The Derelict

The following evening, after paying a brief visit to Evan Wansley in the hospital, Carl Benson arrived home barely in time

to receive the return call from Phil Bostrom.

“I’m afraid the news I have for you is not good news,” was the first thing Bostrom said. “I discovered why the name

Pauline Thorpe was familiar to me. She was murdered almost two years ago and we haven’t uncovered yet by whom or why.

Her body was found in a dumpster behind a restaurant in Hollywood, partially dismembered.”

Here Carl interrupted; the specifics of the murder had astounded him. “I might be on to something up here, Phil, that has

a connection. I can’t give you any information at present because, as I said, it‘s very hush hush. As soon as I can I’ll get

together with you.

“In the meantime, can you give me more details; dates and so forth?”

When Phil had finished relating the data of the murder Carl had information that showed Pauline Thorpe had been

murdered approximately three weeks after Evan Wansley was run down by a hit and run driver. Apparently she had been

tortured prior to her death. There had to be a connection with the San Francisco attempt on Wansley’s life.

In the morning, when Carl reported for work, he immediately informed Captain Morrissey of his phone conversation with

Phil Bostrom.

“There’s a definite connection between the two cases, which leads me to the conclusion that the attack on Wansley was

not a random one but was by someone who had uncovered his identity. Fortunately, he botched the job.

“I’m inclined to agree,” Captain Morrissey replied. “Which makes me wonder if Wansley is safe where he is. Whoever is

out to get him seems to be well informed. Talk to his doctor and get permission to move him. Let’s cover our tracks as much

as possible. You’ll need to be very circumspect in your future contacts with him. I’ll.arrange a secure safe house for him and

also reassign some of your case load so you can spend more time on the Wansley situation. Go talk to Wansley and to his

doctor now, then call me at my private number, on a secure phone. I’ll begin making arrangements at this end.”

Carl went directly to the hospital and spoke first to Dr. Corder, the physician most responsible for Evan Wansley’s quick

recovery. Carl had to inform the doctor, without revealing Wansley’s identity, that his patient’s life was in danger if he

remained at the hospital. Even then, it took a great deal of persuasion on Carl’s part before the doctor agreed to release him

in Carl’s care.

“If he has a relapse, bring him in immediately. He’s not out of the woods yet,” the doctor warned Carl.

When Carl arrived in Wansley’s ward Evan was again wandering around, occasion- ally stopping to talk with other men in

the ward. Carl led him out to the corridor where no one could overhear their conversation.

“I’ve arranged with your doctor and with my captain to remove you from the hospital. Dr. Corder was not too happy with

the idea, he’s concerned that you will have a relapse, or your stitches might come loose, or something else as drastic. I had

to convince him your life is in danger here.

“Captain Morrissey is arranging a safe house where you can stay until you’re ready to go out on your own. All of this, of

course, has to be with your approval. I recommend it, but it’s up to you.”

“I’ve been in this hospital long enough; I guess it’s time for a change. Let’s go for it, at least fro a time. But, as I said

earlier, I can’t live in a vacuum; sooner or later I’ll need to start living again.”

“I’m afraid I have bad news for you,” said Carl as they were driving to the safe house Captain Morrissey had set up. “It’s

the main reason why both the captain and I thought we needed to move you right away.

“I learned from my sergeant friend in Los Angeles that Pauline Thorpe was murdered and her body disposed of in a

dumpster two years ago, about three weeks after your -‘accident.’ Since the circumstances were almost identical to what

happened to you here we have to assume you’ve been identified and the same person or persons committed the crime.

Apparently, they thought you were dead but, for some reason they didn’t follow through to be certain. Perhaps they were

interrupted.”

Evan Wansley was astounded at this news. He was shaking as he made the declaration, “This has gone beyond an

investigation to me. Now, more than ever, I want to catch those bastards.

“Now, I’m going to have to get back to Los Angeles. So, I’ll accept your gracious hospitality for a few days, enough to get

my strength back. I can’t believe those bastards killed Pauline to get to me.”

Carl was astonished at the ferocity Evan was showing but didn’t agree that going back to Los Angeles would solve

anything. “As soon as you show your face in L.A. your life won’t be worth a plugged nickel. Whoever put you in the dumpster

hers has to have contacts locally and even more contacts down south. Nothing will be gained if you get killed the first day

you’re in L.A., or perhaps on the way there.

“Let’s try to work together from this end first. My captain is the only other San Francisco cop who knows about you. I

think I can persuade him to form a task force to root out all the rotten apples here. Then we might have a basis to have a

similar team formed in L.A. Give us a couple of months here first. Will you go along with that?”

“On one condition,” Wansley replied. “If I think you’re not making enough progress here then our arrangements will end

and I’ll go to L.A. on my own.”

Carl met with Captain Morrissey the next morning and laid out the proposal he and Wansley had discussed. “The man’s

determined to go back to L.A., with or without our help, and probably get himself killed. I know L.A.’s problems are not ours

but we do have an attempted murder that comes under our jurisdiction. By working with Wansley we might clean up part of

the mob working here.”

Captain Morrissey advised Carl he would get back to him in a few days. “I’ll have to get authorization from someone

higher up to pull cops off their present beat and that won’t be easy to do. I’ll also have to extend the confidentiality of

Wansley’s existence to my superior.”

* * *

In two days Carl was called into the captain’s office and informed he had the okay to form a team of himself and two other

detectives. How he had managed it Captain Morrissey wouldn’t say; Carl suspected that the captain was cashing in on

some favors owed to him. “I have some suggestions about who your team members could be”, the captain informed him,

“unless you have your own thoughts. I think Tom Aristoni and Jason Thurbridge would be excellent choices. They are both

dependable and close-mouthed; they have both worked undercover on the vice team and have a lot of contacts that might be

useful to you.”

“Sounds good to me, Captain.”

“Okay, first thing tomorrow morning, in my office.”

In the morning Benson was introduced to his team. Aristoni, a short, swarthy Italian with a scraggly beard and unkempt

hair, muttered a “Hi.” Thurbridge was a huge black man with a shaved head, wearing dangling ear rings.

Captain Morrissey took immediate charge of the meeting. “Everything we discuss here is to go no further than this group;

I want that understood from the beginning. Do not, I repeat, do not discuss it with other officers even if they are your

superiors. If they bug you on it, refer them to me. Is that understood?”

When he got nods from all three he continued by telling the new members about Evan Wansley and Carl Benson’s role to

date. “What this team is assigned to do, without revealing any information about Wansley, is to find the culprits who

deposited his body in the dumpster, or anybody who has knowledge about it, and their contacts with organized crime here or

in L.A.

“It’s a big order but we need that information so Wansley can return to L.A. and resume his identity with some of the

threats against him removed.

“Extreme caution must be observed in your own activities. We don’t want any of you inadvertently leading the gang to

Wansley. Carl has been in regular contact with Wansley and can fill you in on specifics you need to know, including where

Wansley is now. Okay, get to work.”

Before leaving the office Carl suggested they meet as seldom as possible. When they all needed to see Wansley they

should go there separately and discreetly. They agreed that all phone calls would be on cell phones, or at a pay phone to one

of the others’ cell phones if there was a need for an emergency meeting.

Aristoni and Thurbridge went their separate ways to make whatever contacts they could in the San Francisco underworld;

Carl Benson went to visit Evan Wansley to fill him in on the latest developments. When he arrived, much to his surprise,

Wansley was doing pushups and sit-ups on the floor.

“I hope you don’t pull stitches out and undo all of Dr. Corder’s good work,” he exclaimed.

“I’m not pushing myself,” Wansley replied. “But I have to regain my strength. I don’t want to take on the mob again as a

100lb.weakling.

“Speaking of the mob, I’ve written down all I can remember about my research from two years ago. I’ve made a list of 12

names; some cops, some politicians, and some mobsters I was curious about at the time but I can’t remember specifically

what aroused my curiosity.

“I’d like you to check out my list to find out where they are and what they are up to now. Also, I would like micro-films, or

copies of the L.A, Times, the two main news sections, from six months before my ‘accident’ down to six months ago. I know

that’s a tall order and I don’t expect all of it to be done at once. A month at a time will keep me busy. I’m sure your library will

be able to help you with that.

“I’ll also need several reams of paper, file folders, pencils, etc. and a word processor so I can begin recording my

research.. Oh, and a tape recorder would come in handy too.”

Carl smiled at Evan and replied, “You don’t want much, do you? Okay, I’ll see what I can do.”

* * *

Carl went to work immediately on the stationery order Evan had requested. Much of it he located in a police storage

room at headquarters. The word processor Captain Morrissey ‘borrowed’ from a stolen properties office. The tape recorder

was one that belonged to Carl Benson himself. He also prevailed upon his captain to obtain a secretary from the secretarial

pool to research the list of names Wansley had given him.

Copies of the L.A. Times proved to be a more difficult matter. The San Francisco library had micro fiches of the paper

going back many years but the machine was one that was to be operated only by a library employee trained in the operation

of the machine. Otherwise they were concerned that the film or the machine would be damaged by someone inadvertently

misusing it.

Here, Captain Morrissey intervened and, after explaining that the news material was vital to an ongoing investigation, the

librarian relented. The library would provide an operator if the police department would pay the salary of a retired employee

who might be coaxed into returning to work for a limited period of time. To this Captain Morrissey agreed.

Carl Benson shuttled back and forth delivering the supplies to Evan Wansley and, at the close of each work day, usually

after 7 P.M., stopped at the library for two months copies of the newspapers.

In the meantime, the secretary assigned to the case had typed up to date biographic synopses of the people on the list

Wansley had provided. Of the 12, one had died of natural causes, one had been promoted to a high ranking position with the

police department, another elected as a city councilman.

Two were in prison, one convicted of misappropriation of funds and the other for spousal battery. Two had moved away

from Los Angeles, one to Chicago and one to Detroit. Three others were suspected of being strong arm men (enforcers) for

the mob and the other two were race track touts suspected of running a large scale gambling ring.

Along with the biographies were several pages of news clippings the police secretary had gleaned from recent San

Francisco newspapers. These clippings described recent activities of the more prominent persons on the list.

Wansley looked at the list and informed Carl there were no great surprises. “The one who is a high mucky-muck with the

police is at a level I expected him to be by now. He’s one of the biggies I hope to topple when I go back into the jungle. The

new councilman will have to be high on my list too; he’s on the way up. Both of these two need to be ousted before they

become too deeply entrenched.

“All twelve on my original list were as thick as thieves but very clandestine. I was on the verge of tying them together two

years ago. At least it’s now down to eleven; perhaps nine if the two who moved away don’t return.”

Several days after the task force was formed Carl met with Tom Aristoni and Jason Thurbridge. Both stated they had not

made any progress. “It will take time,” Aristoni said. “I’ve been casting my nets far and wide, trying not to expose myself in

doing so.”

“I’m at about the same stage,” offered Thurbridge. “I have one prospect who says he thought he heard something about a

dumpster but couldn’t remember any details. I’m working on him.”

Carl also had a brief meeting with Captain Morrissey two days after meeting with his team. “Thurbridge and Aristoni are

working their troops but no action as yet. As for Evan Wansler, he’s building a file to take south with him and perhaps will

have a case to present to the Los Angeles City District Attorney. He has an incredible amount of energy.”

* * *

Wansley spent most of his time reading the news copies he was being provided and making an extensive file of each

person on his list: who they met with; what functions they attended; coincidental or otherwise meetings with each other. What

was missing from his search and intended to remedy was business transactions they were involved in.

One evening Benson visited Wansley and found him almost buried in a pile of newspapers, searching frantically for

something he had misplaced. Other.than the disorder where Evan was searching, the apartment was as neat as a pin.

Discarded papers were stacked in piles ready to be disposed of. Cardboard file boxes, all neatly labeled, were stacked in

one of the unused rooms.

“When you’ve finished your research,” Carl commented, “you’ll be able to fill a library. How are you going to work with

that much material?”

“Probably about 90% of it will be weeded out when I go through everything and cull out what’s insignificant. Until that

time, I won’t know what’s significant and what isn’t. Even so, there will be several file cabinets full.”

“How will you be able to handle all that and use it successfully?”

“Fortunately, I have a photographic memory; most of the important stuff will already be ingrained in my mind. Then the

real work will begin; finding the actual proof of malfeasance.”

The following morning Carl received a call on his cell phone from Jason Thurbridge, who was calling from a pay phone. “I

have the name of someone you need to talk to; one of my snitches gave me the name when I leaned on him. Supposedly this

Jesus Rodriguez either was involved in the dumpster incident, or knows who was.” Jason gave Carl an address to go with the

name.

“Thanks Jason; I’ll take it from here.”

After making arrangements with the local beat cop Carl drove to the area where Rodriguez lived. The beat cop, a tall,

heavy-set Irishman named Sean Clancy, climbed into Benson’s car. A few questions from Carl was enough for Clancy to

say, “Yeah, I know the S.O.B.”

“Okay,” said Carl , “I want you to keep an eye out for him and find some reason to bring him in, manufacture one if you

need to. I need to get him to headquarters to pick his brains about something. As soon as possible, okay?”

“Okay.”

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