by Ed Teja
"But you agree there is a mystery."
"Sure. But I also think we resolved the important issues."
"We did?"
"We know who killed Walker. We know who killed Simon and why. That's more than you figure out about lots of things that happen in life."
"But did Evelyn get away with murder? Is she profiting from the death benefits?"
Bill held up a massive hand. "Tranquilo, dude. Perhaps Evelyn has evil in her heart, and no remorse for the killing of her husband, but that isn't a crime. I know that bringing criminals to justice, which is a relative concept at best, and varies from culture to culture, is not my calling. I have learned to accept that in the real world, crime sometimes does pay. Like it or not, you can't change that."
"So, there are no mysteries left."
"I didn't say that exactly, but life goes on, even in the face of unsolved mysteries. For instance, I know that there is a cargo of furniture waiting in Guiria that I can haul to Martinique for a profit."
"There is?"
He smiled. "I made the arrangements this morning."
"What about the money?"
"We have enough left from selling the wood to get the cargo and pay our expenses for a while yet."
"No. I meant the extra money we found at the airport."
Bill smiled broadly. "Oh, that money. I personally see three options."
"Which are?"
"We give it back to Simon's employer."
"I don't think so. Even if we could be sure who it was, I don't care for that option."
"Two, we can keep it for ourselves. It would be fun to go into the yards with a big budget and get HARM in the best shape she's ever been in since she was new."
He paused, waiting for my response. I had to think it through, try it on and see how it felt.
"That's not our style," I said.
"Nope, it isn't. Still, it is an option and needs to be acknowledged. Number three is that it gets divided in half. One chunk mysteriously winds up in the hands of the orphanage here in PLC and the other half goes with us and gets to the one in Grenada."
"Also appearing mysteriously on the administrator's desk?"
"Something like that."
"Stranger things have happened," I agreed.
"And then we go spend the little money we actually own on that furniture."
He was right.
"And now," Bill said, rubbing his hands together happily, "the only mystery that remains for me to explore is the lovely Consuela. I intend to unravel that one in the next few hours."
"Consuela is a mystery? Is there something we don't know about her?"
"I think there is a great deal we don't know about her. I, at least, will admit to that. She has depths I've not yet encountered. And I know she enjoys my company, but just how much is a mystery worth exploring."
"I see."
He stood. "I promised her a fine dinner, so I'll go to work on finding out more about her and having a pleasant evening."
"A last night ashore."
"Exactly, and regarding your situation, I refer you to none other than Mark Twain, who said, 'When we remember we are all mad, the mysteries disappear, and life stands explained.' Still, I see that you have one last mystery you must solve before you'll be able to move on."
"The mystery of who arranged Walker's killing?"
"No. I was thinking of the mystery of the man named Martin Billings."
"I'm no mystery."
"Martin is a mystery to me. Is he a sea captain who, like most people, is from time to time called upon to resolve one or more of life's mysteries? Or is he a detective who must pursue some idealized form of justice to the ends of the earth?" He stopped in the doorway. "I should mention that the freelance detective personae will be going off James' payroll about now, so if you choose to go that way, you'll be working for free."
"There is that."
He grinned. "Me, I'm done being an investigator's sidekick, pulling his bacon from the roaring flames when, to mix a metaphor with a mighty twist of the wrist, he gets in over his head. But if you decide you want to go sailing with me, Junior, I'll see you on board in the morning. Not too early though."
He went out of the door, whistling. Bill was once again following his heart and he knew me too well. He had no doubt where my heart would lead me, the choice I'd make. I remembered another time and place when Bill left me with a quote from Oscar Wilde.
"The mystery of love is greater than the mystery of death."
And my own abiding love was for the sea.
Knowing what I would do was quite a relief. And now I had an evening ashore to kill. I had no Consuela wanting me to take her out, but I did have one last chore to take care of. It involved buying a martini and leaving a tip.
I never would understand it, but even after everything, I still liked Simon. At least the Simon I had known.
<<<<>>>>
Book Three in the series: IN HARM’S WAY is available
from Amazon (in Kindle Unlimited).
No good deed goes unpunished.
When Martin Billings and Ugly Bill come across a yacht stuck hard on French Reef in the Caribbean, they lend a helping hand, rescuing Donna Devro, the young woman on board, and getting the boat safely into harbor.
Now the authorities have found the boat's owner dead in the cabin and Donna Devro has disappeared, leaving Martin and Bill to work out what sort of trouble she’s in (or up to), and find a way to keep from getting involved in whatever that trouble is. Fat chance.
Martin Billings left behind a shining career as an officer in the SEALs for this mess? All he wanted was a chance to make an honest living hauling cargo among the Caribbean islands on his freighter IRREPARABLE HARM.
Now, instead of hauling cargo, Martin and Bill are trawling for trouble, and Donna Devro isn't eager to simplify their lives — nor is her husband.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ed Teja is a writer, a poet, a musician, and a traveler. His stories and poems are about the places he knows, places that lie in the margins of the world, and the amazing, often strange, people he meets between the cracks. Learn more at edteja.com
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