That Way Lies Madness: A Florida Action Adventure Novel (Scott Jarvis Private Investigator Book 8)

by Scott Cook

  Lisa shook his hand and I did as well, although warily. The last time I’d seen this man, the first time we’d met in fact, was back in June just before I left for Costa Rica. He was apparently the head of some new law enforcement agency with broad national and international jurisdictional power.

  “What brings you to my humble establishment, Colonel?” I asked.

  “Several things,” he said, indicating my inner office. “Shall we sit down?”

  We walked into my ruminatorium. Lisa and Grayson sat beside each other in the client chairs and I settled into the Swivetron but not before I patted Ferny affectionately on her… head?

  “So have you come to try and recruit me again?” I asked. I then quickly explained to Lisa who Grayson was and about our first meeting.

  “Of course,” he said with a grin. “However, that’s not my primary reason for this visit. I have two bits of information I think you’ll want in order to help you catch Shade.”

  Lisa’s eyebrows went up and I felt a twinge of unease. This man seemed to know a great deal and I wanted to know how.

  “Oh?” I asked. “Is Shade now a matter of concern for your group?”

  He smiled, “Not exactly. He’s… small time, let’s call it. But I have an extensive network, and I’ve received information that may assist you. Have you heard about Thomas P. Lissard?”

  Lisa frowned, “We were supposed to meet him on Saturday but he never showed up.”

  “No… I’m not surprised,” Grayson said.

  “I did get a note from Shade though,” I offered. “Stating that the attack on my friend’s car was not his doing.”

  “Lissard is dead,” Grayson said bluntly. I got the impression he wasn’t a man who beat around the bush very often. He pulled a sheet of paper from his briefcase. “I’m surprised you didn’t hear about it. It happened yesterday. Apparently, he was living in a small RV not far away from here. Well, early yesterday morning the motorhome and his car burned practically to the ground. There was little to recover. No serial numbers or plates on the vehicles. However… some of his teeth remained and the FBI was able to make a positive I.D.”

  “Jesus Christ…” Lisa breathed.

  I waited.

  “Lissard is in fact Anthony Soares,” Grayson stated, handing me the printed sheet. “I think you’ll find this interesting.”

  I scanned the page and felt a surge of surprise, “So that explains it… it says here he’s from Cranston and that he works… or worked… for Ridoc.”

  “Ridoc?” Lisa asked.

  “Rhode Island Department of Corrections,” I replied. “Up until a few weeks ago, he worked at the maximum security prison in Cranston…”

  “Where Anthony Ravetti and his father are serving their time,” Grayson finished.

  “Oh my God…” Lisa muttered. “So do you think this Shade thing is connected to Ravetti?”

  Grayson shrugged and shook his head, “I doubt it. I think the Ravetti angle is just a coincidence… or a coincidence in terms of Soares. In other words, I don’t think the Ravettis are behind him. That family is… out of commission. I doubt your friend Santino would allow any monkey business on that front.”

  “It answers a suspicion I had,” I said, laying the paper down. “He used a Rhode Island expression on the phone the other day… but so what? What’s this got to do with Shade?”

  “That we don’t’ know,” Grayson replied, “but we do think it’s a light in the darkness. A small light, it’s true, but a light nonetheless. Soares was terminated a few weeks ago. Something to do with a bust in Providence. I don’t have many details on that score. PPD is keeping very close mouthed about it. Rumor has it that several of their officers have been suspended and even fired.”

  I frowned, “I’m surprised you don’t know more, as much as you seemed to know about how and when I brush my teeth.”

  Grayson grinned, “I could find out… but it’s not really that important to me. I thought, though, that you might make some use of it.”

  “Thanks,” I said.

  “Then there’s this,” Grayson handed me an SD card. The small flat plastic square was labeled a hundred and twenty-eight gigabytes. “It’s not anything official. It was something that was found after… after the incident aboard the Robert Ballard.”

  I felt my guts churn, “I assume you mean the first incident? Over the wreck of the U-2626?”

  He nodded, “I watched only the first few seconds. I had to… but when I saw what was on that card and who it was meant for, I stopped out of respect. I think she meant that to be given to you.”

  “Ariel?” I asked softly, absently fondling the card.

  He nodded, “I met her once. Aside from being beautiful and charming… she was intelligent, brave and kind. A true loss in so many ways.”

  “Yes…” I muttered. “Well, thank you for the information, Colonel.”

  “And now comes my pitch,” Grayson said. “My offer still stands, Scott. I want you on my team.”

  I sighed, “Colonel… I don’t want to be involved with any kind of law enforcement or government agency. I told you before. I left OPD because I was sick of the bureaucracy and the hypocrisy. I like being a lone wolf… well, sort of.”

  Lisa grinned.

  “I understand that,” Grayson pushed. “I’m not offering you a job. What I’m offering is that you act as a sort of… consultant. An occasional operative. It grants you special dispensations, as I explained last time. It broadens your legal powers, which would come in handy considering the types of cases you get into. You’re still your own boss and keep doing what you’re doing. It’s just that on occasion, you’d be called on for special missions. In exchange, I give you what amounts to a license to kill, to put it crudely. I can even offer you special training if you want it.”

  “Training?” I asked. “Do you think my skills are unhoned, Colonel?”

  He chuckled, “The ones you have, no… yet we operate a special training center at Patrick. And no, you won’t find it on Wikipedia. We offer flight training, special warfare and counter-insurgency training from the SEALs, intelligence gathering and dissemination as well as vessel boarding through the Coast Guard. All available to you and free of charge should you be added to my muster. You’d even receive an official military rank.”

  “Damn,” Lisa muttered.

  “I will admit it’s intriguing, Colonel,” I said, “but right now I’ve got bigger fish to fry.”

  He nodded and stood, “I figured. Think about it though. At some point, Scott, I’m going to need a firm answer.”

  I scowled, “then it’s ‘no,’ Colonel. If you’re going to push me, then that’s my answer.”

  He chuckled again, “I knew you’d say that. You’ve got the grit and something of a problem with authority.”

  “So why would you want me in your ranks?” I asked.

  “Because you’d be an asset to me and to this nation,” He stated. “We’re not a hard-nosed military unit, Scott. We’re pretty flexible and informal… but yes, we do have a hierarchy. And the man in charge is me.”

  “I’ll think about it,” I said and shook his hand.

  After Grayson had gone, Lisa silently considered me for a long moment, “Is that SD card a video, do you think?”

  I shrugged, “Not sure… he said watched, so I guess so.”

  “It’s from her? From Ariel?”

  I nodded, “Seems so.”

  “Do you want me to leave so you can watch it?” Lisa asked, a hint of worry in her voice.

  “No,” I said, pushing back from my desk and opening my arms. She came and sat in my lap. “I’ve got no secrets from you. Hell, you know all about her from the book. We’ll watch it together, whatever might be on it.”

  Lisa kissed me tenderly, “I love you.”

  “Well, of course you do… I’m spectacular.”

  She chortled, “A spectacular dick!”

  “That’s what I’m sayin’… got me a spectacular dick.�
�

  “You’re such an asshole!” she said, laughing. Then she kissed me and winked, “and I won’t argue.”

  “Ha!”

  Chapter 12

  I wasn’t sure how the Rhode Island connection fit in or even if it fit in. However, it seemed very odd and I wasn’t going to dismiss it as a coincidence. I’ve made it clear on many occasions that I don’t believe in them when it comes to a case.

  I had several connections in Rhodey. I was born and grew up there, after all. In addition to my father, who was a successful business owner in Warwick and knew quite a few people around the state including a handful of politicians. I also had a boyhood friend who was a detective with Providence PD.

  Bill Garelli and I had known each other since junior high. We’d even served together for a year on the Warwick police before I moved to Florida to go to UCF and work for OPD. Bill was a good-natured guy who always seemed to have a smile and who still visited my folks. He and his wife Samantha often had dinner with the Jarvis’.

  I dialed his number and waited. It rang four times before Bill finally answered, “Hello?”

  “Yo, Wilhelm!” I joked. “How the Christ are ya’?”

  “Oh, look who it is. Thomas Magnum the famous writer himself,” Bill said. There was a quality to his voice that I didn’t catch right away, or maybe something lacking in his voice.

  “How’s it going up there in the Ocean State?”

  “Great. What do you need, Scott?”

  I caught it now. There was tension in Bill’s voice. Tension almost bordering on anger.

  “Bill… everything okay? Did I catch you at a bad time or something? If you’re busy…”

  He scoffed, “Oh, I got plenty of time, pal. And since I haven’t heard from you in like four months, why not just call randomly on a Monday morning? To ask me for a favor, right? That’s what all of us Jarvis cronies are for, right? To do free research for you? Just like your buddy the newspaper man, right?”

  I was taken aback by the vehemence in his words. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Bill talk like that in the nearly twenty years I’d known him.

  “Uhm… Bill… I’m sorry if I’ve been lax in keeping in touch, man…” I muttered lamely.

  It’s true that I hadn’t talked to Bill since the spring. I did feel bad about it, and now that I was actually going to ask him for information, I felt worse. Yet this level of anger seemed disproportionate.

  “Yeah, well maybe you actually made an effort once in a while you’d know what was going on. But you’re too busy running around chasing TV stars and finding submarines and shit! So, yeah, Jarvis, some shit has happened… but hey, it’s only my personal life, so why should I burden you with it.”

  “Bill… I really am sorry I’ve dropped the ball,” I tried to soothe. “You’re right, I haven’t made enough of an effort and I apologize.”

  He snorted derisively, “Whatever, Scott. Why don’t you call me when you don’t need somethin’, hah?”

  “Jesus, Bill!” I finally let a little of my anger through now. “I did apologize. And hey, it’s not like you’ve picked up the phone either, so can we just let this go and—“

  “Fuck you!”

  The connection went dead and I dropped my phone onto the desk. I felt angry and more than a little wounded. It wasn’t every day one of your oldest friends laid into you.

  “You okay?” Lisa asked as she walked into the inner office and set a beer in front of me and treated me to a kiss.

  “Thanks… no, I’m not. You remember Bill Garelli?”

  She nodded. Although Lisa had never actually met the Garellis, I’d talked about them quite a bit.

  “I haven’t talked to him in a few months,” I admitted. “I called him up to see if he knew anything or could find out anything about this Anthony Soares guy… and he lit into me like I’d just punched out his wife or some shit. Christ…”

  “That sucks.”

  I scoffed, “Yeah, sucks big time. Okay, I haven’t called in a while, that’s true, but…”

  “Maybe there’s something going on with him?” Lisa inquired.

  I sighed, “I think maybe there is. He alluded to the fact but didn’t say anything more… well, other than suggesting that I engage in an act of fornication with myself.”

  Lisa grinned, “I rather enjoy fornicating with you. The fact that we’re filthy unmarried lust-mongers now living in sin just makes it all the more exciting.”

  I chuckled, “Guess I’m gonna have to call the old man and see what he can find out. Might even have to fly up there and do some digging on my own.”

  “Ooh, can I come?” She asked sweetly. “Get some of that yummy Del’s Lemonade… g’down n’beach and get some clam cakes and chowduh!”

  “Are you mocking me?”

  She giggled, “Nooo… well… maybe a little.”

  I smiled at her, “You keep that up and I’ll put you right over my knee.”

  She met my gaze with eyes that sparkled with her unique twinkle of lusty evil and licked her lips, “Promise?”

  “You’re cute.”

  “I know.”

  “Well, let’s see what this brings us…” I said, picking up my iPhone and tapping on Frank Jarvis’ number.

  “That my boy callin’?” My dad said in his slightly gruff and definitely Rhode Island voice.

  “Hey, Dad, how the Christ are ya’?”

  He laughed, “Feel like a hundred dollars, son. How bout you? How’s that painfully sexy woman of yours? You’re one lucky SOB to have that beauty back in your life. Smart, funny, not to mention nice—“

  “You’re on speaker, Dad.”

  Lisa giggled.

  “Oh, for Christ’s sake, boy!” My father cleared his throat.

  “Not to mention nice what, Frank?” Lisa poked.

  “Not to mention you’re nice… you’re tough, too. Got dash. I love that.”

  “Uh-huh.” I intoned with a grin at Lisa.

  “Oh, well thanks, Frank,” She teased. “I think so. Although I thought you might mention my gorgeous legs, perfect ass or world-class rack.”

  “Them too,” My father said without missing a beat. Lisa guffawed. “So what can I do ya’ for, son?”

  “Well, Dad… I’m working on a case that might have a Rhode Island connection,” I began. I then explained about Shade and about Thomas P. Lissard who turned out to be Anthony Soares.

  “You give Bill a call?”

  I groaned, “Yeah, and he chewed my ass off for not calling since April. Said that if I’d paid better attention I’d know what was going on with him… do you know what’s going on with him?”

  There was a sigh, “As a matter of fact I do… and it’s not good news. I heard this from a buddy on the Providence city council, mind. So I think it’s fairly reliable… couple of weeks back, PPD made a big drug bust. Found about fifty pounds of cocaine and a couple of million in cash in a little warehouse off Thurber’s Ave. Anyway, it turned out that some of the bread went missing. There was an investigation and three cops were suspected of skimming some of the drug money. Bill was one of them.”

  “Oh, Christ…”

  “Yeah… and that’s not the worst of it. He was fired two weeks ago. They couldn’t prove he had the money, but that didn’t matter. On top of that, I also found out through Lauren that Samantha kicked him out and wants a divorce.”

  “Oh boy…” I groaned. “No wonder he was so pissed. Jesus, what would make him do that?”

  My dad sighed, “No idea. It doesn’t seem like Bill at all.”

  “You think this Soares guy was connected to it at all?” I inquired. “A… source… says that he might be. He was terminated from Ridoc about the same time. He worked at the max in Cranston.”

  There was a long silence, “That’s where Anthony and Nicolas Ravetti are, right?”

  I confirmed that. He already knew it, though.

  “Think there’s a connection?”

  “I’m told probably not. But
maybe this guy had something to do with Bill?” I asked, not really expecting an answer. “Like maybe he was in on the deal and tried to get the PPD guys in trouble? I dunno… for a dedicated cop like Bill to steal drug money is just a hard pill to swallow. How much, did your friend say?”

  “Fifty grand,” My dad replied. “And yeah, I know… and considering that internal investigations couldn’t find the money… maybe Bill was setup I don’t know.”

  I shook my head, “Okay, thanks, dad. How’s mom and the squirt?”

  “Both good. Can’t believe that Lauren is gonna start her third year at URI. It ain’t easy getting’ old.”

  “You still look mighty sexy to me, Frank,” Lisa offered.

  He laughed, “I’ve always liked you.”

  We said good-bye and hung up. I actuated the primary function of the Swivelacrum and began to ponder.

  “What’re you thinking, Holmes?” Lisa asked.

  I pulled my pipe from the top drawer and filled it. After lighting it up, I gazed at her and slipped into a Sherlock Holmes impersonation so flawless that many people often believed that Scott Jarvis was in fact only a Holmesian disguise, “Well, my lovely Watsonette, it would appear that there are several seemingly disconnected threads flowing through this case. The difficulty is that as yet, I’m unable to tie them together or follow them to their penultimate source. Yet I’m convinced that they do tie together. These random bits of information must lead to a conclusive end. As you know, I’ve written a monograph on the subject.”

  She laughed, “You have not.”

  In my normal voice I said: “Well, maybe I should. All this new Rhode Island business aside, though… we’re still in the dark. Shade is still out there and we have no idea when he’ll strike next.”

  We didn’t have to wait long.

  Ever since that first articles publication in the Sentinel the previous week, Lisa and I had both taken to checking the paper’s website and watching more news. I wasn’t a big fan of either. To me, the news was just a bunch of negativity in spite of the occasional feel good story.

  Like many regional viewing areas now, Orlando had Central Florida News 13, or just News 13. Owned by the local cable company, this channel was a twenty-four hour a day news station and as such, had to fill a lot of time without constantly repeating stuff.