by Matt Day
“You really think so?” asked Carmelita, glancing up at the sky and having trouble believing anything so fantastic was really possible.
“I know so. It’s a race between us and the commies.”
“I’m putting my money on us,” Stephen added while his wife nodded her head.
Carmelita glanced between the two men and the quiet Janey. She had told Carmelita she was a librarian, and based upon how quietly she talked, Carmelita wondered if she knew she wasn’t still in the library, but out on the open water.
“So, Janey, how about we go rustle up some sandwiches with the stuff I saw below?” Carmelita asked.
Janey smiled at her and quietly nodded, “Sure. We brought along a few things as well.”
“Great!” Charlie exclaimed. “Stephen and I will drop the sails and we can just hang out for a while.” He smiled at the women and then turned his attention back to where the rocket was just barely visible. “Wouldn’t it be great fun to fly to the moon?” he asked the question of no one in particular.
Carmelita and Janey quickly shook their heads in the negative, having no interest in leaving terra firma for the skies above.
Stephen was with his brother on this one and nodded, “Yeah. I wonder what the moon looks like up close.”
Grinning at his brother, he replied, “Maybe we’ll get to find out sometime in the near future.”
*****
After eating, the four adults exchanged light banter before donning their suits and going for a swim. Normally Charlie wouldn’t dream of everyone leaving the ship unattended, without the benefit of anchoring off. The water was too deep to do so here, but the waves were calm and the adults made sure to stick close to the side of the boat while they cooled off in the clear water.
After a few minutes, everyone grew tired of treading water, and climbed back aboard the ship. The women pulled cushions from the benches, laying them down on the gleaming wood of the deck, where they promptly stretched out to let the sun dry them out.
Charlie and his brother hung around the back of the boat, talking about everything and nothing. “So, I’ll pick up Mateo from school tomorrow and bring him by for you to meet him.”
Stephen nodded, looking forwards to where the women lay quietly chatting with one another. “She seems like a nice lady.”
Charlie nodded, “She is. It’s got to be hard trying to raise two teenagers alone in a strange country.”
“How long has she been in the states?”
“Around four years. Her husband was murdered because he opposed Batista’s affiliation with the mafia.”
“That’s sad. I’m glad she got out.”
“Me too.” Charlie was silent for a few minutes.
“So, you dating her?”
He chuckled, trust his brother to get straight to the point, “Not yet, unless this afternoon counts. There’s a lot going on right now.” He relayed the information he’d been able to piece together about the Maclean boat, wondering how Stephen would fit the pieces together.
“It sounds like your captain friend there stuck his nose where it didn’t belong. Did you check the boat for anything he or his crew might have stashed onboard?”
“I did a cursory glance the day I discovered the bodies, but that was about it. Both the Coast Guard and the police have since looked over it.”
Stephen nodded, “you and me both know there’s always hidden compartments on a boat. Maybe they missed it.”
“That’s one possibility. Maybe I’ll check it out if tomorrow doesn’t provide me any more answers.”
“What’s happening tomorrow?”
“I’m going to fly over the location where the boat was discovered. Maybe I missed something only visible from the air the day I found it. I wasn’t exactly focused on the water, but the dead bodies lying strewn across the deck!”
“That sounds like a good plan. You going up in the morning?”
“Yeah. I’ll be back in time to bring Mateo over to see you though.”
“Sounds good. I hope you find some answers.”
“So do I. Morgan certainly isn’t coming up with any on his own.”
That didn’t surprise either man. Chief Morgan was a good guy, but he had his hands full dealing with the masses of people who kept descending on his small community during tourist season. Unfortunately, crime had risen over the last few years, with drugs, prostitution, and theft being at the top of the list.
He’d take all the help he could get when it came to solving crimes that happened on his watch. Charlie was happy to help, and only needed a few more pieces to the puzzle before he could put the how, when, and why together on this episode, just a few more pieces...
Chapter 33
Halifax Marina, Sunday evening, August 31, 1955…
“Charlie, I had a really nice time today. Thank you so much for inviting me.”
Charlie looked at the beautiful woman walking next to him. Stephen and Janey had left for home thirty minutes prior, with Carmelita insisting she stick around and help him batten down the hatches and clean everything up.
Charlie and she had worked side by side; making sure nothing was left undone before he had jumped to the dock. Reaching up, he had grabbed her around the waist, easily lifting her to the wooden dock and liking the fact that she seemed to fit in his hands.
As he set her on her feet, she had pressed up against him before quickly taking a step backwards. She was skittish, and Charlie remembered what she had told him about her upbringing.
Her marriage to her husband had been arranged. There had been no dating; no stealing kisses beneath the football stands; no school dances where the chaperones had to measure the distance between their bodies. She hadn’t experienced any of that.
Instead, she had briefly met her betrothed the night before the wedding and by the next night, she had been a married woman. While Charlie couldn’t fathom a relationship like that, it was all Carmelita knew.
He had grabbed her hand, and now held tightly to it as they made their way to the parking lot. He walked her to her car, taking her keys and opening her door for her before handing them back. “Thank you for sharing this afternoon with me.” He looked down into her eyes, their warm depths stirring emotions inside his soul that went beyond the physical.
Sure, he was attracted to her – in a big way. But it was much more than that. He enjoyed spending time with her, hearing her viewpoint on things, seeing her laugh, and he imagined seeing her cry would break his heart.
But she wasn’t like other women. Charlie knew that if he wanted a relationship with her, it would have to be on terms she understood. Words like commitment and forever would have to be part of the equation. He’d have to be willing to take her kids on as well.
None of that scared him. Normally, the “C” word would have had him running in the opposite direction, as fast as his feet could carry him. He’d been down the matrimonial road, and when he’d lost his wife, he’d sworn never again. Not that he didn’t want female companionship ever again; he just didn’t want his heart to become attached and shattered again. Once in a lifetime was enough for him.
Carmelita was trying work up her courage to kiss Charlie. She had never initiated that type of contact, but her daughter had encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone and as she’d watched his lips throughout the day, she had an overwhelming desire to know if they were as soft as they appeared.
Would his lips cause shivers to run down her spine, like the touch of his hand did? Taking a quick breath, she leaned up on her tiptoes, placing her lips against his quickly and hurriedly. She dropped back to her feet, hanging her head as her mind tried to assimilate what she’d just done. She’d kissed Charlie!
Charlie was pulled from his thoughts by the touch of Carmelita’s lips against his own. Wow! Maybe he would need to rethink his strategy where she was concerned.
“What was that for?” he asked, his voice gone husky and soft. Carmelita was looking at her feet, so he tipped her chin up with a
finger, “Carmelita?”
She raised her eyes to his, self-doubt and shyness masking their normal excitement, “I just felt like kissing you. I’m sorry…”
“Don’t ever be sorry. But, if I could offer one suggestion?”
Carmelita relaxed slightly and nodded her head, “Of course.”
Charlie smiled at her, reaching his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her a tiny step closer before dipping his head and placing his lips over her own. He didn’t seek to deepen the kiss, he simply kept his lips pressed lightly against her own for several seconds, before he pulled away and whispered, “Kisses should be long enough to truly enjoy.”
Carmelita could feel herself blushing, but she smiled up at him shyly before slowly nodding her head, “I’ll remember that.” Taking a step away from him, she was pleased when he let his hands drop from her shoulders. While she enjoyed being close to him, the sensations his nearness was creating were confusing and too much, too soon.
Charlie let her go, moving out of the way so she could get into her car. “Drive safe and tell Mateo I’ll be around to pick him up after school.”
“I will. Thank you again,” she told him before pulling the door closed and driving away.
Charlie watched her go, mentally patting himself on the back for his self-control. Yes, he might have to rethink his stance on Carmelita San Martin!
*****
Eduardo watched as the Cuban woman drove away from the marina. After being run off by the arrival of the police earlier, he and his boys had split up. He’d sent Manny back to the hospital to keep an eye on young Jimmy.
Juan had taken Ralphie with him to scout out the places where the high school kids hung out once again. They needed a network in Daytona Beach, one that could help move their merchandise amongst the thriving population without drawing too much suspicion. Teenagers and young adults had proven to be very useful in that endeavor in other areas across the country. Why not here in Daytona Beach?
Juan believed he had a possible taker, the same kid whose mother was spending time with the private investigator. Not someone Eduardo would have gone after, but the kid was rebelling and that was always a good thing. A little cash thrown his way, a little feel good marijuana thrown in at the right time. The kid would be theirs!
Eduardo waited another few minutes and wasn’t disappointed when he watched the blue and white Bel Air leave the marina parking lot. The private investigator was behind the wheel, the top down, and Eduardo made sure to keep his distance. This man had somehow orchestrated the man from the boat, Tommy Collins, to mysteriously slip away from them earlier today.
If he was hiding him, Eduardo wanted to know where. He would follow him and then decide if any action needed to be taken tonight. It was already starting to get dark, and he found it easy to follow the man until he parked his car and entered a small house in downtown Daytona.
Eduardo waited for the lights to come on, noting that none had been on prior to his arrival. Tommy wasn’t being hidden here. Slapping the dashboard, he wrote down the address and then headed back to the hotel. Maybe one of the other men had discovered something useful!
*****
Charlie walked through his house, turning on lights, and shutting blinds when the phone rang. Glancing at the clock in the kitchen, he wondered who would be calling him at 8:30 pm on a Sunday night.
Grabbing the phone, he sat down at the kitchen table, “Hello?”
“Hello, this is Morgan.”
“Chief, what’s up?” Charlie was perplexed as to why the police chief was calling him on a Sunday evening, but that worked as he was going to call him first thing in the morning, and see if he could gain access to the “Big Mama” and perform another search. And this time with Tommy along to help.
“The game just changed.”
“Talk to me,” Charlie said, all ears.
“A couple of fishing boats found another boat adrift this evening. It was in the same general location as Maclean’s boat when you found it.”
Charlie sat up straight, “Any survivors?” There was no point in asking if there were any bodies; that went without saying.
“No, but curiously enough, only the captain was on the boat. It was at least as big as the ‘Big Mama’ and no captain would ever take a boat that size out by himself.”
“That’s true. Did they call the Coast Guard?”
“Yeah, and this time, we found a few clues.”
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense. What did they find?”
There was a small closet in the hold, covered up by old nets and such. It was left slightly ajar, that’s the only reason they found it. Anyway, it was mostly empty, but not entirely.”
“What was in the closet?” Charlie asked, growing a bit impatient with Morgan’s roundabout way of getting his point across.
“Marijuana.”
Chapter 34
Monday morning, September 1, 1955….
After a restless night, Charlie was just a touch grumpy and not liking how this investigation was playing out. Morgan had gone on to tell him that his detectives had also found traces of a white powder, something they assumed would test to be cocaine.
The captain had been in the Daytona Beach area for only a few years, but was well liked and laid back, similar to Pat Maclean. With a second boat captain murdered, and evidence of drugs present, it was looking more and more like the Batistos and the mafia were involved in whatever was going on.
Charlie had secured permission to look over the “Big Mama” later this morning, but he had a few leads he wanted to check up on before that.
“Wally, how’s our friend?”
Wally grinned, “I do believe he might be a bit bored.”
“Too bad. Anyway, they found another boat with a dead captain last night.”
“No! Anyone we know?”
“I don’t think so, I didn’t recognize the name. The point is they also found drugs on board the boat.”
“No crew?” Wally asked, his mind making the same jump, wondering why a captain would even attempt to take a huge boat out on the open water.
“No, just the captain and a few packages of marijuana. And the boat was cast adrift close to where I encountered Maclean’s boat.”
“That’s mighty odd.”
“Isn’t it though? Anyway, I’m going to take the plane up and do a flyover in the area where the boats were found. Maybe from the air I can see something we’re all missing.”
“What do you want me to do with our friend?”
“Keep him on ice for a while if you can. I need you to go over to the Skyline Hotel and ask some questions of the chambermaids. See if any of them have noticed anything weird going on in our friend’s rooms. I’d also love to know what was in the two suitcases they accepted Wednesday night.”
“Sure, I can do that. If Bernice is still working, she might even be able to let me into their rooms, provided they’re out.”
“Just be careful. The stakes are rising, which means we must be getting close. I also need you to run by the hospital and check on Jimmy Spencer. His parents were going to limit his visitors, but I’d be interested in knowing who’s tried to visit him.”
“Will do.”
“Oh, and pick up my dry cleaning.” Charlie chuckled at the exasperated sound coming from the other end of the line.
“Anything else I can do for you while I’m at it?” Wally asked sarcastically.
“No. That should be enough. I’ll be back in a few hours. I’m just going to fly out and come straight back. I’ll come by when I get back.”
“Sounds good.”
Charlie hung up the phone and headed for the door. Before stepping outside, he made sure his shirt was pulled down, covering up the .38 revolver he had tucked in his waistband. He didn’t carry a weapon often, but he had a sneaky suspicion that things were about to get down and dirty.
Closing his front door behind him, he headed out, crossing the street and heading for the berth where his plane was do
cked. The man hiding behind the newspaper was doing a very poor job of staying out of sight and Charlie spotted him immediately.
Pretending he hadn’t seen him yet, Charlie stopped at the corner and picked up a newspaper, turning a half circle and caught the man unguarded. Sure enough, it was one of the men from the café. The bigger man with the Italian profile and no mustache; the one with the long scar running down his face. Scar. That’s a good way to refer to him.
Charlie started down the sidewalk, heading towards the marina entrance, surreptitiously watching himself being followed. The man was gaining on him and Charlie felt himself getting irritated.
He ducked around a corner, waiting until the man passed him before he stepped out and started following the man. Their roles were now reversed, and Charlie hung back far enough that he couldn’t be seen.
When the man reached the next cross street, his actions indicated he knew he had lost track of his target. Charlie watched as he stepped into a phone booth and made a call, his gestures indicating his anger at the situation. Fifteen minutes later, the dark sedan pulled to the curb and he got in. The mustachioed man behind the wheel.
Charlie watched them drive off; feeling slightly more relaxed knowing he had eluded his tail.
He quickly finished the walk to the marina and performed the basic readiness checks before taxiing the plane out of the marina and into the main channel of the river. Gaining speed, he was soon airborne and headed out to sea.
It only took fifteen minutes to arrive over at the coordinates where he’d encountered the Maclean boat. He dropped his altitude, confused at the small group of boats that appeared to all be fishing in the same area.
He rechecked his coordinates, nodding his head when they read correctly. He dropped down to about two hundred feet above the ocean’s surface and grabbed his binoculars. Sure enough, there were three fishing boats sharing the same relative piece of the vast ocean.
He dipped his wing, pleased to see all three boats signal back a greeting. He circled back once more, watching as they began to pull in their nets. All three boats’ nets were filled with fish. Smiling, he soon realized why there three boats down there. They must have radioed each other when they realized the bounty to be had in this area.
