“Damn it! I’ve never been so bloody off my game! Here I am keeping an eye on this property and the people in it and I don’t think to put a camera in the back? I don’t think to keep surveillance on the back of the property as well? I don’t notice that there have been no dogs barking for what now—three weeks? And I live across the street from the bloody property?”
I opted to ignore his burst of self abhorrence and move on to other matters. He would recover quickly. Assuming we solved this mystery quickly. “Do you think that the dogs disappeared when Sharkey did?”
He thought for a moment. “When did you last hear the wee beasts?”
My mind flashed back to the rainy night when I’d left Charlie’s with an umbrella. “When I was leaving your place that night, remember? It was later on in the evening after Eddie called you. The last time we heard from him.”
“Shit!” He had used that word more times in the last half hour than he normally did in a month. “Right under my bloody nose! What kind of detective does that make me! They took him, they took the dogs, and they took the boat. What are you doing?”
I looked up from dialing my cell phone. “I’m calling Tara Island.”
Charlie stopped pacing and waited while my cell rang. Finally on the sixth ring, Sam answered. “H-hello?”
“Are you out of breath, Sam?”
“Uh, yes. Who is this?”
“Malcolm MacGregor, a friend of Eddie’s. Charlie McNair and I came up to the island and met you a while back.”
It took him a moment. “Oh, yes, of course. I remember. What can I do for you?”
“We were wondering if you’ve heard from Eddie.”
“Uh, no, I haven’t. Not for a while now.” Another pause and then, “Why?”
“The Innisfree is gone.”
“Gone?”
“Yes. We thought maybe he’d taken it up there.”
“Not recently.”
“Okay, well we thought we would check. Is everything okay up there?”
“Yes. Fine.”
“Ella?”
“She’s fine. The garden is doing well.”
“The garden?”
“The vegetable garden. I’ve just planted my winter vegetables. Potatoes. Beets. Turnips. Carrots. I tried a new fertilizer mix, rather enjoyed putting it together. You would know all about that, being a chemist and all.”
Chemist? I didn’t bother correcting him. People often confused physicists and chemists, especially those who treated the subject of science like the plague.
“Well, thanks for checking in, Malcolm.”
“Can you do me a favor, Sam?”
“Of course.”
“Call me if you hear from Eddie?”
“Yes. Of course.”
I looked at Charlie who had resumed his pacing. “Looks like the Innisfree isn’t on Tara.”
“It could be anywhere. He could have sailed to goddamned Thailand for all we know!”
I couldn’t take any more of Charlie’s self flagellation and headed home. He didn’t need me anyway. He would be busy watching for Sarai to leave so he could sneak over and install a camera at the back of Sharkey’s property. We would meet up later to drive to our soccer game. Considering the mood he was in, I was grateful not to be on the opposing side.
Unfortunately the first person we saw at the field was Sean O’Malley. Equally unfortunate, his brother the priest, was no where in sight. Had he been, his presence might have had a calming effect on Charlie. Or maybe not.
“Sean!” he called as he strode toward him. “When was the last time you saw Eddie?”
Taken aback, Sean stopped dribbling the ball and looked up. He shrugged. “I dunno.”
Wrong answer. “You don’t know? How could you not know?”
“Because I don’t remember. I don’t exactly keep a calendar of the times I run into Eddie.”
Wrong answer again. “You can’t remember the past thirty days?”
He shrugged. “What’s this all about? Why are you talking to me like I’ve committed some kind of crime?”
“Because maybe you have.” No mincing of words for Charlie McNair.
“That’s rubbish! Leave me alone, McNair!”
“I’ll leave you alone when I’m good and ready. I know you and Eddie have a history. Are you still harboring a grudge against the man?”
Sean resumed dribbling the ball, away from Charlie. “That’s none of your bloody business!”
Charlie heaved in a deep breath and trotted after Sean. Wisely—or un—I followed. “Are you?” he yelled.
Sean stopped in his tracks. “What the hell do you think? The asshole stole my wife from me!”
“She went after him.”
“He seduced her away from me!”
“He never touched her!” Grand assumption, Charlie, I thought, considering he didn’t really have all the facts.
“He didn’t need to. He put a spell on her.”
Charlie exhaled and shook his thick Scottish head. “For God’s sake, man! If there wasn’t already something wrong in the marriage, your wife would not have fallen in love with another man!”
The Irishman paled before our eyes. Maybe it was good that Charlie was in a mood. Maybe Sean needed to hear the truth. He turned away, kicking the ball as hard as he could off into the distance, no doubt seeking an excuse to chase after it and get away from Charlie. The problem was, now that he’d heard the truth spoken loudly and clearly, there would be no running from that.
I’d never seen Charlie on a tirade Apparently he didn’t deal well with screw ups, at least not when they were his own. I put my hand on his shoulder before he could chase after Sean. “Enough,” I said.
Leaning forward, his hands resting on his thighs, he nodded.
“Everyone makes mistakes, Charlie. No one is perfect. I didn’t think to put a camera in back either.”
“Not your job. If I had done mine, we would know who had taken Eddie.”
“Maybe.”
He stood up and looked at me, raising a single eyebrow as if to say, definitely, and I knew he was not going to rest until this was over. And if the outcome was not a positive one, he might never rest.
Needless to say, we lost another soccer match.
Chapter 19
Sunday morning I went for a long run, ending up at a wee café that overlooked Puget Sound. I had to admit, I was avoiding Charlie. He had probably already knocked on my door, assuming we would have tea and scones as we read the morning paper and discussed our next step. As it was, I was reading the morning paper on my own and enjoying every minute of it. Well, perhaps enjoying wasn’t the proper word. The truth was, the best thing about this café was that I didn’t have to deal with Charlie’s mood.
Coward, I heard Jenny’s voice in my head and laughed. I signaled the server, ordered a couple scones to go, paid the tab, and walked home.
“I wondered where you’d gotten off to,” Charlie said, glancing down at the bag in my hand.
“Went for a run,” I said. “Are you still doing your best impression of a grumpy old man?”
Charlie laughed. It was good to hear that sound. “I’m a wee bit better. Thank you for asking.”
We headed for the kitchen where he put on the coffee and I set the scones on plates. As soon as the coffee had brewed, we sat down with our newspapers and meal. That lasted fifteen minutes before Charlie was too antsy to read, even the sports page.
“I’m at a loss here, Malcolm.”
“You sound as if you’re giving up.”
“Och, no, I wouldn’t do that. Eddie’s a friend. I won’t stop until we find him . . . or know what happened to him. But why only dead ends? No evidence of any kind. Even if we brought in the police to utilize their resources, they would not be convinced that he didn’t take off on his own, considering his reputation for seeking adventure. And it would cause a problem for Sarai. Unless we’re prepared to lie to the police, she would be deported for certain.”
“S
o, we continue to work on our own. At least for a wee while longer.”
“But I feel as if we’ve been running in circles. All these interviews have gotten us no where.”
“You must realize, Charlie, that we met Eddie for a reason. Even the timing of our meeting may have been for a reason.” Synchronicity, as Jenny called it.
“Aye, I’d have to agree with that. Our lives have certainly been more interesting as a result.”
“That is true. Consider all these fascinating people we’ve met because of one wayward soccer ball.”
Charlie chuckled. “Not necessarily any we would choose to remain friends with, other than Eddie.”
“I have a soft spot for Maureen, I must say,” I told him. “And Aileen has even risen in my affections.”
“And Sarai and Mok are interesting personalities.” He sighed, his mind once again on our new friend. “If only you could use your high frequency sound waves to locate Sharkey.”
I laughed. “If he consisted of oil bearing rock, we would have a chance.” We were silent for a moment and my mind flashed to some sculptures Josh had shown me online when we were at Jenny’s last. “Maybe we’re looking at things the wrong way,” I muttered.
“The wrong way? How do you suggest we look at them?” Charlie asked, setting down his folded newspaper with which he was clearly finished.
“Jenny has a sculptor friend on the island. He creates fascinating pieces of art. If you look at them from different angles, they have a completely different appearance . . . and energy.”
“Oh, aye, she’s mentioned him to me.”
“Perhaps we’re looking at these people from the wrong direction. Perhaps we should consider their motivation first.”
“Of course we look at that. We always consider what would motivate them to commit a crime, in this case what would motivate them to kidnap Eddie.”
“I’m not talking about their motivation to commit a crime.”
“What are you talking about then?”
“I’m talking about their motivation to exist. What inspires them to get up each morning.”
Charlie walked over to his antique desk and grabbed a notebook. “Okay, laddie, let’s do that.”
I was surprised he hadn’t dismissed my idea as being a waste of time. But then, he had no other direction to take. And Jenny was his daughter. “Who do we start with?”
“Whoever comes to mind.”
I started with Aileen. Wasn’t that where this began anyway? “What gets her up in the morning is the belief that she can have it all.”
“Her brothers?” Charlie asked. “Besides having a good time?”
“Having a good fight. Maureen? She’s the little girl searching for that idealized Donna Reed family and home life.”
“But she can be cynical as well,” Charlie said.
“An act.”
“Her husband? Besides being motivated by his roaming eye?”
“Andy? Definitely lust . . . and ambition.”
“Lust eh? That brings Moira to mind. Her intentions were very clear.”
I laughed at that, but the truth was, lust was only a cover for her insecurities. “Survival. Almost a desperate need for it. I suspect she had a difficult childhood.”
“Aye, I can see that. Declan?”
“Declan. Life. Enjoyment of life. He and his dad have that in common.”
“You’re spot on with that one, laddie.” He wrote down my last assessment. “And his wife Susan?”
“Ambition,” Charlie and I said at the same time.
“How about the lovely second ex Mrs. Sharkey, Evelyn?”
I smiled. He really was taken with the young beauty. “The need to impress. She would not want to sleep in for fear of missing an opportunity to impress someone.”
Charlie chuckled. “Aye, but she does have a lot with which to impress one.”
“She does that. Are you going to offer any insight here or are you leaving this all up to me?” I asked.
“I have my own which I’m writing down as well, but they seem to be very much in harmony with yours. Although, not quite as profound. Next? Sarai?”
“Sarai. Fear and love.”
Charlie nodded. “Mok? Interesting lad, don’t you think?”
“He is definitely interesting. I would have to say that ambition motivates him. And the desire to find a woman to marry him so he can stay in America.”
Charlie laughed. “Perhaps you are correct. Although I do think enjoyment of life as well.”
“He does appear to enjoy himself. But I do think there is more to him than meets the eye.”
“Very possible. Or it could simply be a cultural difference.”
That was true. “Who else have we met because of Eddie? Oh, yes, our soccer team. Sean?”
“Aye, Sean O’Malley. It isn’t God’s word as it is for his brother.”
“No,” I agreed. “A very negative sort.”
“It would be anger, I think. And possibly self-pity,” Charlie said.
“No doubt.” I thought of the angry Irishman kicking his soccer ball around the field. He wanted so desperately to be in a dedicated relationship. “Yet what he longs for is a happy relationship. The devotion of a loving woman.”
Perhaps Charlie had indeed helped him. Maybe now he would stop dwelling on his unhappy relationship of the past and attract what he wanted. But in order to do that, he would have to give up his anger. Maybe one of these days I would tell him that we attract what we think about. Or perhaps I would leave that to Jenny.
As if on cue my cell phone rang and I snatched it from my pocket as quickly as I could. “Hey, McNair.”
“Hey, MacGregor. Just a quick question.”
“When am I free to go to Portland with you?”
“Charlie told you?”
“Aye.” He had volunteered for the job to accompany her for a second investigative journey to Josh’s home town, but Jenny had apparently told him she would prefer my company. I was a happy man.
“What was that about?” Charlie asked after I’d hung up.
“She needed a Latin translation is all, but we’ve also scheduled her Portland trip— for tomorrow. Is that okay with you?”
“As if you need my permission.”
I laughed. “No, but sometimes you need my body . . . or my brain. And it is not the best time to be leaving.”
“Perhaps not, but one of us has to go with Jenny. It should only be for one night. She needs our help. And since you’re obviously more dispensable than I am—”
“And she requested that I be the one to assist her—”
“Aye, that too. Now that that’s settled, where were we? Who else have we met?”
“James Webb.”
Charlie nodded. “Besides survival? A need to please his parents.”
I agreed with that. “And Senior. Fear and a need to please his wife.”
“And wife and mother, Ms. Eleanor Carter?”
“Obviously it’s not those roles. I do not believe that she has any aspirations to be a good wife or mother. However, to be a good daughter is an entirely different matter. And pride, ambition, and the desire to impress.”
“And our friend Jimbo Finn? Besides a good poem?”
“Survival.”
“Ray Dowling? Anger?”
“Aye,” I agreed. “Anger at the world and the belief that it owes him.” I would have liked to meet the greedy ex-girlfriend Chantal, but then I undoubtedly would have concluded that greed was the motivating factor. “So did we do any good?” I asked.
“Who knows.” He set the tablet on the coffee table and leaned back in his chair to relax.
“Well, as Jenny says, it’s when we leave it alone and allow our minds to empty that there is room for clarity.”
“My daughter is wise. It is a clear mind we both need.”
“Aye, it is good then that I will be clearing my mind for a couple days, spending time with your beautiful daughter.”
“Aye, you will
at that, but do not forget that you’re also helping her with Josh’s case.”
“I’m well aware of that.”
“And that you’re there to protect her.”
“I’m well aware of that too, Charlie.” I stood up and patted him on the back. “I’m off home.”
“Already?”
“Aye, I’ve a trip to plan.”
“One night in Portland? That takes planning?”
“Jenny called from a boat in the Strait. She’s preoccupied with something, one of these cases she’s working on, and resolving this situation with Josh. I doubt she’ll have time to make reservations. The least I can do is to make it as pleasant a trip for her as possible.”
Charlie walked with me to the door. “You’re a good man, Malcolm.”
I smiled. That meant a lot, coming from the man whose daughter I planned to seduce the following evening. “Now don’t get yourself in a tither while I’m gone.”
“I’ll try not to.”
“As my good friend Charlie McNair would say, do something useful.”
“I will do that, laddie. If nothing else, I can interview more of the jealous husbands and ex-girlfriends.”
I chuckled. “None will hold a candle to Evelyn, I suspect.”
“I’m sure not,” he said with that dazed look he got when he was enamored with a woman.
“Anything else?” I asked.
Nodding slowly, he brought his attention back to me. “I need to find a record of Sharkey’s assets and figure out a way to gain access to his bank accounts.”
“And how do you plan to do that?”
“Find a way to detain Sarai so I can break into his house and spend some time exploring.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, particularly since I had a feeling I would be involved in this scheme of his.
* * *
Two hours later, Matthew dropped Josh off. He came in for a couple minutes to brief me on what had happened on their visit to the island. He did not give me a scathing look of disapproval which I took as a good sign. He could accept me as his mother’s . . . lover.
Josh unpacked and repacked to spend the next couple nights at Charlie’s. Jenny did not want him to be alone while we were in Portland. “Do you think you could help me with some physics homework before I head over to Charlie’s?” Josh asked. “Matt tried, but he said he’s forgotten most of his physics.”
Saving Sharkey Page 23