by Josh Karnes
* * *
James had canvassed the restaurants and bars around the marina as well as he could, but the proprietors consistently said they had not seen Joseph or anyone matching his description. There were numerous alleyways but they were mostly abandoned at this time, being a Monday night. It seemed clear to both James and Mark that the odds that Joseph had not been there. It was just not the right place.
“That was your mother, from the police department. She says they are sending officers here to look for Joseph and question the bar and restaurant owners,” James said to Mark after he hung up with Melissa.
“Didn’t we just do that?” Mark asked. “They should be going out to ‘the crease’.”
“They can probably get the owners to talk, especially in Spanish. I think most of those guys were just blowing us off. They won’t blow off the cops. Oh, and your mom also said they are calling the FBI.”
“Well we should go back to ‘the crease’,” Mark said.
“Mark, I have already been thinking about this. I think we should wait until tomorrow morning, first thing. There is pretty much no chance Joey’s still out there. He’s probably hitched a ride on another boat back to Culebra, maybe Fajardo, or back here to Vieques if he could find someone going this way. Just about the only way we’d find him out there is if he’s still hanging on one of those buoys.”
“He can’t do that all night.”
“You never know. I think he could float on a buoy all night if he had to. Anyway, we are going to need your mom and Eli, plus the police and maybe the FBI to help cover all of the ground where he might wind up. Let them rule out the marina area here tonight first and I’ll make sure we make ‘the crease’ our first priority in the morning. Sound good to you?”
“I guess,” Mark said, not really convinced.
Right about then a pair of police cars pulled up with their lights on, and four officers climbed out. One officer in particular seemed to be in charge, he began by directing the other officers to various spots. James walked up to this officer in hopes of getting an update.
“Excuse me, sir. I am James Grady. Are you here looking for my son, Joseph?”
“Yes, Señor Grady. Do you have your passports?”
“Yes, just a minute,” James responded. He handed his passport to the officer and Mark did the same with his after digging it from the cargo pocket on his shorts.
“Yes, gentlemen, we are looking for Joseph Grady. I believe your wife is at the station speaking to Lieutenant Ramos. My men are asking the bar owners and others who may have seen him earlier. We will turn over every rock in this area until either we have found your son or we are absolutely certain he is not here, near the marina. You may go home to your hotel and Lieutenant Ramos will be in touch with you when we have more information. Now, if you will excuse me, I must be questioning these restaurant owners.”
“Shouldn’t you be looking out in the water, too?” Mark butted in.
“Mister Grady, the area near the marina is the most likely place we will find your brother. Once we have searched here, we continue the search elsewhere if we have not found him yet. Now please, time is short. Lieutenant Ramos will contact you.” The officer turned and went into the nearest restaurant with purpose.
“What now?” Mark asked his father.
“Now? Let’s get back to your mother and Eli. These guys have this area under control.” Mark shrugged as his father began the short walk back towards their hotel.