Secrets of Sandhill Island

by Peggy Chambers

  “What happened?” Alex led her by the hand to a chair and helped her sit.

  “I was attacked. He dragged me off the street into an alley and if it hadn’t been for the brick I hit him with, I might be dead now.”

  “Who?” Tom asked as he helped Alex set her down gently.

  “I don’t know, but I had seen him before in the crowd and he seemed to be following me. How stupid of me to go out there when I had a feeling about him! But, I thought it was just an accident that he was there every time I turned around. I know now that he was waiting for me.”

  Alex pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and ran through the contacts for the Corpus Christi police; Detectives Arnold and Samuels. As his phone began to ring, Meg realized she no longer had her purse.

  Chapter 30

  Victoria pranced around the room in only her panties. It could hardly be called lovemaking, what had just happened in the tiny apartment. The sheets were in a heap on the floor as were his clothes. Hers, she had hung over a chair.

  “You know, we’re going to have to stop meeting like this. After all, I’m going to be a married woman soon.”

  “Married woman, yeah, at least for a while,” Fitzgerald said, lounging on the bare mattress. “I gave the guy the money to take care of the old lady, and he agreed to half down and half after the job was done. Idiot. He’ll never see the second payment. As soon as you’re married I’ll be on my way to South America to make a new home for us, just waiting on your checks.” He sat up in thought. “But, I guess we need to keep him happy until the second deed is done. Maybe we’ll have to pay him after all, if we want him to take care of Jon, as well as Meg.”

  “Yes, I imagine. How much is the second payment?” Victoria said, slipping on her shoes.

  “Same as the first, five thousand dollars.”

  “What? We said five for the whole thing!” She twirled around with her bra in her hands.

  “I know, but he was insistent and I didn’t know who else to call, so I agreed. I’m sure that another five won’t be that hard to get once you’re married.”

  “As long as he gets the job done, and done right.” She slipped the dress over her head. “When is he supposed to do it?”

  “I don’t know. I told him where she was at the festival, then I headed right back here like you said.”

  “Well, he can’t kill her until after the wedding. We’re going to the Courthouse on Monday. Tell him he has to wait until after Monday. I don’t want Jon in mourning for his mom at the wedding.” She paused and turned around. “You’re a good boy,” she said, leaning down to kiss him. “By the way, did anyone ever tell you that sheets should be washed now and then?”

  “Oh, too good for old Fitzgerald’s place now, huh?”

  “Just wash the sheets before I come back.” She picked up her purse and walked out the door.

  ****

  Chung’s head hurt where the brick hit him. No, the brick may have been what contacted the soft flesh on the side of his head, but it was the bitch that hit him. Holding on to the wall, he stood up straight and reached into his pocket, pulling out the red bandana. He wiped away the blood and then tied it around his head to cover the gash, his vision still blurry. He felt his way toward the opening of the alley and the crowds on the street.

  The families with baby strollers and backpacks paid no attention to him as he stumbled from the alley. Evidently, a drunk wandering out of an alley was not unusual, and the red bandana just looked wet instead of bloody. They would think it was just the heat and humidity that caused it to stick to his head, not a gash from a brick.

  Winding through the crowd of onlookers, he wove his way to the Jeep parked a few blocks away. It would take him back to the flea-bag hotel room he had rented, and the bottle that awaited him there.

  He needed to think, and that was going to be hard with his headache. He needed a plan to kidnap her and hold her for ransom. He was sure that rich kid of hers would pay whatever he asked to get his mom back. Maybe enough to take care of him for life. But, first he needed a drink. The bitch was going to pay dearly for his throbbing head.

  Chapter 31

  “So you had never seen this man before?” Detective Arnold asked, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  “Not before today,” Meg answered, leaning against Alex with a cold cloth on her head.

  “And you don’t think anyone saw you dragged into the alley? I mean the crowd was thick.”

  “I really don’t know. There was a hole in the crowd. A large group of people had just passed the alley and I was tripped by a baby stroller. When I regained my footing, I was being pulled into the alley and there was a hand over my mouth to prevent me from calling out. There was so much noise and confusion I doubt anyone would have heard me calling if I had been able. When I did get away, I ran back the way I came, screaming, but no one tried to help. They must have thought I was just some crazy woman.”

  “Okay, I want you to come down to the station to look at mug shots. Maybe you can pick out a face.”

  “Not tonight, detective.” Alex pulled her closer, protectively. “I’ll bring her by tomorrow. I think Meg needs to rest now.”

  “And I have just the place,” Tom said. “I have an apartment over the studio, and there is an extra bedroom. You are welcome to it. I think it will have everything you need.”

  “You have my cell phone number if you need anything, and we can reach you too. So, gentlemen, if there is nothing else tonight, I think this woman needs some sleep.” Alex walked the detectives to the door and closed it behind them as they walked out into the heat.

  “No Jon, really, I’m fine. My face is a little swollen, but other than that, I’m fine.” Meg sat speaking to Jon on Alex’s phone. “Alex and Tom are with me and I’m going to rest. Tom has been generous enough to allow us to spend the night in his apartment over the gallery and you have Alex’s number if you need me, since my phone was lost in the scuffle. Thank you, I appreciate it, but I think I’ll just stay here for tonight. Maybe we can get together tomorrow. Love you too, Jon.” She hung up and handed the phone back to Alex.

  “He’s a good son.” She spoke to the room, but mostly to Alex.

  “He gets that from his mom,” Alex replied, smiling.

  The police said they ran a search for her purse, but it had not been found. It could have become lost anywhere along the way from the alley back to the studio. It wasn’t like there was much money in there—she didn’t even have a driver’s license these days, but she still felt naked without it, and now she had to share a phone with Alex. Independence was something she had always treasured, and she hated leaning on someone else.

  Tom opened a bottle of wine and left to pick up some Chinese takeout down the street. Promising to return quickly, he left Alex and Meg to relax. The loft was roomy and comfortable. The small bedrooms surrounded the great room with a kitchen nook off one side. The huge flat screen TV that hung on the wall was on the Weather Channel, which talked non-stop about the hurricane in the Gulf. It was headed for New Orleans, they said, and people there were taking precautions.

  The three talked into the night as they ate heaping plates of fried rice, chow mein, and a pu pu platter all washed down with a wonderful chardonnay. Meg was only allowed one glass of wine due to her head injuries, but her water glass was refilled continuously by their host. He was concerned that she might have a concussion even though she insisted she was fine.

  Alex changed her cool cloth several times and added ice when it melted. Her face frozen, she finally decided to go to bed as the men watched the weather. Sometime in the night, Alex came to bed too, but she barely noticed. She had nightmares over and over about being chased into alleys. Sometimes Alex would be there to help rescue her. Other times Jon would appear, but most of the time her long lost love, Evan, was calling out to her. “Meg! Over here! Don’t go that way, I’m over here!” She woke in a cold sweat with Alex snoring beside her just as the sun was coming up in a turbulent sky, a
nd the wind had changed direction to the northwest. The hurricane was rushing toward Corpus Christi and picking up speed.

  Chapter 32

  The Weather Channel was on again in the living room when Meg walked out of the bedroom fresh from the shower. She had to wear yesterday’s clothes—even had to turn her underwear inside out—but she was clean. Tom had fresh toothbrushes in the bathroom for his guests. It wasn’t home, but it was homey.

  “The hurricane has changed direction,” Tom said to no one in particular. He looked at Alex and then Meg. “Originally, they said it would hit near New Orleans. Now, it looks like Corpus Christi is in its path.”

  Alex sat on the couch with a cup of coffee in his hands, watching the TV screen intently. He smiled at her with a worried look in his brow.

  “You sleep well? Your face is barely swollen. How about some coffee?” He patted the seat beside him.

  “I’d love some,” Meg replied, sitting down and looking at the television.

  “Hurricane Macy, they are calling it. Not a giant one, but headed right for us. Alex, I think those paintings need to go in the basement. I don’t see much in the way of crowds today anyway. I suggest we wait a few hours and see if anyone is interested in the festival today or if they are all home making preparations. Then you two can just stay with me until this is over.”

  “Tom that is very kind of you, but I’m in the same clothes for the second day and I need to get back home to make preparations too,” Meg replied. “Alex, you stay with the paintings and I’ll get a ride to the ferry.”

  “I don’t think so!” Alex said, startled. “You’re not going back to the island alone, not in this weather.”

  “Alex, you need to be here for sales and I’ll just run back to the island for a few things. It’s not my first storm, you know. I can pick some things up for you too, if you need them.”

  “I don’t think that is a good idea; the danger from the storm and then the situation in the alley yesterday? You don’t even have a cell phone now. Besides, even if you did, we don’t know how long they would be working with this weather knocking out cell towers.”

  Meg stood and placed her hands on her slender hips. She had spent a lifetime being told what to do. She loved this man in front of her, but he needed to realize she would make her own decisions with or without him. “Alex, I’m going to the island. I’ll call Greg to get me to the ferry and you follow later. Besides, he owes me a report this morning. I’m sure he has it ready.”

  “A report for what?” Alex looked confused.

  “I asked him to get an investigator to look into Victoria. He said the report would be finalized today. So, I’ll call him and ask for a ride.”

  “Does Jon know about this?”

  “No, of course not. He would never approve.”

  “Do you think something is up with Victoria?”

  “Yes, I do. I did a little investigation of my own and found that my father and her father had business dealings. I have some records of Dad’s business before he died. They’re in a locker under the bed. I have been looking through them lately since I heard the name Chung. As you know, Graham Stanford was not always a straight shooter. He had business dealings with everyone on the island, and a lot of them were dirty. She keeps moving this wedding up. First it was to be a big event at the country club, and now a quick ceremony at the Courthouse. It doesn’t make sense. I want to see the report from Greg and get the paperwork that I left back on the island. I need to put them together and talk to Jon before he makes a big mistake.”

  “I’ll go with you.” Alex set down the cup. They could hear Tom on the phone in the kitchen just before he walked into the living room.

  “That was our New York buyer. He’s in town and wants to come down right now and meet the artist. I told him we had potential weather, but he is insistent. He wants to meet with you and possibly purchase some of the paintings for his gallery. This is a wonderful opportunity. We’re going to take you global!”

  “Well, I can’t stay,” Alex said as someone knocked on the door.

  “You have to stay.” Tom walked to the front door of the gallery.

  The handsome limo driver stood in the doorway with a packet in his hands. “Is Ms. Stanford here?”

  Meg walked to the door. “Good morning Greg, please come in. Tom, this is our longtime driver and good friend, Greg Thomas. He has been with us for so long we think of him as one of the family.”

  Tom gestured him in with his hand outstretched. “Nice to meet you, Greg.” He walked away, allowing Meg some privacy.

  “Coffee?” Meg asked the driver.

  “No, thank you, ma’am. I wanted to bring you the report early since we have bad weather coming in.”

  “Yes, about that, can you drive me to the ferry? I can read this along the way. I need to get back to the island before the storm hits.”

  Greg looked at Alex. He knew his employer had the last word, but hoped Alex would help him out a little.

  “Meg, we talked about this,” Alex began.

  “And I told you I was going back to the island now so I can get back to safety in plenty of time. Greg will take me to the ferry and I can do the rest myself. We have hours before the hurricane makes landfall. If you want to meet me there later, that’s fine. I’ll hurry though, so really you can just stay here. Greg, if you will take me to the ferry and then pick me back up in a couple of hours, that would be great. That way you can make preparations with your family for the storm too.”

  The men looked at each other. They all knew Meg would do what Meg wanted to do. They just needed to make sure she was as safe as possible.

  “I don’t like it.” Alex took his cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her. “But, if you are going, do it now and take this with you.”

  Meg smiled and kissed Alex quickly on the lips. “I’ll see you in a few hours. You go wow that New York gallery owner.” She ran out the door to the waiting limo.

  Chapter 33

  Mike Fitzgerald paced the small room that overlooked the bay. Having tied up the tug at the dock as best he could, he knew he had to walk away. His livelihood was at the mercy of the ever-looming storm and there was nothing more he could do. That meant he had to rely on Victoria’s plan for Jon’s money. But, what if Chung didn’t accomplish his task? And what if after Victoria, the grieving widow, inherited her millions she forgot about him? He had done his part—would she do hers? He didn’t like relying on someone else for his future.

  Taking the ferry back to the mainland and leaving the tug to fend for itself really rubbed against the grain. His father would never have walked away—not at least before he started drinking. After the alcohol took over, all bets were off. But, there was a time that his dad would have gone down with the ship trying to get away from the storm. Maybe there was still time. Maybe if he got in the boat and headed south, he could still outrun it. Maybe it was a better bet than trusting Victoria to come through for him.

  He reached in the dresser and grabbed a roll of cash—all he had in the world. Then picked up his hat and made a run for the door. He could still catch the ferry if he hurried.

  ****

  The limo parked at the ferry entrance and Greg obediently opened the door for Meg. She climbed out and faced the man who had taken care of her for so many years.

  “Ms. Stanford,” he began, “Meg, listen to me,” he said, grabbing her arm. “There is still time to back out. It is only a few sheets of paper. They are not worth your life. Let me at least come with you.”

  “No, Greg, go home to your family then pick me up in two hours unless I call you. I have Alex’s phone, I’ll be fine. I’m just going over and back.” She gave him a peck on the cheek before leaving. “Thank you for caring,” she called back over her shoulder as she boarded the ferry in the choppy water.

  Meg walked to the front of the ferry and sat on the bench away from the cars—not that there were many going out to the island. There would be more coming back the other way. />
  She didn’t notice the man on the other side with his hat pulled down over his eyes who moved away from Meg when she boarded the ferry.

  The winds blew the spray in Meg’s face and she moved away from the front of the boat as it began its landing sequence. As soon as it was tied up, she was off, walking quickly toward the beach house with the report in her hand and on her mind. She nodded at Poppy as she passed him boarding the ferry, his bag in hand. A bag that probably held everything he owned. His life was so simple, no entanglements, no regrets as far as she knew. He smiled and tipped his hat as she walked past. He saw the man from the dock following her as she left the ferry.

  Meg’s mind continued to churn thinking about the report that Greg had given her. She read most of it in the car on the way to the ferry. There were pictures of Victoria Chung and Mike Fitzgerald together in Corpus Christi in what was obviously not just a friendly embrace. Mike Fitzgerald, the son of Evan’s fishing partner, was Victoria Chung’s lover. Victoria’s father was a business rival of her father’s, and that meant that her cousin was Robert Chung. He was the man that was suspected of killing Evan. Such a small island for such a large conspiracy! Was there still a conspiracy and was she at the center of it? She knew she was stupid for coming back to the island with the threatening weather. But, she had spent her life protecting the child she and Evan created and she wasn’t going to quit now. Jon had to be convinced that Victoria was bad news. She needed those papers.

  ****

  Holding on to his hat in the wind, Fitzgerald watched Meg walking quickly toward the beach house. He ran the opposite way toward the dock and “The Mosquito.” He didn’t have time to mess with Meg today. Instead, he pulled the cell phone out of his pocket and dialed Chung. “She’s at the beach house,” was all he said and then pocketed the phone, making a mad dash to the tugboat.

  Unlashing the tug, he started her engines. The tank was full of fuel, and there were extra cans on board. He had food and water for a week if he needed it. Checking the instruments, he pulled away from the dock and headed south into the choppy sea and ever-darkening sky. No one was at the dock to see him leave. They all left hours ago, hoping they would still have boats when they returned.