by Maria Milot
Bob’s mind reeled as he tried to put together the pieces and spoke,“Computer company—”
Cosimo cut him off. “I don’t fuckin’ care about that company now! I got plenty other businesses to pick up the slack. This is about family, honor, and revenge for my nephew. Ken Tate was my sister’s kid.”
The information hit Bob hard but not as hard as the bullet that tore into his chest killing him instantly.
◆◆◆
Cosimo tucked the arms of his sunglasses behind his ears and looked at Mikey as they exited the Royal Cayman Bank. “That went well. Money talks, Mikey, but that bank manager sure won’t.”
Mikey nodded in agreement.
“It’s nice here,” Cosimo commented looking around at the swaying palms. “I like those trees, we should get some of them for my office.”
SIXTY
“The New York Yacht Club brunch does not disappoint,” Winston commented as he and Maddie walked down the club’s dock.
“I’m so full I may have to swim home,” Maddie joked.
As they approached their boat a voice called out, “Hey, Big Jay.”
Winston turned toward the voice. “I’ll be damned, Michael, how are you?”
Winston and Michael locked in a sturdy hand grip. “Michael, this my friend Madison Marcelle.”
“You can call me Maddie,” she invited as she shook Michael’s hand.
Michael smiled and clapped Winston on the back. “It’s been a long time, my friend,” he said then turned to Maddie. “We were at Deerfield Academy together and this guy was a record-setting quarterback for our team. He was a football beast.”
“And you were just a beast, Michael.”
“Oh behave! What are you up to?” Michael inquired.
“Madison and I are going to take the boat around the point back to the dock at the house.”
Michael nodded. “One of the Newport greats. I haven’t been there in years.”
“Well, we’re going to have a quiet romantic late dinner since we have the house to ourselves tonight. But why don’t we meet here tomorrow for drinks? Just us guys and we can get caught up. You don’t mind, Madison, right?”
“Of course not,” Maddie answered.
“Great plan. Where’s your boat? I’ll cast you off,” Michael said.
“The Morris, right here.” Winston pointed to the boat.
Michael untied the line from the cleat and helped cast off the boat. Maddie and Winston gave a hearty wave as they pushed off the dock.
SIXTY-ONE
Jared stared at his computer screen. It was another Sunday alone at his office. He clicked his computer keys with one hand as the other absently searched for his coffee cup.
“Damn it!” He called out as coffee seeped through his shirt. He angrily stripped it off, yanked open his closet and tore through hangers to find another shirt. His hand gripped a tuxedo jacket. He flung it aside much too hard as the jacket flopped off its hanger and landed on the floor with a thud. What the hell was that? he thought.
He picked up the tuxedo jacket and began crunching material between his hands. He felt a hard lump and reached deep into an inside pocket. He pulled out a cell phone. His head slowly turned to look at his desk where his cell phone was sitting. What the hell is this? he wondered.
He opened the phone and scrolled through numbers. What jumped out at him was the fact all the numbers were the same. This is crazy. One number, no name attached, just unknown caller.
Jared touched the camera icon on the screen. “Shit!” He leaped to his desk and dialed the phone, urgently repeating, “Pick up, pick up, pick up.” Voicemail. He dialed another number this time he got an answer. “Jack, we need to talk now!”
SIXTY-TWO
Winston turned a key; with a low rumble, the engine of his sailboat purred like a panther. “Nice thing about this boat engine, it is quiet enough to have a conversation not like those boorish cigarette powerboats,” he commented to Maddie as they headed away from the dock of the New York Yacht Club
◆◆◆
Winston was at the helm carefully turning and adjusting the wheel as he dodged dangerous rocks to navigate into the protected cove where his boathouse was perched.
◆◆◆
He leaped from the boat onto his dock and secured the boat.
Maddie tossed him another line from the boat’s deck as she asked, “Winston, why did Michael call you big Jay?”
Winston held out his arms and assisted Maddie from the boat onto the dock. “Growing up my parents opted to call me by my middle name, Winston, but as luck would have it there was another Winston in my class at the Academy. So to save confusion, I went by my first name at school. James.”
SIXTY-THREE
Jared pounded his hands on the table in the police station’s fishbowl room. “Come on Jack, we don’t have time for this,” Jared erupted.
Jack’s mind was churning. He knew this was a significant break in the case. He was mindful to speak in a calm manner. “The prints came back on the phone. Just yours and Ken’s. There’s only one number ever called or received on the phone. The phone itself is a burner phone. More importantly, there is a text from the one number the night of the murder demanding a meeting at the teahouse. It stands to reason whomever the one phone number belongs to is probably our killer. It could also go to another burner phone and be a dead end. It’s going to take a little time to trace it. Now, tell me why you have a phone with Ken Tate’s prints on it.”
Jared’s hands were behind his head, he was quickly pacing a line along the table. Exasperated, he answered, “It’s not my phone.” He reached into his back pocket and threw a cell phone onto the table. “That, right there is my phone. Go ahead and check it, but we don’t have time—”
Jack needed to keep Jared focused. He knew all too well what needed to be done and how potentially perilous the situation could be. “Jared, we are working on it. Please get back to how you found the phone.”
Jared took in and let out a deep breath. “I found it at the gala. I had just argued with Ken. We got a little physical. He had a grip on me and I had grabbed his jacket half off. He walked away. I saw a phone on the floor. I picked it up. I checked around in my pockets and my phone was missing. I figured it was mine so I stuck it in some pocket of my tux. There was a lot going on that night, you know. I didn’t think about it again. But this is not what’s important. It’s the picture!”
“I know Jared, we’re trying to call her again.”
Jared pleaded, “Can’t you trace her phone to locate her?”
“We’ve already got that started,” Jack answered.
The fishbowl door opened. Officer Sanders announced, “Sir, we got your fiancé on the phone.”
SIXTY-FOUR
Maddie pushed into the stone and shingled boathouse. She was hit by a wall of dank, humid air. “I’m going to open some windows in here,” she called out.
Winston’s shadow filled the doorway. “I will get us some wine.”
The pair moved out of the boathouse and took up seats on the terrace overlooking the dock and jagged cove below. As they sipped their wine they casually relived the events of the day.
“It’s so secluded and peaceful here,” Maddie observed. “I could get used to this.”
Winston grinned. “I hope you do.”
Maddie leaned over to Winston and gave him a kiss.
SIXTY-FIVE
Jack lifted the handset of the phone hanging on the wall in the fishbowl. “Kelly, I’m at the station with Jared. I’m putting you on speaker phone.”
Jared swiftly stepped to the phone and called out, “Where is Maddie?”
“Why?” Kelly asked. “Is something wrong?”
“Just answer the question!” shouted Jared.
“Hey, calm down,” Jack admonished. “Kelly, we found a phone. Based on prints it seems to belong to Ken Tate.” Jack held up a hand to prevent Jared from interjecting. “It’s a long story. Bottom line is there’s a photo on t
he phone of Ken with—“
Jared couldn’t hold back any longer. He urgently blurted out, “Please Kelly, where is Maddie?”
“She’s with Winston. They were going out on his boat this afternoon,” she answered.
The door opened again to the fishbowl. Officer Sanders reported, “Jack we got a GPS location on that cell phone.”
SIXTY-SIX
“Bottle’s empty. Would you like some more wine?” Winston asked.
“Sure.” Maddie stood up. “I’ll get it. You’re not used to manual labor,” she giggled.
Winston flashed her a grin.
She selected a bottle from the mini refrigerator situated under a long, room length counter which served as a bar and a boat utility catch-all.
“Do you have a wine opener?” Maddie called.
“Try the top drawer under the counter,” answered Winston.
She opened the drawer, fished out the wine opener. Her eye caught sight of something in the drawer. “What’s this?” she said and held up a ring.
SIXTY-SEVEN
Jared faced Officer Sanders and asked, “Where is she?”
Officer Sanders frowned and looked at Jack. He was not sure if he should be giving the information directly to Jared.
“It’s okay,” said Jack. “You can tell us.”
Officer Sanders spoke, “GPS shows Madison Marcelle’s cell on Gooseneck Point off Ocean Drive.”
SIXTY-EIGHT
Maddie walked out onto the terrace. “What’s this?” she asked, holding out a ring.
Winston plucked the ring from her hand. “Oh, my family ring. I forgot I left it here.” He looked it over then slipped it onto his finger. “Makes sense, though, I don’t like to sail with it on. I’m always afraid it might get caught when I’m hauling in a line. It usually turns up between here and the boat. Thanks.”
Maddie’s face paled. She stared at the ring on his finger. “I know that ring,” she said.
“You probably do. I might have had it on last time I saw you,” Winston stated.
“No, that’s not it. I’ve seen it in a photo,” Maddie said with determination.
“Okay. I don’t understand why you look so confused Madison?”
She stepped back from Winston’s chair. Maddie’s mind raced as she put the clues together. Because you’re J. K heart J you’re the missing face from the photo. She blurted out, “You knew Ken!”
SIXTY-NINE
Jared nodded his head and gave the table a quick hard slap. “I gotta go.”
“Hold on!” Jack stepped in front of Jared before he could reach the door. “Where are you going?”
Jared gave Jack an incredulous look then briskly answered, “To get Maddie at Winston’s house. She is possibly in a lot of danger. We now know that Winston knew Ken. He’s been lying about it. Come on, Jack! Winston is in a photo with his arm around Ken on a burner phone with Ken’s fingerprints all over it!”
Jack tried to reason with him. “Jared, you’re not a cop. This is a dangerous situation for you too. We’ve already sent a couple officers over to pick up Winston for questioning. It looks bad but a photo on a phone doesn’t make him a killer.”
“Then why didn’t Winston tell anyone he knew Ken?” Jared retorted.
“I don’t know. That’s one of the questions we’ll ask him,” Jack responded.
“I gotta go.” Jared side-stepped Jack and pulled open the door of the fishbowl.
Jack reached out and grabbed Jared’s arm. “Wait.”
Jared met Jack’s eyes. “Am I under arrest?”
Jack released Jared’s arm and stated, “No.”
Jared bolted from the room.
SEVENTY
Winston looked up from his chair toward Maddie. He shielded his eyes from the glare of the sinking sun. “Honey, what are you talking about?” he asked with surprise.
Maddie’s voice became louder, “I don’t understand, Winston. Why did you act like you had no idea who Ken was at the Marble House party? When you had obviously taken a photo with the guy!”
Maddie stepped back inside the door of the boathouse. Winston was up and walking to her.
“Madison, you’re not making any sense. What’s this photo? And if I’m in it then why haven’t the police asked me about it yet?”
“Because your face is torn off!” Maddie yelled.
Winston moved toward Maddie. She retreated backward further into the room. The small of her back jammed into the counter. She could retreat no further. Winston stood over her, reached down, and picked up the wine opener. Maddie’s breathing was audible as she nervously watched Winston drill the sharp, spiral metal spike into the yielding cork and pour himself a glass of wine. He took a long drag from the glass then looked down at Maddie.
His voice was low as he slowly spoke, “So that I have this straight, you saw a photo of me with Ken but my face was torn off. So why on Earth would you think it’s me?”
Maddie thought her heart might pound out of her chest. Winston’s hand came up toward the side of her head. She arched her body back further over the counter. Winston snapped a switch behind her and the boathouse was illuminated.
“It will be dark soon, Madison, and we clearly have a lot to talk about.”
Outside the boathouse, the sky was deepening through shades of purple. Maddie was scared but Winston seemed so calm. Please help me, Mr. Whitmore, to figure this out, she thought. Then another thought came to mind. Maybe she was wrong, maybe it wasn’t Winston in the picture. Oh no! What if it was Winton’s father? “I... I’m so sorry, Winston,” Maddie sputtered. “I saw the ring and it’s the same as the ring in the photo and I thought it was you.”
“You thought it was me Madison because I have a dark colored ring? A lot of men have dark colored rings, like high school rings, athletic rings. So where is this incriminating photo of yours?”
Maddie wanted to trust his explanation. She wanted to tell him the truth but the instincts she had suppressed for so long were screaming in her head. She lied. “I don’t know, it’s somewhere at my house.”
“Where did you get this photo? Does anyone else know about it?”
Maddie felt compelled to lie again. “No. No one knows about it, yet. I found it when I was digging through Ken’s empty condo.”
Winston looked at her quizzically. “Why would you do that, Madison?”
“I don’t know. I thought I could help with the investigation.”
Winston shook his head. “So, you presume that because you have a friend who is a detective that you too are a sleuth? Come on Madison. You’re being ridiculous. Let’s just drop this.” Winston picked up his wine glass and finished his drink.
Maddie’s nerves were on high alert. Her thumbnail was excavating under her other fingers. Still, she needed to know more. She remembered the ring in the photo had a distinctive crest. She was sure it was the same as the Cooper family ring. “I studied the ring in the photo Winston. It’s your family ring and Ken is in the photo.”
The color in Winston’s face suddenly darkened from a soft pink to crimson as he bellowed out, “For Christ sake, Madison, I didn’t know Ken! And I certainly never had a picture taken with my arm around him! Now just fucking drop it!”
Madison’s voice was just above a whisper. “I never said you had your arm around him.”
SEVENTY-ONE
At the same moment, Officers had arrived at Winston’s address. Officer Terry rang the buzzer on the gate and looked at her partner. No answer. Her partner reached out and pushed the buzzer several times in a row. Nothing. They walked along the dense privet hedge separating the estate from the road.
“House is up there, but it’s pretty hard to see in,” Officer Terry noted. They tried to part the hedge to get a better look.
“Fencing inside these bushes goes all along here. Stops up at the rocks and water,” her partner added.