Ethics of a Thief

  Leaning back, Matt ran his fingers through his hair. “What if the Kilgores cheated some drug lord? That could result in murder.”

  “We can speculate all day, and it wouldn’t help. Let’s talk to Robert and Brent. They might know something.”

  “Perhaps one of them found a computer.”

  “Good thinking.”

  On their way, Matt thought about the Fabergé egg and its benefits. Jack could retire from his jewelry business and get a condo on a golf course. Who knows, he might find some young thing to have babies with. He grinned at the thought. At the moment, he was weary of his merry-go-round lifestyle.

  Starting over is appealing. But, the last thing I want is to have my past chasing me, he decided. But, to turn myself in and ask God for forgiveness makes me laugh. With a few hundred thousand in the bank, I can regroup and find a legitimate job. Without thinking, he started humming “Money Can’t Buy Me Love.”

  When he reached the engine room, Abigail and the children were in the passageway. She sat in a chair, and the children were on the floor.

  “Hi kids,” he said, smiling.

  The children returned his smile, but Abigail kept her head and eyes low. After turning away from them, he walked into the engine room. “Hey, have either of you seen a computer?”

  “No. Why?” Robert asked.

  “Does it matter why?” he said. “Have either of you seen one?”

  Brent came closer, and shook his head.

  Soon Robert came and stood next to Matt. “It looks like we’re finally finished in here. What’s up?”

  “We’re thinking about abandoning the search and going home, boys.”

  “Okay with me,” Brent responded.

  While leaning on the hatch, Matt said, “Before we leave, I want to figure out who murdered the Kilgores. I don’t want any of us to be a suspect.”

  The two men were silent while looking at each other, as if the thought had never entered their mind.

  “I need to ask you both some questions about the murders,” Matt said.

  Instantly, Robert stood erect and slammed his fist. “Don’t even think about it. My God, how long have we known each other? Our friendship is built on trust. Do you really think we murdered those people?”

  “Robert. You’re taking this too personally. We have already questioned each other and Forelli. Besides, once the authorities get ahold of us, we will be questioned. So, let’s figure out what we plan on saying. What do you know? Can you tell me anything? What are your thoughts?”

  “Besides Forelli, I have no idea,” Brent said.

  Robert turned to Matt. “How about you? Isn’t the person finding the body the prime suspect?”

  After pausing for a moment, he said, “Do you think I did it? Any of you, do you think that?”

  The expression on Robert’s face softened. He shook his head and said, “Of course not. But, how does it feel? Being questioned by a friend?”

  “I get it,” Matt said. “But, do any of you have any tangible evidence that points to Forelli?”

  Robert sat on his heels, “No, but who else?”

  “I agree. He’s the only one of us capable, unless the killer is hiding someplace.” Matt scowled. “Let’s stop everything and poke around.”

  “It’s unlikely the person is hiding,” Brent said. “We would have found him by now. The yacht isn’t that big.”

  “Let’s look around, anyway.” He walked down the passageway with Matt. Jack said, “Robert’s right about one thing. The last one to see a person alive or to find a dead body is suspect. So, it might be the woman.”

  “Forget it, Jack. She didn’t do it.”

  He pivoted. “How do you know that?”

  “The same way I know you didn’t,” he said, while glaring.

  After Jack finished staring at Matt, he calmed down and said, “Any other ideas?”

  Robert spoke up, “Luke or one of the Top Dogs could have sent the killer to do the deed in their shore boat and returned. So, the killer might be on their vessel, making us waste time searching.”

  “Okay.” Jack said. “We know the Kilgores smuggled for them, and there was bad blood between them. But, why would they risk being out at sea next to us. One would think they would remove themselves from the murder scene.”

  “That’s true. If Luke and the hit man were the only two involved, that would explain why they are still nearby.”

  Matt scratched his head. “Forelli may not even know about Luke hiring someone to kill them. I’m getting a headache thinking about it.”

  “I’ll check the shore boat to see if I can find any blood,” Jack said. Robert responded, “I’ll search the outer decks.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Steven’s shoulders slumped as they headed to his parents’ to check messages. Carry touched his arm. “Are you okay?”

  “No. Not really. I’m very discouraged right now.”

  “Have you called Larry Kilgore?”

  “No. I don’t have the number. I’ll call Mr. Jester. He must have it on file.” After reaching into his pocket, he took out the man’s business card and handed it to her. “Would you call?”

  After she picked up his cellphone from the ashtray, she dialed his number. There was no answer, so she left a message. As they continued driving, he felt mentally fatigued. To soothe himself, he pushed the CD button and let classical piano music fill the car. When he glanced at Carry, she was in her own little world. The ordeal is starting to take its toll.

  After she glanced his way, she said, “Talk to me, Steven.”

  “Right now, I feel numb,” he said. “My next move is to call the police or someone, if we don’t find out something soon. The only feasible explanation is they must be at sea.”

  While he stared ahead, he said, “Those children need to know about their parents. My God, if she doesn’t come out of her coma, those kids are orphans.”

  “I’m sure she’ll pull through, she has to.” Carry lightly touched his arm. “Many people are praying for her. It’s possible she’ll wake up at any moment.”

  When they reached his parents’ home, he parked and gave her a smile. “Wouldn’t it be a great if Abigail left a message?”

  “Your parents must be beside themselves with worry.”

  “Actually, they don’t even know I’m having trouble finding Abigail and the children. They have too much on their plate with David’s death and Alisa’s coma.”

  After getting out of the car, he opened the side gate, and they walked to the back door. He reached into a pot and grabbed a hideaway key box, took out the key and unlocked the kitchen door; they entered.

  “Hungry?”

  “Remember? I just ate.”

  “Sorry, I’m not thinking.” He grabbed two Oreo cookies and popped one into his mouth. “Mom buys them just for me, so I might as well eat them, right?” After a few minutes, he turned and walked into the living room to check the messages. There were calls of concern from the pastor, his aunt, and a few neighbors, but none from Abigail.

  “Great! Now what?”

  In frustration, after jotting down the other messages, he angrily deleted them. “Well, that didn’t help us.”

  “You must not forget, your sister’s cellphone is in her car, she might not have access to a phone. However, in case she does, I still want to check messages at my place and go back to her house.”

  “That’s okay with me. But, right now, I need to regroup. I’m exhausted. Today has been a series of disappointments.”

  He sat on the floor and laid back using his arms as a pillow. Carry decided to relax in the easy chair with her feet up. Within minutes, she noticed he was out like a log.

  After twenty minutes, he awoke. While stretching, he said, “Sorry. I guess I fell asleep.” He sat up, and got up to go to the bathroom. He splashed water on his face, when what he really needed was a long, hot shower.

  After returning to the living room, Carry stood holding a photo of his and her family tog
ether. “It brings back old memories,” she said. Grinning, she returned the photo to the table.

  “Are you ready to hit the road?” Steven asked.

  “Sure.”

  Carefully, he placed the key back into the hideaway box, and they headed for the car.

  With a smile, Carry said, “Do you remember that stream a few miles from our house?”

  “Sure do, why?”

  “Looking at that photo reminded me of an adventure Stan and I had as small children. We wanted to get wet in the stream. But, first, we stopped by Old Farley’s Market to buy some balloons to use as floaters.”

  Steven nodded. He opened the car door for her, and then walked around to the driver’s side. After sitting, he quickly lowered the windows and turned on the air. Soon, he pulled away.

  “So, you were saying …”

  “After buying the balloons, we still had some change, so we headed for the candy.” Carry glanced at him. “We put only one coin in the machine, but, each time we turned the knob, candy kept coming. It must have been broken. After stuffing our mouths and pockets, we hurriedly left so as not to get caught. We ran to the corner and crossed the street.”

  “That had to be exciting for you two kids,” Steven said, with a smile.

  “It actually was.”

  “So, go on with your story,” he said.

  “On our way to the stream, we ran barefoot on the hot cement and tried to find shade. But, the trees were few and far between, so, we were hoping to hitch a ride, but had no luck. And, boy did our feet suffer,” she grinned. “We were both let down when we saw that the stream was dried up. We couldn’t believe we walked on hot cement for nothing. We ended up sitting in the shade, blowing up balloons and eating our free candy,” she chuckled. “We tried sitting on the balloons, but they popped from the heat. When Stan and I get together, we still laugh about that day.”

  “Days like that are unforgettable,” Steven said. “Your story reminds me of an outing with Abigail. Remember that trail behind our houses?”

  “Yes. It goes to the top of the hill.”

  “Remember the green water tank? One day we walked to it, but we took only one child-sized canteen of water. While hiking, I thought it was too hot to be walking up a hill. I wanted to go back, but Abigail insisted we continue. She said, ‘We’re not turning back, we’re almost there.’ While she was speaking, we heard what sounded like a rattler, so we slowly walked and listened. Suddenly, a snake snapped its head in our direction. Abigail screamed, and we both ran farther up the trail. Before we knew it, we were at the water tank with perspiration pouring down and laughing hysterically. We couldn’t figure out where our energy came from as we gasped for air.”

  “After that ordeal, we were in no hurry to return down the path. So we sat, drank water and splashed some on our faces. Adventurous I started climbing the ladder to the top of the water tank, but Abigail didn’t want to go. But, after thinking about the snake, she didn’t want to be alone.”

  “So, what happened when you returned? Did you see the snake?”

  “No. It was starting to get dark. I was concerned about finding our way back, but, like most boys, I called her sissy for being afraid. So, together, we ran so fast the snake didn’t have time to coil or snap.

  “You boys, you’re all alike, aren’t you?” She laughed.

  Steven pulled up in front of Carry’s place. They got out, went to her front door, and entered. He followed her into the living room.

  After walking to the phone, she pushed the message button, listened, but none were from Abigail. “Can I get you a drink? I have iced tea and soda.”

  “Iced tea, thank you,” he said.

  While Steven waited, he grabbed a handful of nuts from a glass dish, picked up the phone, walked to the couch and sat. Then, he yelled, “Can I use your phone?”

  “Of course you can.”

  After retrieving a business card from his wallet, he dialed Mr. Jester.

  When Carry handed him his drink, he mouthed the words thank you.

  This time, Mr. Jester was in, so Steven was relieved. “Hi, this is Steven Wilson. Did you get our message? We tried reaching you earlier.”

  “Yes. I was about to return your call. What can I help you with?”

  “We need to reach Larry. Can you please give me his home phone number?”

  “Those numbers are confidential, Steven.” “Yes. I figured that. But, they are the last people to see Abigail and the kids. And, as you know, we must reach them. I don’t think they would mind if you gave their number out under the circumstances, do you?”

  “My heart goes out to your family. Because you’re friends with Larry and Sandra, I don’t think they’ll mind. I’ll get their number, hold on.”

  After a short wait, he said, “Ready?”

  “Sure.”

  Steven jotted down the number and said, “Thanks, I owe you.”

  “That information is private. Remember that.”

  “I know.”

  As soon as Steven ended the call, he dialed Larry’s home. A woman answered. “May I speak with either Mr. or Mrs. Kilgore?” He repeated it twice.

  “No, señor.”

  “Habla English, señorita?” Steven asked.

  “No. No, señor. No estan en la casa.”

  “Do you know when they’ll return, señorita?”

  “No estan en la casa, señor.”

  “Gracias, señorita.” While ending the call, he was aggravated. “One more wall.”

  “What happened? I gather the Kilgores weren’t home.”

  “You’re right, so I still don’t know if she is with them. I’ll have to try later.”

  “I gather the person didn’t speak English.”

  “The only thing I could get out of her was they’re not home. But I have no idea if that means now, for the day or several days.”

  While trying to be cheerful, she said, “Well, I found Abigail’s keys.”

  “Let’s go,” he said. He stood, walked to the door and waited for Carry.

  On their way to Abigail’s, little was said. She broke the silence with, “It’s okay to be yourself with me. It’s only natural you’re feeling frustrated.”

  After giving her a grateful smile, he said, “Honestly. I don’t know what I would have done without you today. I’m glad you’re here. It’s nice having a close family friend by my side. I’m sure it’s painful for you to see us suffer.”

  “It is. And, I do care about all of you. You’re family to me.”

  As they pulled up to Abigail’s home, they hoped they might find something to lead them to her and the children. Carry took the key and opened the door. When they entered, the place smelled musty. She quickly opened the windows to freshen up the room with air.

  Steven went to retrieve the messages and wrote down each person who called. “At least, we know she didn’t make it home from Santa Barbara. Some messages were five days old.” He silently tried to figure out what to do next. “They must be at sea. That’s the only explanation for taking bags from the trunk. I’m calling the harbor patrol or the Coast Guard.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Elizabeth Wilson gazed out the window while the flight attendant announced to fasten seat belts and close tray tables.

  After taking off, she turned to her husband, John. “It’s the first time I’ve been afraid. What if Alisa dies, what will we do? I never thought one of our children might leave before us.”

  He reached for her hand and continued to listen.

  “What will Danny and Lisa do? Losing both parents, it’s unbelievable. This whole thing doesn’t seem real. How can everything be great one moment and change so drastically a few minutes later? It’s bad enough about David -- the children without a father -- but what if Alisa doesn’t come out of her coma? What if she dies, too?”

  While listening, John felt tears well and slowly creep down his cheeks. He quickly turned away and wiped them with his arm.

  She pulled on his sleev
e. “Honey, I’m so glad I have you to talk to, but I know I’m making things worse for you.”

  “For God’s sake, Elizabeth, don’t you start worrying about me, too, okay?”

  The rain continued after the aircraft landed -- fitting for their moods. They sat, stood and waited around in the luggage claim. When their luggage arrived, they left and hailed a taxi. During their drive to the hospital, Elizabeth noticed their young driver. He reminded her to pray for the recovery of Alisa’s young taxi driver.

  While John peered out the window, he reached for his wife’s hand. Soon, they arrived at the hospital, paid the driver and marched directly to the information table.

  The clerk had a warm smile and said, “The intensive care unit is on the fourth floor, and her room is number 404.”

  After thanking her, they headed toward the elevator. They rode up, while staring at the button lighting up at each floor they passed. Once they arrived, they quickly walked out and went down the fourth-floor corridor, which was painted a cheerful yellow on one side and orange on the other.

  Immediately, they found the nurses’ station to inquire as to their daughter’s medical status, and hoped for some good news. There were three people sitting and a few were standing and checking charts. Some flowers were on the counter and looked as if they would soon be tossed. There were many family photos on the office counters.

  John found a middle-aged woman with dirty ash hair that was starting to gray. “Excuse me, miss,” John said. The nurse looked up from her work. “We need to talk to you about our daughter, Alisa.”

  “Yes. What is it you need?”

  “Can we get an update on how our daughter, Alisa, is doing? She’s in room 404.”

  “I’ll check with her nurse.” The woman walked toward a young woman, possibly from the Philippine Islands. After conversing, the nurse left her station and walked out the door and then toward them.

  “Hi. I understand you are Alisa’s parents. I heard you might arrive today. I’m Sharon, your daughter’s nurse.”

  “This is her mother, Elizabeth, and I’m her father, John.”