Finding Purpose

by Dan Fairview

  John rode the elevator back down. He grabbed a seat next to an indoor fountain, pulled up the pictures he had taken with his comm unit, and picked through the best ones, deleting the others.

  The woman returned first. John considered following her, but waited on his target.

  And he waited.

  When he finally came, he was a mess. His clothes were disheveled, his hair uncombed, and he walked like a man totally exhausted. John followed him to the ferry, then he remembered an appointment he couldn't miss and rushed to his boat.

  5

  John waited at Bill's dock, keeping an eye on the storm building on the horizon. The weather report called for high winds and rain later tonight, and he wanted to be home long before then.

  A woman in the next boat stepped out of her cabin wearing a tiny white bikini.

  She spotted John. "I hear it's a big one. I always enjoy a good blow. Don't you?"

  Before he could answer, the hatch opened behind him. Clarissa tugged at his shorts pocket. "Daddy, where my oven?"

  "It's in your cabin baby. Go pick your toys up. Pedora will be here any minute. You want to make a good impression don't you?"

  "No."

  "Well I want you too, so go on."

  John pushed her back through the hatch and turned his attention back to the approaching clouds. The woman in the bikini had settled into a deck chair. He could feel her watching him.

  He turned to the thump of footsteps and found Pedora Halbright bouncing down the dock with an enormous pack on her back.

  Her blonde hair was tied up, she wore brown shorts, and a light brown shirt. You would think she was going on a long hike if it weren't for the boat shoes. Her infectious smile caused him to smile.

  "Permission to come aboard captain," she said.

  John chuckled. "Granted."

  When the lady in the bikini saw the arrival of the young woman, she shook her head and went inside her cabin.

  Pedora slid her pack off and handed it to John before stepping on board.

  "Wow. This is one nice cruiser," she said.

  "Thanks." John sat the heavy pack down and rubbed his side. "You know a lot about boats?"

  "Quite a bit. My family owns one."

  "I thought your family ran a hiking guide service?"

  "Oh they do, but when they first came here they ran a fishing charter. Didn't last though; too much competition. They let me take the boat out sometimes to blow the dust off."

  "You have any more bags?"

  "Nope. All I need is in there. You do have a washer at your house, right?"

  "Sure." John smiled. He hadn't told her how luxurious the house was.

  Clarissa came out of the hatch. She carried her toy oven.

  "Clarissa I want you to meet Pedora. She's going to be staying with us for a while."

  Pedora bent down on one knee. "That's a nice oven you have. Bet you can cook some tasty meals with that."

  Clarissa ignored her. "Stay with us?"

  "Yes baby, she is going to take care of you while I work."

  "I like Miss Engle."

  "I know. Will you show Pedora inside so she can put her things away?"

  Clarissa led Pedora through the hatch, and in a few minutes they were back. Pedora helped him cast off. Soon he had the twin engines started and used them to maneuver away from the dock. He idled out of the marina into the bay and then pushed the throttles forward. The boat surged up on plane easily.

  Pedora and Clarissa sat down next to him, they headed into open water.

  John brought up the marker for the island on the GPS and set the autopilot. "Could you watch for a bit, I need to go below?" John asked Pedora.

  "Sure." She slid behind the wheel when he got up.

  "You want anything to drink?"

  "Water if you got it."

  "Clarissa, stay here, I'll be right back."

  Clarissa didn't look up from her stove. She played, doing her best not to look at anyone especially Pedora. He shook his head, went below, and took care of business. On his way back, he grabbed a water and juice for the girls, and a coffee for himself.

  Back outside, the waves were slapping the boat pretty hard and would be worse by the time they reached the house.

  When he returned, Pedora started to get up, but he shook his head and sat down next to Clarissa. The rain started coming down in drops the size of marbles before they reached the island, so he took control of the boat and sent them inside.

  His comm chirped and he checked the screen. It was Marcus Cornwall, the head of Casino Mojito. John owed his livelihood to him. Cornwall had originally brought him to Viata from Earth to investigate a couple that were scamming his casino. With the percentage from that case, John ended up with an island, a house, and three boats.

  John could tell immediately from the shaky tone of Cornwall's voice that something was wrong. "Detective Finder, I need your help."

  "Sure. What you need?"

  "My daughter Carli has been missing for two weeks."

  6

  Early next morning, before going to see Cornwall, John left an urgent message for Hana to meet him at his office. Hana arrived dressed immaculately in a low cut black dress and heels. John welcomed her, and she looked up at him with her big eyes anxiously. She sat on one of the brown leather couches and he started to sit on the other, but she pulled him down next to her. Her perfume triggered a memory of cherry blossoms and his late wife.

  "You have news for me, I hope," she said.

  John rubbed his nose to break the spell of the memory. "I do." He paused a moment, wondering what her reaction might be. "I'm afraid you were right. He met with a woman."

  He braced himself for tears and showed her the pictures.

  She sat silent for a long time, going through them. Tightness formed around her eyes, and she finally handed the device back to him.

  "Send those to me please," she said, and then did something with her device, while John sent them to her.

  In a few moments, she acknowledged their receipt. "I transferred the rest of your fee into your account. Thank you." She stood and extended a hand. John took it, puzzled.

  "I have a few things to take care of," she said, and then turned for the door. "Good day."

  He had expected tears, anger… something.

  Oh well.

  He locked up and headed to see Cornwall.

  7

  John pulled the boat into the marina on New Monte Carlo. The ride had been choppy, and the weather threatened rain again.

  The frayed synthetic rope scraped his palms as he tied the boat off. He would have to replace it soon. After making arrangements with the dock master, who knew John by name, he walked toward the Casino Mojito.

  Palm trees lined the path, with benches every few meters until the walkway opened up into the cluster. The casinos were arranged in an octagon, facing inward towards one another. Open-air cafes and kiosks filled the courtyard. John snaked his way through the thick crowd until he was inside Casino Mojito and being ushered into Cornwall's office.

  The gaudy velour office had an air of desperation. Cornwall paced the floor with a glass of alcohol in his hand. If he was drinking already, it wasn’t a good sign. I wouldn't have this man's pressures for any amount of money.

  Cornwall waved him to a plush seat. "I haven't heard from my daughter in two weeks."

  "Two weeks? Weren't you concerned before now?"

  "It's no secret, Carli and I don't agree on a lot of things. Sometimes she doesn't speak to me for months at a time."

  "I see."

  "I keep watch on her to make sure she is ok, but now I can't locate her."

  "Anything unusual happen the last time you spoke with her?"

  Cornwall's expression darkened. "We had a heated disagreement about a Blackjack dealer."

  "Over what?"

  Cornwall stared at the floor for a long while, but he finally took a sip of his drink and continued. "I told her to stop seeing the man, or he would be f
inding employment elsewhere."

  "That didn't go too well I take it?"

  "No, it didn't."

  "Does he still work here?"

  Cornwall shook his head. "No. She refused to listen, so I let him go."

  John rubbed his chin. "Do you think they ran off together?"

  "Most likely. Will you find her for me?"

  "I'll get right on it." John could see the relief in his eyes. "Can you tell me their last known location?"

  "I haven't seen them since I ordered the man off the property. I've checked Carli's room, and her stuff is still there. The staff says that it looks normal, and nothing appears to be missing. It’s like she intended to return. I had the island turned upside down, but there was no sign of them."

  John scratched his head. "I'll see what I can find out on Hishu. They are probably hiding out there somewhere."

  John was driving his boat, on his way to Victoria's office, when he got a call from Hana. She was crying so hysterically he couldn’t understand what she was saying.

  "Calm down and meet me at the marina. I'm almost there now." He ended the call.

  John docked, tied off, and invited her aboard. They went inside, and John motioned for her to sit. He pulled a bottle of water from the fridge and offered it to her, but she refused. He sat down across from her. She was clearly distraught.

  "Oh Mr. Finder, I don't know what to do. I was so mad at him. I tried to wake him up to give him a piece of my mind, so I shook him, but he had already gone cold. He just laid down and died!" She went and sat down next to John putting her face into her hands. The sobs came slowly at first, and then her body shook uncontrollably. John put his arm around her and she leaned into him. He understood her pain. Tears flowed and soaked his shirt.

  After she had cried until she sobbed, he released her and offered her a tissue. She excused herself and went to the head to freshen up. When she came back out, her makeup was redone, and she had a grip on herself again.

  "I'm sorry."

  "I understand. I lost my wife."

  She looked at him with despondent eyes. "Does the pain ever go away?"

  "No."

  His blunt answer seemed to shake her. "It never goes away, but you eventually learn to cope with it." He said it to encourage her, but in truth, he still had difficulty himself.

  While they were talking, she received a call. "Excuse me, this is the medical examiner."

  John nodded. She spoke a moment and hung up.

  "It figures," she said.

  "What do you mean?"

  "He promised me that he wouldn't do that stuff anymore."

  "I don't understand?"

  She sank into a seat. "Drugs. Long before he ever asked, I told him I wouldn't marry an addict.”

  "I’m so sorry. Are you going to be on Viata much longer?"

  "No. I'm leaving day after tomorrow."

  8

  John stepped into Victoria's office, the cool air welcoming him. She sat behind her desk staring at a holographic terminal. When she saw John, she waved the terminal away and it vanished.

  "I don't know if I like these new holographic interfaces,” she said, "they are handy for some things, but most of the time it feels downright awkward."

  "Its just more stuff to break down."

  "Your old fashioned ideals are showing," she said with a grin. "What brings you by?"

  John pulled up a hard plastic seat and sat down. The vibe in Victoria's office was all business. Cold hard surfaces, plastics, metals and tiles; He would go nuts working in an environment like this.

  "I need a little help," he said.

  "Are you feeling well?"

  "Ha-ha."

  "What can I help you with?"

  "I've lost a couple."

  She cocked an eyebrow.

  "Cornwall's daughter ran off with a card dealer."

  Victoria chuckled. "I'll bet he is climbing the walls. I can ask around, if that will help."

  "That would be great. New Monte Carlo Island has already been searched, and it would take forever to check Hishu by myself."

  "Are you sure they ran off together?"

  "Cornwall didn't approve of the guy, so they probably ran off and got married just for spite."

  "Well if that's what happened, it would narrow the search considerably."

  "Wouldn't they need a license or something from the council?"

  "Yeah, I'll check into that first. I'll contact you as soon as I hear something, but dealing with the council may take forever."

  "That's fine, maybe they will turn up by then."

  John pulled his comm unit out and flipped through his pictures until he found the ones he wanted. "There is one other thing." he showed her the pictures of Hana's husband and the woman he had met.

  "This is a case of a cheating husband on his honeymoon. I believe the woman in the photo is a hooker."

  "She is," she said, "this isn't the first time I've seen this woman's face. She is a real scumbag. She lures men in by juicing them up with passion drug; it leaves them helpless and wanting more. It's a highly addictive drug, and she isn't the first to put it to creative uses to boost business."

  "No offense, but how come she is still out there?"

  Victoria frowned. "She does her business on New Monte Carlo. I can't do anything about that, but I have tried to trace where the drug is coming from."

  "What did you find?"

  "A whole network of runners. As soon as you stop one, another pops up. I'm pretty sure that a man named Dick Taylor is the main supplier, but I can't ever trace anything to him."

  John sighed. "Hopefully you will get him someday. I better go. Thanks for helping me out."

  John walked back out into the heat and called Hana. He relayed all the information he had come up with, and hated that he couldn't give her any kind of closure, but he didn’t know what else he could do. Maybe the hooker would make a mistake and come to Hishu where Victoria could arrest her.

  9

  Barnacle Bill's bar sat on a rocky outcrop by the bay, set off to itself. John's stomach was grumbling by the time he reached it. "Hey Kian, can you get Warin to whip me up one of those delicious smoked salmon sandwiches?"

  Kian stood behind the bar. "Sure, what ya drinking."

  "Make it water." John sat at his usual table, so he could watch the beachfront. The open hut design must be a pain during a storm.

  Kian set an ice-cold bottle of water down in front him. "You always sit with your back to a wall?"

  John shrugged. "It's a habit."

  "Are you ever gonna let me pay you for helping me out with my little problem?"

  "I don't charge friends."

  "If I can ever return the favor, just say the word. I'll go see if old horn-wagger is done with your lunch."

  In a moment Kian was back and grinning. "He said he would scorch it like you like."

  "Blackened, not scorched."

  "Same smell. Besides, the way he cooks, everything is blackened."

  John shook his head. "Do you two ever stop fighting?"

  Kian laughed. "I remember a Tuesday once. I still owe him for Latisha. That reminds me. This is your lucky day. Remember the girl I said you should meet? She will be here for lunch today."

  John groaned.

  "Trust me, you'll like her."

  Kian turned to wait on a customer as John started to protest. He knew he would probably find love again at some point, but he didn't see it happening today.

  Kian brought his meal. He ate and enjoyed the cooling breeze, watching boats come and go in the bay. The rain had passed them to the north.

  There was a dock in front of the bar, but people in smaller boats preferred to just run aground and leave the dock for the big boats. The way the beach was situated was perfect for it, so Bill had posts put in to tie off the boats.

  A skiff slid onto the sand. An athletic woman with flaming red hair jumped the gunwale and tied off. She made her way toward the bar with cat-like grace. Freckles covere
d most of her body, and he couldn't pull his eyes away.

  She sat down at the bar and ordered. Kian kept glancing over at him, then John realized who she was. His heart raced. He felt silly when his palms started sweating. An irrational thought crossed his mind to sneak out, but it was already too late.

  Kian led her over. "John, I want you to meet my friend Katrina."

  She extended her hand and he took it. “Glad to finally meet you.”

  Katrina’s words were spoken softly. She had a very feminine voice. Not high like a breathless bird, but it did have a singing quality to it. He could listen to her all day long.

  John smiled, hoping his nervousness didn't show. "It's nice to meet you too."

  Kian took the opportunity to away.

  "I understand you have a fishing charter," John said. He pulled a chair out for her and she sat down.

  "I scrape a living by catering to the folks who like to fish the shallows for stonefish. Kian tells me you have a big cruiser, you fish much?"

  "I just recently got it and haven't had time, but hope to soon. I would like to teach my daughter Clarissa."

  He watched for any reaction to that statement. He didn't know if she knew about his daughter or not.

  "I know a great spot where she'd hook one every cast. I would be glad to take the two of you there sometime. No charge of course."

  She moved fast, straight to the point. He liked that.

  They spoke until she had to go.

  John watched her leave as Kian brought him another water. "I knew you two would hit it off. Chatting for an hour non-stop, impressive."

  "Okay, so she's nice."

  "Nice? Did you get her number?"

  "Maybe."

  Kian chuckled and walked away. John read the number she had put into his comm unit. She was very attractive and easy to talk too. Nothing had felt forced or awkward after he got over his initial nerves. He liked her.