Rick quickly checked his email address in the form, took a breath, and hit the send button. “Come in.”
The door opened a crack and Adam Cunningham poked his head through the opening. “Got a minute?”
Rick gestured at one of the visitor’s chairs. “Sure. Have a seat. What’s up?”
“I hate being the bearer of bad news, but we found a body floating in the marina this morning. It was Captain Carroll.”
“Crap,” Rick muttered. “Alex was right.”
“About?”
“Carroll being dead. He might have been a complete jerk, but he was too young to die.”
“He didn’t do it on his own. Someone helped him along.”
Rick let out a deep sigh. “Murder?”
“He was shot in the chest with a speargun.”
Closing the lid on the laptop, Rick regarded Adam. “After last night, I suppose I’m on the suspect list.”
“No way. You’re my sounding board. And maybe my consultant, if you want to be.”
Rick suddenly felt two emotions ramping up inside him—relief because he wasn’t a suspect, and apprehension because he would need to keep Alex away from the investigation. “What happened?”
“After that dinner altercation last night somebody found Captain Carroll, shot him in the chest, probably at very close range, then dumped the body in the water. We’ve got a rough window for the murder of between six and nine p.m.”
“Makes sense. It couldn’t have happened before six because Carroll was in the Crooked Mast making trouble. After that, he probably would have been back aboard.”
“Exactly. Baker escorted him out at 6:03. Fortunately, the body landed in the water face down, The air was trapped in the lungs and it didn’t sink. The killer must have decided to shove it under the docks. What they didn’t count on was the tidal action. By eight this morning the outgoing tide sucked it out and it was floating in clear view when Jennifer Martin spotted it.”
“Is she the woman who runs the bait shop? I haven’t met her.”
“Sharp lady. Watch yourself when you talk to her. You make a mistake and she’ll call you on it. She told me twice that I needed to keep up.” Adam chuckled. “You’ll see.”
“You want me to talk to her? What about Deputy Baker?”
“You’ll be working with her. The mayor has me on a special project. I’d rather work this with you, but we don’t always get what we want. Do we?”
Rick gazed around the office. The B&B wasn’t what he’d wanted, not at first. But circumstances had brought him and Alex here. Now, this office, the B&B, and life in Seaside Cove were exactly what he wanted. “Things work out sometimes. I’ll want to take a look at the crime scene.”
“Of course. This lays out the general theory.” Adam pulled out a letter-sized sheet of paper. Rick recognized his friend’s handiwork immediately. Detailed. Shaded properly. It looked more like an artist’s pencil sketch than a crime-scene diagram.
“Looks like you’ve been drawing again.”
“Frustrated artist,” Adam joked. He held his finger over the paper. “Here’s the dock, and this is where the body was found. The water there is still, except for the tides. This arrow shows where we think the body would have been concealed.”
“We?”
“Joe Gray. I spoke with him before the coroner arrived. He’s the one who came up with the idea of the hidden body. The entire distance isn’t much, maybe ten feet or so. Joe’s theory is that whoever killed the captain used the speargun to push the body under the dock.”
Rick said, “Joe’s lived here all his life. He knows that marina inside-out, so if he says it’s possible, I believe him. If the body was in the water, how’d you narrow down a time of death?”
“Joe said the tides started coming in shortly before five p.m. and didn’t start to recede until eleven. If the killer pushed the body in the water early in the evening, it would most likely have stayed put until the tide started to recede. At that point it could have drifted out from under the docks.”
“But you said the window was between six and nine.”
“Baker went down there at nine to make sure everything was quiet.”
“Of course she did,” Rick said. “Do you think the killer is someone aboard The Treasure King? How much time is there? Before they sail?”
“I’ve ordered them to stay in port until the investigation has been completed. If they try and skip out, I’ll bring in the Coast Guard. You’ll have as much time as you need.”
Between Adam showing up at the B&B unannounced, the sketch, and Joe’s theory, Rick felt compelled to help. He didn’t mind the investigation, not really. What he didn’t want was Alex hearing about this. But how did he keep what would be the biggest news in town away from an eleven-year-old who was plugged into the town’s gossip mill? The short answer, he knew, was that he couldn’t. He watched a wispy cloud drift across the clear, blue sky. Having it snow this afternoon was more achievable than keeping Alex out of this.
“I have a problem, Adam.”
“The junior detective in the house?”
“There’s no way I can keep her from finding out about this, so how do I keep her from getting involved?”
Adam rested his elbow on the arm of the chair and rubbed his jaw. “Based on past performance, I’d say that wouldn’t be the worst thing that could happen. She has provided some valuable insights.”
Rick couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Nor did he really know what to say. “You can’t be serious.”
“I’m not saying I want to hire her as a junior consultant. All I’m saying is you know she’s going to want to dive in. Why not let her do it, but with oversight? Keep her on a tight rein, don’t let her get near the bad guys, that sort of thing.”
One of Rick’s few memories about Captain Jack was when he’d brought Rick to this office and told him the books represented the wisdom of the ages. That’s the kind of wisdom he felt he needed now to deal with a precocious daughter. “I’m listening.”
“Alex looks up to Marquetta. They work well together, and you know Marky’s not going to let anything happen to that little girl. If you asked, I’ll bet Marky would be happy to help.”
With his pulse pounding in his ears, Rick considered Adam’s proposal. Everything he said was true. To a degree. “I don’t know, Adam. Marquetta’s reaction last night in the restaurant was off. It wasn’t like her at all.”
“It was a brand new blouse that got ruined. Maybe that’s all there was to it.”
“I don’t think so. She was upset about the blouse, but she wouldn’t talk about anything that happened after Deputy Baker showed up.”
“Baker? She was there to keep the peace. Why would Marky have a problem with her?”
“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling. Do you think Traci might know something—no. Forget what I said. I think all I can do is wait until Marquetta’s ready to open up.”
“Have it your way. As far as Baker’s concerned, you won’t have a problem working with her. She’s got solid training, and I’ve explained how valuable you’ve been in the past.”
“I hadn’t even thought about how that would go. You sure she’ll be okay sharing information?”
“Absolutely.”
Rick’s shoulders felt like they were tied in knots. He did not need to get on the bad side of the town’s new deputy. “From what I saw she’s pretty take-charge.”
“I have already talked to her. She expressed some concern about working with a civilian, but she’ll go along with the program.”
“How much concern?”
“Some.”
“Is that police-chief speak for you’re ordering her to cooperate with me?”
“It will work, Rick. I guarantee it.”
The words were there, but the hesitation in Adam’s voice made Rick recall the old expression often attributed to Benjamin Franklin about there being no guarantees in life except death and taxes. He already paid taxes, and now they ha
d a death to deal with. Maybe Franklin had missed one other guarantee—the fragile nature of the human ego.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Rick
AFTER ADAM LEFT, Rick walked the perimeter of his office while contemplating what to do next. He stopped before the west-facing windows. From here, he could see the breakwater. Waves crashed against the rocks, sending up huge plumes of surf and spray. He’d almost died out there once after turning his back on the ocean. It was a lesson learned—a frightening encounter with the force of nature. In a way, he felt the same fear at the thought of looking into the murder of Captain Carroll. Or maybe it wasn’t the thought of him investigating the death as much as it was condoning some sort of part for Alex.
There was no point in putting this off. He had to deal with his daughter. Get her under control. He sent her a short text asking her to come to his office, then waited, watching the waves crash against the breakwater until there was a soft knock and the door inched open.
Rick waved Alex in and gestured for her to sit in the same seat Adam had used minutes before. The best approach was the direct one, at least, that’s what he hoped. Rick rested his elbows on the desktop and prepared to share Adam’s suggestion, but to also be firm in his restrictions. Before he could say a word, Alex inched forward and beamed at him.
“Are you gonna ask Marquetta to marry you? Is that why you wanna talk?”
Rick felt a pang of regret, a sharp reminder of last night’s little fiasco. “No, kiddo. Things have just been a bit off since last night. You wouldn’t want me to propose while Marquetta is slaving away in front of a hot stove or vacuuming, would you?”
Alex scrunched up her face. “I guess not.”
“I have to wait for the right time, and so do you. This is a big deal. It’s not every day that I ask a woman to be my wife.”
“Maybe I should ask!” Alex’s face lit up with a smile. “I could just say, Marquetta, will you be my mom? She’ll totally accept.”
“That’s an unusual approach, but I’d rather deal with the question myself. Look, that’s not why I asked you in here. For the time being, I need you to leave the proposing marriage end of things to me. Do you remember what I said earlier about me having to pull rank on you?”
“Uh oh. Am I in trouble? Did I do something wrong?”
Rick smiled. Shook his head. “Nothing like that. However, something bad has happened.”
“Did something happen to one of the guests?”
“No. They’re all fine. Actually, Marquetta will have to be consulted on this, too, because it involves both of you. This has to do with Captain Carroll. Adam just told me that his body was found floating in the harbor. He’s dead.”
“I was right?” Alex’s eyes widened. “Are you gonna investigate? Is that why Chief Cunningham was here?”
“Yes, that’s what he’s asked me to do.” Rick sighed. “He wants me to work with Deputy Baker, but that’s not what I’m concerned about. The bigger problem I see isn’t my investigation, it’s yours.”
Alex did a double take and her eyes got even wider. “Am I on your team? That is so awesome! Wait’ll I tell…”
“No, you’re not on the team,” Rick said firmly. “However, I know you, Alex, and as soon as you walk out that door you will be thinking about how you can find the killer faster than me and Deputy Baker.”
At first, Alex’s enthusiasm faded, then her smile returned. “Is that what Chief Cunningham said? That I’m a good investigator?”
“Slow down, kiddo. Given the risks you’ve taken in the past, I should probably lock you in your room until this is over. However, grounding you hasn’t worked. Adam proposed a different solution, which I’ve decided to try. I’ll be working with Deputy Baker. You will be working with Marquetta. Just as the deputy is my lead, Marquetta will be yours. That means she’s in charge, not you. And all this assumes she’s okay with the idea. If she says she doesn’t want to be involved, I’ll have to think of another solution. Maybe boarding school.”
Rick could barely contain his laughter at Alex’s reaction. She blinked several times. Her jaw dropped. Then she stammered, “Is that, like, a real thing? Not just in movies?”
“In Europe,” Rick added, then chuckled. “I’m kidding about boarding school. I would never want to send you away. But I’m serious. If doing this makes Marquetta uncomfortable, I will not force her. Do you understand?”
“She’ll totally do it. We’re a good team.”
“I know you are. But this is a murder investigation, not meal planning. What concerns me most is how you don’t worry about consequences when you start asking people if they were involved. That’s why I’m going to ask Marquetta if she’ll work with you. As I said, if she says yes, then you have a role. Otherwise, I’ll find another solution.”
“But, Daddy…”
“Alex, you don’t seem to understand. Now that you have a bike and can get out in the world, you’re more exposed than ever. It used to be you were always here, and that made it easy to keep tabs on you. You’re still a child. Quite frankly, your impulsiveness concerns me. You leap before you think. That’s why you need supervision and it’s my job as your parent to see that you get it in the most effective manner.”
“So all that stuff about believing in myself doesn’t count?”
“It counts tremendously, but part of believing in yourself is learning when to trust your instincts and when to question them. You’re still too young to be able to separate those out. And honestly, it can be difficult for adults, too. So for now, I have one question for you. If I agree to let you look into Captain Carroll’s death under Marquetta’s supervision, are you going to be okay with that?”
“I’m totally good with it.”
“Then I’ll talk to Marquetta. That’s the next step. I probably should have asked her first, but I wanted to get to you before you heard about this through the grapevine. In a way, I’m surprised you haven’t heard about it already.”
Alex’s brow creased again as she thought, then asked, “How did Captain Carroll die?”
He went over the details of the killing—the speargun, the tides, and the estimated time of death. When he was done, Alex squirmed in her chair.
“So when can we ask Marquetta?”
“There’s no ‘we’ in this part. I’ll be talking to her in a few minutes. Until then, I want your promise that you won’t do anything.”
“But Daddy…”
“No, Alex. I was just sure you’d have already heard about the killing, and I wanted to stop you from running off on your own. So, do I have your promise you’ll not do any investigating until after I talk to Marquetta?”
“When are you gonna talk to her?”
“Right after we’re done.”
“Okay. I can wait until then.” She sighed, told Rick she would wait in her room, but barely a breath later, her smile lit up. “Do you have any suspects?”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Alex
MARCH 27
Hey Journal,
This is super big news! My dad’s agreed to let me help the cops as long as I work with Marquetta. It’s like the first time ever that I haven’t gotten grounded for investigating a murder. My head is buzzing with so many ideas about how I can help.
You know what? I’m gonna start by checking out social media. Everybody posts stuff without thinking about it, so that might be the killer’s downfall. The cool thing is none of the adults are very good at it, so maybe I can be the expert. Then Daddy and Chief Cunningham will see how valuable my help is.
Got things to do, Journal. Bye for now,
Alex
I open the top drawer of my desk. It’s not big like my dad’s, but it’s perfect for me. The desk was originally Marquetta’s when she was my age and I fell in love with it the first time I saw it. I pull out my folder of keepsakes. Inside are a few of my favorites—a letter from Mayor Carter thanking me for helping to solve a previous murder, a note from one of my teachers commending me on
getting straight A’s, and my last birthday card from Marquetta.
Inside the card is the message she wrote. It’s what makes the card so special—I hope this birthday is magical. You are so amazing and I love you more than I can say. Always believe in yourself.
I probably read the card a couple times a week. I never got a card like that from my real mom. Maybe if I had I wouldn’t cherish Marquetta’s so much. The words get kinda blurry as I read them again. It hasn’t even been ten minutes since I left my dad’s office. The cops always say the longer it takes to solve a crime the colder the trail gets. Right? I totally want to get to work. I put the card on top of my desk and wake up my laptop.
It only takes me about five minutes to find a social media page for The Treasure King. At the top of the page there’s a photo of the boat cruising on the water. It’s an awesome photo and makes the boat look even better than it does in person. There are a couple videos so people can take a virtual tour. I start playing the first one.
The tour begins on the main deck at the front of the boat and goes all the way around. There’s another video for a look inside. I click the link. The video starts. It begins inside what they call the main gathering area. There’s a lot of plush red furniture. It’s all super old style. By the time the video is over, I’m disappointed. Other than knowing where things are on the boat, I didn’t learn much, and I kinda feel like I wasted fifteen minutes. Unless…unless I could get on The Treasure King.
Getting on the boat would totally go against what my dad said I could do. But what if it led me to the killer? There’s no way he could ground me. If I didn’t find anything, I’d be in super big trouble. So that means I’m gonna have to do this on the down low. Super quiet.
I look at Marquetta’s card. Read the last three words of what she wrote again. Believe in yourself.
I’m in. All in. I click the link to watch the tour again. By the time the video gets to the navigation deck on top of the boat my head is ready to explode. There are so many details. So many places the treasure map could be hidden. There’s no question. I have to find a way onto the boat. And that means I need to know what my dad is saying to Marquetta. Right now.
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