The Empty Chair ~ Murder in the Caribbean

by Penny Goetjen

  “It’s her. It’s gotta be [unintelligible].”

  “Yeah [unintelligible] the Jeep.”

  More garbled words.

  “. . . got to be here somewhere. Keep lookin’.” Their accents revealed their island roots.

  “If [unintelligible] her camera, don’t let her leave with it. . . . Just don’t let her leave.” A sickening snicker followed the comment.

  Mumbling continued between two of the men as they walked away from her toward the small building with the clearing on the side. A third got onto his cell.

  She strained to keep an eye on the men as they unknowingly put distance between herself and them. Finally she could make out at least three, maybe four, silhouettes in the light shining from the shack. Their profiles blended together in one moving mass, sometimes revealing an individual body but usually just morphing in and out of a group of men on a mission. And she was part of it. They approached the small building and disappeared on the other side of it.

  Terrified for her life, Olivia’s instincts screamed at her to run. The men knew she was there and were intent on finding her. Listening closely, she could no longer hear them talking. Time to make a break for it. No more photos to be taken.

  Carefully retracing her steps through the brush, she blazed her way with her hands back out to the access road. Branches with broad leaves smacked her square in the face and brushed up against her arms and legs leaving wet tracks behind. In her haste she rammed her left shoulder into a thick branch, causing stars to flash before her eyes and searing pain to shoot down her arm. She fought to ignore the assault on her body and find the road again. Once back on flat ground, she moved as quickly as she could. A half-moon had found its way out from behind the evening clouds, providing a little more light for her. The downside was the men who were after her could spot her more easily. She was terrified of where she was and who might be after her, but fortunately her feet took over. With one hand clutching the camera still hanging around her neck, she ran.

  Her thin, muscular legs worked hard to move her quickly. Her thighs were burning when something caught her toe. A rock sticking out from the dirt road? A tree root? Mere clumsiness? No matter. The result was the same. It seemed like slow motion as Olivia plummeted toward the ground, landing hard on her chest before tumbling and landing, sprawled in an unladylike position. Lying stunned for a moment, she gasped to replace the air knocked out of her lungs. Shooting pain in her right foot deflected awareness of her shoulder pain. Stifling a blood-curdling scream, she bit her tongue to keep silent. Voices moved in her direction from behind her. She sprang to her feet, checking for the camera hanging from her neck, and resumed her sprint to the car with somewhat of a limp in her stride.

  Olivia could just make out the shape of her vehicle with the moonlight reflecting off of it. Running for her life, she willed her legs to get her there. As she reached the Jeep, she shoved her hand into her pants pocket in search of her key. Her fingertips hit the bottom but only found a seam. Her eyes got wide. Panic ripped through her body. Where could it be? The voices behind her got louder. She needed to get out of there. Where was the key? In desperation, she pulled open the driver’s side door and jumped in, closing it gently behind her. Alarmed the interior light stayed lit, she was afraid they would notice. “Damn!” Frantically scanning the inside of the car, she racked her brain to remember where she had left her key. The dome light she had just cursed stayed on long enough for her to see it was hanging from the ignition.

  Quickly she grabbed it, cranked the engine to life and yanked the gearshift down to drive. She punched the gas, churning up dirt and gravel behind her as she made a U-turn and fled the scene, anxious to get back out onto the main road. She couldn’t tell if the men behind her were still pursuing her on foot but, with the steering wheel in her hands, she felt less threatened and more in control. Pressing the gas pedal to the floor, she tried to put as much space between them as possible, her headlights piercing through the dark to show the way.

  Before long she reached the end of the access road and came to an abrupt halt. She reviewed her options for a moment. Instead of turning left and heading toward Serenity Villa, she turned right, heading east, to try to elude her would-be captors. It crossed her mind too late, she probably didn’t look either way before jumping out onto the main road. A quick glance into her rearview mirror assured her there was no one behind her. Breathing a little more easily, she knew she wouldn’t feel better until she was safely back at her mother’s place.

  Following the sharp curves and changing elevations of the road as she took the long way back, she tried to remain calm as she progressed along the route, staying left of the center. The winding road brought her to Red Hook and around to the north side of the island. The throbbing in her shoulder forced her to drive with one hand, her left arm bent at the elbow and resting in her lap.

  Lost in the close call she left behind, Olivia made the ride up the north side of the mountain purely by instinct and memory. She found herself at the tricky corner coming from the Magens Bay side but, at that hour, she was the only one there. Continuing through the intersection, she drove as quickly as she dared down the road toward her mother’s house.

  A strange light appeared in the distance. She kept driving, although she slowed her speed. It was a golden glow that grew brighter as she got closer. At first, she didn’t connect with where it was coming from. Was someone having a party? Next door to her mother’s bungalow?

  Then she saw flashing lights. Red and blue emergency lights that were closer to her than the glow she had initially noticed.

  Olivia could only drive a short distance before she was confronted by a uniformed officer. After crossing her fingers he wouldn’t recognize her in the dark, she rolled down her window and he informed her the road was blocked off. She acknowledged his comment and quickly ditched her Jeep on the side of the road. Hopping out, leaving everything behind and pushing away frightening images, she quickly transitioned from brisk walking to running. An ambulance, with its siren blaring, screamed past her on its way from the scene. She glanced back toward it, curious who was inside. A firefighter? She sent up a prayer it wasn’t.

  As she got closer, she could feel the heat. It was like nothing she had experienced before. She coaxed her legs to move closer and found herself at the top of her mother’s driveway again. Her face fell. Her heart sank. It was Serenity Villa. Completely engulfed in flames. Emergency personnel frantically worked to put out the fire. Their efforts seemed futile.

  The scene was more than Olivia could handle. Her knees gave way for the second time that night by her mother’s mailbox, and she went down hard. No one was close enough to witness it. Everyone else was focused on the fire. Her breathing deteriorated into wheezing as she grappled with the scene. As the world around her began to spin, she fought to stay conscious. The siren from another emergency vehicle arriving on the scene snapped her back to reality. Shooting pain ripped through her shoulder as she rolled onto her side and pulled herself into a sitting position, hugging her knees to her chest while watching helplessly as flames consumed her mother’s home. The penetrating heat from the fire made the skin on her face feel like it was burning. Firefighters shouted above the roar of the fire while hustling to move the heavy hose from the water truck to a better position. They seemed to be losing the battle. There was nothing she could do. Her world was caving in.

  Feeling an urgent need to run from the horrific scene, she used the mailbox post to pull herself upright. Making a dash for the Jeep, she fled the mayhem.

  Throwing up gravel as she spun the Jeep around in a frantic U-turn, Olivia was desperate to leave it all behind. At the familiar corner above Magens Bay, instead of turning right to head down the mountain, she crossed over onto Skyline Drive heading east. Slowing down to search for the right driveway, she eventually found it though she’d only been there once before. Unfortunately, she had nowhere else to go.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  From the top of
the driveway, she could tell lights were on inside the modest bungalow, and a car was parked in the driveway. Feeling fairly confident he was home, Olivia turned in, praying he was alone. Shutting off her headlights as she coasted down the driveway, she pulled the Jeep in next to his. As she exited the car, she glanced down the mountain to the twinkling lights of Charlotte Amalie. It was a similar view to what she had seen when she stopped during her trek up the hill on foot earlier in the evening.

  Olivia shuffled to the front door but didn’t knock right away. She stood still and listened with a tingling sensation in her stomach. There were no discernible sounds inside. Closing her eyes, she held her breath and knocked lightly on the door. Would he turn her away? At first she didn’t hear anything. She rapped again a little harder, which stirred movement from within. A short bark and then footsteps. The inside door opened slowly and there stood Colton. His face brightened slightly as soon as he recognized her, but then he seemed to withdraw. Not the reaction she was hoping for but not entirely negative either. Just reserved, as if guarding his emotions. She certainly couldn’t blame him.

  Slowly, Colton opened the screen door and Jake ran straight to her, tail swinging back and forth, as if he knew her well and expected her to greet him. Olivia reached down and stroked his head before diverting her attention back to Colton. Gazing into his strong, suntanned face with laugh lines framing his eyes, she struggled not to be taken in. His light brown hair with sun-kissed blond highlights was unrestrained, falling loosely upon his shoulders. In spite of their brief, tumultuous history together, Olivia was tickled to see him. Reading his expression, she imagined he was trying not to react to her appearance, she was certain she looked like hell.

  After an uncomfortable silence, Colton spoke first. “You’re one of the last people I would have expected to be at my door this evening.” His voice was flat and matter-of-fact. His eyes seemed to penetrate right through her. They looked cold and distant. Was he working hard to make them appear that way?

  Her stomach tightened. Images from the evening she sent him away haunted her. His unanswered texts. Why had she ignored him?

  She regretted her rash decision in a fit of anger. “Yeah, I’m sorry.” Her throat tightened as it became obvious he was not going to welcome her as openly as his dog had. “Colton, I’m sorry . . . the way I treated you. It wasn’t fair. I’m sorry.”

  The pair stood awkwardly at his front door. Silence hung in the air as they considered the situation.

  “Are you okay?” He softened a bit.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” she lied.

  “Come in.” Colton reached out and gently took hold of her upper arm, guiding her through the open door. Thankfully it wasn’t her left arm. She didn’t dare look into his eyes as she got closer to him. Her nose caught an interesting scent, and she wrestled conflicting emotions within her, fighting to stay in control. He allowed the screen door to swing shut on its own.

  Olivia followed him into his home and managed a grin as she noticed he was wearing the same brown leather flip-flops he had worn every time she saw him. Seemed to be part of his everyday attire. They lingered when they reached the music room. She was relieved to see he was alone—at least no one else was in the general living area. Sheet music was scattered across the coffee table and a guitar rested on the sofa where it probably had been placed before he answered the door. It looked as though he had been in the middle of one of his creative sessions.

  “Looks like I’ve interrupted—”

  “No, it’s okay.” His face was not revealing any emotions he may have tucked deep inside.

  “I’m sorry.” She closed her eyes, trying to block out the horrific scene at her mother’s house. “I had nowhere else to go.”

  He furrowed his brow. “What’s going on?” He examined her face. ”What’s happened?” He reached out and took hold of her arm again, this time her left arm. Wincing, she pulled away from him. A subtle groan slipped through her lips.

  “Olivia, you’re hurt.” His face looked pained as he searched her eyes for answers.

  “My mother’s place . . . it’s gone.” She was not going to acknowledge she was hurt. There was a much more pressing matter. “Someone must have set it on fire.”

  “What?” He looked stunned.

  Grimacing from the horrific images in her mind, she nodded. “I was just there. It’s totally engulfed in flames.”

  Colton’s eyes widened, showing a sense of urgency she didn’t feel. “There must be something we can do. We should get over there.”

  “I just came from there. I couldn’t get very close to the house with my car. There were fire trucks and police cars on the street. I pulled off to the side of the road and ran up.” A lump formed in her throat. “I walked partway down the driveway. The house was . . . it was . . . the flames were bright and the heat was awful.” Olivia struggled to put into words what she had seen. “There was nothing I could do. So many people trying to put out the flames but there was . . . it was gone. My mother’s . . .” Her voice trailed off as she attempted to wrap her head around what someone had done to their house. Then she stopped to consider if there was anything she had done that would have ignited a fire. The stove? The candle next to her bed? She was frantic to figure out if she was responsible.

  Olivia felt his strong hands in hers. She fixated on the energy they generated together, yet she kept her eyes averted from his. He gently squeezed her hands, and she tightened her grip, wanting him to feel her response. She needed someone to hang on to. Her world spun wildly out of control. Aching to reach out and grab him, she pulled his hand closer, needing to feel he was there for her.

  “Olivia, I’m sorry.” He slipped his hands out of hers and moved them around her slender waist.

  In response, she moved her hands to his waist. Stabbing pain shot from her shoulder as she shifted her body. She did her best to ignore it and tried to relax in his hands. A strange sensation shimmered throughout her body. They were entering uncharted territory.

  Colton lifted her chin with his fingertips and he looked deep into her eyes as if examining her soul. His face remained rigid. There seemed to be a lingering question on his mind.

  She wanted him to pull her closer. Harboring a naïve notion he could make it all better, she just wanted to get lost in his arms and forget about what was happening.

  He maintained his distance from her, though.

  How could she expect him to do anything else? She had screamed at him at her mother’s house in an irrational fit of rage a couple nights earlier. A cold chill ripped through her body. A body looking for the warm touch of his hands but rejected. She had hurt him, and she couldn’t blame him for protecting himself.

  Dropping her eyes to the floor in painful remorse, Olivia pulled away from him. She had been wrong thinking she could show up on his doorstep. She was desperate, and he could see right through her. He wasn’t fooled.

  “I’ve made a mistake. I’ll go. Look, I’m sorry I bothered you. I’m just . . . sorry.” She turned and shuffled noiselessly toward the door.

  Jake trotted with her and cried softly as if he was sad to see her go.

  When she reached the door she turned back and gave Jake a firm stroke on his head. He looked up into her eyes as if searching for an explanation as to why she was leaving. His penetrating eyes tugged at her heart. There was a real connection between her and the sweet, furry canine she didn’t understand. She had not experienced that with another dog, or any other animal for that matter.

  Colton followed silently behind Jake but hadn’t found his voice yet. His eyes locked on a random spot out the front window, blinking deliberately, appearing to be struggling with the situation.

  Olivia’s hand was on the door knob. She turned and looked into Colton’s silent face. His piercing blue eyes were more than she could take. Her eyes closed as she became painfully aware of what he must be feeling.

  “See ya.” Her voice quivered and was almost imperceptible.

  She
turned away from him and pushed open the screen door, moving quickly through it. It closed with a soft click behind her.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  The sound of his front door shutting behind Olivia made her feel even more alone than she had felt when she knocked on it earlier. Colton had not prevented her from leaving. She had caused unimaginable damage to their new relationship when she dismissed him in her moment of utter rage. She shouldn’t have been surprised he was hurt and not receptive to her arriving unannounced on his doorstep.

  Walking slowly back to her mother’s Jeep, she bit her lip to distract herself from the hurt she was feeling inside. Reaching out and taking hold of the door handle, she paused to think about where she should head next. The cold, cruel reality was she had nowhere to go. She was completely alone.

  “Olivia.”

  She turned toward his voice and took in a quick breath, uncertain what his appearance meant.

  He stood on the door step. Jake was at his side. Tail wagging.

  “Yes?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

  “Please come in.”

  She cocked her head and looked at him, trying to discern his intentions.

  “Please come inside,” he repeated, almost pleading with her. His voice was hushed but unwavering.

  Olivia examined his face partially illuminated by the porch light, listening to what she was afraid were hollow words.

  “I’ve already asked too much of you and I’ve hurt you. I’m sorry.” She turned back toward the Jeep and opened the driver’s side door.

  Suddenly she heard footsteps descending his front entrance. Turning to watch him stride toward her, she released the handle and pushed the door closed, pressing her back against the side of the car.

  In a heartbeat, he stood over her and his right arm slipped gently around her lower back. “Olivia, please come inside.” His voice was low, raspy, and firm.

  Not wanting to disobey his wishes, she stepped away from the Jeep and grabbed onto his hand. Jake was waiting with tail wagging on the front steps.