by Tripp Ellis
We took a seat on the white leather couch in front of a glass coffee table. Don took a seat on a lounge chair catty-corner. "A deputy called, said my daughter was murdered. You're going to catch the son-of-a-bitch who did this, aren't you?"
8
"I can assure you, we will do everything possible to bring your daughter's killer to justice," I said. "You know of anyone who may have wanted to harm her?"
Don took a deep breath, thought for a moment, then exhaled. "You got me. I don't think she had any enemies."
"Jealous boyfriend maybe?" I postulated.
"She wasn't dating anyone as far as I know. She was pretty busy with the new job. She'd been working for Brynn for about six months."
"How was that working out for her?"
"I think it was going well. She seemed happy. She had a nice apartment, drove a nice car. I think she was making decent money."
"Were you two close?"
"We didn't talk every day. But maybe every other day. We'd go to dinner or lunch once a week. Her mother passed away a few years ago. We are all each other has left… were all each other had left. I’ve got nobody now." Don's head hung low, and his eyes brimmed.
It was heartbreaking.
Don held back the tears as long as he could, then they flowed freely. His chest jerked in heaving sobs. He covered his eyes with his hand and tried to wipe away the tears. He sniffled, wiped his nose with a Kleenex, then took a deep breath. "Can I offer you boys a drink?"
JD and I exchanged a glance.
"No, thank you," I said.
Don stood up and moved to the wet bar. He poured himself a glass of whiskey, then returned and took a seat. His eyes were glazed over, and he stared off into another dimension. He muttered to himself, "Who would do such a thing?"
"We think it may have been a robbery gone wrong," I said. "Possibly a professional hit."
Don looked up from his glass. His sad, blue eyes pierced into me, confused. "Who would want to assassinate my daughter?"
I shrugged. "Was she involved in anything… illegal?"
Don looked taken aback. "What do you mean, illegal?"
"Do you know if she did drugs? Liked to party? That kind of thing."
He started to say something, then stopped. Then he shook his head in frustration. "I really don't know what she did in her free time. I don't think she used drugs. I can't imagine that she would get involved with the wrong crowd, but what would I really know?"
"Did she ever mention anything about a bad encounter with a customer, an Internet stalker, a conflict with a coworker?"
Don shook his head. "Chelsea got along with everyone. Always had a smile on her face. She was very bubbly and outgoing. Even if she was going through hard times, you'd never know it. She kept her cards close to her chest."
"When was the last time you talked to her?"
"Two days ago. We were supposed to have lunch tomorrow." His eyes teared up again.
I gave JD a look, and without saying a word, we were on the same page. We’d intruded enough.
"I think that's all the questions we have for now," I said. "We may be in contact later." I handed Don my card. "If you can think of anything else, call anytime. Night or day. If you need somebody to talk to, just call."
We shook hands and showed ourselves to the door. Just as we were stepping out of the condo, Don called down the foyer to us, “Did you guys ever catch the Seaside Stalker?"
I hovered in the doorway and said, “No. Not yet."
“You don’t think these are related, do you?"
“No. Completely different MOs."
We stepped into the hallway, and I pulled the door shut behind us. We walked down the long corridor to the elevators.
JD looked all choked up. “Man that just punches you in the gut, doesn’t it? I feel for the guy.”
I think JD saw a little bit of himself in Don. It was gut wrenching to see the man lose his only daughter in such a horrific way.
I pushed the call button, and we waited for the elevator. The doors slid open, and we stepped on the lift and zipped down to the lobby.
JD drove back to the marina, and we stopped in Diver Down for a drink.
Teagan was behind the bar. The teal-eyed beauty smiled as we took a seat at the counter. "What can I get for you boys?"
"A psychic to help us solve these crimes," Jack joked.
"I'm psychic," Teagan said.
Jack arched a highly skeptical eyebrow.
Teagan feigned offense. She leaned against the bar counter, pushing her ample cleavage together in the process. The taught fabric of her skimpy bikini top could barely contain her attributes. "Try me."
There was a seductive tone in her velvety voice that was irresistible.
"Okay," Jack said. "What am I thinking about right now?"
Teagan scoffed. "That's easy. You're thinking about my tits."
Jack's face twisted, then he lied, "I am not!"
Teagan scoffed again and rolled her eyes. She leaned away from the bar and placed her hands on her hips. Her brown hair hung to her shoulders, and her toned midriff was mesmerizing. "This isn't gonna work if you keep lying."
Jack shrugged, innocently.
Teagan's eyes flicked to me. Her gaze intensified as she tried to see through my eyes and deep into my brain. "You want a whiskey, rocks." Then she looked back to JD. "So do you."
We looked at each other and shrugged, agreeable to her suggestion.
"See. Psychic!" Teagan said, feeling vindicated.
Jack tilted his sunglasses down and rolled his eyes, then lifted the shades.
I wondered if he would wear them all night, channeling the rockstar vibe.
Teagan pulled a bottle of top shelf liquor from the well, spun it in her palm like a pro, and poured two glasses. She slid them across the counter to us. Teagan had picked up the bartending thing quickly and was already acting like she'd been doing it for years.
Jack took a sip of whiskey, then climbed off the bar stool. "Okay. Enough of this BS. We're going to settle this real quick."
Teagan gave me a curious look.
Jack marched out the door, strolled to the parking lot, and dug into the glove box of the Porsche.
I had no idea what he was up to.
He returned a moment later with a deck of cards. He smacked them on the countertop in dramatic fashion. "What do you say we make this interesting?"
Teagan arched a curious eyebrow at him. "What do you have in mind?"
9
Jack pulled the deck of cards from the package and, once again, smacked them on the bar counter. "Cut the cards!"
Teagan grabbed the cards with her svelte fingers and split the deck in half with her perfectly manicured nails. She set half the deck beside the original stack.
JD shuffled the cards like a pro multiple times. Then he set the shuffled deck back on the bar. He had a wry grin on his face. "I'll draw five cards, one at a time. I'll give you 20 bucks for each one you guess right, and you pay me 20 bucks for each one you guess wrong."
Teagan looked hesitant. "That's a little rich for my blood. It's kind of a slow night. I don't want to lose my entire paycheck."
"I'll spot you," I said.
Teagan's teal eyes stared at me for a moment. "Do I have to pay you back if I lose?"
"No. But we'll split the winnings," I said.
A devious smile curled on Teagan's plump lips. Her eyes flicked to JD. "We are on!"
JD's grin grew wider. "I love free money."
He rubbed his hands together in anticipation of his winnings.
"Don't count your chickens before they hatch," Teagan warned.
Jack drew the first card from the top of the deck and looked at it.
Jack of Clubs.
He held the card so Teagan couldn't see the face of it.
Tegan shifted onto one hip, tilted her chin down, and her eyes narrowed. She pursed her lips as she stared intently at the back of the card. She rubbed her temples for effect, then said, "
Jack of Spades."
Jack smiled and slapped the card on the counter face-up. He made the annoying sound of a game show buzzer. "Sorry, wrong answer!"
Teagan cringed and growled. "No way! I was soooo close."
"Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades."
"Don't I get some credit? It's a Jack, after all!"
Jack shook his head. "Sorry, rules of the game. You have to name the card accurately."
"You never said I was going to have to pick the suit! I thought you meant I would just have to pick the face value," Teagan said, trying to wiggle her way out of her mistake.
Jack glanced to me, looking for an opinion.
"Guessing the suit and the rank is considerably harder," I said.
"It should be no problem for a true psychic," Jack said.
Teagan scowled at him.
It was becoming clear to me that she wasn't one to back down from a challenge.
"Okay. Fine,” she said. “You want to play hardball? We'll play hardball. But let's raise the stakes. Hundred bucks a card. And that first card doesn't count. That was just a warm-up."
She stood with her hands on her hips with a sassy expression on her face.
I couldn't tell if she was bluffing in order to get Jack to back down, or if she was that confident.
She didn't even look to me for permission. I was staking her after all. She had taken it upon herself to play fast and loose with my money. It was an easy bet for her to place. She had no downside.
Something told me that I was about to owe Jack $500.
JD lifted his brow and glanced to me as if to ask, are you down with this?
I gave him a subtle nod.
The shit-eating grin on his face grew wider. "Like I said, I love free money."
He pulled another card from the top of the deck.
Nine of Hearts.
"Let's see what you got, psychic," JD said, taunting her.
Teagan's teal eyes narrowed at him. "Zip it. I need absolute silence."
She closed her eyes, rubbed her temples, and thought for a long hard moment. "Nine of D… Hearts," Teagan shouted, changing the suit at the last moment.
Jack frowned and laid the card down face up.
Teagan's eyes brightened, and she shrieked with joy. She bounced up and down, excitedly. And that made everyone happy.
Harlan watched with mild interest. The old Marine was in his usual seat at the bar.
Jack glared at me. "You better not be signaling her."
I raised my hands innocently. "I'm just a casual observer."
Jack realized he was still wearing his sunglasses. The reflection of the card was easily readable in the glass. He grimaced and pulled his glasses off, setting them on the counter. JD grumbled to himself, then said, "That's cheating!"
"I didn't cheat! My eyes were closed," Teagan defended. "Besides, I don't need to cheat. Draw another card!"
Jack did.
Seven of Spades.
Teagan stared at the back of the card and went through her little routine. "Six of Spades."
"Ha!" Jack exclaimed as he slapped the card on the counter.
Teagan groaned. "Oh, so close!"
"It's a lot tougher when you can't cheat."
She scowled at him playfully. "Draw another card, smart ass!"
Jack complied. He held the card in front of his face.
Queen of Hearts.
Teagan stared intently at the back of the card again. She closed her eyes, rubbed her temples, then said, "Queen of Hearts."
Jack grumbled and threw the card down on the counter in frustration.
"Yay!" Teagan exclaimed, bouncing up and down again. She gloated, "How do you explain that, Mr. Skeptic?"
"Luck," Jack groaned.
"Draw another card!"
Jack did. He held it up.
Two of Diamonds.
Teagan took a deep breath and surveyed the back of the card. She spit the answer out in no time. "Two of Diamonds."
Jack's face tensed, and he huffed. He slapped the card down again, making a messy pile.
Teagan shrieked with joy again and bounced more and clapped.
More people gathered around to watch the spectacle. Teagan, bouncing up and down in a tight bikini, was a crowd-pleaser.
Jack glared at me. "You're signaling her."
"I'm not doing anything. I'm watching you lose money."
Jack grumbled more. "Alright, how many is this?"
"First one didn't count. This is five. Draw!" Tegan demanded with her game face on.
Jack drew the final card.
Six of Clubs.
Teagan went through her routine.
10
“Six of Clubs,” Teagan said.
Jack winced and threw the card on the counter. It slid across the pile and almost fell onto the floor.
Teagan screamed with joy.
"That's some bullshit right there," JD said. "Somebody's helping her.”
Teagan leaned against the counter and taunted JD. "Pay up, Mr. Skeptic!"
"If I find out you cheated, I'm gonna whip some ass," he said, playfully.
"You’d like that, wouldn't you?" Teagan taunted.
"Damn right, I would."
Teagan laughed.
Jack counted a small stack of crisp $100 bills and set them atop the bar.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Teagan said, snatching the money. She opened the register, made change, then gave me half. "Thank you, Daddy," she said, in a flirty, breathy voice.
It was a voice that could easily coax a man into evil deeds.
I smiled and stuffed the cash into my pocket.
JD's dismay faded as an idea sparked in his twisted mind. "You swear that shit was for real?"
Teagan held up her hand. "Scout’s honor."
"You ain't no scout."
She huffed. "I swear. I didn't cheat. Not even on the first card. I wasn't looking at the reflection in your sunglasses."
I knew what JD was thinking before he said it. "We need to take this girl to Vegas."
Teagan shook her head. "Nope. Doesn't work that way."
"What do you mean, it doesn't work that way?" JD asked.
Teagan shrugged. "Believe me, if I thought I could make money in Vegas, I'd be there tomorrow."
"So this is all just luck?" JD asked.
Teagan shrugged. "I don't know what it is. Sometimes things just come to me. You held up the card, I thought about it, I saw it. I can't explain it. But when I go to Vegas, there are too many cards. It's like information overload. I see all of them."
"What about lotto?" JD asked.
Teagan shook her head again. "Nope. I haven’t been able to pick lotto numbers either. I need some kind of physical connection. I touched the deck of cards. You're right here in front of me. I don't know how it works, but I think those kinds of things matter. And I can't do it all the time. It seems to come and go."
JD's face scrunched up, not sure of what to make of all this.
Hell, I wasn't sure what to make of this.
"I still think you got lucky," JD said.
Teagan smiled. "Think whatever you want. But I walked away with your money."
Jack sighed. "I think it's time for me to go before I lose more.” He looked to me. "I'll catch you tomorrow. We can head over to the real estate office and see what we can dig up."
"Night, JD," Teagan said, flashing an adorable smile.
He forced a return smile. "Night, con-artist."
He pushed out the door and strolled to the parking lot.
"Was that shit really for real?" I asked.
Teagan smiled and shrugged coyly. "I don't know. Try me again sometime."
"I might do that."
"Thanks for spotting me," she said.
"My pleasure."
"That's twice you've had faith in me." Her teal eyes sparkled.
I gave her a curious glance.
"Once for hiring me, and once just now."
"I
like to think I’m a pretty good judge of character. Most of the time, anyway."
Teagan hesitated for a moment. "Any word on what's going to happen when the sale goes through? Do you know if the new owner is going to tear this place down, or if I still have a job?"
"I wish I knew."
Teagan frowned. "Well, it was fun while it lasted. I'll keep taking it day by day."
"Do you have anything else lined up?"
"Nope. I think I will cross that bridge when I come to it. I decided to take the attitude that life is one big improvised bit of sketch comedy."
"You know what they say… Life is a comedy for those who think, and a tragedy for those who feel."
"And a tragicomedy for those who think and feel."
I chuckled, finished the last gulp of my whiskey, then told Teagan good night. I pushed away from the bar, strolled out of the restaurant, and headed down the dock toward the Vivere. I needed to take Buddy for a walk and let him burn off some energy. The little Jack Russell had lots and lots of energy.
The sky was clear, and the stars were out in force. Waves lapped against fiberglass hulls. Boats gently swayed in their slips. I boarded the super-yacht and pushed into the salon.
Buddy came running.
I knelt down and petted him, then grabbed his leash, and took him out for a stroll. A million thoughts spun through my brain. I couldn't stop thinking about McTaggart and the budding family he left behind. I only met his wife, Sally, once at the Christmas party. I couldn't imagine how devastated she must be. I was just sick about it.
We still had a serial predator roaming the island. Though, the Seaside Stalker hadn't struck since the spring breakers left. We had postulated that perhaps the perpetrator was a seasonal hunter. Maybe he was still in the area? Maybe he was gone until next season?
To top it off, now we had someone stalking real estate agents. I wasn't sure if the Chelsea Jones murder was in any way related to the robbery of another real estate agent, Callie Brooks, a few weeks earlier. The MOs didn't really match up, but I planned on talking to Callie. Hopefully, I'd glean some useful information.