‘I’m sure I’m doing better than you at this point. That must have been a terrible journey.’
‘It was, but I think Ted is strong and he has Maggie to take care of. He’s committed to doing whatever needs to be done to help her get through this. It’s so hard; you can’t even explain it to her. There really are no words for a baby so young … Has everything been quiet here?’
‘It has. Too quiet. Oh, there’s been no sign of anything suspicious if that’s what you’re asking, but I’m afraid the Bluffs is starting to feel desolate. Annie and Martin are at the main house; they asked that you let them know when you arrive.’
‘I will. Let’s give Ted and Maggie a little longer … You’re being careful, Emily? Please don’t take any chances. No walks off the grounds and really you shouldn’t go out alone, particularly now that the place is starting to empty out.’
‘How did the press conference go?’
‘Like you’d imagine. This is international news now.’
‘The pressure on you must be awful.’
Thomas just shrugged but Emily could tell from the lines on his face that the stress was almost overwhelming. He took out his phone and called down to Reception. ‘Annie, we’re here,’ Emily heard him say. ‘Ted is with Maggie and Peggy’s sister Debbie. Sarah is making some lunch … OK, see you in a few minutes.’
Annie called to Martin who was in the office. ‘They’re here, Martin … they’re up at the house.’
Martin sighed and for a moment held his head in his hands. ‘Best we go up then,’ he said.
‘I’m fine here, Annie,’ Penny said. ‘It’s lunchtime and almost everyone is heading to the restaurant. Things should be quiet for a while.’ She straightened the pile of papers on her desk and out fell what looked like a small card. ‘Oh, damn, how did that get in there?’
‘What is it?’ Annie asked.
‘It’s just a driver’s license. One of the day staff left it behind … No problem. I have his number. I’ll just give him a call.’
THIRTY-ONE
Thomas returned to headquarters and Emily walked him as far as Reception. He put his arms around her before he left. ‘Emily, there’s something …’ he began and then stopped. ‘Promise me you’ll be careful.’
‘I will, Thomas, and I’m sure your men are keeping a good eye out.’ She kissed him gently on the lips as he turned to go.
Lunch was a somber affair, except for Maggie, who was clearly happy to have her father here. A couple of times she looked around questioningly and said ‘Mama’ but Ted just replied ‘later’ and distracted her. Everyone tried their best, but there was little to talk about and even less emotional energy to do any talking. They ate little and were soon ready to leave. Annie had packed Maggie’s things in a small suitcase and gathered most of her toys into a bag. Sarah was driving them to a secluded, small beach house a couple of miles from the Bluffs where they would stay for a few days.
Annie and Martin headed back down to Reception. ‘Did you get that young man?’ Annie asked Penny.
‘I did. He’ll come by to pick it up later this afternoon. I should still be here, but just in case I’ll put it in this first cubbyhole here, and I’ll let the officer at the gate know.’
Emily was not sure what to do. Now that Maggie was gone, there seemed no reason to try to keep a game face on. For a while she just sat in the living room, looking out at the veranda. Every few minutes she would see the police officer who was stationed outside the house making his rounds. She tried watching television but there seemed to be nothing other than news of Peggy’s murder. After a while she decided to move her clothes out of the TV room and into the guest room.
She looked at the lovely dresses she had brought for what she had believed would be romantic dinners. She didn’t bother to hang them up, just folded them and put them in her suitcase. She put her bathing suits in the drawer, although it was doubtful she would go to the beach again, and certainly not the bay beach at the Bluffs. It was when she went to hang up her navy blue blazer that she remembered − the blazer, the airport … the bangle. The young man at the airport, it had to be. Her bangles had been in her blazer pocket; she hadn’t packed them with her other jewelry.
Oh, God, she had to get to Thomas. She called headquarters in Oranjestad.
‘May I speak to Inspector Moller, please?’
‘Who’s calling?’
‘Emily Harrington.’
‘Ms Harrington, can you tell me what …’ Thomas overheard Hendricks talking into the phone and grabbed it.
‘Emily, what’s wrong?’ he said, fearing the worst.
‘Nothing, nothing’s wrong … Thomas, I just remembered … I remembered about the bracelet.’
She quickly told Thomas the story about the bangles being in her pocket and the young man who had bumped into her at the airport. No sooner had she finished than Thomas said, ‘I’m on my way. I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. Meet me at Reception.’
Emily quickly changed and headed down to Reception. Annie sat at the desk with Penny standing behind her. Martin was in the office trying to make arrangements for the couple who sat in the nearby chairs. ‘My God, Annie, I remembered,’ Emily called out as she entered the room. ‘I remembered about the bracelet.’
Martin dropped the phone and came running out just as Thomas arrived.
‘What are you saying?’ he said. ‘What about the bracelet?’
‘No time to explain now,’ Thomas said, grabbing Emily’s hand. ‘We have to head to the airport. We may have him.’ And with that they ran out the door.
The ride to the airport was swift. Thomas stuck a flashing light on the car’s roof and used his horn liberally to get through the late afternoon traffic. Emily recounted the story of the bracelets once again.
‘I totally forgot about the incident. It happened so fast. I didn’t even remember that the bangles were in my blazer pocket. I had stuck them in there when I was leaving my apartment. When that guy bumped into me the blazer fell to the ground. He picked it up and that’s when …’
‘Did you get a good look at him?’
‘No, I was bending down to pick up my bag … but Peggy … Peggy yelled at him.’
‘Did he look at all like the guy in the sketch?’
‘I’m not sure … maybe.’
They pulled up outside airport security and raced inside. Thomas flashed his badge as they entered the room.
‘Chief Inspector Thomas Moller,’ he said. ‘I need to see all the CCTV tapes from Friday. What time, Emily? What time did your flight arrive?’
‘Around twelve-thirty,’ Emily answered. ‘The airport was crowded; lots of flights arriving.’
The first two tapes yielded nothing, no sign of Emily, Peggy or the young man. But the third one had it – a clear picture of the good-looking young man with the slightly shaggy blond hair, knocking into Emily and her jacket falling to the floor. ‘There,’ Emily said. ‘There he is. Just then, that must have been when he stole the bangles. Oh, God, that’s him.’
Thomas looked carefully at the tape. ‘Close enough to the sketch. That’s him, all right.’
‘We need to take this,’ Thomas said to the security officer. ‘And save all the rest of them from that time period. I’ll send someone to pick them up.’
They headed back to the station and Thomas displayed the tape on a monitor in his office. Millard and Keary viewed it with him.
‘I know that guy,’ Keary said as soon as the picture flashed on the screen. ‘He was one of the day staff that I interviewed. Wait.’
He went to his desk and pulled out the book with the information. ‘Here he is,’ he said showing them the copy of the license.
‘That’s him,’ Thomas said. ‘OK, Emily, I’m going to get someone to drive you back to the Bluffs. You can’t be part of this. I’ll let you know when we’ve picked him up.’
It was strange to feel the sense of elation that Emily felt. It was somehow like she had won; she had beaten him. It d
idn’t change the tragedy that had occurred, but Emily couldn’t help but feel a certain triumph.
She went to Reception as soon as she reached the Bluffs. Annie and Martin were anxiously waiting for news.
‘Emily,’ they both said as she walked in. ‘What’s happened?’
‘I remembered. The bracelet. I hadn’t packed it with my other jewelry. I’d put it in my blazer pocket and then, at the airport, this young man … him … it was him. He bumped into me, knocking my bag and blazer to the ground. He picked it up and threw it back to me. That must have been when he stole the bracelets.’
‘Oh, thank God,’ Annie said. ‘Do they know who he is?’
‘They think so. Thomas said they were going to pick him up. Oh, Annie, I know it doesn’t really change what’s happened but I just feel—’
‘I understand, believe me,’ Annie said, hugging her.
‘Thomas said he would call when they got him.’ Emily suddenly felt exhausted. So much had happened in the last twenty-four hours. Suddenly she didn’t think she had the strength to even stand. The room began to spin slightly and she grabbed hold of the desk.
‘Emily, are you all right?’ Annie asked.
‘I just suddenly feel … I think I need to lie down.’
‘I’ll walk you up to the house. Of course this has all been overwhelming for you. You need to rest … Martin, I’ll be back down shortly.’
Everything seemed strangely quiet as they walked up the path. ‘Has everyone gone?’ Emily asked.
‘Not quite everyone, but a good number. Some have headed home and a few to nearby resorts. Everyone has been lovely about it – except Joanne, of course.’ Annie shook her head. ‘You would think all of this happened just to inconvenience her … There are a couple of people still here – Marietta and Nora, and Christopher and Henri, Alice and Joe and a few others. They’ll be a small group in the dining room tonight. We’ll serve an early dinner. I’m sure everyone needs their rest … which is just what you need.’
‘I wanted to wait for Thomas’ call. I’m sure—’
‘I’m sure it will be a while before that call comes, Emily. You lie down. If Thomas calls, I’ll wake you. You can hardly stand up.’
‘You’re right, Annie. Promise you’ll wake me?’ she said as she opened the door.
THIRTY-TWO
Thomas flew into action. ‘OK, we have his address so let’s go. I want four unmarked cars, no sirens, no lights. I don’t want this guy to see us coming. Keary, I want you in jeans and a T-shirt. You’ll go in first. Take Bermudez with you. Someone pull up the map of San Nicolas. Zoom in on Helfrichstraat.’
‘I got it,’ Millard said.
‘OK, not much there. End of the street. That’s it, number thirty-six. Small building, near the refinery. Looks like a store on the first floor. Someone find out what kind of store that is. He must be on the second floor. Hendricks, get me a couple of marksmen and a negotiator. This guy won’t come easy.’
Billy got the call about three o’clock. He answered his phone on the second ring. ‘Hello.’
‘Is this William Dunlop?’ It was the girl from Reception at the Bluffs.
‘It is.’
‘Hi, Mr Dunlop. This is Penny, the receptionist at the Bluffs.’
‘Oh, hi.’
‘I’ve found your license. Sorry, I should have noticed it yesterday. It was mixed up among a pile of papers on my desk.’
‘That’s great. I was beginning to give up on that. Thanks so much. Look, I’m at work right now. Can I pick it up later this afternoon, say about four-thirty or five?’
‘No problem. I’ll let them know at the gate that you’re coming.’
Billy smiled; his plan had worked.
Thomas organized his men. Four cars, two in each. ‘And I want back up ready. Three police cars. Let’s use the bus stations. One at Bernard, one at Nicolas and one at Lago.’
‘You want me and Bermudez in first, right?’ Keary said, the two of them appearing in scruffy jeans and T-shirts.
‘Yeah. There’s a small bodega on the bottom floor. You and Bermudez go in, check it out. If it’s empty, talk to the owner. Find out what you can about Dunlop. See if this guy knows if he’s there. Either way, get the owner out of there. As soon as we see him come out, Hendricks and I will head in. I want one of those marksmen across the street, in this building here.’ Thomas pointed to a derelict building directly across for Dunlop’s. ‘And one in the alley around back. Make sure he’s not seen.’
It took about twenty minutes to get to San Nicolas. The streets were almost totally empty and dusk was coming fast. Two local prostitutes hung out in a nearby alley. Thomas hustled them along. As soon as everyone was in place, Keary and Bermudez entered the store. Thomas and Hendricks waited in a doorway down the street. It took only a few minutes for the owner to come out. Thomas signaled to Millard to pick him up and he and Hendricks headed in.
Billy dressed in his khakis and a white shirt. He put what he needed in a backpack that he slung casually over his shoulder. He had to travel light today. He borrowed Rico’s car again and drove slowly to the Bluffs. The sun’s heat scorched the car and sweat trickled down his neck. He wasn’t in any rush. He was waiting for the day’s light to start to fade. As soon as he pulled up to the gates, the policeman held up his hand and walked over to the driver’s window. Billy was ready.
‘Hi, Officer. My name is William Dunlop. I’m here to pick up my driver’s license.’
‘Right. Penny called down earlier. OK, you can head in. It’s at Reception but you’ll have to park in the far lot; the other one is closed.’
‘No problem. Thanks.’
‘OK,’ Keary said as Thomas entered the bodega. ‘Dunlop lives alone. Few visitors. Often home during the day, sometimes works nights. The guy isn’t sure if Dunlop’s home. Hasn’t seen him since yesterday. Not unusual, doesn’t see a lot of him. This is the only way in or out. Stairway is over there. The apartment is small – one room and a bathroom.’
Thomas and Keary quietly made their way up the stairs. Thomas could feel his pulse quicken. The sweat trickled down onto his collar. Damn, it was hot in here, he thought. When they reached Dunlop’s door they positioned themselves on either side. Then, with guns drawn, Thomas kicked it in.
Empty. No sign of Dunlop. The room was spare – a ratty old couch, a bed against one wall and a small kitchen unit at the other end. They quickly made their way over to the bathroom and kicked in that door too. No one. Dunlop wasn’t here.
Billy parked the car and grabbed his backpack. Parking here worked out great. Gave him a chance to walk around a bit. The place was like a ghost town. Nobody out. Beach bar empty. He could see the yellow police tape that cordoned off the bay beach and all the rooms down there. He headed to the main house.
‘Hey,’ he said with a friendly smile as he walked in. She was by herself at the desk.
‘Oh, hi,’ Penny said. ‘Sorry you had to come all the way back here …’ She was interrupted by the Maitland woman.
‘Penny, Emily’s lying down up at the house. I’m going to help Martin finish up. Please let me know if Thomas calls.’
‘Sure, Annie.’
She turned back to him with an apologetic smile. ‘Don’t know how I missed this. Things are a little crazy here.’ She handed Billy the license.
‘I can imagine. Well, thanks for finding this. I thought I was going to have to go through the hassle of getting a new one. What a pain.’ He was too nervous to make any more small talk. He couldn’t believe how his luck was holding out. So, she was up in their house. Good … a quiet spot, sort of hidden. He left the office with a smile and a wave.
‘Damn,’ Thomas yelled, maddened and exasperated. ‘OK, Hendricks, you take the room, see what you can find. I want to know whatever there is to know about this guy. Any links to the Van Meeterens girl or Peggy Lawson, bag it. I’ll send one of the uniforms up here to help you and post one downstairs.’ Hendricks immediately started to tape up the room.
‘Don’t put any tape outside in case he comes back. Don’t want to scare him off. I’ll put a couple of plainclothes guys in the area.’
‘Right, Chief,’ Hendricks said.
‘Keary, you and Bermudez start canvassing the neighborhood. I want everything. Find out where he hangs out, who his friends are, what he’s involved in. And start cracking some heads. I’m sure this guy is into the drug trade, or wants to be. Put some pressure on the regulars, see what turns up. I’m heading over to the Bluffs. If this guy is on the move, we need to find him and fast.’
Billy headed straight for the beach bar. Even though it was empty, the men’s room was open. He ducked in there and changed into jeans and a dark long-sleeved shirt. He put the gun in his pocket and stuffed his clothes in the backpack. All set, he thought, but it was too soon to head out. He waited patiently for the sky to darken.
Thomas pulled up to the entrance of the Bluffs and flashed his badge at the policeman at the gates. ‘OK, no one in or out of here until I say so,’ he said, driving through.
It was dark now. The resort was almost empty. There were no guests walking on the pathways or sitting at the beach bar. It was so strange to see it so quiet. He could see the lights on in Reception. Annie, Martin and Penny sat working at the desk sifting through a pile of registration slips.
‘Thomas!’ Annie cried as he entered. ‘What’s happening? Emily said you—’
‘We know who he is,’ Thomas said, pulling out the picture of Dunlop and putting it down on the desk. ‘William Thomas Dunlop … he was day staff here on Friday. I’m closing off the grounds, no one in or out until we find this guy. I want—’
Penny’s face drained of color. ‘Oh my God, it’s him. Oh, God, I’m sorry … it’s him … he’s here. He’s here already.’
‘What are you talking about? How—’
‘He left his driver’s license behind. He said he … he came to pick it up. I’m sorry. I didn’t know …’
‘How long ago?’
‘Forty-five minutes, an hour? I can’t be sure. He—’
‘Where’s Emily?’ Thomas said, turning to Annie.
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