Ethics of a Thief

  Lisa’s eyes widened. “Like your secret agent?”

  “Yes, Sweetie.” She gave the girl a hug.

  After a few hours in the library, Lisa asked for something to drink. Danny wanted to go with her.

  Matt stood abruptly. “No. We’ll go together.”

  Once they arrived, they walked into the galley. Matt strolled over to the refrigerator and opened the door. The children peeked around him for drinks. Lisa chose apple juice. She reached around him and grabbed one. Danny saw a Coke and grabbed it.

  When the children returned to the main salon, the boy sat near the porthole while his sister sat on a chair at the table. Matt followed and walked to the large table. “Can I join you, young lady?”

  The child gave him a smile and nodded. “Do you have a yacht?” Lisa asked. “You know a lot about boats.”

  He fixed his gaze on her. “I have a sailboat. Her name is Firefly.”

  “That’s funny.” She blinked. “Why that name?”

  “At night, when I’m at sea, I look at the stars. They flicker like fireflies.”

  “Oh. I never saw a firefly,” the child said.

  Abigail walked toward the padded seats near the portholes, far from Matt. “Come sit by me,” she said, while motioning for Danny to come. He sulked as he walked toward her and sat. “It’s hot over here.”

  “I know. But, I want to talk to you so Matt doesn’t hear. Danny, I need your full attention. This is very important. Do you understand?”

  His eyes became alert as he nodded.

  “Right now, while we’re talking, act as if we’re saying something funny, okay? But, please listen carefully.”

  Danny’s eyes widened, “Sure, Aunt Abigail.”

  “The next time we go to the wheelhouse, I want Lisa to act sick. I need for you to ask Matt to help her. It’ll give me a chance to signal for help. Do you understand?”

  “We’re going to escape?”

  “I need to alert the Coast Guard, so they can come for us. But, first I need for you to distract Matt.”

  “Okay.” Danny nodded and grinned, as if on another adventure.

  As Abigail watched and listened to Lisa talk to Matt, she was surprised at his kindheartedness while listening to Lisa say, “I was a flower girl at my mom’s wedding. She married my dad again. They’re in Hawaii on a second honeymoon, but they’ll be home soon.”

  It saddened Abigail to think that she placed her niece and nephew in such danger. She wondered how she would explain everything to Alisa and David. They would be horrified to learn that thieves had held their children hostage.

  Brent and Robert weren’t having much luck finding the treasure on the lower level. “Why are the Top Dogs following us?” Brent asked.

  “I guess they want to be the first to get their hands on the treasure when it is found.” Robert looked at him. “Do you think Forelli is the murderer?”

  Robert sat on a stool. “Wouldn’t surprise me, but he wasn’t here until after we arrived.”

  Brent reached down and picked up a box, opened it and examined the contents. “What’s the deal between the Kilgores and Top Dogs?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “There’s something going on, some business deal.”

  “You mean you haven’t figured that out yet?” Robert said.

  “The Kilgores smuggle for them.”

  “So what we’re searching for was smuggled?” Brent stopped. “Then why don’t the Top Dogs know exactly what we’re looking for?”

  “Because Larry Kilgore only told Luke that the treasure fit in his carry on and was worth a fortune.”

  Robert stood. He peeked into a storage compartment. “It must be priceless if the Top Dogs are offering us ten million dollars. What’s in that box?”

  “Nothing of interest.” Brent tossed the box to one side and kicked at the wall. “Why would Forelli kill them?”

  “Luke likely arranged for him to do it.”

  “But, why would Luke want them dead?”

  “The Kilgores ripped him off on their last deal.”

  “How?” Brent asked.

  “Luke found out that Larry withheld an extra hundred thousand dollars from what was to be a fifty-fifty split.”

  “That must have ticked him off. How did Luke find out?”

  “Someone he knew from an underground auction house. He said the Kilgores took seventy percent, and forged the receipt.”

  Brent’s eyes stared just ahead of him. “How stupid of Larry. No one gets away with ripping off Luke.”

  “You’re right. I heard Luke say Larry would live to regret it, that’s why I think he arranged for the couple to be murdered.”

  Robert said, “If Luke arranged for the hit, he would ask Forelli to do his dirty work. That might be the reason he sent Forelli as captain.”

  Brent folded his arms. “Why kill them? Wouldn’t taking a priceless treasure be punishment enough?”

  “Perhaps they hadn’t planned on it, but when Forelli reported they were on board, Luke gave the order.” Robert let out a long breath. “I bet having the Kilgores on board would stand in the way of us confiscating the treasure.” Robert walked to the hatch and looked around before facing Brent. “Luke is in some financial trouble and needs the money from the artifact to bail him out.”

  “I wouldn’t put it past Luke or any of the Top Dogs to arrange the hit. Each man is pretty cold-hearted. Last month, they made some deal with a widow and ripped her off for a half million. They did it just because they could. The poor woman was too despondent to think straight.”

  Both men silently continued their search, discarding each item they ruled out.

  Robert stopped and stretched. “Have you ever been on the touring vessel while it was used to gamble?”

  “No. Have you?”

  “Once. You wouldn’t believe their setup. The legs of the tables lifted so the tops could be turned for gambling. If the Coast Guard ever made a surprise visit, they could turn it back to its original position.”

  “How would they hide the chips and cards?” Brent asked.

  “They had foam and plastic that clipped over the gambling top. It was ingenious. No one knew about it except the Top Dogs and crew. I don’t think their spouses even knew.”

  “How come you never told me?”

  “Sworn to secrecy.” Robert cocked his head. “All crew members agree to keep their secret.”

  “How did you hear?”

  “I dated a food server, and one day, she needed a replacement -- I showed up.”

  Luke Percy leaned against the bulkhead to steady himself from the sway of the touring vessel. He saw his reflection in a porthole. He didn’t look as bad as he felt. Although short in stature, he could easily pass for a male model. He had blue eyes, black hair and a refined style of dress. I feel queasy, he thought.

  Luke knew women were attracted to him, so he spent time with many beautiful, wealthy women; one became his wife. Linda was a petite, natural blond with expressive gray-blue eyes. He liked the fact that she seldom dressed in high heels.

  He missed not having her on his arm. She complemented him, but last year things changed between them. He needed to get his hands on money quickly, so he arranged for her diamond and ruby heirloom necklace to be stolen for insurance money. She suspected him. Its disappearance coincided with his payoff to his pregnant girlfriend.

  Early in their marriage, she caught him seducing a family friend. Linda agonized over divorcing, but decided against it. He crossed the line when he took her family heirloom given to her by her father on her wedding day. She screamed, “You have one week to return my necklace! If you fail to deliver, I’ll tell Dad. You’ll be ruined! You’ll never get away with stealing from me. I’m filing for divorce.”

  Luke depended on her for his social standing. If they divorced, he would have little to show from the marriage. She forced him to sign a prenuptial agreement -- he would get nothing.

  There was no way of retrieving the stol
en necklace because it was sold in a silent auction without a paper trail.

  Linda could easily destroy Luke, socially and financially. Once crossed, she became more ruthless than he. Luke had no choice. He had to do something quickly. He called Forelli. The man owed him. No one would hire Forelli because he had a federal criminal record. Luke offered him a job. It was payback time.

  The deed was done within a few days -- Luke became a widower and inherited her estate worth millions. Linda didn’t have an opportunity to tell her father, and Luke remained in good social standing with his father-in-law. Forelli made it look like a car accident, so no investigation took place.

  Chapter Seven

  After Alisa pulled back the drapes, she watched the ocean waves crash on the rocks. “What a beautiful view. The kids would love it.” She spun around to face David.

  He patted the bed. “Come here. We need to talk.”

  While walking toward him, she searched his eyes hoping to see the cause of his seriousness.

  After sitting beside him, David took her hand and kissed it. “I meant what I said. You never have to work again. We’ll find a way, financially. We always do. The children need you. Look how great they’re turning out.” David gazed into her tear-filled eyes. “I’m glad you stuck by your convictions. It was stupid of me to ever leave you.” He gently took his thumb and wiped away the tears from her cheeks. “Please forgive me for being such a fool.”

  “You’re not a fool. Oh, David, I forgave you long ago.” They hugged, kissed and came together as never before -- they gave of themselves completely.

  While returning from a trip to a volcano, David and Alisa held hands in the back seat of their taxi. She glanced up toward the mountain they just visited.

  David squeezed her hand. “We made the right decision to get back together.”

  “We sure did,” she said, while turning to kiss his cheek.

  “We’ll bring the children on our next visit, they’ll love it here.”

  “Yes, David, but now it is our time.”

  He beamed. “I bet Danny would have been halfway down the volcano before we could stop him.”

  Her eyes twinkled, “He’s a lot like you.”

  She looked out the car window. “It looks like we’re going to have a downpour.”

  David watched the dark clouds coming closer. “It sure does.” Then he turned his attention to the driver. “It appears you got us out of there just in time.”

  The driver nodded. “It seems the weather turns bad daily at this time. I try to take my passengers before or after our wet weather.”

  The nameplate on the dashboard read Jessie Rodriguez.

  “How long have you lived on the island?” David asked.

  “I don’t. I have a place near UCLA. I’m with my parents to save money for next semester.”

  “What’s your major?”

  “Law,” Jessie said, while turning on the windshield wipers. “Wow. It’s really coming down.”

  When the road became slippery, David tightened Alisa’s seatbelt. He told the driver, “You need to pull over.”

  The young man tried to comply, but he hit his brakes too hard and caused the car to spin. The driver lost control of the car, and, within a second, the car rolled down the thirty-foot embankment and landed on the rear driver’s side.

  Officer Jim Robinson drove as fast as he could to respond to a reported car accident, but it still took twenty minutes before his rescue team could reach the scene. Several cars were parked near the place the taxi disappeared off the ledge. His partner, Randy Drake, jumped out of the van and stood at the edge, staring below. “This won’t be easy, Jim. You better get the gear.” For a 200-pound man, Randy moved quickly. His eyes carefully watched for loose rocks and safe places for his feet. Soon, he reached the taxi and peered through the window. He turned his head and yelled, “I see a woman.”

  “Is she alive?” Randy called out.

  “Don’t know yet.” After he tried to open the back door without success, he tried the front. It took time, but he finally got it open enough to climb into the front seat. He reached for the woman’s pulse. After retreating from the front seat, he yelled, “She’s alive, but unconscious. There are two males, a driver and passenger.” Randy reached for the pulse of the driver. He smiled. “He’s alive.” He took the male passenger’s hand and checked his pulse. Randy took a deep breath. He bowed his head and silently prayed.

  Within a short time, Jim reached the taxi with a stretcher. They pried open the back passenger door and carefully pulled out the limp body of the woman. They secured her in the stretcher and slowly moved up the mountain. When they reached the street, a new van was there waiting. They placed the woman inside and watched as the paramedics quickly started an I.V. for her.

  Randy moved fast, back down the wet, slippery mountainside. When he returned to the taxi, he re-checked the pulse of the male passenger -- there was still no pulse. No matter how often I do this job, I hate this part. His throat felt tight.

  When Jim came down to the taxi again, Randy shook his head as he crawled out of the back seat.

  “Well, this one’s gone. We need to call the coroner.”

  Jim asked, “Was he wearing his seatbelt?”

  “No, but I noticed that the woman’s belt was on tight. That’s what saved her life.”

  Jim shook his head, slowly. “They never learn, do they?”

  Randy quickly returned to the front seat. “My God! He is so young, he’s just a kid. His legs are pinned, hand me a crowbar.”

  “Can we get him out?”

  “I think so. When I pull up the dashboard with the crowbar, lift him out.

  “Randy, you need to move the seat back as far as possible. It’ll give us more room to release his legs.”

  “Good idea. That might help.” Randy reached around the young man and lifted the lever. The back of the front seat lowered. He reached under the front seat and then pushed the seat as far back as he could.

  “He looks pretty bad. He’s in shock, his eyes are open, but he’s not responding.”

  Together, they worked by moving the driver, inch by inch, away from the metal pinning his legs. Finally, he was free, and they lifted him to the stretcher. Once secured, they slowly carried him up the hill. Randy’s footing slipped so he dug the side of his work boot into the ground. Once back in control, they advanced up the mountain. When they reached the van, Jim called the coroner.

  Jim drove as fast as weather permitted while the paramedics did their job. When they reached the hospital, the young man was taken into the emergency room. The doctors worked on the driver for hours before he was placed in the recovery room, but he remained in critical condition.

  Randy found the admitting doctor to inquire as to the progress of the woman. He said the CAT scan didn’t reveal any severe internal signs of injury, but she still remained in a coma.

  The coroner’s office found the man’s wallet. His name was David Glover. They also found the woman’s purse and her wallet. Her name was Alisa Glover, but the two passengers had different addresses. The police department arranged to notify the nearest of kin. They discovered that the woman had an address book. They called the phone number next to Mom.

  Steven Wilson sat comfortably in his parents’ living room, talking with his father, John, when the phone rang. John got up, went into the kitchen and grabbed the phone. “Hello.”

  Steven heard his father say, “The police department? What happened? Are you sure? When? Are you sure it’s my Alisa Glover?” John dropped the phone and leaned against the wall.

  Within seconds, Steven grabbed the phone. “Who is this? You were speaking to my father. What’s going on here?”

  “I’m sorry. But, we have unpleasant news,” the policeman’s voice was solemn. “There’s been a tragic car accident. It occurred in Hawaii. Mrs. Alisa Glover is in a coma.”

  “Where’s David?”

  “I’m sorry, but Mr. Glover didn’t make it.” Steven doubl
ed over and was unable to speak. He forced himself to regain his composure and asked, “Are you sure? My parents just spoke with her. When did this happen?”

  “Eleven o’clock this morning.”

  “Where is she?”

  “At the Hawaii Memorial Hospital,” the officer said, and then he gave the phone number, address and the admitting doctor’s name and phone number. “You can call and receive updates.” He felt as if the life had been sucked out of him. It was hard for Steven to breathe.

  “My name is Sergeant Thomas Loo. We need to reach David Glover’s family. We noticed he had a different address; were David and Alisa sister and brother?

  “No. Husband and wife. They just renewed their marriage after being separated for a while.”

  “Can I get the name and phone number of his parents?”

  “Yes. I’ll have to call you back. My mother isn’t here, and she has their phone number.” Steven wrote down the sergeant’s information.

  It took a while for Steven to get his father settled down in the living room. John sat, his eyes low as he whispered, “I can’t believe it. It can’t be true. We just talked to her last night. Now, he’s dead and she’s in a coma.” He looked up at Steven and stared.

  They heard the back door open and close. “It’s Mother. You have to tell her. I can’t move right now. Please, Steven. Go talk to her.”

  Slowly, he walked toward the kitchen. He saw her short, heavy frame holding an armful of flowers from her garden. She wore her favorite sundress with her apron over it for protection. When she saw him, she smiled and revealed her dimples.

  Elizabeth placed the flowers in the sink. She looked for and found a vase. “How long have you been here?”

  “Not long.”

  After putting water in the vase, she carefully arranged each flower.

  She searched her son’s face and said, “Are you all right? You look dreadful.”

  He sat on a kitchen chair and motioned for her to join him.

  “What’s going on? Are you okay? What’s wrong, Son? Is Dad alright?”

  “Dad’s fine. He’s in the living room. But, Mother, please come and sit. We need to talk.”