The Sleepless by Graham Masterton Read Free Book Online

answer, but turned away, and watched the box kite ducking and weaving over the shoreline. He could guess, approximately, what Joe was going to ask him, and he wasn’t sure that he wanted to look at his face when he did. 
    Joe said, ‘You heard about John O’Brien, of course. The Supreme Court justice-to-be.’ 
    ‘Of course. Who didn’t? Pretty average luck, hunh? The Lord didn’t mind giving it to him, but the Lord sure made sure he took it all back, in spades.’ 
    ‘That helicopter was insured by us at Plymouth, and underwritten by Tyrell & Croteau. It was actually owned and run by Revere Aeronautic Services, but that day it was out on charter to the Justice Department.’ 
    ‘I heard on TV that it was engine failure.’ 
    ‘That’s what you heard on TV.’ 
    ‘You mean it wasn’t engine failure?’ 
    ‘I mean that’s what you heard on TV. Engine failure was part of the story, for sure. Engine failure was probably the principal cause of the chopper coming down – although we still don’t know why the engines failed, or even how, or whether it could have been sabotage. But it’s what happened after it came down that’s really making our heads hurt.’ 
    ‘It burned, didn’t it? Helicopters loaded with two hundred gallons of aviation-grade kerosene do have a tendency to burn.’ 
    ‘This one didn’t ignite until nine and a half minutes after impact.’ 
    ‘Nobody got to the wreck for nine and a half minutes?’ 
    ‘That’s the mystery. The rescue services didn’t get out to the wreck for nine and a half minutes. It was way out on the end of Sagamore Head, out on the sand – and, more than that, somebody had abandoned a beaten-up Winnebago on the track from Nantasket Beach, and it took the fire department more than five minutes just to clear that away.’ 
    He folded up his handkerchief and dabbed at his forehead again. ‘However ... somebody got out to the wreck before it exploded. Several yachts persons reported seeing a black Chevy Blazer or similar-type vehicle parked alongside the wreckage, maybe two or three minutes after impact. One guy had actually anchored his yacht about two hundred feet off the head and was paddling ashore in his dinghy to see if he could help. He says he clearly saw a black four-wheel-drive vehicle and also a person dressed in a black coat emerging from the wreck, carrying something that could have been a bag or a sack. About twenty seconds later, the helicopter exploded and there was so much smoke and flame that he couldn’t see anything more. By the time he reached the shore the vehicle had gone and the helicopter was almost totally burned out.’ 
    Michael massaged his temples with his fingertips, like a man who feels a migraine coming on. ‘So what you’re telling me is, a person or persons unknown reached the helicopter ahead of the rescue services, and removed something from the wreck?’ 
    ‘That’s exactly what I’m telling you. Exactly.’ Michael stayed thoughtfully silent for a while. Joe watched him and mopped sweat and occasionally cleared his throat. 
    ‘Who’s handling this case?’ 
    ‘Kevin Murray and some new guy, Rolbein.’ 
    ‘Kevin’s good,’ said Michael. ‘He’ll solve it for you.’ 
    ‘Kevin’s good, yes. But Kevin’s not inspirational.’ 
    Michael turned back to him. ‘And that’s why you’ve driven all the way down here to Noplace-on-Sea to see me? To get some free inspiration?’ 
    Joe spread his hands wide. ‘I admit it.’ The armpits of his striped coat were stained with semicircles of sweat. ‘Aren’t I a shit?’ 
    ‘Nothing changes,’ said Michael. 
    ‘Well, sure, Michael. But look at it from my point of view. There are hundreds of millions of dollars involved in this claim. You should see the size of John O’Brien’s life insurance policy alone – it’s twice the national reserves of Haiti and Dominica put together, and you can throw in Cuba’s for luck. Then there’s Eva