by Dick Waters
Mike heard the door open. He could tell it was Scott, judging from the sounds in the reception area. Paddy always hung his coat in his office and Colleen’s heels would give her arrival away.
Mike smiled, peeking around the office entry. “Good morning Scott. How are you this morning?”
“Good morning Mike. I’m doing okay.” He pointed for me to take a seat.
“Scott, we’re going to be meeting this morning to talk about the Nielsen investigation. If you don’t have anything critical going I think you should join us in the conference room.”
“I can make the meeting. I take it the meeting with Mr. Nielsen went well.”
“Yes it did. He shared things with us that Mercedes was not privy to. I’ll go over them so Holly can hear the details as well.”
“Wow, Holly’s coming. Is it Christmas?”
“Yeah, she’s out quite a bit, but she’s going to be here for the meeting because she’s going to be helping with the investigation.”
The front door opened quietly. Holly hung her coat on the rack noticing Mike and Scott’s coats.
“What are your thoughts as far as Holly goes?”
“Oh, did I hear my name? She walked into Mike’s office.”
I felt uncomfortable having asked Mike the question about her. “Are you part Indian? I didn’t hear you come in. We don’t see that much of you. How are you doing?”
She sat down in the other chair. “I’m doing okay. I’m looking forward to this new investigation. As far as being an Indian goes, I might be part Indian especially with this long hair.”
I looked at her glossy hair as she turned and draped it down across the front of her shoulder. “When you came in, I was asking Mike his thoughts about you. You both have answered the question, that is—you are going to be helping with the investigation.”
The front door opened as we all listened. It was Paddy and Colleen. Paddy came to the office door. “Glad to see everyone’s here this morning. Give me a minute and we can get started. Make that two; I need to get coffee. Scott, your doughnut selection is so much better. When are you going to be bringing them in again?” he said, laughing. “Good morning Holly. Now I remember what you look like.”
“Good morning Paddy. If I wasn’t out doing the investigations just think how much thinner you guys would be doing my job.”
Mike was quick to respond. “I see you managed to sharpen your tongue while you were gone.”
Colleen came to the door. “Good morning everyone, am I late for this meeting?”
“No, but your timing was perfect,” Paddy announced. “We’ll pick up this conflict in the conference room in five minutes.”
*.*.*
We hadn’t needed to use the conference room for quite some time. Holly was looking at some notes in her notebook. I used the time to study her out of the corner of my eye. Under the camouflage she was attractive. However, she dressed to conceal it. Maybe being non-descript helped her to blend in to do her investigation work. I’m sure there was a body under that Harvard T-shirt and jeans, but I would probably never see it.
She leaned over whispering to me, “Are you done yet, or do you need more time?”
I couldn’t respond, but I could feel the heat on my face. I opened my notebook, looking over at Mike and Paddy.
“Okay, let’s get started,” Paddy announced. “Mike, would you bring them up to speed on our meeting with Mr. Nielsen and what will happen next.”
“Holly, thanks for coming in this morning. Scott, some of this is going to be repetitive for you, but we need to bring Holly up to speed. Let me start back at the beginning. Mercedes Strong gave us a lead to an investigation into four missing men in Bermuda. Roger Elliot was missing for about eighteen months. His decomposed body was just found in a cage anchored off the coast of Bermuda. There has been no sign of the other three men. They were all rich single men.” He drank some of his coffee.
“In addition, their expensive yachts have not been located. The most recent missing man, Nils Nielsen, missing for just over two months now, is from a rich family. Larz Nielsen, his father, wants a separate investigation into his son’s disappearance. Mercedes set up a meeting with him last night. He gave us some additional information, unknown to the authorities, including the FBI. He told us his sons had two fights that he is aware of. Nigel, the older son, had a fight with Nils before he left on his cruise, then another in Bermuda when Nils arrived.”
He continued. “Mercedes and two other members of the FBI are going back down to Bermuda to learn about the details of Roger Elliot’s body discovery. There has been considerable speculation about the men’s disappearance, but now that a body has been discovered, the focus is centered on kidnapping and murder.”
Holly couldn’t hold her questions back any longer. “Where are the expensive yachts? Were they traveling alone? If they had company, where are those people now? What were the men doing when they went missing? What do the authorities…”
Paddy held up his hands. “Holly we understand your need to have answers, but that’s why we’re getting involved. There are more questions than answers.”
She responded, “I can understand that. What are Mercedes thoughts?”
Mike answered, “Holly that’s another good question. Her candid thoughts are that the men are being held against their will for sex purposes. She believes at least one woman is involved. Her thoughts were; if men were involved, a ransom would have been requested, almost immediately.”
Holly removed her glasses, flipping her hair back behind her. “I think she’s right on the money, especially if the men haven’t shown up after a year and a half.” She held up her index finger. “One woman might be capable of this, but another thought is a group of women. A group might be easier to catch than one woman. Are we done with the background?”
Mike replied, “No, not quite. I wanted you to be aware that Scott received a letter from Charlotte Williams, who is Paul Williams’ sister. Charlotte was a survivor of the strangler, which was one of the task forces we were involved with before you came on board. He is one of the other missing men. He went missing about six months ago. Here are my thoughts on the investigation approach. Paddy and I are open for any suggestions. Let’s take a five minute break.”
*.*.*
Coffees were refreshed, doughnuts replenished, and we were ready to start again.
“Scott, I hear you’re finally bringing doughnuts into the office. Do I understand you’re not sleeping as well as you used to?” Holly asked, with a grin from ear to ear.
She looked much prettier when she smiled. “Yes as a matter of fact Mercedes and I have been spending some time together. I see you haven’t lost your investigative touch.”
She looked right through my eyes. “There are more than doughnuts that gave it away.”
Mike interrupted, saying, “Okay, kids, let’s get started.”
We put our tongues in our holsters, looking over to Mike.
“Here are our thoughts. Holly, since you just finished up on the cheating husband case and are now available, we want you to go to Bermuda for an initial fact-finding mission.”
She immediately got up and danced around her chair.
I knew she was part Indian.
“Glad to see you’re excited about the investigation,” Mike said with a smile. “Your flight leaves tomorrow morning from Logan. We have booked you into the Bermudiana Hotel. It is close to downtown Hamilton. One report states that one of the young men had booked a scuba session with the hotel. However, the police reported he never showed for that outing. You will be in Bermuda while the FBI, including Mercedes, is down there. I suggest you keep your distance to avoid any problems. We decided last night to send you right away, not sharing that with Mercedes. We have a folder with all the police reports, courtesy of Mercedes.”
“When do I return?”
“Monday noon is your return flight. That gives you part of Thursday, all of Friday and the weekend to see what you can learn.�
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“Without reading the files can you tell me when these men went missing?”
“Sure, why don’t you write this information on the board so we can all focus on it?” Holly got up and went to the large blackboard. “Okay Holly, the first man, Roger Elliot, was thirty-five, and went missing seventeen months ago. Shawn Dustin, age thirty-four, went missing eleven months ago. Paul Williams, age thirty-four, went missing six months ago. Nils Nielsen, age thirty-two, went missing two months ago. The other men were traveling alone, but Nils had three women and a man with him. They have not been located. Here’s a file consisting of their names along with the vessel names and descriptions.”
Holly sat on the conference room table, while we all studied the board. She was the first to comment, “Does anyone see anything interesting about this information?”
No one answered her. “If it’s a ‘she’ I think she’s going to kidnap someone next month.” She let that comment sink in. “Don’t you guys see it?” No one said a word. “She is, or they are, kidnapping men on a diminishing cycle. It was six months between the first and second kidnapping. Then there were five between that one and the next, and four between that one and the last. If I’m correct her next victim is going to be taken within the next few weeks…or exactly three months from the last. I think she gets bored with her ‘guests’ and lets one go to be replaced by new blood. So, who’s next?”
There were nodding heads and smiles as each of us saw the cycle she was talking about.
She added a comment. “That, gentlemen, means there’s going to be a new victim soon. I don’t think we have the luxury of much time.”
I could see her excitement. It reminded me of Mercedes when she formulated the profile for our task force on the ‘Torso’ killers.
Mike commented, “Holly that was an excellent observation. I can’t dispute your analysis. Here’s what comes next after your initial visit. We will review what you discover on your trip. The next visit will involve both you and me. To facilitate your investigation, you will be traveling separately, but will periodically share your observations while there. We’ll know more about what that trip will look like after this initial trip. Are there any further questions?”
Paddy handed her an envelope with her tickets and itinerary. He offered, “Holly, you should take the information Mike gave you and leave to get ready. If you need anything else, here’s another envelope with some per diem money for expenses. Please be careful as you poke around in Bermuda. We have arranged a local guide who will contact you at the airport when you arrive. His name is Jules Bennett, and he’s a native Bermudian. Do you have any problem that he’s black?”
“No not at all. Hopefully he’s a good dancer and knows all the best places to go.”
Paddy held up his hand. “Holly, please be careful. Enjoy yourself, but try to get something we can sink our teeth into.”
She smiled and looked at the board again. “You can count on it. See you Monday.”
Chapter 23
From where she was seated on the plane she could see Ralph’s head a few rows ahead of her. Making plane reservations at the last minute didn’t allow them to have adjacent seating. That was fine with her, but she could tell Ralph was disappointed. The sight of many young couples reminded her that this time of year was popular for marriages, and Bermuda, a nice honeymoon destination.
Her mind went to Scott. Could they ever be a couple, or would he just enjoy her company and then find someone else to enjoy his life with. When they were together they had shared some personal thoughts. They had a strong attraction to each other from the minute they met. She thought of how unfortunate it was for Scott to lose Lisa so suddenly. However, he seemed to have a new zest for life since they’ve been together.
She noticed the couple in front of her kissing. She thought—am I just feeling sorry for Scott and his loss? She was quick to answer that question—yes, I feel sorry for Scott and his loss, but that’s not the reason I want to be with him. Every moment I’m with him increases my desire never to be apart. Oh my God, she remembered his question when she inadvertently mentioned Ralph’s name—‘is he going with you on the trip?’ I think I detected a hint of jealousy. Ralph…maybe you do have a useful purpose after all.
*.*.*
Two hours later they had landed and cleared customs. The airport was a very small terminal on the east end of the island.
The humidity was already causing her white blouse to stick to her body. Although there were fans overhead, they weren’t much help. Her short khaki skirt was severely wrinkled from the plane ride. She was anxious to get to the hotel to change. What the hell is keeping Ralph, and where did he go?
His voice made her jump, as she turned to face him. “Mercedes, I learned that the taxi drivers are on strike. Well to be more specific, the taxi service that supports the airport is on strike. There is a separate taxi service for the main island, and they are not on strike. However, they are not allowed on the airport grounds. We need to carry our bags to the end of the airport to pick up a town taxi.”
She noticed all of the visitors exiting the terminal with their bags. “That’s not a very good welcome. Didn’t they know we are the FBI? Couldn’t someone have arranged another means of transportation?” Ralph was steps ahead of her headed to the exit with everyone else. It looked dark outside. She had a question about the time. It was still mid day. She carried her own suitcase, but it was heavy and she needed to change hands several times. If Ralph was any kind of a gentleman, he would have carried both of theirs.
She caught up to him just outside the exit doors. The sight beyond the airport gate caused her to gasp. There had to be over a hundred people trying to hail each cab as it arrived at the airport gate. Ralph was still headed toward the mass of people. She changed her pocketbook to her other shoulder. Her feet were hurting from her high heels. Five minutes later they were amid the mass of humanity and Ralph was doing his best to hail one of the cabs. It looked like the strike must have just happened, catching the town cabs by surprise, because the cabs were only trickling in.
It suddenly became very dark. She noticed the ominous clouds bearing down on them. There was a flash of lightning and a loud deafening clap of thunder. Mercedes flinched. When she picked her head up she could see the rain squall angling towards the road, then immediately into the crowd. Five seconds later it was like someone was throwing buckets of water. The people were trying to shield themselves with anything at hand.
Ralph was the only one standing at the road trying to catch the next cab. She mimicked most of the others and held her suitcase over her head, but it was no use. Not only was it heavy, but the rain was coming in at such an angle that she was already soaking wet. She lowered the suitcase, trying to find a dry place to put it down. Unfortunately, there was already over an inch of water everywhere.
She put the suitcase down anyway, removing her high heels. There were some trees on this patch of dirt, but people were already standing behind them to shield themselves from the rain. She was ankle deep in the water now and her blouse had disappeared. The rain had soaked it and her bra so much that it looked like she was standing there naked.
There was another flash of lightning followed by an even louder boom of thunder. She heard some women scream. The rain hitting her now felt like needles. She had to shield her eyes.
“Mercedes?” She thought she heard her name. “Mercedes, hurry!” She looked around and saw Ralph waving to her from the side of the road. He had managed to catch a cab, holding onto the door handle like someone was going to take it away from him. She picked up her suitcase and shoes struggling against the wind and the rain to get to him. When she finally splashed over to where he was standing, Ralph took her suitcase and threw it in the trunk. He then pretty much pushed her inside the vehicle.
The cab driver did an immediate u-turn and headed away from the airport.
Ralph looked at her and started to laugh.
“What’s so funny?”
&n
bsp; He laughed even louder.
She punched him in the arm. “What the hell is so funny.” She looked down, immediately covering herself. Then she realized it was much too late.
His laugh softened. “I’m sorry. I hadn’t expected such a showering welcome.” He smiled and added, “Did you know this is how the island gets its fresh water?”
She regretted the smile, but couldn’t help it. “Does it have to get its year supply all at once?”
The driver finally spoke. “No ma’am. We be gettin a bit o’ rain like this almost avery day. Welcome to Bermuda.”
She finally noticed how soaked Ralph was and announced, “Well, not having transportation and giving me an unexpected shower is no way to greet a lady.”
The driver looked in the rear view mirror. “I can see that ma’am. What hotel would you be goin to?”
“Hopefully one that’s dry inside.” Then she added, “The Bermudiana.”
Chapter 24
Mercedes was finally in her hotel room. It was an embarrassing entrance and check in process. Ralph was enjoying the process much more than she was, definitely more focused on her anatomy than on anything else.
Soon she was in her room. She had removed her wet clothes, throwing them in the corner of the bathroom. She scrutinized her image in the mirror. Her long red hair was still wet, hanging down across her body. I hope I never look like this when I’m with Scott. I guess I did when we took a shower. Moments later there was water running in the tub.
She opened her suitcase on the bed, noticing most of her things were wet. She emptied her suitcase, hanging the things that needed to be dried most on the closet hangers. She went running to the tub, catching it just before it was about to overflow. Two minutes later she had the water at the right level with the hotel supplied bubble bath added. Soaking in the warm water was very relaxing and soothing. She could stay there forever.