Shortly after the explosion, Kohler and Harrison were picked up by a second vessel waiting in the area, most likely operated by Rachel Todd, and sped the hell away from there to some nearby predetermined safe location. Rachel had a rented airplane waiting, and they took to the skies aboard that freedom bird and flew to their newly adopted home in the Caymans.
Realizing the golden opportunity of eventually gaining control of the Ramey fortune, Alice Spence had been in on the ruse from the get-go. With her education and business savvy, she soon became the brains of the group. Using the hefty profits from the illegal and switched diamonds, and the Ramey money Alice managed to get her sharp-clawed paws on, the gang made some very profitable investments and built quite a life for themselves in their Caribbean paradise. Of course, Alice had to spend the majority of her time with dear Aunt Darla, but she managed to get away often enough to keep the flames burning hot with Wes Harrison.
Eventually something turned sour among the group. Maybe Eric and Rachel tried a power grab or felt they were being shorted in some way. Whatever the cause of the rift, the two longtime lovers and fellow scammers were rubbed out of the picture for good.
At some point, Harrison grew bored with the easy but mundane life in the Caymans. Maybe he missed the thrill of living life on the edge. Whatever the reason, he convinced Alice that investing in the Palmetto Royale would be a sound move. There was excitement and good money to be had in legalized gambling, and with silent partner Lawrence Garrett’s accumulated diamond fortune for extra revenue, the venture had all the markings of a surefire moneymaker for everyone involved.
More than a decade had passed since the boating disaster, and chances were that the incident had long been forgotten. Harrison had a rap sheet, but with the plastic surgery he’d voluntarily undergone to change his appearance, what were the odds anyone would recognize him? That is, until the night at O’Malley’s Theater when he’d gotten careless and forgot to wear the brown contacts to camouflage his striking eyes.
Kate wrapped her arms around her knees and sighed. “It doesn’t really make a difference if they’re dead or alive, because they’re dead to me, anyway.” It was the first time she’d said that, and I couldn’t help but feel pleased, although I didn’t let it show. I hoped the Destin gang and her ties to it were over for good.
Patches of aqua sky peeked through clouds painted red and gold by the retreating sun. I opened the flask and offered it to Kate. She took a ladylike sip, and I slugged down a healthy swallow. We sat in silence for a few more minutes listening to gulls and terns as they hunted their evening meal, and the surf rushing ashore. Just as the orange ball of the sun touched the horizon I held the flask up and turned to Kate. “Here’s to us.”
She tapped the flask with her bottle and smiled. “To us.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Special thanks to my agent and friend, Fred Tribuzzo, for his tireless efforts not only to sell but also promote my work. To my editor at Seventh Street Books, Dan Mayer, who knows his business inside and out and always coaxes the best out of writers. My copyeditor, Julia DeGraf, for her sharp eyes and knowledge. And my wife, Karen, my “Kate.” The best first reader, critic, lover, and friend a man could ask for. I am blessed.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo by Karen M. Helms
E. Michael Helms is the author of Deadly Catch, the first Mac McClellan mystery. His memoir of his Vietnam combat service, The Proud Bastards, has remained in print for more than two decades. Originally published by Kensington/Zebra in 1990, it was republished in 2004 by Simon & Schuster/Pocket Star, and has sold over fifty thousand copies (Pocket Star edition). The memoir is a past hardcover selection of the Military Book Club. Helms is also the author of Of Blood and Brothers, a two-part novel about the Civil War, and the novel The Private War of Corporal Henson. He currently resides with his wife, Karen, in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in South Carolina.
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