Terror Grips the Beach

by Steve McMillen

  He returns to his office and tells Barrish and Connehey about the decision. Both of them feel the same way. Maybe they should have gone in but it’s too late now to second-guess. Reynolds also tells them not to mention anything about the strange sounds they heard coming from the cave. Both men nod their heads in agreement.

  Reynolds knows he should call Mickke D and give him the news.

  *****

  I answer on the first ring. “Hey, big Steve. Did you find anything out about Jake?”

  He gives me the entire gruesome details of their search, including what happened on Mt. Pleasant. I am not sure what to say. “Thanks Steve, I never should have told Jake about the cave.”

  “Listen, Mickke D, we are not sure he was in there. He may turn up sooner or later.”

  “So what do you think set off the landslide? An earthquake?”

  “We have no idea. The only damage was right there where the cave was located.”

  “Thanks again for the update. I may make a trip up and see what I can find out.”

  “You would just be wasting your time. It’s over. I’ll keep you advised of any new developments.”

  Without commenting further, I hang up and contemplate not whether to head north, but when to head north.

  CHAPTER 10

  The day after meeting Detective Concile at the apartment of Mary Kay Henderson, Jim comes into my office and tells me there is not much out there on my two victims. Skipper Chucks seems clean as a whistle except for testifying against one of his clients in federal court about three years ago. A jury found his client guilty and sentenced him to three years in federal prison. Linda Evans is also pretty vanilla except for the fact that her uncle has ties to the Italian mafia.

  “Thanks, Jim. Do you know the name of the person who went to federal prison and the name of Linda Evans uncle? Do me one more favor and see what you can find out about a Mary Kay Henderson, who died in a robbery yesterday in North Myrtle Beach.”

  “No problem. The man who went to prison was Ray Chrystal and Miss Evans uncle is Don Emery. Is this a rush job?”

  “No, not really. Can you check on Mr. Chrystal and Mr. Emery as well? I’m going to call Detective Concile and see what she will tell me and then we’ll compare notes.”

  Later that afternoon, I call Detective Concile. “So, detective, have you found out anything about Mary Kay Henderson and maybe why someone would want to rob her and then kill her?”

  She hesitates. “And why should I tell you what I found out?”

  “Because you owe me one,” I quickly reply.

  She pauses again. “Okay, but then we are even.”

  “I’m good with that.”

  “Well, actually we didn’t find out much of anything. We interviewed her boss, co-workers, and neighbors. Everyone liked her.”

  “So, where did she work? What is her boss’s name?”

  “She was the office manager and broker in charge, for Condo Enterprises, LLC. Her boss was a Mr. Jeffrey Barrons.”

  “Thanks, detective, I’ll let you know if I find out anything.”

  “Mickke D, do not interfere with my investigation.”

  I hang up before replying to her.

  I venture over to Jim’s office and surprisingly find him there. It’s a beautiful day so I figured he would be on the golf course. “Not playing golf this afternoon?”

  “No, I think I’ll hit the driving range on the way home. What do you need?”

  “Along with Mary Kay Henderson, Mr. Emery and Ray Chrystal, can you run a check on Condo Enterprises, LLC, and a guy named Jeffrey Barrons?”

  “That’s going to take some time. Sure hope you don’t need it today?”

  “No, tomorrow will be fine.”

  “No problem, if my guy’s in I’ll have it for you by the end of the day tomorrow.”

  I decide not to wait on Jim. Something about this whole thing is beginning to smell. I search for Condo Enterprises on Google and get the address. It’s located in North Myrtle Beach, not far away.

  Fifteen minutes later, I walk in the front door and ask for Mr. Barrons. A young lady with puffy eyes, probably a close friend of Mary Kay’s, asks what this is about. I hand her my card. She disappears down the hall and returns with, I’m guessing, Mr. Barrons, who is followed by another man. Both men are dressed in suits.

  “I’m Jeffrey Barrons, Mister...” gazing at my card, “MacCandlish. How can I help you?”

  “I wanted to ask you some questions about a current case I’m working on.”

  “Certainly. Let’s go in the conference room. This is an associate of mine, Mr. Linde.”

  I shake hands with both men and don’t like the fact that Mr. Linde is closing the door to the room. Both men have an accent that doesn’t go along with their American names, which is giving me cold chills. “I take it you gentlemen are not originally from here?”

  Jeffrey answers. “As a matter of fact, you are right. We are from Colombia. Have you ever visited our lovely country, Mr. MacCandlish?”

  I am now on full alert. “Yes, as a matter of fact, I have been there several times. Beautiful place.”

  Just as the temperature and tension in the room begins to soar, my phone rings. I look at the number and say, “Excuse me, gentlemen, I need to take this,” and quickly leave the room. The call is from Dr. Horton’s office, my dentist, to confirm an appointment, but it came at just the right time. I pop my head back in the room. “Sorry guys that was a 911 call. I have a fire to put out. I hope we can continue this conversation at a later date.”

  “Come back anytime, Mr. MacCandlish. Mary Kay was a close friend of ours.”

  I give him a funny look and wave my hand. As I’m leaving the office, I’m thinking, I don’t remember mentioning Mary Kay at any point in our conversation. I don’t fully relax until I reach my vehicle.

  After Mickke D leaves the conference room and after closing the door, Linde looks at Barrons. “He doesn’t look that tough to me.”

  “Just remember, looks can be deceiving. It sure was nice of him to make an appearance so we could check him out. Did you notice he was armed?”

  “Yeah, I saw that.” Linde replies.

  Mr. Barrons and Mr. Linde had just received a dossier pertaining to the “hit” contract from Colombia minutes before Mickke D arrived.

  CHAPTER 11

  Around 11:30 the next day, Jim comes into my office and takes a seat across from me, which means he has more than just a quick answer to my request. “Well, Mary Kay Henderson was a straight shooter. No problems with her. Mr. Emery fled the States after called upon to testify in a possible fraud case in New York City. Miss Evans was interviewed, but nothing ever came of it. Ray Chrystal is still in Club Med Federal Prison, and Mr. Chucks was never implicated in any wrongdoing. I don’t see any connection there. Condo Enterprises, LLC has a good rating and no red flags seem to be flying in that direction.”

  I can’t wait to interject. “Now you’re going to give me the bad news, right? You found some problems with Mr. Barrons, didn’t you?”

  “You smart ass, how did you know that?”

  I chuckle, “I went down there yesterday afternoon and left in a hurry. What did you find out?”

  “Well, nothing on his name, but when I ran his photo from his South Carolina driver’s license, it seems as if the DEA is looking for him. They were watching him in New York but he flew the coop and has been on a most wanted persons watch list ever since.”

  “How in the world did you get his South Carolina photo?”

  “You really don’t want to know. Just continue paying my expense account.”

  I shake my head. “So why does the DEA want him?”

  With a smirk on his face, he answers, “You mean you don’t already know?”

  “I’m going to guess it has something to do with drugs and Colombia.”

  “Right again. Seems they think he was running drugs from South America to the States. Do you think he knows your friends the Valdez family?
”

  “I think it’s a good possibility. I felt bad vibes in that office. I think we should both be on our toes from now on. If you see Mark before I do, tell him to stay alert as well.”

  Mark is in charge of my landscape business and is married to Jannie, my receptionist. He is also ex-Special Forces and spent time with me in Colombia.

  “By the way, he introduced me to another guy as well, a Mr. Linde. Check on him as well.”

  “Got a first name?”

  I pick up the phone and call the condo office. A woman answers. “Yes, is Tom Linde in please?” I ask.

  “Oh, you mean Bob Linde?”

  “Yes, thank you. Oh, sorry, I have another call. I’ll call right back.” I hang up, look at Jim and smile. “His first name is Bob.”

  “Smart ass,” he mutters as he leaves my office, closing the door behind him.

  After a few minutes of reflection, I figure it’s time to call my favorite detective and bring her up to speed on what I found out. She answers as if she is having a bad day. “Mickke D, now what?”

  “I’m just following orders and bringing you up to date. Is this a bad time?”

  “Every day’s a bad time, but go ahead, enlighten me.”

  “Okay, did you run any kind of a check on Mr. Barrons over at Condo Enterprises?”

  “Of course not, why would I?”

  “Well, we did and there could be a possibility the DEA is looking for him.”

  Silence on the other end. “I did notice he had an accent not from around here.”

  “That accent is Colombian, south of the border.”

  “Whoa. Is he looking for you?” She knows about several attacks on me from Colombian assassins.

  “I don’t think so. I met him and another guy from Colombia named Bob Linde yesterday and no one shot me. You may want to check with DEA and see if they’re interested in them.”

  In as much of an apologetic tone as she can muster, Sam replies, “I’ll do that and get back to you. Thanks for the tip.”

  CHAPTER 12

  The following morning around ten, Jannie calls me, “There’s a lady out here who said a Detective Concile sent her over to see you.” Then she whispers, “She’s carrying a gun.”

  I return her whisper with a whisper of my own, “Thanks Jannie, send her back.”

  In a minute or so, a stunning woman dressed in jeans, boots, a white blouse and a weapon holstered to her shapely hip illuminates my doorway. As usual, I am at a loss for words. Finally, I stand up and say, “Please come in. What do I owe the pleasure?”

  She reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a badge and ID. “Special Agent Karol Colder, DEA. That’s Karol with a K. You must be Mickke D. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”

  Why in the world do all of these gorgeous women have to get a report on me from Detective Concile. I just stare at her and probably look like a fool. Finally, I respond, “Have a seat, Agent Colder. How can I help you?”

  “Well, Detective Concile called our office and said you may have met someone who could be a person of interest. I just wanted to ask you some questions.”

  “No problem. Ask away.”

  She takes a small pad and a pen from her other back pocket and begins. “Why do you think this person may be on our list as a person of interest?”

  “I am not about to divulge my sources, but I do believe there is a good chance you may be looking for him.”

  “And what is this person’s name?” she asks.

  “His name here is Jeffrey Barrons, however, I think he is from Colombia, South America, by way of New York City and very possibly a drug dealer. He owns Condo Enterprises, LLC in North Myrtle Beach, which manages POAs and HOAs here on the beach. I figure Condo Enterprises is a front for his drug business.”

  “How and why did you meet him?”

  I go into scant details about my investigations into Skipper Chucks, Linda Evans, and Mary Kay Henderson. She makes some notes and then abruptly stands up. “I would like to meet this man. Do you think you can arrange it?”

  “Well, I suppose so. Will he recognize you?” I ask.

  “If it’s the guy I think it is, he has never seen me.”

  “And if it’s another guy who may have met you?”

  She gives me a sly grin. “Do you carry a weapon, Mr. MacCandlish?”

  “Sometimes.” I reply.

  “Well, take it along. You may need it. Can you set up a meeting?”

  “No problem. What is your cover?”

  “I’m just an investigator on your staff.”

  “Okay, let me call right now.” I call Condo Enterprises and get the receptionist I met the other day. She informs me Mr. Barrons is out of town and won’t be back until next week. She tells me to call back Tuesday to set up an appointment.

  I convey the phone conversation to Agent Colder and we decide to meet here at my office Tuesday morning around ten. Just as she is about to leave, Jim comes barging into my office. “Oh, sorry boss. I have that information you were looking for on…”

  I interrupt him before he can say a name. “No problem, Jim. We can discuss that later. This is Agent Colder with the DEA.”

  He grins and shakes her hand. “Nice to meet you, Agent Colder. Mickke D, we’ll talk later.”

  Jim exits the room and Agent Colder gives me a funny look. “Is he one of your sources, Mr. MacCandlish?”

  “Oh no, he was looking into a place for us to play golf this weekend.”

  She smiles. “I’ll see you Tuesday morning, Mickke D. “By the way. Cute name.”

  After Agent Colder leaves, I sit at my desk and contemplate my next move, and it’s not related to the case I’m presently working. I recently got back together, sort of, with my old girlfriend Beverly, a paid assassin with a CIA splinter group. Now, I have met two lovely women within the last few days who I would like to know better. Two of the three women carry a gun, and I’m going to bet the third knows how to use one.

  I walk over to the window and watch as Agent Colder walks over to her vehicle, a black Ford sedan. I wonder when the Feds will figure out that you can spot a government agent a mile away just by the car they drive? I just know that she knows I am watching her.

  I stop staring out the window and call Jim to tell him I’m on my way to his office. Once I arrive, I ask, “So, what did you find out about Bob Linde?”

  “Wow, that DEA agent was hot. What was her name?”

  “Jim, focus. Bob Linde?”

  “Oh yeah. I can’t find out anything on him. My contact with the Bureau came up empty.”

  “Did you do the DMV thing as well?”

  “Yeah, sent the photo and still nothing.”

  “Okay, keep me informed.”

  I leave Jim’s office and start down the hallway when I hear my name called, “Mickke D.” I turn and see Jim motion me back to his office. Once inside, he closes the door and hands me his cell phone. “You need to read this.”

  I look at the text. Jim. Thought I would give you a heads up. Homeland Security has intercepted some cell phone chatter, which leads them to believe there is a possible terrorist threat over the Fourth of July in Myrtle Beach. They can use all the eyes and ears available in the area. I’ll send you details.

  “Jim, find Mark and let’s have a meeting in my office right away.” I look at my watch. It is 11 a.m. July 1, two days before the start of the long holiday weekend.

  CHAPTER 13

  “Guys, as we all know, Myrtle Beach is a large tourist area. On any given weekend during the summer, there could be as many as 200,000 to 300,000 tourists in town. On Fourth of July weekend, there may be 400,000 people in town. So, how in the world is anyone going to find a terrorist with that many people around?”

  “Well, one thing is for sure,” Mark answers, “If it’s a bomb threat, and they’re on the beach, it will be the person in a long trench coat. You can’t hide a bomb in a bikini.”

  “You’re right, Mark, but that would be the best place to set
off a bomb, if it is a bomb threat, wouldn’t it?” I reply. “Therefore, this means they would have to carry the explosives in some manner to the beach.”

  Jim jumps in. “Can the cities and towns along the beach ban coolers over the Fourth of July?”

  I answer, “Well, I suppose they could, they banned tents for a while, but I don’t think it would get them many brownie points, and how would they explain it without causing a mass panic exodus?” I put my feet up on my desk. “Let me call Detective Concile and find out what she knows. Jim, call me the minute you get more details.”

  Jim and Mark leave my office as I dial Sam’s number. She answers on the second ring. “Well, Mickke D, how did you like Agent Colder?”

  “She was great. I have a question for you. Have you been contacted by Homeland Security?”

  Silence abounds from her end of the line. Finally, she replies, “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Detective, it’s me. You know damn well what I’m talking about. I have my sources. Do you want some help with this matter or not?”

  Again silence and then, “All right, but I don’t want to discuss it on the phone. Come down to my office.”

  “I’ll be there in twenty minutes,” I reply.

  I update Jim and leave the office.

  CHAPTER 14

  Beverly Beery, Mickke D’s on-again off-again girlfriend is back in Atlanta waiting on her next assignment. Her job is to locate and terminate, if necessary. She works for a rogue splinter group of the CIA and reports to Liz Woodkark, aka GG.

  Liz is an employee with the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., however that is only a cover. Her real job is to run a rogue cell operation for the CIA around the world. She receives funds through materials confiscated from drug dealers and other wanted persons. Taxpayer money does not subsidize any of her projects. There is no money trail back to her or the group.