The Shut Mouth Society (12 page)

Evarts wondered why she had wanted to come to his place instead of the motel. Normally, he would welcome a pretty woman into his house, but today wasn’t a normal day. She didn’t appear insensitive, so she must have motives unrelated to her comments about being attracted to him.

“
I think we dismissed the Cooper Union address too quickly,” she said, without preamble.

“
What do you mean?”

“
Douglass said the Shut Mouth Society members came from a powerful political family that went all the way back to the founding. Before Lincoln’s address, Stephen Douglas had been saying that the framers of the Constitution firmly believed that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery outside the states. The Dred Scott decision and the Kansas-Nebraska Act destroyed the Missouri Compromise, and the expansion of slavery into the territories would be the overriding issue of the next election. At Cooper Union, Lincoln took his audience through the fifty-five delegates to the Constitutional Convention to show how their votes and actions after the Convention demonstrated that they
did
believe the federal government had the power to regulate slavery in the territories. He decimated Stephen Douglas, the likely Democratic candidate, with logic, facts, and ridicule.”

“
How does this fit?”

“
In the speech, Lincoln reviewed the political histories of all of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The text may provide a clue to the Shut Mouth family.”

“
Something no one has picked up?”

“
Something no one would notice if they didn’t know about the Society.”

Evarts finished his beer and motioned to Baldwin to ask if she wanted her drink refreshed. Getting a positive nod, he picked up their glasses and went into the kitchen. From the kitchen, he yelled, “What do you propose?”

“
Do you have broadband?”

He returned to the library. “Of course.”

“
Then if you think the house is safe, I’d like to stay here tomorrow and do some research.”

“
No problem. Tomorrow will be a short day for me. I won’t be gone long.”

“
What do you mean? Won’t you have a lot to do on the Douglass case?”

“
I’m being sent to a seminar, one far away. Because of my personal relationship with Douglass, they want me out of the way so the press can’t grill me.”

She sipped her wine and then asked, “The Shut Mouth Society?”

“
No. It smells too strong of city politics. Besides, their tentacles can’t reach everywhere.”

“
What about me?”

“
I’m going to pretend to go to the seminar, but I’ll stay with you until we get to the bottom of this. I need time, and probably your help, to break that code. Until I break it, nobody will believe that far-fetched story.”

“
Speaking of that, I have some additional thoughts.”

“
Let’s hear them.”

“
The law book idea is good, but there are more possibilities than I originally led you to believe.”

“
How many?”

“
Possibly a hundred, maybe more. We need to include books any lawyer might reference, like John Marshall rulings and dissertations on Constitutional law.”

Evarts smiled. “In the code-breaking business, a hundred or so possible keys isn’t overwhelming.” He finished his second beer and said, “Hungry?”

“
No. I had some of that pizza your cops brought in.”

“
Tired?”

“
Yes.” She took the last half swallow of her wine and rose from the loveseat with the empty glass. “I’m eager to go to bed.”

Evarts was tired as well, but he suddenly felt a need to be close to someone. “I have two guest rooms. Unless …”

“
No unless. I’m sure either of your guest rooms will do just fine.”

She walked to the orderly kitchen, rinsed the wine glass in the sink, and then held it aloft in an unspoken question. Evarts opened the dishwasher, and they both added their glasses to the neatly stacked top rack. Before showing her to her room, Evarts showed Baldwin the security features of the house.

After he led her downstairs to the bedroom level, he pointed to the first door in the hall. “This room has its own bathroom. You’ll find disposable toiletries in a basket by the sink.”

She gave Evarts an encouraging smile, but in a tone filled with finality, she said, “Thank you. Good night,” and closed the door.

Chapter 11

After he showered the next morning, Evarts became annoyed when he found neither of his newspapers on the front stoop. Living at the beach had disadvantages, and petty thievery ranked at the top of his list. He bounded up the stairs to the kitchen to find Baldwin at his breakfast table, sipping coffee and reading the
Los Angeles Times.
He had caught his thief.

“
Good morning. I see you found the coffee.”

She pointed over her shoulder with a single finger. “Right next to the coffeepot. Papers on the stoop. Simple deductive logic.” She looked up from the paper and smiled. “Would you hire me as a detective?”

“
Depends on how neat you left my guest room.”

She made a point of surveying his spotless kitchen. “Perhaps I’ll withdraw my application. I can never be this tidy.”

Evarts poured himself a cup of coffee. “I get that a lot.” He returned to the kitchen table. “Anything in the papers?”

“
Nothing in the
Times
. I guess the story broke too late.”

“
I’ll check the local paper.”

They read their respective papers and sipped coffee like this was something they did every morning. In less than ten minutes, Evarts said, “The story’s here, front page, but no details and no mention of a hate crime.”

She folded up her paper and said, “I’ll bet your police didn’t let any reporters onto the property.”

“
You got that right. The city leaders are nervous as hell.” He folded up the local paper and stood to carry them over to the trash compactor, when the phone rang. The ringing continued incessantly until he reached the library to take the call out of earshot.

When he returned, he said, “Chief’s tied up. They told me not to come in until afternoon.”

“
What’ll we do?” she asked.

“
Breakfast. We need nourishment for our research.”

Evarts checked outside from the vantage of his rooftop patio and kept Baldwin inside until he had reviewed the situation again from street level. With no visible threat, they walked the couple of blocks to a beach shanty that called itself Mrs. Olson’s Coffee Hut.

When they entered, the waitress—probably once a hot item, but now paunchy and time beaten—looked over Baldwin’s expensive attire and said, “Slumming, are we?”

“
Greta, be kind or I’ll tell her you molest children.”

“
Matt just needs a place to stay. Besides, he’s twenty-seven years old.”

“
A child, nonetheless.”

Greta laughed. “Wouldn’t have it any other way. Seat yourself.”

The Hut had been cheaply furnished with Formica-top tables covered with strawberry-patterned oilcloth. Evarts picked a small table for two in the rear. Greta followed them over. “What ya have, hon?” she asked Baldwin.

“
Oatmeal. Do you have any fresh fruit?”

“
Of course, we opened the can just an hour ago.”

“
Then just oatmeal with raisins, walnuts, and maple syrup. Whole wheat toast.”

“
Got the oatmeal, got the raisins, got the whole wheat bread, but I’m betting you won’t like our imitation maple syrup, and I sold all the walnuts to that gent over there.” She hooked a thumb behind her at an empty table.

“
Then just bring brown sugar on the side.”

“
Of course.” Greta turned to Evarts with a look that said, “Where did you pick this one up?”

Evarts said, “Bacon and eggs, over easy, hash browns, and rye toast. Coffees.”

“
Like I couldn’t have guessed that,” Greta muttered, as she walked away to place their order.

Baldwin looked around, concerned. “Are we safe here?”

“
I think so. Locals only. Inlanders stand out like a sore thumb.”

“
Like I did?”

“
Yup.”

Greta brought their coffee. After a sip, Baldwin looked down and said, “Greg, I’m scared.” When she lifted her head, her designer glasses failed to hide eyes that looked ready to tear.

“
Me too.”

“
Really? I’m not sure that’s reassuring. You’re supposed to be the tough-guy cop. Have you ever been scared in the line of duty?”

Evarts thought about it. “No.”

“
Not even in the military?”

“
I was in Intelligence. A desk job. No spy stuff. We’re both actually just a couple of researchers.”

Baldwin smiled. “Colleagues, in a matter of speaking.”

“
Yeah.” Evarts liked the familiar way she said that. “Can I ask you a question? About Marston?”

“
Sure.”

“
What time are his classes?”

“
You expect me to know his availability? What do you think we did? Schedule trysts between classes?”

“
Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.”

“
Jack Webb,
Dragnet
. Pretty old allusion.”

“
Sorry, bad habit.” Evarts thought she looked relieved that he had sloughed off her defensiveness.

“
I figured out the Mr. Tibbs reference too.
In the Heat of the Night
, Sidney Poitier.”

“
Correct.”

“
Do you just like detective movies or all types of movies?”

“
All movies.” This was good. She wanted to know about him. “I own over two hundred DVDs, and I go to the movies once or twice a week. By the way, Professor or Doctor seems a bit formal. May I call you Patricia?”

“
Of course.” She smiled, but she didn’t look happy. After looking around warily, she said, “Greg, we can’t fight a secret society alone.”

“
My department will back us soon … and with luck the FBI. I see my chief this afternoon.”

“
Are you going to tell him about the Douglass conspiracy?”

“
First, I’m going to find out where the investigation has led. Then I’ll platform off that and give him the reasons that we shouldn’t rule out a professional hit. If he’s still listening, I’ll explain the Douglass conspiracy allegation.” Evarts reached across and took her hand. “He’s a smart man, and I have standing in the department. Don’t worry.”

She smiled, but this smile looked rueful. “I wasn’t worried until we left the house.” She looked around again. “Do you always carry a gun?”

“
Always.”

“
Even when surfing?”

“
I won’t surf until this is over.”

“
I want a gun.”

Evarts was surprised. “Do you know how to use one?”

“
Unless you can forget. An early boyfriend taught me. I liked the thrill at the time.”

“
Automatic or revolver?”

“
Both. And rifles and shotguns. We blew up half the Mojave Desert.” She suddenly looked embarrassed, and Evarts guessed they did more than shoot in the desert.

“
I still want Marston’s schedule.”

“
Why?”

“
We involved him, and now he’s dangling out in the cold. I want to call him, but I don’t want to pull him out of a class and unduly alarm him.”

”
I really don’t know, but I’ll log on to the UCLA website when we get back to your place.”

Before Greta returned, Evarts reached under the table and taped an envelope to the bottom, near the center post. Since Marston had returned Baldwin’s copy of the encryption, they now had two, and Evarts wanted to keep them separate. This would work as a hiding place for a few days.

After Greta distributed their breakfasts, Evarts asked, “Any strangers about?”

“
You’re pretty strange.”

“
I mean people that don’t belong here.”

“
Nope. Could use a few more customers, though.”

“
Let me know if you see anyone suspicious.”

“
Police business?”

“
No.” He nodded at Baldwin. “Irate boyfriend. Guy’s got some tough friends.”

Greta turned to Baldwin. “Honey, you forget my kiddin’ around. Hold tight to this one. Given a chance, Greg could make a woman happy.”

Baldwin gave him a wink. “I suspected as much.”

After breakfast, Evarts took Baldwin back to the house. He took a Glock 9mm out of his gun safe in the storage room and made her show him how it functioned. She knew. Next, they went to the computer. Within minutes, Baldwin determined that Marston had classes all morning. Evarts made a mental note to call him as soon as he left the chief. He then asked her to start the list of law books prominent in the middle of the nineteenth century. Once she became engrossed in the task, he told her he had an errand and would return in a half hour. She gave him an absentminded nod and said, “Lock the door on your way out.”