Desperate Measures (20 page)

Caitlin stared at her friend in disbelief. Fear bubbled within her, threatening to overwhelm her. She turned and ran toward the restaurant, shouting for help between gasps of air.

She heard shouts. “Police, FBI, freeze!”

Turning toward the commotion breaking out behind her, Caitlin froze. Jumpstart was on the ground with Tomas and Scott both on top of him. Drew wormed his way in and secured handcuffs on her friend.

She changed direction and sprinted back to the darkened area of the beach where the handcuffed prisoner was lifted to a standing position. A woman ran ahead, Chris matched her every stride.

“That’s him.” The new waitress at the Lobster Shack pointed at Jumpstart, identifying him as the man who gave her the note.

* * * *

Jumpstart, otherwise known by his birth name of Sylvester Tate, cooperated with the authorities and went with them to the St. Kitts Police headquarters for questioning. No formal charges had been filed and he’d been taken to a small interrogation room. The handcuffs had been removed.

Tomas got first crack at questioning. He stood, gripped both sides of the table, and leaned into the suspect. Their noses were inches apart. “What do you know about the name Aces?”

Jumpstart stuttered. “I, I d-don’t, that’s why I asked Caitlin about the name, but then she ran off s-s-so scared.”

“Then why the hell did you write that note and give it to the band?” Tomas challenged.

“It wasn’t my idea. A guy from last week gave me a twenty to take it to the band.”

Drew shot Tomas a suspicious look. As if the scene had been choreographed, they both shouted out in unison. “What man?”

Jumpstart’s stutter returned. “S-some guy that was staying over on Nevis. I m-met him here this past Sunday, in the morning time.”

“So you knew him and had a meeting time set up?” Tomas questioned.

“No, no stop trying to trip me up, Mon. I m-meant I met him that day. I haven’t seen him again.”

“Back up and tell us what happened. How did you meet this guy?” Tomas pointed a finger in Jumpstart’s face. “And I want to know every word of your meeting.”

Jumpstart spoke, his stutter gone. “We had a short conversation not a meeting. He said this was his first time to St. Kitts and had taken the ferry over to pick up his wife at the airport. She wanted to take a direct flight and not have a layover in San Juan. Then he started talking about the bonfire this Friday and asked me if he and his wife should come over from Nevis to go to it. I said, ‘Sure Mon, it’s a great time dancing, drinking, and fun.’ Then I told him that the ‘Electric Slide’ had become a ritual after Caitlin taught it to all of us island folk years ago.”

“What did he say then?” Tomas asked with impatience.

He didn’t want to scare the guy and risk the loss of some details but this slow island pace frustrated him.

“That’s when the guy got a weird look on his face.” Both Drew and Tomas leaned forward, willing the man to get on with it.

“Weird how?” Drew asked.

“It’s hard to say. Just weird like more interested, and then he said she must be a special lady and a good dancer. He asked me who she was. So I told him a little about Caitlin and Scott and what a great family they are and that they were coming here this week to move into their new house. Then he didn’t ask me but rather said, ‘So she’ll be here Friday.’ It sounded like he was talking out loud more than to me so I didn’t answer. Then he said he and his wife would definitely be here on Friday and wanted me to do him a favor.”

Drew flipped through the interview reports, took a risk, and interrupted. “Wait a minute and back up. You’ve been here since Saturday, so where the hell have you been hiding out and why don’t I have this information in these logs from my deputy’s reports?”

“I was just getting to that if you’d let me finish! After he asked me to do him a favor, he wanted to know where I’d be all week, and I told him about my yearly ritual into the rainforest. You remember, I hike in the rainforest and sleep in my tent four or five days every year during the summer, Drew.”

Drew put his sweaty forehead in the palm of his hand and rested his elbow on the table. “Yeah, yeah I remember, continue.”

“Okay, so I told this guy, he said his name was Mike. Did I mention that yet?”

“No but we will get to that later when you give us a description. Continue.” Tomas knew, without a doubt, the name given was another jab in the FBI’s face.

“I told him about my trip to the rainforest and I wouldn’t be back down until Thursday night or Friday morning. He then said he thinks he knows Caitlin but hasn’t seen her in a long time. He and his wife would love to see her again and surprise her. He said she’s a class act and was always Aces in their book. He asked me if I could write a note and give it to the band to announce after the song finished.”

“So he made you write the note. Don’t you think that’s a little odd? And, at first he told you he wanted to surprise his wife with the song?” Tomas demanded.

“Not really, since his arm was in a sling. I figured he knew Caitlin and this guy Mike wanted to surprise both his wife and her.”

Tomas and Drew expelled deep breaths but then mustered up the courage to get to the physical description part of the interview. An hour later, the two law enforcement agents sent the prisoner home. Drew began first. “He told the truth. I’ll personally vouch for Jumpstart.”

“I know, wrong place, wrong time. Like everyone else on this island, too damn trusting. He didn’t recognize Michael or Ian from the photos. The description Jumpstart gave, with the exception of the height, doesn’t match either. A fat suit and wig could rectify that. Probably wears a size nine men’s shoe. Cute about using the name Mike don’t you think? We know damn well Michael Holmes doesn’t exist, let alone any other Mike that fit the profile on those flight manifests.” Tomas’s cell-phone went off. “Hello.”

“Tomas.” Frank Felton spoke. “Couldn’t find him. The neighbor next door, at his New York City apartment, hasn’t seen him in over two weeks. We’ll have every passenger watched on that flight tomorrow.”

“Thanks for the update, Frank, but I have a feeling Ian Yates will be a no show at the airport.” Tomas filled Frank in regarding Jumpstart’s interrogation.

“You better put everyone down there on high alert and not let any of the Martel’s out of sight. We’re dealing with a chameleon, brilliant at disguises and identity switches. I hope like hell he isn’t already on the island impersonating who knows what now. Could be a Chink woman for all we know.” Tomas flinched at the politically incorrect term, and braced himself for more. “Also, it’s a damn shame that Rasta guy had to rabbit himself up in the mountains all week. If we had his statement earlier, we may have Ian Yates, or whoever the hell he or she is already, locked up.”

“I’m going back to the hotel to bring everyone up to speed. Phone is on 24/7 so make sure you call me as soon as you get a lead on Ian.” Tomas flipped his phone shut.

* * * *

Tomas returned to the Oceanside at 10:30 p.m. Caitlin, Scott, Chris, and Pam waited in the living room, anxious to hear the details of Jumpstart’s questioning. Before the door fully closed behind him, Tomas looked down the hallway and into the kitchen area and said, “Kids in bed?”

“Yes,” Caitlin croaked.

Tomas pulled one of the dining room chairs into the living room and sat center stage, faced four pairs of curious eyes, and relayed a synopsis of Ian and Jumpstart.

“Here’s the deal, defenses up at all times. Trust no one and I mean no one. Keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary. My gut tells me tomorrow or Sunday he’ll make a move. I’m ruling out Monday, because a cruise ship will be in port. Even though that would allow this asshole to move around easier, it would also be crowded and more chance of someone seeing something suspicious. Besides whoever we’re dealing with hasn’t had a problem slinking in and out of here.

“For the next two days, we’re all confined to this hotel. Drew is sending over more of his deputies and some from Nevis to pose as hotel employees. The hotel’s fairly secure and security has a handle on all of the registered guests. The staff’s being briefed and instructed to report any suspicious behavior.”

Scott broke in. “The beach worries me. Someone could easily walk the two or three miles from the public access area. I never thought I’d say this but thankfully the hotel has an arcade room, and when the kids get antsy and have had enough of the pool, I’ll take them there.” Scott turned to Caitlin and held her hand. “Caitlin, you heard everything Tomas said, didn’t you? You cannot trust anyone outside of this room until we solve this thing. If you need to use one of the public restrooms inside the hotel, Pam is to go with you, armed and ready. I’d prefer if you and the kids would stay in this suite for the next two days, but I know that won’t happen.”

“Yes, I’m clear on everything, crystal clear. I just feel bad that the kids are essentially in lockdown.”

“We’ll just keep them busy with the hotel activities but under close guard and safe,” Scott reassured her.

“It’s sad to say since we’re supposedly on vacation but I wish it would rain to give us an excuse to stay inside. Scott, I have an idea, we have the Wii at our house. Why don’t you go over and get it? That’ll keep the kids entertained and content to stay in as much as possible,” Caitlin suggested

“Great idea.” Scott agreed with his wife, “but, no one’s going anywhere at this time of night. Drew can have the deputy covering our house bring it over when he gets off duty in the morning. I wish you hadn’t mentioned rain. We still have that hurricane out there.”

The atmosphere in the room grew subdued and quiet. Chris and Pam left for their room, Scott and Caitlin retired to the master suite, and Tomas went to his room.

Carol’s pulse raced at the sound of the ringing phone. The bedside clock revealed the ungodly hour of 6:00 a.m. Who’d call this early on a Saturday morning? She answered the phone with a tentative, “Hello.” She braced herself for bad news.

“Carol, what the fuck have you done, and why the hell did you tell the FBI where to find me? Is this some smart ass plan you concocted to try to catch me and my lover? Well it didn’t work. She wasn’t here at the time. What’s all this shit about your family and what have they done now? I bet it ties back to those damn idiotic twins, doesn’t it?”

Carol, furious at her husband’s tirade and onslaught of questions, clenched the phone in her hand and let him have it. “Larry, you asshole, I don’t care if you have a hundred lovers. It’s over between us, do you hear me? I’m divorcing you. By the time you get back, I’ll have your stuff packed and ready to go to whatever girlfriend you choose this week. By the way, shit-head, my niece is being threatened, and that’s why the FBI came to see you. They’re questioning everyone in my family. Unfortunately, at this time you are my family, Larry, but not for much longer. Goodbye!”

Her self-confidence surged. Carol knew she’d made the right decision in ending this farce of a marriage. Now she could get on with her life. Up and fully awake, she packed a bag and prepared for an early start to visit her daughter and grandson in Connecticut. Even though Larry was Lindsey’s father, she’d be delighted with the news of her parents divorce.

* * * *

After a fitful night of sleep, Lukas awoke early that morning of his own accord. He poured a cup of coffee and sat at the table on the terrace, anxious for Barry to arrive later in the morning. On his lap, he held a metal briefcase containing a million dollars.

As scheduled, the phone call came at its appointed time, but there’d been a demand of more money. Lukas held firm, determined to only lose a cool million if things went wrong, not the five million dollars demanded. Lukas shook his head. Nothing would go wrong.

He intended to put an end to this fiasco, once and for all. No one else would be hurt. Zach managed to hold off the FBI. Lukas would handle the situation his way, the same way he did everything else. Once Barry arrived, he’d get the bastard who’d threatened his family.

* * * *

The sun broke through the slate gray morning sky. Ginny gave Max one last kiss and hugged him. Tears streamed down her face. She clung tighter, hating how needy she sounded, but couldn’t help pleading. “Max, these last two weeks have been wonderful. Let me come with you on your trip, I won’t get in the way. I promise.”

Max lifted her chin and kissed her. “Not this time, honey. I promise when I get back we’ll go anywhere you want. All right?”

“No, but it’ll have to do. You’re coming straight to South Carolina, right?”

“Absolutely, now I better get moving or I won’t make my flight.”

Ginny smiled. She wagged her finger at him. “You better not get into any trouble in New York and find someone else.”

He leaned out the window of his car with a radiant grin. “You don’t have to worry about that. I’m all yours. I really do need to hustle if I am going to make the Bangor Airport in time. By the way, this deal I’m working on just might make the headlines. Make sure you keep an eye on the news.”

Ginny got into her car and drove toward South Carolina. Max’s last statement excited her. She envisioned Max’s face splashed on the headline news. She hoped his time in the limelight would last so she could be at his side during the media frenzy. She daydreamed and smiled wider when she thought of her family’s reaction when they saw her on the arm of a man who’d made it to the big leagues.

Jack and Caitlin thought they were so great. Caitlin and the damn company. Jack, just another ambulance chasing lawyer turned DA. Now, he was part owner of a huge investigation and security firm. Soon Ginny’s time would come. She’d show them all.

* * * *

Scott had been up for a while when Tomas came out of his room. Tension lingered so thick in the air, Scott could visualize a knife slicing through it. He gestured toward the kitchen and announced, “Coffee’s ready.”

Tomas didn’t say a word. Hot anger radiated off of him, capable of starting a forest fire.