Snatched!: A Kate and Craig Suspense Story

By Charles Boeckman

The daughter of a Texas mayor is kidnapped. Enter Private Investigators Kate McHaney and Craig Dawson. Their job-Find the kidnappers and get the girl home safely. But murder happens. Twice. And bullets fly, both at and from the tumultuous partnership of McHaney and Dawson. A partnership that has led them through marriage, divorce, in and out of each other’s arms, and may just end up getting them killed! In 1945, Charles Boeckman sold his first pulp story. Boeckman, age 93, still regularly produces highly rated mystery stories. SNATCHED! A KATE AND CRAIG SUSPENSE STORY By Charles Boeckman from Pro Se Productions is the first adventure of a pair of private eyes with much more in common than mystery and murder. In a Boeckman tale, action comes fast, one darn thing after another. SNATCHED! is a perfect example of Boeckman’s style. The mayor’s teenage daughter is kidnapped as she gets out of high school one afternoon. That presents problem number one for two Private Eyes, Kate McHaney and Craig Dawson. Find the kidnappers. But the problems keep on coming. A murder. And then a second murder. Sprinkle in a few shootouts when Craig blazes away with a pistol in each hand. Add in the love/hate relationship between Kate and Craig that keeps them entangled with one another. All that and more mixes together to make SNATCHED! A KATE AND CRAIG SUSPENSE STORY, the first volume in a new series by Charles Boeckman, is a sure fire New Pulp Classic right off the shelf.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Pro Se Press
• Release date: May 8, 2014

Charles Boeckman

Charles Boeckman is a native Texan. He grew up during the Great Depression when there was no money for music lessons. Fortunately, everyone in his family played a musical instrument. Those were the days of the big bands and their sounds were on all the A.M. radio stations. Hearing Bennie Goodman and Artie Shaw, he fell in love with the clarinet. He found a fingering chart for the clarinet and taught himself to play that instrument. To get a job on a big band in those days, a reed man was expected to play both saxophone and clarinet, so he also taught himself to play saxophone. The year he graduated from high school, in 1938, he played his first professional job in a South Texas country dance hall. He continued playing weekend jobs in dance halls all over South Texas until the mid 1940’s, when he moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, and played as a sideman in bands in that city. In the 1970’s he formed his own New Orleans style Dixieland jazz band, which became quite popular. He still plays in the Texas Jazz Festival every October. In recognition of his many years on the music scene in the area, he was awarded a star in the South Texas Music Walk of Fame in June of 2009.While music has been a part of his career, his main occupation has been that of a professional writer. He has had dozens of books and hundreds of short stories published all over the world He uses his music background as setting for many of his mystery stories. In 1965, he married Patti Kennelly, a school teacher. With Charles’ help, she also became a writer. At this writing, they have been happily married for 46 years. They have a daughter and two grandchildren. In the 1980’s they collaborated on a series of 26 Harlequin Romance novels that sold world wide over two million copies.More about Charles Boeckman’s career can be found on his web site, charlesboeckman.com.

Book preview

Chapter 1

Kate was flying at 7,000 feet when the red biplane came out of the sun and swooped around behind her. She thought, what a pretty shade of red. Made her think of the pictures she had seen of the World War 1 fighting ace, the Red Baron.

Suddenly, she heard the rattle of machine gun fire. Bullets whipped around her. Her head jerked around. She saw the machine gun mounted on the top wing of the biplane behind her. It was aimed at her and blazing away.

Good Lord. Am I in a dogfight? Is this 1917 all of a sudden? She was so rattled she could barely think.

Her primitive survival instinct sprang to life, and, without thinking about the consequences, she banked into a nearby cloud for safety. She shuddered at the possibility that another aircraft that she couldn’t see might be bearing down on her in the white blanket of fog. But at that moment, the cloud seemed a remote danger compared to some nut she could see who was shooting at her. Warily, she hid in the mist until she felt she had put enough distance between her and the idiot with the machine gun. From there it wasn’t far to her private landing strip.

It was with considerable relief, when she exited the clouds, that she saw no sign of the red biplane.

A few minutes later the wheels of her Cessna touched the runway. With her hands still shaking, her palms sweaty, she taxied up to the small hangar building, switched off the engine, and got out of the plane. She was stomping mad and totally stunned at the same time. What just happened couldn’t possibly have just happened. Am I losing my mind? She quickly began circling the plane, looking for bullet holes. She saw Pete Rechinski, her mechanic and general handy man, coming toward her from the business office in the hangar.

He tipped his Stetson. Ms McHaney. Have a nice flight? Did you find Mr. Dawson?

The mention of her ex-husband's name made Kate's insides boil. Through her clenched teeth she said, No, he wasn't at any of his usual hangouts in San Antonio.

Then she changed the subject. You won't believe what I’m going to tell you. A few miles from here, some maniac in a red biplane who thinks he's Baron von Richthofen fired a machine gun volley at me.

Pete blinked at her. "What? Did I hear you right? And who is Baron von Richthofen?

He was a famous flying ace in the First World War. Most of the Allies used camouflage painting on their fighter planes. Richthofen painted his Fokker triplane a bright red. I guess it was his way of thumbing his nose at the enemy. He was finally shot down. In the Peanuts comic strip Snoopy, Charlie Brown's dog, imagines he gets in dogfights with the Red Baron.

Oh, yeah, I've seen that. But what's that about someone taking shots at you?

She shook her head. I can’t believe it, but it did happen. I didn't recognize him. He was in a red biplane, open cockpit job. He was wearing goggles and a helmet. He had a machine gun mounted on one wing!

Pete's face paled. Gosh, Ms McHaney. You could have got killed.

She felt a cold chill run through her body. Maybe that was the whole idea. I wonder if it had something to do with the new case we’ve taken on. She paused for a moment to get a grip on her shattered nerves. Well, first I’m going to report this to the sheriff. Then I’m going to pay a visit to Catfish Charlie. He’s one of my ex-husband's best friends. If anyone would know where he’s gone on his latest binge, it would be Charlie. Meanwhile, I'd like for you to check the Cessna for any bullet holes. Then refuel and have the plane ready for flight again in case I need to use it.

Her extended cab pickup truck was parked in the hangar. It was old and beat up but had a powerful V/8 engine that would take her through any kind of terrain in any kind of weather. Behind the main seat was a bench seat for a passenger. A Winchester rifle was clamped in a frame at the rear window.

From there it was a short drive into the Gulf Coast town of Port Laguna where the private detective office of McHaney and Dawson was located. But she would not be heading there yet. Instead, she first stopped at the sheriff’s office to report the attack on her plane. The sheriff was just as stunned as she had been but took her report and promised to look into it. Then she headed to Catfish Charlie’s Place.

Catfish Charlie Kirk was one of Kate’s more colorful neighbors. He was also her landlord. He owned the houseboat on the Intracoastal Canal where she had lived since she divorced Craig Dawson. Charlie’s establishment was a ramshackle building at the end of a rickety pier. He had decorated the place with fish nets, drift wood in all shapes, sea shells, and fishing floats, all to provide atmosphere for tourists.

The music of Count Basie filled the room. It came from a huge, neon lighted jukebox. The Wurlitzer, like Catfish Charlie, was an anachronism from another age. It was one of less than 4,000 made. Catfish Charlie had been offered big bucks for the machine but he turned down the offers. He refused to play anything but music from the big band era, which he said sounded best on one of those rare old Wurlitzers.

Catfish Charlie served the best popcorn shrimp on the waterfront. He was somewhere in his late seventies. He was tough as a boot and sunburned to a saddle brown leather hue with a contrasting crown of thick white hair. He had an old world courtly air and charm that wouldn’t quit. According to him, he had led a colorful life, ranging from a career as a Texas Ranger to serving as a paratrooper in Vietnam. He claimed to have been everywhere and done everything. Kate suspected he never let the truth stand in the way of a good story. Just half the things he claimed to have done would make a great novel.

As soon as Kate walked in and sat at a booth where she could see the water, Charlie brought a plate of fresh fried shrimp and a large glass of cold beer.

Hi, kid. How’s my favorite lady private eye? Charlie had a voice like a diesel engine in low gear.

Kate swallowed some of the beer. How am I? Tired, hungry and disgusted. I’ve been to all the dives in San Antonio where my one time husband often hangs out. He wasn’t in any of them.

Sounds like you have a new case.

Craig didn’t tell you? I was sure he did.

Nope. Cross my heart.

He was probably so drunk he forgot to mention it, she said through her clenched teeth. She took another swallow of the beer. This is a really big one, Charlie. The biggest McHaney and Dawson have had in a long time. The mayor’s daughter has been kidnapped.

Oh, yeah, I read something about that in the newspaper. She’s in high school. The paper said she was snatched right after her last class.

Yeah, it’s terrible, Charlie. Young girl like that grabbed up and terrified for her life. Her parents out of their mind with fear. The local news doesn’t have all of the story. You know, of course, Mayor Justin is planning a run for governor of Texas next fall. Running against him will be DeVito Alozondo. So there’s a heavy political angle to the story.

Charlie Kirk gave a low whistle. DeVito Alozondo. Close ties to the Mafia. Wow. That could get nasty. You know I was sheriff in this town for several years. I was defeated by one of DeVito Alozondo’s handpicked boys. Our law enforcement is under Alozondo’s thumb. He controls drugs, prostitution, you name it. He has close ties to the South American drug lords.

Yeah, Kate said. "That’s it exactly. The mayor doesn’t think he can trust the local police. Of course, since a kidnapping is involved, the FBI has an interest in the case. But the mayor also knows about Craig’s and my reputation in kidnapping cases in the past. He and Craig are friends and he knows that we aren’t controlled by Alozondo’s crooks. He knows Craig was once a CIA agent.

Charlie, I hate to admit this, but I need Craig on this case. I wouldn’t tell him this, but he can be very sharp if he’s sober. Because of his days in the CIA, he has all kinds of contacts all over the country, both lawful and crooked. I’m in over my head this time. If you know where he’s gone, please tell me. If not for me, do it for the mayor’s family and the law abiding folks in this city.

Catfish Charlie Kirk squirmed a bit, looking uncomfortable. Kate, if I knew, I certainly would tell you, but you know Craig Dawson. Well, I guess you do know him. You were married to him, so you know when he goes on one of his drinking binges, he keeps his location to himself. I haven’t the slightest notion where he might be. Wherever it is, you can bet there’s a hot jazz band involved and Craig is on piano.

Yes, that fits his description, she said bitterly You forgot to mention he’s also got a quart of sour mash whisky with him.

Wait a minute. You said the mayor doesn’t trust the local police to find his kidnapped daughter? Are you implying that the kidnapping is a political thing? You think Mayor Justin believes DeVito Alozondo had his daughter snatched to force him to drop his plan to run for governor?

Exactly what he believes, and he’s pinning his hopes on our private eye firm to find out where his daughter is being held.

Charlie gave a low whistle. This is heavy stuff. I can see why you need Craig to help you. Going back to his CIA days, he has more underworld contacts than DeVito Alozando has. He could locate where they are holding the daughter.

Yes, if we can get Craig sober long enough to help do what we need. He might even be able to find out who the nut was in a red biplane that fired a machine gun at me this afternoon.

A machine gun? Holy Mackerel, Kate! What have you gotten yourself into?

That’s what I’m going to try to find out. That’s another reason I need to find Craig. Kate knew Catfish Charlie had quite a few shady friends of his own, one of which might have a clue as to where Craig was holed up. I’m going to stop by our office in town and then I’m going out to my houseboat to spend the night. If you get any leads of where Craig may be, please call me on my cell phone.

She finished the shrimp and beer. Then she gave Charlie a parting hug and went out to her pickup truck. She drove to her office. By now their secretary would have locked up and left for the night. Once inside, she rifled through some mail on her desk and then checked her telephone. There were several recorded phone messages of no interest. Then one grabbed her immediate attention.

It was from an attorney. His name was Chester Wharton, This message is for Ms Kate McHaney. My client, Mr. Craig Dawson, asked me to contact Ms Kate McHaney, whom he described as a business partner, and advise her that he has been arrested and needs money immediately for fines and bail. Please call me at this number. The lawyer gave his phone number.

Kate dialed the number. It was promptly answered by a man’s voice saying, Wharton, Davis, and Cleaves, Attorneys at Law. Chester Wharton speaking.

Kate gave her name and said she had just arrived at her