“And what can I get for you?” she asks me. I sure don’t get the kind of charm he’s getting from her. I wonder if we’ve ever had a bad date I don’t remember.
“I’ll take a glass of the Nickel Nickel Chardonnay, Vicky, thank you.”
As she walks away to get our drinks DJ says, “She sure has a great ass.”
“Indeed. She doesn’t care if you’re married or not. You know that, right?”
He sighs, “Yeah, I know, but my heart belongs to Maria. Besides, if I stepped out on Maria, she’d cut my balls off and hand them to me on a plate for dinner. It’s nice to look though.” We both watch Vicky walk down to the end of the bar.
My phone rings. It’s got to be Jeannie, letting us know she’s here. Unbelievably, it’s not. It’s Murph. Shit. I’d forgotten all about him splitting in such a hurry earlier.
“Hey, what’s up?” I say. I mouth ‘Murph’ to DJ as I point to my phone and step outside to take the call.
“Bobby, where are you? Are you alone?”
“No, I’m at Harpoon’s with DJ. Jeannie’ll be here in a minute and we’re going to get a table by the window and watch the sunset. Why?”
“So DJ is there with you?”
“Yes, he’s sitting at the bar.” He’s starting to piss me off, “What the hell is the matter?”
“I don’t know how to say this. There’s no easy way, so here goes. Jeannie has been killed.”
“What? What are you talking about? She’s on her way here.” He can’t be telling me what he’s telling me.
“I’m so sorry. You need to get up to the Bowers as fast and safely as you can. How much has DJ had to drink? Can he drive you up here?”
“Yes, he’s fine. He just ordered a beer. What do you mean she’s been killed? Like a car accident? How do you know? Is that why you took off?” I feel my head start to spin and I have to put my hand on the wall to steady myself.
“Look, Bobby. I’m so sorry. You’re not next of kin or anything, so I can’t tell you much more right now. I’m only calling you because I didn’t want you to see it on the news. Just get up here, okay? When you get here I’ll explain everything but there isn’t much we know at this time. Have DJ drive you. I’ve got to go.” The phone goes dead in my hand.
Lean against the wall for a few minutes before I can walk back into the bar. On the TV is a breaking news story of a car bombing in Santa Ana. Oh my God. Can that be Jeannie?
DJ looks away from the TV, “Jesus, Bobby! You’re white. What the hell happened?”
“She’s dead. Jeannie’s dead. Murph just called me. I think that might be her.” We both look back toward the TV as we see The Bowers Museum printed at the bottom of the screen.
“Oh my God, DJ, someone killed her! I need to get to Bowers Museum now. Right now. Can you drive me?”
“Let’s roll,” he says, throwing a twenty on the counter.
Chapter 28
“I am so sorry, Bobby. I know Jeannie meant a lot to you.” DJ says as we drive up onto the North Bound 5 freeway. “I just can’t fucking believe this has happened.”
I nod my thanks. I don’t trust myself to speak as tears run silently down my face. I turn to face the window. I want to wipe the tears away, but I don’t want to draw attention to the fact that I’m sitting here crying like a baby.
We make the drive in record time and thirty-five minutes later arrive at the Bowers. There are sheriff’s cars, fire trucks, crime scene trucks and news vans scattered all around the perimeter. I can hear news helicopters overhead. Vultures. DJ and I get out of the car and stand looking at the scene. I don’t think we’ll be able to get close. I see Murph talking with a group of people. He notices us when DJ waves at him. Murph signals a uniformed cop to escort us over to him. He introduces us to his boss, Captain Michael Sprague.
“I am very sorry for your loss, Mr. Paladin. I understand you and the victim were close.”
Victim? Shit. “Bobby,” I interject, still not sounding like myself. “Call me Bobby.”
“Bobby. There wasn’t anything we could do. She died instantly. We want you to know that she didn’t suffer. Do you know if she had any family? We’ll need to contact them as soon as possible.”
I swallow and say, “Her parents live in Gaviota. Her father was the police chief up there. Is it okay if I call them? Or does it have to be somebody official? I’d rather they heard it from me.”
Captain Sprague looks at Murph. “Stay with him when he makes the call in case they have any questions.”
Murphy nods. “How long do you think it would take them to get here?” he asks.
“I guess we could expect them late tonight or at the latest tomorrow afternoon. Her mother and father are going to be devastated.”
DJ pipes in, “I’ll reserve a room for them over at the Hilton.”
“Thanks, DJ.”
“Bobby, do you know anyone who would want to do this to Miss Francis?” Sprague asks.
“No. I mean, we just reconnected, so I don’t know anyone she was hanging around with recently,” I say. “Maybe someone at the Bowers knows something?”
“We’re checking with them now. If you can think of anything, call me. Here’s my cell number,” he hands me a business card, turns away from me and walks over to the crime scene. Crime scene. Victim. Christ.
“Bobby.” Murph brings my attention back – away from where it’s headed. “We’re going to have to tell the Captain about the puzzle box. We’re withholding evidence that’s a key part of this murder investigation. We’ve already waited too long. The sooner we tell the Captain about the puzzle box the better my chances of keeping my job.”
“I know, Murph, I know. Let me call her parents first. Can we deal with it tomorrow?”
“Okay, tomorrow, Bobby. Sorry, dude.”
Murph takes me to a quiet spot where I can make this dreaded phone call. I get my phone out, call 411 and have them patch me through. I had met Jeannie’s parents after I quit the pro tour. Her dad had been the police chief in Gaviota, a small California beach town, after he retired from the service. His wife was born and raised in Japan, and he had grown up on a Native American reservation in Florida. They had met after the Korean War while he was with the military police and she was a diplomat’s daughter. They were going to flip out when they heard the news that Jeannie was dead. My only consolation was that at least they were going to hear it from someone who cared about her and not a
stranger. After five rings I hear Mrs. Francis answer the phone.
“Hello?”
“Hello, Mrs. Francis? This is Bobby Paladin. Do you remember me?”
“Bobby! What a nice surprise. Jeannie just told me she saw you at the museum. How are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you,” I pause, not quite sure how to do this. “Umm, is Mr. Francis home? I’d like to speak to him.”
I hear her hesitate, “Yes, of course. Let me get him for you. Ron! You’ll never guess who’s on the phone.”
“Hello!” Ronald Francis bellows into the phone.
“Mr. Francis? This is Bobby Paladin.”
“Bobby! Yes, Jeannie told us she saw you. How are you? Are you taking care of my little girl?
I squeeze my eyes shut to stop the tears, “Not exactly.” I swallow, “I have some bad news, sir. I didn’t want you to hear it from the police or see it on the news.”
“What are you talking about? Explain yourself, son.” I don’t blame him snapping at me.
“Your daughter, Jeannie. She’s been killed.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She was leaving work at the Bowers Museum. Her car exploded.”
“I can’t believe you’re telling me this. How did it happen?”
“I don’t know, sir,” I say. “The police don’t know why.”
After a long silence I say, “I’m so sorry, sir.” I can’t stop my voice from breaking. “You need to get here as soon as you can. My friend made reservations at the South Coast Hilton for you an
d your wife. Are you still there?”
Finally he answers, his voice cracking, “Thank you, Bobby. Chako and I will be there in five or six hours. Would you please arrange to have a detective there to brief me when we arrive?”
“Yes sir, of course. I’m so very sorry to be calling with such horrible news.” Tears are running down my cheeks. There is no way I was going to tell him over the phone about how his only daughter and I had rekindled our relationship, how we both found out we still loved each other.
“Thank you, Bobby, for taking the time to call us personally. For not passing it off to someone who doesn’t know us. It must have been very difficult. I’ll contact you when we get there.” He hangs up the phone.
I stand there staring down at the silent phone in my hand, not quite believing this. It’s surreal. I fell in love with Jeannie the very first time I saw her in Japan. So many memories come rushing back. Now it’s all gone. Just like that. Gone.
DJ walks over to me and puts his arm on my shoulder.
“Hey, Bobby, let’s get out of here,” he says gently. “There isn’t anything more we can do here. Murph says he’d call us later and fill us in when they know something.”
“Sure, DJ, let’s go.”
◆◆◆
He's sitting in his car, watching, waiting. He knew something had happened when the woman’s car stopped sending a GPS signal, but he had not anticipated this. Whoever did this made sure she was dead. He felt a shiver run up his spine. The stakes were higher. Live or die. Those were the choices. If he wants to live, he has to find that box or end up just like her. He can’t even figure out who would do this or why. Was she important or were they trying a different way to get at Paladin? The only person who could have arranged this so quickly was The General. And he was playing for keeps. The General had struck a blow to the opposition, swiftly and brutally.
Chapter 29
Captain Sprague finally walks over to Detective Murphy. He’s pretty sure the asshole isn’t telling him everything he knows. “Murph, keep me posted on what you find,” he says. “There is some shit going on here and you and I both know it’s connected. I want reports on my desk the minute you find out what happened here. Got it?”
“Yes sir,” Murphy answers. He’s not sure the Captain even hears his reply before he storms over to his car and drives off.
A voice from the crowd calls, “Detective Murphy.”
He turns. With relief he sees it’s one of the older guys, Don Dunn, not one of the snot-nosed kids who grew up watching CSI, where everything is solved in sixty minutes or less. This guy has experience and his results can be trusted.
“What is it, Don?”
“I found something you need to see.”
Murph walks over and squats down on the ground near the tech.
“I found a piece of the detonation device. Military grade, but not our military,” he holds up a chard piece for Murphy to see. “This is not something you can buy at a garage sale. It comes from some very high-tech equipment. I’ll run tests when I get back to the lab and see if I can figure out what the explosive was. I’ll call you when I know more. The Captain told me to make this case a priority.”
Murphy stands up. “Thanks. Great work everyone,” he tells the techs, even the young ones.
“I think we’re going to have to bring the Feds in on this one,” Don says. “It’s either black market or we have foreign military on US soil. I’ll let the Captain know when I get a chance.”
“Let me know first, will you?” Murphy says. “I’ll pass it along to the Captain.” Having the Feds around is not going to be fun.
◆◆◆
DJ drops me off at the boat. I get out and tell him, “I’m going to crash for a few hours and wait for Jeannie’s parents to call me. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”
“You’re sure you’ll be okay? Why don’t you stay at my house?”
“No thanks. I think I just need to be alone right now. It’s a lot to process.”
“Okay, if you’re sure. If you need me, just call and I’ll be here in a flash,” DJ says. I nod my thanks as he drives away, headed for home.
Home. I have no home. I have no girlfriend, nothing. In the course of one week, my life has turned to shit. It’s late and I decide to bring up the box tonight and turn it over to Murph in the morning. I look around and don’t see anybody. There’s a blind-spot created by DJ’s paddle board rack. I should be able to bring up the box and unpack it from its water-tight container without anybody seeing me. I move over to the rack, pull the fender up and pull up the fishing line attached to the water-proof container. I look around again, relieved to see I’m still alone. I bring the container onto the boat, open the hatch and go down into the salon. I dry it off, open it and pull out the box. It is so beautiful. All this death and destruction for a box with stolen paperwork locked inside. I’ll be so happy to turn this over to Murph tomorrow and let the sheriffs figure it out.
“Sorry, amigo, I just don’t think I’m the one to solve this puzzle,” I say quietly, hoping Micky can hear me, wherever he is. I tuck the box into my backpack and put it at my feet in the bed. I crash and it seems like I’ve only been asleep a minute or so when my cell phone rings.
“Bobby, this is John G. I just heard about Jeannie. Terrible. She was a wonderful person. She cared for you very much.”
I mumble a reply and he continues, “Do you think you could drop by my house tomorrow sometime? Just call me when you are on your way, okay? Goodnight.” I don’t even get a chance to reply before the phone goes dead in my hand. I’m too tired to think about what was just said to me and go back to sleep.
◆◆◆
John G. hangs up the phone and looks out his office window. There’s only one person who could have done this: General Miguel Sandoval. He’s a very dangerous man. He must be here himself to make sure there were no loose ends; to ensure the deal was completed as planned. This was by far the biggest deal John knew about. Between the ecstasy and the two thousand keys of pure coke, this deal will net over forty million in cash. John knows he’ll do the deal, take his cut and then, when the time was right, he’ll kill The General. An eye for an eye, even if it turns out to be his last act on earth.
◆◆◆
He sits in the shadows outside John Gomez’ house, waiting, watching.
Chapter 30
“Hello?” I answer groggily. The phone wakes me again, but this time the sun is shining.
“Bobby. Ron Francis, Jeannie’s father.” He says in his gruff voice.
Jeannie’s dead. Not a nightmare after all. It really happened.
“Good morning, sir.” I sit up in the bunk. “Are you here in Orange County?”
“Yes we are. Could you meet with Chako and me this morning? We’d like to see you. We have some questions about – well, you’d seen her recently.”
“Of course. I can be at your hotel in an hour or so, Mr. Francis. Do you want me to try to reach Captain Sprague to see when he can meet with you and your wife?”
“Yes. Thank you. To explain what happened. Yes.” I can hear him take a deep breath on the other end of the line. “We’d like to get Jeannie’s remains released, as soon as possible, so we can have a ceremony to honor her life. Chako and I will have to fly to Hawaii to pack up her house.” He clears his throat. I can tell he’s trying to hide his emotions. Having been a police chief, he knows what’s involved, and I can tell he’s just trying to get through it the best he can.
“I’ll get to you as soon as I can.” I say.
“Thank you, Bobby,” He hesitates, “I look forward to seeing you again, even under these circumstances.” He pauses for a minute as if he has something he wants to say to me then hangs up without saying anything more.
I stand up and pull on some clothes. My mind is reeling. I grab my backpack with the puzzle box and head out to my van. I put the backpack in the rear of the van and jump in the driver’s seat. On my way out of town, I hit the drive-through coffee place, get a
bear claw and a large black coffee and head out to the Hilton.
◆◆◆
He’s parked in the harbor parking lot with Paladin’s van in plain sight. The van pulls out of the lot – he’ll follow this guy wherever he goes. He needs that box or he’s a dead man.
He doesn’t notice a car pull out of the lot behind him. A lapse of observation he’ll soon regret.
◆◆◆
I pull up to the front of the hotel and a red-vested valet opens my door. I hand him five dollars. “Park it close and keep an eye on it for me. There’s another five dollars in it for you when I pick it up.” I hand him my keys. I have to give this kid credit. He doesn’t bat an eye at my 12 year-old van. He treats it like any Lexis or Mercedes he’s asked to handle. I watch as he parks the van next to a brand new Ferrari, right up front.
I walk into the lobby and the young woman at the front desk smiles at me.
“I’m here to see Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Francis in room 1030. They’re expecting me.”
She asks my name, calls up and confirms before saying, “The elevators are to the right, sir. At the tenth floor, make a left. There room is located in the middle of the hallway.”
I thank her and walk to the elevator. I ride up to the tenth floor, and find the room. I stand there, and before I can get up the nerve to knock, the door opens.
“Bobby. I am so glad you are here.” Chako says as she hugs me. “Thank you for getting here so quickly. Please come in. Ron is out on the balcony talking with Captain Sprague on the telephone.”
Looking through the sliding glass doors I see Jeannie’s father, leaning on the railing with a cell phone to his ear.
“Bobby, while we have a moment, I’d like to tell you some things that you may not know,” Chako says, putting her hand on my arm. “Jeannie and I spoke the day she died.” She stops to gather herself before continuing, “She was very happy and excited to have seen you. She was in love with you, you know. She always was and when you left Hawaii, it broke her heart. My daughter was very stubborn, like her father, but she always knew what she wanted out of life. What she wanted was to be with you and to raise a family.” Chako looks at me and I see a single tear running down her face. She wipes it away.
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