by John Molloy
Henry pulled his chair a little closer to the table and leaned over to her. “Kerstin.” Whenever he used her name before asking her to do something, she knew it was going to be dangerous or risky.
“What would you say if we were to go to this Milligan Cay and have a look around; you’d never know what we could turn up, you see the people searching were probably only searching the water. Maybe they never searched on the islet. Now it’s a long shot but what do you think?”
“Yes, it’s definitely worth a try, I have diving gear should we need to search the sea.”
They agreed to set out right away. It was only a short run down the coast and they’d be back for Kerstin to resume her mission at the hotel.
Chapter-Forty
Henry took wheel duty while Kerstin spread out her diving gear and checked it over. There were a number of yachts cruising around but when they came to Milligan Cay all was quiet.
“There’s a small inlet and a bit of beach just round the point we could get close to the shore there.”
“Henry, we’ll search the islet first before deciding to dive, but it’s so clear you’d hardly need to dive you can see right to the bottom.”
They rowed ashore in the dinghy and beached it on a small stretch of sand between high cliff rocks. They stood taking in the area.
There were no pathways up the moderately sloping cliff and they had to break the thorny bush in places to get through. They made their way to the midpoint and there under the brush was a shelter; a shabby length of canvas stretched over some short poles and tied to the thicker branches of the brush. The ground around was flattened and a small path led out to a space which gave a view out to the south.
“Look Kerstin!” Henry bent down and picked up three cartridge shells. “These are from a high powered rifle.”
Further up the cliff they saw a cleft in the rock. Pulling away the branches they could see down about ten feet. Adjusting their eyes to the darkness, they could just make out what looked like metallic objects.
“Henry, we’re going to have to get that stuff up; I think they might be divers’ air tanks. If you grab that large branch over there, I can use it to shin down to the bottom. There’s just enough room between the rocks.”
At the bottom Kerstin discovered two air tanks and two wetsuits. One by one, she hooked the objects on to a lower notch of the branch and Henry pulled them to the top. With Henry’s help, Kerstin just about managed to heave herself out from the cleft.
They examined the air tanks and read the name, Lilja. “Henry, it’s her tank! Oh Christ, look!” She pointed to a bullet hole in the side of the tank.
“They were shot! Can we get this stuff back to the Witch and we’ll examine it in detail?”
Back on board Kerstin said, “Let’s not haul up the dinghy yet there must be something in the water around here to make someone want to shoot these two people.”
“Your right and judging from where the shelter is, it must be around the south side; the view from there was looking out to sea.”
She started to put on her diving gear. “I can’t see any boats around so it’s as good a time as any to have a look.”
She pointed to the bottles. “Here, lift them onto my back.”
They rowed over to the south end of the islet and there was a partially submerged cave. “If there’s anything, it’ll be in there.
“Right, but be careful and don’t try any heroics - make it short.”
She splashed over the side nearly turning over the small dinghy.
He leaned over looking down into the clear water, he could see her swimming down and in towards the cave, then he lost sight of her for what seemed like an age.
Then he saw movement over the reef. To his relief it was Kerstin heading back. She surfaced about twenty feet away. He rowed to where she was and hauled her into the dinghy.
She pulled off the goggles and removed her gear as Henry rowed back to the Witch.
They were soon underway heading out along the coast and after a few miles they were back among yachts cruising about with tourists. Kerstin came down from the bow and stood alongside him; he could sense her trepidation. “Sit there now, what did you see down there?”
“There were three concrete blocks with large ring bolts like they used for moorings in a yacht club. The blocks were encrusted with weed and marine growth but the rings were clean, showing that they are being used.”
Henry was looking intently into her eyes, “you’re thinking the same as me, these are being used to moor bales of drugs waiting for the pickup boat to come, and a man is assigned to keep watch from the lookout position on the cliff until they arrive. Lilja and her friend happened to dive and saw a consignment waiting for collection and were killed for it.”
“Yes, Henry that just about sums it up.”
She stood up. “Come on and I’ll make a pot of coffee.”
“Henry we’re dealing with very dangerous people here. Do you think we should just forget it or report what we know to the authorities?”
“I think we should have a quite chat with Juan and see if he can throw any light on who might be responsible.”
We’ve uncovered two murders here, look at the bullet holes in the wetsuits; two in Lilja’s and one in the other.
Kerstin was visibly shocked. “The poor man, when he hears she was murdered it will wreck him. We’ll head back to town but I don’t like the thought of going back to that hotel tonight - it’s giving me the creeps.”
“We’ll discuss what next to do and if you don’t want to go there we’ll work something out. You’ve done more than could be expected of you and knowing these people were killed because of drugs is frightening.”
She went to the wheel and started the engine. “You put that stuff away and put on a good lock, we’ll talk about the whole business when we’ve got back to thinking straight; if that’s possible just now.”
It was dusky dark when they finished dinner and sat with their unfinished glasses of wine on deck. They’d decided they would have to tell Juan about Lilja and how she died. They were not going to go to the police just yet until they had spoken to Juan and see how much he might know about this drugs business - if anything. Henry hadn’t pressed Kerstin about going back to the hotel, he’d let her decide. Kerstin saw a launch coming into dock she stood up and walked to the rail, “Henry come here.”
They listened to the sound of the big powerful engines easing down and falling silent as she came to tie up alongside the pier.
Henry looked in awe at the big launch.
“That’s her! Kerstin exclaimed, the Windsong.
They saw a man climb over her rail and walk along the pier.
“He looks like he’s Chinese,” said Henry, “strange to see one of them, you’d think he’d have local crew.”
“Now that you mention Chinese, the young girl who came looking for Tukola at the hotel said a Mr. Chen Yun was sick, maybe that’s him?”
She finished her wine and said with a renewed determination in her voice, “I’m heading out to the hotel. Come on, get dressed put on a clean shirt and come with me to get a taxi.”
“Are you sure you want to go now after what you’ve been through today?”
“Yes Henry, I’m going to have to approach Juan and get him to come here to the yacht to see for himself the evidence. Are you ready to meet your son?”
Henry betrayed a doubting fear. “I won’t know what to say to him, you know I’m not good with words, especially when it’s something so, what would you say, emotional.”
“Yes, I’d certainly say it will be emotional meeting the son you never knew you had after forty years, but think of him meeting a father he only dreamed of or heard his mother tell him about.”
“I’ve never looked at it from his side.”
They walked up to the taxi rank on Bay Street.
“I’ll be here at noon tomorrow,” she kissed him on the cheek, “get a good night’s sleep.”
“You too
he replied.”
There were very few guests around the hotel, so she went to her room. She lay on the bed but after half an hour of disturbing thoughts about the day’s events, she couldn’t relax so she freshened herself up and went to the bar. A middle-aged couple engaged her in boring ‘tourist talk.’ The sight of Juan crossing the floor to talk to the barman was a welcome one. She purposely got up to go to the restroom and as she passed the bar, he spoke to her. “Excuse me Kerstin can I have a minute of your time?”
“Sorry to hold you, but I’m having a birthday party for my daughter, Annabel tomorrow, she’ll be fifteen and I would like to invite you.”
“I’d be delighted to come, what time?”
“Say four in the afternoon, will that suit?”
“Yes of course, thank you. She leaned in close to him and whispered. “I have something very important to tell you. It concerns Lilja but don’t be alarmed. Come to my room at midnight tonight if possible.”
He looked stunned, “I’ll be there.”
Later in her room, the knock on the door startled her even though she was expecting him.
“Thank you for coming. I’m sure you must be wondering how strange this all seems. If you sit down, I’ll do my best to fill you in on what I’m actually doing here. Firstly, and there’s no easy way of doing this, I think your wife was murdered.”
“Murdered? Are you sure?” The color drained from his face.
“I’m afraid so Juan. I’ll start at the beginning, but be warned, it won’t be easy listening.”
He sat and listened intently; his face conveying the shock and horror of the unfolding story. Then Kerstin stopped abruptly and asked him what his thoughts were. She had deliberated not mentioned that Henry was his father. That would be for Henry to do.
“I am completely shocked especially about my employer, although I did suspect that he might somehow be involved with drug smuggling. You see, he makes a lot of trips to Caracas to collect young girls to work here and take them back; usually after they’ve work here for a year. They say that much cocaine is smuggled via this city”
“There is more you may be able to help us with. If you could come to the yacht tomorrow morning to meet Henry, you’ll see for yourself the wetsuits and bottles.”
“You know about Annabel’s birthday party I’ll have to be back in time to organize that. So I could collect you after breakfast at eight thirty and go to meet Henry.”
“Yes that will be fine.” She opened the door and looked out to make sure there was no one about. “It’s all clear now goodnight see you in the morning.”
Kerstin had a restless night and woke and showered before the sun had cleared the treetops. She was first into the dining room and ate a somewhat sparse breakfast. She walked to the entrance gates and Juan was waiting. They spoke little on the way to the yacht. He asked her about Henry and how he seemed so determined to catch Tukola and bring him to justice. He understood about the new DNA advances and how it could prove a man guilty even after such a long time.
She directed him to a spot on the pier well away from Windsong as he couldn’t afford to be seen accompanying her onto the Amber Witch. Henry had just finished eating when they arrived in the cabin.
“Juan, this is Henry.”
They shook hands and Juan and Henry exchanged eye contact as they peered into mirror images before and beyond.
Henry spoke first. “I don’t know where to start.”
Kerstin looked at Juan who had his eyes fixed on Henry “I told Juan the whole story from the time you decided to leave England and then join the ship Rangoon up to where you caught him in The Cayman Islands and what happened in London; how he was let go free. But I didn’t tell Juan anything of your story in Havana.”
Henry knew immediately what she was pushing him into and he had no choice now but to bite the bullet.
“Juan, I hope what I’m going to tell you now is not going to upset our future relationship.”
He related the whole story about meeting Alicia and he told him about having met his grandmother and how she longed for some word from him.
Juan’s voice was cracking as he stood up. Kerstin left - they needed to be alone. He embraced Henry. “So you are my father?”
“Yes Juan, I’m a proud father. Words cannot express how I thought about this moment when I first heard from Martha that Alicia had a son nine months after we met and the photograph told all.”
Juan stood back and looked at Henry’s hair. “But you have such dark hair and I am so fair. Also your granddaughter is so blonde. You will love her; she is such a great kid.”
Henry smiled. “I can’t wait to meet her, I’ll explain to you later about the hair color or maybe I should get Kerstin to do the explaining.”
She heard her name mentioned and came back in. “did I hear my name spoken?”
“Yes, Juan wants to know who dyed my blonde locks black.”
They all laughed a little. Juan looked at the picture of Alicia and himself that Henry got from Martha, “I remember that day well, my mother got killed in the hurricane Allen in1980. A wall in our house collapsed when torrential rain caused huge flood water to cascade through the streets. I wrote to my grandmother and told her, but because I never got a reply I presumed she was dead.”
Henry told him about the censorship of mail and how Martha never knew where they were.
“It’s unbelievable that any government could do such a thing.”
Kerstin asked him to come outside onto the deck she showed Juan the wetsuits and the bottles.
His demeanor changed dramatically. “Yes they’re hers. There is more I must tell you about Mr. Tukola.”
“Before you go on, I must ask you do you recognize this young girl.” Henry showed him the photograph of the young girl he’d got from the police in Castries. “That young girl in the middle, she was younger, only fourteen; she was sixteen when she went missing, her name is Mariola Devadas.”
Juan took the faded photo and a look of recognition showed in his eyes. “Yes I do know her. She worked with me at the hotel, a very lovely pleasant girl and exceptionally pretty. I was of no help to her father when he came looking for her. She went to Caracas with Mr. Tukola. She was so excited to be going home. Mr. Tukola took her on his launch and left her in Caracas but she never arrived home. That’s why her father came looking for her. Mr. Tukola told her father how many of the girls go on yachts; they try to get to the U.S. to find work. Mr. Tukola told me he let her off the launch at Maiquetia when they arrived there, saying she didn’t want to go with him to Caracas. He also told me lots of the girls he brings back never go home to the slums and poverty, but instead, go into prostitution in Caracas. I would never believe this girl did any of those things - she was too excited about seeing her family again.”
“How many crewmen are on the Windsong?”
“There are only Mr. Tukola and ChenYun. It’s a power driven launch and one man can handle it.”
“Yes,” said Henry “I see her she’s docked just down the pier so you must be careful going ashore not to be seen by that Chinese man. Tell me; are they due to go on one of their trips to Caracas again?”
“I don’t know for sure but it could be very soon because he seldom brings the launch here. Not unless he’s getting ready to go to Caracas.”
“I’ll have to be getting back to the hotel. Are you coming Kerstin, you’re invited to the party? Annabel is fifteen today Henry, and I’d love you to come but it would be too much of a chance for you to take. He’d surely recognize you.”
“Of course you’re right. Try and find out when they are going again to Caracas. We’d want to know a couple of days in advance.”
“I’ll do that, but should I call you, father?”
“I think maybe Henry would sound better.”
Back at the hotel, Kerstin mingled among the guests and Annabel thanked her for coming and accepted the birthday card with a sum of money as Kerstin explained she wasn’t sure what to buy as
a present. Juan came out with the big birthday cake. The guests gathered around and Annabel blew out the candles to a loud rendering of happy birthday.
Kerstin didn’t get to speak to Juan while the party was going on. She went to the bar after dinner hoping she might catch him on his own for a few minutes. She felt she had achieved all she could at the hotel, so would be going to go back to the yacht the next day. She saw the two middle-aged guests come in and decided not to give them eye contact; one evening listening to them was enough, she mused. The bar began to fill up as the evening looked threatening with heavy rain clouds lying over the sub-tropical forest that rose on the sloping hills. The garden was cleared of sunshades and guests moved indoors. She caught a glimpse of Juan as he busied himself in the reception welcoming new guests. When he was alone she went up to him and made sure no one was watching, she asked him to meet her in her room at midnight.
The knock on the door startled her. She opened her eyes and saw Juan standing inside the room.
“Hello Juan thanks for coming. Let’s make this brief in case your boss is around. What I want to know is if you’ve managed to find out about his next trip to Caracas, and will he be taking any of the girls?”
“Yes. I think he is going in two days’ time and is taking one of his house girls back to her parents; the little one who came looking for him when Chen Yun was sick.”
“Tell me, does he always dock in Maiquetia on these trips?”
“Yes, that is their usual port. I think he could have a house near there. However, I’m not totally sure; he tries to keep these trips secret. I was lucky this time because I overheard him discussing it with Chen”
“I’ll be leaving here tomorrow, going back to the yacht, and I want a contact number for you.”
“Just ring here at the hotel, it will be ok. I get calls all the time so no one will be suspicious.”
“Right, I’ll do that and I’ll let you know what we’re doing when I go back to Henry tomorrow. So goodnight until I see you next.”
“Goodnight Kerstin and keep me informed.”