Lost Witness

by Rebecca Forster

  The containers in question were not fully loaded anyway, and it would be a good while before anyone noticed the mistake. Besides, once they reached the next port the Albanian would be gone and could not be held accountable. He was tired of life at sea. He had caught something from one of the love boat women at the last port, and now he wanted to settle down with a good woman. He had seen many he liked in Panama. To top it off — even though he was not privy to all that had gone on — the Albanian did not like this business with the dead man and the injured mate. Though he had not seen it himself other mates had whispered about the terrible thing. Reasoning that keeping the Faret Vild from leaving port would not be good for him, he put a mark on his report indicating that the containers in question were still where they should be. If he were found out before they reached the port in Panama, what could they do to him? Fine him? He had no money. Toss him overboard? That was a possibility, but a remote one since the captain had enough problems with dead people as it was.

  With his work done for the moment, the Albanian went to the mess. It had already been a very long day and the entire ship's company would be working nonstop for many hours more. He figured that the pilot would be onboard and they would be on their way no earlier than two or three the next morning. He would be very tired by then, but he would not go straight to his bunk when they cast off. He would stand on the deck as the Faret Vild made its way out of the Los Angeles Harbor. It would be a pretty sight at that time of the morning, and one he would never see again, God willing.

  TALA REYES

  SANTA CRUZ, PHILIPPINES

  FIVE YEARS EARLIER

  * * *

  "Come on. Come on."

  Estrella hissed and waved her hands, but Tala shook her head again. Estrella shook her raised fist at Tala who stood in the upstairs window of her grandmother's house. She was lit up from behind like a saint on a holy card, but Tala was no saint. Then again, she wasn't a full-fledged sinner either. Tala had become bolder over the years but she was still cautious, and that drove Estrella crazy.

  Tala bit her lip and looked over her shoulder and then out the window again. Estrella was standing in the street, the night people passing all around her, no one giving her a second glance. She put her hands on her hips and stood with her legs wide apart as she always did when piqued. In the next second Estrella made to leave, but Tala knocked on the window.

  It had been this way since they met: Estrella coaxing Tala further afield from her grandparent's house and Tala reluctantly following. First Estrella led her into the city to look at the shops. Then there had been the time they went off behind the ancient Santa Cruz building and met up with two boys, both of whom looked dangerous. One had put his arm around Estrella, and she had leaned into him as if they had been like that before. The second time they met up with the boys one had tried to put his arm around Tala, but she had run home to her nangnang's and not come out again the whole time she was in Manila. It had taken Estrella two more visits to lure Tala out again. Now Tala loved the adventures they had together. Tonight was going to be the biggest one yet. They were going to a party such as Tala had never seen. The people at this place were young and answered to no one. What they did for money was a mystery, but they always had enough to spend as they pleased. Tala wanted to go in the worst way, but Estrella wasn't going to wait all night. Estrella raised her shoulders and shrugged.

  Are you coming?

  Tala put a hand out. She pushed once and twice, begging Estrella to stay. Five minutes later Tala ran down the stairs and past Estrella, catching the girl's shirt as she did so. Giggling and laughing, they ran together until they reached the alley where Estrella had once shown Tala the cigarettes she had stolen from her mother. Stealing was a sin, but stealing from her mother made Estrella very bad indeed. Still Tala had taken a cigarette, inhaled as Estrella directed, and nearly puked. Her grandmother said she smelled smoke on her clothes when she got home, so Tala said the men in the street had been smoking when she stopped to watch their card game. It was the first time she lied to her grandmother and the last time she smoked. It wasn't the last time she lied.

  "Oh my God," Tala cried when she twirled into the alley and fell against the wall of a building. "I thought nangnang would hear me going down the stairs."

  "Are you still afraid of your grandmother?" Estrella laughed and stood across the alley, leaning against the other wall.

  "No, but I'm still afraid of my father. He'd put me in a convent for sure if he knew where we were going."

  Tala doubled over and put her hands on her knees to catch her breath. When she raised her beautiful dark eyes, Estrella saw they were sparkling with mischief. Tala wasn't afraid at all.

  "You're already in one in that school of yours," Estrella teased. "I don't know how you stand it."

  "But I'm almost done." Tala took the few steps to cross the space between them. She took both Estrella's hands in hers. "I don't want anything to ruin it."

  "What, like you won't graduate? Even I'm going to graduate." Estrella laughed because her school graduated everyone just so the students would go away.

  "Of course I'll graduate, but I don't want my father to find out I got accepted to mariner's school before I'm ready to tell him."

  "No way. No," Estrella said. "You got accepted?"

  Tala screamed with happiness, excited that she had surprised her friend. They held hands while they danced and laughed at the good news. This was what Tala had dreamt of, a chance to see the world on her own. But it wasn't what Estrella dreamed of. When she realized what this meant, she stopped jumping about and let go of Tala.

  "I passed the exams. I got in. I even got a scholarship. I am going around the world."

  "When are you going to tell your parents? Or are you just going to show up in a uniform one morning and kiss your papa goodbye?"

  Estrella pulled out a cigarette, lit it, and leaned back against the cool bricks of the building. Tala back-stepped too, twirling her long hair around one finger.

  "Don't be ridiculous. I'll tell them after I graduate. It's only six more months. I'll be eighteen by then."

  "And what will you do if they say no?"

  "They can't make me go to university. Besides my father always said to be the best you can be, but he never said what I had to be the best at," Tala said. "Wait until he sees what I will do. I'm going to be an officer on a fancy cruise ship. Maybe I'll be a first mate. Maybe I'll be a captain. I'll bring you presents from everywhere. . ."

  Tala's voice trailed off, suddenly aware that Estrella had 'that look' on her face, the one that spelled trouble between them.

  "Yeah, well good for you," Estrella drawled. "You can tell me all about it when you come back here now and again."

  "You could come," Tala said.

  "Yeah, like I'm so smart," Estrella snorted.

  "You are. You know everything, and what you don't know you find out. I've seen you do it a thousand times," Tala insisted. "At least you should try. I can show you how—"

  "I don't need your help." Estrella flipped her half smoked cigarette onto the ground. "Come on. Let's go. I don't want to be late."

  Tala watched her walk away and then ran a few steps and touched her elbow. Estrella shook her off.

  "Aren't you even a little happy for me?" Tala said.

  "Yeah. I'm happy. Good for you. Another good thing for you."

  Estrella shoved her hands deep in the pockets of her baggy pants and headed out. This time Tala didn't follow.

  "Hey, what do you mean? What do you mean another good thing?"

  "I mean another good thing."

  Estrella turned around, tempted to explain the obvious to Tala. She was beautiful and Estrella was not as beautiful. She was rich and Estrella was poor. Tala was good and Estrella was not. When Estrella was a kid she believed everything was possible, but then she grew up and knew nothing good would happen to her, so she stopped believing. Now it was time Tala knew the facts of life.

  "Look. Shit happens. You
got born good and I just got born. I don't want you to try to make me better than I am. I don't want your hand off clothes. I don't want you to show me how to do anything. I'm happy the way I am. If you don't like it then just go to boat school and get the hell out of here."

  "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I never meant that," Tala said.

  "And I don't want you to pay for stuff. I can get my own dirty ice cream."

  "Oh, yeah. I've seen how you get it," Tala shot back, recovering from her shock. "You steal it."

  "So what? So what?" Estrella threw up her hands. Her eyes sparked and her color was high. "I get it on my own. Nobody gives me charity."

  "It's not right, but I understand why you do it," Tala said.

  "You don't understand squat."

  "Oh, yes I do." Tala's voice rose along with the color in her cheeks. "I followed you home once. I saw that man on your mother's couch in his underwear. I saw your house, and I know you sleep with all your brothers in one room. I know your mother hit you. I kno—"

  "Shut up! Shut up!" Estrella flew at Tala, hitting her hard, pushing her to the ground, shoving at her shoulders and pulling at her hair

  "Estrella, stop!" Tala cried, throwing her hands up to defend herself.

  Estrella was crazed, out of control with anger. She straddled Tala and pummeled her, but it wasn't until Tala screamed again that Estrella realized what she was doing. Slowly, Estrella moved away. Tala sat up on the dirty bricks and looked at her blouse. The white cotton with the red embroidery was ripped from shoulder to wrist. Her hand was scraped; leaves and trash were caught in her hair.

  "It's torn." She held up her arm, stunned by what had happened.

  Estrella said nothing because there was nothing she could say. She was thankful that the alley was dark and that Tala could not see her shame. From the street came the sound of vendors calling them to sample their taho and squid balls the same way they had the day the two girls met. The night was hot and close, the same as it was the night they met. But nothing was the same, and Estrella didn't know why Tala thought things wouldn't change between them. She moved closer to her friend who now raised her arm to guard against another assault. Estrella's heart broke when she did that.

  "What will I tell nangnang?" Tala asked, when Estrella delivered no more blows.

  "Tell her a bad girl tore it," Estrella said. "A stupid girl."

  Tala raised her eyes and Estrella saw how sad her friend was. She wasn't sad about her blouse, but about what had changed between them. Estrella held out her hand. Tala looked at it for a long time before she took it. Estrella's fingers curled around hers and she lifted Tala to her feet. They stood holding hands until Estrella touched the torn fabric. It was a beautiful blouse and she couldn't even offer to replace it because she had no money and too much pride to admit it.

  "I'm sorry I got angry," Estrella said.

  "It's okay," Tala said.

  "I just don't want you to go away. I don't want things to change."

  "But they do," Tala said. "It's better if you change things yourself instead of waiting for someone to do it to you."

  "Yeah," Estrella said. "I guess."

  Tala put her arm around Estrella' shoulder.

  "It doesn't mean we won't be friends. Forever. No matter what."

  "No matter what," Estrella said, as she put her arm around Tala's waist.

  They walked down the alley close together, Tala in her torn blouse and Estrella hiding a ripped apart heart. She knew that Tala was wrong. There was always a 'what', and when it came Tala would be far away and Estrella would be wishing she wasn't.

  10

  Day 1 - 3:20 P.M

  "Ms. Bates?"

  Josie and Billy, Archer and Hannah came to attention at the sound of Josie's name. The man who hailed her spoke with a heavy Russian accent. He was not particularly tall, but he was muscular and walked like a body builder, bow legged but sure-footed. His head was shaved, his goatee was trimmed, and he was very obviously in charge.

  "Gregor Andreeve?" Josie met him half way. They shook hands briefly.

  "I am the manager of this facility," he said.

  "This is Billy Zuni," she said. "He is crew from the Faret Vild. He is reporting the assault on one of his mates, and the death of a man he believes responsible for the attack."

  "They were both in the anchor room." Billy jumped into the conversation, knowing there was no time to waste. "The crew's name is Tala Reyes, and she's hurt bad. I'm not even sure she is still alive. The man is definitely dead."

  "And is the man also crew?" Andreeve asked.

  "No. I don't know who he is," Billy answered.

  "And how do you know he is dead?" Andreeve asked.

  "Maybe because his head was smashed flat?" Billy said.

  Josie gave Billy a look. Sarcasm would get them nowhere. Billy knew that, but this was not the response he anticipated and it angered him.

  "Are you a doctor?" Andreeve sized Billy up, noting his borrowed shoes, his too big shirt, and his wrinkled pants.

  "No, but dead is dead."

  "And you don't know who this man was?"

  "I told you, I never saw him before," Billy said.

  "According to my records, the Faret Vild did not stop from Manila to Los Angeles, so the man must have been aboard."

  "Agreed, but the ship is large. I kept to myself. He didn't take meals with the crew. What do you want?" Billy said, ignoring the gesture of caution Josie made. "Look, every minute will make a difference. Just get on the ship and check it out, or get me back onboard and I'll show you —"

  "We've had inspectors aboard the Faret Vild and they reported no problems. The ship has been docked for some time, and yet this is the first I have heard about alleged criminal activity. Why didn't you report this upon docking?"

  Andreeve took a longer look at Billy and everyone knew what he saw: a drifter, a hired hand, someone with a rough history who made no mark on the world and who was unworthy of disrupting the big business of a port.

  Billy saw the pier manager for what he was too: a company man in a white polo shirt and khakis. His work boots didn't have a scuff on them and his hands and nails were clean. Andreeve was a man with a clipboard who was taking far too much time with his questions. Fists clenched, Billy took a step forward.

  "Look, I'm telling you the truth."

  Before he could say another word, Josie put herself between him and Andreeve.

  "Mr. Zuni is very concerned about his mate as you can imagine, Mr. Andreeve. Why don't you ask your questions on our way to the ship."

  Andreeve didn't move. Josie thought he smirked. That's when her patience began to wear thin.

  "Have you at least alerted the Sheriff and the LAPD about the situation?" Josie asked.

  "Josie, this is crap—" Billy began, but she cut him off again. One more interruption and she would send him off to stand with Archer and Hannah.

  "Mr. Andreeve, I'm an attorney. I am reporting a crime that took place aboard a ship at your pier, and I want to talk to your supervisor since you are unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation."

  "I have no supervisor, Ms. Bates, except for the owners of this facility. So when I tell you that I have no credible evidence of a crime aboard the Faret Vild, you will have to rely on that. At worst there is some suspect reason this man wants to board that ship. At best, you have been misled and this is a joke. If that is the case, it is a dangerous prank."

  "You bastard, Tala is there," Billy said. "If she dies, I swear I'll come for you. I'll—"

  Josie pulled him back. "Let me handle this, Billy."

  "Good advice," Andreeve said. "As I said, the ship has passed inspection."

  "Mr. Andreeve, you would need an army of inspectors to cover every inch of that vessel. This man is an eyewitness to the aftermath of the events. This is not hearsay, do you understand?"

  "Oh, sure, yes," he said. "I understand."

  "Then you also understand that if I alert the authorities - includ
ing Homeland Security - I will ask them to shut down this pier. That is going to cost a helluva a lot of money, but it will cost even more if I bring a civil suit against the dock owners and the whole damn port." Josie moved a step closer. "And if that woman dies, I will see to it that criminal charges are filed naming you as an accessory. Now get us onboard the Faret Vild, and let me see my client."

  Andreeve waited ten seconds, holding his tongue long enough to be sure that Josie understood her threat meant nothing and that she was being mocked.

  "Why wasn't this supposed murder and attack reported to the captain?" Andreeve asked.

  "Tala told me not to," Billy said.

  "Did this woman say why you should not go to the captain?" Andreeve asked.

  "No," Billy said. "She couldn't speak much, but when I mentioned the captain she grabbed me and shook her head. I knew what she wanted. I knew she was afraid of him."

  "And when did you discover this crime?"

  "It was two this morning. We were supposed to be anchoring and Tala was on anchor duty," Billy said. "I was below and when I didn't hear the anchor drop I figured she might need some help. So I went to the anchor room, and I saw her and the guy."

  "And you got off the ship when it docked, went to find Ms. Bates, and then came back here to report the crime all these hours later? It would have been more expedient to come directly to the port authorities with such a grave matter."