Death on Mt Pleasant

by Steve McMillen

  Rick turns, surprised she is talking to him. “His name was Mickke D, never knew his last name. He was ex-Special Forces.”

  “And what were you guys doing in Colombia?”

  “Sorry darlin’, that’s classified. I probably already said too much. You and I both know there are some things one does not discuss.”

  “Absolutely.” she replies as she takes a deep breath to calm her heart rate.

  It’s a short flight to Antigua. She tries to sleep but that never happens. They do their thing with the flyers, grab a sandwich at a deli just off the beach, and take off for Barbados by 1:30. They arrive shortly thereafter at Grandtey Adams International Airport in Barbados. Beverly calls and reserves two rooms at the Dover Beach Hotel in Bridgetown, they rent a couple of cars and do their thing with the flyers. By 5:00, they are finished. Beverly figures they have passed out more than 500 flyers so far.

  Beverly’s phone starts ringing constantly. The possibility of a fast $500 brings out a hoard of possible sightings. She always asks three questions when she receives a call. What does she look like? Where did they see her? What is the caller’s name? If they don’t mention the fact that she was almost 5’10” tall, she just thanks them and says she’ll get back to them.

  Chapter 60: Stephanie’s Surprise

  Stephanie Langchester takes a break from the beach and decides to grab a sandwich and a glass of wine at The Deli, which is located just off the beach in Antigua. She takes one step into the open front door and hastily retreats back outside. She can’t believe her eyes. Sitting at a table in The Deli is a girl who looks exactly like Mickke D’s girlfriend back in Myrtle Beach.

  She purchases a paper and sits down at an outside table. From behind the paper, she watches as the girl she believes to be Beverly and someone else leave the restaurant. She is thinking to herself, why would she be here and who is she with?

  After they leave, she ventures back inside the deli but again makes a hasty retreat. She sees a poster or flyer with her picture on it lying on a table next to the register. Someone is looking for her lost sister, no name, just a reward and a phone number. She puts on her sunglasses and hat, goes back in with her newspaper covering part of her face, picks up the flyer, and leaves.

  Stephanie figures British Intelligence is looking for her, but what is the connection between Beverly being here with a stranger and the flyer turning up at the same time. She hurries out to the street and looks both ways to try to see which way they went. She catches a glimpse of them about a block away and moves quickly to get closer.

  She watches as Beverly and her friend stop at a corner, waiting for the light to change before crossing the street. She quickly dials the number on the flyer and watches as Beverly reaches into her purse and answers her phone. “This is Mary.” The voice belongs to Beverly. She remembers it well from the night they met at TC’s.

  Chapter 61: Back to the Beach

  Good news abounds today. My doctor tells me I am good to travel but not to do anything strenuous for a few weeks. My insurance agent calls and tells me I can pick up a new SRX at the Cadillac dealership in Lancaster and that I can leave my rental car there. I call Jake and tell him to meet me for dinner at Shaw’s and that I will be heading back to the beach tomorrow morning. I call Jim and TC to let them know I am on my way home. Jim reminds me about the OSU shirts, so I make a trip to the mall on the way to pick up my new SRX. On the way back, I stop by The Ohio Glass Museum and do a tour. What a neat place, lots of history and even an on-site glass blower. My last stop is at the police station. I give my deposition and make sure big Steve returned my borrowed automatic rifle. I leave a note on his desk stating he has a rain check for dinner.

  There’s not a lot of chatter at dinner, but while we’re having coffee Jake says, “Mickke D, I really want to thank you for what you did. I know Sissy would thank you also.”

  “No problem, Jake, I was happy to help.” I was not going to tell Jake about the cave but at the last minute, I change my mind. “Jake, I’ve got something else to tell you, but you need to promise me you won’t say a word to anyone else.”

  “No problem, what’s going on?”

  I hesitate. “Jake, when I was up on the mountain Friday, I found a cave and finding that cave saved my life.”

  “What are you talking about, what cave?”

  I go over the entire story with him and then say, “Jake, you need to promise me you won’t go up there until I come back in the fall. We’ll go up together. I don’t know where it goes but there was something evil about it. I think I was more afraid of it than Stuart Peterson.”

  “I can’t believe you found a cave. No problem, you have my word. I’ll wait till you come back.” He raises his hand and we high-five. I tell him I’ll send him a bill and he thanks me again. I leave bright and early the next morning for Myrtle Beach.

  Chapter 62: Von’s Interrogation

  Von Spineback arrives on time to meet with Detective Reynolds and he does not bring his attorney.

  Detective Reynolds does not beat around the bush. He shows him the picture Mickke D took at Buckeye Lake. “Is that you, Mr. Spineback?”

  Without missing a beat, he answers, “Why, yes it is. Mr. Peterson did some computer work for me and I invited him for a boat ride in my antique speedboat and then lunch. He brought his girlfriend along. I think her name was Betty something.”

  “So the girl in the picture is not Ginny Ridlinger from Anchor Hocking?”

  “Sorry detective, I don’t know a Ginny Ridlinger.”

  “Are you sure, Mr. Spineback? I thought you two served in the Air Force together?”

  He wavers for just a second and then replies, “Detective, I met a lot of women in the Air Force, but that name does not ring a bell.”

  Detective Reynolds can tell Von has rehearsed all of his answers, so he adds one last question. “Did you know that Mr. Peterson was also working for your brother Jon?”

  Von stares back at him with contempt in his eyes, eyes that are not sad or mournful, but cold and almost angry. “Detective, if my brother had a computer problem, I guess that could be a real possibility. Anything else?”

  “No, Mr. Spineback, that’s all for now. However, if you decide to leave town, please notify me. Your brother left town on Saturday, do you have any idea where he might have gone?”

  Von stands up and heads toward the door. He stops, turns, and replies, “Detective, I am not my brother’s keeper. Never have been, never will be.”

  As soon as Von reaches his car, he calls Ginny, “We need to be extra careful. They know we were both in the Air Force at the same time but they can’t prove any relationship. I told them the girl in the photo was Stu’s girlfriend. We need to try and speed up the sale if at all possible. Don’t call me, I’ll call you. Delete this call.”

  He hangs up without Ginny being able to get a word in edgewise. She just shakes her head and deletes the call.

  Ginny is having second thoughts about this whole situation, the hook-up with Von and the sale of the distribution center. She begins making plans of her own, that do not include Von. She is thinking that she has a girlfriend from the Air Force who manages a bar in Antigua. She’s been conversing with her on Face Book. Maybe she will quit her job, disappear for a while, surprise her girlfriend and spend some time with her. The only thing she will lose is her job and she still has her retirement from the Air Force. She’s renting a furnished apartment on a month-to-month basis and her SUV is paid for. Her retirement is not a lot, however, it will keep her solvent.

  Now the question is, does she blow the whistle on Von before she leaves? Although he never came right out and told her, she is sure he had the reporter killed on Mt. Pleasant because she was getting close to figuring out what he was about to do. In addition, she knows for sure he sent Stu after Mickke D. So if that’s the case, will he try to get rid of her, as well?

  Chapter 63: Mr. Plum

  After talking with Mickke D, TC does some calculations and f
igures it will take them almost 86 hours, island-hopping by boat, to get to Antigua. That would be in calm seas and the total days to get there would be five or six. He decides to check into flying there and then renting a boat and dive equipment to check out the salvage site.

  He made his boat trip down the coastline and found nothing that looked positive to him. He has pretty much convinced himself that they will never find the location of Captain Kent Swinely’s buried treasure, if there actually is buried treasure, so the salvage trip will be a good distraction. Maybe afterward, he and Mickke D can come back and start out with a fresh prospective.

  Since money is not an issue, he books a Lear Jet from Jet Express in Myrtle Beach to fly them to Antigua. The departure date is three days after Mickke D returns to the beach. He figures he will be ready for a vacation. He calls his contact in Antigua and tells him to expect them Thursday. His contact tells TC he will rent two rooms at the Carlisle Bay Antigua for them. He asks his contact to see about renting them a boat and some dive equipment to check out the salvage site. His contact assures him his request will be taken care of.

  TC has never met his contact. A Mr. Plum contacted him and said he had read about his discovery off the coast of South Carolina and that he had a site off the coast of Antigua that he would like searched. He said he would pay him $25,000 up front toward his expenses and if they found any treasure, TC would receive 25% of the proceeds. The whole thing sounded like a new paid adventure to TC, and after Mickke D said he would come along, TC agreed.

  TC should have looked closely into his contact. Mr. Plum is the leader of a Colombian hit team, set up by the son and family of Pablo Valdez, the cartel drug lord who Mickke D killed in Colombia. The son and family have vowed to eliminate Mickke D. They did their homework and they know that Mickke D is partners with TC. They decided to get them off the mainland and out of their comfortable environment with a ruse.

  The Colombian hit team consists of three cartel members who are loyal to the late Pablo Valdez and his family. Mr. Plum is the fourth member and the person in charge. He arranged to get TC and Mickke D to Antigua. So far, the plan is working and now they know when they are arriving, where they are staying, and that they need a boat and dive equipment. They now have two days to plan their attack. They could hit them where they are staying, on the boat, tamper with the dive equipment or just walk into a restaurant where they are eating and kill them. The family could care less. They just want Mickke D gone from the face of the earth. The choice belongs to them.

  Chapter 64: Back “At the Beach”

  My trip back to the beach is uneventful. I do make several stops to walk around and to keep an eye on my wound. It seems to make the trip without any complications.

  I hear Blue growling as I unlock my door, however, when he sees me, he goes crazy and starts jumping up on me as I try to protect my wound. After he calms down, and a trip outside for him to pee, I call Jim and tell him I’m home. He says welcome back and that he saw me pull in. I tell him to come over and get his OSU stuff.

  We discuss my Ohio adventure and what has been going on at the office. He helps me get the SUV unloaded and then after he leaves, I call TC. “Hey TC, I’m back. What are our plans? I’m ready for some R & R.”

  “We leave Thursday and we’re flying instead of taking the boat. We’ll rent a boat and gear when we get there.”

  “Sounds great since it’s your nickel.”

  “Meet me at Jet Express at the airport Thursday morning at 8:30. We depart at 9:00. Pack for about two weeks.”

  “So, private jet, two weeks in the Caribbean, sounds great to me, can’t wait! See you then.”

  I spend the following two days getting everything caught up at the office and everyone did a great job, no problems. When I tell them I am leaving again to go to the Caribbean, they all question my rush to leave town. My answer is I need a vacation. I pack light and since we’re flying a private jet, I include my .45 and three extra clips, just in case we run into pirates.

  Chapter 65: Ginny’s Plan

  Ginny has decided on a plan of action. She will tell her boss she is going to take a much-needed two-week vacation but not where she is going. This way, Von won’t find out where she went and she will still get paid. Her checks will be deposited in her bank account. If she decides to come back, everything will be fine. If she decides to stay, everything will be fine as well. She will have her funds transferred to wherever she ends up. She will take most of her personal stuff with her, just in case she doesn’t come back.

  As far as blowing the whistle on Von, she figures he will probably hang himself. Without her to speed up the sale of the distribution center, things will move at a snail’s pace and Von will grow impatient not knowing where she is or if she has ratted him out to the police. He will have no one on the inside at Anchor Hocking, and without Stu there will be no one to do his dirty work. She figures he will probably self-destruct.

  Ginny makes the decision. She marches off to her boss’s office and gives him the news. Her boss tells her to go and have fun wherever she ends up going. She books the first flight she can find to Antigua.

  She leaves Columbus International Airport the following morning at 10:30. Von calls her at 11:00. She does not answer her cell phone. Von then calls her office and her secretary tells him she went on a two-week vacation. He is speechless, “What do you mean a two-week vacation? I need to speak with her right now!”

  Von Spineback is livid. He can’t figure out where Ginny could have gone and why she won’t answer her cell phone. He can see everything he has worked for going down the tubes. Without Ginny, his shell company, which cost him a bunch of money to set up, will have a more difficult time getting the sale of the distribution center through the sales and permit process. Without the distribution center, the rail spur, and the natural gas pipeline, his cost to produce his discovery will increase ten-fold and the price of oil is already heading south. In addition, without Stu he has no enforcer and no way to get computer information on the people he may want to bribe to get the whole thing done. And speaking of Stu, why was he working for his brother? And, last but not least, did Ginny or Stu leave any type of a trail that would lead back to him?

  Detective Reynolds calls her office that afternoon with some more questions and receives the same message as Von. The difference is that Detective Reynolds can find out where she went and he does. So now, Dr. Jon Spineback and his wife have left the country and so has Ginny Ridlinger. He immediately puts a tail on Von Spineback. He doesn’t want all of his chickens to fly the coop.

  Chapter 66: Trip to Antigua

  I arrive at the Jet Express hanger early, at 8:15. I don’t want to be late for this trip. TC arrives about ten minutes later and I fill him in on my Ohio trip. He doesn’t say I told you so, he just shakes his head.

  Just as we are about to climb the stairs to board the plane, my phone rings. It’s big Steve. “Thought I would let you know what’s going on up here. We finally got a warrant to search Stuart Peterson’s computer shop and apartment today. Dr. Jon and his wife left the country and I just found out yesterday that Ginny Ridlinger is on her way to Antigua.”

  I stop dead in my tracks. I don’t know what to say. “You have got to be kidding me! That’s exactly where I’m headed.”

  “Where, out of the country or Antigua?” he replies.

  “Both, TC and I are on our way to Antigua for a salvage recon.”

  “Well, if you see Ms. Ridlinger, tell her I have some more questions for her.”

  I resume my trip up the stairs, then stop, and say, “What about Von Spineback, did you lose him also?”

  “No, smart ass, I put a tail on him right away. Let me know if you run into Ms. Ridlinger.” He ends the call abruptly.

  I was trying my best to forget about Ohio, but here we go again. Why would Ginny Ridlinger be going to Antigua, why did Dr. Jon Spineback leave the country, and where did he go?

  Mr. Plum is waiting for us at the airport. He is we
aring a white, tieless suit, a Panama hat and is chewing on a cigar. He has a thick Latin accent. “Judge Cadium, I presume, how nice to meet you. I take it this is your partner?”

  “Yes, Mr. Plum, this is Mr. MacCandlish.”

  He extends his hand and with a wimpy-like handshake, he says, “Nice to meet you, Mickke D.”

  I gaze at him with inquisitive eyes, “Why did you refer to me as Mickke D, Mr. Plum?” I have pretty much decided I do not like this person. He looks like he just came out of an old Humphrey Bogart movie.

  With a perplexed look on his face, he replies, “Oh, I guess Judge Cadium must have mentioned your name at some point in our conversation. Anyway, I hope you don’t mind getting your $25,000 in cash.” He pats a briefcase he is holding and hands it to TC. “My people do not like to leave a money trail when it comes to salvage rights.”

  TC looks at me and then turns back to Mr. Plum. “We have no problem with cash.”

  “Great, here are the keys to your rooms at The Carlisle and I have a rental car waiting outside for you. I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning at 10:00 at the Carlisle and take you to the boat. You can look it over along with the dive equipment.”

  We shake hands with Mr. Plum and watch as he leaves the terminal. TC lays the briefcase on a small end table and asks, “Should we count it?”

  “Absolutely not. Do not open that briefcase. What do you know about this Mr. Plum?”

  “Well, not much, he told me he read about our salvage of The Queen Beth and wanted us to look into a possible location of a wreck off the coast of Antigua. He said he would give us $25,000 up front and 25% of what we find.”