Read Online Fool's Flight (Digger) by Warren Murphy - Free Book Online
Authors: Warren Murphy
Ads: Link
buildings."
"And that’s about all you can do. Half the city is townies and the other half is gownies. All the college kids, the males anyway, are gay. The girls all have three names and no brains. So much for one’s college compatriots. And then, the townies. The Irish hate the Italians. Both of them hate the blacks. The blacks hate everybody. All of them hate anybody from out of town. Some cities, some sections, you can’t drive through at night. Most of Boston, you can’t drive through in the daytime. I left after a year and came back to Lauderdale and no big deal, I answered an ad in the paper for a Girl Friday. Christ, I hate that title. Mr. Baker hired me. He was just starting the airline."
"You didn’t invest in it, did you?"
"Why, you trying to unload some swamp land?"
"No, do I look like the type? No, it’s just that Baker looks a little underfinanced to me and I was wondering how he gets the money to start an air-line."
"He used to be in some kind of big management job in New York. He got some investors together. They bought up an old Florida airline and changed the name and bought some used planes. But business hasn’t been very good. I think his investors are breathing down his neck."
"They do that when they don’t get any return on their money. When’d that all happen?"
"Almost three years. I’ve been here since the start."
"And now, you’re going to be in on the finish?"
"What do you mean?"
"A missing plane, presumed crashed, isn’t going to flood your airline with business, is it?"
"No. And, of course, it’s a tragedy, but I…I don’t know…."
"You don’t know what?"
"If the insurance company pays off, I think Mr. Baker would buy some good equipment. Better planes. Somehow I think…you know, I don’t know anything, but somehow I think…I’ve heard him talking sometimes and I think some more money into the company could help us turn the corner."
"There’s a good side to everything?" Digger said.
"You make it sound heartless. I don’t mean it like that."
"I know, but has Mr. Baker ever talked about buying another plane?"
"Only all the time. Will you be able to help him get his insurance, Elmo?"
"I’m going to try. But I’ve got my own job to do, too."
"I never did figure out what your job is."
"Didn’t Mr. Baker tell you?"
"Only that you had something to do with life insurance on the passengers?"
Digger nodded. "The pilot too. Just checking out claims, all detail work. I’ve got to talk to the co-pilot and the stewardess and then I’ll about have a wrap on this."
"They weren’t even on the flight."
"I know, but you know how insurance companies are. Paper work. Talk, talk, talk. Write, write, write. When the pile of paper costs more than the claim, pay the claim. What was that co-pilot’s name?"
"Randy Batchelor."
"Is that a name or a title?"
She giggled. "Both, I guess. He just got back this morning. Melanie, too."
"That’s the stew," Digger said.
"Ah, yes. Melanie Fox. The Queen of the Skies. One of our stewardi. Or flight attendants, as she’ll be sure to tell you."
"How do I reach them?" Digger asked.
She paused, a forkful of salad hovering near her mouth. "I don’t know," she said. "I don’t think…"
"Listen, Jane, I’ll tell you something I didn’t even tell Baker. Steve Donnelly filled out some kind of insurance form with us, but there’s a mix-up on the beneficiary. His wife and his kids have a chance of not winding up with a dime. I’m trying to straighten that out. Maybe Randy and Melanie can help."
She chewed slowly as she thought.
"Well, call me at the office and I’ll give you their addresses."
"One other thing and it’s really important," Digger said. "Steve’s medical record."
"Oh, I couldn’t do that," she said.
"Just take a peek at it and let me know what’s in it. Maybe there’s some kind of insurance examination from some time back. It might help his wife. And those poor sweet little boys."
"All right, I’ll try.
"And that’s about all you can do. Half the city is townies and the other half is gownies. All the college kids, the males anyway, are gay. The girls all have three names and no brains. So much for one’s college compatriots. And then, the townies. The Irish hate the Italians. Both of them hate the blacks. The blacks hate everybody. All of them hate anybody from out of town. Some cities, some sections, you can’t drive through at night. Most of Boston, you can’t drive through in the daytime. I left after a year and came back to Lauderdale and no big deal, I answered an ad in the paper for a Girl Friday. Christ, I hate that title. Mr. Baker hired me. He was just starting the airline."
"You didn’t invest in it, did you?"
"Why, you trying to unload some swamp land?"
"No, do I look like the type? No, it’s just that Baker looks a little underfinanced to me and I was wondering how he gets the money to start an air-line."
"He used to be in some kind of big management job in New York. He got some investors together. They bought up an old Florida airline and changed the name and bought some used planes. But business hasn’t been very good. I think his investors are breathing down his neck."
"They do that when they don’t get any return on their money. When’d that all happen?"
"Almost three years. I’ve been here since the start."
"And now, you’re going to be in on the finish?"
"What do you mean?"
"A missing plane, presumed crashed, isn’t going to flood your airline with business, is it?"
"No. And, of course, it’s a tragedy, but I…I don’t know…."
"You don’t know what?"
"If the insurance company pays off, I think Mr. Baker would buy some good equipment. Better planes. Somehow I think…you know, I don’t know anything, but somehow I think…I’ve heard him talking sometimes and I think some more money into the company could help us turn the corner."
"There’s a good side to everything?" Digger said.
"You make it sound heartless. I don’t mean it like that."
"I know, but has Mr. Baker ever talked about buying another plane?"
"Only all the time. Will you be able to help him get his insurance, Elmo?"
"I’m going to try. But I’ve got my own job to do, too."
"I never did figure out what your job is."
"Didn’t Mr. Baker tell you?"
"Only that you had something to do with life insurance on the passengers?"
Digger nodded. "The pilot too. Just checking out claims, all detail work. I’ve got to talk to the co-pilot and the stewardess and then I’ll about have a wrap on this."
"They weren’t even on the flight."
"I know, but you know how insurance companies are. Paper work. Talk, talk, talk. Write, write, write. When the pile of paper costs more than the claim, pay the claim. What was that co-pilot’s name?"
"Randy Batchelor."
"Is that a name or a title?"
She giggled. "Both, I guess. He just got back this morning. Melanie, too."
"That’s the stew," Digger said.
"Ah, yes. Melanie Fox. The Queen of the Skies. One of our stewardi. Or flight attendants, as she’ll be sure to tell you."
"How do I reach them?" Digger asked.
She paused, a forkful of salad hovering near her mouth. "I don’t know," she said. "I don’t think…"
"Listen, Jane, I’ll tell you something I didn’t even tell Baker. Steve Donnelly filled out some kind of insurance form with us, but there’s a mix-up on the beneficiary. His wife and his kids have a chance of not winding up with a dime. I’m trying to straighten that out. Maybe Randy and Melanie can help."
She chewed slowly as she thought.
"Well, call me at the office and I’ll give you their addresses."
"One other thing and it’s really important," Digger said. "Steve’s medical record."
"Oh, I couldn’t do that," she said.
"Just take a peek at it and let me know what’s in it. Maybe there’s some kind of insurance examination from some time back. It might help his wife. And those poor sweet little boys."
"All right, I’ll try.
Similar Books
