Paul's Island - A Kit and Kat Mystery 1

by Chuck Antone, Jr

  I'm now having second thoughts about opening the envelope without the Inspector here, so I motion to Kat to go in and answer the phone. I want to make sure no one touches the envelope. If we open it, I'm sure the Inspector will be cross with us.

  Kat comes back. "It's Inspector Charles. He says he'll be here in about thirty minutes, and emphasized that no one should touch the envelope, or else be prepared for the consequences."

  With that, we all move to the other table. We feel the temptation to open the envelope is too great, and none of us wants to suffer the consequences – whatever they might be.

  We wait, looking out over the water for the boat to return carrying the Inspector, wondering what is inside the envelope.

  Chapter 13

  We can see Henry's lighted barge coming across the water. Even though it's daylight, the lights are on for safety reasons. We are all silent.

  Eventually Nadia says, "Do you think another one of us will die before the night is over?"

  Steve says, "Well, maybe not now, since Paul has been arrested."

  We all turn to him, astonished that he can believe Paul is actually the murderer.

  He shrugs. "It's just a thought. I don't really think Paul did it."

  But the idea has been planted again in our minds. We watch the lights of the barge getting closer and closer. Then, here it is, being tied to the pier posts. The Inspector and Henry get off. Detective Donna is also with them.

  Donna asks us, "Where's the envelope?"

  We point to the umbrella, and Nadia says, "It's pinned to the inside."

  The Inspector unpins the envelope which isn't sealed, takes a note out, glances at it, then reads it out loud for all of us to hear. "one down – one to go."

  I can see straight away that an old typewriter has been used for the note as well as the envelope. So it's probably been done recently, not back at the university by Paul and Sue. I've never seen a typewriter there.

  The Inspector says, "I'm sure whoever is typing these envelopes knows that if he seals them with his salvia, a DNA test would prove who he is. I say 'he,' because I'm assuming it's your friend Paul, and he strikes me as being very smart and very cagey."

  We look at each other, shrugging our shoulders as if to say, "What's going on?"

  Nadia speaks up. "Inspector, what can we do to keep safe? Must we still stay here on the island?"

  Inspector Charles says, "There are no rooms available on the Main Island. This is a busy weekend for us. Other universities have also held their ceremonies, and the graduates are here celebrating. Besides, you'll be safe enough here. Until the case is solved, no one is excused to leave this vicinity. You must stay here under my jurisdiction until I tell you when you can leave."

  I protest, "But Inspector, some of us have jobs beginning next week. We have plane reservations, and two of us are leaving for Africa."

  "That's all changed now. Until the case is solved, you'll all stay here, and that's final."

  The Inspector gives Henry that look again, as if to say, "Get the barge ready, we're leaving."

  Henry starts toward the boat. I follow him, saying, "Henry, after you take the Inspector back, please come back and pick us up. Some of us want to go to the Main Island to shop and look around."

  I really don't know who wants to go, or if anyone does, apart from me. But I've been thinking of renting a boat so we can go back and forth without having to call Henry every time.

  Henry says, "I'm not sure if the Inspector would like me to do that."

  "It's okay, they've arrested Paul. He probably pinned the note on the umbrella, so we're all safe now." I'm hoping I've convinced Henry. "Besides, the Inspector didn't say we can't leave this island for a short time. He just told us we mustn't leave the vicinity, and his jurisdiction includes both islands. We'll make it worth your while."

  I pull out my wallet. "We'll pay you three times the usual amount, plus a big bonus, if you tell no one."

  Henry has that smile again as he leans over and whispers in my ear, "I'll be back just as soon as I drop the Inspector off. And make that a big, big bonus!"

  When I go back to the group, the Inspector is saying, "I'll return tomorrow afternoon around three. I have to go check Paul in; I didn't have time before. I came straight back here after the phone call from Kat about this note. Tomorrow I'm very busy. I'll be off the Main Island most of the morning, until early afternoon. So until then, stay together. Whoever was bunking with Paul, move in with the other two. Remember, you need to stay close together."

  I'm already planning to move in with Steve and Nat tonight. We hear the barge warming up as the Inspector says, "See you tomorrow afternoon."

  It takes a while, but soon we hear the barge pull away.

  I tell my friends what I've arranged with Henry. I say, "He's coming back in about an hour to pick me up. I'm going over to the island to rent a boat. This way we'll have our own transport. I'll come straight back, and since the Inspector won't be here until tomorrow afternoon, we can go early in the morning to visit Paul, tell him what we've found so far, and maybe he can give us some more insight to help us prove his innocence. Do any of you want to come with me?"

  No one does, but everyone agrees it's a great idea to get a boat, and say they'll wait here on the deck until I return. I think it will take a couple of hours to get there and back, by the time I've rented a small boat.

  Henry returns and picks me up, just as he says he would. He seems to be enjoying all this mystery, or maybe it's seeing us suffering that's giving him a kick. When we get close to the Main Island, I ask him where I can rent a boat.

  He looks at me through those squinty eyes of his. "Over there. I suppose that means you won't be needing me any more." Sulkily he points to a sign that says Gary's Boat Rental. Pay by the day, hour or week. Great prices. Best on the Island.

  While waiting to rent something from Gary large enough for all of us, I see a small boat with an outboard motor that looks identical to the one Kat and I found with the warm engine late last night at the far end of Paul's Island. But no one is near it.

  I rent a reasonable sized boat and hurry back to my friends. They are waiting for me on the patio deck, just as they said they would be, still sitting in the same chairs as when I left.

  We're glad to see each other. We obviously all hated to be separated, and we know staying together will insure our safety. I tell them how unhappy Henry seemed to be now that we'll no longer be depending on him.

  Erica says, "I'm going to get a drink of water. Anyone else want anything?"

  We all say that water will be fine. She gets up and goes into the kitchen. All of a sudden we hear her scream. We all jump up and run into the kitchen. Screaming and crying, Erica points to one of the counter tops.

  The counter is clean and shiny, but she's pointing to something on top of the counter that's also clean and shiny. Someone, maybe even one of us, has put a knife there. Not just any knife. It's the one with the indents where you put your fingers when you cut up something … or someone.

  The one that's been in Sue's heart.

  Chapter 14

  Kat moves quickly and puts her arms around Erica. Soon Nadia does the same. All three of them hug each other, Erica and Nadia crying, and Kat comforting them. I look at Kat, amazed by how much control she has over her emotions at this moment.

  I say "Don't touch it! We must leave it there until the Inspector comes back tomorrow afternoon."

  Kat shakes her head. "And let the murderer loose in here with it tonight? No thank you. I'm locking it in the pantry. There's a key in the lock." She carefully picks it up by the handle using a paper tissue, and slips it into a large zip-lock bag and puts it safely away in the pantry, slipping the key into her purse.

  Everyone agrees she's done the right thing, and we hurry back to the living room.

  Kat speaks quietly to me, but I'm sure everyone can hear her. "I think we should tell them about last night."

  All ten eyes turn and look at me.<
br />
  Together Kat and I tell them about our adventure: finding the small boat, the warmth of the engine, and how we felt someone was watching us the whole time. I explain about the small boat that I saw on the Main Island, and wonder if it really is the same one that Kat and I discovered last night. We also tell them about the stairway in the back of the house that seems to lead up to the bedrooms, although that we don't know to which one.

  Kat says, "I'm dying to find out where those stairs lead, and if that boat is still there by Paul's aunt's house. If the boat has gone, then it probably is the one you saw when you rented the boat, Kit. It will help prove Paul's innocence, because it will mean it wasn't Paul who was using it. There's no way he could have gotten it back to the Main Island last night and returned here in time to go to bed in your room, Kit."

  I agree. "Paul was fast asleep when I got back. And even if he was pretending to be asleep, he was in his bed."

  Nat sounds excited. "Let's go find out if that boat is still there!"

  I look at everyone. "How do the rest of you feel about this? Is there anyone who doesn't want to come with us? We're not going to leave anyone here alone."

  No one answers, so I get the three flashlights. I take one, and hand the other two to Nat and Steve. I say, "Okay, there are six of us so we'll go in pairs; one man and one woman, holding hands. And under no circumstances do you let go of that hand. The only phone on the island is in the house, and that will be a long way back if you're on your own. And it won't be much use to you, because you won't be able to reach any of us on our cell phones."

  Kat says, "If the moon is as bright as it was last night, we won't need the flashlights. Try not to talk. Just keep your ears open for any strange sounds. And as Kit says, stick together."

  I say, "We'll leave by the kitchen door. Any second thoughts? No? Okay, let's go hunting for some clues." On the way out, I grab a few zip-lock bags from a kitchen drawer where I'd seen them earlier.

  The moon isn't quite as bright as last night, and some angry clouds rearing up on the horizon have a distinctly thundery look about them in the moonlight. There could be a storm later, so the quicker we get there the better. I say to the others, "There will be times we'll have to use our flashlights. Shine them on the ground so you can see where you're walking. Remember, men, you are responsible for the safety of your partner."

  Kat says, "And keep looking down for any evidence. It'll take us nearly an hour to get there."

  After about forty-five minutes into our walk, Nat says, "Hey, here are two cigarette butts. They look fresh. Did you two take up smoking?"

  Everyone kind of chuckles. I'm glad we can still laugh. I hand Nat a zip-lock bag and say, "Put them in here." Something else I had learned at our criminology classes is to always be prepared.

  Kat squeezes my hand. "Good job, Detective Kit."

  Every once in a while, someone whispers, "Listen, I hear something."

  We stop and look around, but quickly realize it's the wind which is now rising, and the occasional distant rumble of thunder. Last night was calm; tonight the wind is moving the trees and bushes.

  Nadia asks, "How much farther?"

  Kat says, "Just around this bend and you'll see the boat – if it's still there."

  Even though I'm sure our hearts are beating faster than normal, I believe everyone is enjoying themselves. Instead of sitting around the house depressed, we are out doing something. Something to help Paul. We feel useful.

  Steve says, "Look, there's the pier."

  The moon is shining right on it, and we can see it perfectly.

  "Where's the boat?" Steve asks.

  "It's not here," I say, going forward and showing them where it had been moored.

  I'm not expecting the boat to still be here, and say, "How could Paul have taken the boat back to the Main Island and returned without any of us hearing or seeing him? He would have needed Henry to bring him back, and you all know how noisy his barge is. Anyway, Henry would have said something. He doesn't like us. I've been praying that the boat won't be here, so I can believe Paul's innocence."

  Steve says, "Just to make sure, let's look around the other side of the dock. If we can't find the boat, our minds will be put to ease, and we can all help to prove Paul's innocence."

  We immediately agree. This is why we have hung out together and are such great friends. When someone brings up something for the group to do or look into, we all fall in with each other.

  The lightning is flashing across the sky much closer now, darting down to the sea at times, and the delay between the flashes and the sound is getting shorter and shorter. It's time to hurry back to the safety of the house. So even though we've not searched properly, we can be sure the boat isn't here. I can sense a great relief all round, because we all want to believe Paul is innocent.

  We run back to the house along the coastal path, stopping occasionally to get our breath back. Lightning is ripping through the air maybe less than five miles away. We have one more obstacle to clear tonight – the stairway. We're all hoping that after checking it out, we will still feel Paul is not the murderer.

  Before we check out the stairway, we decide to go back into the house, rest and get something to drink. We've been out for over two hours. We enter the house the same way we left, through the kitchen door.

  Kat says, "When we went out last night, it was through this door. I don't think I unlocked it, just opened it and went out. When we came back, it wasn't locked. And it's not locked now. That's very important."

  Chapter 15

  Kat is trying to explain to us that there isn't an automatic lock on the kitchen door; you have to lock and unlock it by hand. The lock is a dead bolt, above the door handle.

  She says, "After we arrived, did any of you use the kitchen door to go outside?"

  Everyone says the only doors they've ever used are the front one and the sliding door to the deck area.

  Kat says, "So that means the kitchen door has been unlocked since we've been here. Someone could have come into the kitchen while we were on the deck and put the knife on the kitchen counter."

  Nadia agrees. "They could even have come in before we got here, and used the old typewriter in the library to type 'Welcome' on the envelope."

  I agree. "And even more than that, someone could have come in, taken the knife and used it as the murder weapon to kill Sue. But who?"

  We look at each other, and in unison say, "Not Paul. He's innocent." And we all clap our hands.

  The house phone rings. It's Paul, saying he's going to be released tomorrow morning, and if it's okay with all of us he wants to come back to the island.

  I repeat what Paul says to the group. They all say "Yes," loud enough for him to hear.

  Paul goes on to say, "I've posted bail and will be free to leave."

  I tell him, "Paul, tomorrow we're going over to the Main Island where you are, so wait for us there."

  He asks, "How are you going to get here?"

  I tell him about our boat from Gary's Rental.

  He says, "Good, I use Gary's Rental a lot."

  I hang up the phone and tell the others about Paul's bail. "Okay, we have one more job to do. Let's check that outside stairway and pray that it's blocked off at the top. That will show that Paul couldn't have used it to slip out to murder Sue when he went upstairs for the note yesterday morning."

  "Okay," Kat says. "What do you want us to do?"

  I think about it for a while, then say, "You girls go upstairs. Stay close together, and keep all the doors open. We men will go up the staircase and bang on the door at the top, if there is one. Last night I quickly checked out the hallway and didn't find a door that leads to the outside. I'm not sure about all the bedrooms, but Paul's room, where I stayed, definitely has no exit."

  I point to the men. "We'll start hammering when we get to the top of the stairs. When you girls hear the banging at its loudest point, call out, and we'll come up to you and together search it out. Ladies, please stay
close together. We don't know what's on the other side."

  The girls go to the upstairs landing. We men run out the kitchen door and up the outside staircase. When we get to the top, there's a door, but it's bolted and blocked with two-by-fours. The boards are screwed into the frame of the house, and have clearly not been tampered with. We're sure no one could have used this way to get into the house or exit from it. This is another confirmation of Paul's innocence. We are curious where the door leads, so we begin banging on it, hollering out, "Hello, can you hear us? Are you there?"

  At that moment the thunder intensifies, drowning our shouts and our hammering. Finally we hear a voice. I think it's Erica. "In here. Keep knocking."

  We begin to knock louder than before, and then hear Erica's voice again. "I've found it!"

  Feeling like we are on a treasure hunt, we men race back down the stairs, into the house, and up the main stairs. We hear the girls calling, "In here!"

  I've only seen two of the men's bedrooms. They are nice, but this one is huge and elegantly furnished. It has a king-sized bed, two twin beds, a couch and an upholstered chair. There's also a beautiful desk with a matching chair. A grand Oriental rug adorns the impressive hardwood floors. Erica and Sue have been staying in this room.

  I finally say, "Okay, Erica, where was our knocking the loudest?"

  She replies, "It came from that closet. I think it was you and not the thunder."

  As we open the closet door, we explain how the door at the top of the outside stairway is bolted and boarded up, so we can be sure no one came in or out that way. We can't see anything that looks like a door. We knock on the walls, but find nothing.

  Nat says, "Erica, are you sure our knocking came from in here?"

  "There's no doubt in my mind. It came from inside here."

  Kat says, "How come neither you nor Sue used this closet?"

  Erica shrugs. "Because when we got here, there was a sign on that closet door with my name on it, and a sign on the other closet door with Sue's name on it." She points to each one as she speaks. "And besides, look, there's nowhere to hang clothes in here." She walks over to the one we're looking in.

  I say, "It's not a closet. It's just an empty space now. It must have been the entrance for the back stairway at one time."