Death By Blue Water (A Hayden Kent Mystery Book 1)

by Kait Carson

  Paul, water flowing down from his hair and into his eyes, pretended not to hear. Instead, he took control of the helm and looked for the divers. He saw bubbles in the light from the cutter. No one had surfaced yet. He carefully surveyed the group still in the water. Twenty-one more folks floated or treaded water, some clinging to each other. He concentrated on picking up the ones who called out in fear or looked unstable in the water. Another support vessel would come to the aid of others. His mission was to save those who didn’t look like they could wait, and take care of his divers and any survivors they might discover. Much to his surprise, a woman who looked to be in her seventies was swimming from person to person offering assistance and encouragement.

  When the cutter boat was nearly full, he looked for the divers again. Both men broke the surface, each holding two sputtering people. Cautiously Paul motored over to pick up the survivors. Overloaded by one person, he left the divers to look for more people trapped under the boat or in the surrounding water and motored to the cutter. The disembarkation team quickly unloaded the rescue boat, triaged the survivors, gave first aid where needed, and sent Paul back. Several trips later, no one was left in the water and the divers were satisfied no one else was trapped.

  The captain was questioning the handcuffed driver of the go-fast boat. The man’s eyes widened when he saw rescue team approach with the last load of refugees. He mumbled something in Spanish and pushed his shoulder into the captain, bringing his foot up behind the captain’s knee as he did so. The captain went down and the driver ran for the rail and jumped overboard.

  The divers struggled into their wet gear and leapt into the water as close as possible to where the handcuffed driver had entered. They came back empty-handed.

  Fourteen

  Hayden entered her office feeling sheepish. Grant had told her to take a few days off. She wasn’t sure if he meant until this whole event was over or if she should come back when she felt up to it. She returned, wearing a bright yellow sundress for confidence, to test the waters.

  “Hey, Ruth.” She greeted the receptionist. “The prodigal diver returns.”

  “Oh, you’d better go see him. He left a note in case you came back today. How are you doing?”

  Hayden shrugged and gave a tentative smile. “Okay, I guess. For someone who’s the talk of the town.”

  “Did you see the paper this morning?”

  “Nope. Since I’ve been getting my fifteen minutes of fame, I’ve made it a point to ignore the Miami Sun Ledger.”

  “Wait,” Ruth commanded. She dove under her desk. Hayden heard her rummaging in the wastebasket. She came up with the crumpled front section of the offending paper and smoothed it on her desk. “Is this the Paul you met?”

  Hayden took the offered paper and glanced at the photo of the man in uniform. “Yep, that’s him.” She scanned the article as she spoke.

  “Hunky and a hero. Are you going to let this one get away?”

  Hayden snorted and tucked the paper into her briefcase. Ruth was a happily married grandmother of four. She thought everyone should share her marital bliss. “My master awaits.” She ducked around the corner of her office and placed her briefcase and handbag on the chair next to the door. She glanced at the mirror on the wall between her office and Grant’s. She looked about as good as she felt, which put her one step above a train wreck. Allowing herself a deep breath, she tapped on the door.

  The lawyer answered her knock promptly. Normally she’d have just knocked and opened the door. Today she didn’t know if she should behave like a client or an employee. Hayden settled on one of the two deep blue couches and Grant approached her with a file in his hands.

  “Hayden, I have a problem. Richard and Kevin’s parents, Dwight and Ruth Anderson, are long-time clients of mine.”

  A trickle of sweat ran between her breasts. Why hadn’t she known that? Why hadn’t he said something before? “Are you sure? I’ve never met them. We have a couple of Andersons on the client list.”

  He handed her the file he held. “I know, I’d forgotten too. It’s been years since I saw them last. They came in for estate planning.”

  “Kevin never said anything. But even if I had realized his parents were clients, it’s doubtful I would have thought anything of it.” She paused for a beat and tried to read Grant’s expression. “Are you going to tell me you have a conflict and it would be better if I got myself another job?” She winced when her voice trembled. To avoid looking at her boss, she opened the file on her lap. It contained a transcript of her meeting with the police.

  “No.” He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face until she met his eyes. “I’m not going to fire you. You haven’t done anything wrong.” He removed his finger.

  Hayden searched his face and saw only compassion. She breathed out a sigh.

  “I may ask you to take a paid leave. But not yet,” he continued, when her head jerked up at his words.

  He paused again and seemed uncomfortable.

  “What? Just tell me.”

  “I think you need to get another lawyer. One who specializes in criminal work.” Grant waved his hand back and forth. “I’ll help you find one. And if money is a problem—”

  “No. I won’t let you do that. I’ll be fine. If you’ll help with some recommendations…”

  “You understand, right?” His grey-green eyes searched hers.

  More than anything, she wanted to say something that would put him at ease. They didn’t have much of a criminal practice. She knew that. He’d been available when the police showed up. He didn’t want her to be alone during the interview. He’d rushed into the breach. Nothing more. “Yes. I do understand.” She laid her hand on his and willed herself not to feel the disappointment that shot through her.

  “Do you want me to start that leave now?”

  “No. I may need you to leave today for a while though. Richard’s parents are coming in.”

  Hayden felt the tension flow from her body. That explained why he was so tense. He was worried there would be a confrontation. “Do they know?”

  “That you work here? Yes, they already knew.” He looked up at her. “Kevin must have told them. They’re coming in on a real estate matter. I suggested another lawyer. They said no. These are special people. They expressed sympathy that you found the body. But they asked if they could meet alone with me. They want advice about going to the police.” At Hayden’s look, Grant continued, “They said they didn’t think their son died in a boating accident.”

  A myriad of thoughts ran through Hayden’s mind. She tried to isolate one and failed. Grant didn’t say so, but obviously, they had a suspect in mind. Did they know she’d been questioned in Richard’s death?

  “You ever meet them?” Grant asked.

  Hayden shook her head. “Are they local?”

  “They live in Weston. Up in Broward County. I’m surprised you didn’t know that.”

  “Kevin rarely spoke of his parents. To be honest, I thought they were dead.” Something wasn’t adding up here. Who was this man she’d dated for nearly a year? When Kevin first dumped her, she felt responsible, she was hurt, but she thought something was missing in her. Now she began to think Kevin had agendas and problems she hadn’t begun to fathom. She’d missed every red flag in the year they’d been together.

  Switching from personal to professional to bring the meeting to a faster end, Hayden asked, “What kind of real estate matter?”

  “They deeded a house to Richard as co-tenants with them in Big Pine Key. He lived in it until his death. They want to change the deed. I guess they want to sell, or maybe put Kevin on the deed in place of Richard. We hadn’t gotten that far.”

  Hayden watched the dust motes dancing in the sunlight wondering what kind of parents would think of real estate legalities so soon after their son’s death. She sto
od and said, “When are they coming in?”

  “They’ll call. They need to arrange the funeral. The body is being released today.”

  An image of the body filled her mind as she walked to the door. It took all her willpower to keep moving.

  “Hayden.”

  She turned her head, her hand stayed on the knob. “I’ll draft the deed if you want. I won’t meet with them but I can take care of the physical drafting. Help take some of the workload off of you.”

  “I’ll think about that.”

  He paused and Hayden wondered what he hadn’t said. “The more I think about it, and the more I read the transcript, it seems like they were fishing.”

  “Thanks, Grant.” Hayden smiled her first genuine smile of the day.

  “But that doesn’t change the fact you need to speak with them. Don’t wait too long. That will make it worse.”

  Sitting in her office, she acknowledged there was something more that bothered her. Something Kevin told her about Richard. It danced tantalizingly out of the reach of her memory.

  Unlocking her file cabinets, Hayden shook her head. Kevin. Why worry about anything he said? She couldn’t believe it anyway. His brother lived in the Keys, his parents lived on the mainland. He’d seemed honest enough. So was he one of those liars who so believed his own stories that he came across as honest? What was he hiding?

  To clear her mind she picked up the newspaper article about the Coast Guard rescue of the illegal aliens and sat at her desk. The story put Paul in a much different light than her first impression. He’d seemed so clinical when they met. She wondered about the smuggler who died rather than face charges. Idly she thought there was more to the story than met the eye. He was afraid of more than prison. He was so terrified he took his own life rather than face his fear.

  She scanned the part about the rescue of the father and four children again and wondered at the length a father would go to in order to save his family. Setting out in a small boat with someone he didn’t know. How did the man even get in touch with the smuggler? There had to be a family connection. People didn’t just walk the streets in Cuba carrying a wad of cash and looking for sailors. Or did they? She didn’t know much about it. Never thought about it. Now the family would get sent back to Cuba. What kind of welcome waited for them? She hoped the close-knit family would be allowed to stay together.

  The change of mental viewpoint had the desired effect. Her thoughts were a jumble. They lacked the order she needed to find a solution to her problems. Grabbing a legal pad Hayden covered the page with shorthand writing and diagrams putting Kevin and Richard’s family, as she now knew it, into perspective. Why had Kevin lied? Where was the boat? Big Pine? Sunk? In some other marina? Was there a boat, or was that another lie?

  Hayden leapt out of her seat. She remembered Kevin telling her that Richard had a wife and two children. If Kevin told the truth about that, the Andersons were making their own grandchildren homeless by changing the deed. She needed to prepare Grant for the meeting, especially if the Andersons were seeking his advice about accusing their own daughter-in-law.

  Her phone rang as she reached the door, and the tone indicated it was an inside line call. Torn between seeing Grant and answering, Hayden reached for the phone.

  “They’re on their way,” Grant said.

  “Grant, he’s married. That’s what I couldn’t remember. Richard has a wife, and two kids.” The silence on the other end of the line told her Grant wanted something more.

  “Okay, Hayden, so what?”

  “Are they evicting their daughter-in-law and grandchildren?”

  Hayden heard Grant’s sharp intake of breath and long exhale. This wasn’t her business. He’s specifically asked her to remove herself from any involvement.

  Hayden winced and said, “Grant, do you want me to leave or just close my door?”

  “Take the rest of the day Hayden. I think you still need time off.”

  “Good,” she whispered to herself. As a paralegal, she knew how to research effectively and she had some things she wanted to check into. Things she didn’t want Grant to oversee.

  Fifteen

  The squat pine wood building of the County Recorder’s Office shimmered in the heat. Hayden tried to find a parking space out of the sun. The information was available online, but she didn’t want to leave a trail if the police charged her and took her computer. She wanted to see what was going on with the deed on Richard’s family’s house.

  “Hey Hayden, what are you doing here?” Mallory greeted her. Hayden saw sympathy in her best friend’s eyes. The two women had been in high school together. Now both worked as paralegals for high-powered attorneys. Mallory got up and hugged her friend. “I’ve heard. Can I do anything?”

  Hayden loved her friend even more for not asking about details. “You and everyone else. Thanks for the offer but there’s nothing to do. Talk about lousy timing on a dive. I really picked a winner. How much is on the street? I’ve been busy trying to make sense of it all. I haven’t read the papers. I pulled my landline out of the wall and I don’t even turn my cell on. I think I’ve had voicemail from every newspaper in the country. Please call us back.” Hayden raised her pitch and used a wheedling tone. “Like they’re my friends. But Grant’s been great.”

  Hayden sat down beside Mallory and looked her straight in the eyes. “Know what, I do have a favor to ask, since you’re here. Can I use your sign-in? I don’t want anyone to be able to trace what I’m doing.”

  “Of course,” Mallory answered at once, not even stopping to ask why she didn’t want to use her own. “Well, now I know why you haven’t called me back. I thought you’d left town for a couple of days, gone to visit your friends in Lakeland.”

  “They haven’t told me not to leave town.” Hayden snorted. “At least not yet, and I don’t intend to run.” She reached into her tote and pulled out a legal pad. “Can you check the property history for Dwight and Ruth Anderson on Big Pine Key?”

  Mallory’s eyes grew large but she typed her log on information into the computer in front of her. “Now what? Where do you want me to start?”

  “I need the first purchase by an Anderson. I don’t care about anything before that.”

  While her friend located the documents, Hayden sat back and looked out the window. Every time someone walked into the media room she looked up, thinking the sheriff’s office was coming for her. Since her interrogation, she felt and saw things with much more clarity. The wood of the chairs felt rough on her back. She detected the scent of mold in the room, probably from the old documents stored on the high shelves. She thought this must be what it’s like in the last moments before death. Everything becomes sweeter and sharper at the same time. More immediate.

  Mallory handed her the computer printout. There were three items listed. “Let me know if you want me to request copies.”

  Hayden studied the information. Sure enough, the Andersons owned property on Big Pine. The deeds dated from the 1950s. Hayden didn’t recognize the names, and figured they had to be Kevin’s grandparents. Good time for investing, considering current values. Those properties now must be worth a fortune.

  They’d passed to his parents from probate. So the very senior Andersons never lived on any of the properties. Kevin’s parents held one house and the vacant lot in their own names. The second house they owned jointly with their son, Richard and his wife, Elena.

  That meant the property was theirs and Elena’s if Richard died. It was strange the elder Andersons wanted to change the deed so quickly. Why the rush?

  Hayden stood and walked to the desk near the window that held the Keys telephone directory. She flipped to Anderson. Her eyes followed her finger down until she hit the R’s. Richard and Elena. The address was the same as on the deed record. Based on the phone book, Richard was still married. At last s
omething Kevin had told her was the truth.

  Obviously, the Andersons didn’t want her to think she had any participation in the house. Okay, hate the daughter-in-law, but the grandchildren? That was low. Hayden idly rubbed her shoe up the back of her ankle as she stood at the desk. She jumped when she felt a hand gently touch her shoulder.

  “Sorry, Hayd. I saw by your feet you were deep in thought.” Mallory smiled and handed Hayden another deed record. “Seems these people have the same arrangement with Kevin. Did you know he owned a house?”

  “Um, no. I didn’t. Also in Big Pine?”

  “Nope, Marathon. The house he told you belonged to his roommate.”

  Hayden rolled her eyes. “Seems the only thing he told the truth about was his brother’s family. Christ, I belong in the dumb bunny category. Talk about not knowing how to pick men. Or maybe I pick them prime. Who knows? I wonder if he has a roommate at all. I never met one. Maybe he and this Samantha person knew each other all along. Then again, maybe there is no Samantha person.”

  “You still got his stuff?”

  “What there is of it, yes. Maybe he had some decency after all. He never moved in. I would have loved it if he had. All he left was some dive gear, a couple of changes of clothes, and his electronics. That’s it. What was so important his brother had to come get it? Did he think I was going to sabotage his regulator? Put sand in his air tanks? What?”

  “I was glad when it ended.”

  Hayden looked up at her friend. That took her by surprise. She had no idea Mallory didn’t like Kevin. The three dove often together and Mallory came frequently to barbecues at Hayden’s house. And while Kevin wasn’t crazy about Mallory, he’d always been cordial enough to her face.

  Mallory was studying a wide sheet of paper and turning it from side to side. “Hayd, what’s the name of the woman Kevin took up with? Samantha what?”