Death Blow

by Emma Rose Watts

  “By the way did you get the chance to speak to Iris about who she was with on the night Matt died? I mean who those guys were on the motorbikes?” Skylar asked.

  “She can’t remember.”

  “How convenient.”

  “My thoughts exactly and because the license plate on the bike was reported stolen we can’t even get a name that way. My guess is they were the Latinos but until we can nab Santiago we won’t get an answer on that and the chances of him showing his face again are slim to none. He’s probably in Miami or out of the country by now.”

  “It can’t be the Latinos. Unless of course she’s seeing one of them on the side. Why go to all the trouble to kill her boyfriend when they could have just grabbed her and forced him to agree to whatever they wanted? No, something about this still doesn’t add up. I can buy the motivation as being drug related. Deaths occur all the time over drug deals but it just seems they would be shooting themselves in the foot by killing Matt.”

  “Not if Iris had the ingredients to Matt’s recipe. With those they could get anyone who was taking the same course to whip it up,” Skylar said.

  “Let’s hope not as I don’t want to be called out to even more deaths like Matt’s.”

  They pushed out of the vehicle and started to head back to the boat. They had just started walking past Vagabond when Donnie popped his head out. “Glad to see you are out, Skylar, how are you feeling?”

  “Oh I still ache but nothing that won’t heal up. Did you manage to get that back window of yours fixed?”

  “Yeah, cost me a lot, I wish they could find out who did this.”

  “Well I would like to say that we know but what we know and what we can prove are two different things entirely.”

  He nodded and gazed over to the yacht. “You think they had anything to do with it? You know, as some payback for the coffee?”

  “Not the coffee but yeah, I do think they were behind it even though they won’t admit it. But then would you if there is no video proof? Was Carrabelle able to get any prints?”

  “Their guys were down here for a long while dusting and I had to close up for several hours, so it didn’t just cost me a window, there was also the loss from having to turn customers away.” He leaned on a broom that he was using to clear the floor. Skylar felt for him. That’s what so many people forgot. Crime didn’t just affect one person, it affected many. It rolled out like the ripples from a stone thrown into water. She had a strong belief that she knew why they wanted the camera footage gone and she didn’t believe it had anything to do with Matt’s death. Even though Gabriel hadn’t admitted to it, he had made it pretty clear that the fraternity was all about appearances and that meant covering up anyone who might be involved in anything shady.

  Skylar was at a loss for what to say to him. In some ways she felt partly to blame because had she not said anything to Dawson, they wouldn’t have even focused on the café. Heck, had she not said anything, she could have obtained the footage and had concrete evidence that would not only let them put a few people behind bars but also give Donnie a way to cover the loss of earnings and the cost for a new pane of glass. She was going to make it up to him. Of course she knew he wouldn’t accept money if it came from her so she made a mental note to send him some money anonymously. She’d slip it into an envelope and leave it on the counter in a couple of days, she’d mark it with the word TIP. That way he wouldn’t question it.

  “Listen, if there is anything you need, Donnie, just ask.”

  He laughed. “You’re the one that’s injured. This…” He motioned to his café. “This can be replaced but you can’t.” That was the thing about Donnie, he was a glass half full type of guy. Even when life was throwing him curveballs he managed to bounce back from it with a positive outlook and a smile. And this was a guy who had lost his wife. If he could do it, why couldn’t she? She was beginning to think Ben was right. Maybe it was time to let go. She wanted to, she really wanted to put behind the past and embrace the future, she just wasn’t sure she had it in her to do so.

  Chapter 15

  At first it appeared as if there was no one on the yacht.

  Harvey called out Tom’s name but got no response. It was only when Harvey boarded the yacht and was assisting Skylar onto the deck that a short man emerged from down inside the saloon. He had a bushy beard, which offset the baldness of his head, and a thin pair of spectacles. He was wearing a striped shirt, khaki shorts and boating shoes.

  “Can I help you?” he asked looking perturbed by them boarding his yacht without permission. Harvey pulled out his badge and flashed it before producing the warrant. “Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. We have a warrant to search the boat.”

  “Not without my permission you don’t.”

  “We don’t need your permission, sir, we have judges for that. And who are you?”

  “Tom Bowman. And this yacht you’re muddying up with your shoes is mine.”

  He cast his eyes down at Harvey’s shoes with a look of disapproval.

  “But I called out to you and you didn’t respond?”

  A smug smile appeared on his face, the kind that mirrored Gabriel’s. It was one of self-entitlement. A sense that he was smarter than anyone else.

  “I didn’t hear you.”

  Harvey nodded not taking his eyes off him. Skylar could tell he didn’t buy his response. The yacht’s motor wasn’t on and there was no music playing. Her catamaran was good at closing off the noise from outside but even she could hear if someone was calling her name. Harvey brushed by Tom. “Well, Mr. Bowman, if you don’t mind stepping off the boat while we conduct police business, that would be much appreciated. This shouldn’t take too long.” Harvey fished into his pocket for some blue latex gloves.

  “I’m not going anywhere. Now you want to tell me what this is about before I call your chief?”

  Skylar waved Harvey on to begin the search. It would give her a way to keep Bowman from interfering. She’d already picked up on his attitude and disdain for cops.

  “Mr. Bowman, where were you two nights ago?”

  “Tallahassee. Why?”

  She nodded. “You familiar with Matt Carr, Mr. Bowman?”

  “Of course. I heard the news. We’re all still reeling from it.”

  She could hear Harvey down below opening and closing cupboards and rooting around. By the sounds of it he was moving at a fast pace just in case Bowman decided to get physical.

  “Right. And your daughter?”

  “Our lawyers are handling that,” he said.

  “She said you bought a gun for her, is that right?”

  He scoffed. “I’ve already been over this with several other officers. It was registered in her name and it was completely legal. As to how it ended up on the beach, my guess is she dropped it and someone used it to try and frame her.”

  Skylar nodded slowly. “And who do you think might be responsible for that?”

  “How the hell should I know? The cops told me that a Latino gang was involved. Maybe you should be riding them instead of wasting my time.”

  “Wasting your time? Interesting choice of words.” She paused and shouted out to Harvey. “How we doing down there, Harvey?”

  “Oh just dandy,” he said.

  Tom shifted ever so slightly trying to see what he was up to.

  “Speaking of the Latino gang,” Skylar said. “You do know we have your daughter on surveillance video leaving Harry’s Bar at around ten with a group on motorbikes. Those bikes were stolen. Care to shed some light on who they might be? As your daughter doesn’t seem to recall.”

  “How would I know?”

  “Uh I dunno, maybe your daughter told you.”

  “My daughter is still currently locked up while my lawyer tries to sift through shoddy police work.”

  “In all fairness, Mr. Bowman. Her boyfriend was murdered with that gun, and she was at the scene just after the body was found. She says she can’t remember what happened that night but ye
t it’s her prints on the gun. No one else’s.”

  “So someone used gloves.”

  “Maybe,” Skylar said. “Or…”

  Tom leaned forward and stabbed his finger. “It was not my daughter and if you persist to perpetuate that idea I might be inclined to file a civil lawsuit against you and the department.”

  “We’re only doing our job, sir,” Skylar replied.

  “Speaking of doing our jobs.” Harvey emerged from the saloon holding the bag of drugs.

  “That’s not mine,” Tom bellowed.

  “We didn’t say it was, but do you want to explain how it ended up on your boat?”

  “You planted that.”

  “Sir, do we look like the kind of police officers that would plant evidence? No. Now we already have concrete evidence and a confession from Gabriel that lets us know that Matt Carr was creating and distributing this substance. We also know that they were using this boat and the beach house. Which by the way we have a warrant for the house as well.”

  He got this panicked look in his eyes and stepped off the boat as if he was heading off.

  “Sir, where are you going?”

  “To make a phone call.”

  “Oh, if it’s to the house,” Harvey said, “don’t bother. We already have two officers there right now searching it. And I’m pretty sure they are going to find something along the same lines, perhaps even a lab for creating it? Or is that only done at the university?”

  Tom jabbed his finger in the air and returned to the boat, climbing up so he could get up in Harvey’s face. Skylar moved in close just in case he tried anything. “Whether you found that on my boat or they find anything in my house, I had nothing to do with it. Sure, I let them use this boat and the house but I can’t be there twenty-four seven to watch over them. They are adults and let’s face it, officers, we were all in college at one time.”

  “But not a fraternity,” Harvey said. “Now should I place you under arrest or would you prefer my partner did it?”

  “For what? That stuff is legal.”

  Harvey tossed Skylar a glance and smiled. “Oh so you do know about it?”

  The frown went from Tom’s face and was replaced by shock. He then suddenly realized what he’d blurted out. “I mean.” He sighed then dropped down on to one of the deck’s seats. “I heard about it. That’s all I’m saying. I heard Matt had got himself involved with some unsavory characters.”

  “From your daughter?” Skylar asked.

  Tom looked up at her and nodded. “I spoke to him. Pulled him into my office and gave him a talking-to. He promised he wouldn’t make it anymore and that he didn’t want to jeopardize his relationship with Iris.”

  “Did you get along with Matt, Tom?” Harvey asked.

  “Of course I did. He was my daughter’s boyfriend. Besides, why do you think I oversee the fraternity?”

  “Trying to relive your college days?” Harvey said in jest.

  He didn’t find it funny.

  “About that,” Skylar piped up. “I was on the website for the fraternity and I didn’t see your name on there. In fact I saw someone else. Someone by the name of Tim O’Brian.”

  “He was the chief executive officer for Pi Kappa Alpha but quit this year. I guess the website hasn’t been updated yet.”

  “So… this is a new job?”

  “I’ve been at it six months. I guess you can call that new.”

  Skylar stared at him, his demeanor had changed, it was now that of a child who’d been caught with his hand in the cookie jar, or a friend who had invited three people over for a party only to have a hundred show up and it got out of control.

  “I imagine a death like this reflects badly on a fraternity, especially if it comes to light that Matt was involved in a hazing,” Skylar said.

  “A hazing?”

  “Mr. Bowman, the wounds on Matt came from a beating from the others in the fraternity. At a ceremony that took place at the beach house. Are you saying you didn’t know about that?”

  He got this look of disgust on his face. “I might be the chief executive officer for Pi Kappa Alpha but I’m not involved in what they do.”

  “Strange. I was recently reading multiple articles about several pledge ceremonies that had gone wrong around the country and in all cases the chief executive officer had to shut that chapter down.”

  She let her words linger. At first he didn’t say anything but then he spoke up.

  “But Matt didn’t die from a hazing.”

  “Actually, the medical examiner said that had he not been treated there was a high chance he would have died from his wounds. It was a brutal beating, Mr. Bowman. He received blows to the head, torso and thighs.”

  “But they took him to a hospital.”

  “So you did know about that?” Harvey asked leaning against the boat.

  “Of course I did. They phoned me and told me what had happened and that he was having trouble breathing and was complaining about headaches but they didn’t say it was a ceremony.”

  “Who did you speak to?” Skylar asked.

  “Gabriel,” Tom replied.

  “Then what did he say caused them?”

  “He said he’d drunk too much and fallen into the pool and they had to pull him out and resuscitate him.”

  “Strange as there was no mention of him falling into a pool and both Dawson and Gabriel admitted that he got the wounds from a ceremony.”

  “Look, does it matter? I told them to take him to the hospital. I did the right thing. It’s not my fault he walked away.”

  “Who told you he walked away?” Skylar asked, squinting at him.

  “Well obviously he did otherwise he wouldn’t have ended up at a beach miles from the hospital.” He cleared his throat. “Come on, man, shouldn’t you be out there trying to find this Latino gang?”

  “We’re on it. But in order for anything to stick we need a clear motive,” Harvey said, holding up the baggie. “And we now have that, and a confession.”

  “Right. So someone killed him for his involvement. So go after them. Leave the fraternity alone.”

  “Whether it was drug related or not,” Skylar said, “there are still going to be consequences for what happened.”

  “Nothing happened,” Tom yelled back. “It’s unfortunate but the fraternity was not involved and neither was my daughter.”

  “I’m not sure Matt’s parents see it like that,” Skylar added.

  “I don’t give a damn how they see it. Without evidence all you’ve got is circumstantial.”

  “Really? Well maybe not for long,” Skylar said before turning to Harvey. “You got everything we need?”

  “Seems so. I’ll have to check in on Hanson and Reznik but other than that, I guess it’s time to go,” he said pulling out handcuffs to slap on Tom Bowman.

  He put his hands up. “Hold on a minute. You can’t do this.”

  The cuffs clicked around his one wrist and Harvey snapped them on the other. “We can, and I have.” He began reading him his Miranda rights.

  Tom scowled. “You are making a big mistake.”

  “Maybe, but you’ll get to explain it to the judge.”

  “I won’t be in there long enough to do so,” he said gritting his teeth as they hauled him off the boat. “I hope you are both ready for a civil lawsuit.”

  “See, you’re not being charged with anything yet. We are just conducting an investigation and would like to take you down to the department for further questioning. However, you may be charged with the possession of a banned substance.”

  “Banned? I was told everything that Matt was making was legal and aboveboard.”

  “Some of the substances, yeah. The synthetic drug called MDPV, otherwise known as bath salts, is classed as a schedule 1 drug and according to Florida Statute 893.13(6)(a) possession of this controlled substance is a third-degree felony and the penalties are five years in prison and a $5,000 fine. But bear in mind, these are just base penalties, there could
be many other ramifications if it’s found that you or anyone else has been selling or possessing it with the intent to sell, but I’m sure your lawyer will explain that to you, especially since you knew this was being distributed.”

  He struggled within Harvey’s grasp as they led him off the boat.

  “You know I can take it from here,” Harvey said to Skylar as they made their way back to his truck.

  “I know but I want a word with you.”

  They walked in silence except for the grumbling coming from Tom. As soon as Harvey had him in the back of the truck and the door was closed, they walked a short distance away so they would be out of earshot.

  “You know he’s going to walk.”

  “I doubt it,” Harvey said looking back over his shoulder. “Self-entitled prick knew Matt was distributing and he didn’t contact the police.”

  “Would you? Let’s face it, Harvey, they’re all part of a fraternity that keeps secrets. It would have looked bad on the fraternity. Gabriel admitted it was all about appearances. So Tom isn’t going to tell the police. He would pull Matt aside, give him a stiff talking-to and send him on his way. Now you pull him in today and the prosecutor is going to have to prove that he was in actual or constructive possession, and that he knew it was illegal. His defense will try to nullify these presumptions. Tom said he thought it was legal. He also will say he didn’t know about it being on his boat. Matt told everyone that it was legal. All we have is a confession from Dawson and Gabriel of what they were told by Matt and he’s not going to state any different. He will deny everything. This is no different than me knowing they broke into Vagabond. What I know and what I can prove are two different things.”

  “Sure, but we have him on possession. Okay maybe it’s constructive possession but possession nonetheless. It’s up to the judge to figure it out from there.”