Jaws by Peter Benchley Read Free Book Online

mayor. Not Larry Vaughan, just calling to check in. Not Lawrence Vaughan of Vaughan & Penrose Real Estate, stopping by to complain about some noisy tenants. But Mayor Lawrence P. Vaughan, the people's choice --by seventyone votes in the last election. "Send his honor in," Brody said. Larry Vaughan was a handsome man, in his early fifties, with a full head of saltand-pepper hair and a body kept trim by exercise. Though he was a native of Amity, over the years he had developed an air of understated chic. He had made a great deal of money in postwar real estate speculation in Amity, and he was the senior partner (some thought the only partner, since no one had ever met or spoken to anyone named Penrose in Vaughan's office) in the most successful agency in town. He dressed with elegant simplicity, in timeless British jackets, button-down shirts, and Weejun loafers. Unlike Ellen Brody, who had descended from summer folk to winter folk and was unable to make the adjustment, Vaughan had ascended smoothly from winter folk to summer folk, adjusting each step of the way with grace. He was not one of them, for he was technically a local merchant, so he was never asked to visit them in New York or Palm Beach. But in Amity he moved freely among all but the most aloof members of the summer community, which, of course, did an immense amount of good for his business. He was asked to most of the important summer parties, and he always arrived alone. Very few of his friends knew that he had a wife at home, a simple, adoring woman who spent much of her time doing needlepoint in front of her television set.
    Brody liked Vaughan. He didn't see much of him during the summer, but after Labor Day, when things calmed down, Vaughan felt free to shed some of his social scales, and every few weeks he and his wife would ask Brody and Ellen out to dinner at one of the better restaurants in the Hamptons. The evenings were special treats for Ellen,
    and that in itself was enough to make Brody happy. Vaughan seemed to understand Ellen. He always acted most graciously, treating Ellen as a clubmate and comrade. Vaughn walked into Brody's office and sat down. "I just talked to Harry Meadows," he said.
    Vaughan was obviously upset, which interested Brody. He hadn't expected this reaction.
    "I see," he said. "Harry doesn't waste any time." file:///C|/My Documents/Mike's Shit/utilities/books/pdf format/Benchley, Peter - Jaws.txt (16 of 131) [1/18/2001 2:02:21 AM]
    file:///C|/My Documents/Mike's Shit/utilities/books/pdf format/Benchley, Peter - Jaws.txt
    "Where are you going to get the authority to close the beaches?"
    "Are you asking me as the mayor or as a real estate broker or out of friendly interest or what, Larry?"
    Vaughan pressed, and Brody could see he was having trouble controlling his temper. "I want to know where you're going to get the authority. I want to know now."
    "Officially, I'm not sure I have it," Brody said. "There's something in the code that
    says I can take whatever actions I deem necessary in the event of an emergency, but I think the selectmen have to declare a state of emergency. I don't imagine you want to go through all that rigmarole."
    "Not a chance."
    "Well, then, unofficially I figure it's my responsibility to keep the people who live
    here as safe as I can, and at the moment it's my judgment that that means closing the beaches for a couple of days. If it ever came down to cases, I'm not sure I could arrest anyone for going swimming. Unless," Brody smiled, "I could make a case of criminal stupidity."
    Vaughan ignored the remark. "I don't want you to close the beaches," he said.
    "So I see."
    "You know why. The Fourth of July isn't far off, and that's the make-or-break weekend. We'd be cutting our own throats."
    "I know the argument, and I'm sure you know my reasons for wanting to close the beaches. It's not as if I have anything to gain."
    "No. I'd say quite the opposite is true. Look, Martin, this town doesn't need that
    kind of