Inherent Danger

by Matt Lincoln

  Rosa shook her head and started signing. Wait. So, you think someone from Verity’s work is connected to the Speirs case? You’re not suggesting that one of her co-workers was trying to steal the case full of these, and they… what? Shot Declan Speirs on the boat?

  “No, no!” I realized that I’d not explained myself all that well. “Okay, let’s back up. Verity’s company, Weir’s company, actually, is currently being investigated for theft, fraud, larceny, you name it, all that crazy stuff. I don’t have all the details, but from what Xavier and I have been digging up, there are charges against them that they are making forgeries of the artifacts and pieces they clean and restore. They then try to sell those forgeries, hence the investigation.”

  “Art forgery?” Doc looked very captivated in this new turn. “That’s interesting. So then, yes, I see. If this suitcase of prehistoric statues were coming into their shop, they could have theoretically made copies and passed them off as true artifacts. That has to make someone a lot of money. And that’s enough motive for anyone to… hmm… kill.”

  “Exactly what I’ve been working on.” I nodded in agreement. “Now, we know that Claude Speirs was expecting his brother to return to Miami earlier in the month, right? I’m guessing that one of them contacted Weir’s firm in the expectation of needing the items verified, dated, valued, or whatever.”

  Or, Rosa brought up, the person that was going to fence them had planned to get them appraised, and the Speirs brothers may not have gotten involved in it at all. We’ll need to find out who else knows about their inheritance and when it was coming back to Miami.

  “Anyone on the Hester would have known, but until we find out if they’re still down there on the boat…” Xavier cited.

  “We’re getting ahead of ourselves.” I needed them to pull it back in. “All we know for sure is that the Speirs brothers were receiving a very precious cargo in that suitcase. Someone contacted Weir’s company about a consignment that is almost identical to what the Speirs had. But it never showed up. Now, that could all be just coincidence, but I’m not counting on it.”

  “Me, neither,” Xavier interposed.

  “Doesn’t sound very likely to be a coincidence to me as well,” Doc said, shaking his head at the idea.

  Yeah, no. Too much in common for it not to be connected, Rosa added.

  I nodded. “Good, so we’re all in agreement then.” That would make this case run that much smoother. “Going back to what we know as fact. Declan was shot obviously before the ship sank, but was that why the ship was wrecked? Maybe someone was trying to cover up a murder?” I knew that I was reaching, but we needed to go through every possible scenario if we were going to find the truth.

  “That’s a big way to cover up a murder,” Doc said. “If you want to go the route of one or more of the crew members trying to get the artifacts, then why were they still there on the boat?”

  Exactly, Rosa agreed. I guess they could have run out of time, or maybe they were caught shooting Mr. Speirs. His body being left on the stairs implies that everything happened very fast and that there wasn’t time to do much once he was shot.

  Xavier shook his head as he checked his watch before getting up and heading for the door. I supposed he was expecting the food very soon.

  “But you didn’t find any bodies near where he was,” Xavier mused as he reached the door. “If, let’s say, crewman ‘A’ was going to steal the suitcase and shoot Speirs outside of his cabin at the stairs, the location would have to be important. If there were mechanical problems on the Hester, why would Speirs be heading to the deck?”

  Sure enough, there was a knock at the door, which Xavier answered. The food smelled delicious as soon as we all got a whiff. Xavier tipped the delivery woman, closed the door, and headed for the kitchen counter. Rosa got up to help him, or maybe to get the first serving.

  “The fact that he was on the stairs without the case has to have a bigger significance,” Xavier continued as he unpacked the food. “If Speirs was going to see something else, then maybe there was a crew mutiny brewing, and he surprised them. They shot him for some unrelated reason or maybe even accidentally. Until we locate the rest of the crew and see what kind of shape their bodies are in, all of this speculation is just conjuncture.”

  “He’s right.” I got up and made my way to the food. Rosa already had plates down and passed me one. “We have got to get to those other bodies sooner rather than later. Doc? I know that you have some business to attend to tomorrow morning. What does everyone else’s schedules look like?”

  We all took a minute to get our plates and let Doc take something to Zaid. I gave him the okay to let the kid eat in the bedroom. I didn’t want him hearing about any of this if I could help it. Once we were all settled down at the table again, the itineraries began.

  “Yes, I have a realtor appointment that might last a few hours,” Doc explained. “We are looking at a very nice place, and I truly hope it works out. It’s as close to perfect as I’ve found. But I have to double-check a few things, and there’s an appraiser meeting us to make sure that I don’t fall into a money pit or anything of that sort.”

  “Yeah, that’s too important to skip,” I agreed. “Rosa, how’s your day looking? Oh, and before I forget… You got that, um, package in the freezer alright?” I meant Declan’s body, but I didn’t want to gross us all out over dinner.

  It is taken care of, she assured me through bites of her meal. I leased the space for a week, and the guy watching it for us is very dependable. No one will know it's even there. Tomorrow, I don’t have anything major planned. I was going to do some preemptive shopping for Zaid. She cast a glance at Doc, and they nodded at one another. If he’s going to school, he’ll need more clothes, supplies, and with a new house comes the bedroom décor. I’m just trying to help out where I can.

  “And we’re both very appreciative of all that you’ve been doing. Thank you, Rosa.” Doc was truly grateful. I could hear it in his voice.

  “Xavier?” I asked as I took a big bite of the tortellini I’d been craving. It was so good. There simply weren’t words in the English language for it.

  “Um, I don’t really have anything going on,” he admitted. “I’ll probably work on that classification list of the figurines. Maybe they’ll be ready for that infrared scan tomorrow, and I want to work on that as soon as it’s possible. I do want to let Claude Speirs know that we are making progress. I just won’t mention anything too detailed. Other than that, my day’s open.” He seemed a little sad at that.

  I swallowed my bite of tortellini and nodded. I just wanted to make sure that I wouldn’t be missing out on anything important or any task my team might have that they needed help with. “Well, I’ve got to do some housekeeping with the police to check up on my incidents with the crash and the fuel theft out at the marina. And I need to go see how Lael’s doing. It’s going to be a full day for me, too, I’m afraid.” I deliberated on this. “But the day after, I’d like to get back out there and see what else we can chart and bring up. Is that going to work for everyone?” I waited until all three of them agreed, and then I continued. “Great. Because we need to get it done.” I glanced over at Doc and nodded at him. “Plus, maybe by then, I’ll be cleared for diving. As I was promised a consultation on that very thing tonight, as I recall.” I jokingly brought this up, but I was anxious to get back into the water.

  “I haven’t forgotten this,” Doc replied with a smirk. “And before I leave tonight, I will evaluate your condition and make the proper determination. With witnesses present, if you please.”

  Xavier choked back a laugh and tried to recover by taking a large drink of soda. “Sorry. Must have gone down the wrong pipe.” He didn’t bother to hide his grin at my expense, but I didn’t mind.

  I hate it when that happens, Rosa responded, also smirking in my direction before going back for seconds. Good call on the food, Xavier.

  “Thanks,” Xavier grinned in response. “So, when do we tell
Claude Speirs that we’ve brought up his brother and the suitcase? I mean, I know that we need to have the wounds examined and find out exactly what went on and all of that, but he’s going to want a mission update soon.” He sighed, thinking about it. “What do you want me to tell him when and if he contacts us?”

  Doc took the initiative on this part. “I’ll try to get to Declan tomorrow afternoon if I can manage it. Rosa, I’ll need the location, and Xavier, I’d like some equipment to record my findings. It has been a while since I’ve done a full-scale pathology report. And I want to keep a profile of the finding just in case we have to turn it over to the authorities.”

  “Yeah, good idea,” I agreed. “Do you want someone with you? Just in case of, I don’t know… in case you need something?”

  Doc sighed. “Well, let me think about it, and I’ll let you all know tomorrow.”

  We finished up the scrumptious dinner with hardly any leftovers. Once we’d all sat back in our chairs with full stomachs, Doc pulled me into the kitchen as it had the best lighting. He proceeded to give me his best medical assessment, with Rosa and Xavier both watching our every move.

  “I don’t see any lingering signs of concussion,” he admitted. “Or rather, no more than were already there.” Doc examined me thoroughly. “How many have you had in your lifetime, Header?”

  “I don’t exactly keep count of that sort of thing, you know,” I joked.

  “Maybe you should,” Doc teased, his smile giving it away. He clapped me on the shoulder and took a step back as he concluded his examination. “Well, I’m content that you’re suitable to dive the day after tomorrow. And with that, I’m going to go gather my grandson and head back to our temporary home. Thank you all for a lovely dining experience, and I’ll be in touch.” He headed for the spare room to get Zaid.

  “Thanks, Doc!” I called after him.

  “I’m going to go, too,” Xavier told us. “It's been a day and a half. I need some rest. See you all tomorrow. Night.”

  That’s my cue as well, Rosa announced, and before I knew it, I was left all alone to clean up.

  I didn’t mind the cleaning. It gave my life a normal twinge to all the other things going on. And that was a healthy dose of reality that everyone needed from time to time. After the kitchen and dining room had been cleaned, I watched a little tv and then headed to bed. Xavier was right. It had been a very constructive and useful day. A good night’s sleep was the perfect way to end it.

  16

  Jake

  I awoke the next morning thanks to a text from Eve, asking if I had plans for the day. I didn’t bore her with the entire list, only replying “yes,” and that I wouldn’t mind her company if she wanted to come along.

  She sent back, “Great, I’ll see you in a few.”

  Now, I didn’t know exactly how long I had, so I took a super-fast shower and threw on a pair of jeans and a white tee, and I was good to go. I knew that Eve still didn’t have her own vehicle, so I assumed she’d be taking a cab over to meet me. I grabbed all the documentation that I could need to speak with the officers that I planned to check in with today. That accomplished, I headed to the condominium lobby.

  The lobby looked as nice as it always did, with the stone and tile work, the magnolia wood benches, and the Koi fountain and pond. I nodded to random people that I supposed were fellow neighbors of mine, and then I reminded myself that I needed to become better acquainted with the complex as a whole. I checked my phone, texted back to Eve that I was waiting for her in the lobby, and I started to wander around the place.

  The coquina stone that made up the flowerbeds was still there. Some of it had started to chip away, and I noticed a janitor making his rounds with a small broom and dustpan going around each one to sweep up. I thought that must have been a never-ending job for the poor guy.

  The lobby was fairly quiet this time of the morning. I could hear people on their phones, and I saw them coming and going from the elevator to the doors, all preoccupied with their own lives. It was at this time that I saw Eve coming in through the main entrance, and once she saw me, her face lit up.

  She had her dark hair half pulled up and was wearing a great pair of jeans and a tank that did everything right for her. I met her halfway, and she greeted me with a very welcomed good morning kiss.

  “Thanks for letting me tag along with you today.” Eve took my hand and squeezed it a little. “I really needed to get out of that hotel room and see something besides a computer screen and affidavits.”

  “Not a problem,” I assured her. “I never mind your company. But I’m warning you ahead of time that my day is sorely lacking in anything fun.” I led her to the elevator for the ride down to the garage. “I have two stops at two separate police stations, a hospital visit, and then it’s off to the marina.”

  “I’m with you. It’ll be fun no matter what.” Eve smiled, and I really thought that it could be fun when she said things like that. She leaned in, kissed me on the cheek, and together, we headed for my Blazer once we reached the basement garage.

  “You’re in a very chipper mood this morning, Sarabia,” I pointed out. “Is there something going on that I should know about?” I wasn’t suspicious, not totally, but she was definitely more energetic and sprightlier than the last time I’d seen her.

  Eve smiled very broadly as we climbed into my vehicle, and I started it up. “Well, I did get off the phone before I arrived here with an incredibly helpful assistant investigator about Verity’s case. And while they are vigorously pursuing the inquiry, they had some interesting information that I got them to send over. It seems that one of the Weir team has had complaints filed against them under a different name and in another state.”

  “So, there’s a history of this kind of behavior then?” I asked. “That’s rather interesting. Because I think there may be a chance that your case, and Verity’s situation, might be connected to mine in some manner.” I glanced over to see her reaction, which was exuberant.

  “Really? How so?” Eve was all on board now. She was watching and listening to me like she never had before.

  I shifted the Blazer into drive and headed out into the warm Miami sun. “Yesterday, when Verity mentioned that their company was expecting a collection of artifacts like the one Xavier and I showed her, well, my team and I have it on good authority that our clients were her clients. We can’t be entirely sure yet, but we’re working on it.” I hoped that wasn’t stepping over any lines by discussing it like this with her.

  “Wow. That’s crazy.” Eve turned away to look out of the car window. “Okay, no more shop talk! I needed a break today, and that’s why I’ve forced you to take me along.” She glanced back over and was smiling. “Let’s focus on your trials and tribulations today. Why two police stations?”

  “The first one is regarding the crash with my Mercedes,” I informed her. “I need to get all the information to send on to the insurance people and finish that up if I can.” I figured that the two men responsible were going to see justice in their own way, and I wasn’t too keen on getting into the whole “Judge Fu still having a hit out on me” thing with the MPD.

  I continued, “Then it's over to the station near the marina to see where the investigation is headed with the people that were trying to steal the fuel. None of this is too exciting, but it’s all important to do.” I saw Eve shake her head a little at this. “I know. A thrill a minute with me, huh?”

  “It certainly is.” Eve rested her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. But she was smiling, and that couldn’t be a bad reaction.

  The drive over to the police precinct was slow in the morning traffic, but I did eventually get there. I kept my answers brief and dull when the officers tried to press me on the motives of the men that had caused my crash. I just played dumb and tried to seem more concerned about the insurance angle more than anything else.

  I knew that if they dug deeper, they might find connections to some other things going on, and that wasn’
t a rabbit hole I wanted to go down. Until someone took down Judge Fu for good, these threats and attempts on my life were something I was just going to have to live with.

  The next stop was out to the police station by the marina. They were far more accommodating and friendly when it came to their questions, and they actually made it fun, talking about the mishaps that my four would-be thieves had gotten involved in. All four thieves were now locked up and had been denied bail due to so many previous offenses.

  Eve listened in with rapt attention, and she seemed to enjoy hearing about some of their antics. It probably seemed trite to her, with all that she took on with her usual cases. At least I got the info for where Lael was and how he was doing. That was going to be our next stop, and then after that, I thought that some lunch might be in order.

  The small hospital that Lael was in reminded me of something you’d see in a tv movie. Everyone that came through was on a first-name basis with the staff. The nursing staff at the desk quickly figured out who I was since I was unfamiliar to everyone except Lael. And since I was visiting him, they all introduced me as “the rich Miami guy that owned the marina.” Eve snorted back a laugh at this and teased me by referencing that for the rest of the day.

  We found Lael resting in a hospital room that was smaller than some closets that I’d owned. The whole place was a stark white that actually made my eyes water for the first few minutes until they adjusted to the brightness.

  “Hey Lael,” I came in and shook his hand. “How are you feeling?”

  He wasn’t looking too good, now that I got a better look at him. He was kind of pale and listless, not willing to engage too much with me. I introduced Eve, and that seemed to perk him up a bit. His eyes got more focused on her, and he straightened himself in the bed a bit more. Leave it to a good-looking woman to make a man smile.