by Mac Fortner
I walked to Tracy.
“Hi Cam,” she said calmly. “I see you’ve found the man who was following me.”
“Maybe,” I said. “I’m not sure.”
She just stared at me.
I continued, “He says he’s your husband and is trying to find you. He also says that you’re a pathological liar.”
She smiled and shook her head. “And you believe him.”
“Not the part about being your husband,” I said.
“I see. Are you going to turn him in?”
“Not just yet,” I said.
“So you're going to wait until he kills me and then turn him in,” she said sarcastically.
“I hope not, but to be frank with you, I’m tired of both of you.”
“Tired of us?”
“I found the producer of the Ocean Life Magazine,” I said.
She smiled, “Oh that. You can’t blame a girl for trying, can you?”
“That depends,” I said, “What were you trying?”
“To get a foot in the door,” she said. “I need your help.”
“What do you really need my help for, Misses Alexander?”
“I told you. That man has been following me, and I really think he wants to kill me.”
“Do you have a husband?”
She looked down, “No.”
“What did you do with the jewels you took from the cruise ship,” I said, hoping to get a panicked response.
She remained calm. “I didn’t take any jewels from the ship. Why would you think that?”
“Just speculating.”
“You’re not going to help me are you?” she said.
“Maybe,” I said. “Stop by my boat at two fifteen, and we’ll talk about it. Right now I have a run to finish.”
I turned and ran away. My better senses told me to keep running. I did. All the way to the donut shop. I bought a chocolate covered honey bun and sat at a table outside and devoured it. A man has to protect his vices.
Somethings going to come to a head by two-thirty. It should be an interesting morning.
I ran back home to get ready for my visitors.
Chapter 11
Jason Fields fixed a bowl of chicken noodle soup, with his unique recipe, a peanut butter sandwich and opened a coke. He placed them on a tray and opened the bedroom door.
“Hello, Vicki,” Jason said. “I’ve got your lunch.”
Vicki cowered on the bed. It was never good when Jason entered the room. She wished she didn’t know his name or what he looked like. Maybe then he would let her go someday, but not now. Now that she knows him, she knows she’ll never be free.
She managed a smile, “Hi Jason. Whatcha got?”
“Special soup and a sandwich,” he said as if it was a real treat.
Soup, that's all she ever gets from him. More fucking soup.
“Yummy,” she said.
He sat the tray where she could reach it without unchaining her hands.
They sat and talked for a while after she finished her meal. He loved to talk to her. She was always so chipper.
I have to tell you something Vicki,” he said. “I need to put the gag on you first though.”
“No,” she begged, “please don’t gag me I won’t scream.”
“It wouldn’t matter if you did. No one can hear you in here, but it hurts my ears sometimes,” he whispered.
He placed the gag in her mouth. She didn’t fight him. She knew it wouldn’t do any good. He usually did this when he was going to rape her so she wouldn’t bite him.
“Okay here goes,” he said.
She braced herself for the attack.
“I’m afraid I have fallen in love with another girl. Her name is Diane. She’s a beautiful blonde, and so nice. I think you would really like her. The problem is when she comes to stay with me she’s going to need your bed.”
Vicki’s eyes widened. What was he saying? Was he going to let her go? No, she knew better than that. She shook her head from side to side and tears came from her eyes.
“Don’t cry, Vicki. We’ve had a wonderful couple of months together. I swear I won’t hurt you.”
Vicki’s vision started to get a little blurry, and she felt tired. He had drugged her. The fucking soup was going to kill her.
“Don’t worry Vicki; I won’t let you die alone. We’ll make love until you pass.”
With that, he removed his clothes and then hers. She was helpless to try to stop him. He lowered her gag to her throat and entered her kissing her softly on the lips.
“There,” he said. “Isn't that better.”
Chapter 12
I returned from my run and took a shower. I still had plenty of time before they arrived.
Kailey came in looking like the cat that ate the canary.
“Good morning,” I said.
“Hi,” she said with a big smile.
“What have you been up to so early today?”
“I bought you a present,” she said.
“You did? It wasn’t a new car, was it?”
“No. You have a really cool Mercedes now. I bought you something better.”
I looked at her hands. She wasn’t hiding anything.
“I didn’t bring it with me,” she said. “We have to go get it.”
“Alright,” I said. “But I have two clients showing up around two. We’ll go after that.”
“Okay. Who’s coming here?”
“Tracy and Samuel.”
“You mean they're together now?”
“Nope. Sam first then Tracy. I can’t wait to see the fireworks.”
“You’re a bad boy, Cam.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Kailey kissed me and started for the bedroom to change her clothes.
“I need to freshen up a little before they arrive,” she said.
“I don’t want you in the room when they show up. It might be dangerous.”
“I’ll be there. I think you’ll need back-up.”
I relented. I knew it would do no good to argue.
“You didn’t buy me anything expensive did you?”
“Define expensive.”
“More than a hundred dollars.”
“Yep,” she said and left the room.
At two o’clock on the dot, I spied Samuel walking down the dock toward my boat.
I opened the gate and allowed him to enter.
“I’m ready to sign the papers this time,” he said.
“Okay, have a seat here on the patio. I’ll have Kailey bring them out.”
I motioned to a chair with its back to the dock. I sat across from him where I could see anyone entering the area.
“Tell me again,” I said, “where do you think Tracy might have gone, and why.”
“I don’t really know, Cam. She just disappeared. But this isn’t the first time.”
“Is she afraid of you Sam?”
He looked shocked. “No. She has no reason to be afraid.”
I heard the warning squeak of the gate and looked up. Tracy was walking down the dock toward the boat.
“What would you tell her if you found her?” I asked.
“I would tell her that I loved her and to please come home.”
“Okay,” I said and stood.
I drew my gun from the back of my waistband and held it loosely by my side.
“What’s that for?” he said.
“Just a precaution.”
He looked puzzled. Then hearing Kailey say “Hello Tracy,” he turned. Tracy stepped onto the boat, and they saw each other at the same time.
There was a similar look of shock on both faces.
“What’s he doing here?” Tracy said, showing slight panic on her face.
“Have a seat Tracy. I want to talk to the two of you,” I said.
“Arrest him,” she said.
“I’m afraid I can’t do that, but I can assure you he won't harm you.”
She moved to the table and took a seat opposit
e of him. They starred at each other.
“Tracy,” Samuel said, “I’m so glad to see that you’re okay.”
Tracy looked at me and then back at Samuel. “I don’t know who this man is, Cam. You have to keep him away from me.”
“Mister Alexander, I wonder if you could show me some I.D.?” I said, moving my gun toward him, but not at him.
He looked at me for few seconds and then at Tracy.
“Very well,” he said, “I’m not Samuel Alexander. My name is Aaron Kingston. I’m an insurance investigator. I was sent to keep an eye on Tracy Alexander, by my company when we discovered she would be on the cruise ship with the gems. You see, Tracy has a habit of stealing jewels and artwork and anything else she can turn a huge buck on.”
“That’s a lie,” Tracy spat. “I’ve never stolen anything in my life.”
“Anyway,” Aaron said, “I followed her to your boat dock. When she saw you weren’t here, she left. I lost her in the traffic in old town, so I came back here hoping to find whoever she was looking for. A lovely young lady by the name of Barbie told me who owned this magnificent yacht. I did a little research, and the rest is history.”
“The I.D.,” I said to Aaron.
He pulled his wallet out and handed me his driver’s license and his business card. They both read Aaron Kingston and had a photo of him.
I looked back a Tracy and then handed the license back to Aaron. I kept the card, “Tracy his I.D. supports his claim,” I said.
“So does mine, Cam,” she said. “He could have had those made anywhere.”
I thought for a moment. “I have a question for both of you.”
They looked at me waiting.
“Why did both of you give me the name Samuel Alexander?”
Now they both stared at each other.
Tracy finally said, “Sam was my husband. He was murdered three years ago.”
I looked back at Aaron. He raised his arms in a matter of fact manner and said, “We knew her husband's name.”
I sat down now. This was getting way too complicated. I had to give this some thought.
“Anyone care for a drink?” I said.
Everyone nodded their heads yes.
“I’ll get them, Cam,” Kailey said.
“Thank you.”
We sat in silence until Kailey returned with a bottle of Wild Turkey and four glasses.
She poured the whiskey, and we all drank it down.
“Okay,” I said. “Here’s what we’re going to do. I’m going to leave here with Aaron, and in ten minutes Kailey will allow Tracy to leave.”
“You can’t do that, Cam,” Aaron said. “I’ve been trying to find her ever since she robbed the boat.”
“I can and I will,” I said. “Then I suggest the two of you get out of Key West and settle this somewhere else. I don’t want to ever see either of you again. If I do, I won’t be so pleasant.”
Aaron stood, “You’re making a big mistake, Cam.”
“I’ll learn to live with it,” I said.
“Do you have your gun, Kailey?”
She pulled it from her pocket.
“Let's go, Aaron,” I said moving toward the gangway.
He stared at Tracy again. “I’ll give Harold your regards,” he said.
Tracy’s eyes widened for an instant.
“Another drink?” Kailey asked Tracy after the men had left the ship.
“Yeah, I could use one,” she said. “But can I use the restroom first?”
Kailey showed her to the powder room and said she would wait for her back on the patio. Tracy returned a couple minutes later.
Kailey poured two drinks. They sipped this time.
“So you’re an international jewel thief,” Kailey said.
“I wish.”
Kailey laughed, “You are, I can tell. I’ve been around your type. I don’t really care one way or the other. I’ve done worse,” Kailey said. “And if you ever harm Cam, I’ll do worse again. Understand?”
Tracy was taken aback by this delicate, young beauty. She could see something in her eyes that told her to beware.”
“Understand?” Kailey screamed and pointed the gun at Tracy’s head.
“Yes, yes. I understand,” Tracy said in a shaky voice.
“Good,” Kailey said in her soft voice again and took another sip of her whiskey.
Chapter 13
“Mister Chesterfield please,” Aaron said into the phone.
A moment later a gruff voice answered, “Chesterfield here.”
“Harold, its Aaron. We have a big problem.”
Harold listened to him explain about Cam Derringer and how Tracy gave him the slip again.
When he finished, Harold said, “I haven’t been to Key West in quite a while. I think I’ll pay it a visit. See you tomorrow.”
Aaron spent the rest of the day traveling the key in hopes of finding Tracy before Harold showed up. It wouldn’t be pleasant when he arrived, and he probably wouldn’t be alone.
Aaron’s cell phone rang. “Hello.”
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Tracy said.
“Tracy, what the fuck are you doing with the real jewels?”
“Are they the real ones?” she said pretending innocence.
“You know they are. What’s up?”
“I’ve decided to retire. I consider them my pension.”
“Harold blames me for the switch before the jewels were sent to the cruise ship. You were supposed to be stealing the fake diamonds. You’d get your cut after the insurance, and we would all be happy.”
“Yes, that was the plan, but not all of it apparently. Can you imagine my surprise when I found a bomb on my submarine?”
“What bomb?”
“The one you were going to detonate before I could reach the shore.”
Shit, he thought. No wonder it didn’t explode.
“I don’t know what you mean. I wouldn’t do that,” Aaron said.
“Whatever,” Tracy said. “Go away and let me finish what I’m doing here and I’ll give you a cut. It will be enough for you to retire very comfortably.”
“A dead man can’t retire. I’ll find you.”
“Goodbye Aaron,” Tracy said and disconnected.
He wondered what Tracy meant by, letting her finish what she was doing here. What was her tie with Cam Derringer?
Chapter 14
Kailey asked me if I was ready to go get her gift.
“Kailey, you don’t have to keep buying me presents. I would love you even if you were broke,” I said.
“There you go again. I knew you loved me.”
I hugged her and held her in my arms.
“Yes, Kailey. I do love you, but that doesn’t mean we can be together forever. There is still the age thing, and I would just be setting myself up for a heartbreak.”
“I will never break your heart, Cam.”
I kissed her gently. What was I going to do? If I lost her even now, it would break my heart.
“Let’s go,” she said. “I want you to see this.”
“I’ll drive,” I said.
We got into my car and left the dock area.
“Which way?” I said.
“North,” she said and giggled.
Whatever she was up to really excited her. I was going to have to come up with a unique gift for her too.
We drove about five minutes, until she said, “Turn right here on Fourteenth Street.”
I did then she said, “Turn left here on Northside Drive.”
I did again, and we were in an area of office buildings and shops.
She pointed to a parking spot in front of a small strip mall and said, “Park there.”
“Okay,” Kailey said. “Ge out.”
I had no idea what we could be looking at here. We walked past storefronts until she pushed one of the doors open and said, “Here we go.”
We stepped into a small office with pictures of aircraft on the walls. I looked at her pu
zzled.
A man in his mid-fifties was sitting at a desk. He looked up and smiled broadly.
“Miss Wessel,” he said. Then looking at me said, “This must be the lucky man.”
“It sure is,” Kailey said.
“Lucky for what?” I said.
“You, mister Derringer, may choose any aircraft you wish. If we don’t have one built, we will build it for you.”
“Surprise,” Kailey said excitedly.
“You’re buying me an airplane?” I said shocked.
“Yeah. You’re always talking about how much you loved flying before you lost your plane. Well, now you can do it again.”
“There is no way I can accept a plane from you. That’s way above and beyond the call of duty.”
“I knew you would say that so I paid up front. We have to spend a certain amount, and we can go over that easily,” she said.
I stood there dumbfounded. This was too much to grasp. Kailey wants to buy me an airplane.
“If you don’t have a certain plane in mind, take the books home with you and go over the aircraft options,” the salesman said.
He stapled his cards to one of the books and handed them to me.
“Will you be looking at a single engine or double engine mister Derringer?” he asked.
“What,” I said. “Single or double?”
“Yes, we have a fine selection of both. It depends on how many passengers you would like to fly with you and the distance.”
I looked at Kailey. She was looking at me with a huge grin.
“We’ll take the books home and go through them and get back to you later in the week,” she said to the salesman.
“That will be great. Get what you want mister Derringer,” he said. “The sky is the limit.”
We left the office and stood on the sidewalk in the sun. I was in a trance. I couldn’t think, and I felt overwhelmed.
“Give me the keys, Cam. I think I better drive,” Kailey said.
I did. I sat in the passenger seat in silence all the way home. We walked down the dock toward my five million dollar yacht, which Kailey already bought for me.
Hi, Cam-Kailey,” Stacy said from her boat.