by Mac Fortner
“Were the two of you having an argument?”
“No. We were fine. Actually great. We were going to make an appointment with a Realtor to see some houses while we were here.”
“Do you have a picture of your wife?”
He pulled his wallet from his pocket and produced a picture. He unfolded it and handed it to me.
“This was taken three days ago in the Bahamas,” he said. “Her name is Tracy.”
In the picture, an attractive lady was standing next to a palm tree. She wasn’t paying any attention to the camera. There was no doubt though that the lady was the same one Kailey and I saw across the street less than an hour ago.
“May I ask,” I said. “What made you choose me?”
“You’re becoming famous. I read about you catching Bloodshot. It was in all the papers. You killed him and another assassin in New York.”
“True, but how did you know I was back in Key West? I’ve only been here for a month, and I haven’t advertised.”
He paused, looking at me like a deer caught in the headlights. He was about to tell me a lie. That I was sure of. I’ve seen this look before. His pulse was racing, he was turning red, and he couldn’t hold eye contact.
“I remember the article in the paper mentioning you resigning the law firm and returning to Key West,” he said.
I thought that over for a few seconds. Maybe it did, but really, would he remember that in a crisis. He would be panicked if his wife was missing and I’m not yet listed in the phone book. I let it go but kept a mental note.
“Something else I should tell you,” he said. “My wife,” he paused, “has a tendency to exaggerate a little. She has a medical condition called Mythomania. She’s a pathological liar. It’s not her fault, and I don’t condemn her for it, but it makes it hard to ever believe what she says.”
“Would this have anything to do with her leaving?”
“It could. One time she disappeared for a day and told me she had been kidnapped.”
“Was she?”
“No, of course not. She was lying for attention.”
I thought it over for a moment. This case could be very complex. He seems sincere, but what if he’s the one who is a pathological liar?
“Alright,” I said. “I’ll get Diane, and she can take care of the paperwork. We’ll need a retainer and your phone number.”
“Fine,” he said.
I handed him my card and went to find Diane.
Aaron’s cell phone rang.
“Hello Harold,” he answered.
He listened for a moment then said, “What do you mean they were the real ones?”
She wasn’t anywhere around. Only one place left to look, and I dreaded it. I opened the door to the side deck and hot tub. Without looking, I called for her, “Diane.”
“Yes,” she answered.
“I need your help with a client.”
The door swung open, and Diane appeared, fully dressed.
“I was just talking to Kailey,” she said.
Then I saw Kailey stand up in the hot tub. She was naked, as usual.
“He’s in the office,” I said to Diane. “The usual fee.”
“Okay,” she said and left to take care of the business.
“You may sit back down Kailey,” I said.
“It’s too hot,” she said stepping from the tub, placing her towel on a chair and sitting.
I took a seat opposite her.
“You know the woman we saw earlier?” I said.
“Yeah.”
“That’s who this guy is looking for. He says she’s his wife.”
“Do you believe him?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Just a feeling really. Mainly because the picture he showed me of her seemed candid. I don’t think she knew he took it. It seems to me a guy would have a better picture of his wife.”
“Do you have a good picture of me?”
“No, but you’re not my wife.”
“Want one,” she said and spread her legs.
“I don’t need one. I’ll have that one in my mind forever.”
The door opened, and Diane appeared. Kailey adjusted to hide herself.
“He’s gone,” she said. “He wasn’t in the office.”
Chapter 2
I didn’t see or hear from Mister Alexander the rest of the day. I thought it odd he would just leave after giving me all the details. But I must say, I’ve seen stranger things happen with clients.
Diane had clients of her own to see, so she was busy all afternoon. Her psychiatry business was doing well. Heaven knows there are plenty of patients in Key West.
I called Jack, my sometimes partner, to see if he wanted to meet Kailey and me at the Red Rooster for fried chicken.
“Sure,” he said. “Will Diane be with you?”
“No, she won’t.”
“Oh….. Well….."
“Come on Jack. I have some business to talk to you about.”
“Alright, see you there,” he relented and hung up.
The Red Rooster was crowded today, as usual. Thanks to my charisma, but mostly Kailey’s good looks, we were seated immediately.
Jack arrived a few minutes later.
“Hey Cam,” he said as he walked past me and hugged Kailey. He held her long enough to make a scene with the other tables.
“Okay, okay,” I said. “I’ll bring Diane next time.”
Jack smiled and took a seat next to Kailey.
Jack Stiller is a good person. He’s six-foot-four feet of muscle, and quite handsome. His long wavy hair is a turn-on to most women in Key West. But he has a checkered past with the women and is now in love with my Diane.
I forbade Diane to date him to no avail. She’s a responsible young lady, and I shouldn’t be worried, but I am. I guess at thirty-five she can make her own decisions.
We ordered and made small talk for a few minutes then Jack asked what was up.
“I had a man come to see me today,” I said. “He wanted me to find his wife who has been missing since last night. They came in on the cruise ship.”
“Oh yeah, the one that was robbed.”
“Right, anyway here’s a picture of the young lady he claims is his wife.”
I pulled the picture from my pocket and handed it to him.
“Wow. She’s a beauty. I take it you don’t think she’s his wife.”
“That’s the only picture he had of her. What would you think?”
“You’re right. She didn’t exactly pose for this one. But, I don’t have a picture of Diane, and I love her. Do you have a picture of Kailey?”
“Yes,” I said.
Kailey giggled.
“And you don’t love Diane,” I said.
“I’ve loved her for years,” Jack said. “I’ve just been waiting for you to let go of her.”
“I’m not letting her go.”
“Boys,” Kailey said. “It’s time for both of you to grow up.”
“He started it,” I said.
We all looked at each other then laughed.
“Anyway,” I said, “Kailey saw this lady at the end of my dock this morning. We saw her watching us a few hours later while we were having a drink at Sloppy Joes.”
“And you want me to find her,” he said.
“I could use the help. I’m going to try to find Mister Alexander. He disappeared from my office before we signed the contract.”
“Maybe he changed his mind,” Kailey said.
“Or maybe, his wife called him while he was waiting for ya,” Jack said.
“Either way, he’s got my curiosity up now. I want to know why he left. Another thing,” I said. “He claims his wife is a pathological liar.”
We finished eating. I paid the bill, and we left. It was another hot, muggy evening. That’s the only kind we have down here, but I love it. Kailey put her arm in mine as we walked. I could fall in love with her, but it doesn’t seem right. One thing I’m tw
enty-three years older than her. To be honest, that’s the only reason I can think of.
Robin and I never really broke up. I loved her too, but our lifestyles were too different. She has to live in LA, and I can’t live anywhere other than Key West.
We separated from Jack at Watson Street and Truman Avenue. He said he would get back to me as soon as he had something. I trusted that wouldn’t be too long. He was good.
“Can I see that picture you have of me?” Kailey said when we were alone.
“I have it tucked away for safe keeping.”
She giggled again and kissed me on the cheek.
We reached my car and drove back to the dock. The gate was open.
“Kailey, why don’t you wait here in the car for a minute? I’ll be right back.”
“No way. You might need help. You forget I’m a marksman,” she said and pulled a forty-five from her purse.”
“Where did you get that?”
“I’ve always had it.”
“Is that the one you shot Emanuel Barona with?” I said.
“Yeah.”
“You have to get rid of that gun. It could send you to the chair.”
“Well, right now I might need it,” she said and opened the car door.
She was a marksman in college. And evidently an excellent one. I’m not sure, but I think she even shot me with that gun.
We walked down the dock toward my boat.
“Hi Cam,” Stacy said from her houseboat.
We jumped.
“Sorry I didn’t mean to scare you,” she said.
Stacy and Barbie live on the first houseboat as you enter the dock. They’re in their late twenties, and I’ve been kind of watching over them for a few years now. Not a bad job. She was wearing a very small bikini, her usual attire.
“You’ve got company. It’s a woman,” she said.
“How did she get in here?”
“I don’t know. I heard the gate open and looked out. She walked to your boat and went aboard about ten minutes ago. I was getting ready to call you.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I’ll go check it out.”
“Kailey, why don’t you stay here with me for a few minutes,” Stacy said.
“No thanks. Cam might need backup.”
We walked cautiously to the boat. I could see the woman sitting at my outside dining table. It was Tracy Alexander. She had a drink in her hand.
“Permission to come aboard,” I said.
She turned and looked at us. “Permission granted,” she said.
“What are ya doing here and why have you been following me?” I said.
Kailey walked around behind her and stood.
“I think I need your help,” she said sitting her drink on the table.
I could tell she had a slight accent but hid it well. Russian maybe.
“Let me guess,” I said. “You’re looking for your husband.”
“Yes, how’d you know?”
“And you are?” I said.
“Tracy Alexander,” she said. “My husband is Samuel.”
Chapter 3
I sat at the table with Tracy. She was even more attractive up close. She was still wearing the blue dress she had been wearing earlier. Her blonde hair was cut into a stylish, relaxed cut. Her nose had a slight point, and her lips were full. Blue eyes brought color to her tanned face. Most noticeable was her physical stature. She was ripped. Her arms and legs showed well-toned muscles.
“How’d you get in here and why are you drinking my Wild Turkey?” I said.
“The gate was unlocked, and the Turkey was sitting on the table with this bucket of ice.”
I looked at the ice bucket and the bottle of Turkey.
“Those aren’t mine,” I said urgently. “If I were you I wouldn’t drink any more of that.”
She looked at me and then at the bottle. She jumped up and ran to the rail and forced herself to throw up. Kailey held her hair back for her.
Tracy turned back to me. “Do you think that was poisoned?”
“Nah, probably not,” I said.
“Then why did you tell me not to drink it?”
“Because you broke in here and helped yourself to it. It was probably placed here by Diane, my daughter. She does that for me once in a while.”
Kailey giggled.
“That wasn’t funny,” Tracy snapped.
“What do you want,” I said.
Tracy regarded me for a moment. She didn’t look happy. She sighed and sat back down.
“I haven’t seen my husband since we got off the boat yesterday. We were eating at the Hogs Breath. I went to the restroom, and when I returned, he was gone. Now there's a man following me.”
“Do you have a picture of your husband? I said.
“No, I’m afraid I don’t.”
“I really don’t know what I can do to find your husband without something to go on,” I said.
“My husband only has one arm,” she said. “He lost the other in a car crash last year. He’s five-feet-ten inches tall and has an athletic build. Except for the arm.”
“I see. And who is the man following you?”
“I’m not sure. I first saw him in the Bahamas, then later on the cruise ship.”
“Can you describe him to me?”
“About six-foot-three, mid-forties and muscular. His hair is brown,” she said. “He usually wears a straw hat.”
That sounds like my Samuel Alexander.
“And you believe this man is following you?”
“Yes, I’ve seen him a few times since we left the boat. He always turns around and looks into a store window when I look his way.”
“May I ask what it is that you and your husband do for a living?”
“We’re Realtors.”
“Were you going to look for real estate while you're visiting Key West?”
“No. That wasn’t our plan. Why do you ask?”
I didn’t know whether to tell her about the man who claims to be Samuel or not. Someone is lying. Just because he told me that she was a liar, doesn’t mean that it’s true.
“Why did you come to me, Tracy?”
“My husband and I were reading about you on the ship. There’s an article about you in the Ocean Life Magazine. It said you were living here on a yacht. I asked a bartender at Schooners. He pointed the way.”
Good old Dave. I’ll have to have a talk with him.
“Ocean Life Magazine. I never gave them an interview,” I said.
“They got it somewhere,” she said and pulled a copy from her purse and handed it to me. “Here.”
“I’ve never even heard of this magazine.”
I took it and thumbed through the pages. There it was on page forty-three. The headlines read:
Cam Derringer, Key Wests most intriguing P.I., has returned home to his multi-million dollar yacht after ridding New York City of the Assassin Bloodshot.
This wasn’t good. I was going to break the yacht to Robin gently. She’ll want to know where I got it.
“May I keep this magazine?” I said.
“I would rather you just sign it and give it back to me,” she said.
“You want me to autograph my death warrant?”
“It can’t be that bad.”
“But it can.”
“What have you done mister Derringer?” she said thoughtfully.
“Nothing, but to one person this won’t look so good. Where did you say you got this?”
“It was on the ship. I just picked it up to thumb through.”
I handed it back to her.
“It’s too late to repair the damage. I’ll live with it.”
She returned the magazine to her purse.
“So what is it you would like for me to do, Tracy?”
“I want you to find this man and put him in jail, then I would like for you to find my husband.”
“You want me to find the guy following you before I look for your husband?” I said.
“
I believe if you find one you’ll find the other. I’m afraid he might have killed my husband.”
“Why do you think he would want to harm either of you?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never seen him before a few days ago.”
I thought about how complicated this case would be. Someone is lying. Maybe everyone is lying. She wants to find him, and he wants me to find her. Does he want me to find her so he can kill her? Does she want me to find him so she can kill him?
“Tracy, may I see your I.D.?” I said.
She reached into her purse again removing her billfold. She pulled her driver's license from it and handed it to me.
Tracy Delaine Alexander
105 West 13th Street
Cleveland, Ohio
I handed it back to her taking note of her age–Forty-three.
“I’ll do it on one condition.”
“Sure, anything,” she said.
“I take him to the police before you are allowed to see him,” I said.
I thought this would keep her from killing him while in my custody.
“No,” she said. “I want to question him myself.”
“Then no deal,” I said.
She stood and straightened her dress and retrieved a large bag from under the table. She held it tight against her.
“Thanks for your time, Mister Derringer,” she said and exited the boat.
I didn’t try to stop her. I thought I would look for the man claiming to be Samuel Alexander and if I spied a one-armed man in the process, I would question him too.
“You sure have a way of losing clients before you even get them,” Kailey said.
“Yes, it would seem,” I said softly “Kailey, could you google Tracy Alexander in Cleveland to see if she shows up on any real estate sites?
“Sure,” she said pulling her phone from her back pocket.
Thirty seconds later she said, “Here she is, but it’s not the same woman. As a matter of fact, this one is deceased.”
“I guess there could be more than one,” I said.
“No, not on here anyway. Especially living at 105 West 13th Street. She was Forty-one when she died two years ago.”
“I think I should call Jack.”