Crooked River (Jack Francis Novel)

by MP Murphy

  “Thanks for telling me I need to calm down and then reminding me that my life may be in danger.”

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you, just to keep you safe.”

  “I know Colin.”

  “Take care Alex,” and he hung up the phone.

  Alex set the phone down and gazed out the window into the city for a few minutes. She began to wonder who Daniel Shaw would send to kill her. Somewhere out there somebody was waiting for her to make a mistake. The fear she was feeling for the first time in her life was hampering her and causing her judgment to falter. She knew if she didn’t find a way to manage her emotions, sooner or later, she would make a deadly mistake, and most of all, she needed to figure out how to get control of her life back.

  Seeing the note on the counter, Alex walked over and grabbed it and headed back to Jack’s bedroom. “That son of a bitch better answer,” she said grabbing her cell phone on the table next to the bed. Alex dialed Jack’s number in a fury and waited for an answer.

  Chapter 58

  The porch overlooked a small stretch of pristine water, where sailboats raced in the morning sun, stretching out over neighboring Kelleys Island. My pot of coffee was down to the murky, cold, bottom residue and there was still no stirring from Madeline’s room. We arrived at the ferry dock an hour early for the first crossing, and spent our time waiting at a small diner with a parade of fisherman moving in and out in search of their morning coffee. By the time we finally made it to the Gilmore’s island home, the two of us parted ways in search of some much needed rest. Sleep had come over me almost instantly when I laid my head down in one of the guestrooms, but it didn’t have the courtesy to stick around long. In another room of the house Madeline appeared to be having no trouble avoiding the morning, and it would seem she planned on spending a good part of the afternoon in bed. She seemed to love keeping me waiting even though she was the one who wanted to talk. She was either wasting my time, or her news was so bad, she was trying to work herself up to tell me.

  My patience waiting for Madeline had finally expired, and I tossed the cold sludge at the bottom of my mug over the porch. I found my way back into the room I had slept in and did my best to freshen up with a cold shower and one of the guest toothbrushes from the medicine cabinet. My only choice in clothes were the ones I had been wearing the night before, so I threw them on grudgingly and made my way back downstairs. I felt the need to get out of the house and explore the island in search of food and more suitable attire. I decided not to wake Madeline to go with me, and I made my way to the old horse barn that was now used as the property’s garage.

  Inside, a golf cart was parked next to Madeline’s Mercedes, and the keys were hanging from the wall next to the door. Golf carts were better suited for the island lifestyle and the steady cruising speed was a perfect way to catch the sites. On the way into town, I was kept cool by the breeze off of Lake Erie as I passed groups of tourists traveling on bikes. The small town of Put-in-Bay was situated around a large park, which overlooked a bay full of boats. The three main roads surrounding the park housed a variety of tourist traps, restaurants, and enough bars to rival Key West. I found a spot to park the golf cart and headed into one of the shops to add some clothes to my small wardrobe. To me standard island attire consists of a pair of swim trunks, a t-shirt, and sandals.

  I was feeling pretty good with my new clothes and was checking out of the store when Madeline finally called me. The phone in my pocket vibrated and vibrated and I simply ignored it. Instead, I sauntered down to the waterfront and out to a pier stretching into the bay. On the pier was assortment of food stands and I was sure there would be something suitable for my lunch. Within minutes I had found myself a perch sandwich, a cold beer, and a seat where I could watch the sailboats bob up and down on their moorings. For the first time since Madeline kidnapped me I was starting to think getting out of the city was a good idea.

  Chapter 59

  Walking beneath the shaded trees of the park I took my time enjoying the sweetness of summer on the island. My love affair with life was cut short with the vibrating cell phone in my pocket. I could only assume it was Madeline calling again, and I had a strong urge to ignore the call one more time, but instead my curiosity won out. I pulled the phone from my pocket and took a seat on the edge of a fountain before I decided to answer.

  “Hello.”

  “Jack, where are you?”

  Shit, it was Alex. I had nearly forgotten about having left her in the middle of the night. “Alex, sorry I had to take off like that in the middle of the night, but something came up. Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine, doing better than I was last night anyways. Waking up to find you missing this morning didn’t help though.”

  I was beginning to wonder if I had found myself suddenly in a serious relationship with this woman. The thought was frightening and a little intriguing. “I’m really sorry about that. I got a message in the middle of the night and it was a lead I needed to look into. I would have woken you up, but you were out cold and after the night you had, I figured sleep was the best option.” It was almost the truth. “I had to leave town for a day, two at the most, but I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Anything good?” she asked.

  “I’m not sure yet, but it’s something I need to look into further.”

  “Mind telling me a little bit more? Maybe I can help connect some dots for you.”

  Suddenly Alex opens up to me and now all she wants to do is help. It might have been better before. “It’s nothing we need to be discussing over the phone.” I had to keep the call as vague as possible because even though I hadn’t done anything wrong, there was no reason to provoke a woman already on the edge. “We’ll go over everything when I get back.”

  “I guess that makes sense. By the way, the doorman brought a note by for you. Oh, and before I forget, you need to get in touch with Colin. It sounded like it was important. Wow, I’m beginning to sound like your secretary. I think we need to get me out of your condo soon. I do not play the secretary role very well.”

  “Seems like you have it down to me.”

  “Shut up.”

  “I’m kidding. Did Colin mention anything about what he wanted?”

  “Not a word. The man’s all hush hush just like you.”

  “Guess I’ll have to call him.” With Colin it could be anything. I was hoping it had to do with the case, but with him it could just as easily be an invite to happy hour. “What did the note say?”

  “I have no idea. It seemed a little inappropriate for me to read it.”

  “Well that was polite of you,” I said, “but if you’re going to make it as my secretary you need to be a little nosier. The good ones always are.”

  “I am no one’s secretary, Jack Francis. Now do you want me to read it to you or are you going to keep on making jokes?” Alex asked in the tone of a scolding school teacher.

  “Go ahead and read it to me.” I had no idea what it could possibly be about, but I had to assume there was nothing in it that would get me in trouble with Alex. With Madeline here on the island the main trouble maker was out of play. Also, with Alex having been so open to me lately I had to show a little trust in her as well.

  “Alright, give me a second.” I could hear her rummaging around with the phone. “Got it, are you ready?”

  “Go ahead.”

  “Files on a computer stay on a computer, even after you delete them. To find them, all you need is the proper tools.”

  “Is that all?” I asked.

  “No it’s signed…sort of.”

  “Well, are you going to tell me?”

  “Just trying to help.”

  “I know you are, but can you read me the rest?” I said, sounding a little too bossy.

  “You’re an idiot Jack. I did read it to you. It is signed ‘just trying to help’.”

  “Oh,” I said feeling a little bad for being short with her. I thought for a few minutes leaving silence
over the phone.

  “Any ideas?” Alex asked hopefully.

  “Actually I do have one. I really don’t like the idea of a mysterious note coming to my front door, but it does make a really good point.”

  “Why not try and fill me in, because I’m lost.”

  I was pretty sure I had the note’s meaning right on. It was apparently simple, too simple. “There are programs out there that can retrieve deleted files from a computer’s memory. Items deleted are actually not removed from the computer, but instead they become inaccessible to the users of the computer. I’m sure the point the note is trying to make, is the photos Charles Beard had of Chelsea are probably still on his computer. That’s if he ever put them on there in the first place.”

  “Didn’t you check his computer before?”

  “Not really.”

  “Is the retrieval program something you need to get from your FBI buddies?” Alex was intrigued.

  “No, they are pretty common and easy to download right off of the internet.”

  “Jack.”

  “What is it?”

  “You need to come home soon,” Alex’s voice did nothing to hide that she was excited about the breakthrough. “I’m feeling like a caged bird and this could be our opportunity to finally bring everything to an end. We need to get a look at Beard’s computer.”

  “I’ll be back as soon as I can, but first I need to call Colin back.”

  Chapter 60

  “I need to get off the island,” I told Madeline the moment I got back to the house. My phone call with Colin only furthered my need to get back to the city, as if Alex’s call had already not been enough. Colin’s search for Levi Zeitlin’s phone records had gathered some interesting information, which pointed directly at Daniel Shaw, just as Alex had indicated. Colin felt there was a lot more to my case and it appeared to be quickly heating up. There wasn’t much more Madeline could add and I was wasting my time sitting on the island with her.

  “Relax a little Jack,” Madeline said getting up from the spot on the back deck where she had been sunning herself. Her long, tanned legs only looked longer and more seductive by the skimpy two piece she had on. “We haven’t had a chance to talk or a moment of each other’s company.”

  “Normally, I would be completely willing to spend a few days on the island.”

  “With me?”

  I looked at the beautiful woman who stood before me and the look in her eyes told me we both knew the answer. “Madeline, I really need to get back to the city. There have been some new developments and I need to pursue them immediately.” I had no desire to break the news about Chelsea’s photos being retrieved off of Beard’s computer, but if I had to play that card I would.

  “Why don’t you tell me about them, and I’ll decide how important they are.”

  “Madeline I have no time for your childish games. You brought me here to talk so why don’t you start talking before I decide to swim home.” My patience had run out and my voice resonated with approaching anger.

  “Come on, I’m hungry.” Madeline walked right past me and into the house. She pulled a bottle of chilled chardonnay from the wine cooler and then a plate of charcuterie from the fridge. Wrapping a towel around her bottom half, she took the wine and food out onto the front porch overlooking the lake. “Jack I forgot the wine glasses. Be a dear will you?”

  I searched the kitchen for the glasses and came back out onto the porch to find Madeline sitting in an Adirondack, snacking on some Serrano ham. I poured some wine for the both of us and sat down next to her. “Can we talk now?”

  “Most men who are alone with a half-naked woman would want to do a lot of things, but I doubt talking would be on that list.”

  “Normally, I would be most men. Normally, we would take the wine to the bedroom and only come out for more, but not today. There is nothing normal about this whole mess, from your sister to the murders. Now please, what is it you want to talk about?

  “If you insist, but I liked your bedroom idea better.”

  “Maybe next time,” I said, not amused.

  “Jack, I brought you out here because Chelsea killed Charles Beard and my father had it cleaned up.”

  Chapter 61

  After hanging up with Jack, Alex discovered she was brimming with a renewed sense of confidence and hope. There was a sudden eagerness to be proactive with her situation and she had no intention of being helpless any longer.

  In a room down the hall from Jack’s bedroom, Alex found a small, crowded office. Inside was a disorganized desk and a dusty computer. An array of file boxes littered the floor with good intentions of updating them to the digital age. Alex made her way through the mess and sat down at the desk as she powered up the computer. She had to hope Jack at least had an internet connection even though the desktop appeared to be rarely used. When the computer finally booted up, she saw there was a network connection, and it was only a matter of minutes before she a found a multitude of links to the software she was looking for. For a man who barely used his office, he certainly had a grasp on technology, Alex thought.

  A majority of the file retrieval programs appeared to be pretty straight forward and designed for the average home user. Alex took a little time to read a few reviews before selecting a program to download. She needed to be able to download the program and work through it with some ease, if she was going to be able to go through Charles Beard’s computer quickly. To satisfy her curiosity, she went through a few of Jack’s files in search of an item to delete and retrieve. Knowing the files on Beard’s computer were probably picture files, Alex chose a nice picture of Jack fishing to use as practice. After finishing the installation process for the retrieval software, she deleted the photo of Jack and put the program to work. Alex was amazed at how many files came back when the program finished its search. There was no doubt that delete really did not mean delete, something she would have to remember in the future.

  The amount of returned queries was too enormous for her to sift through, so she narrowed the search with the self-explained advanced search tool. When the requested files returned to the screen, the jpeg of Jack fishing was at the top of the list. Alex could only hope the photos of Levi Zeitlin’s murder would be as easy to find on Beard’s computer. It made sense assuming the computer had not been used since the antique dealer’s death.

  The rush of excitement stemming from the simplicity of the retrieval process almost concealed the fear she had over the note Jack had received. If the note was a trap, it was a trap meant for Jack, Alex concluded. Whoever sent it had their own motivations and reasons to bait Jack into going to Beard’s house in search of the files, but Alex felt some of the risk could be avoided if she went instead of Jack. There was no doubt in her mind it was dangerous for her to leave the condo after Jimmy’s murder, but the risk was worth the reward. Alex’s mind was already processing the angles she could play with those photos in her possession and they all told her to go after Beard’s computer as soon as possible. Even with the strong possibility of a trap waiting to spring at Beard’s home, she had to assume it was there waiting for Jack and not her. He was the obvious target, and besides, no one knew where she was and if they did, then she would already be dead.

  With all the will Alex could muster after the past couple of days, she knew it was time to do something on her own, time for her to remove her name from the hit list, and take back control of her life. Alex had enough of being afraid and was tired of the threat of Daniel Shaw’s retribution.

  Chapter 62

  When the initial request for the Levi Zeitlin’s phone records came back the only information Colin received was for the Bratenahl home. It was an obvious mistake and irritated him for the sheer simplicity of it. Everything at the Zeitlin home was still registered in Levi’s father’s name so there was no reason for the mix up. Colin re-sent the request specifically detailing that he wanted Levi Zeitlin’s cell phone records, spelling it out to his subordinates as well as he possibly could. W
hen the second request came back it returned two different numbers for the young man and instantly Colin was intrigued.

  The first cell phone number, which Colin had to assume was Levi’s main source of communication, came back with a long and tedious list of numbers. Most of the calls could be traced to kids his own age and social group. There were a few numbers traced back to a more sinister lot, but Colin knew the connection was the high-end drug world. There was seldom a group of wealthy kids with a large amount of money and time on their hands, who didn’t end up with some kind of drug habit. The final group of numbers Colin picked out could be associated directly to Jack’s case, all of them belonging to the Gilmores. Colin was surprised by the amount of calls between Levi and Madeline though, thinking Chelsea’s number would have appeared more often.

  While the first cell phone was a little curious, the second one was a gold mine. Most of the time when a person has a second phone it was either supplied by their work or used for unpublicized habits, like an affair. The most prominent number on the call list was to a cell phone traced out to Rocky River and belonged to Willow Shaw. Colin checked a little further into the background of the Shaws and found out that everything Mrs. Shaw owned from her BMW to her credit cards, were all under the name of her husband, Daniel Shaw. The man had complete control over his wife, except for one little cell phone in her name. The last call between Levi and Willow Shaw came on the night of Levi’s murder. The curious thing was the phone had been used after that.

  Impressively enough on the night Levi was being pulled from the Cuyahoga River, he managed to reach out and call someone. Colin had a complete understanding of what it meant. It meant whoever put Levi in Chelsea’s trunk managed to grab the kid’s most precious cell phone as well. All the blame may have been laid on Jimmy DeLuca, but Colin knew better after having visited Jimmy in the steelyard. The last number dialed out by Levi’s phone gave Colin even more cause to believe someone was playing games. The call had been made to Daniel Shaw. There was a small chance Jimmy DeLuca had made the call to inform Shaw that Levi’s body had been found, but Colin felt if Jimmy had possession of Levi’s phone, it would have been destroyed before his body came out of the river. Plus, DeLuca would have called Kershaw instead of Daniel Shaw directly. There was someone else at work here, someone with a little more bravado than Jimmy DeLuca. Colin had to believe the phone call had not been pleasant for Shaw, and wondered if maybe blackmail was on the menu once again.