“Brick! Stop! I’ll need to have my car repainted.”
“Someone will, but I doubt if it’ll be you. In a few minutes you won’t be worrying about paint or the Prius—or—anything else. When the police find this car, they’ll wonder how it got here. But finding it won’t happen any time soon. I doubt the cops know this thicket behind the chandlery exists. I’m guessing they’ve never investigated it or, if they’re aware of it, even wondered about what it might hide.”
“Of course they’ll find my car. They’re not stupid.”
When Brick laughed, a flash of moonglow coming through the sunroof revealed a thread of drool seeping from his mouth and running onto his chin. He continued talking as if he didn’t feel the wetness. “This is the area where people will see a new hotel in the near future.”
“You can’t build anything back here.”
“Why do you say that? Wishful thinking?”
Keep him talking. Keep him talking. “You can’t build a hotel or anything else here because it’s against the law to destroy indigenous plants—like all of these mangrove trees. Mangroves are native to the Keys. They’ve been here forever. Mother’s chairperson of the Preserve the Trees committee. That’s a group of locals, men and women, who work on behalf of Key West’s native palms and mangroves. Anyone abusing a tree faces a heavy fine and lots of negative publicity in the media. You might as well forget about building your fancy hotel at this location.”
My mouth and throat felt so dry I didn’t think I could say another word. I swallowed three times, trying to bring moisture to my mouth, my tongue.
“Laws can be changed.” Brick spoke in a taunting tone. “Laws can be circumvented. I’ll find loopholes in the building code that’ll allow me to build here. What good is a bunch of ugly mangrove trees? No good at all. They’ll come down. New hotel will go up. And Key West and the Vextons will be richer for the addition.”
Brick gunned the car forward then back a few times, forcing the steering wheel to the right and then to the left, trying to create enough space to open the car doors. Branches scraped and scratched against the car every time he moved it. I closed my eyes and cringed. I gritted my teeth and said nothing. I hoped we were trapped here. Maybe he couldn’t force a space big enough to allow the doors to open.
Forward. Back. Forward. Back. He continued jogging the car inch by inch until he managed to force the driver’s door open a crack wide enough for him to slip through it. Then he poked his head and shoulders back inside.
“Lean forward, Rafa.”
“I can’t lean forward. The seatbelt—it’s too tight.”
He fumbled with the catch on the seatbelt until it loosened and dropped to the car seat.
“Lean forward. Do it now. Lean!”
I leaned forward and he released the handcuffs. At first I thought I’d be able to whack him, but the pressure from the cuffs and the seatbelt left my hands numb. They throbbed when the blood began to circulate through my wrists to my hands again. I clenched and unclenched my fingers, trying to make fists. Before the pain left, he jerked my left arm toward him. Was he going to break my elbow? I squinted and gritted my teeth in anticipation of more pain. Surprise. He replaced and locked one handcuff around my wrist and locked the other cuff to the steering wheel.
“You’ll have to stay here a few minutes, but don’t get your hopes up. Nobody will see you, and I’ll return quickly.”
“The police will get you.”
“The police will never find me back here.”
He squeezed through the door opening again, faced the back seat and began tugging on the rear door. At the same time he stamped his feet, breaking mangrove saplings until he could open that door. I couldn’t bear to watch him. I kept looking forward.
“You won’t get by with this.”
No response.
When I heard him tugging Threnody’s body from the back seat, I couldn’t bear to turn to watch. After a few moments he stopped tugging. I hoped the mangroves would thwart his plan, whatever his plan might be. He closed the back door, forced himself alongside it to the car trunk, opened it. I turned to look. Moonlight gleamed on a blanket he must have planted there. He grabbed it then forced his way to the rear door again.
“The police will find you. You’ll pay for this.”
No response.
In the light from the ceiling dome, I watched him wrap Threnody’s body in the blanket, pull her from the car, and heave her onto his shoulder.
I couldn’t bear to look.
I couldn’t bear to look away.
Brick was not a large person or a tall person, but he worked out every day. With Threnody balanced on his shoulder, he forced his way through the mangroves and out of my sight.
Tears burned behind my eyelids, but I refused to let Brick see me crying. I blinked them back. Several minutes passed before I heard him crashing through the thicket. Then he stood beside the driver’s door again.
“Your turn, Rafa.”
He released the cuff binding me to the steering wheel. I seized the chance to struggle although my wrist felt like a piece of fish chum.
“No point in fighting the inevitable, Rafa. In a few moments it’ll all be over. You’ll join Diego and Threnody in eternity.” He released the binding around my ankles, and pain shot up both legs. I could hardly stand to bear my weight on my feet. No chance I could ignore that pain and kick him. Blood trickled from the cuts on my leg. Good. Maybe the police would notice a bloody trail and find me—or my body.
“Want to see what I did with Threnody?”
“No.”
“Want to hear more of my plans?”
“No.”
Once we struggled from the mangrove thicket, Brick prodded me with his gun. He forced me to walk a step ahead of him down the catwalk toward The Bail Bond. Didn’t he see the bloody trail I left? I refused to look at my feet until he reached up and forced my head down, made me look.
There on the slippery boards of the swaying catwalk, I saw Threnody’s body. Her open eyes stared at nothingness. Her mouth gaped. Beside her lay a concrete block, a roll of gray duct tape, and a coil of blue line.
“Now it’s your turn, Rafa.”
I said nothing.
“Don’t play dumb. Get to work. Stoop. Tape her ankles together. Now.”
Chapter 40
He shoved me to my knees. Kneeling beside Threnody’s body, I touched the cold skin of her ankles. Withdrawing my hand, I sobbed in spite of myself. Brick prodded me with his gun. Somehow in this awkward position I forced myself to peel duct tape from the roll and bind her ankles together.
“Now tie her ankles to the concrete block. I want your fingerprints on stuff, not mine.”
Although my fingers felt cold and stiff as icicles, I forced myself to carry out Brick’s orders.
“Good work. You’re playing your part well. Now I’ll help you. Together we’ll dump her into the sea, close to the place where I dumped Diego a few days ago. The water’s shallow at this tide, and it’s clear. The police will see her body.”
Together we performed this black deed. In moments I saw Threnody’s head bobbing in the sea. Would my fingerprints wash off of the things I’d touched? Would Brick get by with this second murder? Third murder? How could this be happening! I’d be number four.
I vomited. Again.
Brick didn’t jump out of the way soon enough. The vomit landed on his shoes and splashed onto his jumpsuit.
“You won’t get by with this,” I gasped.
“Of course I will.” Brick fumbled in his pocket, bringing out the handcuffs again. He cuffed one ring around my wrist and the other around his wrist. “You’ve left a bloody trail to the body. The cops will think you murdered both Diego and Threnody. Similar location. Similar modus operandi. They’ll come after you. You’ll be convicted of murder—double murder. Maybe a triple murder if they count Diego.”
“But when the police find me, I’ll tell them exactly what happened.”
“Dreamer! You’ll be too dead to tell them anything. You’re next, you know. They’ll find your body next to Threnody’s. Once you’re dead—on second thought I may not wait long enough for you to die in the sea. Instead, I’ll hack your body to bits and feed you piece by piece to the sharks that prowl here at night. Yes. That’s my new plan. Feeding you to the sharks.”
“Kane will come looking for me. Kane knows I didn’t murder Diego. He’ll know I didn’t kill Threnody. Believe me, he’ll raise a storm. He’ll go straight to the police.”
Brick laughed. “Be real, Rafa. It’s almost impossible to prove a murder took place if there’s no body left behind. Sharks do a good cleanup job when it comes to chunks of flesh in the water. They may find Threnody, but not you—after I finish with you.”
“Well, my body isn’t dead yet.” Wind blew the clouds away. Brick stood laughing at me in the moonlight. “Why have you done this, Brick? Three murders. Why have you risked prison or death? So you thought Diego stood in your way, manipulated other council members until they agreed to hold your name back on the ROGO list. I can barely understand that as your motive for killing Diego. Then Pablo? Why? And Threnody. And now me. Why? Why? Why?”
“Think about Snipe Gross, Rafa. You and Threnody signed your death certificates when you went to see Snipe, pried info from him.”
“You mean information about the bell?”
“Right. The bell.”
“The bell told us nothing. Nothing at all. We were trying to trace the ownership of the blue line—the line you used to tie Diego’s feet and now Threnody’s feet. We thought once we found the owner of that old line, we’d be closer to finding Diego’s killer. Guess we were right.”
“And this is what you get for being s-so n-nosey. You were getting too close to learning…” Brick wiped his forehead with the back of his arm. His voice faded away for a moment. What was wrong with him? My heart pounded. Had my fishing lure hurt him more than he admitted? I tried to take a step away from him, but the handcuffs jerked me to a stop. His reflexes hadn’t slowed any. He yanked me toward him and finished the sentence he’d started.
“…you were getting too close to learning the truth of Diego’s death. Too close to suit me. You outsmarted yourselves. I dislike people who try to be smarter than I am.”
Keep him talking. Keep him talking? I kept that mantra playing in my mind. But what good would it do at this point? How I regretted leaving my cell phone in that third floor bedroom! Yet, maybe if I played to his ego I could win a few more minutes of life. I looked toward the chandlery. Surely someone would arrive before long. Even though he gave his staff the day off, some boat owner might arrive wanting to go fishing. I might be able to call for help.
Brick’s gaze followed mine. “Don’t be expecting help anytime soon. I’ve given all the dock masters the day off.”
“Yes, you told me that and I believe you, but someone, maybe more than one, some boat owners may appear to use their boats. The owners can get their boats without the aid of a dock master if they want to. All they need is their key to the console.”
“Wishful thinking, Rafa. Nobody will come around this early.”
Brick’s voice didn’t hold the conviction it held earlier. My hold on life weakened. Dawn was turning the eastern sky from black to gray. The moon had changed from a golden globe to a pale circle of whiteness. It cast little light. I must keep talking. In my mind I willed some unexpected boat captain to appear. I tried to remember last night’s weather advisory. Calm seas? Or small craft warnings? In spite of what Brick said, he must know he faced discovery from an early-rising boater no matter what the weather. I forced myself to keep talking.
“Oh we learned that the bell Snipe Gross told us about had been on Kane’s boat. Also on Bucky Varnum’s boat when he used it as a water taxi…Mariel Boatlift. Now the bell hangs at your front door. Right?” I paused for breath. “Is that bell for sale, Brick?”
“For sale?” Brick acted as if he’d never heard of a bell being for sale.
“Yes. Is the bell for sale? I’d like to buy it as a gift for Kane.” I paused before I forced more words. “Kane’s a history buff. Being able to display the boat’s original bell would please him. At the same time, having that bell in its original place on The Buccaneer would give Kane brownie points with the officials who are allowing him to moor his boat at the historic harbor as an educational museum.” I heard my voice trail off. Had Brick heard my words?
“These are the last moments of your life, Rafa Blue. You’re not going to be living long enough to be worrying about gifts for Kane. Don’t think I don’t realize you’re trying to distract me.”
“That’s beside the point. I’ll admit the bell didn’t lead us to a murderer. It only led us to you who we knew liked to collect artifacts from the past. Think about it. Will you sell me the bell? Will you let me share it with Kane and all the people who pay to step aboard and tour a former water taxi?”
“Why would Kane be interested in it?”
“You know why. I just told you why. Think about it.”
Brick paused as if thinking. “You’re stalling, Rafa. It’s die time for you.”
“You’ve had too much to drink, Brick. Remember, you’ll have another body to hide. Bet you hadn’t thought of that detail, had you?”
“Told you about the sharks. Don’t you recall what happened to your father? Surely you haven’t forgotten that. Like father, like daughter. You should consider it a fitting demise.”
“The police may not find my body, but they’ll find my car. Sooner or later they’ll search all around the marina and the chandlery. How are you going to explain my car being stuck in the mangroves?”
“Easy, Rafa, easy. I’ll tell them you must have hidden it there and then later found you couldn’t get it out.”
“Nobody’s going to believe that. Everyone knows my pride in that car, knows I wouldn’t intentionally damage it by driving it into a mangrove thicket.”
“Too bad you won’t be around to tell your reasoning to the police. Before the cops arrive, I’ll get back in that car, clean up any signs of foul play. So they find your blood? They’ll remember you cut your leg at The Frangi. Even DNA tests aren’t going to incriminate me. I’m too smart for that.”
I felt defeated. Exhausted. Why force myself into senseless conversation with a killer? My arm dropped to my side, pulling Brick’s along with it. My body slumped toward Brick, but at that moment we both saw the flash of headlights. A vehicle turned into the entryway of the marina. A truck. It took me only moments to recognize it. Kane’s work truck!
“Kane!” I shouted,
Brick clamped his hand over my mouth and pulled me closer to him. With my wrist cuffed to his, I couldn’t regain my balance, but my feet were free. Somewhere, sometime during this wild night I lost my slippers, but now I kicked at Brick’s shin with my bare heel and made contact.
“Damn you, bitch!” He cursed at me and dropped to the catwalk, pulling me down beside him. I thought my kick had hurt him. But no. He had forced us down to ensure a low profile for the truck driver. Kane didn’t see us in the early morning gloom. His truck’s motor along with the lapping of the sea covered my shout and Brick’s curses.
The truck circled the parking lot and left the marina.
Chapter 41
“So much for Kane finding you!” Brick gloated. “He’s long gone from here.”
I kicked at Brick again, but my heel missed its target. “I hate you, Brick Vexton. Hate you! Hate you! Hate you!”
Brick laughed and jerked his arm to one side, pulling me even closer to him. “Easy, woman, easy. We both can remember a time when you loved me very much. Very much indeed.”
My heart leaped. Now I felt sure the fishing lure slamming into Brick’s head had hurt him more than he’d admit. I studied his forehead as much as I could in the dim light of dawn, but I could only see a slight bruise near his left temple. Hope of some magic reprieve dropped to my toes again. But anger fueled m
y voice.
“I don’t believe what you’re saying, nor can I guess what you’re trying to prove, Brick. You know I’ve never loved you. You must have embarrassed Threnody with your flirting, but I ignored you. I may have been one of the ladies you had an eye for, but I showed no interest in you. None. Not ever.”
“How easily you’ve forgotten.”
“Forgotten what? Ha! Refresh my memory.”
“I didn’t think you’d ever forget the Pla-Mor Hotel in Miami. Never thought you’d forget the handsome Mike Wilson.”
I couldn’t speak. My whole body froze. How did this man know about that sordid segment of my past!
“What do you think of that, Ms. Rafa Blue, Citizen columnist? Your parents did a super job of hushing up your passion for me. Even your grandmother helped try to quash the Blue family scandal. But your long ago love for me—it’s still there in your innermost memories, isn’t it?”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t believe a word you’re saying. You’re out of your mind.”
“Mike Wilson, sexy dancer. Mike Wilson, even sexier bed partner.”
“You’re making this up, Brick Vexton! You have no way of knowing such horrible things.”
“Although many years have passed since that fun-and-games time we shared, I’m guessing you still lie in your cold bed in your posh hotel suite and dream of Mike Wilson. How cool is that? I’ve asked myself that question many times during the past years. What do you feel when you dream of Mike Wilson? Does your body tingle in places you’d almost forgotten?”
The cuff around my wrist cut into my flesh sending pain up my arm. I didn’t try to pull free. I let Brick rattle on and on until I could bear his words no longer.
“How did you know about Mike Wilson?”
“Oh! So you do remember me? We had some great times, didn’t we? You were so young. It was my good fortune to be able to introduce a virgin to one of life’s greatest pleasures. And you responded in such a mature way for a child your age. No, not a child. You were a child when I picked you up drinking a margarita at the hotel bar. But you were a woman when I finished bedding you. You should thank me for sharing my expertise with you.”
Daiquiri Dock Murder Page 23