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

by Scott Cook

  “Why go after Foster?” Wayne asked. “And that Bartlett chick?”

  “Ex-Bartlett chick,” I pointed out.

  “We saw Foster on TV the other morning,” Lisa stated. “He was giving an interview with Danielle what’s her face—“

  “Ling,” O’Malley said.

  “Yeah… anyway, Foster was talking about how he was working to find Shade, too,” Lisa explained to Wayne.

  “Guess Shade don’t like being investigated,” Wayne said bitterly.

  I chuffed, “Maybe not… but he’s got this… thing… about talking as if he and I were adversaries. Not enemies, exactly… more like gentlemen competitors. As if we were involved in a game of sorts but without any real animosity.”

  O’Malley chuckled humorlessly, “Scott, this guy is bomb happy. He sets explosives and fires. Don’t underestimate him. He may talk grand, but I’d wager he’s got some deep rooted anger toward you. Certainly toward law enforcement types. And he’s already killed twice that we know of.”

  “Thrice,” Sharon said lifting a finger. “Lissard… or Soares, that biker dude and the third guy on the boat last night.”

  O’Malley nodded, “Right. Somehow I wasn’t counting Soares. There’s more to Shade and more to come, and it appears to be growing ever more unpleasant.”

  My office line rang. I walked behind the desk and tapped the speaker button, “Scott Jarvis private investigator.”

  “I’ve got some news for you,” Detective Alex Munoz of the Saint Petersburg police said in his understated Hispanic accent. Alex and I had known each other for years going back almost to my becoming a detective with OPD.

  “Good morning, Alex,” I said. “What kind of news?”

  “The Coasties and the Sheriff’s office dove that boat this morning,” Alex replied in a serious tone. “I’m not even supposed to be telling you this, but…”

  “I appreciate it, Alex,” I prodded gently. “Just for your information, Wayne Jackson, Sharon Nolen and Captain Harry O’Malley of OPD are with me.”

  “And the amazing Lisa,” Lisa pointed out and stuck her tongue out at me.

  I smiled, “And Lisa Gonzalez, whom you’ve met.”

  “She’s back?” Alex asked. “Wow…”

  “And better than ever,’ I said with a grin. “What’ve you got, Alex?”

  There was a pause, “Okay… Hey guys… sorry to hear about what happened, Wayne…”

  “Thanks, Alex,” Wayne said flatly.

  Alex sighed, “Anyways… they found evidence of an IED placed in the engine room. Indications are that it was a shaped charge meant to disable the engine as well as puncture one of the diesel tanks with shrapnel. They did find some kind of fire-resistant webbing that still had a plastic buckle or something on it. They even got a partial serial number, but no idea where to look as yet.”

  That jarred me. Lisa must’ve noticed because she leaned forward, “What, baby?”

  I took in a deep breath, “Alex… my theory is that this guy is from Rhode Island.”

  “Where you’re from, right?”

  I nodded and then grimaced at the futility of the gesture, “Yes… I want you to check out a company in Woonsocket, Rhode Island called American Cord and Webbing. Among other things, they make fire resistant webbing, straps and molded plastics for the military.”

  He seemed pleased, “Oh… holy shit… okay, we’ll do that! And here I thought this would be a one-way exchange.”

  “What kind of asshole do you take me for?” I asked with a grin.

  “A big one,” Sharon rejoined.

  “A honky one,” Wayne added.

  “A gringo one,” Alex said with a chuckle.

  “A sexy one,” Lisa added with a wink.

  “I must be an asshole,” I quipped. “Show me who your friends are…”

  Everybody laughed. Alex said he’d look up ACW and get back to me if he found anything.

  “Nice to be loved, huh?” O’Malley asked and smiled.

  “Yeah, great…” I grumped. “Hmmm… so both explosives that we have any physical evidence for were attached using special webbing from a company in Rhodey… I think that confirms that.”

  “So how does this help us?” Wayne asked. “How does knowing all this help me get my hands around this cocksucker’s throat.”

  I sighed, “I’m not sure yet, Jax… but you put a puzzle together one piece at a time. Every piece of information we get adds another strand to the net I’m weaving to capture Shade. As Sun Tzu puts it, ‘The opportunity of defeating the enemy comes from the enemy himself.’”

  The phone rang again.

  “Look who’s the cock of the walk,” Sharon needled.

  I hit the speaker button and offered the obligatory greeting.

  “So, you’ve received a few more pieces, have you, my worthy opponent?”

  My face seemed to drain of color at the sound of that electronically distorted voice. My four guests looked at me and I whispered, “Shade.”

  O’Malley whipped out his smart phone and snapped off a quick text. Wayne and Sharon leaned forward. The look on Wayne’s face could only be described as murderous.

  “You’re very clever, Shade,” I said, balling my fists and leaning on my desktop. “Yet you’ve managed to leave a couple of breadcrumbs. Tsk, tsk… sloppy of you.”

  He laughed and again the laugh seemed to set off an alert in my mind that I couldn’t pin down, “Nobody’s perfect. By now, I’m sure you know one or two small things… although they will do little to help you to unmask me.”

  “You think so?” I asked petulantly. “You’ve already given me more than you realize. I know where you’re from, Shade. I know you’re from Rhode Island. No sense in denying it. What I’d like to know is why you’ve focused on me, among the others. Is it only because we’re… countrymen, as it were?”

  Shade scoffed, “I won’t deny it, Jarvis. You think that I ever make mistakes? Everything I’ve done has been carefully calculated. My riddle, my use of Lissard and even my slips of the tongue last night when I said the packie and used the word screw. No, my adversary, I don’t make errors. And unlike you, I don’t hide my origins.”

  I laughed, “I don’t hear an accent, Shade.”

  “Neither do I,” he replied coolly. “But it does come out for you and for me, doesn’t it?”

  “What the fuck do you want!” Wayne shouted, rising to his feet, his face darkening with rage.

  “Ah, young detective Jackson… I’m truly sorry to hear about your good lady. That was a terrible thing.”

  “Because of you!” Wayne shouted.

  Shade uttered a dismissive sound, “I’m the one that punished the man who did it. Perhaps you might express a little fuckin’ gratitude, huh?”

  “His question stands,” I interrupted before Wayne could throw my phone out the window. “What do you want, Shade? What’s your ultimate goal here?”

  That laugh again, “Why, Scott! It’s the game that matters! It’s what I can do right under your nose and how long I can do it before you close in. It’s our contest that’s truly at the heart of the matter, here.”

  “Then meet me,” I said expansively. “Let’s face off man to man. Have a showdown of sorts.”

  “And that we may yet do,” Shade said with obvious amusement. “However… it’s not time for that yet. When we do, I’ll have to make certain this… meeting at high noon in front of the saloon… yes, I like that… is fair. I doubt I can best you in hand to hand combat, so we’ll have to think of something else.”

  “I’m all ears,” I said dangerously.

  A chuckle, “Good, then please listen closely. I won’t be repeating myself.”

  My guts did a little dance at that. My instincts were telling me that something unpleasant was coming next.

  “I’m all alone in the world,” Shade said a little wistfully. “I don’t have your circle of friends who are on the job or other contacts… so I have to protect myself.”

  I lau
ghed coldly, “You seem to be doing just fine.”

  “So far… but you’re a dangerous opponent, that I freely admit,” Shade said pleasantly. The next words he uttered were in stark contrast, however. His voice became cold and carried a strong current of the evil that must be inside him. This in spite of the electronic distortion. “I told you that if you kept after me, I would turn and strike. You didn’t heed me… although I didn’t expect you to… so now I must act.”

  Shade paused and we paused with him. No one spoke. A thick and oily emotional fog seemed to settle over the office as we waited.

  “I have selected two targets,” Shade finally said after nearly a minute. “One in Rhode Island and one in Florida… and I’m going to be generous, Scott. I’m going to tell you who they are and how you can save them… well, not both. I’ll tell you how to save one, but not the other.”

  A maelstrom of nausea swirled in my belly. My breaths were heavy and cumbersome, “Damn you… who are they? Why are you doing this?”

  “Choose. Which target will you save?”

  “Goddammit!” I shouted, any semblance of calm I’d been holding onto was being torn to shreds. “How can I choose? I don’t even know who they are!”

  That hideously familiar laugh again, “That’s the whole point, my dear Scott! Choose now, or they both die.”

  “Die?” I croaked. “You’re going to kill one of them?”

  “Both if you don’t choose now.”

  “Fuck!” I growled. “Fuck! Don’t do this, Shade! You know I can’t possibly—“

  “The choice has been made,” he said smugly. “But to show you that I’m not a monster, my friend… I won’t destroy them both… I’ll tell you who I’ve chosen to spare. I’m sitting in front of your lovely friend Sharon’s house right now. I’ve planted a little surprise inside for her to find later this evening. However… well, now you know. The Rhode Island target will not be spared. I hope you appreciate my choice. Until we talk again.”

  The line went dead but I shouted Shade’s name anyway. I knew it was useless, but I couldn’t help it. I looked into Sharon’s face and if it was even half as pale as mine, then I must look like the walking dead.

  And that’s just about how I felt, too.

  Chapter 17

  Harry O’Malley sent the bomb disposal unit over to Sharon’s immediately along with a patrol car. Even though she lived on the outskirts of downtown, we had little hope that the officers would find Shade. Not only did they not find him, we’d learn later that they also found no sign that anyone had been in or near her place, nor did they find any kind of explosives. Either Shade had removed them or he’d been lying.

  I felt like shit. Shade had given me an impossible choice and then decided for me because I didn’t act fast enough. I had no idea who either of the victims would be, but I had no doubt that since one could have been Sharon, then the other was somebody that I knew in Rhode Island.

  I don’t think I’ve ever felt so immobilized by the iron grip of helplessness.

  “Scott, what—“ Lisa started to ask.

  I pulled out my iPhone and held up a finger. I dialed my dad.

  “Must be my lucky week,” My father quipped. “Getting’ two calls from my favorite son.”

  “Dad, listen,” I said, feeling as if all that I had to say was fighting to come out at once. “This Shade guy just made a threat. He said somebody here or up there would be his next victim and that I had to choose… I couldn’t, so he chose Rhode Island.”

  There was a long pause, “So what’re you sayin’?”

  “I’m saying I want you to get ahold of Warwick PD,” I explained. “Tell them that you, mom and Lauren are possibly in danger from a madman. Have them come out and inspect the house, the cars, everything. Where is everybody?”

  There was a definite undertone of panic in my voice and I think my dad picked up on it, “Mom’s here… so is your sister. She’s up from South Kingston for the weekend.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. At least they were all in one place, “Okay… don’t go out and don’t let anybody in unless it’s Warwick. I don’t know who Shade is after, but it has to be somebody I know. Have you talked to Bill lately? He might not want to talk to me right now, since he’s so pissed off. Maybe you can get ahold of him and give him the details.”

  “He’s not with PPD though,” Dad replied.

  “He’s still a cop, Dad!” I pleaded. “He knows people and maybe can help. Also, get in touch with Samantha, too. I’ll let you go for now so you can make the calls. Keep me posted.”

  “It’ll be all right, son,” My dad said reassuringly.

  I dropped my phone on the desk and ran my hands through my hair, “Yeah… sure it will.”

  “This guy’s got some serious balls,” Harry stated, rising. “Now he’s calling you and even confronting you in disguise. He’s got a hard-on for you, Scott.”

  “Anything from your trace?” I asked. “That was why you sent that text, right?”

  He nodded, “No. Not long enough. He was less than thirty-seconds away from a trace.”

  “Probably knows how long it takes,” Sharon stated.

  Wayne nodded and Lisa scowled and looked at me, “Scott… this guy knows explosives, knows how to get around undetected… you think he could be somebody?”

  “You mean like a government agent or something?” Wayne asked.

  “Like some rogue wet boy for the CIA or some shit?” Sharon asked. “Somebody who has a thing for Scott, for whatever reason, and who knows procedure and can get their hands on certain materials.”

  I sighed, my thoughts seeming to wade through muck, “Could be. Who it could be I have no idea… but the fact that he’s used a variety of IEDs is something.”

  Harry sighed, “Yeah, but with all the shit on the internet these days, anybody can learn how to make any number of bombs.”

  “Yeah… pipe bombs and Molotov cocktails,” Sharon suggested, “but the stuff Shade seems to use… and even that Soares guy… sound more like Semtex or something. That’s not something easily found or made.”

  “It’s not impossible, though,” I said with a heavy sigh. “Goddammit…”

  “I think it’s time we stepped it up,” Harry suggested. “Anybody you know could be a target, Scott.”

  “How the hell do I protect them all?” I asked… almost pleading, really.

  “I’ll help with that as best we can,” Harry stated.

  “Thanks, Harry,” I said.

  O’Malley smiled and headed for the door. I went and flopped into the client chair he’d vacated.

  “I think the two of you should stay with us,” Lisa suggested to Wayne and Sharon. “You’re both alone and easy targets. There are two guest rooms at Scott’s and the dogs, too. At least that way we’re in one place and can watch each other’s backs. Should probably get Juan to come over, too.”

  “Ooh, a sexy fivesome, huh?” Sharon asked with a smile.

  I appreciated her attempt at levity but I was hardly consolable at the moment. All I could do was wait to hear what happened up north.

  I picked up my phone and called Bill Garelli again. I hoped that he was probably not as mad at me as he sounded. Hopefully, it was really more about the other stuff that’s been going on. It didn’t matter, though. I had to try.

  There was no answer… or he wouldn’t take my call. I had to hope that my father could reach him and his wife.

  We waited for nearly an hour before I heard from anyone. My dad called back and said that the cops had been to the house and to his office. They hadn’t found a single thing. Nothing was amiss with my dad’s, mom’s or sister’s car either. Dad said that he hadn’t been able to get in touch with Bill, but that Lauren had reached Samantha Garelli. Even though they were a decade apart, the two women had grown to become good friends over the years. The police also inspected her vehicle and home and found nothing either.

  “You think maybe Shade was just fucking with you?” Sharon offere
d. By then she’d gotten the report about her house.

  I was back behind my desk in my command chair by then. I heaved a sigh and spread my hands on the desk blotter, “I don’t know… I wish that were true. That’d mean nobody gets hurt… or worse.”

  It was nearly eight o’clock that night when we found out for sure.

  The five of us, Wayne, Sharon, Juan, Lisa and I were sitting at my picnic table on the porch eating burgers, corn on the cob and salad when my phone rang with my sister’s ring tone.

  We all met one another’s gaze and I think the same feeling of worry passed between us. I took a breath and hit accept.

  “It’s Bill,” My sister said solemnly.

  “What’s Bill?” I asked. “Did you guys get in touch with him?”

  Lauren took a shuddering breath, “No, Scotty… I mean Bill was the target.”

  “Oh, Jesus…” I muttered, setting the phone on the table so it would switch to speaker. “What… what happened?”

  A sniffle, “you know that Bill keeps their boat over at the Ponaug Marina on Apponaug Cove, right?”

  Apponaug was a section of southern Warwick that wrapped around Greenwich Bay, a small offshoot of the main Narragansett Bay that dominated the center of Rhode Island. There were several marinas and restaurants in Apponaug, and the area was a popular boating destination for all of New England.

  “I… I guess,” I said, fear’s icy talon dragging across my spine. “I thought they had the Carver over at Apponaug Harbor Marina, though…”

  “Bill moved it,” Lauren said. “When he and Sam had their big break he moved onto the boat and moved it to the other marina… but that’s not the point, Scott… Bill… Bill’s dead.”

  I was glad I was sitting. Bill Garelli, a friend I’d known since we were twelve years old, was dead? And the last conversation I’d had with him was him being pissed at me…

  “Ay dios mio…” Juan said softly, placing a hand on my forearm for support.

  Juan and I hit it off right from our first meeting. However, after Juan had accompanied some other friends down to Costa Rica to help me rescue my friend Clay, our bond had grown immeasurably. He was smart, loyal and level-headed. Although he and Sharon were eight years apart, Sharon being the older of the two, I thought they made a strong and good match.