Key West Gone into the Night

by Elizabeth Hilleren

“I don’t see it like that. You and your wife couldn’t live together anymore. You got out of a bad situation that put your daughter square in the middle of the turmoil. That’s not a safe place for a kid.”

  “Yeah, it became obvious that it was over. That’s the way Stephanie wanted it. She always got what she wanted.”

  “So then don’t beat yourself up over it. You have a chance to really help find her kids, which brings me to an idea I had. You might want to talk to Jerry and Chichi. They have resources that I don’t. I’ll work with them, but on my own. I really don’t have access to documents and places where they do.”

  “Hadn’t thought about that. I’ll give them a call.”

  “Good, now try to get some sleep. We have about four hours before we get to Key West.”

  Harris nodded, lowered the back of the seat and drifted off to sleep.

  Tuesday Morning

  Chichi Ramirez jumped when the office phone rang. She was reading the newspaper, online.

  “Jamison Private Investigation, Chichi Ramirez speaking, may I help you?”

  “Chichi, it’s Harris.”

  “Harris, what a nice surprise.”

  “Look, I need to speak to you and Jerry about finding someone.”

  “You need to speak with Jerry. He’ll be here in an a few minutes. Come on over.”

  “See you soon.”

  Chichi cleared her screen just as Jerry walked through the door.

  “Jerry, Harris is on his way over. He has a job for us.”

  “The police want to hire us? What’s going on?”

  “He should be here soon. I’ll get the table ready.”

  Jerry sat down at his desk and pulled out a fresh yellow pad of paper.

  “Any idea what this might be about?” Jerry asked, smiling as Chichi walked across the room with a tray holding a coffee press and coffee cups.

  “What are you smiling about?”

  “You. You’re beautiful. I’m a lucky guy.”

  She set the tray down and looked into Jerry’s blue eyes but her thoughts were on the job. “I know a few days ago there was a murder, but the press hasn’t said any more about it. I wonder if that’s related.”

  The door opened and Harris stepped in. “Hey, guys.”

  “Harris, come on in. Good to see you,” Chichi said.

  Harris followed Jerry over to the table and pulled out a chair.

  “I’ve got a story that’s as heavy as it gets. The short version is my estranged daughter was killed here in Key West, my ex-wife who hates me and blames me is in town, and my two grandkids have been kidnapped or abducted. They’ve gone missing. I’ve been set on the sidelines because I’m related. That doesn’t work for me. Oh, and the whole case is under wraps.”

  Chichi’s mouth dropped open. “Oh, my Lord, that’s awful.”

  Jerry looked at Harris a little stunned. “I’m so sorry to hear that. How can we help?”

  “I’m trying to organize some help. I have Alex working on it, but he’s limited. He suggested I talk to you to get some more resources.”

  Jerry nodded. “He’s good at what he does, but we’re better at records and research. One person can’t be everywhere.”

  “Stephanie wouldn’t let me see my daughter after I left long ago. All she wanted from me was child support. She hated me and taught Susan, my daughter, to hate me too. So, I just butted out. Now she’s all grown up with two kids and she’s dead, killed right here in Key West. I didn’t even recognize her lying there in the sand.”

  Chichi reached over and touched Harris’s arm. “We love you. We’ll help. Just tell us what you want us to do for you.”

  “Right,” said Jerry. “I’ll call Alex and get the information that he has, and we’ll go from there.”

  “This isn’t in the paper,” Chichi said. “There was a story of a Jane Doe murder but nothing else since then.”

  “Sharkey asked the press to go dark for a few days. The kids could be with the baby’s father. Two kids, two fathers. The father of the seven-year-old is here in Key West at the Hyatt. You got to get the rest from Alex. I already said too much.”

  “Don’t worry, all you told us was to talk to Alex.”

  “I really don’t want to get charged with interfering in an official investigation. The Chief was clear about that.”

  “Okay, we’re on it.”

  “I need to pay you to keep this legal. How much to get started?”

  “Three thousand down for working expenses. I’ll give you a receipt.”

  Harris pulled out his checkbook and wrote Jerry a check.

  “Now just go home and try to relax. You’ve done all you can do.”

  “I know but it’s just hard to think about anything else.”

  “Get that lovely lady of yours and go for a sunset cruise. Clear your head and pray a lot. We’re on it,” Chichi said.

  “That’s a good idea. I just might do that.”

  “There’s a great dinner and wine cruise.” Chichi handed him a coupon for it. “I just got through going over the paper for coupons. Use it.”

  “Will do. Thanks.”

  “Our pleasure to help. Keep the faith,” Jerry said.

  * * *

  After Alex got back to Key West and dropped Harris off at his place with a promise to call Jerry, he went home to shower and shave. Cynthia had left for work but left a note that she wanted to meet him for lunch.

  He headed for the station. Glancing in the mirror, Alex was shocked to see how tired he looked. Getting old Alex, too old to be staying up all night.

  Sharkey placed two cups of coffee on his desk just as the door opened and Alex walked in.

  “Man, you look tired,” Sharkey said, pointing to the coffee. “Drink up, it’s sure to put hair on your chest.”

  Alex laughed. “I got hair on my chest. I need a new brain. What a night. This room tapped?”

  “I sure as hell hope not.” Sharkey smiled. “No, we have the technical guys sweep it every night. You never know who you’re dealing with when the outside world comes to visit. There are people who would very much like to know what’s said up here.”

  “I went to Susan Abbott’s house in Miami. I found out that she was up to her eyebrows in debt. Pink slips everywhere. Credit cards maxed out, except for one that had five-hundred-dollars left on it. She must have used that one for the plane and motel down here.”

  Sharkey nodded.

  “Here’s the rest of the story,” Alex said, handing Sharkey a stack of papers. Some were handwritten comments.

  Sharkey looked through them and smiled. “Good work. Want a job?”

  “Na, I’d rather free-lance, but, thanks for the offer,” Alex said, then chuckled. “I’m really convinced that I’m getting too old for this shit.”

  “Go get some sleep and I’ll call you later with any news I get.”

  “Thanks, Sharkey.”

  * * *

  On a hunch, Harris decided to see if he could talk to Carl Abbott. He called his room at the Hyatt and was a little surprised that Carl answered.

  “Mr. Abbott, this is Burt Harris. I was wondering if you would be willing to talk with me about Susan.”

  There was a long pause, then Abbott said, “I thought you were off the case, but sure, what the heck.”

  “I am off the case. I just have some questions about my daughter so I would like to speak to my son-in-law. Just a personal attempt to catch up on some of what I missed over the last years.”

  They agreed to meet in Carl’s room. He assured Harris that Stephanie was not around. “She went shopping this morning. She won’t be back for awhile.”

  “See you soon.”

  Harris arrived at the hotel and went straight up to Carl’s room.

  They shook hands and sat down at a table by the window. “Want something to drink?” Carl offered.

  “No, thanks…on the other hand, you got a can of pop?”

  “Sure do, Seven-Up okay?”

  “Great.”
Carl handed Harris a can, “want a glass or ice?”

  “Na, thanks.” He popped the top and took a sip. “That’s better. Now that the rain stopped it’s getting hot out there. So, you heard anything about the case?”

  “I thought you had to stay off the case.”

  “I’m not working the case. I’m just talking to my son-in-law.”

  Carl’s face was frowning now. “Susan told you about how she felt a long time ago. What do you want to know now?”

  “She was my flesh and blood. You know how you feel about Tyler. What happened between her mother and me wasn’t good. She wanted me gone. Completely gone. I needed to let her go. I paid alimony and child support until she was of age.”

  Carl took a deep breath. “Susan had a mind of her own and she had a wild side that proved to be her downfall. I could understand her wanting some more excitement in her life. I didn’t like it, but I could understand it. But I wasn’t going to pay for illegitimate kids if she insisted on playing around. I couldn’t get that through her thick skull.”

  “Okay.” Harris said looking Carl in the eye. “Why did you separate? For real?”

  “I had it with her running around. I made it clear that she needed to make a decision. She did. And then I left like she asked.”

  “So, you two were in a bad place when you saw her last?”

  “I had been gone about a year. I came to see Tyler as often as I could, so I saw some of the transitions. She got desperate as the finances began to squeeze her. I wasn’t inclined, or able, to pay for her other kids. She thought that was me being disagreeable. I assumed she was not getting any help from Javier Trujillo. She had put herself in a difficult situation and was looking for an out. She wasn’t completely rational about her choices. She wanted her problems to go away and wasn’t willing to make any concessions to make that happen.”

  “Concessions?”

  “I loved her. I would have taken her back in a minute, but she would have to choose to be a mother and not a player. I would have to live with her. I couldn’t afford two houses. Like most families, we would need a budget. I’m talking about the kind of concessions that most families have to make with the world. She wasn’t in a place where she was willing to negotiate with me, and I suspect, with the rest of the world. That kind of inflexibility limits your choices. When you don’t like your choices, the world can start to look desperate and you make bad choices.”

  Burt Harris looked at his watch. “I gotta get going. Say, you live in Miami?

  “Yeah.”

  “Thanks for the pop.”

  “I gotta get going myself. I’m looking for Javier. I’d put my money on him for killing her and taking the kids,” Carl said, with conviction in his voice.

  Harris nodded. “You could be right.” Burt stood. “Mind if I take this with me?”

  “Take it. It’s getting hot out there.”

  Harris started for the door then stopped and turned back towards Carl. “So where were you on the night of the murder?”

  “You sound like a TV cop pulling a Columbo. I was home in Miami. I talked to Detective Sharkey. I was devastated when I heard. Stephanie drove down here with me.”

  “I see. I was devastated myself when I found our Jane Doe was my murdered daughter.”

  “Yeah, I could tell you were blindsided by Stephanie.”

  Harris went back downstairs and carried the can carefully until he got outside then dumped the contents out and put the can in a paper bag. He called officer McCabe and asked if he could do him a favor.

  * * *

  Sharkey’s phone rang.

  “Hi, Sharkey, it’s Amy. Burt needs you to call him. He’s at home. Preferably when you go out to lunch.”

  “Okay, I can do that.”

  “Thanks, bye.”

  Sharkey looked at his watch and called dispatch to let them know he would be out of the office for a while.

  Once in his car he called Harris on his personal cell.

  “Harris, what up? You okay?”

  “Good as I can be. Jordan McCabe has a package for you. Run the prints and check out Carl Abbott. Something about him gives me a bad feeling.”

  “You talked to him?”

  “He’s my son-in law. Anything wrong with a grieving father talking to the grieving husband of his daughter?”

  Sharkey shook his head. “Harris, be careful.”

  “I am. I remember that little bundle of joy. My little girl. I couldn’t be there for her, but I never stopped loving her. Now, I have to do the right thing and do everything I can to find her killer and her kids. I tell you, Sharkey, there’s something behind that concerned and grieving façade.”

  “I take it that I’ll find his fingerprints on that pop can.”

  “What pop can?” Harris said.

  “I’ll check him out and see what comes up.”

  “Cell phone records are good,” Harris said.

  “Got it covered. Have Alex give me a call,” Sharkey said.

  “Okay. Have a nice day, detective.”

  * * *

  Sharkey sent the pop can he received from Officer McCabe to the lab to check for fingerprints on Carl Abbott of Miami.

  He then stopped to get a quick lunch. Just as he got to Goldman’s Deli a call came in from Alex.

  “Alex, had lunch?” Sharkey asked. “Want to join me?”

  “No lunch yet, where are you?”

  “Goldman’s Deli, off Roosevelt near the station.”

  “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

  Alex found Sharkey’s table and sat down. There was a concerned look on Sharkey’s face. “How’s it going?” Alex asked.

  “This is one hell of a case. No word on the kids and no word on Javier Trujillo,” Sharkey said. “It’s a hard nut to crack. He’s gone dark.”

  “Harris said he confronted Carl Abbott and got an uneasy feeling about him.”

  “Yeah, he told me about it. He wanted me to speak to you. He asked Carl where he was on the night of the murder. His answer was at home,” Alex said. “Harris thinks he might have been here in Key West.”

  “I can check with our communications department. Nothing unusual showed when I called him, but that was the next day. So, it’s possible he was here that night. It’s a long drive but it’s doable.”

  “I also felt something was going on with him but couldn’t put my finger on it,” Alex said.

  “I’ve tried to give him the benefit of the doubt because of the severity of the case,” said Sharkey.

  “Carl’s pretty set on finding his kid. He seemed like a guy that won’t wait for the wheels of justice to grind slowly.”

  “I agree. He could wind up screwing up the whole case.”

  “I’m working with Jerry and Chichi. I think they plan to keep an eye on Carl,” said Alex.

  * * *

  Carl Abbott drove to the police station and asked to see Detective Sharkey.

  “I’ll check with Detective Sharkey and see if he’s available.”

  Sharkey had just turned on his computer after returning from lunch. He turned off the monitor of his computer and took the stairs down to get Abbott.

  “Mr. Abbott, come with me.” He led the way to an interview room and sat down at the table. “Have a chair. What can I do for you?”

  “I demand…”

  “Don’t demand. Just ask,” Sharkey said softly. “We’re public servants, here to serve and protect. By the way, do you have a problem with me recording this conversation?”

  “Hell, go ahead. It’ll be a record that I shared my concerns with you.”

  “Yes, it will,” Sharkey said, with a poker face. “Go ahead then.”

  “I want to know exactly what you’re doing to find my boy.”

  Sharkey let out a long breath then said, “We’re looking for Javier first and foremost. We believe he may have the children.”

  “You call his cell?”

  “Yes, of course. His phone is out of operation so its location c
an’t be traced.” Sharkey’s face was deadly serious. “Mr. Abbott, we’re doing everything humanly possible to try to locate your children.”

  “That baby isn’t mine. I only want to know where Tyler is,” Abbott shouted.

  “Stay calm. I know that this is all very stressful, but we have a young boy and a three-month-old baby at risk here. I believe that if we find one, we will find both. You will find that raising your voice and demanding action will get you nowhere. We’re working on every clue we have. If you have additional information that might lead us toward Mr. Trujillo, we will welcome an opportunity to follow up. We have people looking for Trujillo and the children all over the US and in Chile.”

  Sharkey continued. “Now, tell me where you were again the night of the murder and the disappearance of the children. Your alibi could officially eliminate you as a suspect in the case.”

  “I was at home. That’s where I got your call.”

  “I called you the day after the murder. She had no ID. It took us a while to identify her as Susan Abbott and then locate you.” Sharkey looked into Abbott’s eyes. “Where were you the night of the murder?”

  Abbott’s eyes looked away and he sighed. “I told you, I was home.”

  “In Miami?”

  “Yes. Damn it.”

  “So, for my clarification, you were in Miami the night of the murder, last Friday night. Those are the facts of your statement?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay, we have your alibi on the record,” Sharkey said. “You had said that you loaned Susan two hundred dollars until the end of the month.”

  “That’s right.”

  “When did you give the money to her?”

  “I stopped by and gave her two hundred in cash. I also saw Tyler.”

  “When was this?”

  “Two weeks ago.”

  “Two hundred dollars was enough to keep her wolves at bay?”

  “I don’t know. It was what I had. I gave it to her for Tyler. That other kid is not my responsibility. Can’t you understand that?”

  “No,” Sharkey said evenly. His eyes burned into Abbott’s. “All the people in my city are the same to me. You can leave now. I suggest that you calm down and let the police take care of this case.”