Saving Sharkey

by Felicity Nisbet

  “And why would that be, lass?” he asked, an impish smile on his face as he looked back and forth between us.

  I tightened my arm that was already around her waist. “Because she is going to be busy for a while. Very busy.”

  A moment later the doorbell rang, followed by a hearty knock on the door. We had been careful to lock the chain so that we would be forewarned in time for Jack and Rochelle to step out of sight before the perpetrators could enter.

  Soon after, the two couples appeared, one directly after the other. Maureen was the first to reach her father’s outstretched arms, but Declan, athlete that he was, came in a close second. The spouses hung back, all smiles, not bothering to censure their secretive glances and looks of frustration and disappointment. Or were they looks of anger bordering on rage over their failed plan?

  Once Sharkey was freed from the grips of his offspring, Andy politely stepped forward to shake Sharkey’s hand and Susan offered him a hug, only a brief one, due to the discomfort of guilt, I assumed. He gave them all a very brief version of his adventures emphasizing Mok as the instigator of the ordeal.

  Then quite suddenly, he turned to Susan and said, “So, Susan, tell me, how is your mother?”

  “My mother?” She blinked hard, clearly taken aback.

  “Aye, your mother. Didn’t you mention she lives abroad?”

  “Uh, yes. She does. Portugal.”

  “You must miss her.”

  “Uh, I talk to her often.”

  “When something like this happens to your husband’s father, to family—I assume you consider me family—”

  “Of course.”

  “Well, when something happens to family, I imagine it would cause you to long for those who are far away.”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You should invite her to come for a visit. We have not had the opportunity to meet her, even at your wedding, since you and Declan eloped. She’s more than welcome to stay here.”

  I did believe it was his tone of voice at the end that gave him away, causing Susan to turn pale, then flush, then pale again, all within seconds.

  “What’s going on?” Maureen asked, reacting to the sudden silence.

  “What’s going on, darling, I’m sorry to have to tell you, is that, the three people who were behind my disappearance and intended demise, are none other than my ex-girlfriend Chantal and your husband and—” He turned to Declan. “Your wife.”

  “What the hell?” Declan said, staring at his father as if he had just struck him across the face. ”How can you possibly believe that?”

  “We have all the evidence we need,” Charlie said.

  “Apparently Chantal has been scheming for years to relieve me of my money,” Sharkey said. “She finally came up with what she believed was a fail proof plan. Get her daughter and her daughter’s boyfriend to marry my children.”

  Maureen and Declan stared at their father and then their spouses. “Is this true?” Maureen asked, her voice shaky with emotion.

  Andy was looking down at the floor and I knew he was trying to figure out how the hell he could escape. Susan on the other hand, held her chin high in the air as if she intended to justify her actions. But in the end, after Charlie showed the siblings their spouses’ telephone records and their photographs that Jenny had printed off her computer, Andy caved.

  “It wasn’t my idea,” he defended.

  “Shut up,” Susan seethed at him. “Just because we talk a lot and had a relationship before, doesn’t mean we still do. Nor does it prove that we were in any way involved with your kidnapping.”

  “No, but your mother’s testimony and Mok’s certainly do.”

  “My mother would never admit—”

  Charlie laughed. “She’s already been picked up, has sung like a canary, and is being extradited back to the United States as we speak.”

  I would have to remember never to play poker with Charlie McNair.

  Jack and Rochelle appeared at that moment and handcuffed the two of them. “Thanks, Charlie,” Jack said. “You saved the government a lot of time and money doing our work for us.”

  “Not a problem,” Charlie said. “Had a wee bit of help.” He winked at me.

  “Just one question,” I said as Susan and Andy were being led off to the police vehicle. “Did you really think we wouldn’t be suspicious if Eddie met his maker by way of a boating accident?” I smiled as I recalled our Freudian discussion regarding the validity of accidents.

  Susan Sharkey scowled at us, her face so distorted that I wondered how we had not seen through her sooner. “What I didn’t think was that he’d go and make friends with a couple of PI neighbors.”

  “Nor did you count on my not being so stupid that I would sign over Tara Island. I knew I would be signing four death warrants if I gave in.”

  Susan answered with another scowl before they were led away, but not before receiving scathing looks and words to rival Aileen’s from both their spouses. One added bonus came from Maureen in the form of a kick to Andy Currie’s shin.

  The brother and sister held onto each other as their spouses were being ushered out. Sharkey joined them, encompassing them both in his arms.

  “I’m sorry,” he told them.

  Tears streaming down her cheeks, Maureen looked up at her father. “You’re sorry? We’re the ones who were stupid and brought those creeps into your life. My God, Dad, they almost killed you!”

  Declan stood there shaking his head in disbelief. I decided Sharkey was right. Maureen had the advantage of already suspecting her husband was corrupt. She just had no idea of the extent of that corruption.

  Sarai interrupted, quietly informing us that dinner was prepared and on the table. We followed her to the dining room where we took our seats. She was still acting the part of servant, and I wondered when Sharkey would be brave enough to tell his children of their impending marriage. But when Maureen went over to her and asked how her arm was and gave her a gentle hug, I decided it might be sooner than I’d expected.

  We discussed bits and pieces of the case, including the tale of the three dogs. “I’m glad the dogs ended up with you and your friends,” Maureen told Jenny.

  “Are you sure?” Jenny asked.

  Maureen’s frown betrayed her words. “Yeah, it’s for the best.” She sighed and a soft smile emerged on her lips. “Maybe some day I’ll get another dog.” She laughed. “Put it this way, there’s a lot better chance of my letting another dog into my life than there is another husband.”

  She was disenchanted with marriage. And men. But she was young. She had time to heal. I squeezed Jenny’s hand. I knew just the right person to help her regain her hope.

  We did tread carefully when the conversation involved the young siblings’ spouses. But there was one question hanging in the air about which they might be able to shed some light. None of us was brave enough to mention it. No one except Sharkey.

  “Considering my history with women, I’m surprised they thought I was a good bet for willing a fortune to my children.”

  Maureen looked at Declan. “I think that’s our fault. We used to talk about how you’d taken a vow of bachelorhood, and that you’d sworn off marriage after Evelyn.”

  “But then Aileen was quick to point out that she intended to get her greedy little paws on my money.”

  “Right,” Declan said. “Susan did talk about that a lot, subtly, but she did bring it up quite a bit.”

  “They probably believed marrying into the inheritance was enough,” Charlie said, “But when they realized there may be another marriage in your future, they decided it was necessary to not only relieve you of your fortune, but of your life as well. They may have hastened the process after that night Aileen was talking about common law marriage. Even though she was incorrect in her facts.”

  “Just one more question,” I said. “Why did you put in that tunnel in the first place?”

  Sharkey laughed and shook his head. “Nothing exotic about it. Moira w
anted to stay dry and safe from the wind when she was walking from the boat to the house. Didn’t want her hair style ruined.”

  “The things we do for our women,” Charlie said.

  I winked at Jenny and clasped her hand in mine. She smiled as she easily read my mind. There was nothing I would not do for her.

  At Sharkey’s urging, Sarai joined us at the table, taking the seat beside him instead of at the opposite end of the table. Not a murmur or a flinch from Declan or Maureen, I was happy to see. Not unexpected after their hearing she had attacked the reprobate who had held a knife to their father’s throat.

  Despite the food’s being delicious, the siblings ate little. I could understand their loss of appetite. At one point Jenny looked at me and mouthed the words, “It’s a long journey to heal from betrayal.” She would know after all the betrayal she had witnessed over the past few weeks.

  Finally, Maureen pushed her plate away and made an apology to Sarai. “I’m sorry. It’s really delicious. I just have no appetite.”

  Sarai smiled graciously and nodded.

  “Do you think that’s where Andy was all those times he was out late?” Maureen looked at Charlie and me.

  “Possibly. I suspect that when he was down at the waterfront, he was dealing with this as opposed to making plans to buy a boat,” I said.

  “But how did they even put this convoluted plan together?” Declan asked, his head obviously still spinning.

  “Chantal,” Charlie said. “She was the one who sought out Mok and his crew of smugglers. They’ve been in business for a few years apparently. She found him in Thailand and told him about the island.”

  “And he set it up for Sarai to come here.” As he took Sarai’s hand, Sharkey filled in more of the details. “They had her working for a client of Andy’s first. But knowing he was on death’s doorstep, they knew she would quickly be free to take over as my housekeeper.”

  “But how did they know that you would hire her?” Declan asked.

  “Apparently they paid off my previous housekeeper and convinced her to disappear.”

  “They thought of everything,” Maureen said, the disgust obvious in her tone of voice.”

  “Indeed. I did wonder how they came up with the paperwork they wanted me to sign. Susan and Andy must have arranged for that as well.”

  “The paperwork for signing over Tara Island?” Declan asked.

  “Aye, Mok was trying to get me to sign it over to him. That was his reward for killing me off. Who knows, they may have agreed to pay him more after he did me in.”

  Maureen shivered beside me and rubbed her arms. Jenny was right. The lass would not recover quickly from this betrayal. I put an arm around her and she rested her head on my shoulder for a moment. I could feel Jenny’s smile of support.

  “Just one more question. Promise, last one. Well, maybe last two.” Charlie turned to Sharkey. “How do you intend to protect yourself in the future from all your lady admirers and their jealous men?”

  Sharkey laughed, then his mouth slowly formed a frown as he sighed. “I know I was stupid not to hire that bodyguard when you suggested it.”

  Neither Charlie nor I were going to argue with that.

  “You laughed the last time I suggested it to you,” Charlie pointed out. “The last time we spoke before all this happened.”

  “Aye, and ironic that turned out to be. Ten minutes later I had a gun pointed at my head and was not only regretting that I had found the concept of a bodyguard amusing but that I hadn’t taken your advice.”

  “And why didn’t you?”

  “I suppose it was male pride insisting that I could take care of myself.”

  Either that or a serious case of mistaken belief that he was invulnerable, a concept that most of us outgrew as we moved beyond our teen years. But then I always had believed that Sharkey had something of a Peter Pan complex.

  Again reaching for Sarai’s hand, he said, “But now I have my own personal bodyguard. When Sarai is by my side, I can guarantee that no one will come near me.”

  I wasn’t sure if he meant because of her skills that were revealed when she attacked that guard in the tunnel or because no one who looked at them would doubt their love for each other. Either was enough, I figured.

  Jenny and I walked Charlie to his door where we said good-night to Josh and picked up Rocky. Charlie hugged his daughter and shook my hand.

  “Thanks for all your help, Malcolm.”

  “He’s my friend too,” I said. “I’m just glad it’s over.”

  “Aye, as am I. I can’t help thinking that it’s curious how this particular group of deceitful people all found each other.”

  My mind flashed to Charlie’s list of motivating factors that we had compiled. “Check your list,” I told him. “I think you will find some similarities in their energy. They are all motivated by ambition and greed.”

  “Ah, I think you have something there, laddie.”

  We waited for him to close the door before clasping hands, Rocky squeezing his body between us as we walked across the street.

  “You’re wonderful with Maureen,” Jenny said when I unlocked my front door and she and Rocky followed me inside.

  “I like the young lassie. Her proclivity for being rude at times can put people off, but I do find her honesty endearing. And I do believe that she’s really a little girl just wanting to be loved.”

  “I did notice that. I like her as well.”

  I poured us each a glass of Cabernet and after settling Rocky on his bed near the fireplace, I took Jenny’s hand and led her into my bedroom. I set the glasses on the nightstand and sat down on the bed to watch her undress.

  When she realized that I was watching her, she suddenly became shy and laughed self consciously.

  “Come here,” I whispered.

  She walked over to the bed and I took her hands that had stopped unbuttoning her blouse. I kissed them each and then tucked them inside of mine that seemed twice as big.

  “I love you, McNair.”

  She smiled. “And I love you, MacGregor.”

  I pulled her onto my lap and kissed her. A moment later, she was lying in my arms. I wanted to make love to her, but there was something else more urgent that I wanted to do.

  “What?” she asked, obviously having noticed the intense look in my eyes.

  My voice sounded hoarse when I spoke. “Is it too soon to ask you to—”

  “Oh.”

  I honestly could not determine if that “oh” was laced with dread or simply an expression of understanding. She thought for the longest minute of my life, and then said a clear and simple, “no.”

  “No?” I fell onto my back in defeat. “You don’t want to marry me?”

  She raised herself onto her elbow and looked down at me. To witness a broken heart? But there was a slight smile on her lips, and then she said, “That wasn’t the question you asked me, MacGregor.” I was too emotional to think so she did it for me. “No, MacGregor, it’s not too soon to ask me to marry you.”

  Relief raged through my teenage boy heart. Once composing myself and my thoughts, I said, “Good to know.”

  She laughed and fell back down beside me, but not before gently thumping my stomach with her fist.

  I rolled onto my side and pulled her onto hers so we were eye to eye. “Not the most romantic proposal,” I whispered, “But will you, lass? Will you marry me, Jenny my love?”

  “Aye, Malcolm MacGregor, I shall most happily marry you.”

  “You shall ‘come live with me and be my love?’”

  “Aye, and you shall come live with me and be my love, ‘and we will all the pleasures prove,’” she continued with the next line from Marlowe. “And it was perfect,” she said, kissing me softly on the mouth.

  “What was perfect, McNair? Not me, I hope.” My mind was not being its usual keen self.

  She laughed. “No, not you, MacGregor. But the proposal was.”

  – THE END –

 
Felicity Nisbet is a native Californian, but when she moved to an island in the Pacific Northwest she fell in love with rainy days and the island lifestyle of reading and writing by candlelight and depending on a woodstove during power outages. She also writes children’s books, contemporary fiction, and adult romances.

  The Jenny McNair

  Cozy Mystery Series

  Book #1 - Unlawful Alliances

  Book #2 - Winnie’s Web

  Book #3 - Three Dog Island

  Book #4 - Saving Sharkey