“She’s afraid she’ll be deported back to Thailand.”
“Right. So, which do you think it is, Detective McNair?”
“Don’t know, but either way, I do think the reason she’s not telling us anything is fear.”
“Of deportation or of something else?”
“Deportation is guaranteed to be a factor, but whether or not there’s another reason, is hard to say.”
“So, where do we go from here?” I asked. We were standing on the sidewalk outside of his house. It was one of those cold crisp sunny days that came with mid-October. Leaves were changing colors and I took a deep breath to inhale the autumn air.
“We start asking questions,” Charlie said.
“Of whom?”
“Everyone who knows Eddie.”
“First on the list being—?”
“If he had an office outside the home with employees, I’d start there, but since he works from home, I’d say his children. We need to find out what they know. Although I don’t think we want to get them stirred up or there will be hell to pay so subtlety is called for.”
“I’d have to agree with that.”
Charlie surprised me with, “Are you certain you don’t want Jenny involved in this?”
I glared at him. “She has enough on her plate, don’t you think? Besides which, every time I think about this situation with Eddie, my stomach clenches. That can’t be good.”
“Och, no.”
“So, what were you thinking, man?”
“That my daughter is a genius at reading people.”
“As is her father.”
Charlie laughed. “No comparison, but I suppose I’ll have to do for now. And for that matter, you’re not so bad yourself.”
I did not profess to have Jenny’s intuition or even Charlie’s, but I did know enough to listen to my gut when it was speaking to me, especially where Jenny’s safety was concerned. She couldn’t very well get upset with me for following my intuition, could she?
“So, when do we go to visit Eddie’s offspring?”
“As soon as I establish that he is not in Thailand.”
“And how do you propose to do that?”
“I have my ways. You get to work on finding out where Declan and Susan Sharkey live. Since you’ve been following Andy Currie, you already know where he lives.”
“I never followed him home but I do have his address. It won’t take me but an hour or so to get unpacked, take care of a few things for my real job—or should I say my paying job—and get an address for young Sharkey and wife,” I said as I headed across the street.
Charlie grinned. “Me neither.”
* * *
Charlie McNair was a gifted detective. Either that or he could charm the down off a duck. After we’d parted ways for little more than an hour, he had managed to confirm our suspicion that Sharkey had not left the country, at least not by airplane. If he was perchance on a slow boat to Thailand, he was out there somewhere in the middle of the ocean.
“Unlikely,” Charlie said, as he followed the directions I’d given him to Andy and Maureen’s home in Bellevue.
“Highly,” I agreed. “So, he could very well be right here in Seattle.”
“Aye, or anywhere that doesn’t require a plane trip.”
“The question is, did he go there—wherever there is—of his own free will.”
“Exactly. That is the question. And if not, who escorted him to this mystery destination?”
“It’s still possible that he’s simply avoiding someone—hiding out of his own free will,” I pointed out. “From the law,” was my first thought. “Or a bevy of beautiful, but angry, women,” was my second. “Did you check the camera before we left?”
“Oh, aye. I had Manny checking it while we were gone. I scanned through the footage we missed. No one has been to the house in days. Sarai comes and goes on occasion, but that is all.”
“For very long?” I asked.
“No, just for an hour or so, to the market most likely. It appears that occasionally she goes for a walk. Other than that, she drives the small car, the BMW, but always returns within an hour’s time. My guess is the market.”
“A BMW? I believe you mentioned that before.”
“What about it?”
I chuckled. “Same car Andy Currie drives. Keeping up with the father-in-law?”
“No doubt. But judging from the way Sarai backs the car out of the garage and then returns it to its spot, she is not very comfortable behind the wheel.”
“Your camera picks that up?”
“Och, no. The camera only shows the car moving. At that angle it does not pick up the driver. When I saw the garage door open a couple times, I went outside to watch her. I don’t know if she is nervous about her driving or afraid the authorities will pull her over. She could not possibly have a driver’s license.”
“So why risk it?”
“Because the market is over two miles away and we’re not on the bus line?”
I glanced out the window as Charlie turned and headed up the hill and the water disappeared from view. “All the more reason it’s odd that Eddie would willingly leave her alone for any length of time. Do you know what you’re going to say to Maureen and Andy?”
Charlie chuckled. “I suppose I’ll wing it.”
“Now I know where Jenny gets her methods.”
As if on cue, Charlie’s cell phone chirped out Jenny’s personalized ring tone. Charlie glanced at me before pulling over to the curb and snatching the phone that I had grabbed, but not before I pressed the button to increase the volume.
“Hello, lassie, are you missing your old dad already?”
I could hear Jenny’s gentle laugh through the speaker. “I thought you had taken a disliking to the word ‘old.’”
“Och, good point. So what can I do for you? Everything okay there? Josh okay? Rocky?”
“We’re fine, Charlie. I was just calling to see if now is a good time for you to go down to Portland with me for a couple days. How is your case going?”
“My part in the insurance fraud case is done. I just turned in the last of my notes.” He glanced at me as if asking for advice on how to handle the situation.
This was important. Neither of us wanted Jenny dealing with the Portland situation on her own. Furthermore, we had to let her believe everything was fine and dandy in Seattle. I nodded and mouthed the words, “go with her.” I knew if I was the one she had asked, I wouldn’t have hesitated for a moment. But then I had an ulterior motive.
“I do have some other things I’m working on,” Charlie continued. “But I can get away for a couple days. When did you want to leave?”
“Tomorrow would be good. Did you get any names? Contacts? Do we have an In?”
Charlie laughed and they continued their conversation for a few more minutes.
I turned my full attention back to the conversation when Jenny asked, “Are you lonely, Charlie?”
“Och, no. Not I. You, darlin’?”
There was a long pause, then, “Sometimes, I suppose.” Jenny’s voice had softened so that I had to strain to hear her. It didn’t help that Charlie had moved his cell to his other ear, the one further from me. “Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed my solitude. And now having Rocky and Josh here, that’s been good.”
Charlie glanced over at me as he said, “But?”
“But sometimes . . . “ Her sigh tore at my heart. “Sometimes I’d like a man in my life . . . a good man. Do you know what I mean?”
“I do, darlin’. I do.”
Another sigh and then, “I’ll catch one of the morning ferries out. I should be to West Seattle by noon and we can head out right away.”
“We’ll see you then, lassie.”
Hearing Jenny’s admission of loneliness . . . and what she really wanted in her life, I decided it was time to step into the abyss. Despite the risk of losing something, I realized, it was time. I had to weigh that risk, although great it was
, against a far greater reward. I could not go on living a solitary life. I did not want to.
“You look pale,” Charlie said after he’d stashed the phone in its holder.
I shook my head but his smile told me he knew better. “Don’t be a daft idiot, Malcolm,” he said. “Tell the lassie how you feel before you lose her . . . again.”
I nodded silently as he steered the car back onto the road and toward the bridge that led to Bellevue. He was right. I had been a daft idiot for far too long.
* * *
Maureen Sharkey Currie opened the door, undisguised surprise on her face at who was standing there. “What—what are you two doing here?”
“Greetings to you too, Maureen,” Charlie said.
She glanced over her shoulder, a look of panic on her face, and whispered, “Andy’s home!”
“That’s not why we’re here,” Charlie said. “Nothing to do with our—” he lowered his voice—“investigation.”
She stared at Charlie hard, then at me. “I knew it! You’re still”—she softened her voice—“tailing him! Even after I told you to call off your dogs!”
“We have done, lass. We have.” Charlie raised an eyebrow at me as if to tell me that as of this moment he was doing exactly that. It wouldn’t be a hardship considering how many others we were now tailing.
Maureen narrowed her eyes as if trying to decipher if he had spoken the truth or not. She surprised us both with her response. “So, you never found out anything?”
Charlie shook his head. “Nothing we haven’t already told you.”
“Oh. But do you think—”
“He’s up to something?” Charlie offered.
She shrugged. “He came home late every night last week.”
Something we knew well since we’d been briefed by the men who were following him.
“Would you like us to keep a wee eye out, lass?” Charlie asked gently.
Again her shrug that fell short of convincing us that she didn’t care.
I decided to help her out. “We might as well for a wee while longer,” I said.
“Okay, if you think so. But just for another week, okay?”
“Very well,” Charlie said, and I detected some relief that this wasn’t going to be an endless task. No wonder, with his involvement in Jenny’s case now and searching for Sharkey, he had plenty to keep him busy. But I also knew Charlie well enough to know that if he thought there was justification in following the young lassie’s husband he would do exactly that whether or not he was paid for it. Hopefully the coming week would not turn up any reason for us to continue.
Maureen exhaled and smiled up at us, opening the door wider to allow us inside. “So, hello, Charlie. Malcolm. Would you like to come in?” Suddenly the queen of manners, she was dressed in casual jeans—I knew this because they had acquired unintended holes over the years—and a deep blue T-shirt bearing the name of a rock band with whom I was unfamiliar. Her feet were bare and her thick red hair was tousled as if she had been stretched out on the couch for a lengthy period.
“Thank you. That would be lovely,” I said as Charlie was busy chuckling to himself.
“So, what brings you two gentlemen to my doorstep?”
“We were just out this way, thinking of investing in some property in the area,” Charlie said, looking around at the elegant home that overlooked Lake Sammamish. Andy Currie was doing well for himself. Unless, that is, Sharkey had helped provide the young couple with this lavish home. “Your dad suggested we stop in and talk to you, gave us your address,” Charlie said, his focus back on our hostess.
“You’ve talked to my dad?”
“Why? Haven’t you? Are you two at odds?” he asked.
“No. We’re rarely at odds. We just like to fight. But no, I haven’t talked to him in days. He isn’t returning my calls.”
“Perhaps he’s spending some time on his wee island,” Charlie said, knowing perfectly well that was not the case.
Maureen shook her head. “I called the caretakers and they haven’t seen him either. The only other possibility is Montreal on that latest job he took. Unless, of course, he flew off to Scotland to see a Celtic-Rangers game.” She knew her father well. What she didn’t know, was that there was no Celtic-Rangers game scheduled which left out that possibility. “I’m surprised he didn’t take Sarai with him. I thought they couldn’t stand to be apart for more than five minutes.” She shook her head in disgust. “Whatever, there’s no excuse for not returning my calls. Maybe he’s mad that I stopped in that day and gave Sarai a hard time. I didn’t mean to. I just wanted to talk to him. Really. He doesn’t understand. He really needs to take a rest from these involvements with women. They never come to a happy end. But will he listen to me?”
I was watching the master. Not only had Charlie managed to evade her question, but he had, without evoking any concern, induced her to reveal that she had not spoken with her dad for a while. Not only that, but he had encouraged her to ramble on and forget that she had even asked him a question.
When she finally stopped to catch her breath, she offered us a beer which we accepted as we followed her to the kitchen, admiring her home every marbled step of the way.
“Lovely,” Charlie said more than once, as if he were truly impressed. “How long have you owned your home?”
“Well, Andy owned it when I met him,” Maureen said. “I moved in after we were married a year ago.”
“Lovely choice,” I offered.
“Thank you.”
“Have property values gone up a lot since he bought the home?” Charlie asked.
“Andy could answer that question a lot better than I can,” Maureen said. “Hold on, I’ll get him. He just got home from work. Make yourselves comfortable.” She nodded toward the living room.
Charlie and I looked at each other when she left the kitchen. “She seems a wee bit calmer in her own home,” Charlie said.
“Aye. It wouldn’t be because things are better between her and Andy.”
“No, otherwise she wouldn’t have given us the go ahead to continue for a wee while longer.”
Noting the white carpet, we both kicked off our shoes as we made our way into the living room. White carpet. No wonder she kept her dogs at her father’s. I wondered if her husband really did have an allergy.
A moment later the couple entered the room. Andy, freshly showered and changed from his work garb to jeans and a T-shirt, greeted us with a handshake and a smile. We quickly apologized for stopping in without warning.
“Anytime,” he said. “It’s no problem.” He reached out and put his arm around his wife’s waist. “Maureen keeps this house immaculate so it’s always ready for guests.”
A quick look around confirmed that fact. I just wondered how much hired help she had.
“It is a lovely home,” Charlie said. “Excellent choice with the view of the lake. I’m sure that has helped maintain its value.”
“It has,” Andy said. “Maureen tells me you’re thinking of investing in property out this way.”
“We are,” Charlie said. “There are some great bargains and we suspect this area will increase in value in the near future. What are you seeing?”
“Exactly that,” Andy said. “In fact, I was thinking of buying some more property in the neighborhood.”
“Rental homes?” Charlie asked.
“Actually I was thinking more along the lines of commercial property.”
“Interesting,” I offered, although I had absolutely no interest in owning anything other than my home in West Seattle and my wee cottage in the borders of Scotland.
We discussed possible investment options and learned that their home had nearly doubled in value over the past four years since he’d purchased it, but Charlie did not bring up the subject of Sharkey again. Apparently he had learned all he needed to learn.
“I understand Declan and Susan live nearby as well,” Charlie said.
“They do,” Maureen said. “About a mile
further out.”
“Maybe we’ll stop in and say hello to them as well. Is their home as lovely as yours?” he asked.
Maureen laughed and Andy smiled. “Not quite.”
I could almost hear the comment that was hanging in the air. “On a bartender’s salary?” But then, Susan’s income must have more than made up for that.
“Male pride,” Charlie said when we discussed the subject after I’d entered Declan and Susan’s address in the GPS and we were off.
“Unless Susan owned the house before they married.”
“Aye. Good point.”
“So, Detective, did we get what we came for?”
“Oh, aye, Malcolm. Indeed we did. Maureen has not heard from or seen her father in as long a period as we have not. Furthermore, she’s been trying to reach him and he is not returning her calls. And she confirmed our thoughts on where he would be likely to go.”
“Save one,” I said. “Thailand. She obviously does not know about the situation with Sarai’s illegal status.”
“Clearly,” Charlie agreed. “Since she wondered why Sarai wasn’t traveling with him. And here we are.” He pulled up to the curb alongside a far more modest and rustic home than the one we had just left.
“Still nice,” I commented as we made our way to the front door. “And with what appears to be a better view that the Curries’.”
Susan opened the door for us, first revealing her surprise, which was quickly exchanged for a smile. “Malcolm? Charlie? What brings you out this way?”
Again I let Charlie take the lead. “We’re considering investing in some property in Bellevue and Eddie mentioned that you live out this way and told us to stop in. I hope we’re not intruding. We don’t normally pop in without calling, but he assured us it wouldn’t be a problem.”
“No, it’s no problem,” Susan said courteously as she opened the door wider. She was dressed in a business suit and low heels as if having just returned from work. Little make-up adorned her face, which softened her appearance. However, wearing her blond hair tied back in a tight position, nullified that attempt, if indeed it was an attempt. “Can I get you something to drink? A beer? Coffee?”
We opted for the coffee, a wise decision considering that Charlie was driving.
Saving Sharkey Page 14