Deep Blue Goodbye

by Robin Mahle

  “Fin.” She pushed open her door and jumped out, reaching deep into the footwell to grab her phone still wedged beneath the gas pedal. When she grasped it with her fingertips, Charlie slid it out and finally got a good grip on it. She pulled upright and surveyed the street. Either the neighbors weren’t home, or they were and didn’t care about the noise.

  With time running against her, Charlie jogged to the front door. It was closed but unlocked. She turned the handle and slowly pushed it open. “Hello? Fin?” Her heart was in her throat and she tried to swallow it back down. “Fin? Are you okay?”

  That was when she heard the moan. “Oh, God.” Charlie rushed toward the back where she’d been only a few days earlier under much different circumstances. She heard him moan again. “I’m coming.”

  Fin was on the floor of his office. Blood pooled around his chest. “Fin!” She knelt beside him. “I’m calling 911 right now!” She dialed the number and couldn’t take her eyes off him. He was bleeding out. “I need help. A man’s been shot. He’s bleeding. Please hurry!”

  “I have your location, ma’am. We’re sending someone right now. Stay with me, okay?”

  Charlie nodded as if the operator could understand.

  “Ma’am? Are you still there?”

  “Yes. I’m here. Hurry, please. He’s lost a lot of blood.”

  Fin snatched her free wrist. Blood spilled from his mouth as he tried to speak. “She’s in danger,” he muttered.

  Charlie still held the phone to her ear and furrowed her brow as if that might help her understand him. “What did you say? Fin, what did you say? I can’t understand you.” Her tone raised to a shout.

  “Allison. Danger.”

  “What? From who?” Charlie demanded. “Fin? Fin!” She shook him but he didn’t respond. “No. No. You can’t die. Hang on, help’s coming.”

  Sirens sounded in the distance.

  “You hear that? They’re coming, Fin. Hang on.” She shook him harder this time, but he didn’t move. “Fin, please.” Her voice cracked and her eyes reddened.

  The clatter of paramedics rushing inside didn’t alarm her. Charlie was frozen, one hand on the phone and one hand on Fin Dawson.

  “Ma’am. I need you to step back now.” One of the paramedics muscled his way next to Fin. He placed his fingers against Fin’s neck. He looked to his colleague, who pulled Charlie back, and shook his head.

  The phone slipped from Charlie’s hands as she thrust her palms against her mouth. It bounced at her feet and landed on its face.

  “Ma’am, come with me, please. I need you to tell me what happened.”

  When Charlie turned to see who was yanking her away from Fin, she realized it was a cop.

  “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” The officer’s eyes raked over her.

  Charlie’s face was void of any reaction when she turned to the officer. “Is he dead?”

  “I’m afraid so, ma’am. Can you tell me what happened?” The officer asked again.

  She slowly turned her head and gazed at Fin’s body while the paramedics prepared to place him on a gurney. “He was shot. I heard the noise and I came inside.”

  “Do you know who shot him, ma’am? Did you see anyone? It’s important we understand what happened.”

  She looked into the officer’s eyes. They appeared kind, concerned, and sympathetic. It was comforting. Charlie’s mouth was dry, but her nose ran, and she didn’t care. “A man walked inside and shot him.”

  “Can you describe him for me?”

  She nodded and in a monotone voice, replied, “Older. Fifties. He wore jeans and a red shirt. He was overweight.”

  “That’s very good, thank you.” The officer studied her again. “Are you a friend of his?”

  She cast down her gaze and pondered the question.

  “Ma’am? What’s this man’s name?”

  “Finley Dawson,” she replied.

  “Are you Finley’s friend? Is that why you’re here?”

  Charlie turned her gaze upward again, shaking her head. “We aren’t—weren’t—friends. I worked with him.”

  One of the paramedics approached her. “Excuse me, does this phone belong to you?”

  She looked at it. “Yes. That’s mine.”

  “I’m sorry, but it looks like it broke when you dropped it.” He handed it back to her.

  Charlie turned it over in her hands. The screen was shattered.

  “Is there someone I can call for you, ma’am?” the officer said. “Someone who can take you home?”

  “No. My car is here.”

  “Forgive me, ma’am, but you don’t appear capable of driving. I think it might be best if someone comes to get you,” the officer said. “What’s your name?”

  “Charlotte Wells.”

  “Ms. Wells, please let me call someone for you.”

  “I have to go now.” Charlie stepped away from the officer and headed toward the door.

  “Ms. Wells, please. I’m going to need you to come into the station and make a statement.”

  Charlie stopped at the door and turned back. “Now? I have to go now?”

  “It would be best for your friend while it’s fresh in your mind. We need to find the man who killed him. I think you can help with that.”

  Charlie stood at the door, half in and half out. Fin’s words reverberated in her ears. “Allison. Danger.”

  “Ms. Wells?” The officer approached. “I think it’s best if you come with us now, but if there’s anyone you’d like to have meet you there, that’s perfectly fine.”

  “What about my car?” Charlie felt as though she was about to shatter like the screen on her phone.

  “You can come back for it later.” The officer reached for her arm and gently held it. “Please, Ms. Wells. Time is not on our side.”

  Allison had finished her first drink but hesitated to order another. Meanwhile, her newfound friend, Laura, was on her third. The good news was that she’d learned a lot about Tracy Diaz.

  “Aren’t you going to have another?” Laura asked.

  “I can’t. I have to see my son later and I have to drive,” Allison said. “But don’t let me stop you. I’d enjoy another if I could.” She wouldn’t have, but she was playing a part and needed to sound convincing.

  “If you insist.” Laura gained the attention of the waitress and ordered another drink before casting her sights to her cell phone perched on the edge of the table. It appeared as though a text had arrived. She picked up the phone to view the message and her expression hardened.

  Allison noticed the marked shift in Laura’s demeanor. “Is everything all right?” She strained to see the sender of this message, but Laura pressed the button to darken the screen.

  She cleared her throat and returned to Allison. “So, like I was saying, Tracy and Carlos, they were always fighting about something. Where to go out, what friends to see. You name it. Honestly, I don’t know why she married him.”

  Allison’s nerves tingled as Laura’s voice suddenly dripped with contempt. Whoever sent that message had clearly knocked Laura for a loop. “I’m sure they must’ve been happy at first.”

  “Maybe.” Laura sipped on her drink and seemed to return to normal. “I’ll tell you one thing, though. It wouldn’t surprise me one bit if Carlos was behind it, you know?”

  This was new. Up to now, Carlos had just been the crooked developer-husband. Now Allison was seeing something she hadn’t seen in Laura earlier. “Her murder?”

  Laura glanced around the restaurant before looking back at Allison. “Oh yeah. And Harlan. Money was the only thing that mattered to Carlos. More than Tracy, that’s for damn sure.”

  “So, do you know if she was doing anything to protect herself?”

  “What do you mean?” Laura asked.

  “I mean, like, did she have protection. A bodyguard or heck, I don’t know, was she working with anyone to help her?” Allison did her best to appear both impartial and compassionate.

  Laura knitted
her brow and examined Allison with great concern. “I’m not sure I get what you’re asking. Carlos would’ve ripped a new one in any other man who tried to protect her. I mean, like I said before, he never physically abused her…”

  “But you say it wouldn’t have surprised you if he did it. Killed both of them.”

  Laura took a much larger gulp this time. “Look, I get this is all sensational, you know? Intriguing. But Tracy was my friend. And I know you understand what a kind person she really was. You said you knew her from her charity work.”

  “That’s right,” Allison replied. “The children’s charity. We met a few times at some of the functions.”

  Laura nodded. “Right. Of course. Well, I don’t know anything about her getting help from some outsider. I wish I did.” She raised her index finger from the glass she held. “Hang on a minute. There was someone she mentioned. I don’t recall a name.” She gazed upward as if thinking hard. “Damn. Who was that?” When she returned her sights to Allison, she continued. “I don’t remember, but I bet if she was working with someone, it would be on her phone.”

  Allison nodded as if the whole thing was only mildly interesting. She knew that Boyce had some sort of arrangement with Tracy. And then there were the calls from the records Alvarez offered to Shane.

  “Oh, you know what,” Laura began. “It was that guy, that surfer guy. Tracy met him at some function the mayor was holding. God knows what a guy like that was doing with the mayor, but she came back all excited that he said he could help her.”

  “Help her with what?” Allison asked.

  “I don’t know. I assume with getting out from under Carlos. I told Tracy he was only looking to get in her pants and she already had enough men doing that.”

  “A surfer guy, huh? Interesting.”

  “I know, right? I saw him once. He was pretty hot. Blonde hair, super tan. Pretty typical. He had a cool name. I think…that’s right I remember her mentioning his name was Fin, which I thought was cool for a surfer name, right? I mean, how perfect, you know?”

  Allison’s heart skipped a beat. “And you think he might’ve helped her sort of keep things on the down low with Harlan or something? What was he, some kind of cop?”

  “No, he wasn’t a cop. I don’t know what he was doing to help her out. Maybe getting dirt on Carlos? She probably figured if she could get something on Carlos that hit his wallet, that would hurt him more than her having an affair.”

  Allison strained to think of what business Fin Dawson had with Carlos or the mayor. She instantly recalled Charlie telling her Fin was driving to a house who she believed belonged to the mayor. It seemed so out in left field but maybe it wasn’t.

  “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter.” Laura finished the rest of her drink. “Nothing matters now that she’s dead. All I know is that Carlos better go to prison for taking her away from me. No matter what anyone says, he was behind her death. I just know it. Maybe I should tell the cops about this Fin Dawson?”

  “I know the cops have a lot of people working on this. I’m sure they’ll figure it all out. We should both just focus on celebrating Tracy’s memory.”

  “You know what, Emma, you couldn’t be more right.”

  20

  It was like a horror movie that ran on a loop inside Charlie’s head. Finley Dawson splayed out on the floor of his home, gurgling his words while blood spilled out. Then he just stopped moving. For almost two hours Charlie had waited at the police station and she couldn’t escape the grisly scene.

  Charlie was nothing if not tenacious. Hell, she managed to claw her way out of an abusive marriage and come out stronger on the other side, but this…this was going to haunt her for some time.

  “Ma’am.” The officer returned to his desk. “You can go now but please understand that it’s possible you’ll be called on again. Can I count on your cooperation?”

  “Of course.” Charlie was slow to rise from the chair. Stiffness had settled in her bones.

  “And you’re sure there’s nothing else?” The officer asked. “Nothing else you can remember?”

  Charlie looked away. “No, sir. Nothing else.”

  The officer appeared unconvinced. “Okay, then. We’ll be in touch.”

  Charlie reached for her handbag and started to leave and as she returned to the lobby, a friendly face appeared. She wasn’t close to Shane Sullivan the way Allison was, but he knew what they had been up to and that he could be trusted. Her eyes immediately welled. “Shane.”

  “Charlie, what are you doing here?” He hurried toward her. “Are you okay? Did something happen?”

  Her eyes darted back and forth, confirming the officer wasn’t watching. “He’s dead, Shane. Fin’s dead.”

  “What?” He lowered his tone and pulled Charlie aside. “How? When did this happen? Where’s Allison?”

  Charlie shook her head erratically and her voice cracked. “I don’t know. I don’t know.”

  “It’s okay. Just calm down. Come here.” Shane led her toward an empty corridor near the restrooms. “Charlie, start from the beginning and tell me what happened.”

  “There’s no time. We have to find Alli. She’s in danger.”

  The evening clouds rolled out, leaving behind a twinkling sky as Allison made her way home. Drinks with Laura Young ran long and now her belly rumbled, but the end result had been worth it. Allison was armed with new information on the Tracy Diaz front.

  The moment Allison left the restaurant, she tried to call Charlie but didn’t get an answer. Now that she was home, she would try again. Allison pulled to a stop on her driveway and stepped out of the car. The sound of an engine racing echoed in the distance but was approaching quickly. Allison spun around. “Shane? What in the world?”

  He slammed on the brakes and stopped inches from her car before he jumped out. Charlie crawled out of the passenger side.

  It only took a moment for Allison to see on Charlie’s face that something had gone terribly wrong. “What’s going on? Charlie, are you okay?”

  “We tried to call you, but you didn’t answer,” Shane replied.

  “You did?” Allison reached for her phone. “Oh no. It’s been on silent. What happened? You’re both scaring me.”

  “Let’s go inside. No need to draw attention.” Shane ushered Allison and Charlie to the front door and waited for Allison to open it. “Is Nolan here?”

  “No. He has baseball practice tonight.” Allison walked in. “Please tell me what’s going on. I’m starting to freak out.”

  Shane waited for Charlie to enter before he closed the door. “You want to tell her since you were there?”

  Charlie nodded and looked at Allison. “It’s Fin Dawson. Alli, he’s dead. He was shot almost right in front of me.”

  “What?” She stumbled back. “You were there? Jesus, are you hurt?”

  “No. I’m fine,” Charlie said. “I should’ve listened to you. I waited for Fin to leave and I followed him back to his house. Just as I was about to give up, the Mercedes, the one we saw at Boyce’s office on that video—the one you think drove by you that night. Alli, whoever was driving that car killed Fin.”

  “Another officer arrived on the scene and brought her in to make a statement. I saw Charlie as she was leaving and she told me. I brought her straight here,” Shane replied. “Let’s all just sit down. We need to clear our heads and figure out what the hell is happening.” He walked into the kitchen and snatched bottles of water from the fridge. “Okay, now we know the Mercedes is the key.”

  Allison pulled out a dining chair, scraping its legs across the hardwood floor before sitting down. “That damn Mercedes.” She turned to Charlie, who sat next to her. “Did you see the plates?”

  Charlie pulled her damaged phone from her purse and set it on the table. “I took a picture of it. But then I dropped my phone when I saw…” She turned away.

  “That’s okay. I’m sure we’ll be able to pull the information from this, right?” Allison looked at Shane
. “You have people who can do that?”

  “I do, but Allison, how do you think the department is going to react to the news that Charlie had this information and didn’t disclose it to the officer who brought her in? It’ll look bad.”

  “You’re right,” Allison replied. “Well, this has gone far enough.” She grabbed her phone and waited for the line to answer. “Milo, we need to talk. Now.”

  The door opened and Milo stood on the other side. “How are you holding up, kid?”

  Allison exhaled a weary breath but managed a tender smile. “Me? Not great. Charlie? She’s in bad shape.”

  “I’d say that’s because this is bad, Allison. Really bad.” He stepped inside.

  “I’m glad you’re here. We all are. Come in.” Allison led the way into the kitchen and walked toward the window in the breakfast nook, peeking through the blinds. “At what point do we throw in the towel and tell Montoya and Alvarez what’s happened up to now? We’ve been skirting around them as much as legally possible while Milo works to build his case. I’m afraid our time’s up and it will be Shane who suffers the greatest fallout if we choose to keep quiet. So Milo, you’re here to tell us which direction to take. This was your deal. Your’s and Tommy’s. We’ve lost Tommy and now Fin. If we don’t come to a consensus, one of us could be next.”

  Milo studied the people around him. “I am not oblivious to the impact this has had on each and every one of you. I, too, am shaken up by what’s happened. Allison came to me and I asked her to keep a lid on things as much as possible while I worked to finalize my investigation into Carlos Diaz. Although that hasn’t changed, the circumstances certainly have. Especially for you, Charlie. What you saw today—it never should’ve happened.”

  “Did you have any idea someone was out to get Fin Dawson? Was it because of his relationship with Tommy Boyce?” Charlie asked.

  “I had no idea something like this could’ve happened to him. Dawson was a good kid, but he had his own agenda.”

  “Surprise, surprise.” Allison traversed a path around the kitchen. “You knew him better than just some guy who worked with Tommy, didn’t you? Who was he really?”