by Keene, Susan
Ryan went to the refrigerator, reached on top and retrieved his gun. Nathan did the same. “Depends on who it is and what he’s delivering, whatever the case may be. Amy, I know you’re still weak. Maybe you should sit this one out.”
“Not on your life,” she answered. “Should we call Roger and have him send a patrol car?”
Ryan walked toward the patio door. “We can handle this. I need to know what happened to my men. They are not easily fooled or overtaken.” He took a stick camera and held it clear of the top of the fence and turned it in all directions. “There’s nothing. No movement of any kind. I hate to do it but alert Roger. After what happened to Amy, I don’t want to go out or send anyone into danger without at least an inkling of what happened out there.”
I made the call but bypassed 911 and called Roger’s cell phone. After I explained the situation, I added, “Please, no sirens!”
He agreed.
A half an hour had passed and still no word from our detective. We all paced, lost in our own thoughts. We waited an hour before I called again. “What’s going on? Did you send someone?”
I had the speaker on. “Yes, I did. Four men are down, and the car and driver are nowhere to be found. I thought it best to get the men medical attention. I’m not sure what’s in the package on the porch. I have the bomb squad on its way. Don’t open the front door.”
Ryan leaned in so he could talk. “What is wrong with the men?”
“Hard to tell at this point, three of them are unconscious with not a mark on any of them. The fourth looks like he did several rounds with a professional fighter. He’s awake, but in too much pain to talk.”
“Nathan and I are coming out. I’ll try to keep Kate and Amy inside, but I don’t guarantee it. We are exiting by the patio gate. Don’t shoot us.”
“Listen you guys, if any of you come out, it’s against my order. Look at all the precautions we took to keep these people away from you and it didn’t seem to do any good. The way you could help me most is to get me a description of the missing car and driver, and the license plate number.”
Ryan put his hand up. “Here’s the way I see it. My men are hurt, maybe fatally. I’m going out to see what I can do. I would like for the rest of you to stay put, but I made my decision and you have a right to make yours. Amy, I think you should stay in. I’m not sure your body could take anymore at this point.”
Nathan walked over and hugged her. “I love you Amy. Please stay out of this until you are stronger. I promise we’ll let you know every little thing that goes on. I’ll get your side arm in case you have a problem in here. Kate, are you armed? If so, let’s go.”
Amy didn’t put up a fight. Her eyes were swollen, her cheeks sunken, and her movements slow. If I had to guess, I’d say she wanted to stay inside.
Outside looked like a raid. The swat team roamed around in full riot gear and carried assault rifles. They covered every inch of the property, shoulder to shoulder the way I had seen search teams do when they looked for a missing person.
Four ambulances and their crews tended the men. Ryan went from one to the next, shook his head and moved on. His shoulders sagged, he looked ten years older. When he saw me, he came to me with outstretched arms. We held on to one another for a long moment.
“What happened to them,” I asked.
“They were poisoned with something. None of the medical personnel here think it was snake venom.”
“How do they know?”
“Whoever did this rendered them incapacitated with a dart in the neck. Probably after they were all down, he injected them with something. There is a puncture wound on the back of the neck and another in the bend of their arm. The wound on the neck, if snake venom would be enough to kill them, the extra injection would not have been needed.”
“What has that dead girl gotten us into? I am so sorry, Ryan.”
“None of us are at fault. Who would expect a dead body on their porch in the first place? The bomb squad is here; let’s go see what’s in the box.”
Nathan reached the porch at the same time we did. He had come from the house. I assume he either checked on Amy or updated her on the activities outside.
The bomb squad had a man dressed in a blast-proof suit. In front of him, he pushed a box on wheels. He controlled it with a gadget in his hands. He warned us to move back away from the box. We did, with the help of the swat team who had set up a perimeter with their backs to us. Ten minutes later the man declared, “It is not a bomb. It looks like a piece of wood. He carefully opened it while we all watched through the arms of our guards. “Yes, it’s a piece of wood, it has writing on it. You people involved can see it, but don’t touch it. No telling what it might have on it, poison, or maybe even a fingerprint.”
Nathan stood as close as he could. “Looks like Spanish. Anyone know what it says?”
My heart sank. “I do. It says Iguana Veloz. It means Speedy Iguana, the name of the boat the Tucker’s were on when they disappeared. “I read the entire sign out loud, Speedy Iguana, Smith River, California. I think someone is trying to tell us something. I wish we knew who it was, another person from the Tucker family, or maybe the Captain or his wife.”
“Or maybe a stranger,” Amy said from where she now stood in the doorway.
CHAPTER 6
T he tactical team left. Ryan’s men were on their way to the hospital, we went inside. Roger followed. “I guess what happened on the Tucker’s trip isn’t what everyone has thought all these years. There’s at least one more person who survived other than Ivy. Why that person is coming out in public after all this time is perplexing.”
I offered Roger a seat and a cup of coffee. “My theory is that sometime during the trip, Ivy witnessed a crime. She decided to share what she knew with you. This other person on the boat found out and killed her before she could tell her story. The person in question doesn’t know how long we had been in contact with the girl. Whatever it was, it must have been horrendous for him or her to be willing to kill indiscriminately to keep the secret.”
Ryan, who sat on the arm of the couch while we talked, stood. “I have every intention of finding the person who harmed or potentially killed my employees. Right now, you will have to excuse me. I need to notify their families and fill them in on what happened. I have three more men coming to escort me, although I have no idea why. It didn’t work last time.”
Roger turned to leave. “You know as well as I do, Ryan. If someone wants to get to you, they will. Locks and keys only keep honest people honest.”
“Not very encouraging, Roger,” I said.
Ryan and Roger left at the same time, headed to the same place, the hospital.
Ryan called a few hours later, he sounded tired. “This time he used rattle snake venom. The small wound on the neck was a dart filled with it. The doctor said it was not good they were bitten, so to speak, in the neck. The main thing is to keep them from moving around too much. The more they move the more damage it can do. They should be alright. Whoever this person is, he must have a powerful secret to keep.”
“Have they found your driver?”
“No, Ray and the SUV are still missing. They’re looking. I’m putting a GPS tracking device on every vehicle as soon as possible. Is Nathan close?”
“Sure, he’s right here.” I handed him the phone and went to tell Amy the latest. She had gone to take a nap earlier.
Nathan came to the doorway. Whatever he needed to say, he didn’t want to say it. “We know this will be annoying, but Ryan wants four of our guys in the house. He believes, at least, we’ll all be safe in here. They’re stopping for food and anything else we might want. They’ll each call from the curb and then at the door. They’ll have a password for curb and another for the porch. If any one of them doesn’t know the passwords, shoot him. I can only hope he wasn’t serious about the last part.”
An hour later all four men were in the house and we had enough food and beverages for a month. Nathan introduced them. The
ir names were Keith, Darren, Bobby, and Shorty― who stood at least six-feet-eight.
All this time the dogs were ignored. Nathan took them on short trips to the backyard for potty breaks. They were restless and moved from Amy to me, and back every five minutes.
A young man, who had been introduced as Bobby, walked over to pet Chili. She ran as fast as she could to the patio door and hid behind the curtain. I’d never seen her so skittish. Bobby followed her and spoke softly. He sat on the floor next to her. “I know who you are. You’re Chili. I think we should be friends. I’m one of the people who will watch you while Miss Nash solves this case.”
Chili took a tiny step toward him as he held out a treat to her. She came out from her hiding place, grabbed the morsel and ran back. “Are you playing hard to get?” Bobby asked her. Not to be left out, Digger walked behind the man and wagged his tail. “You must be Digger. Are you going to run from me also?” The Yorkie stood his ground, took a treat, and ran back to Amy. She looked up at Nathan. “Do you think it will be okay to leave them? Things haven’t gone too well so far?”
“Yes, they’ll be fine. Ryan sets up security systems, it’s his business. He admits he underestimated the tenacity of whoever we’re dealing with. He said he won’t do it a second time. Before you leave, this house and grounds will be so secure; it would be easier to get into the US Mint.”
A huge thud came from outside the front door. Shorty took a convex mirror and surveyed the area. “It’s Ray. Sounds like someone dumped him on the porch. Nathan, can we go after him?”
Nathan took the mirror away from Shorty and looked for himself. “I can’t tell if he’s okay or not. Kate, we’re going out to get him. Want to call 911 in case he’s hurt?”
With that, they were out the door and back in a flash with Ray. He didn’t look too bad. “Ray, can you hear me?”
“Yes, he didn’t hurt me; he just wanted to send a message to Kate Nash and her friends who found Ivy Tucker. His exact words were―Let the dead rest peacefully. Don’t dredge up things that don’t concern you. I have made it abundantly clear I am serious. Go back to your own lives and I will return to my watery grave. Once he was sure I would give you the message with the reverence it deserved, he brought me here and dropped me off. The thud you heard was a large rock.”
I looked around the room. “Doesn’t it make you believe whoever it is was on the boat and supposed dead? The part… I will return to my watery grave.”
Amy canceled the 911 call and I spoke to Ryan. “Ray’s here. The man gave him a message for us and dropped him off. They came here in a taxi. Ray said the company car is in the Mississippi River, and the man is scary. How are things there?” I hung up. “Ryan will be home in a little while. Ray, are you hungry?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Oh my, call me Kate. I have a feeling we’re all going to be very good friends before this is over.”
While all of this went on, Chili and Digger sat back and waited. Once we were settled, both dogs jumped up on Bobby’s lap. He and Keith took them out and walked around the backyard.
The sleeping arrangements reminded me of dorm living at Northwestern. There were bodies everywhere. One man sat by the patio door, another by the back door and one by the front. The fourth man slept in the downstairs guest room. Ryan and I went to our room.
I took a shower. Ryan changed into lounging pants and a tee shirt and lay stretched out on the bed. He had his arms folded behind his head and his head on the pillow. “A penny for your thoughts.”
I don’t think they are worth more. My theory is one of them murdered all the rest, somehow, Ivy survived, and the killer found out and killed her too. He’s trying to stop us so no one will find out what really happened on the boat.”
I towel dried my hair, gathered it low on my neck and held it in place with a blue ribbon. “I agree, any ideas what to do next?”
“I have a few. We need to go to Chicago, find out if the Tuckers were the people they appeared to be in the articles we’ve read. Sometimes, friends and relatives have experiences and facts not fit for the news.”
He patted the bed next to him and turned toward my side. “I’m too tired to give it anymore thought tonight. The worry and stress have wiped me out.”
“Okay, can we go over one more thing before we turn in?” I pulled back the covers and crawled in. I had to maneuver my legs around Chili, who had already burrowed to the bottom of the bed. I didn’t wait for him to answer. “What kind of description did Ray give you?”
“He said the guy had on a disguise, long blond wig, bushy eyebrows, and ill-fitting clothes. The only thing he didn’t try to hide was that he was left-handed. He was tall, slim, and the skin he didn’t have covered was deeply tanned.”
I reached over to the bedside table to turn off the lamp. When I turned back, Ryan was sound asleep. I leaned over, kissed him on the cheek, and snuggled in with him and the dog.
I didn’t expect to sleep with the events of the day swirling around inside my head, but I did. I dreamed of snakes, natives with blow darts, and big boats.
CHAPTER 7
T here were no more incidents before we left for Chicago. We discussed safety. “Amy and I have been in some tight situations and have always been okay. If we show up at their friends and neighbors with an army, who will talk to us?”
“I have to agree,” said Ryan, “at least we should stay in pairs.”
We all agreed.
The next morning we left the dogs and the house in the capable hands of Shorty and Bobby. I wore what I considered my uniform. A white blouse, tailored slacks, a blazer to cover my Glock 44, and spike heels. I wore heels everywhere.
Amy wore practically the same thing, except for the heels. At five-feet-ten, she didn’t need them.
Nathan drove first. We stopped by the Starbuck’s on the University Loop and had breakfast. Amy and I had our usual. Nathan lathered a bagel with cream cheese. “This won’t hold me for long. Ryan and I get to pick where we stop for lunch. I can’t do my best work if I’m hungry.”
Amy playfully kidded him. “We will allow you to eat something more than a bagel. They have other items you might like.”
Nathan and Ryan walked to the front to buy more food. I watched them. Ryan was the shorter of the two, with a wrestler’s body. His pants fit tight at the thighs, not because of fat, but muscle. He had broad shoulders accented by the tangerine polo shirt he wore. Nathan’s body resembled a basketball player’s, tall and lean. He filled out his clothes equally well.
My preoccupation kept me from seeing a man until he fell into our table, stumbled and knocked it a few feet from where it sat. Amy jumped first. “Stop where you are. Don’t take another step or I’ll shoot.”
In one fluid motion I stood and stepped behind him. He had his hands in the air. “Whoa, ladies. I didn’t mean to upset your breakfast.” He put his arms down and reached toward his pocket.
I jabbed my Glock into his back. “I wouldn’t move if I were you.”
The men were back. One stood on each side of him. He turned toward Ryan. “Can you settle these women down? I didn’t mean anything.”
Ryan turned his face away from the man and took a step back. “Did you drink your breakfast, fella?”
The man became belligerent. “Who do you people think you are? I’m going to have you arrested.”
About then a cop walked in. “I got a call about a disturbance here.”
The barista must have called. She pointed in our direction.
He came toward us and drew his gun, most likely because Amy and I stood in a, move and I'll shoot, stance, guns pointed at the guy from front and back. “Let’s all settle down. Ladies, put your weapons on the floor.”
We did.
“Kick them over to me.”
We did.
“What happened here?”
Amy took a step toward the officer. “I might have overreacted. I was assaulted two weeks ago and they haven’t caught the perp. I’m a bit ju
mpy.”
“I need to see your permits for these weapons.”
I reached in my back pocket, retrieved my PI license, and gun permit.
“Mrs. Nash. Sorry, I've never seen you in person. Do you want me to call Captain Simon?”
I looked at his name badge. “No Officer Jenkins. It won’t be necessary. I think this was an accident. We jumped too soon.”
He looked at the man in the center of the controversy. “Would you like to tell me what happened?”
The man pulled up a chair and sat. I guessed he didn’t want the cop to see how drunk he was. “My wife and I had a fight. I went out last night and drank too much. I came here to sit, have coffee, and think. I was on my way for a refill when I side-stepped and knocked into these folks’ table.” He looked from one of us to the other with a scowl on his face. It sent a chill down my back.
The officer looked at us. “You can pick up your weapons, and finish your breakfast. I'll make a report on Mr.― what is your name, sir?”
They went to the back of the coffee shop. We could hear the calm voice of the officer and the agitated voice of the man.
No one had an appetite after the incident. We waited. A few minutes later, the officer came back. “He has had too much to drink, but I have no reason to arrest him. He isn’t driving or causing trouble.”
Says he'll walk around the Loop and get sober before he goes home. You folks are free to go,” He stuck out his hand and shook each one of ours.
As we walked to the car, Ryan began to laugh. “Mrs. Nash, I’ve never gotten to meet you in person. I thought he was going to kiss your ring.”
Amy chimed in. “Because I was with Mrs. Nash, I didn’t have to show my ID.”
“Neither did we.”
We joked all the way to the car. The laughter stopped when we saw it. All four tires were flat, there was a note on the windshield, in what appeared to be shoe polish. Does someone else have to die to get your attention?