Scent of Gardenia (Scott Tucker Series) (21 page)

Chapter
50

Mike
went into the office to clear some things away before he headed to the airport.
He also picked up tickets and reservation information from Colleen’s desk. He
placed the tickets along with his Passport in his sport coat pocket and put the
other things he needed in his briefcase. He didn’t like flying out of Logan, but there were really no other choices. His plane was leaving at 8 A.M and he had to
finish up here, or be late.

He left
Scott a note reminding him that if he needed help, he would call. He was sorry
Scott wasn’t actually going, because he could use his help and company. Scott
might even have ideas of his own to find Holly and Jules.

He left
Paddy a separate note, telling him he would call near the end of each day for
an update. He also indicated that if he couldn’t reach him at the office, he
would try him at home. The investigation had switched from finding the missing
men, to finding one of their own. He thought about Holly not having any family,
which was good in this case as there wasn’t anyone else to be worried about
her.

He
turned off the office lights and locked the door. It was a little cool this
morning, but the temperature in Bermuda would be nice this time of year. He
wondered if he had packed the right clothes, but his wife actually packed for
him. He did a final check of what he needed to bring with him, then started his
car and quickly headed to Logan.

*.*.*

The
plane ride was comfortable. As the plane descended to land in Bermuda, he
noticed how attractive the turquoise water was around the small islands. He
hadn’t been in Bermuda since he was stationed there with the Navy years ago.
Jules was one of the recommended guides for sailors wanting to go on fishing
expeditions. After a couple of fishing trips together, he and Jules had struck
up a friendship. They spent many hours together enjoying the island amenities,
including the night life. It was easy for him to pick Jules as Holly’s guide.

The
plane touched down. As it taxied, he thought about what he was going to do first.
He couldn’t get over the fact that Holly and Jules were missing. He would have
expected Jules to be able to protect her from any danger. Knowing Jules the way
he did, he was very concerned for their safety. Jules would not have given up
without a fight, especially with Holly at his side.

What
the hell has happened Jules? Where the hell do I look first? Holly, what lead
would you have been pursuing?

*.*.*

After clearing
Customs, he spotted Mercedes and two other men waiting for a ride. Mike decided
not to say hello to her, but conduct his own investigation. He was not
surprised to see her and other members of the FBI here. It’s encouraging
actually. He will be better off doing his own thing. After all, investigative
work is what he used to do for the Boston Homicide division. Mercedes and the
two men got into a cab, heading away from the airport.
I wonder where they
are staying.

Holly
had been staying at the
Bermudiana Hotel
, but he purposely had Colleen
book him at the
Hamilton Princess
. He caught a cab and headed to the
hotel. The sky was getting much darker. He wondered if there was going to be a
storm. He checked into his hotel. As soon as he was in his room, he unpacked,
putting his clothes away. He was not going to live out of a suitcase while he was
here. It was too early to change clothes, so he went to the lobby, deciding to
see if there were any reports of missing people in the newspaper.

There
was an article about an American tourist, Holly Compton, and a local cab
driver, Jules Bennett, reported missing yesterday. It indicated the authorities
had located his burned out cab and feared they may have been kidnapped.
However, there was nothing to give the police any idea of where they had been
during the day, and where they disappeared from.

The article
went on to mention that there were still three missing boat captains. One yacht
which belonged to Nils Nielsen, the ‘Import-ant,’ was last seen being fueled at
Hamilton harbor. Although not confirmed, it was believed that the four
passengers with Mr. Nielsen were operating the boat. The article also mentioned
that one of the captains, Roger Elliot was found murdered. Authorities are
concerned about the fate of the other missing men and Ms. Compton.

*.*.*

Mike put
down the paper, giving some thought about where to start looking for Holly and
Jules.
Talk to me Holly…where would you have looked first?
Mike closed
his eyes, trying to think about what he knew from the inspector. Holly asked
for the names and pictures of the men, the names of the missing yachts, and the
description and picture of the dive cage where Elliot’s body was found. The
names of the boats and men are interesting, but something the authorities would
have been searching for.
What’s a ‘dive cage,’ and where do you find such a
thing? That’s what I suspect Holly would have tried to understand. Without the
luxury of a description, can I find out if they’re that common?

Chapter
51

I took
an early afternoon plane to Bermuda to avoid seeing Mercedes or Mike. Neither
of them needed to know I was in Bermuda. It would only be a matter of time
before Paddy learned I wasn’t coming into the office, but Paddy might not
expect that I was in Bermuda. I have to make an excuse for today and tomorrow,
and then the weekend takes care of itself. I better call the office to let
Colleen know I’m sick and won’t be in today.

I was
cautious going through Customs to make sure Mercedes and/or Mike were not
around. There was no sign of them at Customs or anywhere around the airport.
So
far, so good!

I caught
a cab to my hotel. I had never been to Bermuda before and was enjoying the
scenic views. The driver pointed out some attractions on the way. I wished I
was with Mercedes to enjoy the island sights more. Mercedes told me where they
were staying, so I was careful not to book the
Bermudiana
or the
Hamilton
Princess
where Mike was staying. I chose the
Hamilton Harbor Inn
,
which was within walking distance of both hotels.

*.*.*

Once in
my room I unpacked quickly, checking out the view. There was a slight view of the
harbor, but I probably wouldn’t be spending much time enjoying it.

I rented
a scooter for the week, as rates were much better than the daily rate. The
scooter would give me a way to keep my eye on either Mercedes or Mike. I took a
quick ride through the streets of Hamilton. I had been warned to be careful
about driving on the left side of the road and the ride gave me some practice.
There was a traffic circle just up the road from Hamilton, which if I hadn’t
been following a taxi into and out of it, I would have probably driven on the
wrong side. I realized I looked out of place with a long-sleeve shirt and
pants.

I went
back to the hotel, changing into a short-sleeve shirt, Bermuda shorts and
sandals. I took the scooter, driving to the
Bermudiana
, which was just
up the street. I parked it with about twenty others outside the hotel, taking a
seat on the veranda, where I could see people coming and going into the hotel
lobby. I picked up the
Royal Gazette
newspaper, immediately finding the
article describing Jules’ burned cab and their disappearance. The sudden
silence around me caused me to look at where the heads were looking.
Yeah,
Mercedes has been known to make an entrance.

I
watched her and two other men go up to the lobby desk clerk. They spoke for just
a minute, and then headed out of the hotel. They reappeared in view, getting
into the next cab at the cab stand. I put the newspaper down and headed to my
scooter. I followed them at a distance until they pulled into the police
station. All three went into the police station, but the cab remained parked
outside. I knew they wouldn’t be long, so I parked along the street and waited.
After a few minutes, Mercedes and the younger man reappeared and got back in
the cab.

There
were many vehicles on the road so I didn’t have to be too careful about being
seen. Five minutes later, they pulled into the Hamilton dock area and got out.
I pulled in near the entrance and parked. Even at a distance, Mercedes looked
beautiful. Her white dress shirt brought back memories, and her Bermuda shorts
still focused other attention to her long legs. She had a bright blue scarf
looped around her neck. The man with her was most likely Ralph. He looked to be
walking too close to her—almost invading her space. They were walking away from
me so I couldn’t tell what her expression was.

They
spoke with a young attendant working at the fuel depot. Mercedes handed him
several sheets of paper, possibly photographs. The young man pointed at two of
the photos; nodding his head, talking a lot. He was gesturing with his arms, like
he was talking about supplying fuel, or something else. A minute or so later he
raised his hand over his head indicating something, or someone, very tall. They
finished talking with him and shook his hand. The young man watched as they
left, but I’m sure he was not watching ‘Ralph.’

They
returned to the cab. I headed to my scooter. They were parked there for ten
minutes, and then the cab finally started to move. When they were back on the
road, I pulled out of the parking lot and followed. The cab drove for a
considerable time, and then pulled into a business along the shore displaying a
figure of a ‘diver.’ I pulled off the road and watched them go inside the small
rustic shack. They were inside for a long time, and I wondered if they had
exited the rear of the building. I knew they hadn’t departed, as the cab was
still in the parking area.

Finally,
Ralph came out of the shack and spoke with the driver. He paid the driver some
money and the cab drove off. Ralph went back but didn’t go inside the building.
He went around the side I could see, and then went out of sight behind the
shack. A few minutes later, I heard the loud sound of an engine and then
another. Five minutes later I recognized Mercedes scarf and shirt on an open
back boat headed toward the open ocean. Well, that ends my ability to follow
them. I assumed they might be headed to a dive area, or perhaps where Elliot’s
body was discovered.

I followed
the direction of the boat on my scooter until they were out of sight. They were
just about out of sight when I heard the shocking sound of a horn. I realized
in time I was on the wrong side of the road, swerving in time to avoid a large
truck. My heart was pumping. I had learned my lesson. I drove for about an hour
looking at the island sights, then headed back to my hotel.

Chapter
52

Margaret
had been enjoying all of her guests this morning. She had no dive excursions
today, so it was a great day to have continuous sex. She quickly realized that
when she caused the young redheaded lady to cry out in pain, the black man
begged for her to stop. Margaret had a bargaining chip, already using that to
her benefit—not Jules’.

However,
being with a woman was a new experience. She found that not to be as enjoyable
as with the men, but still worth some experimentation.
Practice makes
perfect.
Some parts of Holly’s lily-white body had never seen the light of
day. She was going to have to find a way to safely bring her out to get some
sun.
She thought about the passing boats seeing two redheads sunbathing in
the nude. However, she realized she didn’t want to draw too much attention as
the authorities were looking for a missing redheaded young woman. Maybe I can
put a wig on her, but that still leaves one redhead sunbathing.

That shower
water felt great on her skin. She hadn’t realized how sore her body could get
from all of that pleasurable activity.
Well, pleasurable for me, anyway.
Those thoughts were making her think about going back for another complete
round.
The ringing telephone broke her focus.

She shut
off the water and ran to get the phone. “Hello.”

“Hello
Margaret, it’s me.”

“What’s
up?” she asked.

“Well
you asked me to keep my eyes open. Here’s what I noticed. Can I count on the
bonus you indicated before?”

“Yes,
you can count on it. I’ll leave double the amount in the usual place. However,
it better be good news.”

“Thanks.
Well, I’m not sure you’ll consider it good news or not, but we have two more
groups of people checking things out. The first, I witnessed, are two FBI
people. One is a tall redheaded woman, and her companion is a young man about
her age. They were at the police station, then went to the Hamilton fuel dock
and spoke to the attendant there. Then they left and went to a dive shop along
the coast. They went with the owner in his boat, but I can’t say where they
went.”

“Yes,
you mentioned two sets of investigators. Who was the other one?”

“Well,
when I was following the FBI people, I discovered they were being followed by a
young man on a motor scooter. He followed them to the police station, the dock
and then the dive shop. When the FBI people went in the boat, he left and I
followed him, but he just drove around like a tourist. I did find out where
he’s staying. He’s staying at the
Hamilton Harbor Inn.
The FBI couple is
staying at the
Bermudiana
.”

“You did
well again. I’ll leave the money at the regular place. It will be there in the
morning. I have an additional bonus for you if you can find out their names,
and get me pictures of them. I’m especially interested in the redheaded woman.
If you’re also up for it, I would like you to follow the FBI agents and let me
know where they go. I will assume the young man will be closely behind them.
With all of this activity, you’re going to be a rich man before this is over. I
really like rich men
,” Margaret said, laughing.

“I’m up
for the extra money. I’ll follow them when they leave the hotel. I’ll also try
to get close enough to get pictures. Is there anything else I can do for you?” he
asked, hopefully.

“No not
really. I’ve been keeping myself pretty busy these days,” Margaret said, with a
chuckle. “Bye.”

*.*.*

Margaret
studied her naked frame in the full-length mirror. Her hair was still wet, but
she was mostly dry now. The plastic surgeon, besides being a great lover, was
extremely skilled. Her face was more attractive than ever, but her body was to
die
for. That is just what is going to happen now…sorry Paul…it’s time to turn-over
the inventory. Now the question is what is the most exciting way to do it?

She felt
the cool sand between her toes as she walked to his cell. She didn’t bother
dressing since she would only have to remove her clothes anyway. It didn’t take
her long to think of his farewell scenario. Her heart was beating a mile a
minute. She thought about bringing her boat to her dock behind her house, but
she was too ready to waste that time…she’d get it later.

She
stopped to listen to see if the guests were talking between themselves. They
were quiet, but she often wondered if they did communicate when they knew she
was not around.
So what if they did!
As she looked down into the limited
light, she saw blood running down her body from the four large fish hooks. She
dialed in on the pain. Pain to her was just a feeling. Something she just
learned to tolerate and take pleasure in. It was just like any other sense to
her. She couldn’t understand why her guests reacted in such the opposite way.
However, she was glad they did…it would take the fun out of it any other way.

She
quietly unlocked and opened Paul’s cell door. His eyes were closed.
I guess
I was too much for you earlier, huh?
She moved closer to his bed, waiting
for him to open his eyes. She didn’t have to wait long. His eyelids fluttered
and then his eyes got huge, and then they turned to fear when he saw what she
had done with the hooks. She climbed onto the bed and sat on his thighs. She
slipped the first hook out of her body and waved it slowly in front of his
eyes. Margaret took her time running the back of the hook down his chest.

His
screams were exciting. She hoped the others were paying close attention.
Your
days are coming…right now its Paul’s. She tried her best to keep her eyes open,
but she couldn’t control herself.