Chapter 17

“I don’t like the idea of the Pope telling us what to do,” Charley Jones grumbled. He sat with Wally Keller in the Cliffwood Motel’s front office, drinking his second cup of coffee. “I’m Baptist, damnit.”

Wally chuckled. “I don’t think the Pope is going to tell us what to do.”

“Kennedy is a damn Catholic. And I know how it works. Those Catholics do what their Pope says, and before you know it some foreign Pope is going to be running this country!” It had been a week since the presidential election, and Jones hadn’t gotten over the fact Kennedy had won.

“I’ve got other things on my mind than to worry about the Pope,” Wally told Charley.

“What’s going on?” Charley had moved to Coulson five years earlier, after retiring. He spent his mornings visiting the various shop owners along Main Street, and he had struck up a friendship with Wally, when the Keller’s first took over the motel.

“Remember that tenant I told you about, in room ten?” Wally asked.

“The fancy dresser, with the Lincoln Continental?”

“That’s him. I think he left.”

“I thought he was staying for the month.”

“That’s what he said.”

“If he left without paying, I’d call the cops on him.”

“No, that’s not it. He came in the office the end of the month, the Saturday before Halloween and paid for November. Told me he’d be gone for a week, but he wanted to keep the room so he paid for another month.”

“Maybe something came up on his trip, delayed his return,” Charley suggested.

“No, he did return the next Saturday. I saw him in the morning, asked him how his trip went. He said everything went fine but that he was glad to be back. In fact, he told me he wouldn’t be going anywhere for the rest of November.”

“What does this guy do again?”

“I don’t know; he was checking into some local businesses, something like that. I got the impression he was an investor or looking for a business to buy. But the thing is, Charley, the next morning, on Sunday, his car was gone. I didn’t think anything about it at the time. But he hasn’t been back. That was over a week ago.”

“Have you checked his room?”

“No. I feel sort of funny barging in there. It has the do-not-disturb hanger on the door.”

“Does he have any friends you could ask? Did he leave some contact number?”

“He mentioned something about a sister up in Clement Falls. But I never saw him with anyone. No one ever visited him at the motel.”

“I’d go check out his room. Who knows, might be a dead body in there!” Charley said excitedly.

“I doubt that, his car is gone.”

“Maybe someone killed him, stole his car. I think you should go check his room.”

“I don’t know. Maybe I should call the police.”

“I tell you what, I’ll go with you. Let’s go check his room now. It’s your motel. You have the right to go in there.” Charley stood up, anxious to see the room.

Wally silently considered Charley’s suggestion.

“Okay, let’s do it.” Wally pulled the keyring from his pocket and headed to the door. Outside, Charley followed Wally down the walkway leading to room ten. The temperature had significantly dropped in the last week, and there was a nip in the air.

“This is it,” Wally said as he got to the room. Before using the key, he knocked loudly on the door.

“Mr. Marino, hello? Are you in there?” He knocked again. When there was no answer, he unlocked the door and pushed it open. The room was dark. The drawn shades blocked out the sun. Wally reached in and switched on the overhead light. A dull yellow glow illuminated the dingy room.

The two men walked in and looked around. The bed was unmade, but there was no sign of any luggage, clothes, or personal items belonging to Anthony Marino. Wally inspected the room and found the drawers and the closet empty.

“Looks like the guy moved out,” Charley said. He peeked around the room, looking for some forgotten item.

“But he paid for the month. This is so strange.” Wally shook his head.

“Ahh,” Charley said as he leaned down and picked something off the floor. “Apparently your missing renter did have a visitor.” Charley handed Anthony an unopened condom package he found on the floor, partially hidden by the bedspread hanging off the unmade bed.

“Odd.” Wally took the condom package. “I never saw anyone come to his room. They’d have to pass right by my office.”

“Probably was at night.”

“I guess you’re right. Maybe I should try to get ahold of his sister.”

“Do you have her name?”

“No. The only thing I know, she and her husband have a boarding house up at Clement Falls.”

“From what I know, there’s only one, owned by Nick Carracci. Good guy. I met him a few years ago, when I first started going fishing up there. Some good trout up in those streams.”

Wally gave the room a final inspection before he and Charley stepped back outside.

“I wonder if I should leave this do-not-disturb hanger on?” Wally asked as he locked up.

“Well, the guy did pay for the room. Maybe he took a spur of the moment trip to go see his sister.”

“I guess I’ll try giving them a call.” Wally locked the door.

Before Charley left the motel, he looked up the Carracci number in the phone book.

“Let me know how this turns out,” Charley told Wally as he said goodbye. “But it would’ve made a far better story if there had been a dead body in the room!”

“I imagine my sons would feel the same way—but I’d rather not have people dying or getting murdered at my motel.” Wally laughed.

After Charley left, Wally sat at his desk and dialed the Carracci’s phone number. It rang and rang, and Wally was about to hang up, when a man answered.

“Clement Falls Boarding House.” There was a faint Italian accent.

“Is this Mr. Carracci?”

“Yes, how can I help you?”

“I’m calling about Anthony Marino.”

Silence.

“Hello, Mr. Carracci, are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“Did you hear what I said?”

“I know nothing about Anthony Marino. Don’t call me again.” The man abruptly hung up.

Wally stared dumbly at the phone.

“Wow, some people really hate wrong numbers,” Wally said aloud to the empty office.

He redialed the number. Mr. Carracci answered the call, but this time his voice was less friendly.

“Mr. Carracci please don’t hang up—please hear me out!” Wally said in a rush. Not waiting for a reply, he continued. “I’m looking for a boarding house in Clement Falls, and I understood there was only one—yours. But apparently, there must be more. My name is Wally Keller, I own the Cliffwood Motel in Coulson. I had a guest who told me his sister and brother-in-law had a boarding house in Clement Falls, and I assumed it was yours. I’m sorry to be bothering you, but I wonder, can you direct me to any other boarding houses up there?”

“Why do you need to contact these people?” Mr. Carracci asked.

“Mr. Marino seems to be missing. He paid for the month of November, and he told me he wasn’t going anywhere. But he hasn’t been here for a week, and I just wondered if perhaps he was at his sister’s, or if she might know where he went.”

“If you’re lucky, he won’t come back,” Mr. Carracci said in a dull tone.

“Excuse me?”

“Anthony Marino is my brother-in-law. Consider yourself lucky if he never comes back.”

“I don’t understand?”

“If he does come back, be careful around him. Do you understand?”

“No Mr. Carracci, I don’t understand.”

“I wish I could say more, but I have a family to think about. My wife loves her brother. God knows why, but she does. I would prefer not to say or do anything that might get back to him, because he’s like that bad penny; he’ll be back. Just be careful, Mr. Keller, my brother-in-law is a very bad man. And please, I would appreciate it if you don’t call again. I don’t want to upset my wife.”

After Wally hung up the phone, he considered his dilemma. Now he had an entirely different problem to consider. If Anthony Marino were really a bad man, what would Wally do if he did return? He had his sons to consider. Marino had always been friendly with the boys, but after the phone conversation with Mr. Carracci, Wally Keller was worried about his family.

Briefly, he considered calling the police station. But they would probably send over some random officer to talk to him, and Wally didn’t want to waste his time. He wanted to talk directly to the police chief.

Making a decision, Wally grabbed his keys.

“So you say he’s gone?” Police Chief Peterson asked. Leaning back in his swivel office chair, the overweight lawman chewed on the end of his unlit cigar as he listened to what Wally Keller had to say.

“Initially, I wondered if this was some missing person situation, but then after I talked to his brother-in-law, I’m a little worried if he does show up. I’m not really sure what Carracci meant when he said he was a really bad man.” Wally sat in the Coulson police chief’s office.

“Marino is a nasty character. Been keeping an eye on him,” Peterson said.

“You knew about him?”

“Of course. This is a small town, Keller. Wasn’t much I could do, but keep an eye on him. Man hasn’t broken any laws here. No outstanding warrants. Hopefully, he won’t come back and he can be someone else’s problem. Now, is there anything else?”

“I don’t understand. What has he done?” Keller asked, getting frustrated.

“Like I said, nothing here.”

“So why were you keeping an eye on him?”

“Ah… that… organized crime from back east. Possible contract killer. But only rumors.”

“And you didn’t think it prudent to tell me? Let me know what my newest renter might be involved in?” Wally fought to keep his composure. He desperately wanted to hit the lackadaisical lawman over the head.

“I can’t be spreading unfounded rumors, Keller. Like I said, I was keeping an eye on him. But seems he’s moved on so not your problem anymore.”

“And what do I do if he shows up again?” Keller asked.

“I suppose you have the right to deny him service. Of course, if he already paid for the room, you might have a problem there.”

Frustrated, Wally stood up abruptly and stormed out of the police chief’s office. Peterson watched the angry innkeeper depart. After a moment, Peterson removed the unlit cigar from his mouth and tossed it on his desk. He picked up his phone and dialed a number. A moment later, the party he was calling answered the phone.

“Keller was just here. Apparently, he just noticed his tenant is missing.”