Missing Presumed Lost

by Fred Lockwood

  The four of them, plus the skipper and his mate, sat around the large fixed table in the main cabin. Jack summed up the findings.

  ‘One: we found the Pharmaco and have her GPS co-ordinates.

  ‘Two: we have also found the bodies of two guys and their hostesses.

  ‘Three: we have a detailed photographic record of the scene.

  ‘Four: I reckon we could refloat the boat and have it towed back to the marina. If we are stuck here we may as well be working,’ he added.

  ‘I suggest we contact Mrs Kovačić, and tell her the bad news and ask if she can convey the GPS co-ordinates to the authorities,’ he concluded.

  Chapter 8

  From horror to hassle

  The twin engines of the catamaran bubbled softly as the boat slid over the sand and shingle bar that protected the secluded bay. It was early evening and they had just enough water above the bar to leave. It was a lovely evening, the sea was now calm and they would have a pleasant return journey to the dock. They would all be in bed well before midnight, job done.

  Jack didn’t want to broadcast the news of the Pharmaco over the open marine radio; somehow it seemed irreverent. There was no cell phone coverage in the bay and so Jack had used the satellite phone to contact Mrs Kovačić. She had been extremely upset by the news but said she would alert the authorities immediately. Just before Jack rang off she arranged to meet him and the others at the dock at midday. Mrs Kovačić had a number of phone calls to make.

  The mood was sombre on the return leg. The skipper and his mate stood side by side on the bridge but didn’t appear to be speaking to each other. It hadn’t taken Jack, Sandro and Will very long to rinse the gear and either hang it up to dry or repack it. They avoided any discussion of the bodies they had left tethered inside the sailboat and spoke instead about how it could be salvaged. At one point Sandro started to talk about earning US$15,000 in a day but quickly stopped. Again, it seemed insensitive to celebrate their search and recovery trip when others had died.

  The catamaran glided through the harbour entrance and skirted the protective wall as it made its way into the marina. They slid past the moored sailboats and cruisers as they entered the channel that would take them to the dock. In a practised manoeuvre the skipper swung the cat around and moved the engines into reverse even though the boat was still moving forwards. He then guided it back towards their berth. All of this was observed by the man laid prone on the gantry at the top of the dockside crane. He had been waiting several hours for them to return. The gantry that linked the two end frames of the crane was edged with a metal checker plate to stop anyone stepping off. It created a perfect hidden vantage point to observe the return of the cat and those on it. The observer had heard the catamaran before he saw it. As the boat got closer, with his night vision binoculars, he could pick out each person on the boat.

  A slim figure, the mate, stepped off the bow of the boat and flicked a mooring line over a dockside bollard. He could hear the increase in revs as the boat pulled against the hawser and the stern moved dockside. The mate picked up another line and secured the rear of the boat before stepping back on board. The observer made a note of the time; it was seven minutes past midnight. There was some discussion between the men on the rear of the boat. Even though he couldn't hear what was said it looked as though the captain was encouraging the others to leave. He then watched as the men shook hands and waved goodbye, leaving the mate and the captain on the rear of the boat. He increased the magnification and focused on those leaving the boat. He could confirm they were only carrying small grips and rucksacks, nothing that could hold a large aluminium briefcase.

  He switched his focus back to the boat. At first he thought he had lost them but then saw them stepping out of the main cabin and onto the rear deck. He continued to watch as they lifted a large case and carried it back inside the boat. A few minutes later the lights on the boat went out and they emerged on deck. He guessed the captain was locking the doors to the main cabin but couldn't really see. However, they both stepped off the boat and started to walk away. The mate was carrying what looked like a small shopping bag, the captain an old duffle bag. These were too small to hold a briefcase. He made a note of the time and swiped his mobile phone. It was time to report.

  The observer waited another hour in case anyone returned to the boat; no one did. He then waited until the night watchman completed his walk along the dock. As the night watchman turned the corner he swiped the mobile phone again, punched in the number and in a soft voice said:

  ‘Ready to leave.’

  ‘Ready to take over,’ was the reply.

  The observer took a final scan of the dock and began to make his way down to the dockside and back to his car. He had one more phone call to make.

  The men fitting out the cabins appeared to have made little progress. However, Marco confirmed that the company installing the galley, dining room and meeting room would be arriving tomorrow. He estimated they would complete the job in two or three days. Shaun and Patrick were the ones who had made most progress and Jack told them so. The yellow paintwork on the huge Caterpillar engines gleamed and the polished metal propulsion shafts glistened with their coating of oil. Whilst the main bulkheads and panels inside the engine bay had been painted a dull grey, everything else was colourful. The walkways were painted navy blue and the safety rails brilliant red! It seemed in the last few days the engine room had come alive.

  ‘We ran the engines for an hour yesterday and they were as sweet as a nut,’ said Shaun with a hint of pride.

  ‘All the temperatures and pressures were spot on,’ Patrick added. ‘We also checked the movement on the shafts with a fixed Vernier micrometer and the needle hardly flickered. The guys who put these engines in did a great job,' he concluded.

  Shaun slapped his hand onto the side of one of the engine covers and in a proud tone said:

  ‘These little babies will push you along at a good twenty-eight knots without missing a beat. All we have to do now is fit the two generators and we are ready to go. All the wiring is in place and ready for final connection and testing.’

  Shaun and Patrick were about to carry on, no doubt extolling the virtues of the new Caterpillar engines, when there was a shout from above; they had visitors.

  Jack glanced at his watch and realised it was midday; it must be Mrs Kovačić. The white Mercedes was in the same spot as before; the big guy in the dark suit was stood by one of the rear doors waiting to let Mrs Kovačić out. Sandro was waiting at the top of the walkway. Together they shuffled down it and walked towards the waiting car. Mrs Kovačić must have spotted them because she timed her exit perfectly. To Jack’s surprise she hugged Sandro and then himself, planting a big kiss on each of their cheeks. Breaking away she grabbed his hand and held it in both of her own. Her eyes flicked between the pair of them.

  ‘Jack, Sandro, I’m so grateful to you for finding the Pharmaco. It must have been terrible locating the bodies of my friends. I can’t thank you enough,’ she blurted out in melodramatic fashion.

  She turned to the large, suited man who was standing immediately behind her and held out her hand. The body of the man remained stationary as his arm moved to retrieve a fat brown envelope from the inside of his jacket. He handed it to Mrs Kovačić.

  ‘I’m a woman of my word,’ she said as she handed the envelope to Jack. ‘Fifteen thousand US dollars as promised and my thanks,’ she added.

  Jack was taken aback as he looked at Sandro. It wasn’t every day that someone handed him so much cash, in a brown paper envelope, on a dock. This was making their enforced stay in Split much more pleasurable!

  ‘There’s another thing you can help me with,’ she added with a broad smile, a smile at odds with the sadness she had displayed moments before. ‘I’ve been in touch with the insurance company about salvaging the sailboat. They have an agent here in Split and are happy to offer you a contract to salvage it.’

  Jack gave a little laugh and returned th
e smile from Mrs Kovačić and turned to face Sandro. Last night, on the way back, they had been sitting around talking through how they would salvage the sailboat, given the chance. They all knew that because the damage to the sailboat looked minimal, the insurance company would be keen to undertake the salvage as quickly as possible. By doing so they would reduce the size of the claim. There was also the interesting dilemma about who owned the salvage rights! There was no written contract between Mrs Kovačić and the Marine Salvage & Investigation Company. She had asked them to look for the boat and the people on board. There was no mention of salvage. Her apparent request for help could well be a ploy to avoid any salvage claim and to retain ownership of the boat. Mrs Kovačić had been generous despite chameleon-like changes in emotion.

  Jack looked directly at Sandro and with a gesture that indicated “what do you think?” Sandro returned the gesture with a flick of his head, indicating they should step aside for a moment and talk about it.

  ‘Er,’ muttered Jack as he feigned surprise. ‘Do you mind if Sandro and I have a brief chat? Finding the Pharmaco is one thing, bringing it to the surface and back to the marina is another.’

  Mrs Kovačić partly turned her body towards the man behind her and held out her hand again. The response was repeated as he handed her another brown envelop; this time it looked quite slim.

  ‘I took the liberty of telling the agent about you,' she said. 'Here is a copy of the contract they are offering. I do hope you will do it whilst you wait for work on your ship to be finished,' she added.

  Jack slowly accepted the envelope and turned to look at Sandro and then back to Mrs Kovačić.

  'We will read through it straight away and give you and the agent a ring as soon as we can,' said Jack.

  Mrs Kovačić gave Jack a strange smile, a smile that he couldn't immediately interpret. She turned towards the rear door to the Mercedes, it was opened for her and she stepped inside. Moments later the car eased away from the dockside.

  As they watched it disappear Sandro turned to Jack and whispered:

  'What's the phrase? If a deal sounds too good to be true then it probably is! Has it struck you how Mrs Kovačić seems to get everything she wants and how people do her favours? She gets us to search for her boat and friends and we are offered a catamaran and crew to undertake it. She wants us to salvage her sailboat and the insurance agent offers us a contract. It looks like there will be no tender, no competition. It wouldn't surprise me if there was something else she wanted. Did you notice the way she looked at you before she left? I reckon she is after your body,' Sandro announced with a big grin.

  'She certainly seems to have some influence around here,' replied Jack. 'And if she wants my body she will have to join the queue,' he added with a smile.

  Jack and Sandro were sitting at the dining table in the galley of the Sultano, opposite each other. They had read the salvage contract and it looked attractive, not generous but attractive. Sandro's initial apprehension was being dispelled. Their main problem was having no boat to support the salvage operation. The agent was obviously aware of this and had included a clause that would provide such a support boat as part of a separate contract. Sandro guessed that Marco would suddenly appear with his catamaran and crew! Essentially all Jack and Sandro had to do was liaise with the support boat, assemble the kit they needed, raise the sailboat and tow it back to the marina. The question was, could they do this before the Sultano was ready for final sea trials? If they could get a quick answer from the insurer, and assemble the kit within the next forty-eight hours, the answer was yes. They had signed the salvage contract with the insurers and almost finished listing the kit and special equipment they would need when Kev ducked into the galley.

  'Jack, Sandro, there are a couple of policemen on the dockside. They want a word with you,' he said.

  Chapter 9

  Helping the police with their enquiries

  Jack and Sandro eased themselves away from the table and started to make their way to the dockside. They were not surprised by the arrival of the police. They both guessed that the bodies of those who had been on board the sailboat would have been recovered and that a police investigation was under way. Since Jack and Sandro had discovered the bodies they expected to make a statement to the authorities at some time. However, any thought that these police officers came to thank them for their effort in locating the sailboat and the bodies was immediately dispelled.

  The tone and manner of the policemen in front of them were not what Jack and Sandro were expecting. In a very formal and impersonal way the officer asked if they would answer some questions to "help in their enquiries about the loss of the Pharmaco and the death of those on board". Jack almost smiled at the phrase because it sounded like some TV programme where the policeman confronts the suspect. But he immediately suppressed any smile – the expression on both the faces of the policemen suggested none of this was amusing.

  'Perhaps we could find a place to sit and go through our questions,' he asked in near perfect English as he looked up at the Sultano.

  Sandro invited them on board. Once they were sitting around the dining table Jack asked how he and Sandro could help them. The policeman who was doing all the talking took a cream manila file from his briefcase and asked:

  'Could you describe how you searched the interior of the sailboat Pharmaco?'

  His colleague, also with a file in front of him, was poised to take notes. Despite thinking this was an odd way to derive a statement Jack and Sandro described how they had systematically searched the interior of the boat and discovered the bodies of those on board. The police officer sat impassively whilst his colleague scribbled away. Towards the end of the account Jack explained how he had asked Will to collect two safety straps. He went on to describe how he had secured the two bodies of the women before returning to the catamaran and phoning Mrs Kovačić with the sad news and request that she contact the authorities.

  The police officer seemed to ponder the account for what seemed a long time, but was probably only seconds. He then extracted an envelope from the folder and held it in his hands before he asked the next question:

  'Mr Collier, Mr Calovarlo, did you remove anything from the sailboat Pharmaco? Anything at all?'

  For a moment Jack was stunned by the implication.

  ‘Looting the dead, grave robbing, you can’t be serious,’ he replied.

  Then he was indignant!

  'We removed nothing, nothing at all. Indeed, Mrs Kovačić was insistent that we merely locate the sailboat and the whereabouts of the people on board. Apart from securing the bodies of the two women we touched nothing,' challenged Jack in a tone and manner that matched that of the policeman.

  'So how do you account for this?' asked the officer as he carefully extracted numerous photographs from the envelope and spread them on the table directly in front of Jack and Sandro. 'These photographs were taken at the time the bodies were recovered.'

  At first Jack wasn't even sure the photographs were of the interior of the Pharmaco! He struggled to reconcile the photos in front of him with his memory of the scene. He and Sandro began sifting through the groups of photos trying to make sense of them. Sandro picked up four photos that he reckoned were taken inside the for'ard cabin. The place was a shambles. He remembered the cabin looking so neat with the mattress still wedged in place, a single sheet floating in the water and a single cupboard door open. The photos showed all the cupboards open with clothes and debris everywhere. The mattress was now free from the base and floated above the scene alongside discarded belongings. There was no body in the for'ard cabin so no need to rip the place apart. Sandro looked at the policeman.

  'The boat has been ransacked. It is clear to me that you, or someone, was looking for something. Did you find it?' stated the policeman.

  'We removed nothing,' Jack confirmed forcibly. 'All we took were photos… in fact we can show you all the photos we took together with an audio file of our description of the scene as
we explored and photographed it.'

  Jack was now warming to his task and in an aggressive tone went on:

  ‘The photos will each have a date and time log attached to them and so we can trace every minute we were inside the boat. We can compare that to the time I phoned Mrs Kovačić. There is no way we could have ransacked the boat! Why would we?' Jack asked.

  There was little or no reaction from the policeman. He merely turned to another collection of papers in his folder and asked:

  'You said you sent your accomplice, Will Mayor, away to collect some safety straps. How long was he away and what did you do whilst he was gone?'

  'I did not send an accomplice anywhere,' retorted Jack. 'Will Mayor is an employee of our company and was acting as safety. He was outside the sailboat cabin and ready in case any problems emerged. I repeat, I wanted to ensure the bodies of the two women didn't move from inside the sailboat. Securing them to points inside the boat was the obvious way to do this. I didn't want to disturb anything on the boat so decided to use our own straps. Will must have been gone less than five minutes.'

  Jack paused to collect his thoughts. Then, in the same tone, he turned on the police inspector and challenged:

  'Have you ever discovered the body of a drowned woman inside a sunken sailboat? It's pitch black, a torch is almost useless because the viz is less than half a metre and there's debris all around that can snag you. Have you ever had to think of when a predator will come to feast off the remains?'