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Man Overboard by Keith W. Harjes (1963 - 2007)
The flashing lights of a police boat illuminated the Somethin' Else as it towed the thirty-foot sailboat into Norwalk Harbor from Long Island Sound. It was around five in the morning and the early October chill gnawed at my bones as I stood on a dock and watched the two boats plow through the low rollers towards the police dock.
The day before, a friend had not shown up for a meeting that he asked for. That friend, David Bouton, owned the sailboat that trailed the police cruiser.
David was nowhere to be seen, but Mary Bouton, his wife, stood on the deck of the first boat. She was wrapped in a gray blanket. Even in the pre-dawn light I could tell that her eyes were hidden by a large pair of sunglasses. The cops on board kept an eye on her while giving her as much space as they could spare.
From where I stood Dave's boat looked shipshape. If nothing had damaged the boat, what happened to my high school friend? I didn't know the answer and couldn't wait to talk to the one person who did…Mary.
"Excuse me, sir."
A voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned and saw a uniformed member of Norwalk's finest. In the dim light I could just make out that the brass name plate on his chest said his name was Williams. The cop's dark skin made it hard for me to tell anything else about him, features-wise.
"Excuse me, sir. You'll have to leave this dock."
I slid my right hand out of my pea coat and handed Officer Williams a business card. He held the card at an angle so he could read it in the light from one of the lampposts built into the dock.
The officer glanced from the business card to me. The look on his face told me that he didn't believe what he read. My business card said I was a PI that worked for Sound Investigations and Security.
I couldn't blame him. It wasn't as if I looked the part. That morning, besides my coat, I wore brown cowboy boots, faded jeans and a blue Indianapolis Colts jersey. My dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. At least my goatee and mustache were trimmed.
"Jake Blackwood, you work for Maggie Hayes?"
I nodded. Maggie, besides being my sometimes girlfriend since high school, was a former police sergeant who owned Sound. When I left the Navy a couple of years earlier, at the age of thirty, she hired me.
Williams snapped his fingers and pointed at me. "Blackwood. I heard about you. You're that rich guy that used to be a spy."
I turned my gaze back to the boats as they docked. "Money, yes. Spy, no. I worked for Naval Intelligence after the academy."
"Whatever, you still have to leave." He motioned towards the parking lot.
"Check with whoever is in charge, I got a call to be here."
Without a word, he went into what looked like little more than a shack. It was the building that the shore patrol used as its headquarters. On the dock, folks scurried around to get both boats secured.
As soon as the waves churned up by the police cruiser calmed and the boats stopped moving, Mary brought a hand out from under the blanket. With a flick of the wrist a white walking stick pieced itself together as if by magic. One of the shore patrol officers eased up to her and offered a hand.
"Hey, Blackwood." Officer Williams waved me over to the shack.
I was tempted to ignore him, but thought better of it. The shack itself was a pleasant surprise. Inside, the place was a lot bigger and looked much better than the exterior had suggested. Besides the common room that I stepped into, there were several private offices, a few cubicles and of course cells. It was at least two steps up from the old shack look.
When I entered, Williams had disappeared but two other men waited for me. One man was about 6' 3" and fit. Even at such an early hour his light brown hair was perfectly groomed. Angry green eyes glared at me from behind wire rims. I assumed that the long wool overcoat he wore covered a tailored suit.
I knew the guy but had never warmed up to him. He was David's business partner, Brian Richards. Together they owned South Norwalk Boatworks, a successful business. David designed and built custom boats while Brian sold them to wealthy clients.
"What are you doing here?" asked Brian.
"Good to see you too."
"Listen Jake, I've got everything here under control."
"Brian, if that were true then I wouldn't have been called."
He moved a step closer. "Just keep your nose out of my business, Blackwood."
I stared into his eyes and started to say something when the other man in the room stepped between us. He was in his fifties and wore a uniform. The bars on his shoulders said he was a lieutenant. His attitude left no doubt that he was in charge.
The uniform was neat and pressed. The man inside of it was built like a low wall, about 5' 10" and square. Even his crew cut was flat and square. His brown eyes showed that he was all business.
I'd seen the lieutenant around the marinas once or twice and knew him only by his last name, which was Waters. I had heard that he had also done a stint in the Navy before joining the force. It was that experience that got him the harbor patrol gig.
"Welcome, Mr. Blackwood. We seem to have a problem," said Lieutenant Waters.
I raised an eyebrow and let him continue.
"Mr. Richards here insists on taking Mrs. Bouton home even though she had us call you."
"I don't see the problem," I said.
"Of course there's a problem. I already told you that I had everything handled," bellowed Richards.
The lieutenant put up a beefy hand to quiet Brian. "When she comes in, she can decide who'll take her home." He took a breath. "My problem is if I should question Mrs. Bouton tonight or wait until tomorrow."
"Right now works for me," said a tired voice from the doorway.
The three of us turned to face Mary. In a heartbeat, Brian rushed over to her and placed a possessive arm around her shoulders. "Don't be silly, Mary. You're in no shape to deal with stupid questions tonight. Let me take you home and take care of you."
She shook her body and shed his arm. "I think you've taken care of quite enough, Brian."
"Mary, I don't think you understand."
"I understand all I need to, Brian. This isn't about helping me. This is about making sure you get the business. All of it."
He started to say something but then shut his mouth tight and slammed his way out of the shack's doors. The lieutenant introduced himself to Mary. He took her left hand and led her to his office. With a wave, he had me follow them.
The office was small. It barely contained a file cabinet, his chair, a desk and two chairs reserved for visitors. Mary tapped her walking stick on the hardwood floors as she entered the office. When she found a chair Waters helped her into it.
Another officer came into the office to set a plastic cup and a bottle of water in front of Mary. Waters then moved behind the desk to take his seat.
"What was that scene with Mr. Richards about, Mrs. Bouton?"
"Please, call me Mary, and really sir, that was nothing to fret about."
I took a spot near the door and leaned against the wall. "It didn't sound like nothing."
She did not turn to face me. "Are you still here?"
"Don't change the subject," I said.
"He does have a point," said Waters.
She sighed. "Yes, you would see it his way, Lieutenant Waters."
"Hey, I am right once in a while," I said plaintively.
"If you say so, dear Jake," she chuckled.
Waters cleared his throat to get our attention. "Excuse me you two, but can we please get back to business."
"You're the boss," I said.
"It's about time you folks realized that." He smiled as he leaned back in his chair and watched Mary for a few seconds. "We can get to the subject of Mr. Richards later. At the moment I'd like you take me through what happened from the time you left the dock until you were found this morning."
For a full minute or so the only sound that was heard in the room was from Mary, who took several deep breaths. She shifted in her seat to sit very straight and still. The lenses of her sunglasses were focused on the wall behind Waters.
"As you know, for early October, the last few days have been unusually warm. David––" She caught her breath as she said her husband's name. "He wanted to make the most of the weather and get in as much sailing as he could before it got too cold." She shook her head. "I swear he loved being on the water more than he loved me."
"That's not true," I said.
Waters held up a hand. "Go ahead…um…Mary."
She nodded. "We got under way from the marina around nine yesterday morning."
"Which marina was that?" Waters took a pen and legal pad from his desk and started to jot down some notes.
"SoNo. We got a late start because it took me some time to get the food together for a picnic lunch and dinner." She took another moment to keep herself together. "The day was uneventful, except for the fact that it was wonderful to spend time with my husband. He was always so busy of late."
"When did it become eventful?" asked Waters.
"It was between five and six, because I had started to get the galley ready for dinner. We were going to have fried chicken and potato salad."
"Dave's favorites," I added.
Waters put a finger up to his lips while Mary gave a slight nod.
"What happened then, Mary?" asked Waters.
"I heard a noise. It sounded like a boat. When it got closer I started to move from the galley, up the steps, to go on deck. My husband was there. He closed the door and told me to stay below and be quiet."
I ran a hand through my hair. It was hard to stay patient and let Mary tell the story at her pace. I wanted all the answers at once.
"Did that strike you as strange?" asked Waters.
"Of course, Lieutenant. After all, we were in the middle of Long Island Sound. It wasn't like we had the welcome mat out."
"Of course," snickered Waters.
"The other boat's engine stopped and a few minutes later there were two voices, besides my husband's." She took another deep breath. "They spoke softly at first. I could not make out what they were saying. The voices got louder. They were yelling."
"Could you tell me if you recognize the voices or what they were talking about?" Waters asked.
"I couldn't tell you exactly what was said, but it sounded like it was about my husband's business." Mary's hands started to walk across the desktop. "One of the voices of the men that boarded us sounded very familiar. At the time, though, I could not place it."
"You just said ‘At the time'. Does that mean you can identify it now?" Waters leaned forward slightly, the pen in his hands danced across the legal pad.
Mary found the water bottle and glass that had been left for her. Her left hand grasped the bottom of the glass while her right one wrapped itself around the open bottle. After filling the glass, she took a sip and then put the glass back down. "I'd rather not say. What if I'm wrong?"
"Better for you to tell us and be wrong than to be right and not say anything. You could let a killer get away," was Waters answer.
"Of course you're right."
"Only one way to find out. Tell me who you think was on deck with your husband."
She took in a deep breath through her nose and let it out slowly between her lips. "It was Brian Richards."
"So that's what all the hostility was about earlier."
Mary nodded. "Yes. I doubted Brian would do something like this, but when he rushed out of here I knew for sure he was the one."
"Why would he hurt your husband?"
"For years Brian has been trying to buy Dave out. Instead of a partner he wanted my partner to work for him. Dave's boats would make Brian rich because he wouldn't have to share any of the profits."
"So, tell me what happened after the argument," said Waters.
"Nothing. I mean the voices ended suddenly. There was what sounded like a splash and then I heard the other boat motor away." She took another sip of water. "I went up on deck and could not find David. It seemed like forever before your men found me out there."
As Waters reached for the phone a light bulb went off in my head. I pushed myself off the wall while he spoke quietly into the phone.
"Mary, how long have you been completely blind?" I asked.
She tilted her head a bit. "Jake, you know that it was over two years ago since the doctor told me I'd slowly lose my sight."
I held up a finger when Waters hung up and it looked like he was about to interrupt. "Yeah, I remember the night Dave told me, but that wasn't the question."
"Really Jake, I have no idea what you're getting at," she said.
"Mrs. Bouton," Waters broke in, his voice gentle. "Since it came up, when did you lose your sight?"
There was a moment where no one spoke or moved until Mary stood straight up and unfolded her walking stick. "I've had enough. I'm tired and want to go home right this minute. Jake, you can go. I am sure Lieutenant Waters can get me safely home. I don't need you anymore."
A stern look came over Water's face. "No one is going anywhere. I'm not done with my questions." He looked at me. "Jake, what's so important about when Mary went blind."
"It just came to me. I watched Mary when she poured that glass of water."
Mary slumped back into the chair. "How long do you think before your men will catch Brian?"
"Since he was just here, I don't think it'll take that long at all. In fact that's why I was on the phone. I'm having him picked up for questioning."
"I'll feel much better when the person behind this nightmare is caught. I just know it was Brian that sent David overboard," said Mary.
"We will do all we can Mrs. Bouton, I promise."
I cleared my throat. "Waters, can I finish what I was saying?"
"Of course, Mr. Blackwood, go ahead."
"Would Dave want you to do this, Jake?" Mary turned her sunglassed face toward me.
"You mean the right thing? Yes, he would." It was my turn to take a deep breath. "When Mary poured her water she had hold of the glass at the base."
"Yeah, so?" Waters shrugged his big shoulders.
"You're talking nonsense," Mary said calmly.
I ignored Mary and continued. "When a blind person pours anything into a glass they put a tip of their finger over the rim of the glass so they won't overfill it."
Mary turned away from me and sat up even straighter than before. Waters moved up in his chair and leaned onto the desk. His stare bored holes into Mary.
Mary spoke again, this time just barley above a whisper. "Brian really did come out to the boat and talked to Dave. As usual, he wanted my husband to talk about selling him the business. David didn't want to hear about His two greatest loves were boats and the water."
"What exactly happened, Mrs. Bouton?"
"I wanted more time with my husband. Time I'd have if he sold the business. Is that a crime?"
"If you pushed him overboard it is," said Waters.
Mary took off her glasses and laid them on the desk. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed. "It was an accident. I was tired of being ignored. Here we were sharing quality time together for the first time in ages, but he still chose the business over me. He could have chosen more time…with me."
"Did you push your husband overboard, Mrs. Bouton?"
She nodded. "I just wanted to shake some sense into him. He was right at the bow rail...." Her voice trailed off.
I had heard enough. Without a word I slipped out the office door and made my way out to the docks. The sun had started to paint a line of pastel across Long Island Sound. David would have liked the view.
THE END Keith W. Harjes © 2007 |
I am a former
advertising copywriter turned stay at home dad. I have taken advantage of being
home to do what I've always wanted to do...write mysteries.