Phantom Point

by Gary Inbinder

Table of Contents

Chapter 28: The Moore Investigation

part 1

The Petersens lived in an old whaler’s cabin built on a bluff overlooking the cove. Fifty years earlier, the place had been a beehive of activity, teeming with immigrant Portuguese whalers meeting the demand for oil. But with the coming of the petroleum industry, the market for whale oil plummeted; the Portuguese abandoned the cove for the fisheries and canneries to the north and the inland farms of the Central Valley.

A widower in his late thirties, Ed Petersen looked fifty. His lank body was tanned, wrinkled and salted by the Pacific Coast sun and wind, his dark brown hair and beard streaked with gray. With the help of his son Jake, Ed made a modest living fishing for albacore tuna and selling his catch in the Santa Teresa market. Having finished his schooling in the eighth grade, Jake did double duty as a second parent to his younger siblings, twelve-year old Sarah and ten-year old Nate.

The morning after the raid on the Placco gang, Max, Eve and Riley set out to pay an official call on the Petersen family. They drove to the cove in Riley’s Olds, with Max seated in the rear-facing Dos-a-Dos seat.

Riley steered the little car through a dense fog at a cautious ten miles per hour. To anyone familiar with California coastal fogs, which rise up suddenly like steam from a burst pipe, the deputy’s navigation was remarkable. He relied on his knowledge of the area and his instincts to locate the trail leading from the road to the cabin, while driving under conditions that would have confounded many locals.

The deputy parked the car on the shoulder; the trio stepped down and proceeded along the narrow pathway. Riley took the lead with Eve behind him and Max bringing up the rear. The mist was so thick that Max could barely make out Eve’s alluring form two feet in front of his eyes; he nearly collided with her when Riley stopped suddenly.

There was a loud knock on the cabin door followed by an announcement: “Good morning, Mr. Petersen. It’s Deputy Riley.”

Rex barked and growled. The door creaked open. “Morning, Mr. Riley,” a rough voice answered. “I guess you’re here about what Jake found in that cave the other day.”

“That’s right, Ed. Can we come in?”

“You said ‘we’?” Petersen answered.

“I’ve brought a couple of out-of-town detectives who are working the case with the marshal and me.”

After a short pause, Petersen said, “Come on in.”

Riley, Max and Eve entered the dark interior. Jake held Rex back in a corner.

Generations of soot blackened the unpainted timber walls and the well-worn pine plank floor boards. The place smelled of wood smoke, bacon grease, fish, infrequently bathed humans and dogs. The furnishings consisted of a few rough-sawn pine chairs and a long table.

Riley introduced Max and Eve. For an awkward moment, Ed Petersen stared at Eve as though she were the bearded lady in a sideshow. Then he said, “You folks are welcome. Would you like some coffee? I’ve got a fresh pot going.”

“Thanks, Ed. That would be swell,” Riley said.

Petersen turned to Jake. “Get that dog out to the shed, then come back.”

“Yes, sir,” Jake said and took the barking dog outside.

“Sarah, fetch the coffee,” Petersen ordered. Then he pointed to the table. “Make yourselves at home.”

The detectives sat at the table. Sarah brought the coffee pot and a few tin mugs. Nate remained in a corner, looking down at his feet and fidgeting with the cord that held up his pants.

Sarah walked over to her younger brother and tried to hold his hand. Nate pulled away from her and turned his face to the wall.

The kid looks scared, Max thought.

“Sorry, I ain’t got no milk,” Petersen said as he took a place at the head of the table.

“That’s fine, Ed. We like ours black,” Riley said.

Max and Eve smiled and agreed with Riley.

Jake returned and took a seat at the foot of the table, opposite his father.

Riley opened the questioning: “We want to know if any of you have seen unusual activity around here the last few days.”

“What do you mean by unusual, Mr. Riley?” Petersen asked.

Riley took a sip of coffee, put down his mug and said, “This place is remote. I mean you don’t see many folks around the cove, do you?”

“No, sir, we don’t,” Petersen said.

“What about the kids?” Riley asked.

Petersen turned to Jake. “You seen anyone ‘round here, boy?”

“No, sir, except for the marshal, the deputies and the... the dead lady in the cave,” Jake said.

Petersen turned toward the dark corner. “You seen any strangers ’round the cove, Sarah?”

“No, Pa, I ain’t,” she replied.

“Nate, “Petersen said, “look at me when I talk to you, boy.”

Nate turned his head slowly but kept his eyes down.

“You seen anyone ’round the cove the last few days?”

Nate shook his head but kept his eyes down and said nothing.

“Come here, boy,” Petersen ordered.

Nate walked slowly toward the table. He stopped next to his father and bowed his head.

“Now, look at me,” Petersen said.

Nate looked up. His lip quivered and tears rolled down his ruddy cheeks.

“I’ll ask you again. Have you seen anyone ’round the cove the last few days?”

“You... you won’t whip me, will you, Pa?”

“I won’t whip you, son, if you tell the truth.”

Nate sniffed and wiped away the tears with the back of his hand. “A few days ago I was playin’ up on the bluff near the cave. I’m sorry, Pa. I know you told me not to play there alone.”

“That’s all right, son,” Petersen said. “But from now on, don’t go up there by yourself. Now tell us what happened.”

“I... I seen a man and a lady riding up the beach. They was riding awful fast. Then I saw them get off their horses and go into the cave.”

“The same cave that Jake went into?” Max asked.

“Yes, sir. Same cave.”

“Did you see them leave the cave?” Max asked.

“No, sir. I watched for a minute or two, then I left.” Nate glanced at his father and looked back at Max. “I didn’t want no one to catch me up there.”

“Did you recognize the man or the lady?” Max asked.

“I know the man. It was Mr. Williams, the lawyer from town.”

“We know Williams,” Ed Petersen broke in. “He used to sail ’round the cove. Sometimes he’d anchor offshore and row his dinghy to my wharf. We’d chew the fat for a while, then he’d walk up the beach to that cave. Guess he liked the place. Don’t ask me why.”

“Thanks, Ed,” Riley said. He turned to Nate. “Was that the only time you saw Mr. Williams and the lady the past few days?”

“Yes, sir,” Nate said.

“Do you know the lady?” Riley asked.

“No, sir, never seen her before or since.” Nate paused, then added, “But she was awful pretty.”

Eve smiled. “Was there anything you noticed about her in particular that made you think she was pretty?”

Nate blushed, looked down and fidgeted with his belt again. “Well... she was tall and not fat or skinny. And she had long hair, sort of red and gold in the sun, and white skin.” He looked up at Eve. “And she was dressed for riding... kinda like you, ma’am. But she wore a skirt.”

Eve and Max glanced at each other, thinking Eugenia Merwin without saying the name.

“Ed,” Riley said, “when the fog clears, I’d like Nate to show me and my partners around the area where he was playing when he saw the man and woman.”

“I guess that’s all right, Mr. Riley, but I want to come along, too.” Petersen replied. “These fogs are tricky,” he added. “Might clear up soon, or might be a while. Anyways, you’re welcome to stay till then.”

“Thanks, Ed.”

Eve and Max agreed. They would not say anything more about Williams or air their suspicions concerning Mrs. Merwin in front of Ed Petersen and his kids.

* * *

The fog lifted around nine o’clock that morning. Nate led the detectives and his father down a narrow trail through the brush and trees on the bluff overlooking the beach. They stopped near an intersecting trail that led down to the shoreline near the cave.

“Here’s where I saw them. I hid behind this tree,” Nate said.

“That trail down to the beach leads back to the main road, doesn’t it?” Riley said.

“Yes, sir,” Nate answered. “It ain’t far to the road. Just a couple minutes’ walk.”

“Ed,” Riley said, “me and my partners are going to walk up the trail to the road and have a confab. We won’t be long.”

“All right,” Petersen replied, “we’ll stay put.”

Max, Riley and Eve followed the trail back to the road. They stopped here and there where they noticed what appeared to be a large man’s boot prints, dirt mixed with wet sand. When they reached the road Max said: “Williams is a big man, and he impressed me as being very fit for his age. According to Petersen and the boy, hardly anyone comes around here. Those prints might be his from three days ago.”

“Might be,” Riley said. “According to the coroner’s report, Virginia Moore was five-foot two and weighed ninety-five pounds. Williams could have carried the body from the road down to the cave without help.”

“What was Williams’ story when you questioned him?” Eve asked Riley.

“He said the last time he saw Miss Moore was Friday evening, the evening of the day Nate said he saw Williams and a woman riding down the beach to the cave. Williams had Virginia over for dinner after they closed the office, which wasn’t unusual, since he’d been friendly to the girl and her late father.”

“Williams’ house is about three miles out of town, isn’t it?” Max asked.

“That’s right,” Riley said.

“Did he say he drove her back to the boarding house?”

“So he says. Williams drives a two-horse surrey. Says he dropped her off by the boarding house around nine-thirty that evening. Me and McGraw have been questioning folks at the house and around the neighborhood. So far, no one says they saw Miss Moore, Williams and the surrey at the time and place in question.”

“Looks bad for Williams, doesn’t it?” Max said.

“Yep, it sure does,” Riley answered. “I think it’s time we go to the marshal and get a warrant. We’ll search Williams’ home and office and bring him in for more questioning, but we can’t put the screws on like we did with Jack Short. When we present the evidence against him, Lawyer Williams might clam up and ask to see another lawyer.”

“I’m expecting a telephone call or wire from the Los Angeles detectives,” Eve said. “They’re questioning a suspect who might tie Williams to the Burgess murder.”

“Well,” Riley replied with a sly grin, “let’s hope their little birdie sings. Anyways, let’s not trouble the Petersens any longer. Time to get back to town and see the marshal.”

* * *

Proceed to part 2...

Copyright © 2022 by Gary Inbinder