“Yes, well, I have to go, Mr. Haggerty.” She rose, dropped her napkin on the table, and walked slowly through the room, using every bit of dignity she could muster.
I spent the rest of the morning in the bar waiting for the last act to unfold.
At noon, Gina appeared in a long white dress. She had a bouquet of flowers in her hands and was trying hard to smile. I sipped some anesthetic and looked away. No need to make it any harder now. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted Marshall to show up or not.
Derek appeared at her side in khaki slacks and an embroidered white shirt. What will be, will be. They moved slowly down the stairs. I went to my room, packed, and checked out. By three o’clock I was off the island and on my way home.
It was almost a year later when Kelly buzzed me on the intercom to say that a Mr. Derek Marshall was here to see me.
“Show him in.”
He hadn’t changed a bit. Neither one of us moved to shake hands. When I didn’t invite him to sit down, he did anyway.
“What do you want, Marshall?”
“You know, I’ll never forget that moment when you told me that Scolari had altered the trust. Right there in public. I was so angry that you’d try to make me look bad like that in front of Gina and everyone else. It really has stayed with me. And here I am, leaving the area. I thought I’d come by and return the favor before I left.”
“How’s Gina?” I asked with a veneer of nonchalance over trepidation.
“Funny you should ask. I’m a widower, you know. She had a terrible accident about six months ago. We were scuba diving. It was her first time. I’d already had some courses. I guess she misunderstood what I’d told her and she held her breath coming up. Ruptured a lung. She was dead before I could get her to shore.”
I almost bit through my pipe stem. “You’re a real piece of work, aren’t you? Pretty slick, death by misinformation. Got away with it, didn’t you?”
“The official verdict was accidental death. Scolari was beside himself, as you can imagine. There I was, sole inheritor of Gina’s estate, and according to the terms of the trust her half of the grandfather’s money was mine. It was all in Scolari stock, so I made a deal with the old man. He got rid of me and I got paid fifty percent more than the shares were worth.”
“You should be careful, Derek, that old man hasn’t got long to live. He might decide to take you with him.”
“That thought has crossed my mind. So I’m going to take my money and put some space between him and me.”
Marshall stood up to leave. “By the way, your bluff wasn’t half-bad. It actually threw me there for a second. That’s why I tossed the water on you. I had to get away and do some thinking, make sure I hadn’t overlooked anything. But I hadn’t.”
“How did you know it was a bluff?” You cocky little shit.
Marshall pondered that a moment. “It doesn’t matter. You’ll never be able to prove this. It’s not on paper anywhere. While I was in law school I worked one year as an unpaid intern at the law firm handling the estate of old man Scolari, the grandfather. This was when Gina’s mother died. I did a turn in lots of different departments. I read the documents when I was Xeroxing them. That’s how I knew the setup. Her mother’s share went to Gina. Anything happens to her and the estate is transferred according to the terms of Gina’s will. An orphan, with no siblings. That made me sole inheritor, even if she died intestate. Scolari couldn’t change the trust or its terms. Your little stunt actually convinced Gina of my sincerity. I wasn’t in any hurry to get her to write a will and she absolutely refused to do it when Scolari pushed her on it.
“Like I said, for a bluff it wasn’t half-bad. Gina believed you, but I think she was the only one who didn’t know anything about her money. Well, I’ve got to be going, got a plane to catch.” He smiled at me like he was a dog and I was his favorite tree.
It was hard to resist the impulse to threaten him, but a threat is also a warning and I had no intention of playing fair. I consoled myself with the fact that last time I only had two days to work with. Now I had a lifetime. When I heard the outer door close, I buzzed Kelly on the intercom.
“Yes, Mr. Haggerty?”
“Reopen the file on Derek Marshall.”
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: I’d like to thank the following people for their contributions to this story: Joyce Huxley of Scuba St. Lucia for her information on hyperbaric accidents; Michael and Alison Weber of Charlottesville for the title and good company; and John Cort and Rebecca Barbetti for including us in their wedding celebration and tales of “the spork” among other things.
Lost and Found
“So, how would you like another shot at Derek Marshall?”
Inside, you learned to speak once and listen twice. I listened.
“Not interested?”
“Not saying. What does a ‘second shot’ mean?”
“He’s come out of hiding. He left San Francisco, drove to San Diego and jumped on a cruise ship to Mexico. He has a woman with him.”
“You think he plans to kill her?”
“I don’t know. That’s one of the things I want you to find out.”
I looked at the old man. I hadn’t seen Enzo Scolari in six, maybe seven years. Time had leached a lot of life out of him. He was frail and bony. Waiting for my reply, he massaged the swollen arthritic knuckles of his hands. His wispy, white eyebrows were now as unruly as smoke.
Six years ago he had hired me to prevent his niece’s marriage to Derek Marshall. I wasn’t able to do that. She married Marshall and in short order he murdered her and became a millionaire. For two years after that I kept tabs on him, hoping that he’d step wrong and I’d be there to drop a net over him. It didn’t happen.
“Why me?”
“I can’t think of anyone better qualified, Mr. Haggerty. You know Marshall. You know how he works. You have a personal stake in this, or at least you did. And you’re available. You can follow him wherever he goes.”
“Marshall knows me, too. I can’t get near him. He’ll make me and that’s the end of that.”
“I don’t think so, Mr. Haggerty. I knew you then and I would never recognize you now. You’ve changed quite a bit. How much weight have you put on?”
I shrugged. “Thirty six pounds.”
“It looks good on you. All muscle. How did you do that? I hear the food is not fit for animals.”
“I lifted weights four hours a day, seven days a week. That and good genes. I can turn shit into muscle.”
“That seems to be the case. With your shaved head and goatee, sunglasses and a hat, he’ll never recognize you.”
I let it pass. “I lost my license. I can’t carry a gun. I have no contacts anymore. I don’t know how I could be of any use to you.”
Scolari waved my words away with a swat of his bony hand. “You didn’t get stupid, did you? You were a bright man. I’m betting you still are. You don’t need a license or a gun, just your wits. As for contacts, I know all you’ll ever need about Derek Marshall. I maintained my own surveillance on Mr. Marshall after he left Virginia.”
Scolari touched the switch on his wheelchair, spun towards the desk and poured himself a glass of water. His hand shook so badly that he had to stop two inches from his mouth and let his head close the distance. He drained the glass and put it on the desk.
Scolari turned back to me.
“What was prison like, Mr. Haggerty?”
“Just like any gated community, Mr. Scolari. Too many rules.”
“How does it feel to be back in the world?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m just out. I’m not back.”
“Yes, well let me tell you about Derek Marshall. After he settled in San Francisco, I had our local office keep track of all the women he dated. After the first date we sent them a press kit, so to speak. All the clippings about Gina’s death, the inquest, the unanswered questions. Most of them never went out with him again. There were a few that we could not dissuade. However, Derek Marshall spent ma
ny, many nights alone. I also tried to recover the money he got when Gina died. I was not quite as successful there. I have many business contacts all over the country. Those that I could influence in San Francisco made it hard for him to get loans or closed mutual funds to him. I ruined a couple of his investments; cost him and some other people quite a bit of money. All of this forced Mr. Marshall into a very low profile life style. He wasn’t enjoying the spoils of his crime.
“I’m worried about this trip to Mexico. It’s his first attempt to shake my surveillance. I want to know what he’s up to. Is he planning to disappear? Who is the woman with him? Is she an accomplice to his plans? Is she in danger from him? That’s where you come in, Mr. Haggerty. As I said, you know Derek, how he thinks. You have no ties to this area anymore, am I correct?”
I just listened.
“I kept track of you, too. You have no license, no job, and no career. No family. Your friends in the police department can’t help you because you’re a felon. Same with your friends at other agencies. No one can use you. You have no home, no money. Your lawyer got all that.
“I however, have a plane ticket for you, a car waiting at the airport in Tucson, and a cabin on the ship where he’s staying. Right now they are wet-docked at Puerto Penasco for repairs. They’ll be there for three days. I also have a company credit card for you. While you’re on the job all your living expenses will be covered.”
“What do you want from me?”
“Find out what he’s up to. I don’t want to lose him. That’s the first thing. Find out who the girl is. If she’s in danger, warn her off. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve gone through.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it. Report to me as soon as you find out anything. I don’t care what time it is. I sleep badly when I sleep at all. That’s your ‘second shot.’ Are you interested?”
Scolari’s offer beat everything else I had going. I was too old to be starting over from scratch.
“When’s the next plane out?”
In the air over Tucson, I thought about my talk with old man Scolari. He was awfully eager to get me out here with Marshall. Why? Maybe he blamed me for Gina’s death. Maybe he’d decided to have us both killed? No. I went to prison two years after Derek left. He never tried it then and he had plenty of time. Maybe he wants to set me up for Derek’s death, do it that way? Why now? He can maneuver me into position a lot easier than before. Five years ago a lot more people would have cared about what happened to me, not now. Maybe he was tired of waiting and decided to make something happen? How sick was he?
Maybe what I should do is milk this for all it’s worth. File dummy reports, stay away from Marshall in case it’s a frame and see how long I can ride this until he catches on. They say living well is the best revenge. Besides, what’s the worst that he could do, fire me? Why am I not scared?
We began to descend over Tucson. I looked out the window at the ground rushing up at us. Most crashes occur on takeoffs and landings. I watched all the way down. We bounced once on the runway, then settled down and began to slow.
Scolari had asked me how it felt to be back. I really didn’t know. I remember thinking about Humpty Dumpty when I was sentenced. How some men shattered when they hit bottom, while others armored themselves all the way down and they didn’t feel a thing. Not then, not ever.
My rental car was in a lot across the street from the airport. I threw my bag in the passenger seat, got in, and turned on the air conditioner. The airport information board said it was 110 degrees today. The rental agent had given me a courtesy map of the area. I unfolded it and decided on a route. I pulled out of the lot and entered the freeway traffic that ran by the airport.
I drove south out of America into Mexico. My last case had started in Mexico. It ended in the Maryland State Penitentiary Maximum Security Facility at Jessup. There was only one thing I knew for certain. I was not going into a Mexican prison.
I crossed the border at Nogales and headed towards Hermosillo. Halfway there I turned west towards Mexicali, then south again to the Gulf of California.
God must have had only a few crayons left in his box when he got to the desert. Everything was one shade of brown or another. Scraggly plants sprouted up on the hills that flanked the road. Each group of plants had its own shepherd; a tall cactus watching over it. Some were as straight and narrow as Giacometti’s men. Others had arms: some up; some down; some both; signaling each other like giant green semaphores.
An hour or so later I saw the sign for the docks, pulled off the road and stopped at the guard’s station. Razor wire ringed the area.
“Name sir?”
“Haggerty, Leo Haggerty.”
“Yes sir. You are registered on the Calypso Moonbeam. Drive straight ahead to the parking lot. Check in with security at the gangway.”
I surrendered my passport, got my security pass, room key, and directions to my cabin. It was clean. It was bigger than I was used to, it was all mine, and I had the key to the door.
I dropped my bag on the floor and lay down on the bed. I took off my sunglasses and stared at the ceiling fan. Its blades seemed to move as slowly as the hands of a prison clock. It wasn’t long before I was asleep.
I awoke lying on my back and looked at my watch. It was after four o’clock. I checked the map I had been given and found the lounge. I left the room and went there.
I sat in a soft chair and ordered a gin and tonic from the waitress. My seat allowed me to watch the entrance to the bar and the dining room. At the very least, I ought to see what Derek looked like these days. No use letting him surprise me. I sipped my drink and watched the people come and go. It was almost eight when Marshall showed up. The last seven years had not hurt him any. He’d put on a few pounds and erased his jaw line along the way. His hair was still fine and brown, but he parted it on the left now. The glasses were gone, so I guessed he wore contacts.
He had his arm around the waist of a tall blonde, whose pale blue eyes and bright smile stood out against her tan face like turquoise and ivory in the sandy desert. Derek laughed at something the maitre d’ said, squeezed his friend to him and kissed her ear. I took a long slow pull on my drink and thought of Gina Dalesandro. I could still see her wiping tears off her cheek on her wedding day and asking me, “What’s so wrong with me? Can you tell me that?”
I whispered what I hadn’t said then. “Nothing Gina, not one single thing. I’m sorry I’ve darkened your day. I’m sorry I didn’t do better.” I hadn’t been able to save her back then and I’d tried my best. This grinning bastard had murdered her and gotten rich doing it. I raised that drink to Gina’s memory and asked her to “wish me better luck this time.” I raised the rest to forget.
I nursed a port until Marshall and the girl were done eating and then followed them out of the dining room. They walked back to the cabins and entered room 116, a deck below me.
Still haunted by Gina Dalesandro, I went back to my room and called Scolari. It was 1:30 a.m. back east, and, good as his word he picked up on the second ring.
“Yes.”
“Mr. Scolari, this is Leo Haggerty. I’ve located Derek Marshall. I saw him at dinner this evening. He has a woman with him. A blonde, tall and very tanned. Do you know anything about her?”
“No, we’re still working on it. What else have you found out?”
“Not much. I’ll follow him tomorrow, see if I can get a line on what he’s doing here. If I have to I’ll try to get closer to the woman, see if she’s in any danger and warn her off.”
“Careful, Mr. Haggerty. I don’t want Marshall spooked. He hasn’t made you, I presume?”
“No.”
“We’ll try to find out who she is and if she’s in any danger.”
“Call me here at anytime with any information you get. Especially on the girl.”
“Of course, Mr. Haggarty. You’ll be the first to know. Goodnight.”
I hadn’t lifted or run today, so I did seven
hundred sit-ups as penance, showered and lay naked on the cool, clean sheets of the bed. I listened hard into the darkness. No one was crying, or cursing. No one was praying or screaming. No one was begging for the mercy that never came. In the middle of the night, I got up and left my room, just because I could.
I awoke around seven, slipped into a T-shirt, shorts and running shoes and trotted down the gangway. I showed the security guy my pass and headed for the guard’s station. I passed him and turned right down the road and ran off into the desert. I came back an hour later.
I trudged back up the gangway. At the top, a woman was putting up a notice on the bulletin board. I stopped to read it.
She looked at me. “How far did you go?”
I shrugged. “Six miles.”
“You take any water with you?”
“Nah, it’s wasn’t that far.”
“Provided you don’t turn an ankle, step on a rattler, and you stay on the road. But if things go wrong, you’ll need that water because you’re sweating quite a bit. Heatstroke and dehydration can drop anyone. You ever been out in the desert before?”
“No, I haven’t. Maybe my ignorance has led to disrespect.”
“Why don’t you come on my hike this morning.” She tapped the notice. “You’ll learn more about the desert than you ever wanted to know.”
Her chestnut hair was pulled back under a beige baseball cap and flowed out the back, thick and smooth as a thoroughbred’s well-curried tail. Silvered sunglasses shielded her eyes like a beetle’s shiny shell. I found that strangely reassuring.
“When is it?”
“Nine.”
“Okay,” I said, and walked away. I went into my room, stripped down and took a shower, ending it with the icy needle spray I knew so well was only one mistake away.
I had a light breakfast, then went outside to find my guide. She was standing out by the notice board alternately staring at her clipboard and looking all around to see who was missing. I’d once heard a camp counselor call it “urchin searchin’.”
Mary, Mary, Shut the Door Page 12