Garwood Village by Robert F. Clifton (best book reader .txt) 📖

in order to get their summer tan. The young men of Nautilus Beach considered it their sacred duty to meet and attempt to seduce these visitors. Unfortunately, if any seduction did occur it wasn't do to the attempts of Manfred Edwards.

Then the war came. Manfred Edwards enlisted in the Navy. He took the test, passed it and was sent to Pensacola, Florida for flight training. He earned his wings, hoped to be assigned to a carried fighter squadron but shipped out to the Pacific and then on to Australia where he flew PBY patrol bombers. Fortunately, he met Sharon.

Underwater, Doc opened his eyes then was amazed at the visibility. Some type of crab saw him. It raised it's claws as it hurriedly moved sideways out of harms way. Swimming further, pulling himself through the water Doc saw shell fish here and there. Then he felt the need to breath and he pushed himself to the surface. He stood, turned towards the beach and saw Sharon sitting with her arms across her knees. He waved, she raised a hand and waved back. He smiled then dived under the water again.

After a half an hour, Doc swam and then walked to the shore. When he got to where Sharon sat on the blanket she raised her hand holding a towel. He took it from her and dried himself.

“Well, how was it?”, she asked.

“Great. It's amazing just how clear the water is here”, said Doc.

“Hungry?”, she asked.

“I could eat”.

“I made chook excuse me, chicken sangers”.

“Fine, what's to drink?”

“Lemon juice”

“I'm assuming that's lemonade”.

“No, Lemonade is Seven Up”.

“Whatever, is it cold?”

“Yes”.

“Good I'll have what ever you either made in a pitcher or brought in a can or bottle”.

“Still a smart ass Yank, aren't you?”

“Smart enough to love you”.

“True, very true”, said Sharon with a laugh.

As he sat eating a chicken sandwich Doc Edwards took in the view again of the beach. Now, the bright sun beating down on the sand transformed it from a snow white into gold leaf. Beyond the small breaking waves that edged their way on to the shore he saw again the turquoise strip of water under white, powder puff clouds in the sky. Further away he saw the Norfolk Pines growing above the dunes. Then, he noticed the jetty jutting out into the water. “Do they fish off of that jetty?”, he asked.

“I don't know. I do know that one may fish off of the beach and you don't need a license”.

“Do you fish?”, he asked.

“Not since I was a little girl”.

“Fishing is one of my past times. I can teach you”.

“We'll see”.

“How about camping? Do you like the outdoors?”

“Yes, and that's where I want to keep it, outdoors”.

“You mean you've never slept outdoors in a tent, cooked over an open fire, hiked trails through the woods?”

“Certainly. I did that as a Girl Guide. We call it a bushwalk. I did those things when I was young, but I wasn't overly fond of it”.

“Well dear, I think I'll take another swim and if you're ready after that we can head home”.

“You just ate. Aren't you afraid of getting a cramp?”, she asked.

“That's an old wives tale. I'm more concerned about being bit in the ass by a great white shark, then I am of getting a cramp”.

“Oh to be sure, they are out there, but it's been years since anyone has seen one here”.

“That right? Have you read Jaws, by Peter Benchley? After you read that book you don't swim at night”.

“Go swim dear. I'll pack up and when your finished we'll go”.

Doc Edwards jogged down to the shoreline and entered the water. He swam out further from shore this time, needing the swim, needing the exercise. When he had enough he headed in and as he did he saw Sharon shaking the sand out of the blanket then she folded it. He walked up to her hugged her and laughed as his wet cold body touched her dry warm torso and she yelled, trying to get out of his grasp. “Bloody dill”, she said loudly.

While Sharon showered, Doc sat on the back porch, looking at the manicured lawn and the flowers in the garden. Here, near the end of January it was still summer, Back in New Jersey it was cold, damp, rain or snow, windy and usually overcast. New Jersey, he hated to go back, but he had to if he and Sharon were to have the life that he wanted for both of them. That life meant financial independence and in order to have that it meant retiring, collecting a pension, the sale of property and dissolving some stocks and bonds. Then, if everything went right, the opening and successful practice of medicine in Rockingham.

He heard the sound of running water stop. Sharon was finished showering. He would talk to her at dinner, tell her how he had to get back to what he had left and what he had to do at home.

 

Chapter Five

Robert Wallace read and re-read the telegram he held in his hand. I was from Doc Edwards. All it said was, “ARRIVING PHILA. ON UNITED FLIGHT 1452 FROM LA. STOP. PICK ME UP.STOP. EXPECT DELAYS. DOC”.

“Damn it, not a word about a profile. I was depending on him finding something I could go on. He better have something to tell me when I see him”, Wallace thought to himself. He stepped off of the escalator and entered the gate area for United Airlines then looked for arriving flight 1452. A small sign read, 'On time'. “That's bullshit”, He deliberated. Knowing he was early, Wallace took a seat in the waiting area, spotted a used newspaper two seats over and reached for it and picked it up. He then crossed his legs and began to read, starting with the sports section. Thirty five minutes later the United Airlines flight from Los Angeles landed then taxied up to Gate 4 where Wallace waited.

Wallace stood waiting watching the passengers coming through the gate doorway. Some carried carry on luggage. Others no baggage at all. He knew that Doc Edwards would have to go down stairs to the Luggage Claim to retrieve his suitcases, which in all probability would take another half hour. Finally, Robert saw him. He noticed that Doc had acquired a handsome tan on his trip making the man stand out in a crowd of pale faced travelers in early February. He waited patiently for the woman in front of Doc Edwards to pass by, then grabbed and shook the hand of his best friend. “Doc you old son of a bitch, it's good to see you”, he said.

`“Good to see you too. I have someone I want you to meet”, said Edwards as he walked slightly past Wallace and placed an arm around the shoulders of Sharon. “Robert, allow me to introduce you to Sharon Edwards, my wife”.

“Well, I'll be a horses ass! You did it! Congratulations Doc”. Turning to Sharon, Wallace said, “You were all he ever talked about before he left. I can see now why he wanted to go back to Australia.”

“Thank you. Needless to say, I''m glad that he did”.

“Is this your first time in the United States?”, asked Robert.

“Yes, you see I let him leave me and Australia thirty years ago. This time I decided to go with him just so I'd know that he's going back”.

“Well, let's get you luggage”, Wallace replied.

As he drove the four door Ford Maverick down the Expressway towards Nautilus Beach, Robert turned to Doc Edwards and said, “I guess you were too busy courting Sharon to get around to my needing a profile of this killer I have on my hands”.

“He did better than that Robert. He brought me along. I listened to your tapes. The result is that I have some idea of the killer. I still need to ask you some questions however”, said Sharon from the back seat.

“Let me bring you up to date. We now have evidence that the killer is a male”.

“What kind of evidence?”, asked Doc.

“Semen, along with a confirmed blood type, B negative”.

“That's a big step forward”, Doc Replied.

“But not enough. I know this guys a psycho just by the way he kills. I've got to know why, what he's thinking, how does he reason?”, said Wallace.

“All in good time. My wife has just landed and after a long tiring trip. Give her some time to rest and relax.”

Wallace glanced into the rear view mirror and saw that Sharon was peering out of the car window at the scenery. “As I mentioned Robert, I have several questions. I can see that you are anxious for answers. Nonetheless, I think it would be fair to both of us to wait a bit until we have a relaxed, professional setting, you as the investigator and myself as the profiler. I'm sure you agree”, said Sharon.

“Of course. Please excuse me, but right now I have three dead women and the public screaming for my head wanting results”, Wallace answered.

“You should be aware my love, that Robert as excellent investigator is also the most impatient son of a bitch that ever came down the pike”, said Doc.

Wallace changed the subject by saying, “Well, what do you think of America so far?”

“I've only seen two airports and this road. Where are we? New Jersey?”

“Yes”.

“Well, it at the moment appears cold, damp and gray and somewhat crowded. It feels strange to ride in the right lane of the roadway”.

“Now you know how I felt in Rockingham”, said Doc.

After arriving at Manfred Edwards home, Wallace helped by carrying in some of their luggage. When he entered he saw Sharon standing quietly in the living room looking at the rugs, walls, curtains and furniture. Not saying a word she then slowly walked into the dining room, then the kitchen. She turned and walked back into the living room. “Well, sweetheart, what do you think?”, asked her husband.

“I think that you were a bachelor too long.”

“I agree, but what's wrong with it?”, he asked.

“You can't really expect a woman to appreciate all leather furniture in the lounge room do you?”

“Leather lasts forever”, said Manfred.

“And it looks as though you've had it that long”, Sharon replied.

“I think it's a good time to check on the car. The battery is pretty old. Let's see if it starts”, said Doc.

“It had better. If you expect to eat today we have to go to the supermarket and shop”. Sharon replied.

“Can we at least unpack first?”, asked Doc.

“Yes, if you and Robert would like take away food for a late lunch”.

“And, just what kind of take away food did you have in mind?”, asked Edwards.

“You can go to either Maccers or somewhere where you can purchase a meat and salad roll. I'd like either”.

Doc Edwards could see the look of confusion on the face of Robert Wallace. “Let me translate for you Robert. What she said was, we can either go to MacDonalds or someplace where they sell submarine sandwiches”.

“It's not my fault that you two don't speak English”, Sharon responded.

“Tell you what dear. I'll check the car. The battery probably needs charging. I'll put on the charger then Robert and I will go get lunch. How's that?”

“Fine. While you're away I'll unpack”.

“ We'll got to the White House. They make the best subs in the city. What kind do you want?”, asked Doc.

“What are you getting”, she asked.

“A regular. To you that's Italian meats, cheese, onion, lettuce and tomato's usually with olive oil”.

“That's fine. Small of course”.

“That's a half”.

On Monday morning Wallace sat at his desk filling out a vacation card. He check it, then signed his signature, got up and walked down the hallway to the elevators. When he did he walked past the press room. Looking inside, he saw Mary Wagner seated in front of a typewriter. “Got a hot story?”, he asked.

“No. Actually I'm doing a follow up on an article I wrote six months ago”, she answered.

“Got time for a cup of coffee?”

“I