Caribbean Fire

by Rick Murcer

  “Please call and get them. I need to know.”

  Munoz began to dial.

  “One more thing. You said two of the murder victims were on Emmerson’s staff.”

  “Yes,” he answered, putting the phone to his ear.

  “There was a third. The woman who died at the site from scorpion stings, right?”

  Munoz nodded.

  “I need to know her name.”

  CHAPTER-49

  Confession was good for the soul. He’d heard that. Yet in his life, there had never been a time when he deemed it necessary.

  Confessing a sin would entail guilt.

  Not the type of superficial culpability one experienced at the hand of someone who believed you purposely caused them pain. Most people were simply unaware of how their actions could affect others. In most cases of hurt feelings and misplaced revenge, there was no real merciless intent. In his experience, for the most part, cruelty was reserved for the wicked.

  He never felt wicked. Not like the people he’d sent to hell. They’d placed ill-gotten gain ahead of human life. There was no excuse for that. None.

  That had all changed hours ago. When, in his panic, his blind rage, he’d killed an innocent man.

  The bitch in the back seat of the cab had been a willing participant in the actions that had separated him from her. She’d gone along with the others, and for what? Money?

  She got what she so richly deserved.

  He bowed his head, reaching out to touch the stone in front of him.

  The driver, who imagined he was helping a woman in need, had died because of it. If the driver had known the truth, he would have left her on that dirt road and lived another day.

  That’s not what happened. So he’d been forced to kill the driver to finish what he started. As much as he hated the term, the driver had indeed been “collateral damage,” and for that, he did carry a certain amount of guilt.

  Yet, he’d do it again, because, in the end, justice was painted in many lights. He’d created his own and would live with it. The bigger picture had been satisfied. Was that not more important? His mollified vengeance said so.

  So be it.

  He raised his head and focused on her serene face.

  “I’ve missed you. I’m glad we could meet one more time.”

  She continued to stare straight ahead.

  “I know you don’t approve of everything I’ve done. Especially with the driver. I confess to you that I’m sorry for that. But separating us was the worst of all sins. I couldn’t let anyone involved in that sin escape free. I pray you understand.”

  More silence.

  What had he expected?

  For the next few minutes, he simply took in her beauty, hoping to permanently etch her into his mind. He wanted to stay until he died of old age—except all good things had to end. The ever-increasing weight of the cell phone in his pocket was a reminder of that fact.

  Reaching into his front pocket, he clutched the phone, anticipating the call that would set up one last meeting before he left Cozumel forever. It would be short and effective, as planned.

  Exhaling, he steadied himself. “It is time for me to leave.”

  The tears moistened his eyes as his words echoed from somewhere inside. Leaving her was akin to hell on earth, but what could he do? There was a season for everything, including difficult goodbyes.

  “You will always be part of my heart of hearts. So, my love, until we meet again.”

  Kneeling, he kissed her face, placed two objects near the foot of the stone, and then slowly walked away.

  He reached the tall iron gate, left the cemetery, and dialed the only number this phone had known.

  “Yes?”

  “It’s me. I have something for you. I’ll be at the resort in one hour.”

  “That will be fine. Don’t be late.”

  CHAPTER-50

  The ropes were looser than a minute ago. She had to keep trying without drawing attention to herself. The sound of Preston’s voice, and her Granny’s muffled responses, told her enough. He was distracted, and Haley Rose meant to keep him that way.

  Jen glanced at her captor again. She didn’t seem to be on his radar for the moment. She counted that a blessing. As long as Preston stood in the doorway of the tiny bathroom, his attention focused on Haley Rose and Ian, she was safe to continue her struggle.

  Leaning forward helped to get her fingernails between the coarse loops of the knots, but he’d tied them well. Her hurting, cramping fingers and hands verified that. She pressed on between bouts of pain and rest. She could now get her index finger from her right hand through the first loop on her left wrist.

  She pulled. Her finger screamed. She pulled again. She stifled the yell.

  Breaking her arm once as a kid had been the worst physical pain she’d had to bear, until now.

  Catching her breath, she waited for the burn to subside. Yet, she couldn’t wait long. Somehow, she knew this was all coming to a head—that Preston was ready to finish whatever he’d begun.

  A tiny ripple of fear reared its ugly head, dancing into the middle of her thoughts.

  Who do you think you are, little missy? You’re going to die here. It’s your fate. You’re just a kid. You can’t stop it. Can you?

  “We’ll see,” she whispered, renewing her efforts.

  Another hard pull and she had two fingers under the bindings on her wrist. Her fingers cramped again, not responding to her mind’s commands. Jen had no choice but to wait.

  She looked up to where Preston stood. His position had changed. He was now half in and half out of the dingy bathroom. He’d grown silent and so had Haley Rose. It had grown so quiet that she heard Ian make one of those soft sounds he made when he was tired or hungry.

  In an unexpected flash, the silence was shattered. Preston began to yell.

  “Give him to me, darling. Now.”

  “No,” said Haley Rose.

  The accompanying sound of hand on face reverberated into the room. Jen’s stomach turned upside down.

  The sound was almost worse than seeing it.

  Preston emerged from the room carrying Ian. He seemed to not see Jen as he placed Ian roughly on the other bed, then disappeared back into the bathroom.

  “Don’t worry, Ian. I’m here,” she said softly. Her little brother heard her and offered a big grin. She thought she might cry.

  Jen began working the ropes again.

  A moment later, Preston came out, dragging Haley Rose by the collar. There was fresh blood on her face, trickling down from her lips and mouth. Her eyes were closed, and she wasn’t offering any resistance to Preston.

  “What did you do?”

  “Don’t you pay no mind, lass, or you’ll be getting the same,” he answered. Then he bent over her granny, running his hand over her face.

  Jen shivered.

  His voice had taken on a different quality. A different crazy. His actions were not comforting either.

  Desperation clouded her mind, and then helped cleared it.

  Scanning the room, she looked for any solution that might present itself as a way out of this nightmare. After the second desperate go ’round, she found it sitting on the ancient, beaten dresser.

  It seemed to laugh at her, taunting her very soul. Telling her she wasn’t strong enough.

  One more look at Ian and Haley Rose said she had to try.

  Tugging with all her remaining strength, she felt the rope give, and then, wonders among wonders, her left hand was abruptly free.

  CHAPTER-51

  Manny watched Inspector Munoz as he spoke through the satellite phone in his native language. He was running the gamut of human emotions and expressions as the conversation grew more intense. The dialog caused Manny to believe they’d struck a vein, if not a gold mine, with their line of thinking.

  He waited, leaning against the blue and white police van that had brought them out to the isolated crime scene. Sophie and Belle flanked him while Josh, Dean,
and Alex stood a few feet away, trying to get cell signals. If one simply looked at their collective actions, you could draw a conclusion that they were wandering in the dark, searching for a light by raising their magic light boxes to the heavens.

  He shook his head. He’d just gone through the same fruitless exercise trying to reach Chloe. She was probably starting to worry, but they should be back to the resort in an hour or so. And, if he was right, with the number one suspect in these murders unmasked.

  Sophie elbowed him. “Oh hell, do you see that? You didn’t tell me there were freaking Godzillas out here.” Sophie pointed to the other side of the road at the dark-green lizard perched halfway up a small tree.

  “It’s an iguana, Soph. They’re harmless,” said Manny.

  Dean moved to her side, and she took his hand. “Tastes like chicken, I hear,” he said.

  “Oh, that’s just gross. I am never eating something like that,” said Belle.

  “Never say never. You might have to someday,” said Alex, grinning.

  “Like hell. I’ll just get skinnier. Is that right, Manny? People eat them?” asked Sophie.

  Manny was about to answer her when he heard Munoz sign off.

  They moved into a circle and waited for the inspector to speak. They didn’t have to wait long.

  “It seems you have made an interesting observation, Agent Williams,” said Munoz, placing the phone on the hood of the van.

  “How so?”

  “The young lady who died at the dig site near Chankanaab National Park six months ago from the scorpion sting was one Diane Kelter. She worked for Professor Emmerson, to be sure, and was apparently very gifted and one of his favorites, according to the investigation records. She was very driven and worked long hours and late nights, so no one was around to assist her when she was stung.”

  “Interesting that he didn’t mention her,” said Manny.

  “It is. Perhaps he’ll need to be consulted again.”

  “Why?”

  “It could be nothing, but it appears that they spoke often and at all hours of the day and night just before she died.”

  “That wouldn’t be unusual, given she was a grad student at a career-making dig,” said Belle.

  “I agree. Still, I think we need to find out why he didn’t mention her,” said Munoz.

  “What else?” asked Manny.

  Munoz nodded. “Yes. Yes. After her death, there were a few calls, but it appears that most of the communication to wrap up the dig site was handled by email and text. Once again, nothing unusual about all of that, based on the reports.”

  “Keep going. You have a troubled face,” said Manny.

  Munoz exhaled. “I do, my friend. We are going to reopen the investigation into her death.”

  Manny stood up. “Why?”

  “Three reasons. Apparently she was stung several times, yet in the follow-up interviews, the staff claims there were no scorpions in or near the dig area. The professor himself had made sure of it. We also are unable to find any toxicology reports. Even Mexico requires reports in cases such as these.”

  “So her death could be a homicide?” asked Sophie.

  “Let us simply say for now that we need more information. But it could be murder.”

  “Sounds like that would be wise,” said Manny.

  It didn’t take a profiler to see where this could be going.

  “What are the other two reasons?” he asked.

  “It has to do with her husband, Andrew Kelter, who had insisted that there was something wrong with her accident, that she was murdered. The local police chalked it up to his grief and ignored him as long as they could.”

  “What does that mean?” asked Josh.

  “Three weeks after her death, Andrew was arrested for not complying with the chief of police’s order to stop harassing the officers in charge of the incident. While in jail, he had an accident and broke his right leg in two places,” said Munoz.

  “Shit. Really?” said Sophie. “So he probably has a minor limp.”

  “Makes sense. Those broken legs can take a while to heal,” said Belle.

  “Do you have a description of this Andrew Kelter?” asked Manny, feeling the excitement build.

  “He, of course, matches your profile physically and educationally. Andrew Kelter fits your physical description. Also, he was not studying Mayan culture; instead, he was gaining his PhD in marine biology.”

  Bingo. Manny knew in a flash that Andrew Kelter was the killer and why.

  “This man was out for revenge and that’s why he killed these people,” said Manny.

  “Why? Because he thought his wife was murdered?” asked Belle.

  “That’s my guess,” said Manny. “As for why she was killed, I’d say it had something to do with finding out that some of her colleagues were involved with that black market ring. She probably threatened to expose them.”

  “Let’s pick him up,” said Sophie. “He’s got to be the one.”

  “Yes. I believe he might be. I’ve sent two squad cars to his last known address. They will call me when he is in custody. But that isn’t the end of it.”

  “Why not?” asked Belle.

  The inspector pulled at his earlobe, his mind working furiously.

  “The third reason you’re reopening the investigation . . . does it have to do with the murdered wife’s parents?” asked Manny.

  “It does, Agent. Her mother and father had moved to Cozumel from England when she was two, to teach grammar school. After becoming Mexican citizens, they stayed until she was ten. About that time, her mother died from a boating accident. She and her father then returned to London, where he eventually remarried.”

  Manny shook his head at the oh shit moment. “Damn it. Let me guess, you sent another car to the Casa Palms to pick up her stepmother.”

  Nodding, Munoz offered a tiny smile. “Very good, Agent. Yes, we have. Diane Kelter’s father was Aaron Rathburn.”

  CHAPTER-52

  After ten minutes in the van, racing back to San Miguel, Manny heard his phone’s ringtone go off. They’d finally reached cell-tower haven.

  He’d missed three calls from Chloe and two text messages. There was a brief spike in his already heightened anxiety, wondering why she was trying to reach him that often within two hours.

  Pushing the call button, he stared out the windshield waiting for her to answer. It took one ring.

  “Manny? Where are you, for crying out loud?”

  “We’re on our way back from another crime scene. We’ve got him though. It’s complicated, but it appears he killed these folks because they were maybe involved in the death of his wife. Munoz’s people are on the way to pick him up.”

  “What? Well, that’s good news. Who is he?”

  “Like I said, it’s complicated, and I’ll explain everything when we get there. We think that woman, Penny Rathburn, might be the last person on his to-do list.”

  “That nice lady?”

  Manny thought back to their conversation when he’d first arrived. ”She is a nice woman. The locals are on their way to take her into protective custody.”

  “Good to know.”

  “Listen. If you see her, call security and let them handle things. She could be in danger, and there’s no reason for you or Barb to get involved, okay?”

  “No worries from us.”

  “So why were you calling? You’ve got me revved up.”

  Chloe explained her conversation with Frank, including the hijacking of Stacie’s car, and then Jen’s subsequent call that defused the whole missing situation.

  Manny didn’t care for how either state of affairs had unfolded.

  “Has Haley Rose called like you asked?” said Manny.

  “Not yet. Should I be more concerned? Or less? Am I just acting like an overprotecting mom?”

  “How did Jen sound?”

  “You mean was she nervous or out of character? I don’t think so. She even joked about some girl’s hair at the
food court. Then she said for you to call her when you got time. Why would you ask that?”

  His scowl went deep. “Jen joked about someone’s hair? I’ve never heard her do that. She’s not the type who makes fun of people, other than me. Then she said to call her? I don’t remember the last time she wanted me to call her, because I already do that too often, according to her.”

  Alarm was creeping into Chloe’s voice. “Again, Manny, is that something I should be worried about?”

  “I don’t know. Probably not. We’ll be at the resort in five minutes or so. I’m going to call her. Why don’t you call Frank and have him drop by the house, then give your mom a shout? That will make us both feel better.”

  “I will. I love you, and see you soon.”

  “I love you too.”

  She hung up.

  He touched his phone to his cheek, thinking about what Chloe had said. Jen wanted him to call? That didn’t fit. Was it her way of saying she was in trouble and needed his help? Or a case of ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’? Jen’s and Ian’s faces raced into his mind, and he suddenly felt heartsick. He needed to be with them, to see them, to make sure things were as they should be.

  What could truly be wrong?

  You are a little on the paranoid side, aren’t you, Williams?

  Yet . . .

  “Trouble?” asked Sophie.

  “I don’t think so. One of Jen’s friends was carjacked and sent to the hospital, and Jen may have seen the guy. Then a cop was killed at the hospital where Haley Rose, Jen, and Ian had gone to visit the friend. Chloe has talked to her since all of that came down, but I’m going to check with Jen to make sure everything’s okay.”

  “Damn. Really? What the hell is this world coming to? We can’t even do a vacation without having trouble on both ends.”

  “You know us and vacations,” said Manny.

  “Chloe talked to her? Are you being overprotective?” asked Josh.

  “Yep.”

  Manny dialed Jen’s number. After five rings, it went to voicemail. He hung up and repeated the process two more times.