Medusa's Lair

by Kenneth L. Funderburk

  “Then after we left the small town where we found out about the murder of Doug and Captain Hayes, the same killers came after me and Danny. We managed to kill them both, but Danny was shot in the shoulder, and I got splinters and stuff in my head. That’s the reason for my bandage.

  “I hate to put all this on you, but you have to know the full extent of our danger. I should have called you from Belize, but I got bogged down in my own problems. Will you forgive me?”

  Suzy sat back for a while, thinking. What do you do? Grieve for Momma? Stew in my own fear? Thank God that Chic wasn’t killed? Flail away at the darkness?

  “Of course I forgive you. Really, Chic, I have no idea what I would do without you. I hope you don’t mind if I just don’t talk for a while. The pain of the loss of my mother along with the threat to my life and yours … I must decide alone if I have the strength to stand by your side.”

  It took awhile, but Suzy finally accepted that her mother had left her in body only. She was with God, and Suzy believed that her mother’s spirit was still present. Why would anyone, she thought, believe that a soul could be destroyed? Nothing else God has created can be destroyed. Suzy’s anger was mollified by her belief that the soul is eternal and at the appointed time she would join her mother and the saints in heaven. In heaven, she reminded herself, time and space cease to exist, and she could freely visit the entire universe. There she could know God as he is and join the choir of angels in eternal praise.

  Chic managed to take care of all the funeral arrangements. He made sure all the family was notified. He tried to relieve Suzy of all these earthly burdens so her full efforts could be directed to adjusting to her mother’s murder.

  The funeral service was well attended at the North Creek Baptist Church. All the politicians were there to be seen. The curiosity seekers were out in force. The preacher was short and to the point on the Gospel in the sermon and long on the family history.

  Suzy was basically in a state of suspension and was unaware of what was going on around her until she was jolted back to the present as Chic sang “Amazing Grace” and “When Peace Like a River.”

  Chic sang like an angel, but perhaps more importantly, he was capable of wrapping his spirit around one’s soul as he sang. Somehow, as he sang, one’s soul would rise to a place of peace and comfort. What he might be unable to accomplish as a clinical psychologist, he accomplished through his spirit as expressed through song.

  On the way back home, Suzy opened up to Chic about her decision.

  “Chic, I’ve decided I’m not going to allow all the evil ones in the world to rule my life. If I allow myself to live in fear of death, or anything else in life, then it means my faith is weak. I believe that when Christ told us if we have faith of a mustard seed, we could move mountains, he was serious. I’m going to un-wad my panties and join you in the battle against evil.”

  “We’ll do this together, Suzy. We are both going to need a full dose of positive energy to tackle these demons head-on.”

  Chapter

  14

  For Fort Walton Beach, Florida, it was a cold, rainy morning. Chic and Heath met for breakfast at Joe and Eddy’s to review their next step in the case, based on the attack at Lake Izabal. After all the efforts they made, including Danny being shot and the other catastrophes following the investigation, it seemed that the only solid information they had was the name of the boat owner and corporation, known as Echeneis. Heath had checked the records, and there was a corporation by the name of Echeneis that was owned by a Belize corporation. The yacht, Angel, was registered in Panama.

  “What kind of name is Echeneis?”

  “Good question, Heath. Echeneis refers to a mythical creature that could stop or sink ships. In modern times, it refers to what we call a suckerfish. A suckerfish attaches itself to sharks and, I believe, to other large fish. I always think of them as having a symbiotic relationship with the shark. They hang onto the shark and live off the crumbs left from the shark’s feeding.

  “I have gotten all the public information I can find, which only reveals that Echeneis is a Belize corporation owned by another corporation. In other words, we will not find any real people we can identify by running down this daisy chain. However, having the name is helpful. We are checking to see if this company shows up anywhere in the chain of loans and other business dealings with the core list of corporations and companies I have identified. Eventually, we will identify companies on whom we can focus our attention.

  “At some point, Chic, we will have to identify the culprits who have a nexus with the drugs and murders in our core case. We are getting closer to the organization behind Ken but not close enough to make any arrest. My intuition tells me we are closer than we think.”

  “I sure hope your intuition nails a real human soon. Our resources are limited.”

  “Here’s the part that has to remain between us. Perhaps we can bring in Danny because we need some real undercover work here. Until I’m sure, I’ll not tell Suzy or anyone else why I’m convinced we have a spy in the Renfro family.”

  “What do you mean we have a spy, Chic? I thought when Ken disappeared, our insider information problem was over.”

  “Here’s the thing. Only you, me, Danny, Suzy, and the Renfro family knew that Danny and I were headed to Belize on a particular date. The Renfro family didn’t know when we actually got to Fronteras because I didn’t give them a specific time frame. It’s clear to me that moving Angel, as well as the murder of Doug and Captain Hayes, and the attempt to kill me and Danny were all a response to my coming to Fronteras to continue my investigation. I’m certain that you, Suzy, Danny, and I didn’t reveal any information about this case. If the source of the information came from any of us, that would require them to have a full-time tail on us. Had that happened, we would have some sign that would’ve tipped us off.”

  “That leaves someone in the Renfro family as our culprit.”

  “The murder of Suzy’s mother, Margie, Captain Hayes and Doug, the attack on me, they all happened shortly after I talked to the Renfro family about my trip to Belize. The timing is so close that we have to conclude that the arrow points to somebody in the Renfro family. I think we need to send Jimmy Amos to Tennessee and let him check out each of the Renfros. My belief is that one of this family has recently come into some money that is being hidden from the rest of the family. So, we direct our attention to the money trail. We are dealing with a real live demon here.”

  “Sounds good to me, Chic. You get everything you can off the Internet, and we will find what we can recover from bank records of the Renfros. Then let’s get together with Jimmy and see where he needs to direct his attention in Tennessee. If we find that one of the Renfros has come into some real money recently, we can bet that is our source of the leak.”

  “Now, I have also formed a conclusion about the case based on the name Echeneis. Actually the perp who named this company has a twisted sense of humor. It could also be a self-destructive impulse at work. Many times a criminal is caught simply because they need to brag or they need to flaunt their achievements. With any criminal endeavor of this size and scope, there are always too many moving parts to remain totally secret. What the name tells me is that the culprit is not the major corporation itself but is a group of employees who feed off the small crumbs of major financial deals of the parent company. For example, the bank could issue bonds secured by mortgages and sell the securities on the open market. Here, the culprits can anonymously buy a portion of the bonds. The group could also control some of the mortgages and other assets that the bank buys for use as security. These investments could be kept at a low level, making it difficult to detect.”

  “Do you mean, Chic, that the group we are after hides in the shadow of the large, legitimate bank or financial house, which may not have any official knowledge of the illegal activity?”

  “Basically, yes. I think you can
superimpose on the picture that the financial institution itself could be involved in larger schemes dealing with countries like Iran, North Korea, and Russia, who are dealing with getting around international sanctions or simply absconding or misdirecting the assets of the country. Size, scope, confusion, and greed all work together to provide cover for these operations. Since we now have a good handle on their business plan, we can more keenly focus our laser of truth in the right direction.”

  Chic and Heath worked out a basic plan of action. Heath called Jimmy and worked out the details as to the overall design of the plan to snoop on the Renfro family. Heath authorized the use of long-range recording devices as well as other snooping gear. Jimmy would be provided financial information as Chic and Heath uncovered that information.

  Jimmy had reviewed all the material Chic and Heath provided him. Chic provided a written analysis of the Renfro family along with his thoughts of who among them was the most likely traitor. Chic had all but ruled out the mother and father as the possible traitor. His opinion was that it was an equal bet between the two children, Myra North and Dr. John Renfro. Sibling rivalry stood out as the primary motivator. Myra was the oldest by eighteen months. John appeared to be the more successful. He had more toys and appeared to be more socially adroit.

  Myra was clearly inclined to be the bossy one, although not as bossy as her mother, Ann. On reflection, Chic had picked up a little tension between the siblings. Chic had the impression that Myra had a low level of resentment toward the younger brother. Nothing specific he could point to. Perhaps a shadow between them. Sometimes an older child resents the attention the parents give a younger sibling. There they were, the center of the parents’ world, and along comes this brother or sister who steals their attention. John’s relationship with the parents was more relaxed than Myra’s.

  Jimmy decided to start with Dr. John Renfro. It was easy to see that John was a lot less observant than Myra. Myra would actually present a challenge.

  Jimmy scoped out John’s house and office. Nothing out of the ordinary. He followed him to a mini storage unit that turned out to be half-empty. Jimmy attached a bug to John’s car, which yielded nothing of interest. John’s phone calls were monitored, but nothing unusual there either. Chic and Heath were able to check on the banking records of John, which appeared normal in every way. He had the assets one would expect of a successful doctor. He appeared to be an open book. Jimmy concluded that John was the kind of guy who was not capable of hiding substantial assets or anything else from his family members.

  It became apparent early on that Myra was a complicated person. First, she was keenly aware of her surroundings. Nothing escaped her attention. Jimmy had to use all his training to escape her watchful eyes. He began to appreciate Chic’s decision to use someone she didn’t know for this job. He was thankful he was using a local car with a Tennessee tag. She would have picked up a Florida tag in a minute.

  Jimmy scoped out her house and compared what he could see with Google images, satellite images, and building records from the city. Her house was on a large lot in a nice area. It appeared to be in line with what one might expect a college professor to own. The building records, however, showed a recent addition to the back of the house, which couldn’t be seen from the road. He would have to actually go onto the property to see the kind of improvements that had been made.

  Jimmy dressed as a building inspector and proceeded to investigate Myra’s property. Thankfully, she didn’t come home during this time. What he saw was a very nice addition—a two-car garage, plus living quarters above, consistent with the plans filed with the city. The quality of construction was first rate. He was able to see inside through glass panels in the garage door and could make out two Mercedes, worth well over $300,000. He couldn’t determine exactly, but one was an S class sedan, and the other was two-seater sportster. Myra was a lady with secrets. The addition was at least two thousand square feet. The cost of the cars and addition would approach $800,000 or more. Myra didn’t make that kind of money.

  Jimmy added to his calculations that she was driving a very conservative Ford Taurus to work every day.

  Myra’s bank records showed a balance of $100,000. She also had a large safety deposit box.

  Heath was able to obtain records showing Myra was scheduled to fly to Belize within a few days. The Belize connection was clearly a red flag.

  Jimmy had managed to plant a bug in Myra’s Taurus and a relay to amplify her telephone connections. With this equipment, he could pick up the number she was dialing. He was not tapping the phone lines or making any illegal intrusions onto her property.

  Jimmy didn’t have to wait long to get some results. On his first Friday night, he picked up a coded phone call to some guy. The call lasted thirty minutes. He was able to record the dial tone and frequency of each digit of the phone number. The problem was that the encrypted call was made through a relay system that effectively blocked their ability to trace the call. Why would an English professor be privy to any information that needed protection of this magnitude?

  As Jimmy contemplated the implications of this information, he saw the Mercedes roadster come down the driveway and take a left turn toward downtown. The hardtop was down. He was able to get the tag number before she made a left turn. Jimmy called in the tag number for a full history of the vehicle. It was difficult, but he was able to stay just close enough to her to not get lost.

  Ten minutes later, Jimmy pulled into the parking lot of a night spot where Myra was parked. This looked like a location that was frequented by the young and restless. Business was brisk. Jimmy watched a few guys go in, and he determined his outfit passed the dress code of the night. The action inside was brisk. It sort of reminded him of a bunch of peacocks in heat. Myra was standing at the bar, allowing some fancy dude to snuggle up way too close. She was dressed for action. She had on a tight red mini dress. The low-cut blouse exposed her ample breasts, with her hard nipples clearly exposed through the silk like material. Jimmy got the feeling that this girl was at home in chains and things. Myra was ready for action—she was the action. She allowed the boys to play, but she was in charge of the game.

  Jimmy was struggling with himself. He had played this game before. He knew she was looking for just the right kind of guy to play some sick games with her tonight. He watched the amateurs buzzing around her, none with the right vibes. Jimmy decided to take a shortcut in his investigation. He slowly moved in for the kill. He nudged the guy sniffing her ear out of the way. He did so in the manner of the tough guy he once was.

  He caught her eyes; the connection was instant.

  There was some electrical impulse flowing between these two on an animal level. Before tonight, Jimmy had managed to calm the beast of his soul. Tonight was going to be a test. He never lost sight of the animal nature of humans, which would howl at the moon if left unchecked. The demon before him called, and he answered. His silent prayer was that he could harness the beast when the night was over.

  She liked it when Jimmy pulled her roughly against his body. She felt his arms and purred about how strong he was. She pinched him with her long fingernails to test his reaction to pain. They embraced; she bit his neck. The experimentation continued for an hour or so while they drank, danced, punched, sucked on ears, and explored the possibilities for the night’s activities. Jimmy was satisfied that this vixen was into pain, whips, and boots, but mainly she was looking for a subject who would freely play games with her.

  Jimmy found himself in the passenger seat of the roadster as Myra drove like a bat out of hell through the streets of Nashville. Jimmy got focused on her exposed breasts and her shaved pant-less gates of hell. His brain was racing with anticipation, and he kept banging the dashboard and imploring her to get this piece of shit home.

  The night was a blur. Jimmy was sure that in his younger days he might have experienced such a wipeout, but he didn’t think so. He had enoug
h bruises to convince him he had experienced some new ways to satisfy his sexual drive. Myra bore evidence of giving as well as receiving. He stood naked, facing this beautiful naked woman in black boots. His physical strength was totally nil. She, on the other hand, looked ready for more action.

  Jimmy begged off and had to get on his knees to beg her to call a cab. While he was on his knees, he was required to provide a little more personal attention. He was shocked that after a night of heavy action, he still had enough left to find this demon mesmerizing. From some echo chamber in his head, he recalled saying, “Yes, yes, my love. I will join you and Larry in Belize.”

  Ten hours later, Jimmy awoke in his bed, fully clothed and feeling like shit. Now he remembered why he gave up the wild side of life. He lay there, trying to figure out how this woman had enticed him into behavior he had only read about in books. He had always been satisfied to get a piece of ass, roll over, and go to sleep. Most women were fairly happy with that kind of arrangement.

  Myra was totally involved with masochism, bondage, and more ways to experience sexual pleasures than he knew existed. And what exactly did she have in mind for him and the guy name Larry? She had even volunteered to pay his way!

  How am I going to make a full report to Heath and Chic? After a good deal of soul searching, Jimmy decided that total truth was necessary. He had no doubt that whatever the story was, Myra’s sexual habits played a big part.

  Jimmy requested the meeting take place somewhere other than Joe and Eddy’s, somewhere private. Chic called the meeting at his office.