Murder in Paradise Bay

by Talty, Jen

  “Go, go, go,” called Sergeant Jake Prichard, the scuba team leader, his hand swirling in the air. Stacey held her regulator and mask in place as she flopped into the water on her back for the fourth time that day.

  She turned her body, looking left and right, getting a thumbs up from the lead diver. She tucked her hands to her side, angled toward the bottom, and kicked.

  The plan was to sweep the bottom of the lake from Paradise Bay to the west shoreline, then zigzag up toward the Mother Bunch, and then down toward The Narrows.

  Once Stacey got sight of the bottom of the lake, she made a visual to her right. Another team diver was ten feet away, giving her the thumbs-up, bubbles floating above his head. She looked to her left, gave a thumbs up, then focused on bottom of the lake. It took all her energy to push the fact that it was Bill Ludwig’s boat that had been abandoned in Paradise Bay. Bill just happened to be Mary’s lover.

  All in all, there were ten divers, equally spaced, ready to comb the bottom of the lake. They’d stay under for about an hour, then another team of divers would relieve them. They would go until the sun set, or they found a body.

  Being submerged under water and breathing through a dive regulator was surprisingly soothing. Even a bit relaxing, though her senses were sharp as she took her underwater flashlight and scanned her area. Occasionally, she checked to her left and to her right, just to make sure she was on the right path. At fifty feet, the water had chilled some.

  The lake was clear, even at the bottom. The seaweed in this area wasn’t too thick. Bass and perch swam in and out of the taller weeds. Stacey had caught sight of some other fish, but wasn’t quite sure what they were. She was starting to get a little antsy when she noticed an underwater flare two swimmers over, indicating they had found something… or someone.

  Stacey swam toward the flare, her pulse kicking up. Finding a body had always been a possibility in the back of her mind. Something she hoped happened later, rather than sooner. Or perhaps never.

  At three feet away, she began to see an outline of a body. A beam of light—it could have been her flashlight—lit up Mary’s bloated and bruised face. Stacey paused, locking glazes with a pair of empty, light blue eyes. For the first time, the deceased was someone she knew, and those eyes were haunting, like looking into an empty soul. Stacey fluttered her feet, inching forward, her mind fractured between the reality of what she was seeing and the reality of her job.

  She got the attention of the lead diver and gave him the signal she’d surface. They needed a camera. They needed to call in the ME. They needed to do a list of things. And by the book.

  The first one was pulling herself off this dive.

  Before the lead diver could send someone else, Stacey swam as fast as she could to the surface, her flippers colliding with every kick, her breathing labored, nearly choking on the rebreather. When she hit air, she pushed back her mask and took out her regulator. “Got a body. I know who it is.” She paused to heave a few breaths. “Sir. Need… Need… I can’t go back down there. It’s personal, and I need to make a call.”

  “Get on the boat. Try to relax,” Sergeant Prichard said, then barked out a few orders to some other divers, who either started making calls or jumped into the water. Prichard wasn’t very tall, at five-foot ten, but he was broad and well-muscled. He couldn’t have been older than thirty-five. This was his second year as team leader, and while he was a bit of an asshole on the job, rumor had it; he was an all-around nice guy off-duty. She had yet to see that side of him.

  She climbed into the search and rescue boat. She finished towel drying, then threw on her shirt and shorts, trying to shake the visual now permanently ingrained in her brain. Mary being dead certainly ended the marriage, making him a free man. But it also added to the concept that this wasn’t the right time and not just because his wife had just died, but because she had a bad feeling about the circumstances surrounding Mary’s death.

  Stacey didn’t want to put her life on hold, but it looked like she might not have a choice.

  “You okay?” Prichard asked.

  “Yes…” She wasn’t even close to being okay. Not only was this her first official dive. Her first official dead body on a dive. She was going to have to tell Doug his wife was dead. “I believe the body we found is a friend’s wife, and…” She let that trail off. “Well, they’re going through a divorce.”

  “That’s messy.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “How good a friend?” Prichard asked.

  “My father’s business partner.”

  “That puts us in a pickle,” Prichard said.

  “I recuse myself from this dive,” Stacey said. “I’ll call my superior officer at the station house I’m assigned to, and then I need to call my friend.”

  “I understand.” Prichard nodded. “You hang tight in the bow. Best you don’t interact with the team, now that you’ve recused yourself.”

  “Got it.” She made her way to the bow then sat on the ledge, looking north, focusing on the islands, wishing she had earbuds to tune out her own thoughts while she waited. Her mind filled with various encounters she’d had with Mary, most notably the night Stacey had returned from the surprise visit to Todd’s. Stacey had wanted to drown her sorrows. Her father told her it wasn’t smart to get shitfaced in public when your heart was just torn in two, but she had no desire to drink alone and cry. She’d wanted to drink with a room full of people and be angry. She needed to be angry.

  Her father had raised her to be tough, but kind. He taught her the difference between right and wrong. He taught her that empathy was the biggest virtue one could have, and Mary hadn’t an empathetic bone her body. She’d told Stacey she had it coming. That she deserved to have Todd cheat on her because she’d single-handedly ruined both of their relationships. Luckily, Doug had decided to join Stacey that evening, because he stepped between them before Stacey hauled off and punched the woman.

  Mary had been wrong about some things, but not about Stacey’s feelings for Doug. Stacey touched her lips; still feeling the kiss Doug had left there the day before.

  That evening at the bar had ended with her praying to the porcelain god while Doug held her hair, then he tucked her into bed and left to go back to his own empty home. That had been the last time she’d seen Mary alive.

  “Wonderful,” Stacey muttered as she watched an approaching patrol boat. She wasn’t sure if she was glad it was her boss Jared, or annoyed.

  “Here to pick up Sutten,” Jared said, all official-like.

  “Appreciate it,” Prichard said. “I’ll be in touch.”

  “Take care.” Jared maneuvered the patrol boat so Stacey could toss her gear and jump on board.

  “You need to file a full report, and explicitly state how quickly you recused yourself from the dive and why,” Prichard said. “I’ll sign off on it as soon as I can.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And Sutten.”

  She looked Sergeant Prichard in the eye. He was generally a hard-ass, but the furrow he normally carried at the bridge of his nose was gone. He almost looked approachable. “You did good. You’re an asset to this team. I’m glad to have you on board.”

  “Thank you, sir.” She did her best to surprise a smile. She’d been told Prichard didn’t give out compliments. Maybe he wasn’t all that bad.

  Jared backed the boat away before pushing the throttle forward, turning toward the south and pushing the throttle slowly down as the boat sped up. It was getting late in the day. A breeze had kicked up, bringing with it cooler air. Stacey had plopped herself in the seat next to Jared. Her hands started to tremble. She didn’t like Mary. In fact, she hated Mary.

  But she never wished her dead.

  The ride back to the docks was quiet, giving her time to think. She wanted to race home and talk to Doug. Help him through this difficult time, but she felt as though she might not be the right person. Normally, she didn’t care one anyone thought of her, but a woman had just died and
a man was still missing.

  She helped Jared secure the boat before heading toward the locker room to collect her gear, all the while second-guessing her decision to pull herself off, wondering if she’d overreacted. Didn’t matter now. She pulled out her phone, contemplating calling Doug. She decided it was best she tell him in person.

  She found the appropriate paperwork on the computer in the small hut. Not much of a station, but it did the trick. It took her about twenty minutes to fill everything out and submit it. Her mind kept wandering back to the clear water and the body they’d found.

  When she stepped from the building, she saw Jared pulling back into the parking lot. “You might want to high-tail it home and let Doug and your father know. It’s going to make the evening news.”

  She nodded.

  Chapter 3

  THE LAST THING STACEY ever wanted was be the one to tell a person their spouse was dead. No matter the circumstances, Doug was a good man, and Mary had been his wife. They might have had a horrible relationship, but that didn’t make this situation any better.

  Stacey pulled into the driveway. It was nearing the dinner hour, and since it was Saturday, that meant pizza night, whether it was homemade, takeout, or going to Capri’s, the best little pizza place in the village. Always pizza on Saturday, just like Friday was steak night, and Tuesday was burger night. Her father was big on routine.

  She entered the house through the back door into the kitchen. Doug sat at the kitchen table, using his laptop, and enjoying a pre-dinner beer. He looked up and smiled. “I think the SCUBA outfit is much sexier than the actual trooper uniform.”

  “More comfortable, too.” She wished she could smile at the compliment. Sit down next him. Hold his hand. Kiss him. But now wasn’t the time. “Where’s my dad?”

  “Office. Why?” His playful grin disappeared. “You look like you saw a ghost. What’s wrong?”

  “We need to talk.” She removed her gun belt, releasing the chamber then securing the lock before hanging the belt in the back closet, where she’d leave it until it was time to go to bed. She preferred her weapon close. “Can you get him?”

  Doug nodded.

  While he was gone, Stacey pulled her hair out of the messy bun she’d put it in on top of her head. Her hair was still damp, even hours after being in the water. She checked the wine fridge, and thankfully, there was an open bottle of white. She poured herself a generous glass, then sat at the table checking her text messages. Nothing. No news is good news.

  The ME would identify the body through medical records, and then Doug would be asked to go down as next-of-kin after the autopsy was complete and the body made ready for viewing. Nothing was official yet, but Stacey knew without a doubt that Mary was dead. Bill Ludwig was missing. Her instinct told her this was no accident, which meant an investigation.

  Her hand trembled as she raised the glass to her lips. The cold, dry liquid trickled down the back of her throat. She heard footsteps approaching, so she sat at the table and took another small sip of courage.

  “Wine on a work night?” her father asked. “What’s going on, baby girl?”

  Her father sat across from her. Doug sat next to her. At first, she fought the urge to take his hand, but then decided that was stupid as she laced her fingers through his. “The rescue dive I was on. We found a body.”

  “Oh, my God,” her father said. “That’s terrible. Are you okay?”

  “No, Dad. I’m not.” She looked at Doug, who seemed to read her expression by the sadness in his eyes. “It was Mary. She’s dead.”

  “How?” Doug asked, gripping her hand tightly. “Where? Bill?”

  “We don’t know how,” she said. “The medical examiner is doing an autopsy.” She continued to stare into Doug’s brown eyes. His gaze never wavered. Their hands intertwined, and she drew strength from him. “We found Bill’s boat moored in Paradise Bay. Looked abandoned. Then we found Mary at the bottom of the lake, outside the entrance. Bill hasn’t been found, but we are continuing to look for him.”

  A long silence filled the room. Doug continued to grip her hand, but he was the one giving her support. Giving her the courage to continue. A pang of guilt raced through her brain. She should be the one letting him draw off her strength.

  “You’re sure it’s Mary?” Jim asked.

  “I am,” Stacey said. “Should know tomorrow morning the cause of death, and if it is suspicious—”

  “Is that what you think?” Doug asked.

  “Truthfully?” Stacey wanted to wrap her arms around Doug. Hold him. Help through the pain of his wife’s death. It didn’t matter they were about to get divorced. She knew Doug. He cared about people. Even a woman who’d made his life a living hell for the last few months. “Yes. It looks suspicious, and I think it might be a good idea for Doug to hire a lawyer.”

  “Why the fuck would I do that?” Doug snapped his head up.

  “Because if her death is ruled a homicide, they will come after you. They always do. Husband is always suspect number one in a murder case.”

  “I wouldn’t kill anyone,” Doug said. “I can’t believe you’d even go there.”

  “I’m probably being paranoid, but I know the system. If it’s accidental, no worries. If it’s something else, we need a good criminal attorney, if nothing other than for good advice.”

  “I happen to know one,” her father said. “I’ll give her a call.”

  “We don’t even know how she died.” Doug’s thumb caressed the back of her hand. “There has to be a logical explanation. One that doesn’t include me as a suspect in anything ridiculous.”

  “I agree,” Stacey said, “but as a state trooper, I tend to think differently, and you should look into a good attorney if Mary’s death is ruled suspicious.” Stacey believed that would be the case, based on what she saw of Mary’s body and what she’d heard so far. “Just be proactive.”

  “Like I said,” her father interjected, “I know a criminal attorney. I’ll contact her.”

  Stacey tore her gaze from Doug. “How do you know a criminal attorney?” And not just any lawyer, but a female lawyer. A woman Stacey didn’t know, which meant her father was probably seeing someone. He’d always been secretive. Discreet, he called it.

  “Just someone I’ve had lunch with a few times.”

  “So that’s where you go a couple times a week,” Doug said. “You’re dating.”

  “I wouldn’t call it dating,” her father. “Just a woman I know.”

  Doug smiled. “That is Jim-speak for dating, and I’m not telling. You must think Stacey and are I blind to the women you’ve dated over the years.”

  “Not blind,” Jim said. “But it’s none of your business.”

  “I’ll remember that,” Stacey said. “Give her a call. Let’s hope we don’t need her.”

  * * *

  Doug clicked the television off after the ten o’clock news ended. The only light in the room was the glow from the stars and moon filtering in through the windows and sliding glass doors. Stacey’s head rested on his thigh. Her blond hair flowed across his lap. He felt guilty he didn’t feel guilty enough over Mary’s death. He looked down at Stacey. He didn’t think he could move forward until everything with Mary had been settled, and her death added a new complication.

  Mary didn’t have a lot of family. One sister, and they weren’t close. Doug barely knew her, but he had found her number and made the call. It hadn’t been an easy call, and he had been surprised by how emotional he’d become. There was no love between him and Mary. They had both been relieved to be done with each other, but he never wished her harm.

  He also worried about how she died, and wondered where on earth Bill Ludwig was.

  “The newscaster made it sound like the police believe she was murdered,” he said. His fingers glided through Stacey’s long blond hair. It was full and soft, like silk between his fingers. It seemed natural to be sitting in this living room with her, sharing an intimate moment. Ever since he�
��d realized his feelings for her had been growing stronger, he’d been waiting for the weirdness to present itself, considering their lifelong friendship.

  But it didn’t feel awkward or weird.

  “They are speculating. The sheriff’s office hasn’t made any statement that we know of, and Jared would call if they had.”

  “It’s weird that Bill just up and vanished.”

  “Depends on why he vanished.” Stacey gently massaged his thigh. “If this was some kind of horrible drowning incident, he could be dead.”

  “Wouldn’t you have found him as well?”

  “Not necessarily,” she said. “I think you need to stop speculating what happened. We’ll find out soon enough.”

  “Hard not to,” he admitted. He hoped Mary hadn’t suffered. She’d had a hard enough life as it was. “We might have ended up disliking each other, but I still cared about her.”

  “I know,” Stacey said, wrapping her arms around his leg. “I feel a little guilty about all the negative feelings I’ve had for her over the years.”

  “Don’t think we need to beat ourselves up over that,” he said, though there were moments in the last few hours where he’d remember something that had happened, and regretted some of the harsh words he and Mary had exchanged. “We can’t change the past.”

  “I’m sorry,” she said.

  “Nothing for you to be sorry about.” He continued to thread his fingers through her silky hair. “I can’t imagine Bill would hurt Mary. I mean, I know I acted like a raging, jealous husband when I found out, but really, he seemed like a nice guy, and much better suited for her than me.”

  “Try not to think about all of that. I’ll know more when I go into work in the morning, and I promise to let you know what I hear,” Stacey said.

  “So then, no reason to meet with this lawyer anytime soon.” A concept that he thought was beyond crazy. “I don’t understand why you even suggested it.”