Catherine's Cross, page 27
“Everything looks great.”
“I think the staff did a wonderful job of setting up the patio. They wanted to know if we were on our honeymoon.”
Seth’s lips turned up into a smile. “That would be my dream come true.”
Jenks felt herself blush. “Is that a marriage proposal?”
“Yes, it is, but forgive me for not getting down on my knee. I think it might hurt too much.”
Excitement surged through her entire body. “I want to hear you say it again. Ask me properly.”
He took her hand in his. “Jenks, I love you dearly, and I would be honored to be your husband. Would you please consent to being my wife?”
She didn’t have to think about his proposal. “Yes, I would love to be your wife.”
With those spoken words, she went to him and crouched down on her knees wrapping her arms around him. He kissed her on the neck and then she gazed into his eyes.
“The lights are dim out here, but I can still tell your eyes are turning green, Miss Ellington. What have you got in mind?”
“I’ll tell you after dinner,” she said in a whisper.
At nine the next morning, Mr. Sermet was waiting for them outside Guerlin’s. A warm tropical breeze was coming off the ocean and the wind caught Jenks’s hair and blew it around her face. She immediately tied it back.
As Jenks and Seth approached the open-air taxi, Mr. Sermet opened the door for them and Seth gingerly climbed into a middle seat.
“Good morning. I hope you are both well today,” he said in his deep island brogue.
“We’re fine, and I hope you are.”
“Oh yes, ma’am.”
Curiosity was driving Jenks mad. “Were you able to find anything out last night?”
“I’m not sure.”
“What do you mean?”
“I showed Mr. Hiller’s photo to a number of my friends. One of them thought he may have taken a man who resembled Mr. Hiller down to the wharf. He said that the man had dark hair—he was not a blond.” Mr. Sermet held up Frank Hiller’s photo as he said this.
“Do you know where he took him?”
“Yes, to the Red Hook ferry. First, we’ll go there.”
“Thank you,” Jenks said as she climbed into the taxi.
After Mr. Sermet climbed into the driver’s seat, he turned around and said, “My friend, Albert, dropped this man off at the Red Hook terminal. A scheduled ferry runs between St. Thomas and St. John at that location. We’ll talk to the captain.”
When they arrived at the terminal, the ferry was parked at the wharf and passengers were going on board. Mr. Sermet opened the door for Jenks and Seth.
“Come, I will go down to the ferry with you.”
A tall black man in naval attire was in charge of the operation and Mr. Sermet walked in his direction. When the man saw him, he grinned, and they shook hands. Mr. Sermet waved to Jenks and Seth to come forward and he said, “Lawrence, this is Miss Ellington, and her friend, Mr. Mason.”
Jenks noticed that he did not introduce Seth as Detective Mason and she extended her right hand for a shake. Seth followed suit.
“Lawrence, Miss Ellington would like to know if you remember seeing this man.” Mr. Sermet held up Frank Hiller’s photograph and Lawrence took the photo in his hand. He studied it for a few moments and then shook his head. “I can’t say that I recall seeing him.” Lawrence called to two other employees and showed them the photograph. They both shook their heads as they studied the picture. He started to hand it back and then said, “Wait.”
He went on board the ferry and after a few minutes he returned with a young woman also dressed in naval attire.
“This is Tyra. She thinks she may have seen this man.”
She stepped forward and said, “It would have been a few months ago, but I remember I thought him very handsome, tall, you know—well built. The man I remember had dark hair, but his face . . . it could be the man.”
“Where did he go?”
“He was on the ferry to Cruz Bay.”
“Do you have any idea where he was going after that?”
“No, ma’am. I’m sorry, but I do not.”
“When we get to Cruz Bay, I’ll introduce you to Gunnar Lund. He’s the harbor master. Just wait for me at the rear of the ferry when we dock,” Lawrence said.
She thanked Mr. Sermet for his help and paid him for the fare. He gazed into her eyes and said, “Call me if you need further assistance. I am very sorry about your sister. I hope I have helped you in some way.”
“You have—thank you.”
Before he departed, he shook Seth’s hand and then looked keenly at the two of them. “Be very careful.” With these words, he turned and walked back to his taxi.
The trip to Cruz Bay was brief. Jenks admired the clear, sapphire-blue waters and the volcanic islands of the British and US Virgin Islands. When they arrived at St. John, the ferry pulled to the wharf. After several moments, the passengers disembarked the boat. Jenks and Seth waited in the aft portion of the ferry for Captain Lawrence to finish his duties.
“Our plane leaves at four-thirty, so we can only stay here a short while,” said Jenks.
“We could stay longer if we need to.”
“No, I don’t want you to miss classes because of this.”
“I’ve already spoken to my professors and explained that I had police matters to handle and may miss some of my classes. They told me I could make up any missed work.”
“Yes—they’ve been very helpful, but let’s hope we can find something out today.”
Within a few moments Captain Lawrence joined Jenks and Seth. “Let’ go see Gunnar Lund. I’ll show you the way.”
They descended the ramp from the ferry to the dock. Lawrence noticed that Seth was limping and using a cane for support and slowed down his gate. Pointing to Seth’s leg he said, “I’m sorry. I will walk slower.”
He led them inside a building that was adjacent to a pier. There were numerous oil-stained engine parts on the floor, and the air smelled heavily of grease and saltwater.
“Gunnar, are you here?” Captain Lawrence called out.
“Yes, back here. Be right with you,” a voice responded from the rear of the building.
Within a moment, a man with deeply tanned skin and large blue eyes emerged from a back room. He was as tall as Seth and rugged looking.
“Lawrence, how are you today?” Gunnar asked.
“I am very well, and I hope you are.”
They looked at one another while Gunnar rubbed his hands on a grease-streaked blue cloth.
“What can I help you with?”
“This young lady is looking for the man in this photograph.” He motioned for Jenks to show it to him.
“No, I don’t want to touch it. I’ll get grease on it. Just hold it up for me.”
He gazed into Jenks’s eyes and said, “What’d he do?”
Jenks drew a deep breath and replied, “He murdered my sister.”
The two men looked at each other warily, and Jenks saw that Seth was studying their reaction.
Gunnar looked back at the photo and said, “Maybe. A few months ago, there was a man with darker hair, but similar facial features, who waited for several hours for a yachting service to pick him up.”
Jenks took a deep breath as she heard this news. “Do you know where he went?”
“No, ma’am.”
Thinking they had reached a dead end, she sighed with disappointment— but then he continued. “You see that red, double-masted sailboat down at the end of the wharf, the Alhambra? Her Captain, Lucas Soto, may be able to tell you.”
A young man was sitting on board the deck of the handsome watercraft. “Good morning,” he said as Seth and Jenks approached.
Jenks’s heart was racing, but she acknowledged the ship’s mate, who appeared to be a youth of about twenty years. His dark hair was unruly, and he blushed as he looked at Jenks.
“Good morning to you too,” she replied. “We’re looking for Captain Soto. Is he here?”
“No, ma’am, he’s—er . . . visiting with a friend.”
“Do you know where we can find him? It’s very important.”
The young man replied, “I don’t think he’d appreciate my discussing his whereabouts when he’s off duty.”
Determined, Jenks removed the photo of Frank Hiller from her pocket. “We just spoke with the harbor master, Gunnar Lund, and he thinks that the man in this photo chartered the Alhambra some weeks ago.”
“Let me take a look at it. I’m Rhett Alexander.”
Handing him the photograph Jenks introduced herself. “I’m Jenks Ellington, and this is my friend Seth Mason.”
He studied the picture and then raised his head up and looked in Jenks’s eyes. “Yeah, he looks like the guy we took to Belize.”
“Belize? That’s a long way from St. John.”
“Yes, ma’am, it is.”
“Do you know where he was going?”
“No, ma’am. The guy kinda kept to himself. He had dark hair—not the blond in this photo.”
He handed back the picture. “Did he do something wrong?”
“He murdered my sister.”
The young man’s mouth dropped open and a look of shock went across his face. “Jesus Christ,” he murmured. “Can you come back later today after three? Lucas—I mean Captain Soto—will be here then.”
“No—our airline flight leaves this afternoon from Charlotte Amalie. Please!”
He was quiet for a moment, and then he said, “Captain Soto’s gonna have my ass, but hang on a minute, and I’ll give you the address where you can find him.”
They waited only a short while at the taxi stand in Cruz Bay before an open-air taxi pulled up beside them. “Good morning,” the man enthusiastically called out in an island brogue. “Can I take you somewhere?”
“Yes, we need to go to this address,” she said, handing him a note card.
“Ah yes, it will take us only about fifteen minutes.” He got out of the driver’s seat and opened the rear door for Jenks and Seth. “Bad leg?”
“Yes, I’m afraid so,” Seth replied.
As Jenks climbed into the taxi, she studied the man’s features. He was probably in his forties, his hair was cut very short, and he had perfectly straight white teeth.
“You have a wonderful smile,” Jenks told him.
“Thank you, ma’am. It is in my family’s blood roots. My name is Elias and welcome to St. John.”
Just as Elias had said, the drive took about fifteen minutes, and they parked at a hillside home that overlooked the ocean. “Jason Brinkley’s residence,” he murmured.
Jenks heard his comment and said, “Wait for us, please.”
“As you wish, ma’am.”
Jenks got out of the taxi, and Seth slid out behind her. “Let me go first,” he said.
He went ahead of her to the home and knocked firmly on the door. Within a few minutes, an attractive brunette came to the door and looked at Seth and Jenks. Jenks noticed that her eyes lingered on Seth. “How can I help you?” she inquired.
“We need to speak with Captain Lucas Soto.”
She had a shocked look on her face, and she responded, “I’m afraid you have the wrong address.”
Jenks felt a heated rush of energy caused by fear and anxiety course through her limbs and she responded, “Please! Captain Soto took a man to Belize several weeks ago. That man, Frank Hiller, murdered my sister.”
The woman looked stunned, but then walked away leaving the door slightly ajar. Within a few minutes, a handsome, sun-tanned man with dark hair and wearing only shorts appeared at the door. He was well built, and he looked at Seth and Jenks. “How can I help you? I’m Lucas Soto.”
Jenks introduced herself and Seth to him. He came outside and led them to a secluded sitting area in the yard. Jenks handed him the photo of Frank Hiller, and he studied it for a moment. “The hair was darker, but that’s his face. James Jefferies. He had a Belizean passport.”
“A Belizean passport?” Jenks asked with surprise. “His name’s not James Jefferies, it’s Frank Hiller, and he’s a US citizen.”
“I can only tell you what I saw. He kept to himself. Didn’t say too much.”
He handed the photo back to Jenks. “The guy paid me cash and with the economy being the way it is, I was glad for the business.”
“Where did you take him in Belize?”
“Miss Ellington, I don’t know if you’re familiar with Belize, but there’s a reef system that runs the length of the country. The Alhambra runs too deep in the water to get past that reef. When we were off San Pedro, he called a water taxi that picked him up and took him to shore. He said ‘thank you’ and that was it. I figured it was his responsibility to handle any business he might have had with immigration services.”
Jenks took a deep breath and said, “Thank you for talking with us.”
“He murdered your sister?” he said as a deep frown crossed his countenance.
“Yes, he drowned her.”
Lucas’s face darkened, and he replied. “If you pursue him to Central America, use extreme caution. I saw that he was a powerful man.”
“Yes, he is.”
When they returned to Cruz Bay, Elias dropped Jenks and Seth off at the Red Hook ferry. Opening the door for them, he pointed to Seth and said, “Take it easy on the leg.”
Seth nodded.
“Thank you for your help this morning,” Jenks said.
“Oh yes, ma’am . . . you never know what you’ll discover on a Sunday morning.”
Jenks knew what he was referring to.
“I mind my own business. I stay out of trouble that way,” he beamed.
She paid the fare and rewarded him with a generous tip. He looked at the payment, grinned at the two of them, and said, “It is nice to be nice,” in a sweet island brogue.
On the flight back to the United States, Seth was seated in an aisle seat and Jenks sat in the center. He stretched his leg out and winced slightly as he settled in for the flight. He then took her hand in his and kissed her knuckles.
“I insist that you let me help on the cost of this trip. It’s not every day a man gets engaged.”
“No—I’m going to use a little of the money that I was saving to buy the bungalow in Raleigh. That’s no longer in my plans.”
He leaned back in the seat and frowned slightly.
“How are you holding up?” Jenks asked.
“Other than law school, I hope there are no pressing matters for the next several days. I’m tired.”
“I’m sorry.”
She sat quietly for a moment before saying, “Why would he pick Belize?”
“Remember what Lucas Soto said. There is a reef system that runs the length of the country. Frank Hiller is a diver. World-class diving conditions would be of interest to him.”
“You’re smart.”
“Thank you, Miss Ellington.”
“But how did he get a Belizean passport?”
“I’m only guessing of course, but it’s possibly a very good forgery. When we get our hands on him, we’ll find out precisely.”
“How are we going to find him, and what did he do with the other artifacts he stole from Gigi?”
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a legal attaché in San Salvador that covers Belize and other Central American countries. As far as the other artifacts, that question can be answered by Mr. Hiller.”
“It sounds like he’s attempting to disguise himself by darkening his hair, but his physique is hard to mistake,” Jenks said.
“There’s no way to be sure he stayed in Belize. I’ll start the investigation process tomorrow.”
Seth was in touch with Captain Barrett from the Beaufort County Sheriff’s Department early the next morning. When he finished his conversation, he came into the kitchen, where Jenks was making coffee. “My captain is going to contact the FBI office in Columbia, and they’ll get in touch with the legal attaché in San Salvador.”
“What we need is a break,” Jenks answered. “Maybe I should hire a private investigator.”
“Let’s see what happens with the FBI legal attaché, and then you can decide what to do.”
“Good morning, Seth and Jenks,” Dr. Walker said as he entered the kitchen. “I’d like to hear about your trip, but first, I’m cooking eggs and bacon. Can I make you breakfast?”
“That would be nice,” Jenks declared. They had not eaten dinner the night before, and she found herself extremely hungry and tired from the trip to the Virgin Islands.
“Dr. Walker, we have something to tell you,” Seth said.
Dr. Walker turned to both of them, giving them his full attention. “Jenks has consented to be my wife,” Seth said proudly.
“How wonderful,” Dr. Walker said, clasping his hands together. “Sophie, where are you? Come into the kitchen, dear!”
Within a few moments she entered the room, her white linen shirttail hanging out of her lounge pants. Jenks was surprised to see her so casually attired. She was normally dressed to perfection.
“What is it?”
“Seth and Jenks have decided to become husband and wife. Isn’t that wonderful news?”
Her face erupted into a brilliant smile, and she came first to Jenks and hugged her. She then went to Seth. “I am so happy for you. I think you two are perfect for each other.”
Jenks could barely control her emotions and tears welled in her eyes.
“Have you decided on a date?” she asked, her eyes twinkling.
“No, ma’am, not yet,” Seth replied.
“We can host the wedding here at our house. It would give Leslie and me great pleasure if you would allow us to do that.”
Jenks felt herself blush with excitement and appreciation. “That would be wonderful!” She spoke without consulting Seth, but when she looked in his direction, he nodded his head in agreement.
“This is wonderful news. I’ll make you dinner tonight, and we can celebrate,” Dr. Walker said. He turned back to the stove and removed a large stainless-steel frying pan from the pot rack.
“Now, tell me how things went in the Virgin Islands. I hope you found helpful information.”
