He should be here. She punched Dick’s contact number and heard the telephone ring on his end of the line, a moment before her eye caught movement.
“Hi, beautiful, is everything OK?” he said.
“I’m not sure. Perhaps I’m being overly cautious, but someone’s squatting down behind a hedge I have to walk past. Where are you?”
Dick said, “I see the man you’re looking at. I’ve been watching him for the last half hour. Don’t take any chances. I intend to confront him and see if he takes off running or has an answer for following you. I’m in position to act quickly. Walk away slowly, toward your place. I want to be sure he’s tailing you. Detour out around behind the hedge and pick up the sidewalk at the other end of that row of high shrubbery.
Samantha kept her eyes glued to the spot where she believed the man would appear, assuming he was a threat. She walked through ankle high grass and stopped halfway down.
She had heard it all, including Dick’s swearing. He said, “Everything’s OK. The guy chickened out and headed back in the other direction. Stay on the line until you see me, then we’ll call and report the incident to your friend at the sheriff’s department. He was definitely up to no good, spreading the hedge to locate your position on the other side. He caught sight of me running toward him, jumped up and ran. He now knows what it feels like to have his face slammed into the dirt by a fast moving two-hundred-and-forty-pound linebacker. He’s damn quick though. He jumped to his feet, stepped off the trail, tumbled down a brush covered hill, and disappeared.”
Sam said, “We should also report this to Agent Hunt. You have his number on your phone and so do I. Were you able to get a description?”
“Hell no! You were set up from the beginning, somehow. I’m afraid the whole thing will lead to nowhere again.”
“Why do you think they are after me again?”
“That’s the sixty-four-dollar question. We’ll discuss it with Agent Hunt.”
Samantha knew her paranoia was of concern to Hunt. Nothing he said eased her mind. Then, he advised Dick, again, to stay by her side, day and night, while they determined a motive and finished running down several new developments relating to the undercover operation. She felt somewhat better.
Hunt said, “We don’t think your doctor had anything to do with this incident, Samantha, but I’m not ruling out a connection to your mother’s death. Only you can work out your personal problems with Doctor Peyton. I may be forced to share some additional information with you about your family, a little later. I must tell you, the more you know, the more dangerous the situation could become.”
“Commander McGowin!” he roared through the telephone. “Are you in a position to stand by Samantha without failing, and remain there, by her side, until we know more about the danger she’s facing?”
“I have a month’s leave and certainly can’t see myself ducking out on her now that I know for sure she needs me.”
Hunt said, “I’m going to set up a meeting, immediately, with someone close to Samantha and her mother’s assassination. I haven’t felt it all that wise getting you both so deeply involved, Samantha. Nevertheless, it seems, you’re going to end up in the middle of it anyway. I wanted to avoid placing more stress on top of that you’re already burdened with. We’d better get together and clear some things up. Meet me at Commander McGowin’s hotel suite in one hour. Be prepared for the unexpected.”
She didn’t know whether she should be thrilled or scared to death. She’d spent her whole life waiting for information like this and now it could lead to her demise. She wanted to scream. She looked at Dick. He looked cramped up in deep in thought. “A penny for your thoughts,” she said.
“Hunt likes to keep everybody off balance.” He stood and stretched. “I believe he’s right. We should avoid spending nights here at your cottage. Make them search for us if they’re determined to cause you harm.” Dick curled his arm around Samantha’s waist and stared at the early evening sky. “Just when I was looking forward to a cold beer and another moonlight swim in the ocean with you this evening.”
“I’m frightened, Dick. I need to gather some things from my place, for sure.” She met his concerned look. “You don’t have to assume responsibility for my wellbeing, unless you’re sure you want to share all the baggage, I may have heading my way.”
“Bad things often happen to good people. We’ll go through this together, babe. It’ll make us stronger together or we’ll know the reason why it hasn’t. Let’s get to my hotel and wait for Hunt.”
Dick set out two wine glasses and opened a bottle of cabernet. “This is stressful for you, honey, but it fires up my adrenalin, like combat. I’m thoroughly pissed off. It makes me want to do bodily harm to the coward that hides behind his minions to attack the defenseless.”
Samantha put her glass down and answered the tapping at the door. She stepped aside and stared at the man standing behind Hunt. “I don’t understand.” she said.
“Well, do you mind if we go inside?” Hunt said.
Dick said, “Come in, gentlemen.” He grabbed two more wine glasses.
Hunt said, “I believe everyone’s acquainted, right?” He accepted a glass of wine. “Grant Davis is your uncle, Samantha. Now I want you to sit back comfortably while he tells you his story.”
She sat down with her mouth open and stared at Grant. “What the devil took you so long to come forward, Mr. Davis. I’m mad as hell.” She watched Grant’s face turn red and decided there may be valid reasons for the long delay. She would have to give the man a chance.
Hunt said, “You wanted to know all we know about your familial history, and you are going to get the full story, spoon fed to you, during the next hour. Try not to interrupt until he finishes. You can ask all your questions after he’s had his say, understand?”
“I’m sorry about this, Samantha,” Grant said. “Your father was my older brother, Joe. We were close business partners. Joe was little more than a year older than me. We grew up on a farm not far from San Francisco. After finishing college at Cal Poly, Joe and I worked for a major government defense contractor before we patented an idea for a better microswitch to be used on solid-state circuit boards for the space shuttle and, later, many other uses.” He cleared his throat and drank a little wine. “I’m not used to being the center of attention. Give me a few minutes to clear my thought process and jog my memory bank.”
He faced Samantha. “I’m convinced your father’s death was no accident. I don’t have the answer for why he died, but I think he was killed by the same person who brutally murdered your mother. I believe I know who that man is and feel strongly there’s evidence to prove it if the good Lord allows me to live long enough.”
He looked at Hunt. “Agent Hunt has been a strong supporter of my cause and I’m grateful. With his help, you were positively identified as my brother’s daughter. I managed to get the job as host at King Neptune’s Bar and Seafood restaurant, for the purpose of obtaining your used coffee cup for DNA analysis.”
Samantha caught herself holding her breath. Breathe slow and deeply, she told herself, and realized she had a tight grip on Dick’s thigh muscle. He gently pried her fingers away. “Damn it all, why did you wait so long? I deserve an answer.”
Hunt said, “Hold on, Samantha. Let him talk.”
Grant locked his eyes on Samantha. “I had been inside your mother’s house the night she died. I’ve been locked away in prison for the last twenty-five years, serving time for your mother’s murder.”
Samantha jumped up. “I don’t believe all this bullshit.” She turned on Hunt. “How can you justify this crap? I know this man was convicted of murdering my mother. That much, I do know, and now, since his release, I’m getting threats on my life.”
Dick stood, pulled her in close, and wrapped his arms around her. “Look, honey. He’s here of his own free will. He’s doing his best to help Agent Hunt and the investigation. Let’s hear him out.”
Grant concentrated on Samantha. “I don’
t blame you for the way you feel, Samantha. I was in your mother’s home, waiting for her to return, the night she was killed. She refused to provide me an audience earlier that night, when I called on the phone. She needed to know that your father had been killed. She believed he had disappeared to avoid responsibility for the child on the way. I was there to clear that up. According to my brother, they were deeply in love and planning a life together. We talked it over before he died. Later, I found evidence confirming that in his office papers, years after his death. He had started to make notes about changes to his will, weeks before the tragic collision. He wanted to make everything right for the woman he loved and the child they had conceived together. Once I found his papers, our attorneys asked me to retrieve positive DNA evidence before finalizing the estate. He’d planned on leaving everything to your mother and her unborn child. She died without knowing that. My idea had been to face her with news of my brother’s death, or the other choice, obtain evidence of her and her child’s DNA. How could she refuse when face to face with me?”
He wiped the dampness off his cheek with his shirt sleeve. “I was a bitter man after being convicted of murder and deliberately withdrew from seeking the truth. My brother and I were the last direct descendants of Augustine Davis, an Irish immigrant seeking fame and fortune in America, shortly after the American revolution. After a great deal of thought, I realized the proud Davis line shouldn’t end with my death. Later, I accepted the possibility that my life wasn’t really over and made plans to make things right for the family member I had never met. I wanted the guilty to pay; justice for the murder of my brother and the mother of his unborn child.” After a moment, he said, “I promised God, while on my knees, that I would never again give up my quest for the whole truth about this family tragedy.”
Chapter 23
Margie shouldered the door open to Hunt’s office, with coffee in both hands. “Enjoy your coffee, boss. There’s very little of value coming from our look into Doctor Peyton’s background. We’ve found nothing, so far, connecting him to the violent attacks on Samantha or the mail order drug activity.”
“Nah, it’s not him. We’re on the right track with Marino. He, or someone associated with his clubs, has to be connected to those deaths, so many years ago. Someone’s getting nervous. We need to keep the pressure on. DEA has a big responsibility, using Davis to go after this guy. We’d better stay on our toes now that he’s out of prison. We could lose him if the right people get wind of it. There was no official announcement of his release, thank God.”
He pulled the lid off his hot coffee and smacked his lips. “Oh yeah, nectar of the Gods. Just get a whiff of that rich coffee smell.” He leaned back and sighed. “We’re going to stir the pot some and see what floats up from the bottom, at the Happy Huntsman. You have any ideas?”
“Not off the top of my head,” she said.
Hunt said, “Let’s have one of our undercover guys start hanging out around the bar there, asking questions about that poor girl that washed up on the island. Have our guy drop her name and we’ll see if it creates waves around any of the clubs where we have people watching. I hope like hell this plays out right and doesn’t get somebody killed.”
Hunt called Dick’s cell number. “Hell, it’ll probably go to voicemail.”
“You speak, Agent Hunt. What can I do for you this early in the morning?”
“I suspected you were an early bird, Commander. You’re escorting our lady friend to the clinic, where she’ll stay until you meet her for lunch, right?”
“That’s the plan. I’ll take Sam and the other nurse there to lunch; Fran’s Over the Water. Any problem with that?”
“Not likely. I would like you to meet with Grant Davis after you drop our Miss Brooks at the medical clinic. She should be reasonably safe there until you pick her up for lunch. Grant’s expecting your call around eight this morning. You two should talk. You can help moderate Samantha’s distrust. Also, Grant and Samantha are both in danger from the same dark source. Get as much general information as you can, about he and his brother, before his brother was killed. And, Dick, anything can happen, at any time, so, be careful.”
Dick stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, ready to shave. He turned toward the mirror. Samantha was standing there, fresh from her shower too. Her blond hair, dark with water. She had stepped out ahead of him and donned one of his oversized t-shirts. The shirt barely did the job intended. Her legs were long and smooth, her feet bare.
He turned toward Sam. She looked even more slender, naked under the shirt, except where the shirt stretched over firm breasts. He caught his breath. Her swimming and running regimen certainly worked miracles on that body.
She was, a foot away from him, reading the fine print on a jar of cream. He wanted to take her in his arms and crush her against his body. She saw his image in the mirror and turned to face him. He tipped her face up and kissed her gently, starting with her lips, then her neck. He could smell her skin.
She reached up and gently touched his face. “We have to get dressed.” She bumped a hip against his and turned away. He knew they had to go.
Dick opened the door and turned to Sam before she was ready. “You heard my conversation with Kevin Hunt, so you know I’m meeting Grant after dropping you off at the clinic. He believes it’s important that we share information and work together. He’s convinced you and Grant are facing the same enemy.”
She smiled and held his gaze for several moments. “There is something uncannily familiar about that guy. I want to hate him but, to tell you the truth, I’m more eager to know him than hate him. Isn’t that strange?”
He laughed quietly. “I see some of you in that man, sweetheart, even the same eye expression when you’re concentrating. For that reason alone, I trust him. Let’s give him a chance.”
She said, “I hope everything turns out well for all of us. I may have found a precious member of a family I only dreamed of.” She placed her hand on his knee. “I’m so grateful you came into my life, Dick. And now, I have an uncle.” She mumbled something, then spoke up. “Dick! Are we going to survive to enjoy a good, long life together?”
Chapter 24
Marino shot out of his chair to stand in front of Mack. “Damn it to hell. That guy’s with Drug Enforcement. There’s no other way he’d connect that bitch from San Diego to this club. Go back to the bar and alert the bartenders to report any more curiosity-seeking bastards asking questions about that woman.”
He walked back to his desk, kicked the trash can across the room and sat down. He cupped his hands over his eyes and put his head down on the desk for a moment, seriously concerned. We’ve screwed up somewhere, now what’s next? This stepped- up activity from DEA can’t be taken lightly.
Marino called Hans, intending to bring him in for a conference. “What’s going on down there, Hans? Have you heard anything more about that drugged out bitch that ratted out our people at the club there?”
“Not lately. She was well known here at the club and all the clubs here in town. The local cops were investigating her death here for the DEA but turned up nothing that I know of. What’s stirring that up again?”
“We had an undercover snoop in here asking questions about her. That’s unusual since she was not known in this area until her body washed ashore here. From now on, remove the intestines before you dump trash at sea.”
“I was about to call you. Word out of Frisco is that guy, Davis, was released from prison, and can’t be trusted cause he’s tight with law enforcement.”
“No! Not Thomas G. Davis?”
“That’s the one,” Hans said. “You want me to track him down and put a stop to the problem before he gets started causing trouble?”
“Not until we know what he’s up to. The whole organization’s under scrutiny. Don’t forget, you’re hot, yourself, right now, because of that careless red truck deal. You’d better stay low until the heat cools down some. I may have to bring you home
to plug some of the leaks here once we find out where the problem is.” Marino was quiet a moment, before asking, “When was he released?”
“I don’t know, exactly, boss. Sometime recently, I think.”
“OK, Hans, I’m on the Davis situation now. I’ll let you know what’s needed.”
Marino terminated his call with Hans and looked up to see Mack, the evening bouncer and assistant club manager, waiting inside the door. “What’s up, Mack?”
“I want to give you an update on Maria’s lover boy, if you have time.”
“Yeah, let’s have it, Mack.”
“The guy’s a little too old to be a lover boy type, but Maria likes him. Mostly, all he does is work, and wait for Maria so he can get laid. His only other contacts have been at that place he works and one time he met with the boyfriend of that Brooks woman, at his hotel. We thought his last name was Grant, but that’s his first name. His last name is Davis. We checked with his employer at the restaurant. He’s retired Coast Guard.”
Oh, shit, not now. He bit the soggy end of his cigar off and damn near swallowed it before he realized what he was doing. It can’t be the same guy, Marino thought. “You say his name is Grant Davis?”
“That’s it, boss, an older guy.”
“Thanks, Mack. I’ll take it from here.”
This could not be happening. He wanted to yell. He wanted to throw something. There’s no such thing as coincidence here. Can’t let Mack and the others know what’s going on. Excitement creates too much curiosity. Must keep things calm. That guy with the Brooks girl. He could be another plant, a DEA Fed.
He thought about the bartender. What a waste. Davis has probably sucked her dry, everything she’s ever heard about our operation, how she started hooking. She’s puked up her guts, I know it.
He climbed the stairs to a small loft, set up for naps and occasional romps. He opened the slider and stepped out into the cool, moist air and stared at a few light clouds moving across the full moon. Moments later he went back inside for the night.
In the Blink of An Eye Page 9