Douglas Alan Captain

BAD MOOD DRIVE


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he carefully filed off the black

      spots. He put the key into the lock again, and repeated the

      procedure. He was humming quietly to himself as he picked

      the lock, and he smiled as he suddenly realized what he was

      humming.

      "Far Away Places."

      I'll take my family on vacation, he thought happily. A

      real vacation. I'll bet the kids would love Hawaii. The cabinet

      drawer came open, and he pulled it toward him. It took only a

      moment to find the folder he wanted. He removed a small

      Pentax camera from his briefcase and went to work. Ten

      minutes later he was finished. He took several pieces of

      kleenex from the briefcase, walked over to the water cooler,

      and wet them. He returned to the filing room and wiped up

      the steel shavings on the floor. He locked the file

      cabinet, made his way out to the corridor, locked the front

      door to the offices, and left the building.

      4

      It was glorious weather during the day. Later that

      evening, Captain Bargas came to Robert Stanley's

      stateroom.

      "Signor Stanley ..."

      "Yes?"

      The captain pointed to the electronic map on the wall.

      "I'm afraid the winds are getting worse. The libeccio is

      centered in the Strait of Bonifacio. I would suggest that we

      take shelter in a harbor until..." Stanley cut him short. "This

      is a good ship, and you're a good captain. I'm sure you can

      handle it."

      Captain Bargas hesitated. "As you say, signor. I will do

      my best."

      "I'm sure you will, Captain."

      Robert Stanley sat in the office of his suite, planning his

      strategy. He would meet Ben in Corsica and get everything

      straightened out. After that, the helicopter would fly him to

      Roma, and from there he would charter a plane to take him

      to Los Angeles. Everything is going to be fine, he decided.

      All I need is forty-eight hours. Just forty-eight hours.

      He was awakened at two A.M. by the wild pitching of

      the yacht and a howling gale outside. Stanley had been in

      storms before, but this was one of the worst. Captain Bargas

      had been right. Robert Stanley got out of bed, holding on to

      the nightstand to steady himself, and made his way to the

      wall map. The ship was in the Strait of Bonifacio. We

      should be in Ajaccio in the next few hours, he thought. Once

      we're there, we'll be safe.

      The events that occurred later were a matter of

      speculation. The next day Robert Stanley was in Ajaccio. He

      spent the night in Hotel. After breakfast he told Donald

      Herman:

      "I’ll go to make one phone call. Stay across the street

      and watch for me," Donald said.

      "O.K., sir. " Ten minutes later Robert Stanley walked

      toward Donald. All of a sudden a big truck came around the

      corner with high speed. The driver was not able to stop the

      truck and Donald Stanley was hit, fall down on the street.

      Donald run to Robert Stanley, but was too late.

      He called for an ambulance and the body was taken to the

      nearest hospital. What later was found Robert Stanley had

      terrible head fracture and massive bleeding, which cause his

      death.

      5

      Capitaine Frank Duval, chef de police in Corsica, was in

      a bad mood. The island was overcrowded with plenty of

      summer tourists who were incapable of holding onto their

      passports, their wallets, or their children. Complaints had

      come streaming in all day long to the tiny police

      headquarters at 2 Cours Napoleon off Rue Sergent

      Casalonga.

      "A man snatched my purse ..."

      "My ship sailed without me. My wife is on the board…"

      "I bought this watch from someone on the street. It has

      nothing inside ..."

      "The drugstores here don't carry the pills I need …"

      The problems were endless. And now it seemed that the

      capitaine had a body on his hands. "I have no time for this

      load of shit now," he shouts it out. "But they're waiting

      outside," his assistant informed him. "What shall I tell

      them?"

      Capitaine Duval was impatient to get to his girlfriend.

      His impulse was ready to say, "Take the body to some

      other island,” but he was, after all, the chief police official

      on the island.

      "Very well." He sighed. "I'll see them briefly."

      A moment later, Captain Bargas and Donald Herman

      were escorted into the office.

      "Sit down," Capitaine Duval said, ungraciously. The two

      men took chairs.

      "Tell me, please, exactly what happened."

      Captain Bargas said, "I'm not sure exactly. I didn't see it

      happen ..." He turned to Donald Herman. "He was an

      eyewitness. Perhaps he could explain it."

      Donald took a deep breath. "It was terrible. I work ...

      worked for the man."

      "Doing what, monsieur?"

      "Bodyguard, masseur, chauffeur. I run to save him, but

      there was nothing I could do. I called for help. Ambulance

      came in. But it was too late. He was killed by auto accident."

      "I am very sorry." He could not have cared less. Captain

      Bargas spoke up. "It was accident but now we would like

      permission to take the body home."

      "That should be no problem." He would still have time

      to have a drink with his girlfriend before he went home to

      his