Determinant (23 page)

Ray staggered back two steps. His face wore a look of shock and panic. He stumbled backward off the wet bar. Ray reached out with his left hand in an attempt to catch himself on the love seat’s handle. His bloody hand slipped of the metal. He fell backward to the swim deck and rolled into the water. I rushed to the back of the boat to locate him in the water. Ray’s body appeared a few seconds later. He floated on the surface. I needed to get the boat of its course and circle back for him. Dead or alive, he was coming back with me.

I took the controls of the boat and turned the Illusion around. I stayed at the same speed and counted off thirty seconds. Ray’s body was somewhere in the vicinity. I figured out how to shut the engines down and brought the boat to a stop. The boat sunk in and bobbed off the wake. I scanned the water but didn’t see him anywhere. The Air Force base sat to my north. St. Petersburg lay to the west. The land to the east was a half mile away. There was nothing in the waters between. Ray wasn’t swimming, he wasn’t floating.

A boat came into view. As it got closer I spotted the familiar white and blue stripes of our Marine Unit’s Center Console Intrepid. It was a forty foot, modified, offshore fishing boat. The Intrepid was capable of doing seventy plus across the water. Outfitted with twin machine guns on the bow, its sole job was to chase down and take out fleeing boats.

They approached off my stern. Normally, they ran two or three men aboard. As they got closer, I spotted at least four. They slowed, turned and came to a stop a few feet off of the swim deck. Hank, Jones and two officers from our Marine Unit, Iler and Wolf were on board.

“Didn’t think you guys would come out this far.”

“If one of ours is in danger, the whole jurisdiction thing can kiss my ass,” Iler said.

Hank raised a foot up onto the side above the
T
in the Tampa Police graphics. “You alright? Where’s Azarov?”

“I’m alright. He’s somewhere in the water right around here.”

Hank looked left and right across the surface of the water. “Dead?”

I nodded.

Officer Iler came from the console. “Coast Guard’s search and rescue should be here in a minute,” he said.

I nodded.

“What happened?” Jones asked.

I gave it to them in bursts.

“You shot him four times?” Hank asked.

“Six times. The last was with his Desert Eagle, center mass.”

Hank and Jones looked at each other. “Desert Eagle, center mass, at five feet away?” Jones asked.

“Something like that.”

“Shark bait,” Jones said.

“Where are the two from the speed boat?” I asked.

“They stayed aboard—went under the hood to see if they could get it running.”

“How did the Bill guy take what happened to his boat?”

“Better than I would,” Jones said.

“Yeah, he asked us if we thought his insurance would cover it. He went on to tell us how cool of a story it would make for his yacht club buddies,” Hank added.

“Let’s hope he keeps that same attitude. Cap will have my ass if the department gets sued for a half million dollar boat.”

Hank nodded.

“Hey Wolf!” I called.

He ducked his head out from the Intrepid’s console. “Yeah?”

“You got an extra pair of binoculars on there?”

He rummaged below the console and came up with a pair. He handed them off to Iler. Iler tossed them over to me.

“Why don’t you guys cover some water around here. See if you spot anything. I’m going to get up on the bow and have a look around.”

“Sounds good, Lieutenant.”

I climbed up to the boat’s bow and put the binoculars to my eyes. I spent fifteen minutes scanning the waters around the Illusion, but didn’t spot Ray’s body. The Intrepid started with small circles around me and increased diameter. They were a quarter mile away by the time the Coast Guard boats came into sight.

The silver cabin of the Coast Guard boat shined and reflected sunlight as it came upon my starboard side. The boat wore an orange belt line that wrapped its hull a few feet up from the water. A silver railing fitted with life preservers wrapped its stern. An American flag fluttered from the top of the antenna mast. The other boat, similar in style, went for the Intrepid. A Coastie stood at the approaching boat’s bow.

They got within speaking distance.

“Glen Davidson,” he said with a nod. “You call in search and rescue?”

“Yeah, I’m Lieutenant Kane from the TPD. We had a fugitive go in right around here.”

“What was the course you were traveling?”

“We were headed south out of the Bay. I turned the boat around and came back to where he went in. This area here has to be pretty close.”

“Any idea how fast you were traveling?”

“Just under thirty.”

“What was the condition of the man when he went in?”

“Shot a number of times. Pretty sure you’re looking for a body.”

He repeated what I said to the guys in the cabin.

“We’re going to start making a grid and looking. You want to hop aboard?”

The TPD boat headed back toward us with the other Coast Guard boat following behind.

“I’m going to stay with this. We’re going to need to get it back to our Forensic guys. I think a previous homicide occurred on it.”

He waved. “I’ll leave you to it. I’ll keep in contact with your Marine Unit. There’s another search and rescue boat headed here now with divers on board. We called in the Jayhawk for air support. We’ll find the body.”

“Appreciate it.”

The Coasties idled off my stern. I waited for the Intrepid to pull up. They got to the swim deck and tossed a rope. I tied them up.

“Hey Iler, you want to drive this thing back?” I pointed down referencing the Illusion.

“Is it operational?”

“Yeah.”

“Where is it going?”

“Back by you. We are going to need Forensics to go over it.”

He looked at Wolf, who shrugged.

“I guess I can. Are we heading in now?”

I pointed to the Coast Guard boats. “You can head in with it. I’m going to ask these guys if there is anything we can do. If not, we’ll head back.”

Officer Iler stepped to the Illusion to pilot it back.

“One second, Iler.”

I went to the cabinets below the boat’s wet bar and found a garbage bag. The Desert Eagle was taken from the love seat and dropped inside. I stepped onto the Intrepid and untied us from the Illusion. The Coast Guard’s Jayhawk helicopter came over our heads. Iler followed us north the few hundred yards to the Coast Guard’s boats before continuing on. Wind from the Jayhawk’s blades rippled the water in the distance.

We pulled to within fifty feet of the side of one of the stopped Coast Guard boats. I spotted the Coastie I’d spoke with earlier.

“Glen!” I shouted.

He turned and looked over.

“You guys need a hand with anything?” I asked.

“Unless you feel like diving, not really. We got two boats and the Jayhawk searching the surface. We have divers going down. Nothing so far though.”

“Alright. Let us know when you come up with something.”

“Will do.”

I gave him a wave.

“Get us back to the yacht club’s marina, Wolf,” I said.

He turned the boat north and gave it some throttle.

I sat on the bench seat in the back of the Intrepid next to Hank and Jones.

Jones looked to me. He raised his voice over the sound of the engines. “There’s no way he could have made it to shore, right?”

I shook my head and leaned in so he could hear me. “The last I saw him, he was floating face down. It’s a mile to shore east or west. It would have taken him twenty plus minutes to do if he wasn’t full of bullet holes. I got back to where he went into the water in less than a minute. He wasn’t anywhere.”

Jones nodded and sat back.

Wolf opened up the throttle when we were at a distance from the search. The temperature was in the upper fifties. The spray from the water hit me in sheets. I was soaked to the bone. I looked back at the search for Ray’s body. If they didn’t find him floating on the surface, he was dead at the bottom of the Bay. It was the only logical conclusion.

The orange Donzi speedboat sat in its slip at the marina as we approached. Donner stood on the dock. We idled up. Behind him were Bill and Rich from the speedboat. We stepped from the boat to the dock and walked to the guys.

Donner approached. “Marine Unit found you guys I see.”

“Yup. Thanks, Donner,” I said.

“You guys get him?”

“Coast Guard is trying to fish him out of the Bay.”

“What happened?”

I gave him the short version of the story and turned my attention to Jones. “Why don’t you and Donner give me a ride back to the station, and then take off. Hank you can bug out now.”

Hank looked at his watch. “It’s ten after eight. Our shift is just starting.”

“Go home, get some rest. We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“You’re not going in, are you?” Hank asked.

“I’m going to talk to Bostok, touch base with Forensics and get whatever I have to get written up done. Then I need to figure out what’s going on with Callie. She didn’t call you did she?”

He pulled his phone from his pocket. “It looks like you called me twice.”

“That was her. Can I use it quick?”

“Sure.” Hank handed me his phone. I took a few steps away and dialed. She answered within a few rings.

“Carl?”

“Hey, Cal.”

“Did you catch him?”

“I don’t know if catch is the right word, but he won’t be bothering us.”

I told her what happened.

“Are you OK?” she asked.

“I’m fine. Are you still at the house?”

“No. They took me to their operations office.”

“The one downtown?”

“Yeah, it’s just a few blocks over from Lefty’s.”

“Did they tell you anything?”

“No. I’m just sitting around. I’m not sure what’s going on.”

“Alright. I’m heading back to the station to take care of a few things. I’ll call you from my office in a bit. If they still haven’t told you anything, I’ll just come and get you.”

“You can do that?”

“They won’t stop me. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“OK. I love you, Carl.”

It was still weird to hear. “I love you too.”

I hung up and walked back to Hank. “Thanks.” I handed him his phone.

“Everything OK?” he asked.

“I’m good.” I pointed up the dock. Jones and Donner were already standing at the back of the clubhouse waiting. We started walking up.

We came to Bill and Rich. They sat in the boat inspecting the engines.

I stopped. “Hey, I’ll catch up with you later, Hank.”

“Sounds good,” he said. Hank continued on.

I went to back of the Donzi and got Bill’s attention. “See you guys made it back.”

He nodded. “We got under the hood after you left. Bullet sent a piece of the hull into one of the fuel lines. It just popped off. We hooked it back up and were back in business.”

“That’s good. I have to apologize for us getting shot at. It was never my intent to put you guys in harm’s way.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s going to make for one hell of a story with the guys.”

“Well, I’m not sure we would have caught him before he got out of the Bay without your help. I appreciate it.”

“No problem.” He stepped from the boat and approached.

“So I guess I should just send the bill for my boat to the TPD then?”

I paused.

He smiled. “I’m just kidding. If the insurance doesn’t cover it, I’ll take care of it myself. I’m not the suing type.” He pointed at my head. “You better go get those stitched up. I see you got a nice scar underneath that one on the side there. You know, I could probably help you out with that?”

“Help me out?”

“I’m a plastic surgeon. I’d give you a card, but they are soaked and stuck inside my wallet. Look me up, give me a call.”

“I’ll see what the docs can do. If they turn my head into a road map, I’ll get on the horn with you.”

“Fair enough.”

“Thanks again for the help, Bill.” I shook his hand, and we parted ways.

I walked up by Donner and Jones. My feet felt like cinder blocks. My arms hung. I was exhausted, soaked, beaten, bloody, and in desperate need of a shower. The bag with the Desert Eagle inside hung from my hand. I’d turn it over to Forensics as soon as I got to the station. With the gun, we could tie the freezer murders to Ray and check them off as closed.

Ray’s gun was dropped off down by Rick in Forensics. I told him my prints were also on it, he said it wouldn’t be a problem. I let him know the boat was at the dock with our Marine Unit. Rick said he’d call me with an update when he had it.

I gave Captain Bostok’s door a knock and walked in.

He looked up from his computer. “Geez, you look like you crawled out of a grave.”

I took a seat across from at his desk. “Thanks.”

“Well, what the hell happened?”

“How much do you know?”

He crossed his arms over his belly and leaned back. “Start from the top.”

I let out a breath and proceeded to fill the captain in on the last twelve hours. It took a solid twenty minutes just giving him the bullet points.

“So Andrei Azarov is dead?”

“He was floating face down the last time I saw him. I checked in with the Coast Guard a bit ago. They still hadn’t found the body.”

“And Viktor Azarov was taken by the Feds?”

“Doubt he’ll see the sky again without barbed wire blocking his view.”

“Good. Now go get yourself stitched up and go home.”

“I want to hammer out the paperwork on this and I need to call the families of Ray’s victims first. I’ll need to…”

The captain cut me off. “Have you looked at yourself? You’re beat to shit and covered in blood. Go to the hospital, get your head and face stitched up and go home. That’s an order.”

“But.”

Bostok leaned forward and pointed at me. “If the next words out of your mouth aren’t an OK or yes Sir, I’ll put you on leave. I’ll take care of the paperwork and contacting everyone.”

I stuck my palm in my eye and rubbed. “Fine.” I headed for the door.

Bostok went back to looking at his computer.