchasing and selling of yachts and money management”, offered Wallace.

“John Hanes is the C.E.O. and owner of Mariner Trust”, said Myers.

“Where does he live?”, asked Stiles.

“Bayview Ave”, Myers answered.

“While we're at it, give me the addresses of the models”, said Wallace.

Myers open the folder and read, “Mary Ann Bell resides at 1480 Bay Ave. Charlotte Deviny lives at 1502 Bay Ave. Hilda peck has a home at 1322 Bayview Ave. Martha and John Hanes place is located at 1340 Bayview Ave. And, Amanda Wells lives at Unit 222 in the Ocean Shore Condominiums”,

“Hmmm. All, with the exception of Amanda Wells live in either the same neighborhood or in close proximity of each other. At the same time both Bay and Bayview Avenues are high price areas”, said Stiles.

“True, although interesting it's not too unusual. Each one of those women are married to professional men, doctor, dentist, lawyer, stock broker and banker. Actually, one could say that John Hanes is more then a broker. Nothing unusual if one considers their income”, said Wallace.

“Again, what I find slightly out of the ordinary is that Mariner Trust holds the mortgage on the Butler's property”, said Stiles.

“O.K. Frank. You and Myers go to the tax office and check each one of the properties Carol mentioned. See if you can find out if Mariner Trust holds other mortgages we might by interested it”.

“Yes sir”.

“And, I'll tell you something else that's interesting”.

“What's that Cap?”. Asked McKenna.

“All those homes, with the exception of the Ocean Shore Condominiums are waterfront properties. Each home has a dock. Now, the question is, which dock has a boat tied up to it. Tom, that's your job. Check it out”.

“On the way”.

“While each of you are busy, I'll be with the County Prosecutor. I'm going to try to get Mr. James Elroy to look into the corporation of Mariner Trust”.

“What Are you looking for?”, asked Stiles.

“First, is it incorporated in New Jersey, if not where? Then, who are the C.E.O. and board of directors, if any?”

“That should prove interesting”, said Myers.

“Why?”

“You never ask the prosecutor to get involved in your cases”.

“True, but this is more or less a menial task. Let him use his investigators. Better them then me sending one of you to Trenton or Wilmington”.

“Why Wilmington?”, asked Myers.

“Because it's quicker, and cheaper. A smart business man would more than likely choose Delaware to incorporate his business. Now, let's get moving”.

After convincing James Elroy to look into the business firm of John Hanes, Wallace drove into the parking lot of the hospital. He walked down the stairs that led to the morgue then walked through the double doors and into the room. He stopped when he heard the sound of an electric saw and saw Doctor Wescoat about to remove the cranial cap from a male corpse on a gurney. Emily stopped when she saw him. “I'll be with you in a minute”, she said through the mask that covered the lower part of her face.

“Take your time. I'll be just outside the door”.

Ten minutes later Emily opened one of the double doors looked at him and said, “Do you mean to tell me what you saw bothers you?”

“It sure as hell does. It's the cracking sound that's made when the cap