The Soft Centre Read online

  Beyond the counter was a desk, three chairs and on the wall a large scale map of the district.

  Beigler sat in one of the chairs, a cigarette hanging from his lips. Behind the desk sat the owner of the motel: a tall, thin man, around fifty-five, with a mop of iron grey hair and a sallow complexion. His face was thin with an over-long nose. His shabby grey Alpaca suit looked as if it was meant for a man of much heavier build. His white shirt was grubby and his string tie greasy.

  ‘This is Henekey,’ Beigler said, getting to his feet. ‘Okay. Henekey, go ahead. Let’s have it all over again.’

  Terrell nodded to Henekey who gave him a quick, uneasy stare. Terrell took a chair near Beigler.

  ‘Well, like I told the Sergeant,’ Henekey said, ‘this girl had a call in for 7.30 a.m. I called her. There was no answer, so I went over and found her.’ He grimaced. ‘So I called headquarters.’

  ‘Who is she?’ Terrell asked.

  ‘She booked in as Sue Parnell. She’s from Miami. She arrived at eight o’clock last night: a one night stand.’

  ‘Ever seen her before?’

  For a split second, Henekey seemed to hesitate, then he shook his head.?‘Not as far as I can remember. We get a lot of people here during the season. No, I guess not.’

  ‘Did she have any visitors?’?‘I wouldn’t know. I’m in this office from seven-thirty in the morning to one o’clock at night. Then I shut clown and go to bed. I’ve no means of knowing what goes on in any of the cabins.’

  Terrell got to his feet.?‘Let’s take a look at her.’?‘It’s cabin 24,’ Henekey said and put a key on the desk. ‘If it’s all right with you, Chief, having seen her once, I don’t care much to see her again.’

  ‘That’s okay,’ Terrell said as Beigler picked up the key. The two men left the office and walked across to the double row of cabins some fifty yards ahead of them.

  The group of tourists straggled after them, but came to an abrupt stop as two uniformed policemen stepped into their path. The rest of the Homicide team, with their camera man, moved from their parked cars to join Terrell and Beigler.

  They arrived at Cabin 24 and Beigler unlocked the door.?‘Wait here,’ Terrell said to his team and he and Beigler entered the cabin which was a twenty-foot square room with a shabby carpet, two lounging chairs, a TV set, a hanging closet, a dressing-table and a double bed.

  The stench of death made both men grimace and Beigler, after one look at the bed, went to the window and hurriedly opened it.

  Terrell, his hat tilted to the back of his head, looked at the naked body lying across the bed. Sue Parnell had been twenty-eight or nine, blonde and strikingly attractive. She must have taken good care of herself, Terrell thought, for her finger and toe nails had been recently manicured and her hair was attractively arranged. She had obviously been a sun worshipper for her body was heavily tanned.

  Whoever had slaughtered her had done so with the frenzy of a madman. Four stab wounds made purple mouths in the upper part of her body. Lower down, she had been ripped. The sight of her made bile come into Terrell’s mouth in spite of years of hardened experience.

  Beigler said hoarsly, ‘For God’s sake!’ and feeling his stomach begin to revolt, turned hurriedly and left the cabin.

  Terrell looked around. On one of the chairs stood a blue and white suitcase. He passed the bed and opened the door leading into a tiny shower room. On the glass shelf stood a bottle of perfume, a tube of toothpaste and a tablet of soap. On another shelf by the shower was a yellow sponge and a shower cap.

  He moved back into the room. Keeping his eyes away from the bed, he walked out on to the narrow veranda where his men were waiting.

  ‘Get a sheet,’ he said to Hess. ‘Doc arrived yet?’?‘He’s on his way,’ Hess said. ‘Should be here any second now.’

  As he spoke a car pulled up and Dr. Lowis, the police M.O., came hurrying over, his bag of equipment in his hand.

  ‘Go right on in,’ Terrell said. ‘She’s all yours, and you’re welcome.’

  Dr. Lowis, a short, fat man, gave him a questioning stare and then entered the cabin. Terrell called his men together.?‘When Doc’s through, go over the place as if you’re looking for a speck of dust. I want everything that can tell us anything. This is one of those jobs that has to be cleared up fast. A foot-loose sex killer usually strikes again.’

  He went back into the cabin and picked up the blue and white suitcase.?‘Enjoying yourself?’ he asked Lowis without looking at the bed.?‘I’ve seen worse,’ Lowis said mildly. ‘Nice looking girl.’?‘You mean she was a nice looking girl,’ Terrell said and went out into the sunshine.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Dr. Felix Gustave came into his waiting room where Val and her father were standing by the open french windows.

  It was an impressive room. Nothing had been spared to give it an atmosphere of luxury and confidence.

  Dr. Gustave was a large, heavily built man, immaculaty dressed, with a bald, high dome of a head, fleshy jowls and clear, alert black eyes.

  As Val and her father turned, he came across the vast room, his face expressionless as if he knew a smile wouldn’t be welcomed.

  ‘I’m sorry to have kept you waiting,’ he said. ‘Chris is in bed now.’ He used the Christian name without affectation. Watching him, Vat felt a surge of relief that he really was on Christian name terms with her husband. ‘Before you see him I suggest we have a little talk about him.’

  Travers said sharply, ‘What has he been doing all the time he has been missing?’

  Gustave took Val by her hand and led her to a chair.?‘Let’s sit down,’ he said, and ignoring Travers’ hostility, he lowered his bulk into a chair near Val’s.

  Travers hesitated, then he came over and sat by Val.?‘You ask me what he has been doing?’ Gustave said. ‘He doesn’t know. Later, he may remember, but at this moment, it is better not to ask questions. Periods of complete loss of memory are to be expected from time to time. Frankly, this nice person is for the moment very unhappy, and he has every reason to be. He has suffered serious injuries to the brain, and yet he has long periods when he is practically normal. Now this has happened, it may happen again, and he knows it.’

  ‘Is there no cure then?’ Travers said impatiently. ‘This state of affairs has been going on for nearly two years. We thought he was showing some signs of improvement… now this!’

  ‘Daddy… Please!’ Val said.

  Travers made an irritable movement.?‘My dear, if Chris isn’t going to recover, you…’?‘A moment, Mr. Travers,’ Gustave said quietly. ‘Nothing has been said about him not making a complete recovery. This is a matter of patience.’ He moved slightly to look directly at Val. ‘While I talk to your father, you would like to see Chris, wouldn’t you?’

  Val nodded.?‘Then go up and see him. There’s a nurse in the hall. She’ll take you to him. He needs affection. You are the one to give it to him.’

  Val got to her feet and went out into the hail. She heard a protest from her father, but she ignored it.

  The elderly nurse who was waiting, took her up a flight of stairs and into a room where her husband lay in bed.

  Chris Burnett was thirty-six years of age. He was a handsome man with dark hair and eyes, a firm mouth and nearly as tall as his father-in-law. Before the car crash he had been regarded by those in the know as a worthy successor to Travers’ financial kingdom.

  Her heart beating painfully, Val paused in the doorway.?‘Chris… darling.’

  He looked up and her heart sank. His mild, indifferent expression and glazed eyes told her at once that this awful wall that had grown up between them was still there.

  ‘Oh, hello, Val,’ he said. ‘I’m sorry about this. We don’t seem to have much luck, do we?’ Vat moved into the room and closed the door.?‘You don’t have to be sorry,’ she said, controlling her voice with difficulty. ‘Are you all right, darling?’ As he said nothing, she went on, ‘I’ve been so worried.’

  ‘It only wante
d this, didn’t it?’ he said listlessly. ‘Quite something to be brought to a looney-bin by two cops. Of course the real fun of it all is that I just don’t know what I have been doing. I’ve been blacked out for hours. I could have done anything… murdered someone… anything.’

  ‘But you didn’t, Chris,’ Val said gently as she moved to a chair by the bed and sat down. ‘You mustn’t worry.’

  ‘That’s what Gustave keeps telling me. So… all right I’m not worrying.’

  She watched the nervous tick that kept twitching at the side of his mouth.?‘Chris … do you want to come back to the hotel?’

  He shook his head.?‘I’m quite happy here. Gustave seems sensible. I rather like him. It would be better for me to stay here.’

  ‘I thought you liked the hotel,’ Val said, trying not to sound desperate. ‘Can’t we go back there together. This well, as you said, it was unlucky.’

  ‘How’s your father?’ Chris asked, looking away from her. ‘I suppose he knows about this?’ Val hesitated, then said, ‘Oh, yes. He’s downstairs talking to Dr. Gustave.

  The glazed eyes moved in her direction.?‘You don’t mean he has dropped all his important work to come down here? How odd! He must be having a whale of a time. How he must hate me now!’

  ‘Of course he doesn’t,’ Val said a little sharply. ‘You mustn’t …’?‘Oh, but I’m sure he does. He’s as bored to death with me as I am myself. Your father is a remarkable man, Val. He hasn’t got this soft centre that I have. You know what I mean … a soft centre? It’s something that can happen to anyone who is just ordinary. You think you are all right; that you are making a big success of life, that you have all the confidence, ambition and determination to beat the best, then suddenly the hard core that is in you … the hard core that you just must have if you’re to get anywhere in this life … suddenly turns soft. That’s what’s happened to me. It could never happen to your father. His core is made of steel.’

  ‘Please, Chris,’ Val said, her hands turning into fists. ‘You had this accident and you …’?‘If it had happened to your father, he wouldn’t be acting the way I’m acting,’ her husband said.

  ‘Val, I’ve been thinking. We’d better part. I mean this. It would be better for us both if we got a divorce and you forgot about me. I know this is what your father wants and he is absolutely right.’

  Val sat motionless for a long moment while Chris stared impersonally at her.?‘Could we wait a little while?’ she said finally. ‘I don’t want to lose you, Chris. I think if we both have patience, it’ll work out.’

  ‘That reminds me,’ Chris said and he rubbed the back of his hand across his eyes, ‘I’ve lost that cigarette lighter you gave me. I had it with me at the hotel. I’m not all that far gone not to remember that. I had it in my jacket pocket. When the police brought me here, they tell me I wasn’t wearing a jacket, so I suppose I’ve left it somewhere. I’m sorry about that lighter.’ He looked away from her. ‘I’m sorry about everything. You’d better not keep your father waiting. You leave me here, Val. I’ll be fine. Talk to your father about a divorce. He’ll fix it. There’s nothing he can’t fix.’

  ‘I don’t want a divorce,’ Val said quietly. ‘I want to be with you always.’

  ‘That’s odd … most girls would jump at the chance of getting rid of me. You think about it. I expect you’ll change your mind. I’m sorry about the lighter. It had memories for me. I remember when you gave it to me. We were happy then, weren’t we?’

  ‘I’m still happy,’ Val said.?‘That’s fine. So long as one of us is happy. I want to sleep now. Do you mind? You talk to your father … he’s a wonderful fixer.’

  He shifted further down in the bed and closed his eyes. Val remained still, watching him. The man she was looking at wasn’t the man she had married; now he was a complete stranger. After a few minutes, she saw by his regular breathing that he was asleep.

  She got silently to her feet and left the room.?*****

  ‘Let’s see what we’ve got,’ Terrell said.

  He and Beigler were in one of the vacant motel cabins. On the table was the blue and white suitcase.

  Latimer, one of the Homicide men, had just completed an inventory of the suitcase’s contents. He stood back while Terrell and Beigler examined the various articles laid out on the table. They were few: a pair of green nylon pyjamas, stockings, underwear, a contraceptive and a green and gold embossed address book.

  Terrell sat down with the address book. Beigler tossed the articles back into the case, closed it, then went out to see how the rest of the team was progressing.

  Ten minutes later an ambulance arrived and two interns went into the murder cabin. They came out within a few minutes with the dead woman, covered by a sheet on a stretcher. The stretcher was loaded into the ambulance while the group of staring tourists watched from a distance. The doors were slammed and the ambulance drove rapidly away.

  Dr. Lowis came into the cabin where Terrell was still studying the address book.?‘I’m all through,’ Lowis said, resting his bag on the table. ‘She was killed between one and three o’clock. I can’t get it closer than that. She was struck on the head while taking a shower. I’d say it was a flat, heavy weapon… like a tyre lever. The killer dragged her from the shower and threw her on the bed. Then he stabbed her with considerable violence. She was ripped after she was dead.’

  ‘Okay. Doc,’ Terrell said, getting to his feet. ‘Let’s have a detailed report as soon as you can get it on my desk. This is going to be a tricky one to solve. I’ll need all the help I can get.’

  When Lowis had gone, Beigler came in.

  ‘Nothing so far.’ as Terrell looked at him inquiringly.?‘These cabins get cleaned once a month by the look of them. Dozens of finger prints everywhere, but so far they don’t mean a thing. Hess has got them all and he’s going back to check the files. We might be lucky, but I doubt it. No sign of a weapon. The boys are making a search, but it’s my bet the killer took the weapon with him. One of the occupiers of a cabin three away from the murder cabin says she heard a car arrive around one o’clock. It drove away again some twenty minutes later… could have been the killer.’

  Terrell tapped the address book.?‘Lots of work here,’ he said. ‘Looks like this woman was a prostitute. The names of over two hundred men with their telephone numbers are listed in here. The only woman listed could be her sister or her mother: Joan Parnell. She lives on Le Jeune Road, near the airport. We’d better see her right away.’ He tossed the address book to Beigler. ‘I guess anyone of the men listed in there could be the boy we want. It’s going to be some job, but we’ll have to check everyone of them. Let’s go see Joan Parnell. She might give us a quick lead.’

  Beigler put the address book in his pocket, then followed Terrell out of the cabin. Terrell had a brief word with Hess.

  ‘See if you can get anything more out of Henekey.’ he said. ‘Keep the boys searching for the knife. Check all gas stations to see if any car stopped between one and three this morning for gas. It’s pretty hopeless, but we might have a little luck. At that time, there isn’t much traffic. Talk to everyone here. Get their names and addresses. We’ll have to check them all… could be a sex killer is among them, but I doubt it. I’ll be back at headquarters in a couple of hours. Call me if you get anything. Take your time. This one isn’t going to be cracked in five minutes.’

  Joining Beigler, Terrell got into the police car, letting Beigler drive.

  They reached Le Jeune road just after half-past two, having stopped for a few minutes at a café for a sandwich and a cup of coffee.

  Joan Parnell had a neat brick and plaster bungalow that stood in a row of similar bungalows. There was a tiny garden full of roses, a path that led to the front door over which climbed a flourishing Paul’s Scarlet.

  Leaving the car, the two men walked up the path and Beigler dug his thumb into the bell push. There was a brief delay while Terrell looked uneasily up and down the long, empty road. This distressi
ng business of breaking the news of violent death always worried him, but it was something he never pushed on to any of his men.

  The door opened abruptly and a woman regarded them. She was dark, slim, around forty with a mannish haircut and her gaunt features revealed a strength of character Terrell had seldom seen in a woman’s face. She wore an open neck sports shirt and blue slacks. A cigarette dangled from her thin lips and a faint aroma of gin hung over her.

  ‘Mrs. Parnell?’ Terrell asked, lifting his hat.?‘Miss Parnell,’ the woman said and looked sharply at him. ‘You’re the police, aren’t you? ‘What is it?’

  ‘Terrell, Chief of Police,’ Terrell said. ‘Sergeant Beigler. Could we come in?’

  She gave both men another searching stare, then turned and led the way into a small lounge, comfortably furnished, but well-used. There were books everywhere, and on the table stood a bottle of Gordon’s gin, a jug full of iced water and a used glass.

  The woman went over to the table, poured a big shot of gin into a glass, added a little water before saying, ‘Well? What it is?’

  ‘You are a relation of Sue Parnell?’ Terrell asked.

  She took a long thirsty drink, then hunched her shoulders. ‘So that’s it… I might have guessed. Yes, she’s my sister.’ She looked hard at Terrell, then her mouth tightened. ‘Is she dead?’

  Terrell drew in a breath of relief.?‘I’m afraid she is, Miss Parnell.’

  To his surprise, she asked, ‘Murdered?’?‘Yes.’

  Joan Parnell stubbed out her cigarette. She covered her eyes with her hand for a brief moment, then she stiffened, reached for the glass and finished the drink. She lit another cigarette and then walked across to a big lounging chair and sank into it.

  ‘Sit down,’ she said. ‘Where did it happen?’?‘The Park Motel at Ojus,’ Terrell said, sitting down near her. Beigler took a seat at the table and opened his notebook.

  ‘I’ve continually warned her,’ the woman said in a cold, flat voice, ‘but that doesn’t help, does it. Do you know who did it?’