Jack Stewart
3/9/2016
DEATH MASK
by Jack Bell Stewart
CHARACTERS
Justin Walters
Independent graphic designer and painter, sometimes successful. He is a gay artist who is
often depressed, and lives in New Hope PA. He walks in the woods with his two cats.
Robert McLaughlin
Justin’s lover: a successful movie executive, older than Justin, lives in New York.
Educated as a psychologist, he is the stability in Justin’s life.
Russ Peterson (real name Peter Moldavyanni) Uses a variety of changing aliases.
Con artist, Justin’s new tenant, gay, an identity thief. As a spanking fetishist, a.k.a.
Whack-Whack
David and Carl
Friends who travel with Justin and Robert. David & Carl live in an open relationship in a
Bungalow in Huntington, Long Island. David is an actor. Carl is a queen.
Sergeant Tony Graziano
A NYC detective who has been on the trail of Peter Moldavyanni for several years.
Candy
A local drag queen and drug dealer who is a well-known eccentric.
Mrs. Myra Berkenstein
Jewish lady who lives across the street from Justin. Loves her gay neighbors, but is nosy.
Lieutenant Kevin Smythe
Policeman on the New Hope Police force.
Whipper
Whack-Whack’s spanking buddy.
SYNOPSIS
1
TIME FOR A CHANGE p.1
Identity Thief Peter Moldavyanni poses as Marty Rosenblatt, lover, confidante,
and financial manager for Hiram Feinstein, a wealthy NYC lawyer. After he
completes the final electronic transfer of funds he is stealing from Hiram, Peter
prepares to escape and assume a new identity. Hiram returns home several days
early from London. He discovers a credit card bill for a card he didn’t know he
had. There is an escalating confrontation as the scene closes.
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2
GWM IN SEARCH OF…p.8
The scene is set in the eclectic, artistic and gay town of New Hope PA. Justin is
constantly challenged by financial problems. He seeks a roommate for the extra
money by placing a personal ad online through the Philly gay network. As he
walks in his woods with his cats, Justin interviews some candidates, but realizes
he has written the wrong ad because he is getting the wrong type of
response…sex responses, etc.
3
WHEN THE FIRST ATTEMPT FAILS, KEEP TRYING p.19
After the new ad, Justin gets calls from a local drag queen, Candy, and a few
others. He calls Robert to discuss the ads, and finds another response on line from
Russ Peterson. Russ sounds perfect. They arrange to meet the following day.
4
THE INTERVIEW p.26
Justin interviews Russ at a local New Hope restaurant. He is an overweight
computer geek who writes articles for “Coin Collectors Digest” and other boring
journals, but he fits Justin’s needs for a roommate. He will move in the next day.
5
SEAL OF APPROVAL p.30
Justin reports to Robert that he has chosen Russ. Russ is perfect because he will
not want to sleep with Justin, and probably not bother his artistic endeavors, or
bring a lot of strange men into the house. Robert is worried that he has not
checked Russ’s background thoroughly.
6
PROBLEM SOLVED p.33
Robert and Justin talk about Russ. Russ seems like the perfect roommate: he
seems very normal, although he is a hypochondriac. He seems mostly asexual,
pays in cash, doesn’t invite friends/tricks over, never bothers Justin, stays to
himself, and seems like a harmless computer geek. Both Robert and Justin like
him, and Russ offers to take care of their cats while they are away on their trip to
Alaska.
7
TROUBLE IN PARADISE p.36
More is revealed about Justin’s relationship with Robert, and his needs for
antidepressants. Justin carries the phone upstairs with a call for Russ, and opens
the bedroom door. He discovers a huge amount of cash on Russ’s bed. Russ reacts
by slamming the door. Russ apologizes, and explains that he buys and sells
antique coins, and just completed an all-cash deal. Russ asks Justin to keep the
cash for him, and protect the secret from Robert. They stash the money in a cold
air return above Justin’s design desk in the basement studio.
8
ROBERT p.43
As a statement of his open homosexuality, Justin kisses Robert in full view of the
police guarding the Trenton station when Robert arrives from New York. On the
ride home, Robert realizes that Justin isn’t telling everything. He suspects there is
something sexual happening between Russ and Justin.
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FANTASIES p.47
Russ fantasizes about Justin in bed. More about Russ and his strange motivations,
his M.O. with roommates, and his frustrations. He is starting to fall for Justin. His
plot to lure Justin into his bedroom is a total failure.
10 BOYS WILL BE…BOYS? p.53
Justin and Robert plan for the parties on board in Alaska. There is a funny
anecdote about Robert in drag at a party, and how Justin made the photo into a
fake magazine cover as a practical joke. During a steamy game of strip
photography, Robert carefully inquires about Justin’s relationship with Russ. Are
they sleeping together?
11 MAKING A HOUSE A HOME p.61
Russ visits Justin in his basement studio. They talk about his current design
project. Russ notices the design equipment, and admires the fake magazine cover
with Robert’s drag photo. Russ hints that Justin could make money doing false
ID’s. Justin refuses. A discussion about ethics and trust ensues.
12 ODETTE’S p. 67
Russ takes Justin and Robert out for dinner at Odettes Restaurant in New Hope.
The conversation turns to Robert’s problems making a transaction online for his
Fidelity account. Russ offers his assistance using his laptop after he gets access
using a WIFI connection down the street. With great care to maintain Robert’s
account privacy, the transaction goes smoothly as far as all can tell.
13 THE TROUBLE WITH MONEY p 73
Justin worries about the money stashed in his basement air duct. Robert
mistakenly believes Justin is having sex with Russ. Justin has two reoccurring
dreams about the money. The dreams turn surrealistic. They interfere with his
creative work: money falls from the ceiling, blinding his creative vision. The
amount of money in his dreams never matches his recollection of the cash on the
bed.
14 MRS B. p.77
Introduction to Mrs. Berkenstein, his neighbor across the street: a nosy retired
widow who loves the gay boys on the street. Conversation with Justin, She is a
character! She knows everything about everyone, and she asks about Russ,
thinking he is Justin’s lover on the side. What would Robert think!
15 THE PENIS CAR p.82
Russ and Justin drive to IKEA. Russ asks Justin in an odd way about which
dresser Justin would like him to buy, in case “anything should happen to me, you
would have something you liked.” Justin gets a little nosey and discovers a gun in
the glove compartment. Russ tries to cover it up, and explain it with a lie. But
Justin saw the handle of a real gun. However, he justifies it to himself: queers
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need protection too. They have a small disagreement as Justin gets more
suspicious.
16 CARL AND DAVID p. 88
Introduction to Carl & David, travel companions with Justin and Robert. Justin
calls to plan the details of their cruise to Alaska, and the land excursions. They
talk about David’s roles as an actor. David reveals he has talked to Robert, who is
concerned about possible infidelities. Justin again denies there is anything going
on with Russ. They plan to meet in Seattle on Saturday.
17 REALITY CHECK p.95
Justin plans to ask Russ to move the money out of the house. Russ is one step
ahead of him as Justin walks into his studio just as the cash is being removed.
Russ complains of a severe headache. They plan for Russ to drive them to the
station in Trenton the following day, and Justin will show Russ where to park his
car in Trenton to take an Amtrak to the airport for his trip to LA.
18 CANDY p 99
Justin makes a last minute stop at the Raven, the local gay bar, to obtain some
drugs for Russ’s headaches. At the bar, he runs into some colorful local regulars,
and learns that Candy has already supplied pain drugs for Russ, and Russ has
already slept with Candy.
19 BON VOYAGE p.103
On the flight to Seattle, Justin finally explains the secret of hiding the money to
Robert, thinking the problem has gone away after Russ removed the cash. Robert
bemoans the fact that no background check had been conducted, and is miffed
that Justin did not tell him before. Justin explains his reason to trust Russ.
Together they try to understand Russ’s motives, and realize they have left both of
their homes in Russ’s care while they are on vacation. Robert plans to do a
background check as soon as they land in Seattle.
20 TICKETS, PLEASE p.110
Terminal 30 in Seattle is filled with hundreds of gay couples embarking on the
RSVP cruise to Alaska, but Justin and Robert find that their cruise tickets are not
in their possession. Since they have neither passport nor tickets, they are refused
embarkation and are forced to return home. They argue and each blames the
other. David and Carl go on the trip without them.
21 HOME AGAIN p.118
Upon return to New Hope, Justin finds a note from Russ revealing that he had to
leave because of an emergency business trip, and will return in a day or so. The
note implies he may not return, but all of his belongings are still there in his room.
Strange though–the cats have been left outside, with plenty of food.
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22 RUDE AWAKENING p.121
A New York detective calls Justin, looking for someone named Peter. Detective
Graziano is really annoying, as he calls Russ a ho-mo-sex-u-elle and shows his
homophobia. But reality hits home when the detective seems to know about
Russ’s Austin Healy. Russ’s background is revealed as an identity thief: His real
name is Peter Moldavyanni. Graziano tells of a history of fraud and schemes.
Justin verifies the detective’s identity on the Internet. and decides to help set a
trap to catch Russ/Peter. Graziano says he must send a local cop to drop by to take
a look through Justin’s house.
23 HOMELAND SECURITY p.138
Justin calls Robert in New York, but is interrupted when the local police raid
Justin’s house, believing that he is harboring a fugitive. Sarcasm abounds as the
cops search Justin’s townhouse, both from Justin and from the search squad. Two
of the cops seem homophobic.
24 THE AFTERMATH p. 144
Justin discovers Robert is still on the phone and has heard the entire raid. Justin is
angry, and now very mistrustful of the police. He wants to get Russ out of his life,
but on his own terms. Robert guesses about some of Russ’s motives. They
discuss laying a trap to catch Russ.
Graziano calls back, Justin explodes and they argue. Graz apologizes for the local
over-reaction. They make up, and Graz shares information about Hiram, Peter’s
last victim in NYC. They discuss Russ’s frequent trips, and charges on Hiram’s
credit card for locations in New Hope. Graz exposes the coin collection story as a
complete fraud and tells him how he tracked Peter (Russ) to New Hope via the
registration of the Austin Healey. He tells of Peter’s various aliases and some of
his methods. Graz asks Justin to look into Russ/Peter’s computer to track him.
25 Mrs. B KNOWS ALL p.157
Justin runs into Mrs. Berkenstein, who questions him about the police raid at his
home last night. She has seen dirty pictures of boys on Russ’s computer screen
through her binoculars. A funny scene…
26 WORD FROM ALASKA p.161
Carl and David call from the cruise in Alaska, revealing that RSVP gave Justin
and Robert’s unclaimed cabin to a couple from NJ. Justin tells them they will not
be joining the boys in Alaska, and he hints a little about his identity thief troubles.
27 HACKING IN p.164
Justin gets into Russ’s computer, discovers folders full of men in various
spanking and S & M poses. There is an address book with some strange names.
There are folders with dossiers on people, private account information, and
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personal statistics. His e-mails and the web trail left on Internet Explorer reveal
his interest in spanking clubs and hookups with different guys for sex. Russ’s
Internet name is “Whack-Whack”. He has been seeing a spanking buddy named
“Whipper”. Justin is repelled by the images, and calls Graz immediately
28 JUNIOR DEPUTIES p.170
Justin reports to Graz on the information he found. Graz had assumed that Justin
knew about the weird sex. Justin sends several files. They discuss just what is
considered normal sex. He tells him about the identity victim research on
Russ/Peter’s computer. Graz reveals that Hiram is missing in New York City.
Graz plans to send Lieutenant Smythe back over to look at the files on the
computer.
29 THE TRAP IS SET p. 176
Robert arrives from New York, worried about the whole situation. Justin and
Robert discuss how they could catch Russ without repeating the raid at his house.
Maybe they could lure him to the doctor’s office where the police can pick him
up. They call Graz and the three agree to a plan to capture him in the parking lot
of the local pharmacy.
30 IRREFUTABLE EVIDENCE p. 181
Justin and Robert arrive at the house to search Justin’s townhouse for signs of
trouble. They discover a bill from an unknown credit card with charges for
luggage, an airlines ticket and hotels; and several local restaurants and B & B’s in
New Hope. Russ has not resurfaced yet, and it seems like he is a few days past the
time he said he would return. Justin finds an e-mail from Whipper about meeting
Peter (as Whack-Whack). They decipher Peter’s plan to travel to Seattle. They
finally realize how Peter stole their cruise tickets, and their entire vacation.
BCWW
A number of you brought up some wonderful questions about lingering issues that need
resolution. Notes about holes in my plot, unresolved issues, and things that don’t add up
appeared in several of my recent submissions. I’ve always thought that part of good
mystery writing involved throwing out hints, clues, red herrings, and food for thought––
issues that make the reader raise questions and read on until they are resolved in later
chapters.
Some of these answers will be resolved in this and future submissions. Your thoughts and
suggestions have always been most helpful. Thanks to all. JS.
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31
LOOK WEST, TO ALASKA, YOUNG MAN
“Graz, you’re going to be proud of us. We found a goldmine of evidence in Peter’s
computer.” He described what they discovered, and shared their belief that WhackWhack was hooking up with Whipper in their cabin on board the cruise to Alaska.
“You guys hit pay dirt. This is fantastic! We’ve never been able to get this close
to him. He’s always far ahead of us. But now he’s making a mistake, a big one. He’s got
himself corralled on a ship, and he won’t even be able to swim his way out this time.
“There’s only one thing I haven’t figured out yet. If he filched your passports out
of your carry-on in Philly, he must have had a quick way to change the photos on them
before he caught his own flight to Seattle. But it’s not impossible.”
Justin was encouraged. “Do you think you can pick him up in the next port? I’ve
got the schedule right here. They’ve been to Juneau and Skagway, and tomorrow they’re
stuck on board touring Glacier Bay by sea. But the next day they stop in Ketchikan on the
way back to Seattle.”
“I wonder if there’s a helicopter pad on that boat? We’d be better off getting him
before he has a chance to get away.”
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“Peter’s best chance to escape was yesterday in Skagway. If he stole our tickets,
he also got our reservations for land excursions. We signed up for the White Pass
Railway trip that goes past the Canadian border. You get off the train and take a short bus
trip to an old gold mining town in the Yukon, then you return to the ship later that
afternoon.”
Robert finished the thought. “He could have disappeared into northern Canada
yesterday, and you’ll never find him.”
Graz said, “Maybe…I don’t think so. But we can find out. If he didn’t show up at
the ship, there would be a border patrol report, and one of your passport numbers would
be on the report. I can check it out right away. What’s the name of the ship?”
Robert said, "The ms Oosterdam, a Holland America ship.”
Justin had an idea. “Maybe we can find out faster using our friends David and
Carl on board. I just talked to Carl when he was in Skagway. Cell phones won’t work, but
we could call him on the ship’s satellite phone and have him paged. Their cabin is right
next-door to where Whack-Whack and Whipper might be staying.”
Graz said, “A helluva risk he took, with your buddies right next door.”
Robert added, “Yes, but they’ve never met Peter. Even though he knew we were
meeting our friends on board, Peter probably just acted innocent, making up a new name.
Carl told us he met two guys from New Jersey who were on a waiting list, and got our
cabin at the last minute.”
Graz replied, “A believable story. A cruise like that might be too much to resist––
worth a little risk. It fits his love for living on the edge.”
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Justin said, “Something doesn’t make a lot of sense. How would anyone have
been able to travel from Jersey at the last minute to board the ship? They would have to
be there already, waiting––”
Graz and Robert said it together. “––in the men’s room.”
“So he went to a different agent at the counter, an agent who didn’t know we had
just been refused for lack of the right papers, and they just breezed right through with our
tickets and passports. Then he tells David and Carl a different story to throw them off. It
could have been a little risky, but for a trip like that––who wouldn’t?”
“Not only that, but it’s a cruise with plenty of places where he could lose himself
on the way. I told you guys he is no dummy. This is how he always gets away, and stays
a few days ahead of me. Tell you what, fellas, I’ve got to make some calls, get off this
phone, and see if we can get a helicopter to land on that boat.”
Justin had a different approach. “But Graz, wouldn’t you like to know if he is still
on board first? Our friends in the cabin next door might have seen something. If there
was any sign of them, I’ll bet Carl and David would know if they were still on board.”
Graz understood. “You’ve got something, Justin. It would be better if we knew
his position without making too many waves. A helicopter landing would attract
attention. People would talk and rumors would fly. He’d crawl under a rock. Better to
have some idea whether he’s still there before we get too visible.”
“I wish you thought of that before you raided my house. Mrs. B. across the street
will never let me hear the end of the circus you brought to town. She’s already made a
spectacle that would rival any Hollywood gossip column.”
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“Yeah, yeah, I’m sorry again, my friend. I told you they didn’t exactly do it my
way. OK, here’s what you do. Call your buddies. Let them in on the story a little, but not
too much information. Just find out if they know if our guy is on board. Then maybe
we’ll pick him up tomorrow when he disembarks in Ketchikan.”
***
These gay boys were smarter than Graz ever figured they would be. And he had played it
to the hilt with them. He wasn’t as homophobic as he had first led them to believe. But
his edginess had brought him honest reactions he could trust. He had learned there was a
solid and honest person behind Justin’s gay persona, and Robert sounded like a first-class
act he could rely on to reign in whatever temper came out of Justin. He had played it
well, except for the raid the locals had botched.
Today, Detective Tony Graziano needed Justin to play a bigger role. It was a good
idea for Justin to get information from his friends. But he wished Justin had a little more
experience. How could he inject the years of experience in police street smarts into a
novice in five minutes on the phone?
Graz would give Justin a little lesson in the ways that cops could work without
creating a media circus. Graz knew he may sound like a boxer from Brooklyn, but he
knew how to get information from people without spilling the whole plan. The Brooklyn
image served as an effective foil to disarm his suspects. Let them believe he was a tough
Italian street cop from Bensonhurst. That was the whole secret of street smarts. Graz
knew he had a hundred forty-five identity cases behind him, with over a hundred arrests.
He loved the fact that he could outsmart so many white-collar criminals. So who needed
an M.S. in Criminology anyway?
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“Now, you guys have been on these cruises before, right? What kind of security
do they have on the boat?”
Robert answered, “Actually, they call it a ship, Graz, not a boat.”
“Yeah, whatever floats your...whatever. Tell me about the security on the ship.”
He tapped his pencil on the table, wondering what Justin and Robert looked like in
person. He would have to visit New Hope soon. He was a day late to copy Peter’s
computer full of critical evidence. He had a CVS parking lot to inspect, part of the
backup plan to put in place for Peter’s return. But for now, the priority was capturing him
in Alaska.
“Here’s how it works. After they check your passports in the terminal, they give
you a special ID just for that cruise, like a custom version of a hotel card key, but with
your name and photo on the card. They always scan your ship ID when you leave for
shore, and take a count before they leave the port to make sure everyone is back on
board. Since Nine-Eleven, they’ve been posting security guys who operate a metal
detector, just like at the airport. There are probably four or five guys at the security
checkpoint, and there is only one way off the ship.”
Graz recognized his opportunity. “So I could post a plainclothes team at the
gangplank and wait for him if he is getting off. If he doesn’t disembark, at least the ship
is a smaller place to search for him than all of Alaska and Canada. How big is the ship?”
Justin said, “Not as big as some, but it is still pretty expansive. I saw the plans and
photos online. It only holds eighteen hundred fifty passengers. But it has a seven hundred
fifty-seat theater, four or five lounges, two nightclubs, a casino, two dining rooms, a
number of restaurants, a huge buffet area, and a covered swimming pool with a sundeck.
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It’s a brand new ship, a gorgeous luxury vessel all the way––you get the picture. It could
take some time to find him on board. The Oosterdam is like a small city, almost a
thousand feet long and ten stories high.”
Graz said, “It’s still better than searching for him in the wilderness of Alaska.”
Robert added, “The thing is, even if he gets off in Ketchikan, there’s only
something like ten or twenty miles of roads there. It’s an island completely cut off from
the mainland. The only way to leave it is by small boat, helicopter, or float plane”
Graz remembered, “Wasn’t that the place they were talking about on the news,
where they were building the bridge to nowhere with a carload of our tax money?”
“You’re right, Graz. Our great Republican Congress approved one of the biggest
pork deals ever in Ketchikan. They were ready to spend hundreds of millions to build a
suspension bridge to an island across from Ketchikan with only about fifty residents. I
think they changed the plan after the media publicized the whole thing.”
“So Peter has a little challenge getting off the island. That’s good, guys. But he
can still get away if we don’t corner him first. It would be easy to outfit himself for a
little camping trip, steal a boat, and hide out for a month or two before it gets too cold up
there. By then he could make his way through Canada, and settle into a brand new safe
spot.”
Justin offered. “I won’t be able to reach Carl now, but I’ll call him first thing in
the morning. It’s four hours earlier in Alaska. They’ll still be asleep in their cabin.”
“Just tell him your tickets might have been stolen. Don’t give him any details
about the case back here. We simply need to know if Peter is still on board, and maybe
what he plans tomorrow in Ketchikan; time is not critical as long as he is still on the boat.
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Don’t give your friends enough rope to get themselves in trouble. You may trust them,
but remember, my friend: they’re complete amateurs at this police stuff, and Peter is very
good at smelling trouble. I don’t want to lose him this time.”
Robert reassured him. “We’ll play it your way, Graz.”
“And don’t be calling your credit cards just yet. No red flags that could alert him.
I’m working with your list of credit card companies already. You won’t be charged
anything.”
“You hear that, Robert?” Justin looked him in the eyes.
Graz added, “And I’ll set a few traps for him, talk to security on the ship and the
locals on shore, so we can get to him before the ship gets to Ketchikan tomorrow. Do me
a favor, fax me that shore excursion schedule. I need to know what he might have signed
up for.”
“If he has our tickets, he also has our excursion reservations. He probably took the
helicopter ride in Juneau, but we didn’t plan a formal excursion in Ketchikan. We
planned to walk around the old Gold Rush bordello section, called Creek Street.”
“Do they have gay bars on Creek Street?” They all laughed.
Justin answered, “Graz, there have always been gay people. I imagine you could
get just about anything you wanted on Creek Street, even back in eighteen-ninety.”
“You guys are everywhere. Call me after you talk to your friend Carl. And don’t
tell him so much that he queers the deal––I mean…he spoils our plan. Excuse me––you
know by now I don’t mean anything by that. Just stick to the basics. Play him so he does
what we want, and doesn’t blow the whole deal.”
“What? First we queer the deal; now we’re blowing it?”
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“Jeez! You guys are always making fun of me––I’ll catch on to the lingo one of
these days.”
“I’ll try to be a smart deputy, Graz.”
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32
SHOCK AND FAITH
Justin needed to get out of the house. It was almost one o’clock AM, and there was a full
moon. The early September weather was still warm, even at night. Mona and Leonardo
could tell he was about to go out, and they meowed by the door, and squealed with
delight when he invited them for a walk. Justin could see the beady eyes of two raccoons
he had scared into treetop position as he left the house. The trees were starting to change
into golden yellows and oranges, and the effect under moonlight was exotic.
He opened the back gate, and walked about a half mile to his favorite place by the
fallen twin oaks. Leonardo always seemed to know where Justin was going. He dashed
ahead, leaped onto the huge fallen oak trunk, and sat down to wait. Justin caught up,
carrying a glass of Shiraz. Soon, Mona arrived after taking the alternate kitty route,
following the alternate kitty rules.
Normally Justin would be in bed waiting for sleep and the muse to bring him
whatever dreams may develop. But tonight he needed the solitude of the woods. He
needed for his mind to catch up and absorb what he had learned in the past several days.
His sense of security was shattered. His feeling of friendship and trust was forever
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altered. His tolerance for things over the edge was challenged. He had been drawn into
the ways of modern identity thieves and sexual deviants on the fringes of society, and
dumped into a tornado that was not of his own making, dark and uncontrollable.
Rattled by the turmoil, Justin needed to escape, find his center, and sooth the hurt
and the emotional stress. Ativan and Shiraz numbed the hurt from the jilted friendship.
He needed something to bring him back to a world in which familiarity led to truth
instead of deceit.
Anger boiled to the surface. Russ Peterson insisted on his trust, and Peter
Moldavyanni manipulated and destroyed it. Russ Peterson was easy to live with, and
Peter Moldavyanni compromised the security of his home. Russ had helped make it
possible to take an expensive and well-deserved vacation, and Peter stole it from them.
Russ was chosen because he was non-threatening, and almost asexual; and Peter was
threatening, a sexual deviant, an unacceptable freak of nature. Russ seemed to have been
able to sustain a friendship, and Peter’s liaisons were illicit, unhealthy, shallow and selfdestructive. The dichotomies were endless, the frustrations heartbreaking.
How could Russ Peterson live with Peter Moldavyanni? Why did he create trusted
friends and lovers, only to deceive and betray them? What was real in this man, and what
was just role-playing? How could Justin have been so blind and trusting for so long?
How did the harmless goldfish turn into a lethal piranha?
Justin looked up at the moon and surrounding stars. The night was clear, and a
million stars not normally visible in the East now seemed dazzling at the three o’clock
hour. He raised emotional eyes to a blurry sky. He needed some logic, some solid
answers. What could he do to protect himself and Robert? How could he protect his
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finances? Robert was right: Justin had been in serious denial. Calmer and more resolved,
he knew he should not be praying for vengeance, yet he wished for it and felt its power in
his veins.
“Ruh-uh. Reeeow! Meeeow” I’m still here. You’re still queer. Pet me now! Mona
rubbed against him on the log in the woods as if to reassure him. He did not know yet
how he would win the battle; but he felt new determination to prevail over Peter
Moldavyanni.
Justin walked back to the house to get some sleep. He set his alarm for ten
o’clock, so that he could be awake and certain of catching David and Carl before they left
their cabin. He still had no answers, but he felt a little better, more determined.
He would dream that night. Instead of money blizzards and blank canvas, a new
vision drifted to the surface. In an icy fog, he stood on an Alaskan glacier under starlight
with one foot solidly on each side of a deep and icy blue crevasse. The gap widened,
splitting him in half as he struggled to maintain his footing. Finally, it narrowed and
disappeared as he discovered himself standing on the snow. No answers there.
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33
RECRUITING DEPUTIES
It was 5:45 AM in Alaska. Justin knew that the sound of the phone would hurt David’s
tender party-head when it rang. “What? Who’s that? Damn, it’s still dark. Hello?”
Justin knew it was rude to call him so early. David had only been asleep for a
couple of hours after the long john party last night, and he was still more than a little
intoxicated.
“Oh, David, I’m sorry to wake you so early. It’s Justin; I need to talk to you. I’m
sorry.”
“Justin! What’s going on? Are you on board?”
“No, we’re not going to make it at all. I’m at home in Pennsylvania, and calling
you on the satellite phone, and I need your help. Just a small favor. Is Carl awake?”
“He’s snoring like a freight train. You would never believe a little queen could
make so damn much noise. I’ve rolled him over three times, and he changes pitch, but he
never stops. He got so drunk last night at the party, and he was such a little flirt. I had to
help him stumble back to the cabin. Even after I got him in bed, he called room service,
pleading with them, ‘Can one of you queens in the bar bring this queen a drink?’”
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“Well, let’s not wake him. I’d rather talk to you anyway. I’m glad you’re having a
good time, but I’m afraid I’ve got some problems. You might be able to help. But for
now, let’s not bring Carl into this. He might not say the right thing.”
“Oh no! Is it Robert?”
“No, not at all. Remember you told me about the guys from Jersey who were
assigned to our cabin?”
“Yeah. I’ll tell you, they’re the strangest looking couple. One is tall, bald and
skinny; always wears leather everything. And the other is short and fat; looks like a
sausage poured into tight jeans. It’s not pretty to behold. But they mostly keep to
themselves, although I saw them last night at the long john party. So what’s up with
them?”
“Well, it turns out the guys next door to you may be involved in something bad.
And I was wondering if maybe you could do a little checking on them for me?” Justin
was trying his best to follow Graz’s instructions to just give out the basics, not too much
information. Don’t give them enough rope to hang themselves.
“Sure. I’d be happy to help.”
You have your answer. Maybe you shouldn’t go on from here… But he continued.
“One question is already answered. They’re still on board as of last night, if you saw
them at the long john party.”
“They dressed as master and slave. The short fat one wore a spiked collar, and the
tall beanpole had him on a leash. I think they dressed for the wrong party. Looked like a
bald Tommy Tune walking an overweight bulldog. The leather party is tomorrow night.
They were supposed to be in long johns. I doubt if they even read the party plans.”
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“I’m not too surprised. Have you guys had any conversation with them at all?”
“No. Nothing other than the first day. They said they had taken a last minute
cancellation, and they were on a waiting list and got a call from Holland America––of
course, they got your cabin. Carl thought it just wasn’t fair to give it away so fast.”
“Did you happen to mention you knew the people who originally had the cabin?”
“I don’t remember exactly. We might have. No, I think we just did the polite
hellos, not the friendly ‘let’s get to know each other’ hellos. They aren’t the type we
would party with. I’m not sure what we said.” David was sleepy, still a little bit looped.
“Did they say how they got from the East Coast to Seattle fast enough to be
available to take a cancellation?”
“Well, no––and I didn’t even think about that. It doesn’t add up, does it? Maybe
they flew out there to wait in line. But to pay for a cross country flight on the chance they
might get on the cruise––doesn’t make sense.”
“Yeah, that’s what we’ve been thinking. I suppose it’s possible, with eighteen
hundred fifty passengers on board, there would be one or two last-minute cancellations,
but it’s a long shot. There were only four hours between the time we left the terminal and
the time the ship departed. David, I’ve got to ask you to do me a favor. You guys are on
board all day today to see Glacier Bay from the ship, right?”
“Yeah, if I can ever get Carl out of bed, poor dear. I think the only thing on our
schedule is a big hangover. We’ll probably witness the glaciers from our balcony, with
room service, so we don’t have to venture out at all until dinner.”
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“Well, that might work out for what I need you to do. We think your new
neighbors might have stolen our tickets. The police want to set a trap for them and arrest
them when they try to get off the ship tomorrow in Ketchikan.”
“Stolen your tickets! How could they have––oh no, Justin! Is this the identity thief
you told us about last Saturday?”
Justin had to be careful now, and follow the instructions Graz had given him to
the letter. “David, all we know is someone might have taken our tickets. Maybe they got
them out of my carry-on bag at the terminal. The tickets were sticking out of the side
pocket, and would have been easy to steal. But the police in Seattle don’t think there’s a
connection between our missing tickets and the identity thief back home.” Justin hated to
lie to his friends, but under the circumstances, it was for their own protection. Why did he
add the bit about police in Seattle? What a story!
“Justin, you’ve got trouble following you wherever you go, dearie. Maybe you’d
be better off if you just crawled back into the closet and stayed there, for your own
protection.”
“I know. I guess I’ve had a big red target painted on my back lately. It probably
says, ‘I’m a big sucker. Kick me, beat me, steal my tickets.’ And people are lining up on
both coasts to help.”
“I feel for you. I’ll do whatever you need. What’s the plan?”
“First, tell me what you’ve learned about these guys. Have you seen or heard
anything else? I need to be sure it’s them.”
“Well, you know we have adjoining rooms. A door connects the two cabins. We
would have opened it if you were here, so we could party. But the door is far from sound
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proof. You can hear everything if you are close by. Carl––you know what a snoop queen
he is––well, they were having wild sex next door for the second night in a row, and Carl
listened to the whole thing and reported it back to me like he was a sportscaster on a
campy gay network. I was beside myself with laughter. He was funny. Maybe I can do
it.”
David feigned a Julia Child low-pitched effeminate voice, complete with a classic
lisp, and repeated Carl’s parody:
“Gentlemen and queenth, the restrainth are in place. The whips are poised
for a beating. Fat Boy Wacker is tied like a turkey, and the Thin Man Whipper is
so ready he is drooling. And we can see from the Press Box––he is gently
dragging his whip across Whacker’s back. Things are heating up, so to speak. The
crowd is chanting ‘Whip––him––Beat––him.’ like it was Jerry Springer for gay
people.
“But wait! I hear a command. This will be better than last night. He cries
out! ‘Whipper, please. Beat me baby! Beat me with that thang!’ And Whipper
doesn’t wait for a second invitation. Leather meets flesh, and the blood flows.
“‘Ooh! Ow! Wow! That’s––ow––good, baby!’ Snap goes the whip, and
the crowd goes wild. Snap, snap. ‘Oooh yeah.’
“But let me get my binocs. Yes, there are welts and bruises, whip marks
and blood. There are raspberries all down his backside. Sados and Masochists
everywhere will remember this moment of pleasure.
“ And now, yes, Whipper answers, ‘Whacker, I love you, baby. Just tell
me your limits. I don’t want to––but yes! I do want to hurt you. Ooooh yeah!’”
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Justin laughed at David’s exaggerated antics. But how would he relay this back to
Detective Graz? This is over the bleeding edge for anyone, gay or straight. They had a
good relationship with Graz, even a little friendly sex talk, but he is still a straight
Brooklyn detective. He said, “Classic Carl, at his best. You don’t even realize how
helpful this is. The police gave us a description: one tall and thin, and one short and fat;
and Whipper and Whacker fit the names and the descriptions they gave us. This is great!”
“You mean the suspects are really called Whipper and Whacker?” David must
have thought the names were made up for the heat of the moment. Little did he know!
“Close enough!” Forgetting his limits, Justin said. “OK, let’s talk about today.
Since everyone is on board all day to see the glaciers, maybe you can approach them and
chat a little. Maybe you can plan it so you run into them at breakfast. Perhaps you can
find some way to make small talk, like you’d talk to anyone you met on the ship. All we
need to know is if they have any plans when you get to Ketchikan tomorrow. They may
not tell you anything, and don’t put yourself at risk. Just see if you can learn something
about their plans.”
“Honey, I can do Chatty Cathy with the best of them. And Carl, he’s such a flirt.”
“Well, I think it might be better if you didn’t get Carl too involved in this. His
emotions are so transparent, and we don’t want it to be obvious you’re searching for
information. If Carl is hung-over, he’s not going to be a very good actor, like you are,
David. I mean, you are a professional. You can follow the script! But for god’s sake,
don’t let on you’ve heard them carrying on through the door.”
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“OK, I’ll be your secret informant. But such drama, Justin! Are you sure there’s
no connection between them and that identity thief you were talking about? It seems like–
–”
“No, not at all, David. I know––I’ve got problems on both coasts, but let’s just
take it one step at a time, OK? Just find out about their plans tomorrow, and then we’ll let
the police do their job. Hey, I’ve got to go. I’ve got a call on my other line. It’s probably
the Seattle police. I’ll call you back around three, your time, OK? Bye.”
That went pretty well, Justin thought, and ended before David started to think too
hard. You can always end a call with another call on your “other line.” Even though
David was starting to connect the dots all by himself, Justin had not fed the fires or
confirmed what he knew. He didn’t want David getting in over his head. Best of all, he
confirmed without a doubt that Whack-Whack was still on board, and he had now learned
who was with him. The nerve of this asshole to steal a vacation that cost Justin and
Robert over seven thousand dollars! Justin couldn’t wait to call Graz with the news. Graz
would be proud of him. Justin would deliver more than he was asked for.
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34
DANGEROUS REALITY
“Graz, it’s confirmed. Both Whack-Whack and Whipper are on board the ship. They’re in
our cabin, and I might have more information by this afternoon.”
“That’s great, Justin. But are you positive it’s them? These friends of yours can’t
know for sure––they’ve never seen them before.”
“Graz, this is a little weird. You know how you told me it was a lucky break when
you found my phone number from Peter’s auto-tag application? I think you’ll agree that it
was just as lucky to hear both of their names through the door.”
Justin gave a much toned-down account of the wild sex that Carl and David had
heard through the cabin door. But no matter how much he tried to censor the juicy parts
of the story, it was impossible to keep them both from laughing a little.
Graz was into it. “You guys don’t stop at anything do you? I never heard of
having so much fun with all this ho-mo-sex-u-elle stuff. When I was a rookie, we raided
one of those movie houses down on Eighth Avenue back when Guilliani was cleaning up
Times Square. They were full of movies with people like that––warped fantasies.”
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Justin was getting on his soapbox. “Graz, I know you think we all are like that.
But this is the far fringe of gay life. Robert and I would no more engage in this kind of
activity than fly to the moon.”
“I know Justin. I’ve seen it here in New York. You can see the straight version of
it on HBO late at night. This guy is on the sexual fringe. But I think what we have here is
somebody who enjoys making people suffer, both in bed and from their wallet. The
pattern is repeating itself. As soon as the other guy, in this case you, gets comfy with the
situation, Peter seems to double-cross him and bail out. It happened with Hiram, and all
the others before. You get comfortable, and he’s making chaos behind your back.”
“Hiram is still missing I guess?”
“Actually, he turned up early this morning.”
“Oh, I’m so glad. Did you talk to him, and find out about his credit cards?”
“Well, Justin, I’m afraid that wasn’t exactly possible. We found him at his West
Eighty-Sixth Street apartment house this morning, in his basement storage locker. He
didn’t wander down there by himself. I’m afraid he is dead––he was beaten badly, and
then took a bullet in the back of the head.” No matter how Graz tried to present the news
in a soft light, it was still a shock.
“Oh––my––god! In his storage locker…Graz, I…This is becoming a lot more
dangerous than I ever dreamed. I thought you said white collar crimes weren’t
dangerous.”
“I know, and usually they aren’t. Usually identity theft is completely anonymous
and impersonal. But now it’s a homicide investigation. Justin, my feeling is, Peter is not
coming back. I don’t know if anything in New Hope alerted him. More likely it’s the
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murder itself that put him on the run again. But I think he has pulled out. You won’t see
him again. If you do, I’ll be very surprised. And believe me, he has disappeared before
when I started to get close to him. He simply vanishes. He’s got an antenna like a
scorpion.”
“But Graz, he left his computer here. And all his clothes. Why would he just––”
“You might think he’s coming back, but what does he care? He’ll just buy
everything new again, with somebody else’s money. He’s done it before. Why should
you be any different? Next week, he’ll have a new victim, a new computer and a whole
set of new clothes, and you’ll get a credit card bill for it. That’s his pattern. He probably
has a removable hard drive with a copy of all his computer files with him, ready for the
next place that welcomes him, no problem!”
Justin remembered the new unopened CDs upstairs, the new clothes, the new
computer. Graz was right. It left a false impression, one that had put both Justin and
Robert at ease. They believed Russ Peterson was coming back, but the ruse bought Peter
Moldavyanni critical time to escape. Robert had been correct when he interpreted the
note. I’ve had a great time living here. Sorry if I inconvenienced you. Russ. The name
Russ Peterson may be nothing but a smoke trail now.
Graz continued, “See, we think Peter visited Hiram at least twice this past
summer. Maybe they got into an argument after Hiram confronted him––we’ll never
know. But there is evidence upstairs in Hiram’s apartment that gave us clues to the
confrontation, a credit card statement that was torn to pieces in anger, and not torn like
you do to throw something away. There’s blood on the paper, so it had to be involved
somehow at the time of the shooting.”
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“Was it the same credit card that Peter used to charge all that stuff in New Hope?”
“The same card. Now Justin, this has become a lot more serious than it was
before. You’ve got to work with me and do it my way. No exceptions. We don’t need any
heroes on this here.”
“I’m just worried about Carl and David. They’re with him. And I just asked David
to find out about what he’s doing tomorrow in Ketchikan. Oh my god, what have I done!”
“You’ve already gone past the limits I set for this. I don’t need to know his plans
tomorrow, because we’ll have him in custody by then.”
“Damn! I’m sorry, Graz. I thought I was doing the right thing. I guess I could try
to call him back.”
“Don’t make any more waves. What’s done is done. I’ve already talked to
security on the ship. They’re going to keep a quiet eye on the situation today, but I want a
professional crime team ready for him, not the ship’s security guys. They could botch the
whole thing.
“The good thing is, for the first time, I’ve got him cornered where he is. I think
his plan is to disappear in Ketchikan, or maybe in the next port in Victoria, BC. I don’t
think he’ll be there for the return to Seattle. He’s too smart not to realize how vulnerable
he is by taking your vacation. But he’ll figure the danger is when he gets back to Seattle,
not up in Southeastern Alaska. I don’t think your friends are in danger. On second
thought, maybe you can reach them and tell them to just back off.”
Justin thought, now is the time for a small confession. “Graz, I think I know
where the murder weapon for Hiram might be. I saw it in the glove compartment of his
car, sort of by accident.”
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“Jeez, why didn’t you tell me this before?”
“I don’t know. I’ve kept it from Robert too, so he wouldn’t worry. I guess he was
right. I didn’t want to believe all this.”
“But see, that’s the tip-off––this guy is a lot more dangerous than the normal
white collar criminal. You should have told me.”
“And what would it have given us? He was already gone when you called, Graz.
He was still one step ahead of you, just like he always was.”
“Yeah, you’re right, it wouldn’t have changed much…it would have just made me
more determined to catch him. But we’ll have a team waiting for him tomorrow. He
won’t get off that boat. Trust me!”
“So how did he get his gun to Alaska? I mean, with security at the airport?”
“I think that weapon is still in his glove compartment, or maybe at the bottom of
the Delaware River outside of New Hope. After you discovered it, he would have gotten
rid of it. Later, when we find his car, we’ll look for it, but it doesn’t play into the situation
right now. Remember, he’s on vacation. He doesn’t need a gun up there, not until he’s on
land and he can buy another one. And he would never have been able to get a weapon on
board the plane or the ship. For now, let’s just look forward to tomorrow and play it my
way. You don’t need to worry about a gun right now.”
“So what can I do?”
“I don’t have a computer guy available to go down to Pennsylvania. But I finally
reached Lieutenant Smythe. In an hour or so, I’m having Smythe come over again from
the New Hope force, and look at those e-mails. We’ll need to see if there are any more
clues in his computer like the communication with Whipper. Smythe will make a copy of
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his hard drive for the trial. Then you can show him the files you found, and call your
friends back this afternoon. But you’ve got to stay in control. Don’t tell them about the
homicide. Just tell them to back off and let us do the rest.”
“I’m worried about Carl and David now. I’ll never forgive myself if I put them in
danger and something happened to them. I’m just glad he isn’t coming back here.”
“You got that right. Call me later, as soon as you know.”
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35
THE ARGUMENT
Justin called Robert to give him an update. Robert was not a happy puppy.
“Justin, this thing keeps getting worse and worse. Now our best friends are in
danger, and something awful could happen to them before you are able to warn them.
You should never have dragged them into this.” Robert’s usual patience was wearing
thin.
“I know. I’m just as worried as you are. But I was only doing what Graz asked me
to do.”
“But he wouldn’t have let you jeopardize our friends if you had told him
yesterday about the gun. And speaking of the gun, you didn’t even tell me. I thought we
were going through this together, and you promised to level with me so we could figure it
out with two heads instead of one.”
“Robert, I’m sorry. I––”
“Sorry? You left out a major, major element––and this is the second time you’ve
done this to me––you think you can’t trust me to be in the loop? What in the hell were
you thinking?” Robert was getting worked up now.
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“But I didn’t want to upset you. I didn’t realize––”
“––that it was only the murder weapon that killed Hiram? Justin, use your head
for once! When you do something so you won’t upset me, you’re just delaying the
inevitable, and when the information finally arrives, it makes it all even worse. Hiram is
dead, Justin. And you just sent Carl and David into the same trap. How could you be so
damn stupid?” This was the second time in a matter of a few days Robert had shouted at
Justin.
“I guess I’ve really fucked up this time. The thing is, unless they can page him, I
don’t think I can reach David again until he gets back to his cabin.” Justin was as near to
tears as he could be. He lay on his bed, looking up at the ceiling fan, rotating as fast as
the whirlwind of trouble he had created.
“Well, you had better make an effort to reach them right now, Justin. No more
delays, no more secrets, no more pretending there just isn’t a problem! You did the same
thing to Carl and David: you give someone half the information, leaving out the main
threat, and then you leave them floundering on their own. Jesus!”
Justin whimpered softly. “So what do you want me to do?”
“I wish you would just drop out of this. Let the authorities handle it from here.
Every time you try to help, you just complicate things. Justin, I don’t know how much
more of this I can take.”
“What do you mean? Robert, I can’t help what happened here. I didn’t create the
monster.”
“No, but you let the monster move in with you. Then you denied he had fangs. I
wish you had let me check his references back in April. This is like a tornado that can’t
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be stopped. And it’s your fault. We’ve lost a great vacation together, cost a lot of money.
It has caused untold stress and aggravation. And it might continue for years until we get
this credit card mess straightened out. We don’t even know what else he might have done
to us yet. The problems may never end.”
The fan seemed to be rotating even faster. Justin had never felt Robert so angry.
In fact, they had never even had an argument in their entire first year together. Robert
normally avoided conflict. And it takes two to fight. If Justin picked a fight, Robert the
psychologist would just walk away, and refuse to engage in battle. Usually.
But Justin had learned from this method as well. He knew Robert was right. There
was little to say. It was useless for him to argue, even for ego points. Perhaps it was best
to just give in, be meek, don’t inflame the situation. With Robert in a rare moment losing
control, humility was his only chance to crawl out of this. He had to recover enough to
get off the phone. If Detective Smythe arrived right now, he would fall apart.
“Robert, you’re absolutely right. I really fucked up. It’s my fault. I’m sorry. But
I’ve got to go. Detective Smythe is coming over in a few minutes to look at Peter’s emails. I’ll call you later. I promise I’ll keep you in the loop fro now on. Please don’t––”
“You know, I don’t know whether I want to hear any more on this subject. I’ve
just about had it. Let’s just cool it for a while. You made me lose control. I can’t handle
this today.” He bellowed the last words through clenched teeth. “I’ve had enough!”
Stay humble, don’t fight back, be meek. “OK, hon. I’m really sorry. I’ll wait for you to
call me tomorrow. You know I love y––” Click. Justin felt sick, like he was going to
throw up. Once again, there was too little effort, coming way too late. Deep inside, Justin
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knew this could be very serious. He loved Robert. Losing him would be the worst thing
that had ever happened to him.