Roses, Wine & Murder: In the City of Steeples

by Rose Young

  “What?” Morrison roared furiously, “What is going on? That woman is going to drive me to drink.”

  The officer continued, “They weren’t at the ice cream stand so we shot off to the Orient Point Terminal. The ferry had just left when we arrived. The manifest had them listed as driving onto the ship.”

  Morrison issued, “If anything happens to them, I don’t know what I will do. What is the name of that vessel?”

  “The Mary Ellen, Sir,” responded the officer.

  “Okay, hold there at Orient Point, I’ll contact the Coast Guard,” Morrison informed.

  “Copy that, Sir. We’ll wait to hear from you.”

  The detective called the Coast Guard Sector, Long Island Sound, who manages operations on the waterway. They patched him through to the USCG Station in Montauk, New York.

  The call was answered, “Captain Harelson here.”

  “This is Detective Morrison in New London, I have a hot one.” Dan explained the situation then asked, “Can you radio ahead to the Mary Ellen and have the Captain secure Roxanne Samson and Georgi Algarve until you get there? I want you to board that ship and take control of it. There is a possible assassin on board and these two are his target. They are in imminent danger.”

  “Yes detective, we are in Gardiners Bay, five nautical miles away. We’re on it right away.” Captain Harelson ordered his crew of the Response Boat to respond immediately and prepared the crew of the Motor Life Boat to back them up. Captain Harrelson radioed the Mary Ellen and spoke to Captain Griswold, informing him of the details and to prepare to be boarded.

  ***

  Having been plunged deep into the churning waters from a twenty-foot fall, Roxanne and Georgi were both scrambling for the surface in the cold 58 degree water. Roxanne broke the surface and gasped for air. She was grateful to be a good swimmer, but the waves had four-foot swells. Looking desperately for Georgi, she kicked off her shoes to remove their weight. She spotted him surfacing and yelled as loudly as she could, “Georgi, over here! Are you okay?” He was coughing up water.

  He gurgled, “No.” The bobbing waves made it difficult for them to see each other.

  The ferry was moving further away, when finally people on the upper deck spotted them. “Man overboard!” they yelled.

  Chapter 56

  Day 6 – 4:00 – 5:00 pm

  The elusive Mr. Silver immediately grabbed the backpack with the laptop in it and bolted past the doors where his comrades once stood. He slid down the staircase into the belly of the ferry. Suddenly, he heard a walkie-talkie, “Code Red – Be on the alert of anyone suspicious.”

  A deckhand rounded the corner and was blindsided instantly by a punch to the head which knocked him out cold. The walkie-talkie continued announcing as Silver listened, “Locate a 5’foot 3” blonde, middle-age woman, named Roxanne Samson and a 5’foot 10” slim, 29-year-old man, named Georgi Algarve. Bring them to the Captain’s wheelhouse immediately!”

  Silver opened a lifejacket storage bin and pulled out a stash of items for his escape then shoved the deckhand into the bin. He rapidly removed his clothes with an athletic Velcro maneuver, and revealed his wet suit. He loaded the laptop into a waterproof bag and latched it to his diving belt. The memory stick was placed in a secure waterproof pocket. He slipped into his fins, and then lifted on a scuba tank backpack.

  Silver set his diving compass and slipped into the water. In record time he was submerged. His two accomplices, the men pretending to be plain clothes policemen, had moved to the canteen for drinks and an alibi.

  Captain Griswold’s crew was several steps behind Silver’s reclamation operation. Having heard ‘Man overboard,’ Griswold informed his crew to implement rescue procedures and caught sight of Roxanne and Georgi through his binoculars. Griswold radioed the Coast Guard’s Captain Harelson and reported, “Two persons are overboard .20 nautical miles off our starboard side. We are attempting to rescue.”

  When Griswold saw the Coast Guard boat in the distance bearing down, he ordered his crew to stand down and prepare to be boarded. The Coast Guard’s precedence in this whole procedure was customary.

  ***

  Roxanne hollered to Georgi, “Hang in there, I see a boat with flashing lights.” She swam towards him, using a stiff breast stroke. The waves helped bring her closer. She could see he was dog-paddling and having serious trouble keeping his head above the waterline.

  She yelled, “Georgi, kick off your shoes and wave your arms in big circles.” She attempted to swim closer but the strong undercurrent now seemed to work against her. She panicked, I can’t get to him.

  “Look at me,” she yelled, “I’ll keep swimming to you.”

  The Coast Guard’s Response Boat (RB-S), a 25-foot-high speed craft used for search and rescue and law enforcement, swiftly approached them. Roxanne shouted, “Help!” and waved her arm. The vessel slowed down and shot out life rings. Roxanne grabbed hers quickly. Georgi couldn’t swim to his and was being swallowed by the waves. He went under. Roxanne kicked toward him but he was gone. “Georgi!” she shrieked. His head bobbed up, he took a breath and went back under. “Oh no!” she pleaded.

  Looking to the rescue boat, she saw a guardsman in a wet suit dive in after Georgi. Retrieving him quickly, Georgi came up sputtering and coughing. The rescuer kept a hold of him until another ring was thrown out, the diver caught it. Georgi’s savior gave him a slap on the back. “Hang in there, buddy and let us do all the work.” He stayed behind Georgi making sure he was secure and alright.

  The guardsmen hauled them both aboard. Wet, cold and fatigued, the pair was led inside and given towels and dry coveralls to change into. The officer in charge quickly asked what happened and for a description of the men involved. The Response Boat approached the ferry. A second Coast Guard boat, the 47-foot Motor

  Life Boat (MLB), used for law enforcement and homeland security, arrived to assist.

  Crews from both boats boarded the ferry. Their task was to systematically search the boat and the water for the three men and find any telltale signs of the predator that had thrown the two overboard.

  The Response Boat with Roxanne and Georgi raced to New London and deliver them to the Emergency Medical Service crew and authorities there.

  Approaching the pier they could see the Coast Guard Cutter, Chinook waiting with two Response Boats and an emergency fanfare of red, white and blue flashing lights. Ambulances, fire trucks and police cars were prepared for any required need. Roxanne was horrified to see all the commotion.

  “Well this is it, Georgi,” she motioned to the crowd, “this is all for us. I’ll be grounded for a year and leashed to the porch!”

  Holding her hand he apologized, “I’m so sorry, Roxanne, it’s entirely my fault. I talked you into this, and the killer took our evidence. We have nothing.” Wet and forlorn, he looked hopeless.

  “Don’t you worry Georgi, we’re alive and that’s all that matters. Nothing else matters. Do you hear? We are in one piece.” She gave him a hug and wiped his tears with her blanket and kissed his cheek. “A nice hot chocolate with scones will make everything better. I’m so proud of you. And don’t forget that, no matter how mad anyone gets.” Her thoughts drifted to Detective Morrison and Sam, They’re going to be hopping mad.

  The paradox of the morning’s peaceful departure was not lost on Roxanne as the Response Boat slowly approached the dock. The boat rocked as it maneuvered its turn and reversed. She felt dizzy again as time on the water seemed to move in slow motion.

  Once they were roped to the dock, everything sped up as if someone hit the fast-forward button. Men jumped on and off the boat. Georgi and Roxanne stood up, jolted by the activity. The duo looked like prisoners in their baggie grey jumpsuits and damp hair. The water had destroyed Georgi’s perfect coiffure.

  Soon they were hand delivered to the EMT and ambulance crew. Detective Morrison and Chief Samson, in uniform, raced forward. Sam grabbed Roxanne away from an EMT, squeezed her right off the ground a
nd kissed her. Then he set her gently down.

  He whispered into her ear, “Are you okay? You could have drowned.”

  “I know,” she said, “but I didn’t. Thankfully, I’m a good swimmer.” She smiled sheepishly up at him. The paramedics continued monitoring them both. “I’m really okay, guys,” Roxanne protested, as she didn’t want any more attention, “check on Georgi, he’s the one who nearly drowned.”

  Georgi piped up, “I’m alright, but I need to talk to the guy who saved me. Is he here?”

  They brought the young Coast Guard officer forward and Georgi put out his hand to shake his. Pumping his arm enthusiastically, he raved, “You saved my life, you know! I would have drowned if you hadn’t jumped in when you did. Thank you! Thank you so much, I’m forever in your debt!”

  The rescue diver, now in his duty uniform, responded, “Semper paratus, we’re always ready, sir, I just happened to be the guy there today, that’s all sir.”

  “Sir, don’t call me sir,” Georgi admonished, “You saved my life! Call me Georgi. You and your friends are welcome to the Vinho Verde anytime. You have life-long drinks on me!” His arm went up and down as Georgi continued shaking his hand.

  The rescuer finally retrieved his hand, “Thank you, sir, I mean Georgi, but what is Vinho Verde?”

  “It’s the wine bar on Bank Street here in New London. Bring a date, and I will impress her. Not that you need that, you’re already impressive,” Georgi giggled.

  The guard smiled, “I will bring my friends, but right now I need to get back to work.” He stepped away with a salute. Georgi saluted back with a broad smile and clicked his heels, immediately remembering, he had lost his shoes.

  Morrison arranged with the Coast Guard to hold Roxanne and Georgi in his vehicle. The pair waddled in their oversized jumpsuits to his SUV parked in a strategic position. They both sat in the backseat as the ferry boat arrived.

  With the windows down, Morrison and Sam stood outside the vehicle to talk with Roxanne and Georgi while keeping them safe. Uniformed men were everywhere. Orders were being yelled, walkie-talkie radios were transmitting voices with static. All were at the ready to capture anyone suspicious as they came off the arriving ferry.

  ***

  The national and local presses, having been previously released from the Presidential visit, were now in the process of broadcasting the breaking news, happening nearby on the Thames River. Their satellite transmission trucks had all moved to cover the events.

  “We are on the scene and reports have just come in…The President of the United States, had no sooner left from delivering his commencement speech at the Coast Guard Academy, when all departments were called to an active scene at the Ferry terminal in New London.

  “It appears two people were accosted on the ferry from Long Island and were thrown overboard into the cold waters of the Sound. Quick action resulted in a rescue by the Coast Guard of Montauk and New London. We are here on the scene live and will update you as more information comes in.”

  Chapter 57

  Mr. Silver’s adroit getaway into the waters of the Sound was flawless. His choreographed diversion of wave runners weaving over the ferry’s wake assisted with his ruse. And the scuba divers near Orient Point Light were ready to support him underwater, if required. Additionally, the active summer boat traffic easily deflected the nature of his covert operation.

  Quietly, like a water snake, Silver slinked, traveling with the water currents in the Sound. His fins swiftly delivered him to the agreed coordinates of a fishing boat in Plum Gut. His well-equipped accomplice hauled him aboard. Easily, he was whisked away.

  The various sailing and leisure boats in the Sound remained oblivious to his silent endeavor until a sudden activity of flashing lights and blaring sirens from a Coast Guard boat sped toward the ferry.

  The fishing boat Silver occupied, motored along the west edge of Plum Island toward Botswick Bay, off of Gardiner Island. There they met with a polished classic wooden Chris-Craft. The 1948 motor purred as Silver boarded with his salvaged items. They sped toward East Hampton, New York to dock where a car awaited on Old House Landing Road.

  Silver was satisfied he had fulfilled his mission for Morelli, the laptop and memory stick were secure. Lester and Mitch had gone too far trolling personal vintner channels, and using private investigators to collect the data. But the incriminatory evidence on Morelli’s worldwide scheme would remain in-house. He knew Morelli may not acquire Williamson Wines, but at least all his holdings were safe from scrutiny. The self-appointed winner snickered to himself victoriously, Non scommettere contro un uomo che non perde mai. (Don’t bet against a man who never loses.)

  Soon, Silver would meet up with Morelli in Cuba and would be grandly compensated for his tireless work. Yet he lamented, Se solo avessi avuto il diamente! (If only I had attained had the diamond.) Un grande premio. Sarebbe stato bello. Una cilieaina sulla torta. È un peccato. (A great prize. It would have been nice. A cherry on top. It’s a shame.)

  Chapter 58

  Detective Morrison directed Roxanne and Georgi, “The passengers are about to come ashore. I’d like you two to point out the men who abducted you.”

  “We weren’t abducted,” they chimed. “We thought they were police,” Roxanne said defensively, “They had badges and said you sent them as plain clothes officers.”

  “I know,” Morrison expressed with a sigh. He explained further, “They must have been following you all day. There’s obviously a lot of money behind this job.” He shook his head, “Damn, this is bigger than any of us could have imagined.” He pointed toward Jack Peabody.

  “Detective Peabody has been researching Morelli all day and I had an officer on Long Island contacting him this afternoon. On the surface, Morelli looks spotless and starched, like all white collar criminals. So we contacted the FBI. They are on the investigation too.”

  Morrison was interrupted by people and cars readying to off-load from the ferry. Each person was required to submit identification and the cars were being searched. Suddenly Roxanne recognized the vehicle the two phony undercover officers had driven. As it moved down the ramp, there was a blonde woman behind the wheel.

  “That’s the car,” Georgi shouted, “silver with tinted windows!”

  “But how can that be?” asked Roxanne, “Who’s the blonde?”

  Morrison spoke into the walkie. The officers pulled the car over and the woman came out with her hands up, looking terrified.

  “They have my boy,” she whispered to the officers. She looked over her shoulder. “They made me drive their vehicle off.” She burst into tears, “Find my son. Please! Find my boy.”

  The officers took her aside, “Stand here with us, Ma’am, and watch for the man who has your son.”

  Georgi was scanning the crowd. Then he saw the imposter, who had lost his jacket and tie, rolled up his sleeves and tousled his hair. He was walking off the ferry holding a two-year-old boy in his arms. The child had a lollipop in his mouth.

  “I think that’s him!” Georgi said pointing. Morrison yelled an order over the walkie to the officers. They rushed in and grabbed the man with the child.

  Racing to the woman Morrison advised the men, “She’s the victim here, officers. Just have her stay for questioning.” Liberated, the mother reached for her boy, hugging him and sobbing into his shirt.

  Roxanne examined the boat. “There, Dan!” she yelled, “The front end of the ferry, a man jumped off!”

  “Eeeww,” Georgi sounded disgusted, “he just plunged into the briny cocktail of the Thames.”

  Chief Sam’s head cocked, as he smiled, That’s Georgi for you.

  One of the Coast Guardsmen on the docked rescue boat, saw the man plunge into the water. He raced to the closest water access and jumped in nearly on top of him. The thug surfaced with his fists swinging. Another guard leapt in swamping the assailant. Both guardsmen lugged him to the dock edge, holding his neck and feet. Additional servicemen grabbed him up and out
of the water, and cuffed him in one swift, simultaneous movement.

  “But where is the third guy?” Roxanne asked.

  The detective and Chief Samson entered the SUV and sat in the front. Rolling up the windows, Morrison answered, “It was reported that a deckhand on the ferry was knocked out and woke in a cargo bin. The perpetrator left behind clothes and a duffle bag. The Coast Guard is scouring the ferry and searching the waterways.

  “It’s possibly he had others working with him for a swift escape. We are looking for him in Long Island too. Don’t worry, we’ll get the bastard.” Morrison’s determination was evident.

  “Oh, what a relief,” Georgi expressed as his hand went to his head and then to his heart. He fell back in his seat. “This is more drama than even I can take.”

  “Take a deep breath Georgi,” Roxanne held his hand, “It’s okay, it’s all over and we survived.” Then she laughed, “This truly was like a Thelma and Louise adventure except we didn’t do anything wrong.” Morrison and Sam looked at each other in disbelief.

  Georgi flashed a sideways look at her, “Ah ha! Oh my God, we were threatened, manhandled and thrown off a boat. Yet, we are still alive!”

  The realization washed over them in laughter. Tears of joy streamed down their faces. Roxanne snorted and Georgi giggled, both laughed at each other laughing.

  He squealed, “Stop, I’m going to pee my pants!”

  She chuckled “You could have done that when you were in the water!” an ongoing belly laugh ensued that they couldn’t seem to control.

  Morrison eyed the Chief who said knowingly, “You know what is happening, don’t you?”

  “Yeah, I’ve seen it,” Morrison replied nonchalantly, “nervous laughter. People become ridiculously elated when they realize they are okay, after a traumatic event.”

  The men shook their heads incredulous. “They’re hysterical,” Sam remarked, “they can’t stop even though it’s inappropriate.”