After the Sunset

by Mark Stone

  “Forget what?” I asked, taking a deep breath and trying to keep my composure around a man whose opinion meant more to me than all the gold at the bottom of the sea.

  “About all the good things,” he answered. “You’ve got a lot going for you, Dilly, more than a lot of men, that’s for damn sure. You got friends, family, the love of a good woman, and the taste of fresh oysters whenever you want them. You start forgetting about that, and pretty soon the world looks like a pretty dark place. Maybe you end up resentful. Maybe you don’t see why it’s so important to save a place that’s so dark, that’s so without hope.” He shook his head at me. “And that would be a damn shame, Dilly, because then you’d lose all the good things too.”

  Something like peace rolled over me. I wasn’t sure whether it was what my grandfather said or just that fact that it was him saying it. Whatever the reason, I felt better, and that was what mattered.

  “Do you have any idea how much I’ve missed you, you old bastard?” I asked, standing and wrapping the old man up into a hug.

  “About half as much as I’ve missed you,” he answered.

  “Dillon!” a voice called from behind me.

  Looking back, I saw Boomer and Justin walking toward me. The tightness around their mouths told me that whatever it was they needed to talk to me about wasn’t going to be fun.

  “We out of tequila or something?” I asked, pulling away from my grandfather and walking toward the pair.

  “Don’t be ridiculous. I’ve never let that happen,” Justin said. “This is something else entirely.”

  “A boat came up beside us and is keeping pace,” Boomer said. “Then I got a transmission. It’s Edward Chambers, and he’s asking you to board.”

  Chapter 25

  “Where the hell are you going?” Justin asked me as I walked toward the hull and the transport boat, which had come rushing toward us in the few minutes since he and Boomer had leveled this news on me.

  The boat Edward Chambers was in was larger than what we’d rented for the bachelor party though that was probably to be expected, given that he was the mayor and all.

  “I’m going over there, Justin,” I answered without turning to my friend. “What does it look like?”

  “What does it look like? It looks like a mistake,” he said, jogging forward and cutting me off. “Do you ever listen to anything I say?”

  “Justin, I-”

  “You’re being stupid, Dillon,” he said. “What part of ‘legal culpability’ don’t you understand? This man is trying to trap you with something. He’s going to get you over there, twist your words around, and then use them against you at a later date. It’s standard.”

  “Wouldn’t I have to be pretty stupid to allow him to do something like that?” I balked.

  “Not at all,” he answered. “This man is a politician. He lies and greases his way through things for a living. He has for years now. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was enough of a wordsmith to trip you up. The thing is, that really doesn’t matter though. You don’t have anything to gain from this. He’s already used his pull to try and sway public opinion against you. If he has his way, you’ll be a criminal at worst and an incompetent laughing stock at best. So why the hell would you want to talk to that man?”

  “Because he’s hurting,” I said flatly. “Because he’s lost someone very close to him, and I’m the last person who ever saw his boy alive. He either wants justice, revenge, or some semblance of closure from me. I can’t give him one and I won’t allow him the other. But if I can give him the closure then it’s something I should definitely do.”

  “At what cost to you?” Justin asked. “You’re not thinking about yourself.”

  “Right and wrong doesn’t change depending on what’s convenient for me,” I said, looking past Justin and toward my grandfather. The old man had said that very sentence more times than I could count. He had always taught me, not only to be fair and just, but also to be giving. He’d taught me to put myself behind the people who might need me. The only way to find true happiness is to give yours away; that was the way he thought. And it was the way he taught me to think. So, I nodded at him and turned, ready to board the transport boat.

  “Wait!” Justin said. I could hear his footsteps behind me. “I’m coming too.”

  “That’s not necessary,” I said, turning back to him.

  “None of this is necessary,” he said. “We’re at a party, and we’ve both had more tequila than we’d ever dare walk into a courtroom with. You’re my client and my friend though. If you’re intent on also being a stubborn jackass, then I’m going to have to make sure you don’t screw yourself over in the process.”

  He walked in front of me again, placing his hand down flat on my chest.

  “Give me one second,” he said. Then, looking out at the transport boat, and more specifically, the man standing in it, he asked, “You in contact with your boss?”

  “I am,” the man said loudly, nodding and trying to talk over the sound of the gentle waves.

  “Good,” Justin said, equally loud. “Because, if he wants to talk to my client tonight, then he’s going to have to meet a few requirements before we’ll even set foot on that boat.”

  The man on the boat held up a communicator. His hand was pressed down on the receiver button. “He’s listening.”

  “First off, my client doesn’t go anywhere that I don’t,” he said, grabbing ahold of the railing and glaring at the man. “That means both of us come onto that boat, and we’re not separated at any time.”

  “And?” the man asked, still holding the communicator up.

  Justin took a deep breath. “And, I’ll be writing up a statement in the morning. That statement will relinquish my client from any responsibility the mayor might assume he bears in the death of his son in a financial sense.” He leaned in closer to me. “I can’t do anything about criminal possibilities, but we both know he couldn’t make that stick.” He leaned back out, talking loudly again. “In addition, we want the mayor not only to stop claiming my client had any responsibility for the death of his son, but to also offer a public apology for his actions earlier. If he does that, then we’ll agree not to sue him for slander and defamation.”

  The idea of forcing a man who had just lost his son to publicly apologize to me didn’t sit well. Still, I knew better than to stop Justin when he was all riled up.

  “I’ll also remind the mayor that, in Florida, a verbal contract of this nature is binding, and I’ll let him know that we consider him allowing us to set foot on that damn transport ship of his as acceptance of that contract.” He looked back at me, nodding. “What does he have to say?”

  The man on the boat let go of the button and placed the device near his ear. He shook his head and then, removing the device from his ear, said, “He agrees to your terms.”

  Justin’s body tightened and he stood a little taller. I was pretty sure by the look on his face that- if he expected the mayor to give into his demands- he certainly didn’t expect it to happen so painlessly.

  “O-okay then,” Justin said. Then, looking over at me, he said, “Come on then. I guess it’s time to get this over with.”

  Chapter 26

  “You keep your mouth shut,” Justin said as we stepped from the transport boat onto the ship where Mayor Chambers was waiting for me. It was at least the sixth time my friend and lawyer had given me this advice, but I could see why he would be so worried. I had never been the type to follow those kinds of orders and-truth be told- I couldn’t promise that I would now. The mayor was hurting and, what’s more, he might even have some clues to help me cut to the quick of who was responsible for this horrible game of human hunting that was going on all around me. If I had to talk out of turn to get that intel, no amount of chastising from Justin was going to stop me.

  “Just because I got him to agree to admit you’re not at fault for the death of his son doesn’t mean we can go spouting off at the mouth,” he continued, stepping be
hind onto the deck of the large ship. “This is still the mayor we’re talking about, and legality is a tricky mistress. You change one word in a contract, and the entire thing is voided. You change one word on a warrant, and you’re talking about a completely different charge. Do you understand what I mean?”

  “You think I’m stupid enough to step in horse crap even after you told me it’s there,” I answered, nodding at my friend.

  “That’s not the most elegant way to put it, but I guess it gets to the point,” he answered, an unexpected smile cracking along his features. “I will admit though, Dillon, this is one hell of an unexpected bachelor party activity.”

  “You know me,” I said, shrugging. “I’m not exactly the straight forward type.”

  “You do seem to love a curveball thrown in the mix,” he answered.

  I sighed. “Not nearly as much as they seem to love me.”

  Two men walked toward us. They were dressed in that sort of exaggerated nautical style that no one who even goes boating more than three times a year ever deals with; button up jackets, rolled over cufflinks, and dressy hats with anchors on them. They were stone face as they settled in front of us.

  Maybe it was my job, my history, or just the fact that I was uneasy on this ship; whatever the case, I sized these two up. They were tall, muscled, and obviously knew their way around a set of dumbbells. Since Justin wasn’t much of a fighter, if this turned physical, I’d have to deal with both of them (in addition to whomever else the mayor might want to throw my way).

  For his part, Justin didn’t seem intimidated.

  “Clock is ticking, guys,” he said in an almost chirpy manner. “Your boss pulled my client from a meticulously planned social event, and he’s not about to spend all night shooting the breeze with a stranger, even if that stranger is the mayor.”

  Fishing and shots of tequila didn’t seem meticulously planned to me, but I wasn’t one to undermine my own lawyer’s statements. So, I stood there, arms crossed over my shoulders, nursing the idea that I might have to kick these guys’ asses.

  “Mayor Chambers is waiting below deck,” one of the men said, his tone higher and less intimidating than I imagined it might have been judging by his sheer size. “He’s ready for you presently.”

  “Good,” Justin said, taking a step forward.

  The man held his hand out. “Though he did mention that only Detective Storm was to be permitted into his cabin.”

  “Are you screwing with me right now?” Justin asked, scoffing and throwing his hands into the air. “That was literally our first condition, dude. Literally the first one.” He shook his head. “If that’s the way this is going to go, then my client and I might as well get off this damn ship right now. How can I trust anything your boss says if the first thing he does is take back a promise he made?”

  Justin took another step toward the large man, seemingly not at all worried by the foot and a half height differential.

  “You tell Mayor Chambers that I don’t play that way,” he continued. “When I make an agreement with someone, I expect that person to hold up their end of the bargain, even if he’s a politician.” He chuckled. “I know that might go against his nature.”

  “You have no idea what my nature is like, Mr. Knight,” a voice, one that sounded a lot like Mayor Chambers’ boomed from a speaker somewhere along the boat.

  Though a little confused at first, Justin wasn’t shaken. He steadied his stance, balled his hands into fists at his sides, and yelled out into the open air. “I worked for enough liars to be able to recognize one, sir. We made a deal, and you’re trying to back out on it. I’m afraid I can’t have that, not for my client and certainly not for my friend.”

  While Justin was yelling into the ether, I was studying the men in front of me. Their bodies had shifted just a little, their weight tilting back onto the balls of their feet. Justin might be trained in the art of liars, but I was trained in the ways of spotting danger. These two were ready to attack us. I had no question about it.

  “Can he leave?” I asked flatly, still staring at the men.

  “What?” Justin asked, looking over at me. “Let me take care of this, Dillon.”

  “I’m about to be taken. You can’t take care of this,” I said, realizing what the man meant when he alluded to me going by myself. “You can leave. I’m almost for certain they’ll allow that.”

  “What are you talking about?” Justin asked, glaring at me. “No one is taking you.”

  “They are,” I said flatly. “And my guess is they’re going to do it by force, and very likely throw you overboard if you put up a fight.”

  “Smart man, Detective Storm,” the mayor’s voice boomed. “Very smart indeed, and yes, your lawyer friend can leave of his own volition if he’s smart enough to choose to.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Justin said, looking over at me with something akin to panic in his eyes. “And you’re sure as hell not abducting a police officer. You’re the mayor, for God’s sake.”

  “Mr. Knight,” the mayor’s voice sounded. “I have no interest in hurting you. If you’d have allowed Detective Storm to come upon this boat without you with him, that would have been preferable. We are where we are though and, as such, I’m going to ask you to leave one more time. I don’t want to hurt anyone I don’t have to.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” Justin asked. “Who the hell are you going to hurt?”

  “Me,” I said, the pieces clicking together in my head. “It’s me, isn’t it? I’m your new mark. You’re involved in this game, too, aren’t you?” I shook my head. “How far up does this go?”

  “Detective Storm, I am asking you to think about the life of your friend right now. I’m doing what I have to and though I don’t like the idea, I’ll tear through your friend if that’s what I have to do.”

  “Get off the boat,” I said, looking at Justin.

  “Are you crazy?” he asked me, his entire body jerking. “I’m not leaving you to get murdered, Dillon.”

  “And I’m not allowing you to get yourself hurt on my account. There’s nothing you can do for me right now. I know you want to, I know you want to make sure I’m safe. I appreciate that more than you know, but it’s not going to work. There are too many people on this boat, and I’d bet all the money in my bank account right now that they’re armed.”

  “I don’t give a damn about them or their guns,” he spit back.

  “But I give a damn about you, and I won’t have this blood on my hands,” I said, nodding firmly.

  He stepped toward me, his expression daring me to stop him. “You don’t tell me what to do, Dillon. I’m not leaving this boat without you.”

  I took a deep breath and pulled the gun from my hip. “Yeah, you are.”

  My friend looked at it, scoffing. “You’re not going to shoot me, dude.”

  “No,” I admitted. “But I’m not just going to let you stay here either.”

  I flipped the gun around in my hand and struck him with the butt. He fell hard and unconscious on the floor.

  “There,” I said, looking at the mayor’s men. “Take him away.”

  Watching the men haul him off into the transport boat, I turned back around, shouting into the air as Justin had done before me. “Okay. Let’s get down to business.”

  Chapter 27

  No sooner was Justin off the boat that the damn thing kicked into gear. It started away from the boat carrying Boomer, my grandfather, and the others quickly. I winced, thinking about what they’d think about all of this. If I knew my best friend and my grandfather the way I thought I did, then the idea of me being on a ship with someone who obviously thought of me the way the mayor did didn’t sit well with them in the first place. Knowing that I was alone, and my lawyer was unconscious drifting back to them on a transport vessel would be enough to send their minds into hyper drive.

  It wouldn’t matter. The engine on this thing had to be twice the size of the ship I’d just left. They’d ha
ve needed a jet to catch us at this rate. Not that I thought that would have done them any good. If I was the mayor’s mark- as I thought I was- then I doubted I’d make it much longer here.

  Oh, I would fight like hell to save myself. Rebecca deserved that much from me. So did my grandfather. So did Isaac. I wasn’t delusional though. I was outnumbered here, and not nearly as well armed as I imagined these men were. All it would take was for one of them to hit me with a sucker punch, one of them to shoot me, and I’d be overboard in an instant; bobbing in dark Gulf waters that had claimed more people than I cared to think about at the given moment.

  “What now?” I asked keeping my voice steady. I might have had thoughts about what was going to happen here; hell, I might have been scared to death at the prospect. I wouldn’t let them know it though. I was a police detective, for God’s sake. I had lived my entire life with a sheen of dignity (or as much dignity as a man could have after a childhood of sneaking beers from his grandfather’s fridge and hiding Skoal cans so his mother wouldn’t find them). I wasn’t going to give that up now. If I was going to die, I would do it my head held high and my chin sturdy.

  “Below deck,” the man said, motioning toward a door and nodding at me.

  I took a deep breath looking at that door, my mind dancing with a thousand horrible ideas. The thing about being a police officer is that you tend to see the worst in humanity. The thing about being a homicide detective is that you tend to come face to face with things that would make you swear monsters walked the earth dressed as people. I knew a thousand ways to murder someone because I had seen them. I knew a million ways to inflict pain on a person because I had witnessed the carnage those methods had caused. I didn’t want to go out at all but, if I had to, I’d be damned if I was going to go out like that.

  “Be a man, Mr. Mayor,” I said, my hands clenching into fists. “If you’re going to do this, then do it out here. There’s no reason to prolong the inevitable.”