Harry shook his head. “I have a better idea. Come with me to get Joe and I’ll treat you both to lunch.”
“Sounds good, and it means you’re fishing for information. Give me a couple minutes to clean up.”
Five minutes later they were on the way to Joe’s little trailer near the waterfront. “Do you remember hearing anything about a Samuel White when you were growing up?” Harry asked.
“Like what?”
“Bertie is doing family research for his granddaughter. If you knew, or heard, anything about him, she would be grateful,” Harry said.
“I remember him,” Silas said. “Everyone who knew him called him Uncle Sammy. He was good friends with my grandfather, so I saw him often. I can give you several stories about him.”
Harry shook his head. “Bertie will contact you. She has a better head for putting this stuff together than I do.”
Silas laughed. “Maybe so, but your head is pretty good at other things.”
Harry pulled up beside Joe’s place and got out of the truck “This won’t take long.” He walked over and opened the door. “Hey, Joe! Interested in a free lunch?”
“Right behind you.” Joe was in the doorway before Harry got down off the step. “That Silas in the truck?”
“He’s coming, too,” Harry said.
Joe grinned. “One of those lunches…”
“What do you mean by that?” Harry pulled the truck out onto the street.
“Brain probing.”
“Oh, that’s a good one,” Silas said, and they both laughed.
“Not funny,” Harry said. “Maybe I should make you pay for your own lunches.”
“No lunch… no info,” Joe said.
Harry laughed and shook his head. “Okay, so I’m looking for information. Joe, do you know anything about Samuel White? He would have been around your grandfather’s time.”
“Can’t say I do,” Joe replied.
“Okay, you’re off the hook on that. Silas, it looks like you’ll be the only one talking to Bertie. You can work out the details with her.”
“That’s it?” Joe asked. “Too easy.”
“There’s more.” Harry pulled into the parking lot of the diner. “I’ll wait until after we order.” Joe and Silas followed him to a corner table and sat down. After their order was taken, they both looked at Harry.
“Start talking,” Joe said.
Harry told them about his meeting with Gary Martin. “Do you guys know him and do you think he could be doing something illegal?”
Both men shook their heads.
“I’ve known him and his family all my life,” Silas said. “He comes from a good family. I’ve never heard anything bad about any of them.”
Joe nodded in agreement. “One thing… he’s nervous… always was.”
Silas nodded. “Superstitious too. He’ll walk around the block just to avoid having a black cat cross his path.”
“Are you serious?” Harry raised his eyebrows as he looked at them.
Joe nodded. “Carries a rabbit’s foot…”
“And don’t ever let him see you put an umbrella up inside,” Silas said.
“Friday the thirteenth,” Joe added. “Won’t leave the house.”
Harry rubbed his chin. “That brings up another possibility. I assume he believes in ghosts.” They both nodded. and Harry said, “Perhaps he saw – or heard – something he couldn’t explain.”
“Would spook him,” Joe said, “big time…”
