Adrift: The Complete Novel
Page 7
“I don’t know if you should be taking that chance.”
“What, and let you have all the fun? I’m old, not dead, Marine.”
It was hard to argue with the man. Old or not, he was still a warrior.
+++
Max Laney looked over his silver sunglasses. “You got all that?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Do you foresee any problems?”
“I’ve never failed, Mr. Laney. I don’t plan on it now.”
Laney handed the slight man with bushy eyebrows a padded manila envelope. “Here’s the first half. You get the rest when you’re done.”
+++
It took the better part of an hour to get to the boat dock, beach tourists starting to clog the roadways. “Is it always like this?”
Hollie stared out the window. “During spring break and summer. I try to avoid it when I can.”
“What do you have a boat for?”
“Fishing mostly. Sometimes it’s nice to take a ride. My wife loved to cruise along the coast. I can still see her smiling like a child. She loved it.”
He hadn’t said much about his wife. There were still mementos of her touch in his house, mostly pictures and furniture, stuff a man wouldn’t buy. “If I can ask, what happened to her?”
His gaze never left the ocean. “Cancer. Five years ago. We found out pretty late. She lived two months after the doctor diagnosed her.”
“I’m sorry.”
Hollie turned and looked at me. “So am I. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t miss her. She made me whole. I almost died when she left.”
“I can’t imagine.”
He cocked his head. “I think you can.”
“What do you mean?”
“I can see you, Daniel Briggs. You’re a tough Marine, probably a sniper or force recon. But you’re human. I see your pain. It’s okay if you don’t want to talk to me about it, but there will come a day, hopefully not long from now, when you will have to tell someone, deal with the demons.”
I didn’t want to hear it. My temper flared. “What do you know about it?”
Hollie chuckled. “Son, there are things that I’ve seen that I never told a soul. Tore me apart inside for a long time. Did I tell you that I lost half my platoon in Korea?”
My hands gripped the steering wheel hard, the memories bubbling to the surface. I couldn’t speak for fear of letting my emotions run.
“I blamed myself for a long time,” he continued. “Wasn’t a soul I could talk to. I thought no one would understand. Hurt a lot of people because of my anger. Fell hard, privately, of course. Everyone else saw a hero coming home after saving the world from the North Koreans. I felt like screaming at them. Drank a lot in those days. Tried to forget. Hurt my friends. Hurt my family.”
I tried to steady my breath, focused on the road.
+++
It hadn’t been hard for Renley Watts to find the old man’s place. He’d almost missed them. From years of practice, he hung back, his borrowed 2002 Honda Accord blending well once they hit town. Tracking was simply a matter of pulling up next to the pickup, arm dangling out the driver’s side window, and tossing a magnetic tracking device against the old man’s truck.
The hard work done, Watts sped off to find a secluded spot to park and begin monitoring his quarry.
Chapter 20
We pulled into the Bay Point Marina after driving past the community golf course.
“Nice place,” I admired, taking in the variety of boats sitting in their wells.
“I’m over on the left.”
+++
“They just pulled into the Bay Point Marina.”
Max Laney scowled. “What are they doing?”
“I’m not there yet.”
“Well hurry and get there.”
“I will.”
+++
The first stop was Hollie’s boat, a twenty two foot center console fishing rig named Bite Me. I pointed to the name. Hollie laughed. “A little joke between me and my wife. She hated sharks and I always used to kid her about them. The name was my lame attempt of humor.”
We climbed aboard, Hollie inspecting as he went.
“Know anything about boats?” he asked, using a towel to wipe the bugs off the console.
“Got my coxswain’s license in North Carolina, but that was a while ago. Probably couldn’t tie a knot if you asked me.”
“But you know how to drive?”
“I do.”
“Good. Come over here and give me a hand.”
+++
Renley Watts pulled into the Marina casually, taking his time. It took him a minute to find the truck. Seconds later, he spotted Daniel’s head peaking out of the white fishing boat.
Parking a ways off, but still with a view of the two men, Watts settled in and watched.
+++
Hollie had just finished his obligatory maintenance checks. “What do you say we take her out for a spin?”
“I was thinking about going over to the shop and asking around. Maybe someone saw Johnny the night Kelly was killed.”
“Good idea. I’ll come with you.”
The girl behind the counter was completely unhelpful. Her eyes were glued to the old television in the corner.
“Are you sure there wasn’t anyone here that night?” I asked, starting to lose my patience.
“Yes, sir. Like I said, owners can access their boats twenty-four hours a day. Gas and electric are self-service. We don’t staff this place all night.”
“What about security cameras?”
She finally looked up at me. “Are you a cop or something?”
Hollie nudged me. “No, ma’am. We’re just looking for a friend who was supposed to meet us.”
There was a pause as she pondered clamming up. “What’s his name?”
“Johnny Laney.”
Another pause, and then she rolled her chair over to the computer. “You tell anybody I did this and I’ll swear you threatened me.”
“Don’t worry, this stays between the three of us.” Hollie threw me a wink.
A few keystrokes later she looked up. “Says he got some gas at two in the morning, the night you were looking for. Does that help?”
“It does. Would you mind telling us which well he was in? I can’t remember the name of the boat.”
She huffed and swiveled back to the computer. A few keystrokes later she said, “The Midas Touch. Well 341.”
+++
“They just went into the tackle shop and now they’re headed to…they’re going back to the old man’s boat.”
“Get out and see,” order Laney.
“I can’t. There’s no one around. If I go, it’ll be too obvious.”
“Just do it!”
+++
We found the boat, and with Hollie playing lookout, I climbed aboard. The thing must have been at least sixty feet in length. It was the nicest vessel I’d ever been on.
It didn’t take me long to find what I was looking for.
+++
“Yeah, they’re on a boat called The Midas Touch.”
“What did you say?”
“I said, the kid just climbed onto a boat called The Midas Touch, blue trim, chrome portals.”
Laney mind swirled. That was his boat, but it wasn’t in the right place. He had docked it a week earlier in a friend’s slip across the bay. Occasionally he used the Bay Point Marina, but only when he wanted to shack up with a part-time girlfriend he kept who owned a condo across the street.
“Keep an eye on them.”
Max Laney clenched his hands as he walked down the hallway to where Johnny lay recuperating.
+++
I hopped down, landing nimbly on the concrete dock. “Let’s go.”
“What’d you find?”
“I’ll tell you in the truck.”
Hollie followed as I led the way, mind frothing. Familiar contingencies running through my head. Once again operational.
&nbs
p; “What did you see?” Hollie asked, after we’d pulled out of the parking spot.
I told him.
+++
Max Laney slammed Johnny’s bedroom door open. The prostrate form didn’t move. Anger boiling over, he marched to the bed, looking down at his pathetic excuse for a grandson. Grabbing a Playboy magazine lying on the ground, Laney rolled it up tightly and swung, connecting over and over again against Johnny’s stitched and bandaged face.
His grandson was soon yelling, curled in a ball, trying to protect his face.
“You lying sack of shit! Fucking worthless…son-of-a…” The beating continued, this time against the back of the head.
“What the hell?!”
Out of breath, Max Laney threw the magazine against the far wall. “Last chance…you tell me…how did you do it?”
Johnny, hands still protecting his face, rolled over slowly. “What are you talking about?”
“That girl…how did you kill her…how did…?”
“Are you okay, granddad?”
Laney leaned against the wall. “I’m fine. Just out of breath. Now tell me.”
“I already did.”
“You said you strangled her and drove to Grayton Beach Park and dropped her in the water.”
“That’s what…”
“Don’t lie to me!”
“I…I don’t remember. I woke up at the Park and drove home.”
“I’ll tell you what happened! You took my boat, drove into the Gulf, obviously not far enough, didn’t weigh her down, and then docked the fucking boat at Bay Point Marina!”
Johnny sat up, confusion setting in. He couldn’t remember. “What do you want me to do?”
Max Laney’s eyes bulged. “The first thing you’re going to do is get down to that marina and clean up your mess!”
+++
A look of horror on Hollie’s face. “My God. I knew he was messed up as a kid, what with his dad dying and his mom overdosing, but this is…poor Kelly. The news didn’t say anything about…”
“Why would they? You don’t advertise that stuff.” The scene in the cabin replayed in my head, on repeat. Blood, so much blood. “This changes everything.”
“What do you mean?”
“Our plan was to get Johnny to confess or find enough evidence to bring to the police.”
“And?”
“He doesn’t deserve it.”
Hollies face darkened. “Where are you going with this, Daniel?”
My vision cleared. Mind working with body. A finely crafted instrument. “All the way.”
Chapter 21
“You sure you don’t want me to follow them?” Watts was already in his car, idling.
“Stay there. My grandson will be at the boat soon. I need you to babysit him.”
“I don’t know, Mr. Laney. That’s not really…”
“Do it, keep your mouth shut, and I’ll double your fee.”
Watts’s mouth snapped closed. A double fee meant he could postpone the three shitty jobs he had waiting. “Done.”
Johnny looked like Frankenstein after facial reconstruction surgery when he stepped out of his truck, trying to find his grandfather’s boat.
Watts whistled quietly. Now there’s a piece of work. He’d never met Johnny, had only heard about him from Max and the rumors through the grapevine. It was Renley Watts’s business to know about his clients. He knew about the assault charges, drug arrests and DUIs. All dismissed thanks to the Laney tie to the police department. Watts wondered how much his employer paid the police chief. He made a mental note to do a little snooping, maybe he could use it as leverage to increase his future payments.
Watts caught up to Johnny just as he was climbing aboard. “Mr. Laney?”
Johnny’s head whipped around. “Who the fuck are you?”
“Your grandfather sent me, said he’d given you a call.”
He had. Rather than reply, Johnny grunted and climbed the rest of the way onto the boat, Watts followed.
“Oh, shit,” came the groan from the main cabin. Watts went that way, stepping lightly down the stairs, hand on his hip holster. His eyes went wide coming into the spacious main room. Disgust turned to glee as Watts made up his mind that Max Laney would have to pay him ten times his normal fee to keep quiet.
+++
Laney was only half listening to the general contractor, his mind still replaying the phone conversation with Renley Watts. Deep inside he wasn’t surprised. Johnny had always been disturbed. He’d once caught then seven-year-old Johnny strangling the family dog, a lovable Bichon, just for the fun of it. When asked why he’d done it Johnny had replied, “Because I could.”
The years hadn’t improved his grandson’s attitude, although he’d gotten better at hiding his indiscretions. He’d had to pay countless thousands to pay-off the local police, buy new cars and have enforcers keep witnesses, who wouldn’t take payment, quiet.
“I’m sorry, Tom. Can we do this later? I’ve got a lot on my plate today.”
“No problem, Mr. Laney.”
Laney went back into the kitchen, rooting through drawers looking for his trusty headache powder.
“Mr. Laney?” It was the contractor again.
Laney bit his tongue, not wanting to snap at the man. “What is it?”
“There are two gentlemen at the front door who said they’d like to speak to you.”
Laney ignored the headache. “Did they say who they were?”
“No, sir. There’s an old guy with a bandage on his arm, and a young guy with blonde hair.”
Laney panicked for moment, then calmed. If they’d wanted to hurt him, they wouldn’t have walked in the front door and announced themselves.
“Please tell them I’ll be right out.”
He felt stupid for not keeping security at the house, but Max Laney was no coward. He’d stared death in the face numerous times and come out alive. He could take care of himself.
+++
Max Laney strolled out like a king. I could tell he had a gun in his pocket. “Hollie, Mr. Briggs, how can I help you today?”
The sound of my name coming out of his mouth made me cringe. He knew who I was.
I looked around at the workers busy rebuilding the mess we’d made the night before. “Let’s talk out back.”
Laney nodded and led the way, nonchalantly turning his back to my piercing eyes.
Walking out onto the stone-paved back patio, Laney took a seat. “Can I offer you anything?”
“You can tell me where Johnny is.”
“Why should I do that, Mr. Briggs?”
I matched his stare, imagining cramming by boot up his stuck-up ass. “So I can kill him.”
Laney shook his head. “So barbaric. Why would you want to kill my grandson?”
“You know why.”
“I’m not sure I do.”
Hollie stepped in. “Cut the crap, Max. You know he killed the Waters girl. Hell, you even tried to frame Daniel for the crime.”
Laney’s facial expression never changed. “I really hate to disappoint you both, but I have no intention of handing over my grandson, but…if you would consider payment in exchange…”
I took a quick step closer. “I don’t want your fucking money, asshole. Keep playing your little games and maybe I’ll take care of you too.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. I don’t think that would be very smart, Mr. Briggs.” He pointed toward the front yard. “Lots of witnesses saw you come in here. I’m a public figure. I disappear and people will start asking questions. No, I think what’s going to happen is that you are going to get off my property before I call the police, and give them every bit of evidence that will tie you to the murder scene.”
I smiled “Not every piece of evidence.”
I’ll give him credit, he didn’t flinch. “What do you think you have?”
“I don’t think I have anything. I know that there’s a video, in my possession, that shows your sick grandson raping, maiming and then mur
dering Kelly Waters.”
“You’re bluffing.”
“Try me.”
Silence.
“What do you want?”
“I told you, I want Johnny.”
“I already…”
“I know, I know. Family first. Let me put it this way, wouldn’t it be better to give up your twisted excuse for a grandson, saving yourself years of cleaning up his mess, and keeping your empire intact? If that video surfaces your pals will disappear. Everything you’ve built will be torn down.”
I could see his scheming mind weighing his options. He wasn’t stupid. Max Laney lived a very comfortable life. “Very well. What do you want me to do?”
Chapter 22
Johnny went straight to his room to shower. He was tired. A beer and a nap was what he needed.
“Thought you could avoid me?” came Max Laney’s voice from behind.
Johnny turned around, wearily. “No, sir.”
“Did you clean up the mess?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where’s Watts?”
“He’ll be here soon. Said he had to stop for gas.”
It took every ounce of self control in Laney’s body to not lash out at his pathetic offspring. “Do you know anything about a video?”
Johnny’s face went blank. “What video?”
Idiot. “Nevermind. Take a shower and get some sleep. We have a meeting tonight.”
“With who?”
“Someone who can make all this go away.”
Johnny’s brightened at the revelation. “Great. What time do we leave?”
+++
“Absolutely not. I’m going with you.”
“Hollie, I can’t risk it. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
Hollie shook his head emphatically. “You know how many times I’ve heard someone say that before doing something stupid?”