Life's a Beach Then You Die Read online

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  “What? You again? I gotta learn to look at Caller ID first. What is it this time?” For some reason, Torres didn’t sound glad to hear from me.

  I told him, “I’m in the EFH warehouse that contains Zorky Eastwood’s yacht. The boat in that picture Ray Kenwood emailed Ben Horton.”

  “So?”

  “This is the boat Zorky was on when he died. He had a heart attack and couldn’t call for help. Someone disabled his radio and cell phone.”

  “I don’t know about this. When did he die?”

  “Around 20 years ago.”

  “Jesus, Fried. You’re too much. You call me now about a 20-year-old death that you think might not have been on the up and up? You couldn’t tell me this when I saw you what? An hour ago?”

  “I didn’t know this then. I think it ties in with the break-in at my place and maybe with Horton and Ray Kenwood.”

  “You think a guy who had a heart attack 20 years ago ties in with a break-in at your home? How long you been living here? One year? Two?”

  “I don’t know yet how everything comes together, but I do know this. Ray Kenwood is dead and he ties to the computer stolen from my house. The computer ties to Ben Horton who bought stolen trade secrets from Ray. Someone killed Ray and tried to kill Horton and Corky. Corky knew Ray, Ben and a third man, the Skipper when they worked for Zorky Eastwood. Zorky died when he couldn’t get help and I can see his radio and phoned were intentionally disabled. Lastly, Ray and Ben’s cabins and employment records are intact on Zorky’s boat but the third crew cabin has been emptied and there are no records on board for the Skipper.”

  There was silence on the phone. Then, Torres said, “I don’t know what you’ve got but if I don’t come down there and check it out, my luck, there’ll be something to it. I don’t need more trouble. I’ve already got you.”

  Ed and I went outside the warehouse to wait. I was glad to get the fresh air. Ed seemed glad to have another cigarette. About 15 minutes later, Torres and Fitzpatrick pulled up followed by a van marked “Crime Scene Unit.” A man and a woman got out of the van carrying equipment cases. We all went into the warehouse and climbed onto the boat. The two techs unpacked their gear and started to work.

  Torres stood there watching them. Fitzpatrick said, “They’re going to examine the phone and the radio, check fingerprints and see what else they can find of use.”

  Torres finally spoke, “Use for what? I don’t even know what crime or who we’re investigating anymore: Kenwood’s murder, Max’s burglary, the Kenwood break in, the attempt on Horton’s life, Corky’s life or vandalism on communications equipment?”

  Torres seemed to be more upset with me than usual so I asked him, “What do you mean you don’t know what you’re investigating? What’s really going on here?”

  Torres came closer to me so that we were standing toe to toe. He was too close for comfort and I thought it was a good thing I had big feet or our faces would be touching. He leaned his head back, looked into my eyes and said, “I’ll tell you what’s going on. Everywhere I turn. There you are. Every call I get today, no matter what the crime, there you are.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m working on a job.”

  “Is that what you’re doing? You’re working on a job? I got a fingerprint report on Horton’s black leather case… where he kept his epinephrine… the drugs that were out of his reach… so he almost died. You know who touched that case?”

  “No, who?”

  “You did. Your fingerprints were on Horton’s black leather case. The one he needed and didn’t have when he ingested peanuts. What do you have to say about that?”

  That surprised me. I said, “I’ve never been to Horton’s house, only his office.” Then I realized what happened. “I visited him at PC Gadgets when he returned from a trip. I lifted a black leather case off a chair when he invited me to sit.”

  “A coincidence, huh?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Just like you being at EFH offices an hour or two before someone put a hole in Corky’s brake line?”

  I didn’t like where this was going but he was right. I was there. I said the best comeback I had, “Yeah.”

  Torres didn’t seem to care. He shook his head at me. “Now, you’re telling me about sabotaged comm equipment you just found and I’ll probably find your fingerprints on that too.”

  He was right. He would find them there. “At the time I picked up the bag phone, there was no reason to think it might become evidence. Same with Horton’s drug case.”

  “You were also the last one to see Kenwood’s computer and the only one alive who saw what was on it.”

  It seemed that once Torres finished yelling at me, he got free of whatever was bothering him. He calmed down and Fitzpatrick watched his partner in silence for a few moments and then said quietly to Ed, and me “You guys can go now. We find anything, I’ll let you know.”

  It didn’t seem like a good idea to stick around, so we left.