Bluewater Killer: A Serial Murder Mystery Set In Florida and the Caribbean (Bluewater Thrillers Book 1)

by Charles Dougherty

  Sharktooth nodded, and they entered the two unlocked center doors at the same time. They found a single large room, dimly lighted by a kerosene lantern turned down to a minimal flame. There was a kitchen along one side wall and three occupied beds along the other one. The two men moved simultaneously, advancing on the beds at each end. The two women in the end beds were duct-taped and zip-tied to their beds with almost no sound. Phillip looked up as he finished, right into the gaping muzzle of a .45 Colt. He barely had time to process what he was seeing when the hand holding the pistol opened, dropping it, as the woman gasped in shock. Phillip caught the pistol instinctively and stepped aside as she collapsed. Sharktooth pulled the filet knife from her right kidney and wiped it on her nightgown.

  "Keys," Phillip said. It was the first word either had uttered since leaving Kayak Spirit. Sharktooth shook his head.

  "No need," he said, walking outside. He took the padlock on the locked door in his big right hand and rolled it to the side, almost effortlessly. There was a tearing sound as the wooden doorjamb gave way, and they went into the room, using flashlights for the first time. Dani was unconscious, an IV bag hanging beside her hospital bed.

  "Looks like we carry her." Phillip disconnected the tube from her arm.

  "No problem, mon," Sharktooth said

  "Phillip?" Dani asked, sitting up and opening her eyes.

  Phillip jumped, startled. Sharktooth would have looked pale, if he knew how.

  "Dani, we thought you were in a coma," Phillip said.

  "I was, I guess, but I've been awake for a couple of days. I've just faked being semi-conscious, trying to figure out what was going on. I could tell something was strange, from what I was hearing. I knew this was no hospital. Where am I?"

  "Baliceaux, but that's a long story. I'll tell you what I know later. Right now, we need to get out of here. Can you walk?"

  "Sure. I mean, I think so. I haven't tried," she said, getting unsteadily to her feet.

  Chapter 30

  Liz was in Sea Serpent's head, putting on her makeup. They had enjoyed a glorious sail from Marie Galante to Les Saintes yesterday afternoon, arriving ahead of the daily crowd of bareboat charters, which gave them their choice of anchorages. They had settled on the little bight on the south side of Îlet à Cabrít, where they dropped the anchor 50 yards from the beach. Liz had jumped in the gin-clear water to swim ashore with a stern line. Once she tied it to a bush growing among the rocks along shore, Mike had winched it in, pointing the bow out into the slight swell that wrapped around the little island. With the swell on the bow instead of the beam, Sea Serpent was as steady as if she were sitting on shore, and they could sit in the cockpit and watch the fish on the live coral a few feet below them. They had dined in the cockpit, making a meal of baguette, pâté, cheese, and olives that they brought from Marie Galante. They had washed it all down with a crisp, white French table wine and had watched the stars until the wine was finished. They had gone to bed early, waking with the sun this morning. They planned to take the dinghy across the harbor to Bourg des Saintes, the big town. Liz wanted to do some shopping, having read about several well-known local artists who sold from small galleries in the town.

  As she was putting her things away in the locker that Mike referred to as the "guest" locker, she inadvertently opened the one next to it. As she pushed the door closed, she vaguely registered seeing an expensive designer handbag. She wondered briefly about that; it didn't fit in with what Mike had told her. The topic of other women hadn't entered their conversation, except for a passing reference to his ex-wife. He had been single for years, so she didn't think that the bag could have been his wife's. She wasn't a nosy person, and it was none of her business, anyway, so she put it out of her mind. As she stowed her makeup bag and retrieved her own purse, she heard Mike's voice from the cockpit.

  "What's that, Mike? I'll be right up," she called, softly, as there were other boats close by, and it was early. He didn’t answer, and she thought that maybe he was visiting with a neighbor. Slinging her bag over her shoulder and closing her locker, she walked barefooted to the companionway. Her sandals were in the cockpit; most people didn't wear shoes below deck, especially on yachts with such finely varnished cabin soles. As she climbed the ladder, she could hear Mike quite clearly. He was talking with two people, she thought, Michelle and Dani. They must be from one of the charter boats nearby, probably out for an early morning swim. As she came into the cockpit, he turned to her, a faraway look on his face.

  "I'm ready to go when you are, Mike," she said.

  He looked at her blankly, for just a couple of beats longer than she thought normal.

  "Mike?" she said, frowning.

  He jerked in his seat, startled. "Oh! Good morning. Must have spaced out. Sorry." He smiled sheepishly.

  She looked over the side, peering around.

  "What's wrong, Liz?"

  "Nothing. I thought I heard swimmers. That's all," she said, deciding not to mention hearing him talking, as she sensed that he was already a little uncomfortable that she had caught him daydreaming.

  "Oh. I didn't see anybody," he said. "Ready to do the town?"

  "Let's go. First, we'll hit the galleries and then pick up a couple of baguettes somewhere. See if we can get back here for lunch before the hot part of the day." She picked up her sandals and pulled the dinghy alongside as Mike closed the boat.

  ****

  Phillip and Sharktooth brought Kayak Spirit into Admiralty Bay and anchored under sail. They had managed to get away from Mustique before dawn, and they had covered the twelve miles to Bequia in about two and a half hours. By the time they were anchored, it was late enough for Phillip to take the dinghy ashore and clear out for Martinique. They had towed the dinghy, since the entire trip was in protected waters, so he was ashore and back within 30 minutes. They took the outboard off the dinghy and brought it aboard, since they were going to push all the way to Martinique nonstop. Phillip didn't want to be caught in a squall in open water with the dinghy trailing astern. As they made sail again, Dani came up into the cockpit and sat down, taking the tiller as Phillip and Sharktooth raised the sails.

  "Sure you feel up to that?" Phillip asked. She had been too unsteady on her feet to walk to the dinghy when they left Baliceaux and had been stretched out, asleep on the settee, when they had first picked up a cell phone signal from Bequia. He had called J.-P. anyway, and reported that Dani was safe aboard Kayak Spirit, and that they would call him again when she woke up. J.-P. thanked him, and told him that he had arranged to have a replacement passport for Dani sent overnight to French Customs, to Sandrine's attention. It should arrive tomorrow morning.

  "I'm okay," she said. "I had a bowl of cereal before I came up, while you were hoisting the outboard. Washing my face did wonders, too. Besides, I've had plenty of rest, lately. We're in Bequia?"

  "Just checked out. Next stop, Marin. Sharktooth's flying home from there, and you can recuperate at my house."

  She looked at him for a minute, frowning, and shook her head. "I'll recuperate while we chase that son of a bitch on Sea Serpent. I have a score to settle with him. How long have I been out, anyway?"

  "A little over a week, we think," he said, happy to see that she was indeed almost back to her normal, pugnacious self. "You need to call your father, before we lose cell phone service again. Phone's in the drawer under the chart table." He took the tiller from her, falling off to a west by northwesterly course as Sharktooth trimmed the sails.

  Dani went below to make her call, and Sharktooth looked at Phillip. "She some vex, that gal. I not wish to be that Mike Reilly." He displayed the gold teeth.

  "Me either, Sharktooth."

  "I stay, if you need me."

  "I know you would, Sharktooth. I'm not sure what's next. I think we want to get her checked out by a doctor before we make too many plans. You might as well go home. I'll call you."

  "Okay, Phillip, but if they gonna be a ruckus, I don' want to miss it, mon."
>
  "Don't worry, Sharktooth." Phillip smiled.

  Dani returned to the cockpit and sat back on the leeward seat, next to Sharktooth. "It was all I could do to keep him from getting on a plane," she said. "I told him we might not be going to Martinique; that should stop him. Reilly's headed north; he spends the winter working in the Virgins. I'd like to catch him before he gets that close to civilization."

  "What does your father think about that?" Phillip asked.

  Dani shook her head. "I don't know. I told him, but he was still yelling when I hung up."

  "I'm surprised he hasn't already called back," Phillip said.

  "I turned off the phone. He'll figure we've lost service, and that'll give him time to cool off. I'll call him back later."

  Sharktooth was laughing quietly, shaking his head. "She jus' like the ol' man, Phillip. Jus' like he."

  "Since you're up here, you might as well tell us what you remember," Phillip said. "All we know is that you left Rambling Gal unexpectedly in Mayreau."

  "Yeah, that guy was a jerk. He was bad enough the first time I was aboard, on the trip out from the U.K. When we started this season, he made it plain that he wanted some personal attention, besides my official duties, which already covered everything but sleeping with him. He got insistent while his wife and the kids were touring the turtle place in Bequia. I should have bailed then, but I didn't. Anyhow, when he and his wife were ashore in Mayreau, I scouted the boats in the anchorage. Reilly was a single hander, in a hurry to get north and get to work. I have a soft spot for old wooden boats, so I joined him. I expected to have to fight off his advances, but that's nothing new, and he wanted to sail straight through, so I figured we wouldn't be seeing much of one another anyway. He was a fruitcake, Phillip.

  "We went to the Tobago Cays right after I came aboard, so that guy from Rambling Gal couldn't make trouble, and we met another couple right when we got there. They came aboard for drinks. Everything was fine until they left. While I was putting away the snacks and stuff in the galley, he started talking to himself. Actually, he was talking to a bunch of different people, but nobody was there. I think they were all women, too. That was pretty creepy, you know. I finished and took a shower while he was still jabbering away. When I came out, he was still in the cockpit, but quiet, so I went to sleep on the settee berth in the main cabin. I guess he came below and went up forward sometime during the night. When I woke up, he was still asleep in the v berth. I made a pot of coffee, and he woke up. Seemed normal. We took off, and I asked him about customs. He said he'd cleared from Saint George's to Rodney Bay. I pointed out that I wasn't on any of the documents. He looked worried, so I suggested we make a stop in Martinique or Guadeloupe. Either place, they don't usually ask for the clearance from your last port, so he could add me to the crew list there, and nobody would know the difference when we hit the Virgins. He thought that was a good idea.

  "He said since he was already sailing, he'd take the first watch, and I could sleep. I went below, set an alarm, and went to sleep. Four hours later, must have been around one o'clock in the afternoon, I guess, I put on my life vest and went up on deck to relieve him. He looked at me like I was a Martian or something. He was completely spooked. He shoved me away, and before I could get my feet under myself, he swung at me with a winch handle. I ducked, but I was still down. I guess he got me on his second try. That's all I remember, until I started coming around at the place where you found me."

  "I'm impressed," Phillip said.

  "Why's that, Phillip? I should have been able to take him."

  "No, Dani, not that. I'm impressed that your recollection is so coherent."

  "Oh. Well, I had a couple of days in bed with almost no interruptions between the time I came out of my coma and the time you showed up. I had nothing to do except try to figure out how I got there. I have no idea what happened after he attacked me."

  "Well, here's what we learned," Phillip began, and he brought her up to speed. Sharktooth went below and came back with the makeup kit. She was pleased to get the watch back, but was puzzled about the bag and the jewelry.

  "I put the watch on a ledge over the settee berth before I went to sleep. I've never seen the other stuff. Think it’s souvenirs he's collected?"

  "Who knows?" Phillip asked.

  Dani, Sharktooth, and Phillip each stood watches through the day. Phillip insisted that Dani's stints at the tiller could last no longer than two hours, but her condition improved steadily through the day. By mid-day, Phillip wouldn't have known there was anything wrong with her, except for the shaved area with the stitches above her left ear. They got into Marin about one o'clock the next morning, eased Kayak Spirit into her slip at the marina, and spent the rest of the night aboard, too tired to get in Phillip's car and drive the few miles to his house.

  Chapter 31

  As Dani had predicted, J.-P. had cooled off after his first conversation with her. Once he was over the shock, he was amused. She was his daughter. No question about that; her temper alone was sufficient proof. He agreed that Mike Reilly should be brought to justice, but he had a little more patience than Dani, and now that he thought about it, a little less of a need for personal, hands-on vengeance. He could understand her desire to have Reilly at her mercy, though.

  He had called Mario to tell him the good news and caught him at breakfast with his cronies, again. After J.-P.'s summary, Mario told him that Paul Russo had taken a personal interest in Reilly. He had passed his phone to Paul at J.-P.'s request.

  "Thanks for all of the work you did. I'm forever in your debt," J.-P. said to Paul.

  "I'm relieved to hear that your daughter is well, Mr. Berger," Paul said. "I think that Reilly should be arrested and brought to trial. With her testimony, I think we could put him away for a while -- maybe for life. I don't think Dani's his first victim, and if somebody doesn't stop him, she won't be his last. That's for sure."

  "I'm J.-P., Paul. Just another old warrior like Mario. No 'mister' required. Mario told me about your suspicions. You think he killed his wife."

  "Well, I do, and so does the detective who investigated her disappearance, but there's no evidence to tie him to it, unfortunately. There's no doubt that he tried to kill Dani, from what I overheard of your conversation with Mario."

  "No, I don't think there is. You don't know my daughter, but she's a hot-tempered girl. She's going after Reilly, personally. I understand that. It's probably in her genes, for that matter, but I don't want her to get herself tangled up with the authorities over a vendetta, you know. I'd rather see the guy under arrest, and let her have her vengeance through the courts. She thinks I'm just an old man, and I guess I am. The problem is, I don't know how we can get any of the locals to nail this guy without her getting a shot at him first."

  "I think I know how to make that happen, and you won’t need the locals. Sea Serpent is U.S.-flagged. That makes her and anybody on board subject to the jurisdiction of the federal courts, and a federal officer can board her and arrest Reilly for crimes committed on board, anywhere in the world -- even down in the islands."

  "Are you a lawyer besides being a cop, Paul? You sound like Mario's son."

  "No, just an old, retired cop, but I've done this before. You can't work homicides in South Florida for as long as I did without running across this sort of problem. Every know-it-all crook down here thinks he can do anything he wants as long as he does it on a boat outside the 12-mile limit."

  "So how do we make this happen?" J.-P. asked.

  "Well, you may already have done it. Here's what I think we should do. We'll get Mario's son to find a federal judge who'll sign a warrant. That shouldn't be any big deal. I'm already a special deputy U.S. Marshall, from when I used to do this kind of thing. I’ll be in Martinique with the warrant tonight, and I’ll go with your daughter. That way, whatever happens, there won't be any trouble with the locals."

  "Okay, Paul, you're on. I'll never be able to repay you, but anything you ever want that is in my
power is yours. That's my only condition."

  "All right. Just so there's no misunderstanding, you tell your daughter that my goal is to bring this scumbag back and lock him up until the court decides what to do with him. He might decide to resist. I understand that. Anything could happen. He could get killed, but we're setting out to arrest him, not to lynch him, okay?"

  "I understand. I will explain it to her. Thank you," J.-P. said.

  ****

  When he woke up, Phillip called Sandrine.

  "I'm home from the sea," he said, when she answered, her voice husky with sleep.

  "You are at the villa, Phillip?"

  "No, we're on the boat, at the marina."

  "Who besides you?" she asked.

  "Sharktooth and Dani. Why don't you hurry down to the place on the dock and we'll all have breakfast before you go to work?"

  "Yes, Phillip. Okay. I have try all yesterday to call you, but I go to the voice mail. I have some news."

  "What news, Sandrine?"

  "It is keeping. I tell you at the restaurant, soon, okay?"

  "Okay," he said, disconnecting.

  Dani took the phone from his hand. "I'll go first thing when the place across the street opens and get a new phone. I lost mine…oh, but you know that." She scrolled through the directory to find her father's number.

  "Hello, Papa," she said.

  "Yes, in Marin." She listened quietly for a while. "Okay. He is here?" She listened again. "You want to speak to Phillip?" Pause. "Okay, I'll tell him. He can call if he has a problem with it. Love you, too, Papa." She disconnected the call and turned to Phillip.