Roche Harbor Rogue

by D. W. Ulsterman

  “She’s not the only one who’s stubborn. I refuse to sit back and accept her death sentence. No, I intend to find a miracle, the same miracle my father was researching. It’s destiny, Adele. Don’t you see that? Delroy explored the legend of remarkably good health and long life associated with Orcas Island and now here I am following through on his work. I am going to put that legend to good use and try to save the life of my mother.”

  “But Delroy concluded that Karl Bloodbone was a fraud.”

  “According to the nun that was a lie. I’m certain she implied Bloodbone intimidated him into publishing that conclusion. Delroy was an academic, a man of science. His reputation would never survive going public with the truth of what he saw. I told you I came here to learn more about my father because I knew you would accept that. You’d feel obligated to help. Sharing that I’m here to find a cure for my dying mother? That makes me nothing more than a desperate man chasing a hoax—one that you would quickly reject being a part of. You know I’m right about that.”

  Adele nodded. “You are. It doesn’t excuse the lie though. It just means you manipulated me into doing what you wanted.”

  “Yeah? And what of it? Is your mother still alive?”

  “Yes. She lives in Arizona now.”

  “Okay, put yourself in my shoes. She’s dying and you think there might be a way to save her. Or let’s say it’s Tilda who has just a few months left and there is a rumored remedy on a nearby island that could change that. Would you waste precious time trying to convince others or would you get right to it?”

  “I’m not going to engage in hypotheticals with you, Fin. We all took you in on a false premise, which tells me you’re just here to use us. You can’t expect me to be okay with that. This is my home and the people you lied to are my friends.”

  “And a tight-knit bunch you all are. We have far more in common in that regard than you likely realize. Travelers are many things, not all of them good, but in the end, no one can accuse us of not being survivors. I apologize for the deception, Adele. I mean that. I’m also asking for your help. I intend to return to Orcas as soon as possible.”

  “Why?”

  “To find Karl Bloodbone of course. I’m going to purchase the crystal around his neck and take it with me back to Ireland.”

  “Oh, Fin, that piece of crystal won’t save your mother.”

  Fin’s jaw clenched. “Don’t do that. Don’t you dare dismiss me like I’m some wretched child. I won’t have it.”

  “I don’t see you as a wretched child. I see you as someone who deceived me.”

  “You missed something you know. I all but told you the truth the other night on our way back from Orcas. I suppose that was the part of me that wanted to tell you but wasn’t sure how to do it.”

  Adele cocked her head. “What did I miss?”

  “We were arguing. I said I was just a poor little Irish boy without a daddy looking for a friend in a big, scary old world.”

  “And?”

  “If both my parents were dead why would I have excluded my mother from such a statement? I’m surprised you didn’t catch that omission.”

  “This isn’t a game, Fin. At least not to me.”

  “No, it isn’t. It’s about the life of the only family I have left in this world. My point was to show that I really did want you to know the truth.”

  “Then you should have started with it.”

  Fin looked down at his cup again. “You’re right. I apologize.”

  “The sheriff wants me to bring you to the station in Friday Harbor.”

  “Why? I’ve done nothing wrong.”

  “You lied.”

  “I didn’t break any law. He can request to speak with me all he wants. I don’t have to comply.”

  “You don’t want to make an enemy of Lucas.”

  “I’m not intimidated by a man with a gun and a badge. I know my rights. If he wishes to come here to speak with me that’s one thing. Taking me in to see him as if I have no choice? No, that won’t do.”

  “Okay, but he won’t be happy about it.”

  Fin smiled. “I’ve read your articles, remember? I know for a fact you don’t follow every order Sheriff Pine gives to you.”

  “Where were you this morning?”

  “Ah, back to the interrogation, is it? I thought perhaps the ice between us had thawed.”

  “Just answer the question.”

  “I took a long walk to the Roche Harbor cemetery. I had to see it for myself. Your stories, as good as they are, still don’t do it justice. What a remarkable thing that marble mausoleum, how it rises from the earth surrounded by all those ancient trees. And the one intentionally broken pillar, did you know it allows both the morning and evening sun to shine into the center of the tomb and that the structure has the exact same dimensions as the interior of King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem?”

  “I knew some of that, yes.”

  “When the sun comes up, the mausoleum is illuminated by this golden glow that to me signifies the bond between the earthly realm and the spiritual one, like your insistence on science and my belief in something beyond that science. And like the cave and the cellar we visited on Orcas, there is power that surrounds it. Remember when I told you how I thought there could be arteries that extend out from the heartbeat of the Turtleback Mountain cave? Having seen and felt the mausoleum this morning I’m now convinced it was built on top of one of those arteries as well. John McMillin, the founder of Roche Harbor, had to have known that.”

  “If you’re right, I imagine he did.”

  “He was also the original builder of Tilda’s hotel. Her family purchased it from his. It remains the oldest continually run hotel in Washington state.”

  “Really? That I didn’t know.”

  Fin’s eyes widened as he nodded. “Yes, your friendship with Tilda is truly a link to Roche Harbor’s past. And John McMillin knew Robert Moran. Knew him well in fact. For several years the two vied for most influential status here on the islands. One man dominated Roche Harbor on San Juan Island and the other Rosario on Orcas Island. McMillin died in 1936 and Moran in 1943. Both men lived into their 80s. Do you know what the average life expectancy in the United States for a white male born in the 1850s was?”

  Adele dipped her teabag as she struggled not to appear amused by Fin’s enthusiasm. “Go ahead.”

  “It was just 40 years. And for those who managed to live past 40, less than 15% reached the age of 60. Both Moran and McMillin easily exceeded that mark. In fact, San Juan County has by far the highest life expectancy for both men and women of any county in the state and, as I said before, one of the highest life expectancies in all the world. I’m telling you, Adele, there’s something very different about this place—something beyond merely being a beautiful destination. There’s real magic here.”

  “I won’t say that’s impossible, Fin, but I’ve found the word magic is most often applied to phenomena that actually have more practical-based explanations. Yes, these islands are different. Believe me, I know. That’s why I feel so blessed to live here. I’ll help you to locate Bloodbone, or whoever it is pretending to be him, not because of any kind of belief in the supernatural but because I want answers—real ones. But before we go back to Orcas you do need to speak with the sheriff. I’m not going to help you avoid him. I’m sure if I ask Lucas to come to Roche to see you, he’ll make the trip here.”

  “I tell you what, Adele. If you can help to get this sheriff nonsense wrapped up quickly and then take me to Orcas again, I’ll be in your debt. This isn’t a casual promise. I give you my word on the life of my mother that should you need my help, however far away I might be, I’ll return here to provide it.”

  “Why would you think I’d need that kind of help?”

  Fin sipped from his tea. “The Russians for one. Travelers have done business with them in Ireland over the years. Not often though. We prefer to avoid their kind. We know of Vlad Vasa and his daughter Liya. Those are very pow
erful enemies you’ve made, Adele. Ones that will require far more than the kind of protection your friend the sheriff can provide.”

  Adele had put the Liya problem on the back burner because thinking about it made her want to scream at Roland all over again. “Lucas and I managed Liya before. We’ll do it again if we have to.”

  “That’s dangerous thinking. Liya and her brother were two. Liya’s father Vlad might very well send a dozen here to carry out their revenge. What then?”

  “You really do like seeing me worry, don’t you?”

  “Not at all. I just want to make it as clear as possible that by helping me now I will be available to help you whenever you need it. Just say the word and I’ll be on the first plane from Ireland to here.”

  “If Vlad Vasa were to send more people how would your being here change anything?”

  Fin leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “When my father helped you to find Calista Stone did that make a difference?”

  “You already know the answer to that.”

  “That’s right and if needed I will be a significant help to you and your friends. Despite my previous deceptions please trust me when I tell you this. Earning that trust back means a great deal to me.”

  Adele stuck out her hand. “Fine. Shake on it?”

  Fin’s hand was as warm as his smile. “Bless you,” he said. “Our reaching an understanding pleases me greatly.”

  Adele squeezed Fin’s hand a little more tightly. “No more lies.”

  Fin nodded. “No more lies. I promise. What now?”

  “I call Lucas and tell him you’re here and available to talk.”

  “You don’t waste any time, do you?”

  “No, I don’t.”

  This time it was Fin who squeezed Adele’s hand and held it in place as he stared into her eyes. “Good. Neither do I.”

  21.

  A dele leaned against the side of her sailboat nibbling on a cheese bagel and watching Lucas question Fin. They stood at the end of the dock next to Roland’s yacht. Despite Lucas putting on his best “I’m the sheriff around here’’ intimidation face, Fin appeared at ease and smiling. The conversation lasted about ten minutes. After they were done Fin was the first to walk up to Adele.

  “He seems to be a nice enough fella. All business like most who wear a badge but fair. Seems he wants to talk to you alone now so I’m going back up to the hotel. Can I get you anything?”

  “No, I’m good.”

  Fin kept walking and then turned around. “When do you think we might get back to Orcas?”

  “We’ll see. Won’t be today. Maybe tomorrow.”

  Fin tipped his cap. “Until then.”

  Adele heard Lucas come up behind her. “Your new friend is smooth under fire,” he said. “I’m guessing he’s had plenty of practice dealing with the authorities. I think I might actually have been more nervous than he was.”

  “So, are you going to let him stick around?”

  “Sure. Like I said, he’s done nothing wrong. Lying to you about his mother doesn’t sit right with me, but if lying alone was a crime we’d have to build a bunch of new prisons just for all the politicians and reporters.”

  “Hey, watch it.”

  Lucas grinned as he took a chunk of Adele’s bagel and plopped it into his mouth. “Not all reporters of course. There are still a few good ones out there. At least that’s what I hear. I’m still waiting to actually meet one.”

  Adele nodded. “Uh-huh. Keep digging that hole, bagel thief.”

  “Innocent until proven guilty.”

  “I just watched you steal a piece.”

  Lucas swallowed and then shook his head. “Sorry, no evidence.”

  They both turned toward the sound of a great blue heron beating its wings as it landed on the radar arch of Roland’s yacht. The nearly four-foot-tall bird shook its head, adjusted its wings, and then let out a deep, dinosaur-like squawk.

  Lucas looked down at Adele. “Have you checked his yacht lately?”

  “No.”

  “Maybe he snuck back on when you weren’t around.”

  “What about the bank? Has he been there?”

  “According to Penny not in the last week or so, but apparently that’s not unusual. Roland is a man who can afford to live by his own calendar. His name might be on the building, but she runs that bank, not him.”

  “And no other leads regarding who would have been using Penny’s car to try to scare me the other day?”

  “No, and she still hasn’t got back to me about bringing the car by for us to inspect.”

  “You think she’s hiding something?”

  Lucas shrugged. “Don’t know. There wasn’t an actual crime committed. Someone revved their engine at you. I’m limited in what I can do beyond talking to her. I’m not saying it’s not on my radar, especially after the warning from Yuri about Liya Vasa. It’s just that beyond watching and waiting there’s not much else I can do right now.”

  “I understand. So, what about Roland?”

  “Give me another bite of that bagel and I’ll tell you my plan.”

  Adele ripped what was left of the bagel in two and gave half to Lucas. “Really?” she said. “That’s all it takes to bribe a sheriff? I’ll bring donuts next time. Then you’ll do whatever I want.”

  “That’s a hurtful cliché, Ms. Plank.”

  “How about a nice Bismarck? All that dark chocolate on top with the cream-filled center—warm and fresh right from the oven.”

  Lucas licked his lips. “You’re right. That would probably work.”

  After they finished the bagel Lucas pointed to the yacht. “Ma’am, do you believe Mr. Soros might be in some kind of danger?”

  Adele scowled. “Huh?”

  “In order to enter the yacht, I’ll need an exigent circumstance. So, let me ask you again. Do you believe Mr. Soros might be in danger?”

  “Oh. Uh, yeah, I do think it’s possible.”

  “And have you seen or heard any suspicious activity around the vessel within the last 24 hours?”

  “As a matter of fact, I have. Just a second ago, a very strange croaking noise came from over there, like someone inside the yacht might be choking.”

  Lucas nodded. “That sounds like a possible emergency brought to my attention by a concerned neighbor. Would you agree?”

  “Absolutely, Sheriff.”

  “Okay, we better go check it out.”

  Adele had to hustle to keep up with Lucas’s long-legged stride. They walked up the boarding ramp together and then Lucas knocked on the yacht’s portside entrance. “Sheriff’s department. Anyone in there?”

  The heron flew away. The yacht was silent. Lucas opened the door. “Who keeps a ship like this unlocked?”

  “Someone who doesn’t have to worry about money.”

  “Sheriff’s department,” Lucas cried out again. He paused, listened, and then stepped inside as Adele shut the door behind them. No lights were on and most of the window blinds were closed. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust.

  “It’s almost exactly like the other one his family owned,” Lucas said. “Right down to all the dark wood trim. The furniture, the artwork, Roland must have spent more on this one item than I could earn in three or four years as sheriff.”

  Adele knew the amount was actually more than that, but she didn’t care how much money Roland spent on the yacht. She just wanted to know where he was. “Can we look around?”

  Lucas nodded. “Sure. Officially that’s what this is—a safety check.”

  Adele didn’t have to look far. A note was stuck to the stainless fridge in the galley. “Found something,” she called out.

  “What is it?”

  Adele took the note down and read it out loud. “Off to see my cat for a few days. P.S. Don’t forget to lock up on your way out.”

  Lucas frowned as he scratched the stubble on his chin. “Roland has a cat?”

  Adele didn’t realize she was smiling until Lucas
asked her what was so funny. “I know where he is,” she said.

  “Yeah?”

  Adele stuffed the note into her pocket and went outside. “Got to go, Sheriff.”

  “Where to?”

  “Can’t say. I’m not sure Roland wants people knowing about his hideout. Do me a favor and tell Fin that I’ll talk with him first thing tomorrow about Orcas.”

  “Now I’m your message boy? C’mon, Adele, tell me where you think Roland is.”

  Adele started walking backwards while staring at the top of the yacht. The space where the dinghy was kept was empty.

  I should have known he might go back there. We must have just missed each other.

  Lucas came down the ramp. “Hey, I mean it. Don’t leave me hanging. I just bent the rules so we could have a look inside.”

  “And I appreciate that. Now I have to go.” Adele jogged to her Chris Craft.

  “You’re going on the water? There are white caps forming. It’s going to be blowing hard soon.”

  “All the more reason I need to go now.” Adele jumped behind the wheel, turned the key and then looked up at Lucas. “Can you untie me?”

  “Not unless you let me come with you.”

  “Don’t be silly. You have a job to do. Now stop worrying. I’ll be fine.” Adele reached out and untied the boat from the dock. “See you soon. I promise.”

  Lucas watched stern-faced as Adele backed out of the slip. “Don’t you dare make me come looking for you,” he said, sounding more worried than annoyed.

  Adele turned the wheel hard and pointed the bow toward the increasingly churlish surface of Spieden Channel. Both the sky and water were a swirling mass of heavy gray. She crept along slowly until she reached the western corner of Davidson head. The white caps Lucas had warned about were already getting worse.

  It was approximately ten nautical miles to her destination.

  Ten miles in a car was nothing, but ten miles on waters made worse by a fast-approaching storm was something very different. In those conditions such a distance could feel like forever.

  The Lancer’s bow lurched to the side as a series of large waves crashed against the hull. Adele spun the wheel, turned on the wipers, huddled underneath the hardtop, and accelerated. More speed meant more pounding, but it also meant she’d be back on land before the approaching storm’s full fury hit the islands.