Montego Bay

by Fred Galvin

  Roje heard someone call out, “Rico. Where’s Rico?”

  He yelled back, “Rico’s gone. Went over the side.”

  He then chanced a peek over the side and saw his sister running at a full sprint toward the dock, screaming his name, Dan Deckler right behind her. Over to the left he saw two policemen also running toward the dock. He stood up and waved. Then he saw his mother behind Dan running down a dune, at least running as best she could in her long flowered dress, also calling his name.

  He clambered out of the boat onto the dock just as his sister got there. She nearly knocked him into the water as they hugged, both in tears.

  ~~~

  I hung back as Ronnie and Roje embraced. Suddenly Delyse whooshed past me to make it a three-way group hug. All three were crying.

  Antony was next onto the boat and he went directly to Gillian, his service weapon trained on him. He also swung around full circle with his gun looking for Rico. The cabin was empty. Roje turned around and called in to Antony, “If you’re looking for Rico, he went over the side a while ago. He’s gone. I’ll explain later.”

  I turned to see Monro standing on the dock covering us all, his rifle ready. It was immediately clear that Gillian was no longer posing a threat to anyone and Rico was nowhere to be found. Gillian seemed barely conscious. To me his wound didn’t look life threatening if the blood loss could be stemmed quickly.

  Antony holstered his gun and called Jamaica’s version of 911 requesting an ambulance. He took a moment to explain exactly we were. Then he turned to Roje. Ever the professional and in a commanding tone, “Mr. Deveaux, please get your first aid kit. We need to stop this bleeding.”

  Delyse disengaged from her two children and came to me. I scolded her in as firm a voice as I could muster, which wasn’t very firm. “I thought you promised to stay at the car.”

  “I did promise and I did stay at the car.” I waited like a parent waiting for a guilty child to confess. “Until I didn’t. Forgive me?” Her eyes looked up at me and had the puppy dog look that every woman knows that every man can’t resist. I just pulled her to me and we embraced.

  “Of course. I’m just glad they’re both okay. You should be very proud of them.”

  “Yes, I am. And I’m also proud of my detective boyfriend.”

  “Wow! I’ve made it to boyfriend status already. I guess I wasn’t dreaming about our night at that quaint bungalow at, what was it … Seagrape Terrace, was I?”

  She was now whispering in my ear. “Well, I’m not sure. You’ll have to tell me about your dream and maybe, if it’s good enough, we can make it a recurring dream.”

  “Oh, it was good, very good.”

  Still embracing we turned to see Roje and Ronnie looking at us, huge smiles on their faces.

  Delyse and I simultaneously, “What!”

  Ronnie just said, “You two are cute.”

  Back in the cabin, Antony was still with Gillian who seemed to have stabilized a bit. At least he was conscious. Monro was there helping bandage him up and it looked like they had stopped the bleeding.

  Antony then stood over Gillian. “Mr. Whyte, can you tell me what happened to Rico, the passenger who boarded in Grand Cayman?”

  Gillian looked up at him with glazed eyes and mumbled something “ Rico? Oh yeah, … fell over the side.”

  Antony call for Roje. “Mr. Deveaux, please explain to me what happened to this Rico character.”

  Roje told Antony about the incident and how Gillian managed to get the monster over the side using his own momentum. Antony just said, “Ah,” and turned back toward Gillian.

  “Gillian Whyte, I am arresting you under caution for the kidnapping and illegal detention of Ronika Deveaux, Roje Deveaux, and the illegal transport of weapons into Jamaica. I am further arresting you under caution for the suspected murder of Rico, um,” he hesitated, “… surname unknown.”

  I turned to Ronnie, “Is that necessary now?”

  “I guess so. It seems Captain Antony is a ‘by the book’ cop. On this island we need as many Antonys as we can get.”

  In the distance we could hear a siren heading our way.

  Antony listened to a voicemail message on his phone and his brow furrowed. He turned to Roje. “Mr. Deveaux, you are to stay with us. Your life may be in danger.” He gave no further explanation.

  Delyse spoke up. “Why? What’s happening?” Antony was already back on his phone mustering more officers to the scene and explaining what had happened at Runaway Bay. He made one more call and we heard him say, “Officer Dixon, I received your message. Report please.”

  I had to hand it to him, he was right on top of things and wouldn’t rest until everything was tied up with a neat bow. The only thing he hadn’t pinned down so far was the late Rico’s last name. I suspected we may never know that.

  Chapter 40: “Welcome to Jamaica, mon.”

  Gabi had eyes on Eggs-Over-Easy at the marina. He was alternating between walking around and sitting on a bench staring out to sea. She wondered what the plan inside his brain (brain?) was if Roje did pull the Nymph into his slip. Just pull out his gun and open fire? Actually that probably was his plan. She doubted he was capable of formulating a scenario where he would get Roje alone and then just kill him.

  Instead his brain would probably sequence it like:

  There’s Roje …

  Bang …

  Done …

  Grunt …

  Then think about escape.

  What poor Eggs didn’t know was that, at any moment, Officer Gabrielle Dixon, MBPD, was never more than two seconds away from pulling her weapon and dropping him. No calling, “Stop! Police!” Well maybe after dropping him but that would be too late, from an official protocol point of view. Oopsie! Too bad, so sad. I’ll get it right next time, maybe.

  She had called Sergeant Banyon explaining the situation and requesting backup. She knew she was on her own for at least fifteen minutes which she believed was fine. Even if Roje did leave Runaway Bay quickly to sail back to the marina, which was doubtful, she figured it would take him longer than a half-hour. So this situation would be resolved without harm coming to her lover. The thought calmed her but, no rush. She was a professional and her training steadfastly dictated to always wait for backup unless the situation was absolutely dire and demanded immediate action. Eggs-Over-Easy’s aimless meandering and bench-sitting certainly was not dire.

  As she sat in her car waiting, eyes fixed on Eggs, her phone buzzed, the ID reading CAPT. ANTONY. “Yes, sir.”

  “Officer Dixon, I received your message. Report please.”

  “Yes, sir. But first, please, has the situation there been resolved? Anyone hurt? Is Roje okay?”

  “Sorry. I should have lead with that. Yes, Mr. Deveaux is fine. The situation has been secured. Unfortunately Officer Monro had to disable Gillian Whyte with one shot to the shoulder. He will survive. No other casualties. Your report now, please.”

  Gabi thought, Wow, this guy has ice water instead of blood. Or maybe he doesn’t even have blood, just transistors, diodes, computer chips, stuff like that. “Yes, thank you. It’s a relief to know that it’s over. I have the individual assigned to kill Roje in my sight at the marina. He is just evidently waiting for Roje to come in and tie up the Sea Nymph. I have called Officer Banyon requesting backup. If necessary, I am in position to disable the suspect.”

  “Very well. I will dispatch officer Monro from here to back you up as well. Do not engage the suspect unless absolutely necessary. Await backup. Clear?”

  “Clear.” She decided to have a little fun with her by-the-book boss. “Sir?”

  “Yes?”

  “Please tell Roje I’m fine and that I love him. Can you do that for me please?”

  There was a momentary silence on the phone. Gabi smiled and figured Antony was trying to process her request and how to honor it. Then, “Ten-four, Officer. Keep me posted.”

  “Thank you, sir. Will do.”

  She smiled to her
self. Several officers in her station had tried to get Antony to loosen up. None have been successful. She wished she could be there when, and if, Antony conveyed her message to Roje. She decided she’d also convey the message herself via text to his sat phone.

  SO HAPPY THAT YOU ARE OK. I AM FINE, ON ASSIGNMENT TO KEEP YOU ALIVE. ASK CAPT. ANTONY. SEE YOU TONIGHT. I LOVE YOU – G

  She smiled as she sent it. When she looked back up, to her horror she did not see Eggs. She berated herself and immediately got out of her car and walked toward the marina, panic rising. Then she saw him at a drink vending machine and relaxed. She imagined him grunting with every swallow. Back at the car, she drained her own water bottle and realized she had to pee again, not as urgently as earlier, but still. She looked at her empty water bottle and considered trying to use it. She immediately decided she’d hold it this time, at least until backup arrived. She made a mental note to ask Ronika how she handled such situations when she was on stakeouts with Dan.

  Eggs-Over-Easy was walking back to his spot to wait for Roje. His wait wouldn’t be lasting much longer and Roje would not be arriving.

  ~~~

  As Gabi continued to wait, eyeing the empty water bottle, looking at her watch, and wondering if she was going to be able to hold it until Banyon or Monro arrived, she noticed the marina was beginning to show activity. Marina employees were hosing down the walkways and generally cleaning up while boat owners, private and commercial, were arriving and readying their vessels for a day at sea. Soon tourists would be arriving as well for their excursions.

  The Sea Nymph’s slip was conspicuously empty under the sign DEVEAUX CHARTER SERVICES.

  All this was not good if you were waiting for the opportunity to kill someone and Eggs began to pace, looking out to sea hoping for a glimpse of Roje’s boat returning. He showed no signs of abandoning his post. Stay! STAY! Good dog!

  Gabi had exited her car and was walking around to relieve her discomfort when Sergeant Banyon walked up next to her. He had parked his police cruiser out of sight of the marina. He had arrived with no sirens or lights. Gabi hastily brought him up to date on Eggs-Over-Easy and his plan to murder Roje. Then she hustled to the public lav.

  When she returned, feeling much relieved, Monro had also arrived, sans siren and lights. Gabi went over in detail her following the two men from Rio Bueno to the diner and overhearing their conversation. “Oatmeal is probably at Gillian’s waiting to whack him.”

  Monro’s eyebrows raised. “Oatmeal?”

  “Oh, yeah, sorry. I don’t know their names so I tagged them from their breakfasts at the diner. Eggs-Over-Easy and Oatmeal.”

  “And one of them actually had oatmeal for breakfast? Seriously? I didn’t know any place in Jamaica served oatmeal.”

  Banyon looked at them both. “What the hell is oatmeal?”

  Monro made a face. “It’s hot mush-like stuff that my mother served me as a kid when I lived in Florida. I think she did it to punish me. It’s awful.”

  Gabi checked in with Antony. “Backup has arrived, Captain, Sergeant Banyon and Officer Monro. We feel we can proceed without risking any civilians.” She reviewed their plan. “Permission to apprehend the suspect?”

  “Permission granted.”

  “Thank you, sir. And, Captain?”

  “Yes?”

  “Did you …”

  Pause. She actually heard him inhale deeply. “Yes, I conveyed your message to Mr. Deveaux.”

  She smiled broadly at his discomfort. “Thank you, Captain. I appreciate that.”

  “You’re welcome, Officer Dixon. Report back when you have the suspect in custody.”

  Since Eggs was a rather bulky, albeit dim-witted, suspect, they decided the two men would approach him from the rear and secure him, relieving him of his weapon, while Gabi covered them both.

  After being certain no civilians would be at risk they took positions. Eggs was still looking out to sea when Banyon tapped him on the shoulder from behind. When he turned around, Banyon’s Glock was an inch from his forehead. “Freeze!”

  Grunt.

  Monro reached in Eggs’s jacket and withdrew his firearm from his shoulder holster. It all happened in less than three seconds. Eggs tried to struggle, even with Banyon’s gun pointed at his head, (no brains for sure) but was no match for Monro who had him down on the deck, tourists watching in amazement, several with their phones out recording the action.

  “Hey, you’ll never guess what we witnessed in Jamaica. We were getting ready for our snorkeling excursion and suddenly this guy was on the ground with two men on top of him. One man and a woman had guns trained on him. She yelled the strangest thing. Listen.” The video would plainly pick up Gabi yelling, “Stay down Eggs, stay down!”

  They arrested Eggs-Over-Easy on conspiracy to commit murder. According to his ID his real name was Benecio Bulgari of New York City. Later they would find out his mob nickname was “Big Bennie” which would have fit perfectly if it was “Big Stupid Bennie” or, better yet, “Grunt.”

  Gabi put him in Banyon’s police cruiser for transport to the station while Banyon and Monro took her inconspicuous Toyota in search of Oatmeal who was probably staking out Gillian’s place. Banyon had abandoned his police uniform for civilian clothes he kept in his cruiser for just such stakeout occasions.

  ~~~

  Oatmeal, a.k.a. Angelo “Quack” Duccini of Brooklyn, New York, was sitting in his car about fifty yards from Gillian Whyte’s place patiently waiting to execute his boss’s direct order to execute Gillian as soon as he showed, if he was stupid enough to show. T-Bone had made no bones about it. “Off the bastard and text me a picture.” That was pretty direct. No coded instructions there.

  Banyon and Monro, in Gabi’s Toyota, drove past Oatmeal once. His truck matched the description Gabi provided. Oatmeal seemed not to notice. The Whyte brothers lived on a rather busy road in a not-so-nice section of MoBay. They parked a block away. Banyon approached the truck from behind in a casual I’m-a-local-and-belong-here manner so as not to attract Oatmeal’s attention. Monro, still in police uniform, got as close as he could while out of Oatmeal’s sightlines.

  Evidently it worked because Banyon walked right up to the truck, stuck his Glock in the open window and said, “Don’t even think about reaching for your piece. Now open the door and get out of the truck slowly with your hands where I and my partner across the street can see them.”

  Oatmeal’s eyes went wide as he saw Banyon’s Glock. He spun his head around and saw Monro running toward him from across the street with his Glock pointed at him.

  “Shit! What is this? Can’t a guy sit in his truck in peace in this shitty part of town?” Then in perfect Brooklynese, “What the fuck do yuz want?”

  Banyon looked at him quizzically, probably puzzled by the “yuz” he’d never heard before. “MBPD. Now do as you’re told and get out of the truck with your hands where we can see them. NOW!”

  “I ain’t done nuthin’. You can’t …”

  “We can and we are. You’re under arrest under caution for conspiracy to commit murder.”

  “Caution? What caution? What the hell is that? Where’s my Miranda rights? You gotta Miranda me.”

  Monro smiled. “No one here named Miranda. Welcome to Jamaica, mon.”

  Chapter 41: Decompression at The Flip Flop Lounge

  After our ordeal we all just chilled and caught our breath. After two days Delyse decided we all should get together to “decompress” and allow ourselves to just let go. She announced the Flip Flop would close to the public for the night for an “invitation only” get-together. All refreshments would be on the house and The Reggae Rastas, Ife’s band, would provide the entertainment.

  Speaking of Ife, here’s an amusing side-story involving him and Ronnie which happened shortly after the whole Vernon and Gillian mess was concluded. You may remember on the night of her kidnapping, Ife could not go home with her because he felt ill. In fact, he was so ill, he was confined to his apartment fo
r three days and had no clue what was happening while he slept most of the time. The one time he did try to call her he was greeted by her voicemail. That had happened before so he paid it no mind. When he finally recovered he went to her place to see her just after she awoke from a ten hour sleep.

  When she answered the door he said, “Hi, sorry I’ve been kind of out of touch. I really had a hard time of it, worst cold I ever had. I coughed one whole night. How are you? What have you been doing? Go on any interesting excursions with Roje and Dan?”

  She burst out laughing and couldn’t stop. Bewildered, Ife just watched until she finally calmed down. All he could say was, “What’d I say?”

  That started her going again for another minute. Wiping away a tear, “I guess you could say that, yes, I was on an interesting excursion but it wasn’t exactly with Roje and Dan. At least not directly. Come, sit. Let me put on some tea. Have I got a story to tell you!”

  ~~~

  Anyway, back to Decompression Night at The Flip Flop Lounge. The guest list included:

  The hostess Mrs. Delyse Deveaux and her escort, one Daniel Deckler of the New York Decklers.

  Ronika Deveaux and her escort, Ife Barley, who also was part of the entertainment.

  Roje Deveaux and his new fiancée Gabrielle Dixon

  Sergeant Bembe Banyon and his wife. When he told me his first name I just couldn’t stop saying it. It just rolled off the tongue; Bembe Banyon, Bembe Banyon. Beautiful. His wife reminded me of Gabi.

  Officer Lonzo Monro, which had a cadence of its own. He filled up the Lounge.

  Captain Jordan Antony, which sounded like it was backwards to me, especially after a few adult beverages. He was accompanied by Mrs. Antony, an attractive and animated lady. I suspected she carried most of the dinner conversations in the Antony house.

  And Amelia Campbell and her husband Daniel, proprietors of the Day-O Roadside Stop.

  Uninvited guests were:

  Gillian Whyte, resting uncomfortably in the Montego Bay Hospital, secured to his bed by restraints.