Rough Waters

by Maggie Toussaint

  He took her in his arms. “Shh. It’s okay. Larry shot Tarpley. I called for help on Tarp’s phone.”

  “Is he dead?”

  “Close, but he may pull through. I don’t know. I’m sorry for putting you through all of this. Your kids nearly lost their mother because of me.”

  She clung to him, trembling. “I thought I was brave, but brave has limits. It didn’t matter if I took risks before I had kids, but I should’ve listened to you and Laurie Ann. I should’ve gone to Florida with Mom and Nathaniel and Sable.”

  Her voice cracked on their names. She was a minute away from breaking. He willed his body heat into her. “I have so much to tell you, so much I want to share with you. I’m humbled by your courage, Jeanie. Not many women could’ve done what you did.”

  “I did it for you. For us.”

  He searched her features and saw love stamped on her face. He might not deserve her devotion, but damn if he wouldn’t accept it. Rock kissed her with everything he had. Her trembling changed timbre, and she pressed against him.

  Rock retained enough presence of mind to remember that cops were approaching, and they’d soon be surrounded by official personnel.

  “Nice,” he said, drawing back.

  She caressed the side of his face.

  Yes, he was definitely making sure she stayed in his life.

  “We need to go around front,” he said. “Can you walk?”

  She smiled. “If you help.”

  He supported her as much as she supported him. A fire department vehicle and the gas company truck loomed behind the squad cars, and an ambulance parked near Tarpley, lights blazing. An officer was on the radio behind a squad car’s open door. Paramedics were working on Tarpley.

  “Stop where you are. Hands where I can see them,” the other cop yelled.

  Rock stopped and raised his hands. Jeanie did the same. “I’m the one who called you. James Mackenzie,” Rock said. “Phone is in my back pocket. That man tried to kill us. He locked us in the house and turned on the gas. His name is Drake Tarpley.”

  “Get down on the ground,” the cop yelled. “Both of you.”

  “We didn’t do anything,” Jeanie shouted. “They tried to kill us!”

  “On the ground,” the cop ordered.

  “Do as he says,” Rock said, kneeling, then laying flat. In moments, the cop had them both cuffed and separated. The last Rock saw of Jeanie, she was being whisked away by a female cop.

  The officer from the radio approached the back seat where Rock was being held. “We’ll get medical over here to look at your injuries as soon as they stabilize the gunshot victim. What’s his name?”

  “Drake Tarpley. He faked his death months ago when he blew up my fishing boat in the sound.”

  “I remember the explosion. One guy got swept out to sea, the other swam to shore.”

  “I swam to shore. The case is still open, but Tarpley admitted tonight he blew up the boat and faked his death. Said he wanted the insurance money.”

  “How could he get it if he was dead?”

  “He had an amnesia story all prepared.”

  “Did you shoot him?”

  “No. My best guess is his partner, Larry from Bayside Marina, gunned him down.”

  “Did you witness the incident?”

  “I was tied up in the house. Tarpley damaged the inlet valve of the gas stove. Said he’d call on the cell phone to trigger the explosion. I managed to get Jeanie out of the house before it blew, but—”

  “What’s Larry’s last name?”

  “I don’t remember. No. Wait. It’s Orio, like the cookie, only with an ‘i’ instead of an ‘e.’”

  “What vehicle is Orio driving?”

  “Silver pickup. American make. Looked like it was about ten years old. Rusting out around the wheel wells. Didn’t catch the tag.”

  “I’ll run him through DMV and issue a BOLO. Meanwhile, you’re our guest.”

  Chapter 56

  Full dark descended as Jeanie rode to the police station. The lack of sunlight emphasized how empty she felt. She’d given her all today. Adrenaline was the only thing keeping her vertical.

  A terrifying experience like this put everything in perspective. Safety. Shelter. Companionship. Those were important. She missed hugging her kids. They were important. They were her responsibility. She’d had enough action and adventure for one lifetime. She’d rather have her family.

  The metallic sound of the door opening jarred her awake.

  She rubbed her face and stepped out of the patrol car. “We have a few more questions for you,” Detective Hernandez said. The female cop’s clipped tone didn’t bode well.

  Across the lot, a large black male cop escorted Rock inside the station.

  “What about Rock?” Jeanie fell in stride with Hernandez.

  No answer.

  Divide and conquer? Well, she had nothing to hide. Jeanie trudged into the building. To her surprise, they directed her to a holding area where they swabbed her hands and took her fingerprints. Next, Hernandez told her to change clothes.

  “Why?” Jeanie asked.

  “To eliminate you as a suspect.”

  Fat chance. They were trying to catch a suspect. She’d better keep her wits about her or she’d find herself in a world of trouble. The navy blue scrubs she was given to wear were too big, making her feel like a little girl playing dress up.

  She handed Hernandez the bag of her clothes and sat in the indicated chair in a small windowless room. A microphone rested on the cozy rectangular table, along with Hernandez’s papers and notepad. A black camera hung in one corner of the room, the lens aimed at Jeanie.

  “What were you doing at Bayside Marina, Mrs. Munro?” Hernandez asked.

  Jeanie gulped. This was serious. She hugged her arms to her middle. “Searching the boatyard for Drake Tarpley. We thought he might be hiding at the marina.”

  “What led you to the marina?”

  “Rock already checked the lake cabin Tarpley’s cousin owned and places in their hometown of Mayfield, where he kidnapped me yesterday.”

  “Is there a record of the incident?”

  “The police report is in Rock’s truck at the marina, along with the dogs. Someone needs to let them out of the truck. Tarpley is as rotten as they come.”

  Hernandez made a quick notation on her pad. “Getting back to the marina. When did you see Tarpley?”

  Jeanie’s hands gestured in the air. “He pulled a gun on me in the bait shop. Then he tied me up and dumped me in the bed of Larry’s truck.”

  “Larry?”

  “I don’t know his last name. He owns the marina. “You didn’t release Larry, did you?”

  “He’s in our custody.”

  “Good. He made Tarpley tie us up and left us to die at Rock’s house—with the gas stove on, no less. Tarpley faked his death in the boating accident months ago, that’s a felony at least, right?”

  “At least,” Hernandez said dryly. “Tell me about the coins.”

  “I haven’t seen those blasted coins. I wish I’d never heard of them.”

  “What did Mackenzie say about the coins?”

  “He and Tarpley were looking for a shipwreck, one not listed on local maps. They found three gold sovereigns and thought they had a bead on the Clarissa’s treasure.”

  “Go on.”

  “I don’t know any more. Tarpley kidnapped me in Mayfield, then he and Larry tied me up and nearly killed me with a gas explosion. If that isn’t enough to lock those guys up for a long time, I don’t know what is. I’m dead tired and I want to go home and play with my kids.”

  “I have a few more questions, Mrs. Munro. How does your ex-husband fit into this?”

  Jeanie groaned her frustration. “Avery isn’t my problem.”

  “He’s searching for the coins?”

  “He’s always looking for an easy score.”

  “And Mackenzie?”

  “What about him?”

  “You two se
em to be...close.”

  “That’s private.”

  “The leads circle around to him. He’s at the heart of this, trust me.” Hernandez slid a glossy photo across the table. “We found the weapon used to shoot Tarpley. Mr. Mackenzie identified it as his gun.”

  Jeanie startled with recognition. That dark grip, the pewter colored barrel, those three circles in the trigger. She’d handled that gun. She glanced up to find Hernandez watching her closely. Her stomach knotted. “Larry took Rock’s Colt when he took us prisoner.”

  “The firearm was less than a hundred feet from the fallen man.”

  “Larry must’ve done that to mess with us. Rock didn’t shoot Tarpley. They weren’t friends any longer, but he wouldn’t shoot anyone.”

  The cop stared at her for a long time. Flipped through some pages in the file folder. “Are you aware of Mr. Mackenzie’s military record?”

  “He told me he’d been in the service.”

  “Former Navy SEAL. He’s a highly trained combat machine, maʼam.”

  Jeanie didn’t like that maʼam bit, didn’t like anything about this conversation. Talking about Rock like he was some sort of trained killer. She lifted her chin with a bravado she was far from feeling. “So?”

  “He had means, motive, and opportunity to kill Mr. Tarpley.”

  Chapter 57

  Rock stared at the bare walls of the narrow interview room. They’d taken his clothes and given him scrubs to wear. The fast food they’d brought in tasted like wet sawdust, but the coffee helped revive him. Exhausted and sleepy, he couldn’t drop his guard until he and Jeanie left this place.

  She was safe now.

  But damn if he didn’t nearly lose it every time he thought of how close they’d come to disaster. If anything had happened to her, her blood would be on his hands.

  The door opened, and two cops strolled in. A trim Hispanic woman named Hernandez and a beefy black male named Bailey. Hernandez stood by the door. Bailey sat down across from him.

  “Mr. Mackenzie, we have a few points to clear up,” Detective Bailey began. “What can you tell us about Drake Tarpley’s gambling debts?”

  Rock shrugged. “He gambled. I tried to convince him to stop, but he told me I had no guts. The thrill of it drew him in. He got in over his head from time to time.”

  “What happened then?”

  “I helped him out when I could, but I didn’t have much cash lately. I poured everything I had into my fishing business.”

  Bailey rustled through the papers before him on the table. “Your boat. That would be the Time Out?”

  “That was her name, but she’s gone. Tarpley blew her up.”

  “According to you. His buddy Orio claims you orchestrated the whole thing. Said the charter business tanked, and you cooked up this scheme to bilk the insurance company. Orio says you tried to kill Tarpley, who hid in fear of his life.”

  Rock’s toes curled. He hadn’t seen this coming. “He’s lying. I had plenty of customers. Ask anyone at the marina.”

  “He says you left owing him money.”

  “Check my bank statements. I made regular payments to Larry the whole time I berthed there. And check for unusual withdrawals of cash this past couple of weeks. Larry has something on Tarpley. Tarpley told me Larry was blackmailing him with something he taped or took pictures of, I’m not sure which. But he’s been blackmailing Tarpley for a long time.”

  Both cops glared at him. The weight of the walls pressed in on him. “I can give you a list of satisfied customers. Check my phone for Sal Clark, Tony Atkins, Marty Lipscowich, Shane Brennan, and whoever else is in my client folder. These people are repeat customers. I’ve got two charters booked for next week. My business was profitable. Check my income tax statement.”

  “We will, but there’s a problem,” Bailey fired back. “The pieces don’t add up, Mackenzie. Time for you to come clean. We know about your military background. That you were a SEAL.”

  How could he prove his innocence? All he had were the facts. He ran through them again. “Larry’s lying. If Tarpley survives being gut shot, he’ll tell you the truth. After the boat exploded, I searched for him in the sound with a broken arm. He didn’t surface. For him to survive the explosion, his actions had to be premeditated. He must have used dive gear and swam underwater to conceal his escape. I called the Coast Guard to search for him. I did everything by the book. Are you saying the insurance company is holding up my payout because of my demolitions experience? I didn’t blow up my boat. I loved my boat.”

  “Tell me about the coins,” Bailey said.

  Rock swore. “I wish I’d never found those sovereigns or that wooden jewelry chest.”

  “Where are they?”

  “Don’t know. I secured them in a strong box in my house, but when I was released from the hospital, the safe was gone.”

  “Why are the coins a big deal?”

  “They’re vintage. From the 1850s. We cleaned the scale and marine fouling from them and thought we’d hit the jackpot. But we were wrong. We couldn’t find the wreck or anything else to salvage.”

  “Larry says you owe someone ninety thousand dollars.”

  “I borrowed a hundred grand to upgrade my charter business. I paid ten grand back, but with the boat gone and me laid up, I couldn’t pay down the debt. But I have those two charters next week.”

  “Investors aren’t big on missed payments. Who’d you borrow the money from?”

  Rock stiffened. “That’s my business.”

  “Not anymore.”

  Chapter 58

  “I told you everything.” Jeanie rubbed her aching temples, but nothing eased the pounding in her head. She’d hit tired about four hours ago. Running on fumes like this was a disaster. “I can’t remember anything else. I want to leave.”

  “Not yet.” Officer Hernandez leaned across the interview table toward Jeanie. “Tell me about the coins.”

  Jeanie drained the cola in her hand, hoping more caffeine and sugar would clear her head. It didn’t. “Rock said he and Drake Tarpley found them in Pamlico Sound. They thought the coins were part of an unmarked treasure hoard. But they only found three coins in a little wooden chest. Then someone swiped them while Rock recovered in the hospital. Check with the police down in Mossy Bog. Someone tore up my place of business and my home looking for the coins. They trashed Rock’s place here, too.”

  “We’ll look into it.”

  “Is that all? Can I go now?”

  “Tell us about Rock, er, James Mackenzie.”

  Every time Hernandez circled back to Rock, Jeanie felt sick to her stomach. Why couldn’t they see he was a real life hero? “What about him?”

  “Anything you want to tell us.”

  She laced her fingers together and tried to focus on her questioner. “He’s an honest man.”

  “What about his background?”

  Jeanie ticked off his attributes one finger at a time. “He’s an only child. He never knew his dad, and his mom passed away, so he’s all alone in the world. He had a fishing charter business with Drake Tarpley, a childhood friend. We’ve already been over this.”

  “We want to know what you know. Continue.”

  “I only know what he told me. Rock and Tarpley were also dive buddies, and they found some coins and a small wooden chest from an old shipwreck. Then Rock’s boat blew up. He nearly died, and everyone believed Tarpley died. But Tarpley survived the explosion. He tried to kill us today.”

  “How’d you come into the picture?”

  “My ex-husband worked at Bayside Marina where Rock docked. Avery also moonlighted for a landscaping company, the one that mowed at Rock’s place. When the coins went missing, Rock thought my ex took them, so he came to Mossy Bog looking for Avery and...we became friends.”

  The cop grunted. “Anyone else involved in this?”

  “Vince Palamiri, a rival charter captain at Bayside Marina, and Larry’s cousin. He lost his boat to the bank, then he showed up in Georgia
flashing cash. He got arrested for holding us at gunpoint and demanding our money. And Shandy. Can’t forget that tramp.”

  “Shandy?”

  “The woman my husband ran off with. She showed up in Mossy Bog again. At the same hotel as Palamiri. She’s broke, but she’s dressing like she struck it rich. I overheard her on the phone talking about the coins.”

  “Where are the coins?” Hernandez repeated.

  The questions kept coming like breakers rolling off the sea. She’d said everything she knew, multiple times. Jeanie’s last thread of patience snapped. “I don’t know, but I’m done. I’ve been here for hours. I’ve cooperated with y’all. That’s the third time I’ve run through everything. Am I being charged with a crime?”

  “Not at this time,” Hernandez allowed.

  “I’m outta here.” Jeanie pushed up to her feet, amazed she had the energy to stand. Deep in her marrow, outrage simmered. They’d treated her like a suspect.

  Detective Bailey opened the door for her, but his broad shoulders blocked the exit. “Don’t leave town.”

  Fueled by indignation and on the verge of a complete hissy fit, Jeanie stepped around him and eyed the gleaming, empty corridor with bone-deep suspicion. Were they really letting her go? She should have made a stand hours ago.

  “Where’s Rock?” she demanded.

  “He’s still being questioned.”

  Jeanie scanned the hallway again. Another closed door similar to the one on her interrogation room was ten paces down the hall. “Are you charging him with a crime?”

  “We don’t have to charge him in the first twenty-four hours,” Bailey growled.

  His cop-tough voice didn’t scare her. She wouldn’t leave anything she loved in this inhospitable place. Family was important, and Rock was family, whether he knew it or not.

  Jeanie marched down to the other door with Hernandez and Bailey trailing her, wrenched it open, and motioned to a surprised Rock. “We’re leaving,” she said.