Scent of Gardenia (Scott Tucker Series)

by Dick Waters

  He tried to get himself up, but was struggling some. He pushed himself to the edge of the bench, finally managing to stand. “Holly, I don’t get many sweet things knocking on my shed anymore. It was my pleasure. Again, I’m sorry I couldn’t help more. You might try the other refueling points. You have a nice day now.”

  She headed back to where Jules was waiting, but thought she would ask the young man at the dock about the missing yachts. She watched him wiping down a gas pump adjacent to the dock. She went through the same introduction.

  He introduced himself as Peter.

  “Peter, I think you know that four men have disappeared in the last year and a half. One was recently found murdered, but the other three are still missing. All of them had large yachts which are also missing.” He blocked the sun with his hand, nodding. “The last missing man is Nils Nielsen and his boat was the ‘Import-ant.’ Do you remember that boat?”

  “I do.”

  She was shocked by his fast response. “That’s interesting. What do you remember about it?”

  “Well, the name caught my attention first. I never saw a boat named that before. The people on the boat didn’t seem to know much about sailing. I had to ask them several times to vent the hatch. I finally jumped on the boat and popped the hatch myself. We need to do that to prevent any fumes from catching fire or blowing the boat up.”

  “Thank you Peter this is very helpful. Please go on.”

  “Well I filled them up, asking if they wanted any potable. Again, they looked confused. I told them ‘drinking water.’ They said yes, but again didn’t know what to do. I took the hose, filling the tank myself. We’re really not supposed to go on any of the boats.”

  “There was something else I remember. The young guy on the boat had three young females with him. They were very attractive and wearing bikinis. We don’t see many of them, but it looks like they’re getting more popular.” He smiled as his eyes seemed to light up.

  “Peter, how soon was all of this after the date Nils was reported missing?”

  “Oh, it had to be a few weeks after that.”

  She looked at her insurance reports on the other missing boats. “Do you remember any of these other boats?”

  He studied the paperwork, shaking his head. He started to hand the papers back and then took another look. “Yeah, I do remember this one—‘Roger that.’”

  She knew that was the murdered man’s yacht. “Why do you remember that one?”

  Before he could answer, a man approached them. “Peter, did the Amesbury’s come in for gas yet?”

  “No, not yet.”

  The man shook his head. “That’s strange, I thought they said they were sailing early today. Thanks Peter.”

  Holly thought the interruption was strange. Not an excuse me, or a wait for a break in the conversation. He just asked his question. The people she’d met on the island had been very polite. “I’m sorry; you were going to tell me why you remember that yacht.”

  “Well, the two men were very tall, dressed in dark outfits. They looked out of place. That’s why I remembered the name ‘Roger that.’ Neither of them looked like they belonged to the boat.”

  “Did the police ever come and ask you any of these questions?”

  “No, but they did ask Billy. However, he rarely comes out of his building unless there’s a problem. I handle most of the refueling…have for about five years now.”

  She offered him a twenty-dollar bill. “Thank you again, Peter. You’ve been very helpful.” He shook his head and held up his hands, refusing the offer. “Please take this…take someone out to dinner. You have been very helpful.” He looked over towards the shack, and then took it.

  “Thank you. I’ll take my mom out. She’ll like eating at a fancy restaurant for a change.”

  “Once again my name is Holly Compton; I’m staying at the Bermudiana Hotel. If you remember anything else about these boats please let me know. Thanks again.”

  *.*.*

  She climbed into the cab and joined Jules. She smiled because of what she learned, and because she saw Jules’ smiling face.

  “Good news Holly?”

  “Yes. The gas attendant remembered two of the four boats. I think the four people traveling with Nils decided to take his boat and continue their trip. The first missing man’s boat was docked at the filling station with two large guys on board. The attendant said they didn’t fit the boat’s name—‘Roger that.’ I think that gives me something to work on.”

  “Where to now?” he asked.

  “What do you know about the Customs process, entering or leaving the island by boat?”

  “Not enough to steer you straight. Is that our next stop?” he said, looking at his watch.

  She thought about them staying in her hotel room tonight. It would be much more comfortable; her clothes, her shower, her toothbrush, her bed… and his familiar smell. They could still see a sunrise from the comfort of her balcony, or possibly even her bed. She took a deep breath. “Yes, let’s make that our next stop—customs.”

  *.*.*

  Customs officials gave them documentation about the ‘quarantine’ process, explaining how vessels coming into port all had to go through that ‘yellow flag’ process. They showed them the records pertaining to the four yachts. They had no records of the vessels leaving Bermuda and had already spoken to the police about the missing yachts.

  All that proved was that the boats all entered Bermuda and the only occupants on three of the boats were the missing men. However, in the case of the ‘Import-ant;’ Nils Nielsen was the operator, and four other people were with him. There was one man by the name of Richard Damelio, two sisters; Karen and Paula Scott, and a Marie Quinlan. These four people were also listed by the police as missing.

  By the time they finished with customs officials it was getting dark. Holly suggested they have dinner at her hotel. Jules picked up a sports coat and then drove to the Bermudiana Hotel. Holly’s plan was more complicated, involving dinner, drinks in her room and Jules for dessert.

  *.*.*

  Holly was seated on her balcony watching the sun rise over Hamilton Harbor. The comfort of her hotel room was just what they both needed last night, to enjoy their time together. Neither had fallen asleep until the early morning hours. Jules was an excellent dessert.

  His love making was not rushed. He made her feel so special, like never before. Jules was still asleep. It surprised her that she wasn’t asleep herself. Her mind was trying to focus on what was happening. She felt like the puzzle pieces of her life were now coming together, and it was incredible.

  She never heard Jules behind her. When he put his lips on her neck, she jumped and gasped. Within minutes his hands were touching her body. It was hard to stop his attention, but she didn’t want to make love here on her balcony, steering him back to the bedroom.

  Not wanting to make love on the balcony seemed strange to her since they had made love every other place. She realized her life would never be the same again. This was paradise…or was it Jules? This investigation was going to take far longer than the four days she had planned. She must call Paddy to extend her investigation…she could also save money by staying with Jules on his boat. Right now it was hard to think about anything other than what Jules was doing.

  Chapter 32

  Mercedes and Ralph were on the plane, headed home. They were again separated on the flight, which was good for several reasons. One, Ralph might take their having dinner and dancing as a date. It was far from it, but it was nice to have someone she knew keep her company. The other reason was it gave her some time to think about what they had learned on this trip.

  She put the earphones on and closed her eyes, blocking out things around her. She wanted to think without being disturbed. Previously, she told her father about who might be kidnapping and killing men. The profile was identical to her sister. For some strange reason she mentioned this to her dad. He was not happy to think that Melanie could be doing this, but a
lso that she might still be alive. She created enough of a problem the first time.

  Unfortunately, she knew her sister well enough that if she was alive, she would regret Scott getting away. She needed to keep him away from Bermuda at all costs. She couldn’t afford to lose him. As much as she tried to digest and focus on the new information, she kept thinking about Scott and being with him again. She felt herself recoil, thinking about crashing into her sister to save Scott. She was unsuccessful, unable to stop what her sister was doing to Scott’s body, since Melanie had her tied up.

  She pictured this woman with the remaining three men, or maybe only two now. Based on what Melanie was doing with Scott, she could see a woman keeping these men as sexual objects. Her breathing quickened. She opened her eyes to see if the woman beside her noticed anything. She looked like she was asleep. Unfortunately, the picture of the woman with the men took on the image of her sister. When she tired of them, or they could no longer perform to her urgings, she would get rid of them.

  Assuming Melanie had survived her jump into the ocean that cold winter’s day, what were all of the ways she could have done that? She considered two possible scenarios. She would have to investigate those when she got back to FBI headquarters.

  She considered what Max Gordon shared with them about his limited investigation. He was the lead investigator, but got sick during his stay in Bermuda. She wondered if his absence was to see how Ralph and Mercedes performed on their own. Their performance reviews were due soon. He shared that the men’s financial accounts were never touched after they went missing. Only one of the men actually stayed in a hotel while in Bermuda. The rest had stayed on their yachts. One man went missing immediately after arriving in port. That was Roger Elliot, the first guy to disappear and the first found murdered.

  She considered a woman, or Melanie, getting tired of one of her kept toys. It would seem likely it would be the first man. She pulled the pictures of the men from her travel bag and examined them. They were all attractive, single and very rich. Roger Elliot’s picture was taken when he departed Manchester-by-the Sea, Massachusetts. He was dressed only in cut-offs. She viewed him as being a target, even before he was tanned by the trip.

  The only thing significant that she and Ralph learned was that Roger Elliot ate dinner at the Pier Restaurant, right near where the “Roger that’ was first seen. The people at the restaurant remembered him because he wore a Boston Red Sox hat and an attractive woman had joined him. They ate dinner at the bar. The woman was a tall redhead. It was believed they left together, or about the same time. That was one of the reasons she kept thinking about the profile and her sister. She looked at the picture of the shirtless man and thought to herself—I really need to call Scott as soon as I get home.

  Chapter 33

  Margaret’s phone was ringing. It might be someone booking an excursion. “Hello.”

  “You asked me to call you if I heard or saw anybody asking questions about the missing men. I expect you will leave the reward in the usual place…is that correct?”

  “Yes, I will. Thank you for calling me. What do you have?”

  “It appears there are three different groups of people asking questions. There was an older guy, possibly with the FBI, but I never saw him. I heard he wasn’t feeling well. There were two FBI folks asking questions at the Pier Restaurant. The last person was a young redheaded woman who appeared to be alone, asking questions about the missing yachts at the Hamilton Harbor refueling dock.”

  “What did the redheaded woman look like?”

  “She wore sun glasses, and was attractive. Not too tall, about five-five.”

  That ruled out who she was thinking about. “Are you sure about the height of the woman?”

  “Yes. I’m sure. My friend was right beside her.”

  “Did you hear her name?”

  He thought for a moment. “Yes, now that you mention it—Holly.”

  “Anything else?”

  “No, that’s it.”

  “I’ll leave double if you promise to keep your eyes and ears open for the next few weeks. You did well. The money will be there first thing in the morning. If you hear of anybody asking questions in the next few days—call me immediately. Bye.”

  She put two hundred dollar bills in a small envelope and sealed it.

  *.*.*

  She had ‘exercised’ all three men earlier in the day, working up an appetite. However, she felt like taking out some hostility, not liking the fact people were asking questions about the missing men. She went to the closet, looked around and opened a tackle box. It was hard to pass up the four-inch polished hooks.

  She picked one up by its leader, took her wire cutters and cut the barb off. When she held it up to the light, she could see her reflection in the shank of the hook. With one quick move she stuck it in her arm. She felt a sudden shot of pain, and blood started to ooze out. She closed her eyes, picturing what she was going to do next. She was immediately excited, unable to feel the pain any longer.

  Several minutes later she pulled out the hook, studying the blood now running down her arm. One way or another, either I will, or this will, get their attention. Now, the only question is who do I want to catch first?

  Chapter 34

  I tossed and turned last night. My mind was overactive considering Mercedes’ concern about the profile she came up with. Could there be another woman like Melanie out there committing these crimes? Stephen was concerned enough about this that he didn’t wait for Mercedes to mention it herself. Maybe he knew Mercedes well enough that she wouldn’t mention it to me. Why get me revved up about something defying the odds?

  I was also having problems sleeping knowing Mercedes would be back from her trip. I also couldn’t ignore my failure to reach her on the phone. No matter how I tried to dismiss it, the thoughts of ‘Ralph’ kept coming to mind. It would have been so much better never to have heard Mercedes mention his name.

  My mind wouldn’t let all of this go. I was having a real problem getting out of bed. I looked at the clock, expecting I could close my eyes and still get some sleep. Holy shit—I should be on my way to work already. There was no doubt I would be bringing the doughnuts tomorrow.

  I quickly brushed my teeth, shaved and jumped in the shower. I couldn’t wait for the hot water; the cold water successfully cleared my mind of anything else.

  *.*.*

  I was indeed late. As I opened the office door, Colleen greeted me by smiling and tapping her watch. I just nodded and hung my coat.

  “Good morning Colleen.”

  “Good morning Scott. We were wondering if you were going to call in sick this morning. I’m glad you’re okay,” Colleen remarked.

  This was just the start of the remarks I was going to hear this morning. “I didn’t sleep that well last night, however, better late than never.” Since I left my apartment without anything to eat, I headed straight to the coffee area.

  I was already pouring coffee when I heard Colleen add something. “Can you make my doughnuts tomorrow crème filled?”

  Putting two jelly doughnuts on a paper plate, I headed toward my office, past a smiling Colleen. “I’m sure there will be other requests, but I’ll make a note of what you want. Oh, did I get a call from Stephen Strong’s office late Friday or this morning?”

  “No, you haven’t had any calls. When Bill was here, he asked you to call him sometime this morning at the MIT labs. He said there is a problem and he needs your help.”

  “Thanks Colleen.”

  I quickly consumed one of the doughnuts, thinking about the second one, but left it alone. I carried my cup into Mike’s office. “Good morning Mike.”

  “Good morning Scott,” Mike said, with a big grin. “We’re glad you’re okay. We thought you might be calling in sick today. Have a seat…is something on your mind?”

  “I deserve all the ribbing. Do you have any special requests for doughnuts tomorrow?”

  “No, the honey-dipped are fine. You look tired,
are you okay?”

  I didn’t know if I wanted to bring anything up. “I had a problem sleeping last night. My mind was overactive about a lot of things. I’ll be drinking more coffee than usual today.”

  “Care to share what’s on your mind?”

  I thought about everything that was bothering me, offering the safest thing. “Has Holly reported anything about her Bermuda investigation?”

  “No. Her only call was to let Paddy know she arrived. She’s due back later today. We should hear then if she discovered anything,” Mike answered.

  I could tell he was sizing up my demeanor. I couldn’t get the thoughts of Melanie out of my mind. “Mike, if Holly needs any help down there, I would be glad to help her.”

  “Yeah, you and me both…we’ll have to see what her input is later today. How are your Wang and Realty projects coming along?”

  I took a long gulp of coffee, thinking about my answer. “Wang is reviewing the flows, trying to decide if they are going to fund the improvement project. Stephen’s project and demo was a real hit. However, I need to call Bill, as he said there’s some sort of problem.”

  “I guess that sounds good. Wasn’t Mercedes due back yesterday? Did you hear from her, or better—see her?” Mike asked.

  “No such luck. I was hoping to, but I didn’t hear from her.” I answered, thinking about whether she spent additional time with Ralph when she got back. That was another thing that kept me from getting any sleep last night.

  *.*.*

  Paddy came in and sat down in Mike’s office. “Good morning Scott. Glad you’re okay. We were concerned you might have been feeling poorly this morning. Did you get everyone’s doughnut order?”

  As he started to laugh, Mike and I joined him. “I’ve got everyone but yours. It’s amazing to me how much my bringing doughnuts means to this office.” I looked at Paddy, who was still wearing a big grin on his face. “Do you have a special request?”