A Gambling Man (Archer #2)(98)
“I noted that there was a big dock on the island. Handle a destroyer easy.”
“You’re right about that.” McKenzie took his pipe out and pointed the bowl out toward the sea. “There was a stretch of land that was right at the water line. Hazard to boats, I can tell you that. Had to be marked and all. Well, anyway, the Navy shipped in more dirt and rock and cement than you’d ever seen, mister. Then they built on what was out there and raised it way above the water. Solid as the land we’re standing on right now and high enough to where you don’t have to worry about flooding ’less you get a typhoon or such out there. I sat here and watched the cargo ships heading out every day. But back then the military did some extraordinary things. Heard they built that there Pentagon in less than two years.”
“But what was the point? I thought they took over all the Channel Islands.”
“I’ll tell you what I heard from some of the military folks coming through here.” He settled back in his seat and pulled up his oilskin coat against the brisk breeze blowing in off the water as Archer leaned back against the doorjamb. “Now, back in forty-two, I think it was, a Jap sub come right up to shore around here and opened fire with its deck gun and torpedoes. Did quite a bit of damage. Found out later another sub did the same thing off the coast of Santa Barbara near the Ellwood Oil Fields. Hit some fuel tanks and other such things. Now, nobody was killed, thank God, but it scared the hell out of everybody.” McKenzie took a moment to restuff and relight his pipe. “Anyway, it took so long for the Navy to get out there them Jap subs were long gone. See, Anacapa Island was the closest and it was still too durn far away. So the Navy got its marching orders. They searched for and found that bit of land just at the waterline barely three miles out and built what they called a ‘rapid response’ site on it. They had docks big enough for PT boats and even destroyers, like you said, and they also put radar out there and laid minefields for them subs, and had observation towers and God knows what else. They even had a runway there to land planes. And I saw them ship out a big gun, too.”
Archer thought back to the remnants of the Mark VI railway gun and nodded. “Right. Then what happened?”
“Well, it operated all throughout the war. Kept the Japs off the coast here, I can tell you that. Would hear guns firing out there from time to time, see the sky all light up. Took a boat out once just to see and nearly got run over by a destroyer. Last time I did that. Then, like I said, about six months ago, it all went away. Ships went out there and pretty much dismantled the whole thing. I took my boat out and watched them do some of it. Pretty interesting.”
“Who owns it now?”
“Now that’s a fair question, young man.” The man’s eyes danced with a bit of excitement. “But I will tell you that some folks have been ferrying back and forth to that spot over the last few months.”
“What folks?”
“Well, that I’m not sure about.” McKenzie suddenly looked perplexed.
“What?” said Archer, who had noted the man’s change of expression.
“Well, I hadn’t given it much thought before, but your asking made me think.”
“Think of what?”
“We had a mayor, a good one, name of Ben Smalls.”
Archer tried to keep his features unreadable. “Right, I think I heard about him. Didn’t he have an accident in his house?”
“He drowned in his bathtub, poor fellow. He was a good mayor. Nice, polite young man.”
Keeping his voice calm, Archer said, “But what made you think of him?”
“See, he rented a boat from me about, oh, two months ago. No, I take that back. It was my wife’s birthday, so it was six weeks ago. Anyway, he went out to that there island.”
“How do you know that?”
“’Cause he asked me how to get there.” McKenzie eyed Archer. “Hey, now, did you go out there the other night? Just asking, ’cause your fishing story sounded, well, fishy.”
“Like I said, I almost ran into it. But as you know, it’s not on the map you gave me.”
The man’s suspicious look faded. “Oh, that’s right, sure.”
“Did Smalls say anything to you when he got back here?”
“No, but he didn’t look happy. I remember thinking, what’s he all riled up about? Anyway, couple weeks later he’s dead and buried. Makes you think, you know.” He snapped his fingers. “We can all go just like that. Have to enjoy every day we got, yes sir.”
“Right,” said Archer. “Well, I hope you enjoy the rest of this day.”
Archer got back to the boardinghouse just in time for Callahan to confront him on the stairs.
“Where the hell have you been? I’m going to be late.”
“Late? For what?”
She tapped her high heel impatiently. “It’s Friday, Archer. You were going to drive me to Midnight Moods so I can sign my contract. And then I’ve got to start rehearsals.”
“Damn, that’s right. Okay, I’m ready. You got your stuff?”
“I’ll be down in five minutes, and then you better drive like you mean it.”
*
“Wow, Archer, look at that!” said Callahan.
They were on the road to Midnight Moods and had come upon a billboard with her picture along with the caption, IF YOU LOVED LIBERTY BONDS, YOU’RE GOING TO LOVE HER. COME SEE LIBERTY CALLAHAN’S DEBUT AT MIDNIGHT MOODS, FRIDAY AT TEN SHARP.