Dead Storm

by Emma Rose Watts

  “Not here for a drink. Just need a word,” she said pulling out her badge. “Lamar Erickson. You know him?”

  “Yeah.” She looked around. “He was in earlier for his shift but shot out to get some supplies like an hour ago. Never returned. I figured he got stuck in traffic.”

  “Right,” she said. “Did he seem okay when he left?”

  She shrugged. “Sorry. Can’t say I was paying too much attention. With this weather we’ve had our hands full. We were playing it by ear, hoping it might die down but the owner has decided to call it a day and shut down.”

  Palm trees flew by the window, and mud and sand splattered against panes of glass as the earth gave way to Mother Nature. Skylar nodded. “Did he say when he would be back?”

  “No. He just said that we needed a few more things. Why?”

  “He’s dead.”

  Her mouth opened wide and she stopped wiping down the counter. “What?”

  “Yeah, you might want to alert the owner.”

  “The owner is away. Up in Tallahassee.”

  “Smart thinking.”

  “Yeah, she left the bar in Lamar’s hands.”

  “Well, then I’m going to need her number and the list of employees. Surveillance video if you have any for today.”

  “Um.” The girl looked flustered. She stopped wiping down the counters. “Gary. Gary!” she bellowed. A bald-headed guy appeared at the far end of the bar.

  “What is it, darlin’?”

  “You think you can get me Shirley’s number, and a printout of employees?”

  “Now?”

  “Yes. Now,” Skylar said. He frowned at her and nodded before heading into the back. Skylar looked around the bar. She couldn’t get over the fact that so many businesses continued to operate right up until the day before landfall. It was if they wanted to push their luck. Not that it was unheard of. She’d seen the news over the years of folks down in Florida refusing mandatory evacuations, but most of those were locals not business owners. Who the hell was going to venture out to get a beer in this weather? While Gary pulled together what she’d requested, Skylar probed for more information.

  “You heard the name Mike Randall?”

  “I’m sorry, I haven’t.”

  “What about Lamar? Did he speak with anyone today? Anyone leave with him?”

  “No. He seemed in good spirits. He was by himself, I think. Again, I don’t know. I’ve been too busy. But like I said he was just heading out to collect some supplies. I actually thought he would have been back by now.”

  “Did he ever talk about his personal life much?”

  “Lamar? Not really. He kept to himself. He was a funny guy when you got a few drinks in him but he was my manager. Staff tends to keep to themselves. We always felt he was looking over our shoulder. You know — keeping an eye on what we were doing. Making sure we were doing it right. It’s normal though, right? I guess you could say he tended to be a little picky.”

  Skylar heard staff making noise out back.

  “And anyone have problems with that?”

  “Not any more than you might have with your superior.”

  Skylar nodded. “Got it.”

  Gary soon returned with a business card with Shirley’s number on it, and a printout of all employee names, phone numbers and addresses. Skylar planned on handing that off to Reznik. The last thing she wanted to be doing was making calls. Though if the weather got worse, they wouldn’t likely be able to do even that, as the cell towers could stop working. It had occurred in Katrina. It was one of the reasons why the government was so slow to get in and help people.

  Skylar thanked the bartender, took down her name and made a brief call to the owner of Harry’s Bar. Shirley was beyond shocked, she was devastated to learn about what happened to Lamar. According to her he was an outstanding employee and had all the makings of someone that she hoped to one day pass the business on to. When asked if he suffered from depression, anxiety or was on any medication, she flat out refused to believe it was possible. He was the most upbeat, responsible, and on time individual she had employed. After disconnecting, Skylar looked out the window at someone trying to get their car door to close. The wind was blowing so fast it was preventing them. She hurried out and gave them a hand before returning to the crime scene.

  In the time she’d been away, Hanson had shown up and taken photos and EMTs had removed the body. Harvey was just doing a routine check of the area and speaking to some of the locals to find out if they had seen anything.

  “Harvey!” Skylar yelled.

  Her voice was lost in the wind. Just as she was making her way across the road, the phone rang. It was Martin Marine calling to inform her that they were planning to collect her boat and if there was anything she needed, to collect it before they carted it away.

  Harvey tapped on the window. She brought it down.

  “No one saw anything.”

  “No surprise there,” Skylar said before bringing him up to speed on how things had gone inside the bar. “Hopefully surveillance can shed some light. He lived alone and unless he was at work the night Jason died, chances are we’ll have to contact the phone company and see if they can tell us where his phone was that night. In the meantime, we need to find out who this Mike Randall is, and what connection he has to Jason, and if Erickson knew Jason.”

  “I’ll have Reznik look into it.”

  “Look, I have to go to the marina and collect a few of my belongings. They are taking Scot’s boat out. You think I can use your truck as mine is back at the department? I also need to…” she trailed off not wanting to say that she didn’t know where she was going to stay but Harvey must have picked up on it.

  “Reid. I’ve told you. You can use the truck whenever you like. I’m surprised you haven’t dumped your rust bucket. I’ll get a lift back with Hanson and use a cruiser. With your boat out. You’ll need a place to stay. What have you arranged?”

  “I uh…it’s okay. Don’t worry about me.”

  “Reid. You’ll stay with us.”

  “Harv.”

  “You can thank me later,” he said turning and yelling to Miles to get in contact with them if they found anything else of significance in the vehicle or nearby.

  8

  Skylar was a few minutes from the marina when she received the devastating news. Her phone started buzzing and she ignored it at first but when it did it again, she swerved off to the edge of the road and took the call. Reznik was on the other end of the line.

  “Reid, where are you?”

  “On route to my boat. I have to get it out of the water.”

  “Listen, I’ve got some bad news.”

  “You’re quitting the department.”

  “No.”

  “Funding for that gender reversal fell through?”

  “What?”

  “Spit it out, Reznik!”

  “It’s Ben. He’s been in an accident.”

  Her stomach dropped.

  She bombarded him with questions. “What? Where? When? Is he okay?”

  “His vehicle overturned north on 67. From what we can tell he swerved to avoid a vehicle pulling out of a driveway. The other driver wasn’t looking where they were going. It caused a collision with a truck coming southbound. There is one fatality, two drivers are in critical condition and have been airlifted to Tallahassee, and Ben was taken to Apalachicola. He’s been taken to Weems Memorial.”

  She went quiet and he asked if she was okay. He rambled for a minute then told her he had to go.

  “Yeah. Thanks, Reznik.”

  Torn between getting the boat out and visiting him, she had to go to the marina first. Scot would have killed her if that boat got any damage and according to Donnie, the last storm that had blown in had caused thousands of dollars in damage to boats that weren’t taken out. Stressed out and annoyed, she made a phone call to the hospital. Waiting for someone to pick up, Skylar looked at the dark brooding clouds blocking out the few stars in the
sky that night. Palm trees bent under the weight of hurricane force winds. Her mind was in turmoil and the last thing she wanted to be doing was tracking down some asshole who was on a killing spree.

  “C’mon. Pick up!”

  She phoned again, then again, then again. No one answered. They were probably too overwhelmed by calls. Frustrated, she tossed her phone on the passenger seat and took off towards the marina. It wouldn’t take long. She’d grab a bag, veer the boat over to the boat launch and leave it in the hands of the guys taking it out. Strong winds attempted to pull her off the road. Her windshield wipers were on full speed sloshing rain out of her view. The salty smell of the ocean permeated the air as she arrived at the Moorings of Carrabelle. A large 4 x 4 black truck with white lettering on the side for Martin Marine was already there. She pulled up alongside them and hopped out.

  “Skylar Reid?” one of the guys asked from inside the truck.

  “That’s me. It’s just down here.”

  She led the way down the dock. They told her to collect what she needed and then bring the boat around. As she was making her way down she noticed the lights were still on inside Vagabond. Surely he had left for Atlanta by now? Not having a lot of time to mess around, she raced down the wooden dock and hopped up onto her boat and entered the saloon. She half expected to see the guy from the previous night but thankfully he hadn’t returned. Though he had left behind his sweater. It was slung over the back of a chair. She groaned bringing a hand up to her head. That meant he would show up again and she would be put in the uncomfortable position of trying to remember his name. As choppy waters lapped up against the side of the boat, it shifted beneath her feet, making her lose her balance. She grasped the counter to steady herself before hurrying into the bedroom and pulling out a duffel bag and stuffing it with enough underwear and fresh clothes to last her at least three days. If needed she would just hit up the laundromat. Once she’d collected a few more items, she headed back out into the blustery weather and untied the boat. Next, Skylar fired up the engine and reversed out. The guys were waiting for her and had backed up the truck and boat trailer.

  Just as she was trying to veer the boat in, her phone started ringing.

  “Oh come on.”

  She ignored it even though it rang three times. Was it Reznik calling to say that Ben had taken a turn for the worse? The thought of losing him brought back memories of Alex’s death and the phone call she received that day. Maybe that was why she didn’t answer and focused on getting the boat out of the water.

  Within ten minutes she was on dry ground heading back to the truck. She didn’t want to glance down at her phone but she looked. It wasn’t Reznik, it was Scot. She immediately called him back.

  “I figured you’d be busy,” he said straight off the bat.

  “Oh you wouldn’t believe what kind of day I’m having,” Skylar replied as she walked towards Vagabond. She wanted to check in on Donnie before she headed off.

  “You got my baby out of the water?”

  “It’s out. It’s in good hands.”

  “For a moment I thought you would forget and…”

  “You have nothing to worry about, except for…” she trailed off wondering if she should tell him.

  “Skylar? What’s up?”

  “It’s Ben.”

  Ben and Scot had been close friends since college. It was because of Scot that she’d ended up getting referred to Ben. He was convinced he could help her and for a time she also believed it. Now, she wasn’t too sure.

  “He’s been in an accident.”

  “Is he okay?”

  She shook her head and ran a hand around the back of her neck. “I don’t know. I think so. They didn’t airlift him to Tallahassee so that’s a good thing. I haven’t had a moment’s break to go and see him. You should see the weather down here. It’s horrendous.”

  “What hospital is he in?”

  “Don’t bother trying to call, you won’t get through. The line is jammed with people calling.” She held a finger up to her ear and shouted loudly so he could hear her because of the wind.

  “You okay?”

  “I’m surviving. Working a case right now. Two victims so far. Worst time to have this on my plate.”

  “Where are you staying now?”

  “What is it with everyone asking me that?”

  “I know you, Skylar. C’mon.”

  “Actually, it seems I’m going to be holed up at Harvey’s home,” she said as she reached the door of Vagabond. The closed sign was up and the lights were on but she couldn’t see anyone inside. She gave a knock but didn’t get any answer.

  “Harvey planning on riding out the storm?”

  “Seems so.” Skylar turned and noticed that Donnie’s vehicle was still in the parking lot. He drove a red Toyota SUV. “Look, Scot, can I call you back? I need to check in on someone.”

  “Yeah. Hey look, play it safe. I don’t want to be burying two of my friends.”

  She nodded, and the call ended.

  “Donnie? You in there?” she yelled, banging a few times on the door. She shook the handle but it was locked. It was odd to see the lights on. Usually if he went away or shut down for the day, the lights were off. Hurrying over to his SUV, she looked inside to see if he’d thrown a bag in the back or passenger side. There was nothing. She tried the door and it opened, and she saw a key fob in the center console. Something wasn’t right. Skylar put her duffel bag into her vehicle and dashed back to the café as the rain beat down on her. The ground had turned into a stream, and water had risen in the bay and was splashing over onto the dock. There was a large wooden gate that went around the side and back of the café. Skylar tried to get in but it too was locked. She backed up and then ran at the gate, vaulting herself to the top and over like an obstacle course. As soon as she made it to the top, she spotted him lying on the ground. Nearby was a section of a sign that must have blown over and struck him in the head.

  “Donnie!” Skylar hopped down and hurried over to check his pulse. He was alive but he had one hell of a nasty gash on his scalp and was bleeding badly. “All right. I got you.” She cursed under her breath and asked God to give her a break. She made sure the back door on his café was locked before hauling him up and carrying him to the gate. Why he’d locked it from the other side was a mystery. She unbolted it and carried him to Harvey’s truck. Donnie stirred and began groaning. His clothes were drenched. She placed him in the back of the truck and shut the door before hurrying around to the driver’s side and getting in. Swerving out of the parking lot she wasn’t looking where she was going and the rear end smashed into a garbage can. “Oh, that’s not good.” She could already hear Harvey chewing her out.

  Skylar tore away heading for the hospital. Still thinking that the John Gorrie Memorial Bridge would be open, she arrived to find it closed. “You have got to be joking!” she bellowed, slamming on her brakes and then sticking the gear in reverse and backing up. With that closed down, the only way over to Apalachicola was to go north up 65 to Bristol and cross over Trammell Bridge, but that would add a couple hours to her trip. There was no way in hell she could do that, not with the investigation, and Hurricane Norman bearing down on them. Skylar pounded her fist against the truck steering wheel and scooped up her phone to call Harvey. She could hear the wind howling outside.

  “Harvey. I’m heading to your home. Is Elizabeth there?”

  “She should be. Though she was trying to convince me to head up to Tallahassee.”

  “Look, I’m bringing Donnie over.”

  “What?”

  “He’s got quite the gash on his head and the memorial bridge is closed so I can’t get him to the hospital.”

  “And so you want to bring him to my house?”

  “It’s either that or drive north and loop around. And I don’t think we have two hours to waste here.”

  “Skylar. What condition is he in?”

  She glanced over her shoulder. “Hard to tell. He’s ble
eding pretty bad.”

  “Have you bandaged it up?”

  “No. I…”

  “Skylar.”

  “Ben is in the hospital. He was in an accident.”

  “I know. I heard. Look, Skylar, you aren’t thinking clearly. Take Donnie to the hospital. There isn’t much we can do right now with the investigation. Until I get that report back on the rope, it’s all circumstantial. For all we know Erickson might have been the one that killed Jason and then he took his own life.”

  “Yeah, maybe. I might not make it back this evening then.”

  “Just stay at the hospital. You should be safe there at least for this evening. The hurricane isn’t supposed to make landfall until tomorrow. We still have some time.”

  “Harv. Maybe you should listen to Elizabeth and head to Tallahassee. It’s getting wild out here and…”

  He chuckled. “Trust me, Reid. I’ve ridden out worse storms than this. Just take a deep breath and drive carefully. I’m sure Ben will be just fine.”

  “If he…”

  “Are you talking on the phone while driving?”

  “Nope,” she said.

  “That’s my truck. Look after it.”

  “About that.”

  “Oh God, no. Please tell me you didn’t wreck it.”

  “Something blew into it.”

  “Like?”

  “A garbage can.”

  “More like you swerved into it.”

  “Swerved. Blew. Hard to know with these winds.”

  She heard him groan. “Just phone later and let me know you got to the hospital safely.”

  She put her foot down. “You got it.”

  Skylar settled in for the long drive around the Apalachicola River. Every few minutes she would look back to check that Donnie was breathing. Her thoughts circled around the investigation, Ben and what Harvey had said. As of late she had been burying herself in her work and drinking heavily to numb the pain inside her. Some of that pain had eased through her sessions with Ben but since they’d gone their separate ways, she hadn’t found anyone she felt comfortable opening up to. Of course, she’d given a few a try but their methods were very cold and clinical, and they often spent time just repeating what she said. She could have recorded her own voice and played it back if that helped. No, her connection with Ben was something different.