AFatBoyisMissing

by A Fat Boy Is Missing (v1. 0) (lit)

  "What sort of guy is he?"

  They had already discovered that some of these people who came out of the woodwork were often crazy people who believed that they could read information in tea leaves, or heard voices.

  "Until recently, he was a stock broker on the floor so he's no fool. But he also has his wife with him. She's an archaeologist that was featured in the latest National Geographic. So maybe we should hear what they have to say. They don't appear crazy to me. Anyone that can survive four years in the bull pit of the trading floor and still talk rationally is worth my attention."

  The doctor grunted. "OK, I hope you're right. I don't like the smell of this case. We haven't any good leads so if

  they can point us in the right direction so much the better."

  Detective Sloan led the couple into an interview room.

  "Dr. Mason will be here in a few minutes. Did you know

  General Forest?"

  Jake sat in the chair and looked around the room. It was well used and had a distinct rundown look.

  "Yes, I knew him both as a friend and as his broker. We carried out several successful transactions and he turned to me for other business advice."

  "Excuse me for being late," the doctor took the only unoccupied chair.

  "When, did you last see him?" Detective Sloan asked.

  "I flew from out west on the 13thand I phoned him hoping we could get together. He was available and we discussed some mutual problems."

  "Was that the last time?"

  "No, we met again the following evening. He had two associates with him and I became rather upset at having two strangers there. I went through a charade of becoming irrational and I closed the meeting down. Hopefully I succeeded in making them think I was another basket case,

  but there was a reason for that act."

  Both the detective and the doctor were intrigued.

  "What's going on? What did you want the General to do for you?"

  Jake cleared his throat. "What I am about to tell you may put your lives in danger. I think General Forest was killed because I was asking questions that someone thought might endanger their career.

  Jake continued, "I have a small salvage company in the interior of British Columbia in Canada. The fall before last while on a hunting trip I located the remains of a bomber that had been missing for over 20 years. That aircraft was carrying atomic weapons."

  The look of surprise crossed each of their faces. "What has this to do with the General's death?"

  "You see that bomb has never been found. There is also an indication that a prototype bomb was stolen from a New Mexico weapons base and that weapon if it got into the hands of our Soviet neighbours the whole cold war could have turned out differently, if you get my drift.

  I have found that there were several very unusual events that have been hushed up or covered up and I needed to find out what happened. My wife's father was on that flight. He was a radiation expert and only flew on aircraft that were carrying the real thing. Back then the air force were carrying out bombing runs all along both the western and eastern seaboards to practice for the main event. That aircraft was lost and it may have been used to transfer some vital military information to the enemy."

  The moving of chairs and clearing of throats indicated that this was all a surprise.

  "I think the General and his secretary were silenced because the person who either arranged or aided in this transfer of information is now in a position of power. He can't afford to let this monkey out of the barrel."

  By the time the detective and the medical examiner heard their story they could hardly believe their ears.

  "That's the biggest piece of bull I've heard in a long time! " Sloan said.

  The doctor shook his head. "Well, I think it's possible. It would help to explain the care the shooter took to ensure that he wouldn't be identified. He may not have intended to be caught and if he was, then he wasn't going to give us a tidbit of information. Mr. Dorchet, you and your wife may have started a tempest that has quickly become a tornado."

  "If this is true then no wonder you look jittery," Sloan relented, "I'm not entirely convinced, but I do have a sick

  feeling at the pit of my stomach. If this was a political assassination to hide something then they wouldn't stop with killing the General. You two are probably next on their list. It might have been fortunate that our patrol officer killed the shooter. But he can be replaced. Is there any place you can go?"

  Sarah looked frightened. "Where can we go? Anyone may be the killer. A crowd becomes an easy place for a killer to hide. Jake has come up with a plausible idea, but it might not be true. The only place I see that is secure is back at my dig site. At least there you can see people coming from five miles away."

  "We can continue our investigation, but if what you say is correct then we have to be very careful. If the man behind this is as powerful as you are suggesting there is no telling who he controls. I'm not ready to put myself on that list."

  "We could go south. That way you could see if someone is following us by checking out the flights. It may be a long shot but what else can we do?"

  "I doubt that would do any good. If these people are professional then the next shooter will have no record either and he wouldn't be stopped by customs or border patrols. You had better get to a place where you can at least see the enemy coming. Here you are as blind as we are. That doesn't leave you with much of a chance."

  When they left the police station they felt numb; it was worse than they had expected.

  "Well, that wasn't much use. I guess they have to wait until someone tries to kill us before anything can be done. It's not much of a consolation to know that if we are killed they may arrest our killer!"

  "Come on, we'll beat this thing yet. I want to stop and check on Betty. The detective said she is still unconscious, but should make it. They have her under a 24-hour guard."

  "Alright but after that I think I'd feel better in Mexico. There at least you can breathe the air without fearing it will be your last breath. What about your other contact, can she help?" Sarah asked.

  "She's in danger too and I don't want to risk contacting her. She said the last time we met that she'd send me some information but indirectly in case someone was watching."

  Sarah looked at the woman in the hospital bed. It was an odd feeling to know that she could be next. Why had life turned into such a complicated mess?

  She knew that it was her search for an answer to the ghost in her past that was now endangering Jake and anyone who befriended her.

  "Poor Betty!" Jake said, "the last time we talked we joked about the General letting her go, but, I said he'd rather die first. God, how little I realized that my words were so prophetic."

  Later as they packed, Sarah said "I hope you like Mexico." After a chuckle, "I bet our arrival will cause some tongues to wag, but I don't care. As long as we are together that's what is really important."

  Jake took her in his arms and said, "the sooner we are away the better off we will be."

  They had gotten into their taxi when the hotel manager came running down the steps.

  "This just came in for you!"

  Jake looked the seal envelope and a sudden fear chilled his heart. He looked up but the manager had already returned to his office. He opened the envelope and he recognized the hand writing. 'Jake they are brothers.'

  As they drove off Sarah said, "Jake you look puzzled, what was in the note?"

  "I'm not too sure. It's important, but I can't put my finger on what the message means."

  Once in the air they were able to breathe easier.

  Jake took a newspaper when the stewardess offered them to the passengers. On the second page he saw a small article. 'Belinda Morning, a woman with many political connections and the centre of many scandals was found dead in her car this afternoon. Police have not released the cause of death.

  Chapter Fifteen - Yucatan - Jake's Visit

  "So what do you
think of my office?" Sarah asked, as she stood with Jake on a hill overlooking the bowl shaped plain.

  "This was all in forest at the time of your pre-Aztec civilization?" he questioned.

  "Yes, the whole region has changed as the climate has dried out," Sarah explained. "There may have been shifts in the ocean currents and there was a mature forest here about 300 AD. Changes in agricultural practices and the volcanic episodes have contributed to converting a rich forested land into dry scrub land."

  Jake shaded his eyes and tried to visualize what it could have been like 1,600 years ago.

  "There is beauty here. It's good to have an open vista and not feel that you need to watch your back. Heck the only back I'd like to watch is yours especially when you kick the covers off in your sleep."

  Sarah smiled and reached up to kiss Jake. "What did you think I married you for? You're supposed to see that I stay covered."

  She was rewarded with a bear like hug. "That and a few other things, too I hope!"

  "Well, I must make allowances, those other things are important too," she laughed.

  Her laughter seemed to rush down the slope and roll across the land, making everything and everyone know that life can be good.

  They rode back to the dig on some small horses to where Sarah had an elaborate area cordoned off with ropes and where tents had been raised to protect active digging sites.

  "You know we've been here for only one week, but I feel so relaxed. It's wonderful. We can stay in our isolation and be here without fear."

  "Yes, it's like living in paradise. I've watched you whether down in that hole you are digging to China or at the sifting boxes. Your face takes on such a tranquil look. I feel privileged to just watch you."

  Sarah turned pink. "I know you've been watching me. In a shovel full of earth I might discover something as small as a button or as big as a pottery jar. Everything we find provides clues to who lived here and what their lives were like. I haven't found the definitive proof that the Romans came here yet, but with patience and luck it may come. You have made me very happy and I love you so."

  He had enjoyed coming here. The change of scene from the fear and terror of New York had been a restorative to his own psyche. He and Sarah needed that and their relationship had grown.

  "You know, I can't imagine being without you now." In the back of his mind he remembered the letter from Belinda, with its terse message and the discovery of her body that had jarred him. He had no doubt at all the she had been silenced.

  Who was the enemy? Was it a police officer, a bum on the street or a well-dressed businessman? In New York, they wouldn't know until it was too late.

  The only good thing that had happened was that the detective responsible for the case, Detective Sloan, and the medical examiner believed them. The doctor had promised he'd send him the autopsy reports on the General and the shooter when they were available. Maybe Jake could find a clue in them, something he could use to fight back.

  His father had sent him a cheery letter congratulating him on his wise choice. He could tell from the tone that Sarah had already worked her way into his father's heart.

  When the dig closed for the summer and the weather got too blistering hot to continue working, he and Sarah would return to where The Fat Lady was waiting for the new season of log recovery.

  He wondered about his last meeting with the General. Where would it all end? Would they ever know what had happened? He recalled how he used the talk of needing financial assistance to cover the real reason for his visit to the General. He knew that he did need a new barge. The cost in repairing the old girl and the crane and the hundreds of other things that seemed to fail at the blink of an eye was a good idea. But he didn't have that sort of depth in his financial pocket.

  He had learned a lot about the life of an archaeologist. He enjoyed working on the various layers of history. In time he could imagine himself doing this as a hobby or as a field assistant to Sarah. To touch a piece of pottery that was hundreds of years old that he had discovered gave him a strange buzz of satisfaction. No wonder Sarah had that excited look in her eye when she saw something interesting in a deep hole in the ground or coming to light in the sifting boxes.

  Sarah's graduate student, Peter had at first been a little hostile when Jake arrived. But after a few days Peter had lost his resentment, as he got to know Jake better. Among other things he discovered that Jake was a graduate of Harvard in Business Economics. Maybe he realized his fantasy of gaining Sarah's love was just a castle in the sky. He knew he was deluding himself because Sarah had never looked at him in that sort of way. But it was good to have a dream.

  "When you arrived I thought Sarah looked frightened and worried. Did something happen up north?" Peter asked one day, two weeks after Jake and Sarah arrived.

  "Peter, it's a long story and one that has its own dangers. All I can say is that you would be wise to keep out of it. Those who get involved have a high risk of being hurt. But there is something you can do for us, for Sarah. If you see anything suspicious or see any gringo strangers in town tell me. Don't tell Sarah; she doesn't need any more worries. If people are asking questions about me or Sarah don't tell them a thing. Our lives may depend on your discretion."

  Peter thought about what Jake had said to him. What had happened up north? News from the States hardly ever filtered down to their isolated part of the world. Sarah did look frightened. She had that haunted look of a doe deer being caught in a car's headlights. Well, he'd keep his eyes open and if he saw something suspicious he'd tell Jake. He could see the Jake loved Sarah and she loved him deeply and he was happy for her.

  So Jake and Sarah worked side by side. Whether it was in the confining space of the dig site or at the desk categorizing, measuring and photographing what had been found. Together during the day and in the confines of their tent at night, life was filled with love, tenderness, and new discoveries about each other. Life here in Mexico at the cusp of discovering the secrets of man's ancestry filled their hearts and their minds with peace.

  Peter was their only contact with civilization with his trips to the nearest town was made twice a week. The labourers worked steadily and now there were several sub-sites offering up their secrets. Each bone chip, each piece of pottery or primitive tool added to the story of the lives hundreds or thousands of years ago.

  A few weeks later, Peter delivered the large manila envelope addressed to Jake Dorchet. It contained a covering letter from the doctor and attached was the detailed autopsy reports on General Forest and the shooter.

  He read the notes and tried to understand the detailed science and the anatomical terms. He'd show this to Sarah and ask her help in translating some of the technical terms.

  In the report on the shooter careful attention was paid to finding any clues as to his identify. X-rays were used to see if anything was hidden that might give an investigator the needed spark to connect a name with the body. According to the report he was in his mid- 50's, 5'9" tall and weighted 165 lbs. The report went on to say that he had European features and referred to a crescent birthmark above his right eye on the temple.

  Jake felt his heart stir. This matched the story Baker had told them about the intelligence officer who had been on board flight 2075. It was just too much of a coincidence. The killer of General Forest was none other than the Intelligence Officer on board that fateful flight 2075, 23 years ago. So he had survived the crash of the bomber. And now he had

  resurfaced when rumours about the flight 2075 and the missing bomb had flared up. It showed how desperate these people were and Jake suddenly felt a shiver dash up his spine.

  Jake reviewed the facts that they had discovered. There was that message from Belinda a.k.a. Mabel. He had once heard her described as a modern Cleopatra, 'Cleopatra on the Hudson' was the phrase that was used. She had a good life, but no one deserved to have it end prematurely. Maybe there was a similarity to Cleopatra. But had Mabel being poisoned or killed by an asp? The police had i
nitially said the death was suspicious. But anyone with a modicum of intelligence once they knew she was linked to the mystery of flight 2075 would know that she had been murdered. Now what could her last message mean?

  He looked up and saw Sarah far up on the hill. A dust devil had suddenly surrounded her and for a second or two she was hidden. A strange thought came over him and he didn't like it one bit. The world of modern jets and transportation allowed the world to become a smaller sphere. Were the killers of Belinda and Archie Forest, the hero of the Korean War, now focusing on him and the beautiful woman who had become his wife? A foreboding filled his mind and suddenly he knew that time was no longer on their side.

  The premonition of disaster faded away as the dust devil died away. Maybe he was just being too paranoid.

  The next fact that surfaced in Jake's mind was much more satisfying. The letter was from Betty and had been written by a nurse's aid. She must have talked to the detective and he had promised to forward her letter.

  "Dear Jake:

  I'm still not able to believe the news but I must. The detective has said that you are safe and out of harms way, thanks God. Poor Archie, he didn't deserve to die like that. It happened so quickly that I felt I was in a bad dream or a gangster movie. I thought I'd tell you something about what Archie and I talked about before this terrible thing happened."

  Jake had never heard her make reference to the General by his fi rst name. He continued reading.

  "Jake, you were very special to him. He thought of you as the son he never had. You made him a small fortune and that allowed him to have an active retirement. I too benefi ted from your brokering skills. I remember telling you that I'd soon be retired and your response was that the General couldn't afford to let me go. Now all that has changed. The poor man.

  However I digress. Archie wanted to give you the money for your new Fat Lady. That was about the last thing he did. I send out the documents to our lawyer and so even though Archie is dead, that hasn't changed anything. The amount was $440,000. He thought you should have enough to make sure you got the best.