Chapter 45

After Agent Corbin finished his questions, he left. Perry followed him outside. Wade appeared, as I sat on the couch, digesting all that was said. I hadn’t seen him since the day David died. He had tears in his eyes.

“Kerrie, my baby doll. Oh my poor baby girl. I’m been so upset over what happened here the other day.” He hugged me until I thought he would squeeze the pudding out of me.

“Thank you, Wade. It means a lot to me to hear you say that.”

“I would have been by sooner, but Perry told me you were playing watch dog over Gene at the hospital. I called to check on him often. And we had a special prayer session over at the church for him the night after it happened. I’m thinking that helped more than anything, Missy.”

“Yes, I think that it probably did too. He’s so much better. When I left him earlier today, he was flirting with the nurse.”


“Nurse Petunia? Why she’ll chew him up and spit him out if he isn’t careful. When Ebb was in the hospital a few years ago with a broken leg, he pinched her on the behind she gave him cold bedpans whenever she could.”

Nova and I both laughed over the mental image Wade was painting, as he talked about Ebb. From there, the stories of Ebb flourished until Wade grew tired of talking about him. He stood up and made his excuses to leave.

“Kerrie, you look as pale. You’ve worn yourself ragged. I best leave so you can get some rest.”

“Oh no, don’t go Wade. I haven’t seen you in ages, it seems like.” I protested. His banter kept my mind off of what had happened.

“Oh no, Missy. Perry’s been cutting his eyes at me. I swear I’ve got little nicks from his looks, that’s how sharp they’ve been.” He joked, winking at me.

Perry interjected, “Wade, if my eyes were that sharp, half of the island would have scars by now.”

We all laughed. It felt good to laugh. I didn’t want it to end, but Wade had to leave. He hugged me goodbye, saying, “I would give you a peck on the cheek, but I don’t see a spot that wouldn’t hurt.” Perry walked him outside. We could hear them talking. And it made me feel secure for the first time all week. I had been living in fear, not believing David was really dead. I half expected him to show up and finish the job of killing Gene or me. The shadows were alive with his image. I slept with the lights on at night.

Nova stood by the sliding glass door, looking outside, smiling. “Kerrie, those two men really adore you.”

I smiled, as I leaned back on the couch. I was getting exhausted. “I adore them. They’ve been my lighthouses all summer.”

Nova started gathering the coffee cups from the coffee table. She had brewed a pot of coffee while Agent Corbin was here.

“Melinda’s funeral was so sad. Everyone wanted to ask Perry questions. Most of the people there accused him silently of killing her. We barely made it through. Then after the funeral, her sister had everyone over for refreshments. Everywhere we looked there were pictures of Melinda. I told Perry I had a headache and needed to go lie down. So we made our excuses and left. As we were driving to the motel, Perry suddenly said, ‘Nova, we’re going back home tonight. I’ve got a bad feeling that my Kerrie needs me.’”

“My Kerrie?” I couldn’t help but ask. Was I still his Kerrie? We hadn’t had a private moment since the night of the storm.

“Yes, his Kerrie.” She smiled indulgently. “I pointed out that the storm was probably hitting the island hard and that we may not be able to get through. But he wouldn’t hear of it. He told me to buckle up and he drove as fast as the weather would allow.

When we arrived and saw the shattered glass on the deck. We called your name, but the wind carried it off. I searched the house with the flashlight and saw to my horror you struggling to keep a hold on the flagpole, while that lunatic tried to make you fall. I shouted for Perry. He ran up to me and told me to keep the light on you. Then he said, ‘I’m not going to lose her. He’ll have to kill me, too.’” She paused for a second, struggling with what to say next.

I finished for her. “He charged over with the ladder and saved me. I shudder to think of what could have happened, if you two hadn’t of arrived. I think I would be dead now. And Gene too.” My voice cracked with emotion.

Nova walked over to where I sat and swept me into her arms. Her tears were for me, as I cried for David, for Melinda, for Perry, for Gene, for my baby and finally for myself. She became the mother I never had, the one who cried because I was in pain.

All my life, I only wanted to find happiness and love like the one that my parents shared. But I seemed destined not to find it. The idealistic romantic writer was gone. She became lost the second that her baby died. When David was killed, her dreams and all that she knew died too. But mainly I cried because the relationship I once held so dear was really a fantasy—a castle in the sky. It never was mine. I wept until I fell asleep.

Sometime during the night, I woke up in the master bedroom. Perry sat in a chair not far from the bed, reading. I cleared my thought, to get his attention.

“Kerrie, you’re awake. Can I get you anything?” He asked, immediately coming over to the bed.

“Turn on another light. It’s too dark in here. You’ll strain your eyes.” I lightly chastised him.

“I can see, but I’ll turn on one more lamp until you’re ready to go back to sleep.” He turned on the lamp by the bed. Placing the book that he was reading on the nightstand, he excused himself, saying he would return in a few minutes.

I examined the book and was surprised to see that it was one of my novels, “Roses in November.” I opened it to his bookmark, to read where he had left off.

“Lillian sat by her vanity, brushing her long blonde hair. Night seemed to bring to life shadows from her past. She wondered where her Lord Paddington was. The winds of March took him out to sea, to search for treasures in a faraway country. She wondered if he remembered her face. The graceful way her slender chin dimpled slightly. He once told her that moonlight hid there during the day. When she smiled at night, moonlight made its escape, only to return to its daytime hideaway when dawn showed its sleepy head.

A pebble clanked against the pane of her window and then another one followed it. Lillian wrapped a silk robe over her stunning body. She rushed to the window and threw it open. Her jade green eyes searched the courtyard. There in moonlight stood a shadow shaped like a man. Her heart recognized the shape, while her mind refused to see it. Then the shadow spoke with a voice she so loved.

‘The stars are jealous for your eyes out dazzle their brilliance. Your lips form the shape of a kiss that men would die for. Every night, I look at the sky, wishing that you would smile, so I could see the moonlight just once, before daybreak. Some nights I saw it and I wondered, if you smiled at the memory of me. Smile for me now, my lovely Lillian, let the moonlight come out and play while we dance under the stars. Let our kisses make roses bloom in November.’

Lillian wept with tears of joy, blowing kisses down to her Lord and smiling so radiantly. The moon shone through the evening clouds, as she rushed down to the courtyard to dance with the shadow of her past, the man of her future—her love forever.”

Tears pooled in my eyes. A fear had developed within me that I wouldn’t be able to write romance novels ever again. Now what I had once written with pride seemed like inane drivel. I closed the book, when Perry returned with a tray of milk and cookies for two. I smiled at him. “You are reading my book. Where did you get it?”

He put the tray on the bed beside me and then pulled his chair closer to the bed. “Oh Nova, lent it to me. Here’s a napkin. Do you dunk, woman?”

I smiled, “Only with coffee. Not milk. Did you make these cookies?”

“Yes, they made it from the box to the plate.” We ate in silence for a few minutes. Then he asked, “Are you feeling better after your cry?”

I blushed, not expecting his question. “Yes, I feel as well as can be expected. In time, I’ll feel much better. Now that Gene’s condition isn’t so serious, the world looks a little brighter.”

“You know, it’s not our fault that David was the way he was. The probably wasn’t a thing that you could have done to change the past, Kerrie. Just remember that, when the past tries to haunt you.”

“I know. My head does, anyway, but my heart. Well, it feels as if I wasted it on a fairy tale.” I sniffed for a second, and then grabbed my book. I looked at it and then at him, trying to be lighthearted. “I can always become one of my heroines and find a Lord Somebody or another to fall madly in love with.”

“How about an Irish Pirate?” He asked in a love voice. His huckleberry blue eyes were dark pools that I knew I could get lost in.

“A Pirate would do. But I would have to beware of the tempestuous and stormy waters of love, wouldn’t I?” I asked breathlessly, feeling much like Lillian must have felt as Lord Paddington waxed poetry in the courtyard shadows.

“Yes, but the waters would be warm and inviting, not cold and deadly. And after every storm, there would be a rainbow. Every day would have sunshine, even during the rains.” He stood as he spoke. I leaned back on the pillows, so I could look up at his height.

Looking down, I asked, “But what of the night?” I felt myself trembling, because my heart was singing when it should be mourning. But it had mourned David’s death, before it happened. For in my heart, the David I knew died the day I miscarried our baby.
Perry sat on the bed. He took my chin in his hand, gently forcing me to look at him. When I did, a tear escaped. He took a finger and rubbed it away. Then he surprised me, by carefully caressing the bandage over my cheek. Another tear fell. Instead of wiping it away with his finger, like he did before, he kissed it away. With moonlight streaming in, he whispered, “The nights will belong to us, woman.” Then he kissed me until I forgot the pain and continued kissing me until my heart knew no fear of tomorrow, only hope.

The END

Chapter 44

The reports on Melinda’s banking account give a more definite time frame. Her account slowly began to decline, until she barely had enough to keep up with the cost of living. David was not only draining my money well, he was draining Melinda’s as well. According to Agent Corbin, David was placing bets and losing terribly. The gambling association didn’t like it and they sent out a few threats, warning David to pay the debt. It was a steep debt. Agent Corbin said he owed over $50,000. But I knew this, as David had mentioned it to me during our struggles.

Since he couldn’t find me, David worked his charm on Melinda, promising her the world if she could find a way to get the money. That’s when the half-baked plan of suing Perry for mental abuse was created. She was to show Perry some legal documents that her lawyer had written and then work out an out-of-court deal. But I was at the Irish Pirate and sparks were flying between Perry and me, causing Melinda, who felt them the instant she saw us together, to get sidetracked with jealousy. She had to find out who I was, because I threatened her position with Perry. Although to Perry none existed. In Melinda’s twisted mind, Perry was hers even if she didn’t want him.

During all this time, Agent Corbin was trailing David, but lost his trail. They weren’t sure where David was hiding, so they tried to put surveillance on me, only I was missing too. The FBI sent Agent Corbin to work at Wine and Roses publishing house and stay close to Gene’s office incase I came in or called. One day he found the imprint of a phone number on a note pad and called it in the middle of the night. He figured if he asked for me while whoever answered was half-asleep that the person would answer truthfully. Agent Corbin was my mystery caller. When I demanded that he tell me who was calling, it answered his question. From then on, he stayed close to Gene. He failed to catch David lurking around, though. But it didn’t matter, because the FBI traced the phone number and knew exactly where I was.

David was right about some things. He did cover his tracks very well in some instances, like his affair with Melinda. Not one of the FBI agents had caught them together. If they had, maybe they could have prevented her death. They knew he owed a large amount of money to the gambling establishment. Their goal was to follow him until he made the money exchange and then bust all of them.

A couple of agents were sent to watch the Irish Pirate. One followed me the day I went for the walk towards the pier. The other was cruising around the island, keeping an eye out for David. If one of them had stayed to watch the house, he would have seen David and Melinda when they drove up. The FBI figure that after David killed Melinda, he drove back towards the pier where they originally met. He had stopped at the convenient mart for some unknown reason and it was there that I ran into him. The agent that had been following me saw David and I struggle outside the car. He called his partner with the information of what David was driving and in what direction we went. It was their car that bumped David’s. The first time was a mistake. David had deliberately slowed down, so they would bump him. He had a tendency to get lost in road rage. With his nerves standing on thin ice, it didn’t take much for it to happen. When they bumped him back on purpose, David thought it was the henchmen of the people he owed money to and so he panicked. The FBI agents were worried that something was going to happen to me and thought that if they scared David, he would panic and pull over. They raced past us in an attempt to cut us off up ahead, and accidentally they caused a minor traffic accident. But in a way it worked, because I got away.

When Melinda was discovered murdered at the Pirate, many fingers pointed to Perry and some pointed to me, but the official explanation was that she had surprised a burglary in progress. Chief Nettles didn’t tell Perry or me that the FBI was also investigating the murder. When Gene decided to come to vacation with me, Agent Corbin came to the island as a vacationing Danny Russell. By this time, David was under suspicion of murder. His fingerprints had been found in her car. No one told me about it; because they weren’t sure what part I played in David’s game. The FBI couldn’t find him for questioning and since he had contacted me—by phone and in person, it was reasoned that he would return soon for another visit.

Danny’s showing up at the diner wasn’t by accident. The agents had heard that David was given a deadline to pay his debt by midnight the following evening and they felt that he would contact me. When I failed to show up with Gene that night, Agent Corbin almost panicked. I was supposed to be there, so he could keep an eye on me. His plan was to swing an invite back to the Pirate for a nightcap and then say he was too drunk to drive back to his motel room. This way, he could keep a close eye on me. Then a report was made that David’s car was found at a small motel close to the pier. He was seen going into his room, after getting some ice. An agent was posted to keep an eye on him. Then the storm struck. Somehow during the bad weather, the agent assigned to watch David missed him leave.

Agent Corbin and Gene played pool for an hour or so, then Danny pretended to be too drunk to play anymore, so they both left. All eyes were watching David and none were on the Irish Pirate. Off the record, Agent Corbin admitted to me that the FBI had made some crucial mistakes in surveillance. I wasn’t angry, because we all made mistakes when it came to David. Agent Corbin drove over to the motel where David was hiding out to get with the other agents, so they could work out plan B, because I screwed up plan A when I failed to show up at the sports bar. It was at this time that the agent realized I was alone at the Irish Pirate. Intuition told him to have the desk clerk call David’s room. It was no surprise that he didn’t answer the room. Under a fake excuse, the desk clerk used his key to enter David’s room. It was empty.

Luck continued to be against the FBI. Tropical Storm David was in full force, knocking down power lines and utility poles across the road, stranding them but also isolating me. When the FBI did show up, they took down David, ending his $50,000 debt with a single shot. Agent Corbin told me later that David had fired the last shot. He knew the gun was empty and that his gig was up. He took the coward’s way out, by getting the agent to shoot and kill him.

Gene was barely alive. He had tried to remain conscious through the struggle between David and I on the roof. Somehow he had managed to crawl to the broken sliding glass door, but he passed out briefly. When he regained consciousness he witnessed David’s death. The medics arrived but he refused treatment until he could see with his own eyes that I was alive.

Agent Corbin escorted me over to where Gene lay on the gurney. I almost fainted when I saw how white his face was. It looked as if carved from ashen marble. But when he opened his eyes and I looked into them, I saw a spark that was the Gene I knew. He said, “Hey chickie, you beat the asshole.” Then he motioned for me to lean closer so he could whisper in my ear. “Make sure they tie the back of my hospital gown, will you? If the nurses see my fine ass, they’ll want to marry me.” I kissed his hand.

I rode with him to the hospital and kept my heart light shining for him. In a sense he was my only family. When he woke on the third morning to find me sleeping in the chair beside him, he called my name until I woke up and said, “What’s wrong with your own bed? Don’t tell me you couldn’t afford a hospital room? So the budget package here is a chair in someone else’s room?” and so it continued. I knew he was out of danger then. My heart sighed a relief while I bantered back with a happy smile.

Chapter 43

First of all, his name wasn’t Danny Russell. It was Seth Corbin. He was one of the agents investigating a secret gambling organization fronted as a sports medicine affiliate that targeted Minor League Baseball. He had been working the case for over a year. With the stink from the gambling in major league baseball that happened a few years back, the agency and the Minor League Baseball commission were trying to keep an eye on illegal gambling involving players.

As a pitcher, David was one of the few players in the system that helped the odds in favor of the gambling organization, by co-coordinating certain plays and pitches on certain players, so the games weren’t as honest as they appeared to be. The mechanics are tricky and only a skilled player with plenty of monetary motivation could orchestrate.

David was in the Major League when the gambling scandal went down that shocked America. He watched his friend’s career evaporate in smoke, right before his eyes. During the years he was a pitcher in the league, he was honest. But age and a slight injury shifted his Major League career into Minor League. This meant less money that what he was used to making and also a big drop in his status on the sporting totem. Something David found hard to swallow.

I met David before he fell into the gambling scene. It was also before I got famous with my writing. The first year and a half was wonderful. Then I began to make more money than he did. It was something he couldn’t stomach. His greed made him an easy target for the gambling mob bosses to manipulate him into working their schemes.

The FBI got wind of the gambling ploy and began to investigate. Through a source that was willing to talk, they learned which players were involved. David was one of the most valuable players entwined in the moneymaking racket. His performance began to slip when he found out I was pregnant.

We hadn’t planned on a pregnancy. In fact I was on the birth control pill, but for some reason it didn’t work one time and I got pregnant. To my face, David was overjoyed. But from what Agent Corbin told me, he was play-acting just for my benefit. Many of his colleagues and friends told a different tale. He was livid, feeling that I was trying to trap him. He had never wanted to be a father but was now going to be one against his will. Because he wouldn’t face me with the truth, it festered inside and he couldn’t concentrate on the games. The coach benched him on a few and it cost the gambling association a lot of money.

On the night that I lost the baby, David and I had been to dinner at a fine restaurant. We were walking to the car, which was parked in the restaurant’s parking basement. We were at the top of the stairs and were just about to descend when two burly men came up from behind and grabbed David, pulling him aside. I was naturally alarmed. David told me to go on to the car, but I refused too, because I didn’t know if those men were going to rob him or do something worse like kill him. They spoke in hushed menacing tones. Whatever they said caused David to get struggle against their hold. They began to beat him with their fists and then one of the produced a small pipe. David managed to push one against me, causing me to lose my footing. I fell forward down the stairs, tumbling over and over until I landed in a heap at the bottom on the concrete parking lot.

I don’t know if the men stayed or ran. All I could remember was excruciating pain, as I felt myself go into pre-mature labor. I was five months pregnant. The image that stays with me today is of David standing at the very top of the stairs, looking down at me while I laid there at the bottom, blood darkening my evening dress. I screamed that I was losing the baby and he just stood there, not moving. I tried to stand but I couldn’t. All I could do was scream out “No” with every contraction. Someone finally came to help, breaking David’s trance but it was too late to save the baby.

That was the end of our relationship. I knew in my heart that he murdered my baby with his failure to get help immediately. But David wouldn’t leave me alone. That’s why I escaped to the beach, to get away from him and away from the reminder of my loss. I wanted that baby. To me it was a product of love, a part of David and me; for us to treasure forever. David’s explanation for my fall and the attack on him was that some men tried to rob us. He refused to give them his wallet or the car keys and they beat him. I was accidentally pushed down the stairs by one of the men. Both ran when they saw that I was hurt. David allegedly was knocked unconscious and didn’t know I was injured. But he was lying. Still I protected him, even thought I knew the truth.

My financial state was a mess due to David’s greedy hand. He always owed someone or needed something, always promising to pay me back later. I believe him, because I loved him, refusing to listen to friends who tried to get me to face the truth about David. I felt that he was going through a midlife crisis and would one day get his life together. In my heart I had made a vow to stick with him through thick and thin. When I became pregnant, I hoped that he would get his life together, so we could have a happy future together as a family like mine, gut only better, because we would love our child as much as each other—not each other and then our child.

Little did I know that David had been having an affair with Melinda Jones, Perry’s ex-wife. How ironic that fate brought me to Perry! David had approached Gene about writing a book on his life as a Major League Baseball pitcher. Gene was all for it, thinking that a book was exactly what David needed to get his life focused. As the deal was being negotiated, Banning House got wind of the deal and underhandedly stole David away from Wine and Roses. Melinda was the one you cinched the deal. Gene didn’t tell me about David’s book deal, because he was disappointed in David and he knew it would crush me.

During the negotiations with Banning House, David and Melinda began an affair. According to Gene, the affair had to of started a few months before I got pregnant, because that was the around the time that Wine and Roses was negotiating David’s book deal. Beginnings don’t matter now, only endings.

Chapter 42

Not worried about us returning fire, he stood boldly in the open. Luckily, his aiming of the handgun was a lot worse than his baseball pitch. From behind Nova, a voice of authority shouted, “Freeze FBI, drop your weapon.” I looked towards the voice and had another shock for the night. Gene’s pool buddy, Danny had a rifle aimed at David. When David didn’t respond, he took careful aim and fired, hitting David. In the light masked with mist from the rain, I watched a splatter of blood fly outwards, behind David. His body jerked with the force of the bullet’s impact. I watched him fall in slow motion, wondering if I would wake up now that the nightmare was over.

After David was shot, I got up from my crouched position, but returned to it when Danny Russell yelled for me to stay down. He and an unknown number of men ran inside to make sure all was clear. It was all I could do to keep from following him. Perry held me tightly, whispering over and over, “Gene will be fine.” I heard him, but my heart didn’t. When Danny got to the balcony, I could see he in defensive mode. He knelt down, disappearing behind the railing. When he rose back up, his rifle was down. He shouted, “All’s clear.” I knew then that David was dead. My stomach felt nauseous. I turned from Perry and was sick. My stomach rejected what my mind couldn’t, what my heart refused too.

Nova’s hand on my forehead was soothing. “Kerrie, it’s okay now.” I heaved and heaved until there wasn’t anything left inside. I heard Nova say to Perry, “Go check on her friend and see if those men need help. I’ll stay with her.” Her calming presence helped me to get a grip on my physical reaction to David’s death. As we covered the area in sand, sirens’ announced the arrival of the police and paramedics. She held my hand, as we ran inside to face the aftermath of David’s wrath.

But it was far from over, the nightmare I mean. It took days for the FBI to piece the story together. I spent three days and nights by Gene’s side at the hospital, as he fought for his life. His injuries were grave. Severe blood loss had almost killed him. But he’s a fighter and never gave up, nor did I. Feeling guilty for his injuries, I wanted to shoulder the blame but Perry was there to see to it that I didn’t.

Today, almost a month later, I came across my list of questions that Melinda’s death had instigated in my mind. I stared at the laptop’s monitor, reliving the pain of that night, the loss and the horrible helplessness that lives inside still, causing me nightmares. The night was turning slowly to dawn. I moved the laptop to my favorite spot on the deck and began to type, telling the story from the beginning. I paused only to sip the tea that was given to me and eat the soup that was provided. Demons drove me until this moment, the moment of truth…the moment of honesty. I find my fingers faltering.

I looked out at the evening sky, watching the clouds chase day into night. A pair of strong hands briefly squeezed my shoulders, giving me strength to write the rest. My heart gave me purpose to see this through.

Thinking back to the day, I talked to Danny Russell. It was about four days after David’s death. My injuries hadn’t been a day in the park. My wrist was broken. I had multiple cuts on my arms, legs, and face. The bullet that almost took off my head had left a large gash, which took 20 stitches to close. I’ll have a scar when it heals. My throat had ligature marks and my vocal cords were strained. I was lying on the couch, when Nova ushered Danny into the room. She was staying with me, until I was stronger. I sat up when I saw him.

“Miss Rosewood, don’t get up. Lie down. I can talk to you just like you were.” He smiled. His demeanor was totally different from the maintenance man imaged he portrayed. “I have some things I need to clear up and verify. Do you feel like talking?”

From the doorway Perry said, “Can’t those questions wait until she’s stronger? What time she isn’t resting herself, she’s been holding a vigil by Gene’s hospital bed. She needs to rest now.” Nova must have alerted him about Danny’s visit.
“Its okay, Perry. I need to get this over with.” My mind was still in shock, but I knew that Agent Russell needed me to answer his questions. I need his answers to my questions. I told Perry and Nova that they could listen and so began Danny Russell’s addition to the story.

Chapter 41

In three steps I was at the ladder. I climbed it up to the top of the house, where it ended at a small deck-like enclosure, which ran around the flagpole from which the pirate flag flew wildly. I managed to make the steep climb unscathed. I had no weapon and David was armed. He was meticulous enough to wait for a perfect shot.

When I reached the top, I looked down. David was following me up the ladder. He favored his wounded shoulder. His pain must have been severe, because he would pause to rest between each step. I searched for a way down but didn’t find one. There were no signs of life anywhere, not a car, person or light. The island looked deserted. Thankfully, the storm was ebbing. The winds had calmed down, while the rain, though a steady stream wasn’t as blinding as it had been earlier.

I turned to face the storm approaching. When David’s head became level with the deck, I wrapped the rope that hung down from the flagpole around my hand. I knew that my footing would be unstable on the slippery wet roof. With calculated aim, I kicked David in the forehead. The impact almost caused him to lose his footing. One of his eyes was swollen shut from his fight with Gene. Blood from a cut over his left eyebrow dripped down his face, mingling with rain.

When he tried to climb up onto the small deck, I kicked him again, but this time I lost my footing. And he lost his grip on the gun. It tumbled to the deck below. I slide towards David until the rope became taut, causing my trip down to halt. David and I began a race with him climbing onto the roof, and me climbing back up to the flagpole. My worse hopes were realized—David had me cornered and I had nowhere to run.

I looked over the side of the Pirate closest to the flagpole and saw a patch of sand and sea oaks, but nothing else to break the fall if I decided to jump. I knew that if I jumped from the top of the house, I could get injured seriously or even killed. But if I got desperate I would do it. David finally climbed onto the roof. His face was bleeding worse than before. Across his forehead was a bloody imprint of my shoe. Rage was written in the blood on his face, and in the rage my name was branded. I scrambled over to the flagpole, trying to keep it between us.

The flagpole rope was still around my hand. It never dawned on me to remove it. David grabbed the slack area of the rope and jerked me too him. Before I could react, he wrapped the rope around my neck and began to twist. I manage to get one of my hands between my neck and the rope. We see-sawed back and forth with the flag pole line, he push me away from him and I would pull myself close to him, trying to keep the rope from completely tightening. The screws that held the flag in place must have been weakened with rust and weather, because slow low moans of metal announced that the flagpole was titling over. Since I was putting more weight on it due to the line was being used to strangle me, it tipped towards me. David was standing on its base and when it gave way; he was knocked off balance, causing him to release the rope. But the rope was still around my neck and if the pole fell my neck could snap with the fall. To keep this from happening, I threw my free arm around the pole and wrapped my legs around it. I prayed as the pole and I fell over the side of the house with it.

The top end went first and I slid down the pole, trying to keep the rope from tightening. Part of the base held in place, keeping the pole from striking the ground. It yanked me back and I felt the noose tighten, but this one wasn’t made of golden moonbeams. I swung for a moment, trying to get control of the swing. My lungs burned from lack of air. I used my weight to make the rope dance, but I couldn’t get a decent swing going. I wanted to swing hard enough to catch hold of the pole and work the rope off my neck. Then to my joy a behemoth gust of wind pushed at me and I was able to grasp the pole and create some slack on the rope.

I barely had it off my neck and hand, when the pole began to dance. I glanced up and saw David bouncing on the flagpole, trying to knock me off it. I held on, but didn’t know how long I could last, because my wrist was in agony. I was still too far off the ground to jump without injury. Gene’s life depended on me to make it down in one piece, so that I could run for help. I felt the urgency of the situation and was beyond grasping it in a controlled grip.

David was fueled with hatred and I was energized with stubbornness. Our head to head butting was at a stalemate. Then I heard a heavenly voice calling to me, “Kerrie hang on. Perry’s coming.” I glanced down and there was Nova in the rain, calling to me. She aimed the flashlight up at David, then back at me. I heard her yell, “Hurry Perry, someone’s trying to make her fall.”

Perry was running towards where I hung with a very long foldout ladder. I held tight to the pole, watching as my knight rode his wooden steed to rescue me. David saw what was happening and began to careless jump on the flagpole, trying to break the base away from the wood, so I would plummet down. Perry had the ladder erected and was climbing up it. I was two feet too high and couldn’t put my feet down on the top of it. Perry’s arms wrapped around me legs.

He shouted, “Let go, Kerrie. I’ve got you.” As I did, the flag pole’s anchor broke, sending David sliding down the roof and causing me to lose my balance. Perry and I became unstable, but we managed to keep the ladder from falling. He helped me down the ladder. Nova was frantically shining the flashlight’s beam at the second floor balcony. David had landed there when he slid of the roof.

I started to run towards the house, but Perry grabbed my waist. “Kerrie, don’t go in there.
We don’t know where he is.”

“I’ve got to. Gene’s hurt badly and he needs me.” I cried with a voice that was barely a whisper due to the near strangulation by the flagpole line, fighting Perry’s grip.

The electrical power was magically restored. We were blinded by the sudden blaze of the security lights from the house and the boathouse. Nova screamed out a warning, “He’s got a gun.” A white fire creased my left cheek. I felt a warm trickle and then had the taste of copper on my lips. A bullet had grazed my cheek. Perry pulled me down. David was shooting at us from the balcony.


(note--I may edit the near strangulation scenario)

Chapter 40

“I didn’t mean, too. I regret it now, because she loved me and would give me the stars if I asked for them. But I only wanted $50,000. She was here trying to get some money out of her ex-husband. I talked to her the night before…you know, she died. She was bitching about you having an affair with her ex-husband. She didn’t know that you and I lived together. She knew nothing of the baby. I think I did a good job of keeping that quiet. See Kerrie, I can cover my tracks.”

“Yes, you can, but eventually justice strikes back, in one form or another. Why did you kill her?”

“I killed her because she slandered you! No one talks about my Kerrie that way. She went ballistic when I told her that you were my old girlfriend. It took all I could to calm her, so she would go along with my plan. I rented a car and met Melinda at the pier. We hid her car in the open garage of a vacant cottage not far from here. She was to go into the house, while you were out and get your engagement ring. I knew you had it with you someplace, because it wasn’t at your apartment. I searched it before you changed the locks. I described your jewelry bag. I let Melinda think that we had broken up before I met her, because if she had known the real truth, she wouldn’t have helped and she would have spilled the beans about my ‘problem.’”

“She didn’t find the engagement ring, David. I have it hidden.”

“I know she didn’t. Instead she found the ring you have on.” He pointed at my hand. “We drove by in my rental, while you and her ex-husband were talking under the carport. We parked the car across the street. From our spot we watched you talk for a while. When he left we were going to go over and confront you, but I changed the plan. I thought it best if you didn’t know about her. I was relieved to see you walk towards the beach. We hurried over to search the place. Melinda looked for the spare key but it wasn’t there.”

“Perry gave it to me. He mentioned once that he needed to make a duplicate.”

“Melinda said that you had put something in the car. You didn’t lock the, and we took the opportunity to look inside. She found your keys. She went on inside, while I played lookout. When she didn’t come down after fifteen minutes, I went up. That’s when I found her looking through your closet. She told me that she couldn’t find the ring box. I remember sitting on your bed, to think of a new game plan.”

“Killing Melinda? Was that the new plan? And me? Am I next, David?” His detachment as he confessed made me nervous. He held the gun loosely. Could I run from a bullet?

He gave me a long look and ignored my questions as he continued. “ Like a prima dona, Melinda marched over to your jewelry case and picked up your ring. It was probably the first place she looked. She took off her ring and held both of them side by side. In a bitchy tone she said, ‘David, why does this harpy have a ring like mine?’ I didn’t answer. She continued to call you names and say that you were performing lewd acts with her ex-husband. I told her to put the ring back and to shut her trap. She said, ‘That bitch probably gave you some disease. I’ll have to get a medical exam next week. I could have a social disease.’

“Maybe I should get one, too. There’s no telling how many other women you have in the wings.”

“Funny, Miss Kerrie Comedian. There isn’t anyone else now. I killed Melinda and there are no other lovers…except you. But I shouldn’t count you, should I? We haven’t had sex in almost a year.”

I ignored his last comment. “You haven’t said why you killed her? What could have provoked you to kill a person, David?”

“When she said you had a social disease that set me off. While I was sitting on the bed, I saw the butt of a handgun sticking out from under the pillow. I picked it up and struck her. Then hit her again and then again, hell I lost count of the times I struck her. She had failed me. She promised to get me the money but she could never produce it.”

While he talked, I continued to look for a way onto the roof. If I could get up there, I could be seen from the road. David’s injuries were worse than mine and from a higher ground I could fend him off easier. I spotted a ladder leading up to the roof. It was level with the rail and painted the same color as the house.

I taunted him. “You are a pathetic loser, David. You’re a pitiful washed-up-wrung-out has-been baseball star who doesn’t have a dollar to his name. You fooled me for years, but not anymore. I’ll die before I let you take advantage of me again.”

He turned the gun towards me, “Oh that can be arranged, my dear.”

Chapter 39

With the two men struggling, I almost couldn't concentrate on what I was suppose to do next. There was no weapon handy to help render David immobile. The security bar! If I could get it undone, then I would have a weapon. I quickly crawled over and tried to remove it. The salty air has caused it to rust. The two men fell backwards in a heap. Their struggle was one of life and death. My struggle with the bar mirrored their battle. I prayed that Gene’s strength would hold out. As I glanced over my shoulder, I saw that David was slipping out of Gene’s weakening grip. My struggle with the bar became panic-stricken. Helplessly, I watched as David, now free of Gene’s hold, began to pound him with his fist.

I gave the bar one last tug with every ounce of strength in my body and it sprung free. I felt the sweet taste of success and it gave me an adrenaline rush. David turned his attention on me, turning his back on Gene. I raised the steel bar in my hands, miming a batter, swinging with all my might. I missed David but cracked the glass into a million spider web fissures. It didn’t completely break it. I knew one more strike would do it. As I raised the bar once more, David seized it. Now it was our turn for a power struggle dance.

I wouldn’t relinquish my hold on the bar. Since he wouldn’t cooperate, I played dirty by shoving a knee into his groin. The move caused me to lose my balance. Since David had a death grip on the bar, too, he fell with me. We crashed against the weak glass and went through it. The glass cut my brow, arms and legs. David’s bulk cushioned my fall. He didn’t move for a moment. I stood up, brushing glass off me, trying to see if I had any deep cuts anywhere. I was relieved to see that they were superficial.

A moan from David set me into action. I ran over to the railing to look over the side. There wasn’t much to cushion my fall, except cement. The deck was higher off the ground than I thought. If I jumped I probably would die from the fall. I was trapped once again. David hadn’t moved as I looked for a way to descend the deck. He must have been knocked unconscious from the fall through the glass. I decided to jump over him and run down the stairs to safety.

But when I tried to step over him, his hand shot out grabbing one of my ankles. I screamed and began to kick at him, which caused me to lose balance and fall. I braced myself and tried to roll so that I could kick with my free leg. It worked. I connected with his wounded shoulder. He let out a peal of pain and I managed to kick my leg free.

There was no where to go but up. I sat on the railing trying to figure out a way to the roof. The wind was strong, almost tossing me off balance. I kept track of David’s moves as I tried to sort out my next move.

He bellowed my name in pain, “Kerrie.” I looked at him, wishing I could hurt him like he had hurt Gene, wishing I could kill him. Hatred fed me. He began to cry, “Why are you doing this? I don’t want to hurt you. Please help me. I’m hurt.”

“Poor baby,” I said with fake sympathy. “Do you hear that sound?” I asked, putting my hand to my ear. David tried to look over the railing from his position on the floor of the deck but couldn’t see anything. I answered my own question, “It’s the sound of a thousand violins playing David’s theme music, ‘The Pathetic Whine of a Loser.’”

“This vacation turned you into a majestic bitch, Kerrie. You’re beginning to remind me of Melinda. All she did was nag, nag, and nag about everything. When she wasn’t nagging, she was complaining about me not spending much time with her, not taking her out, and not spending money on her. Of the two, you were the low-maintenance one. "

"How could you cheat on me, David? Wasn't my love enough? I sacrificed so much to prove that I loved you." I bought time with questions. Questions were all I had. He had broken me financially.

"Poor little Kerrie! Now who's theme song is playing?" He gave a harsh laugh. I did not know this David, this monster.

"Everyone loves a martyr, David. Not a loser."

"I've had enough of this crap. Time to get down to business, Kerrie." From nowhere, he produced a gun. Even in the grayness of the storm, I could see deep black stains on it--stains that gave away its origin; stains that shocked me. He held my missing gun.


“You… David, you killed Melinda.”

Chapter 38

Not knowing the layout of the house made David vulnerable to me, by allowing me to hear him as he stumbled around the house, searching for me. My eyes began to adjust to the darkness. I could make out recognizable shapes of furniture. There was a little shelf on the other side of the rocker that had a bunch of figurines and polished shells. I crawled around the chair, stopping once to listen for David’s stumbling walk. I didn’t move until I located him. The sound of a chair moving on tile told me that he was by the kitchen table. I grabbed as many missiles as I could carry and tiptoed to the door way of the den. I tried to listen for any sound from Gene, but hear none. David was breathing heavily, masking any sound that may have been coming from Gene.
He was looking in the pocket of his raincoat that I had draped over one of the chairs. I checked to see if the pathway to the stairs was clear. My plan was to barricade myself in the master bedroom again. Then try to shimmy down the deck and get some help for Gene.

I once told David that he would rue the day that he taught me how to pitch a baseball. I took careful aim with my first object, a golf ball sized glass figurine—appropriately a sailboat. I sent it sailing. My aim was true and I made a bull’s eye on David’s neck. In any other setting, he would have been beaming with pride, but not in this case. With machine gun speed, I tossed the rest of my missiles at him. Some hit their mark and some didn’t. I shattered the sliding glass door with a paper weight made of some heavy metal, probably brass. The gaping hole let in the din of the ferocious storm outside.

With the speed of Mercury, I ran up the stairs, slamming and locking the door to the master bedroom. The room was very dark and I didn’t know my way around it like I did with the downstairs level. So I lit a candle and placed it on the dresser, so that its flame would reflect light in the mirror. I grabbed a raincoat out of the closet. I searched for a pair of sneakers that had a lot of tread on them. I didn’t want to try and climb down the side of the house in a pair of slippery worn shoes. I thought of changing into a pair of jeans, but figured that the rain would soak them quickly, causing the fabric to be heavy and impede my movements. It was vital that I get help as fast as I could. Gene could be dying or…and I shuddered to think it, dead. He needed medical attention pronto.

As I sat on the bed tying my sneakers, David viciously attacked the door in a full body assault, causing it to shake in its frame. With my heart racing, I fumbled with my shoelaces. My wrist ached and I had a hard time moving it. When David twisted the candle holder from my hand, the wrist was injured. I searched the dresser for an effective weapon. I knew that when he broke through the door that I would have to be quick, if I wanted to escape. I opened my jewelry case, searching for a brooch. If I secreted it in my hand, I could do some damage with the pin part of it. As I shuffled through jewelry, I stopped short. Forgotten for a moment was the pressing problem of David’s desire to break into the room and kill me. There in my jewelry case was the ring that I thought Melinda had in her hand when she died. The ring David gave me last year—the one with the single pearl and two small rubies. I knew that the Chief still had it, because it was evidence. Then why was it in my jewelry case? I put it on my finger, so I could show it to the Chief, if by chance I lived through the night.

I was struggling to unlock the sliding glass door when he broke through. A security bar secured in the bottom track of the door, kept it from moving. In the candlelit room, I saw a madman, and not the man I once loved deeply. He stood in the center of the room, watching as I desperately fought with the door. In hopelessness, I banged upon the glass with my fist, screaming for someone to help me. Storm banshees wailed loudly, drowning out my pleas.

I turned to face him, bracing myself for an attack. But he didn’t move, as he spoke calmly, “Kerrie, like I said earlier…we need to talk.”

I repeated, “We need to talk?” Then I shouted hysterically, “We need to talk!” I stared at his face in disbelief. “My God David, you just attacked Gene. He could be dead for all I know. And you’ve hunted me down, breaking through a door and now want to talk?”

“We don’t have much time, Kerrie. Listen Gene struck me first. I knocked him out. He’ll wake up with a headache tomorrow.” His reassurance was hollow. We both knew he wounded Gene severely. I studied him, looking for any sign of weakness. The bridge of his nose had a cut across it, probably due to my missile assault. His shirt was torn at the shoulder. There was blood dripping down his arm. I had cut him badly with the candle holder. But the injuries didn’t affect his strength. I readied the brooch for attack, putting the pin part through my closed fingers, like a mock claw. But I knew in my heart it wouldn’t faze him. The effect would be nothing harsher than a mosquito bite.

“Tonight we’re going back to Charlotte. Tomorrow morning, you are going to liquidate as much of your personal assets into cash as you can. I’ve got a debt to pay off and I’ve got to pay by tomorrow night. They’ll kill you, too. I can’t let them. I love you too much.”

“David, I can’t do that. I refuse to do it. Go ahead and kill me, you killed my heart. You killed our baby!” I screamed at him. He killed our baby. I said what was in my heart, what I had been running from. He stood looking at me, as I ranted over and over that he had killed our baby. I snapped, becoming the femme side of insanity, completing the transformation to lunacy that threatened our relationship from its beginnings. Charging him, I began to pummel his chest, weeping uncontrollable.

“Kerrie, you falling down those stairs was an accident. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt. No one did. If you had listened to me and waited in the car, it wouldn’t have happened. But no, you had to be meddlesome. I know you couldn’t help it. You love me and wanted to make sure I wasn’t going to get hurt.” He tried to pull me into an embrace, “I’m so sorry, baby.”

Anger rose from the soles of my feet, firing my veins with liquid ire. David was months late with his consoling. I jerked away and wildly tried to claw his eyes with the pointed pin end of the brooch. He caught my hands and we had a showdown of strength. The pain in my wrist was excruciating and I couldn’t hold the brooch. David twisted me around until he was behind me. I continued struggling, but it was useless. My strength waned. I stopped fighting in a pitiful attempt to reserve my energy. If I kept alert, I might be able to find a way to escape.

He held me by my wrists with one hand. I noticed that during our struggle, we had moved closer to the sliding glass door. I willed myself to get my emotions under control and calm down, so he would relax his death grip on my wrists. Covertly, my eyes sought something to break the glass. If I could escape his clutches, I planned to try an escape by jumping from the deck. The door leading to the stairs was fruitless, because David blocked the path to the door.

“What the hell!” He said in my ear, as he jerked my hands up so he could look at them. “Where did you get this ring? How in the hell did you get it, Kerrie?” He twirled me around, so that I was face to face with him.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about? I took your engagement ring off months ago.”

He began to shake me, “I’m not talking about that ring.” Pulling my hand up to my face, he said, “I’m talking about this ring.” I stared at the birthday ring that he had given me, a duplicate of the one that Melinda held when she died. I had forgotten that I had slipped it on my finger earlier.

“Melinda Jones. She had it in her hand when she died.” I lied and then ran with a suspicion that suddenly came to me. “David, you gave me this ring over a year ago. It was a birthday gift.” I watched his facial features change as he realized his mistake; his slip of the tongue. “You gave her one, too.” I accused him without proof, but I knew in my heart that he did. “Were you having an affair? Why was she searching this house, when she died?”

“Kerrie, you’re jumping to conclusions. I don’t know her that well. She helped me get a book deal with Banning House. I gave her a ring as a thank you gift.”

“Book deal with Banning House?” I was reeling in shock, as he revealed more and more of the deception that he hid so well.

“We can talk about this later, okay? Right now, we need to get going. I don’t know how far inland this storm has gone. It will take longer to drive in bad weather.” He let me go. I don’t think he meant to do it. Having to suddenly be on the defense, made his careless. I took the moment thought, by trying to slam my body through the glass door. But it was a failure as I bumped off the glass, knocking the wind out of myself. I fell backwards, landing painfully on my bottom.

David found humor in my pitiful escape attempt. His laugher almost drowned out the clamor of the storm. “Oh Kerrie, you are such a little ball of spit fire! You need at least a hundred more pounds before you’ll be able to break through that glass. Thanks, I really needed the laugh.”

“Go suck an egg,” I gasped, as I tried to catch my breath. The left side of my whole body ached. I looked at the glass with disbelief. I hadn’t even cracked it.

“Would you quit wasting time?” David held out his hand, offering to help me up. I shook my head and tried to stand alone. “You are one stupid stubborn bitch.” He said nastily. An alarm went off inside me, driving home the fact that I was in lethal danger. He had never slurred me in conversation. Never! If he managed to get me to Charlotte to finance his debt, I would in no way see nightfall alive.

From the darkness of the doorway, a shadow moved quickly, covering David in an omen of fists. Wounded severely, Gene had somehow managed to make it up the stairs. He locked his arm around David’s neck in a choke hold. His head was sticky with blood; the wetness gave a shine to his head. His voice was raspy as he said, “Go, Kerrie. Get out of here.”

Chapter 37

David called to me through the glass. “Kerrie let me in. I’m getting soaked.”

I stood staring, surprised to see him outside the glass door. Another peal of thunder sounded, warning me that I should be careful. I put on the robe I had left on one of the chairs and slipped my cell phone into the pocket. I opened the glass door and David stepped inside. His raincoat dripped water on the tiles.

“I’ll get you some towels.” I ran to the bath and grabbed several. The power flickered back on, to my relief. When I returned to the kitchen, he had removed his coat and was standing by the kitchen table, surveying his surroundings. I didn’t have any clothes for him to wear. Gene would rather David die of pneumonia than let him borrow some clothes.

“David, what are you doing here? How in the world did you figure out where I’ve been staying?” I asked as he dried himself with the towels.

“I followed my heart. With all that’s been going on, I thought you might need me.”

“What are you talking about?” I didn’t fall for his bull. A question rose in my mind; how could he know about Melinda? My name had been kept out of the news.

He didn’t answer, “When are you coming back to Charlotte? We really need to talk, Kerrie.”

“David, you are purposefully ignoring my questions? You need to leave. Gene’s staying for a while, but he’s out at the moment. If he returns and you’re here, there will be a big argument and I really am not in the mood to watch you two butt heads.”

He covered the space that separated us in five easy steps. Face to face we stood, staring at each other. “Kerrie, you can try to run all you want, but we both know that in the long run we’ll still be together. There’s no denying it. Our destinies are one soul.”

“Cut the poetic crap, David. I want you to leave.” I turned away, but he grabbed my arm pulling me around to face him. I cried out from the pain of his grip.

“Listen to me, Kerrie!” His clenched teeth barely moved as he spoke, but his tone spoke volumes. “There are some really nasty people who aren’t too happy with me right now. I owe them a small fortune. If I easily found you, so can these people. When they can’t kill me as restitution for the debt, they’ll come hurt someone I love. I would hate to read about how some poor small child found your floating body in the surf, while on vacation with his loving family. Wouldn’t you hate to know that you were the cause of scarring him for life?”

I struggled against his hold on my arm, “David, I am sick and tired of you financial problems. You are always up to your neck in some sort of debt. I’m forever saving you. Do you realize that I barely have any money? I’ve squandered the profits of my novels, bailing you out. With medical bills mounting after my accident, I don’t have any spare funds.”

“Don’t go blaming the accident on me. I told you to run. But no, you stayed around to make sure that I wasn’t going to be hurt. You don’t really get it do you. I’m a gold mine. They weren’t going to kill me. But you, my darling are expendable.” Instead of replying I stomped his foot. Cursing he let me go, “Dammit, Kerrie that hurt.” He held his throbbing foot in his hand for a moment.

I put the kitchen table between us. “You are a selfish uncaring person, David. I really hate you right now. Everything that I loved was killed that night. If you don’t leave, I’m calling the police.”

“Oh, I’m not leaving until we get a few things straight.” He lunged at me and I ran up the stairs to the master bedroom, locking the door behind me. I tried to call 911 but got the no service message. Damn the weather! The storm was interfering with everything vital for my survival. Wade was wrong about this storm. It was going to be deadly if I weren’t careful.

I sat on the end of the bed, facing the door, trying to figure out what to do. The doorknob turned very slowly. David was outside, testing the waters. I glanced around the room searching for something to use as a barricade over the door. But all the furniture was too heavy for me to move.

David began to violently hammer his fist on the door, uttering profanity, as he demanded that I open the door. My heart pounded as I watched the door shudder in its frame, but my prayers were answered when it held.

I decided to bluff, “David, I have a gun. If you don’t leave now, I’ll shoot you through the door.”

His laughter floated through the door, “You’re not a great liar, baby. Open this damn door now. I’m rapidly losing my patience and you’re wasting my time.”

A long slender candlestick holder sitting on a small table in the corner by the closet caught my eye. It was made of wrought iron and would make a perfect weapon, light enough to swing, but strong enough to cause some injury. I tossed the candle on the bed and stood beside the door with the candleholder in my right hand, poised to strike if he somehow pounded through the wooden door or forced the lock.

David was insane. I realized that any rational thinking was beyond his ability. After all the years of living on the edge, he had snapped. Whatever happened to make him become such a hardened soul had also killed the David I once loved so deeply. A thick door of wood separated me from a madness that I refused to get sucked into. I was ready for battle, if it be to the death, so be it. I wasn’t afraid.

As I waited by the door, hoping that I wouldn’t have to use the candlestick, I heard a muffled shout that wasn’t David. . I realized with a sinking feeling that it probably was Gene or Wade. I was too terrified to open the door, incase it was a trap. Then I heard the voice again, closer this time. It was Gene. He was shouting, probably at David. Hearing footsteps going downstairs made me act. I unlocked the door and followed him down the stairs. I made sure that the candles holder was hidden within the folds of the robe I wore.

I was right. It was Gene’s voice I heard drifting up the stairs. He and David were in a face-to-face argument. Both men were so intent on what was being said that they didn’t notice that I had walked into the room. Their conversation made little sense to me.

“…I should tell Kerrie about your sweet little deal.” Gene said, pointing a finger at David’s throat.

“I don’t really give a rat’s ass, Gene. You’ve wanted Kerrie for years. If you acted like a professional around her, maybe I would have dealt with you, but now I’ve got a “sweet little deal” as you put it. I don’t need your pushy ass telling me how high to jump. Damn, it sickens me to see you push little Kerrie through the hoops.”

“Me? You wrote the book on hoop jumping, dude. I’m not going to sit back and watch you railroad her anymore. She’s like a sister to me. You’ve hurt her so much, it’s a wonder her heart isn’t as cold as yours, by now.”
“To hell with you, Gene. You act as if you could treat her better. Man, you’ve been married three freaking times. And you’re giving me hell about mine and Kerrie’s relationship. Screw you!”

“My ex-wives don’t have to worry about me draining their bank accounts. Hell, I take care of my own. They have no financial worries and never will as long as they live. I’ve made sure of it. Can you say the same thing, Dave? If something happened to you today, would Kerrie be taken care of? I doubt it. All the years you’ve had with Kerrie have been nothing but sponging. You sponge off her money, her reputation and her soul. If she hadn’t loved you so much all those years, her eyes would have been opened sooner.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about us. Kerrie and I have our understandings.”

“Not anymore, dude. Your understanding stopped the night you left her to die at the bottom of those stairs.”

“You son of a bitch,” David said. As fast as a flash of lightning, he raised something and hit Gene on the side of his head. Gene fell against the kitchen counter. Crumbled on his side, he didn’t move. David kicked him in the hip a few times in anger.

I screamed, “Stop, David, stop! You’re killing him, you bastard.” I pulled the candleholder from the recesses of my robe and with all my strength hit David on his right shoulder. I heard something make a loud popping sound. At first I thought it was David’s bones breaking but then darkness cloaked the house. Lightning must have struck a power transformer, cutting the power at its source. I couldn’t see a thing around of me. Thankfully instinct took over and I took a swipe at the air in front of me with the candle holder. It connected with David, causing him to screech in pain. I raised my weapon once again to assault him while he was blinded-sided by my blow, but this time he wrenched the candle holder from my hand, hurting my wrist. Taken by surprise, I cried out loud with pain..

David was enraged. My survival instinct kept me going. I had left my safe area by the staircase going to the top level of the Pirate, so I couldn’t go back up the stairs, because David was blocking the pathway. He reached out, feeling the air for me. I took a step backwards but he caught my robe. I twisted out of it, and left him holding as I ran into the den. There was a little area between the couch and a bentwood wicker rocker. I slipped into it, begging my eyes to adjust to the darkness.

Chapter 36

After he left, I cleaned up the kitchen dishes, humming softly to fill the silence. There were some leftovers. I saved them for Perry incase he came in hungry, when he got in. I was worried about his driving back in this weather. My hope was that he would stay at Nova’s house until the worse was over. Sighing, I sent a prayer that the funeral wasn’t stressful and the he be kept safe for undue pain. At any funeral, it was hard saying goodbye. Melinda’s was tougher because of the unanswered questions and the pain of not being about to have a final moment of peace with her while she was alive. I think that’s what pained Perry so much—the knowledge that they were feuding bitterly before she died.

After changing into a modest set of pajamas, I sat on the deck, watching the clouds move slowly closer to the shore until it got too dark to see them. The winds were beginning to pick up speed, so I went back inside. I watched television for an hour, but the show didn’t hold my attention. Now that I was alone for the evening, I allowed the worries that I had put on the back shelf in my mind to slip into my present thoughts.

In the quiet house, I mused over the mystery of Melinda’s murder. I opened my laptop computer and began to write out my thoughts. I came up with more questions about her death than answers.

1) “Who took the keys out of my car and entered the house?” The police found my fingerprints on the car, Melinda’s and an unidentifiable smudged set.

2) “Why was Melinda at the Pirate?” One theory is that she came to talk to Perry but he wasn’t home. Since my car was, maybe she assumed that I was upstairs, and decided to talk to me… maybe to inquire about Perry.

3) “What was Melinda searching for?” My bedroom was pillaged. My jewelry case was opened and pieces of jewelry were all on the dresser. Her prints were on the case, so she had to be the one to open it. But why? Part of me thinks that she was plundering in my bedroom, because she thought Perry and I were lovers. Maybe she was looking for some proof of it. Or she could have been just plain nosy. Though I’m not a snoop, I know others who are. Melinda could have been one of them.

4) “Why was the ring in Melinda’s hand?” She clutched it during her death struggle, because the coroner found it grasped in her hand. I thought that maybe she was examining it when she either surprised someone or someone surprised her.

5) “Who attacked and killed her with a revolver that was similar to the one of mine that’s missing?” My next series of thoughts involved the person who harmed Melinda. I wonder if he or she followed her inside and waited for an opportunity to strike. But why kill her? The killer could have waited for her to get through with her search and leave, and then rob me blind. But instead a choice was made to kill her. She didn’t put up much of a fight. According to the coroner there were no defensive wounds on her arms or hands.

6) “Why the overkill?” The first strike is theorized to be at the left side of her temple. It knocked her down and then the killer pulverized her face over and over with the gun’s grip, using it like a hammer. Her features were beyond recognition. There was an estimated 18 strikes to her head and face. The first two killed her quickly. I can’t help but think that whoever killed her did it in a moment of blind rage.

A sound distracted me from my typing. I closed my laptop and went to investigate. The wind was howling, causing a lantern to roll back and forth across the deck. The rain flew in circles around the sliding glass door. I was so involved with my ponderings that I didn’t notice that the weather had gotten much worse. The lights flickered on and off, reminding me to get some candles and flashlights handy. I searched the kitchen and cupboard until I found some matches and four tapered white candles. In the utility room, I located two lantern type flashlights.

After placing the candles in various rooms, I went back into the kitchen fill a pitcher of water for drinking and the kitchen sink with water. I didn’t know if a power outage would affect the water supply. This was my first major tropical storm. I didn’t expect Wade to get out in this weather, but I knew he would be worrying. I picked up the phone to call and reassure him that I was fine. There was no dial tone. Wade had warned that the phone lines might be down during the storm.

My cell phone was on the kitchen table. So I went over to it, as I reached for the phone, the power died. A peal of thunder, followed by a flash of lightning caused me to look out the sliding glass door. I screamed in terror at the shape of a man looking in through the door at me. Another flash of lightning illuminated his face. There with the rain running like a river down his face was David with a cunning look on his face.

Chapter 35

When we returned to the Pirate, Gene unpacked his suitcases, while Wade and I made sure the Pirate and the boathouse were secure enough to withstand a bad storm. I didn’t mention that Gene would be out tonight. I knew that if Wade knew that I would be alone, he would want to stay with me until either Perry or Gene returned. What I needed was some quiet time alone and tonight was my golden opportunity. Wade left afterwards, telling me that he would be back tomorrow for breakfast instead of lunch. And that he might even bring some poles for us to fish in the surf. I had a feeling that the idea of fishing tomorrow wasn’t for my benefit, as much as it was for Gene.


After Gene explored the Pirate thoroughly and performed a really funny commentary on each room. He talked me into a stroll along the beach. It was relaxing with the wind off the ocean blowing our hair. Gene would stop occasionally to pick up a stone and toss it at the crabs we saw scurrying for one hole in the sand to the next. I tried to imagine how vast their tunneling complex must be, stretching all over the island’s sandy coast. I should write a novel about it and call it the “A Crabby Network.”

“Kerrie, I talked to David before I left Raleigh this morning. I saw him yesterday, while lunching with clients at the country club off Wilmington St. He was having lunch with some men. I didn’t recognize them. Let me tell you, their expressions were intensely foreboding. David excused himself to visit the restrooms. I did the same and followed him. When I tried to talk to him, he got all paranoid and said he would call me. I told him to come by the later and he did.”

“I keep waiting to hear from him, Gene. The way he showed up the day Melinda died and actually shanghaied me into the car was very strange. When that car started to chase us, I knew that you were right, he had some bad karma going and I got away the first chance I could.” After I spoke, I remembered that I hadn’t told Gene that part of the story. I mentally gave myself a boot in the seat.

“A car chased you? Kerrie, did you tell the Police?” He keenly studied my face and then answered his own question. “You didn’t! Kid, you can’t keep protecting David. Don’t you see that?”

“I wasn’t hurt. The car followed us really close for a mile and then sped around. It wasn’t much of a car chase.” I left out the part where the car bumped David’s rear, trying to push us off the road. “Well, nothing’s happened since then, Gene. David must have finally gotten the idea that I’m finished with him. So why bother the police with it? They’ve got Melinda’s murder to solve.”

Gene started to press his point, but returned back to his previous talk of meeting David. I was relieved. We would end up going around in circles, if we continued the conversation on the present seam. “I asked David about his visit to you. He was evasive as usual and strangely curious to know what the topics of your calls to me were about. I’m guessing he was wondering if you had told me about the car chase. Well, you know how protective I am when it comes to you. I didn’t tell him anything.”

“I bet you took the opportunity to drive home that he needs to leave me alone and move on to another base, didn’t you?” My tone was full of accusation.

“Yes, I did. Dammit, Kerrie, you have a career that’s booming and he’ll drag you down, if you aren’t’ careful. We’ve worked hard to get your books sold. You’re finally being recognized as the talent you are, don’t let him ruin it.”

“Gene, I told you a few months ago that it was over. I’ve told him the same thing. I can’t help it if he’s struggling to accept it. Give him time—hell, give me time too. One day all this will barely be a memory. At least, that’s what I’m praying for.”

“I don’t know what kind of trouble Dave’s in. We can speculate until our brains explode. Whatever it is, Kerrie, it’s serious. Those men weren’t there to play golf with him.”

Suddenly I was tired of the conversation and weary of walking. “Let’s get back to the house, so you can grab a bite to eat before you go out with your buddy. I’ve decided not to go. I’m tired and could use some quiet time.”

“I’m sorry if I upset you, Kerrie. You can always change your mind and come along, you know.” Then to try and make me laugh, he began to chase after crabs that scurried ahead of us. His goofiness worked. I laughed because the crabs would always be the victor.

With David goofing off, the walk back to the house passed quickly. As we climbed the stairs leading to the upper deck, I had a sudden pang of apprehension. Though I needed some private time to myself, I felt anxious to be staying alone for a few hours at the Pirate. I knew I would investigate every sound I heard. I prayed silently that none would come from the room Melinda died in.

I made Gene’s favorite dish for supper, spaghetti with meatballs. He stood as a sentinel over the garlic, saying that it would keep the women away. When I mentioned vampires, he said that meeting women was more important that losing a few gallons of blood. We had our meal in a lighthearted atmosphere, far better than any candlelit restaurant could offer. After supper, Gene got spruced up. Gone were his tie-dye tee and nylon shorts. He was dressed to kill in a navy polo shirt and pressed khaki chinos. I wished him luck, as he left to pursue some beer, pool and women.

Chapter 34

As we unloaded his car, I realized how much I missed Gene. I gave him the grand tour, skipping the room that Melinda was murdered in. It was a few hours before noon, much too early to eat lunch. We were debating on what to do when Wade arrived. I wanted to go for a swim, while Gene wanted to have some beer on the deck.

“Ahoy there, Kerrie.” Wade called, as he walked upstairs.

I called down to him, “Wade, we’re on the deck. Come meet Gene.”

After making the introductions, I was surprised at how quickly the two men bonded, which shouldn’t have surprised me any, since Gene was an aficionado of fishing, just like Wade. Gene's motto was "Fish Fear Me." I listened idly to their banter for a while, and then went inside to put on my swimsuit. I knew Gene wasn’t budging, not when another kindred fishing soul was around to talk carp. Though it would have been entertaining to watch “Freshwater Fisherman and Saltwater fisherman” debates, the water was calling me. When I told them I would be back in a while and to have lunch ready at noon, they both acknowledged me by raising their hand without stopping their conversation.

It was another blistery day at first. As I swam, I noticed that the surf tossed me around more than usual. Once I felt an undertow tugging at me. With difficulty, I swam back to shore. When I was on safe ground, I glanced at the horizon. To my dismay, I saw a dark blanket of gray clouds. Sometimes in the afternoons, we would get severe thunderstorms, but they didn’t last any longer than fifteen to twenty minutes. The thunderstorm clouds were usually isolated and the storms totally missed some parts of the island. But these clouds looked ominous, as they sat off in the distance. Glancing down the coast, I didn’t see many people playing in the water. Most were just along the water’s edge or playing in the sand. I decided to go back to the Pirate, since it seemed dangerous to swim.

Wade and Gene were standing by Wade’s rusty old jeep looking at his fishing poles when I walked by and neither of them noticed. It dawned on me that they must be true fishermen at heart to be so involved with fishing poles and not notice a shapely woman in a wet bikini walk by them. I put the damp towel on one of the decks railings and then went inside to shower and change. When I was dressed, I went into the kitchen to see what if I had anything appetizing for lunch.

The men were back on the deck, talking casually. I was glad to see that they got along. I think Wade could charm Satan into thinking he was a good ole guy and Gene, well, you either liked him or hated him. There wasn’t any in between. Wade doesn’t have a hating bone in his body. Their conversation drifted in from the deck. I had the sliding glass door open with the screen covering pulled over the opening, to keep insects out and the cool breeze in. When my name came up, I realized they didn’t know I was inside the house.

Gene really caught my attention when he said, “Wade, how is Kerrie really holding up? I’ve been worrying about that girl since she left Charlotte.”

Wade said in a reassuring tone, “She’s blossomed. When she first arrived, she was a pale as a tourist and thin as a string. I worried about her the first two weeks and so did Perry but he would never admit it though. She’s toughen up like a barnacle growing on a rock.”

“That murder happening here is weird. What if Kerrie had been here instead? I shudder to think about it. I don’t mean that it’s cool that Melinda Jones died, but…well, hell you know what I mean, I hope.” Leave it to Gene to confuse his own self.

“Yep, I know what you mean. We thought it was Kerrie at first. I felt my chest close up. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten that close to a heart attack before. Something doesn’t set right with me about Melinda’s murder. I can’t figure out why she would be in the house, searching it. The Chief thinks she was looking for valuables to pawn, because the police subpoenaed her financial records and found out she was almost bankrupt. She was trying to blackmail Perry into giving her $50,000 but it didn’t work. Perry went to a lawyer on the day that she died. I never did find out what his lawyer told him. Hmph, I’ll have to remember to ask Perry about that.”

“$50,000,” Gene whistled. “That’s mucho buckos!” Then he laughed, “My ex-wives have my money. Hell, Kerrie doesn’t have that kind of money either. Mr. Troubles has just about bankrupted her. That’s one cat that doesn’t deserve a goddess like Kerrie.”

“Mr. Troubles?”

“Kerrie’s ex-fiancé! The baseball hero, the one she’s hiding from. I call him Mr. Troubles because that’s about all he is.”

“Oh him! A no-good rascal, is he? Kerrie is a pearl and deserves to be treated like one. She’s smart, sweet, well mannered and dad gum pretty. If I was 20 years younger and she was 20 years older, I would steal her away from all of you. By Josh, I would!” Wade was speaking in the low tones of a gossip lost in tittle-tattle heaven.

I decided it was time to break it up. I clamored some pans together and then called from the kitchen, “You guys getting hungry? It’s almost noon.” From my spot in the kitchen, I could see that when they heard me, both men visibly jumped in their seats. Then they looked at each other guiltily. If I had of walked up on them without hearing a word, I would have known immediately that I had been their hot topic.

Wade asked the question on both their minds, “Baby doll, when did you get back from the beach?”

“I got back while you boys were downstairs looking at fishing poles. I walked right by you but a shiny hook or something hypnotized you.” I giggled, “Since I wasn’t the proper lure, I took a shower and came on down to see if you were hungry.” I figured that it would be better to let the topic of ‘Mr. Troubles’ die.

Gene remarked, “That was a quick swim!”

I walked onto the deck, replying, “The waters are choppy and once an undertow tried to grab me, so I came in. I’ve never seen clouds like those on the horizon.” I stood looking out, thankful that they seemed to be stalled over some spot far away.

Wade said sharply, “Don’t you listen to the weather? There’s a tropical storm about 90 miles off the coast. It’s expected to move towards shore later today. We’ll have gale force winds and heavy rain when it does. Lordy be, baby doll, don’t go swimming when a tropical storm is brewing. Even if the weather looks sunny outside your door, always check the weather reports. Off shore storms affect the ocean and can hide danger.”

“Gosh Wade, I didn’t know that. Should we make sure the boat house is secure?” I asked.

“Nope, Perry did that first thing this morning. I promised him I would check on this place at lunchtime. Why don’t we put these lightweight chairs inside the kitchen and then go find a nice little off the road diner. I have the perfect place—Sady’s Stew House. The food is mmm-mmm-good.”

“I’m up for that, dude.” Gene said. We gathered everything inside that would fly away with the wind. Then we piled into Gene’s sports car and flew to lunch.


Sady’s Stew House was located right off the bridge that went to the mainland. It looked like a shack on the outside, but when we stepped inside I felt as if I was back at home in Mother’s kitchen. The place had red and white gingham tablecloths on every table. Artificial roses in vases sat in the middle of the tables. The walls were alive with framed newspaper clippings about the NC beaches, hurricanes lighthouses and local folk who happened to make the news. The atmosphere was infectious. I smiled at everyone in answer to their greetings. The menus were worn and the prices were so cheap that for a moment, I thought I was having one of Gene's flashbacks to the 70’s.

After we placed our orders, the general conversation caught my attention. The locals were discussing the impending storm, which in turn begot a discussion on past storms and hurricanes. Tropical Storm David was its apt name. I didn’t miss the irony. I sat wide-eyed wondering if I would get washed away. Wade noticed my expression and laughed. “Kerrie, don’t look so anxious. This storm will be a baby compared to the Hurricanes of ’98.”

The chiming cow bell that hung over the door of the diner interrupted Wade’s introduction to the Hurricanes of ’98 story. Every single head in the diner turned to look at the tall burly man that had entered the diner. After a brief inspection, the locals ignored him.

Gene’s gasp of surprise drew the attention of Wade and me. “Damn, there’s the maintenance man who repaired every thing that’s been wrong in my office since 1995. He said he was going on vacation soon but I didn’t know he was heading here. He’s a cool guy. You’ve got to meet him, Kerrie. He tells some interesting stories. You should sit and listen for a while. I swear he’s a gold mine of material. ” He stood up and called to the man who had just entered the diner. “Danny, over here! It’s Gene Michaels.”

He sauntered over to our table with a big smile on his face. “Mr. M, what’s up? What a small world! It’s a hoot, meeting you out here. Are you on vacation too?” They shook hands. Gene made introductions and Danny nodded at each of us. Gene asked him to have lunch with us, but he declined, saying he had called an order in earlier and was here to pick it up. Wade excused himself to go speak to one of the gentlemen at a table across the diner.

Gene and Danny made small talk until one of the waitresses shouted out that Danny’s order was ready. He said his goodbyes and then turned back on impulse saying, “Mr. M, I’m here with my brother and he doesn’t like to do anything but fish and sleep. I was planning to go play some pool over at the sport’s bar across from our cottage. I thought maybe you and Miss Kerrie could come join me. That way I won’t feel like a bear out of the woods.”

I shook my head declining the offer, as Gene nodded in acceptance. I laughed, “Gene would love to go, but I’m not much on the bar scene. Since I’m the wallflower type, I’ll stay home and watch the storm tonight. According to the yokel locals, it will be far more entertaining that the weather channel.”

“Are you sure, Kerrie? It's my first night here. I haven’t seen you in ages. If you want me to I'll chill out at the cottage with you.” Gene’s offer was sweet, but I knew he hadn’t taken a vacation like this in years. It was time to let his disco self out of the closet and shake his groove thing.

“Look Gene, how often do you have time to do whatever you feel like doing? Gosh dude, you’re on vacation. Live a little. You know, do a little dance and shake your booty.”

Danny chided in, “I wish you would come with us, Miss Kerrie. It would be a pleasure and an honor to have a beautiful woman’s company for the evening.”

I was flattered but still declined, “Thanks for the compliment but no thanks. I’m not much on smoky bars. If I drink too much, I get silly and sing Karaoke. Believe me, it’s something you don’t want to hear.” I laughed. Gene agreed and I elbowed him.

But Danny wouldn’t give up. He continued to beg me until I said yes. Gene suggested a time, got directions to the sports bar and Danny made his farewells. Lunch arrived as soon as Wade returned and we enjoyed a feast fit for the Gods. As we ate our feast, I felt that a thick cloud was gathering outside, waiting to rain down on me with wrath?

Chapter 33

The next day was full of police detectives searching the grounds and asking more questions. The theory was that Melinda happened upon a burglar and met her doom. I wanted to leave for Charlotte but was told by one of the detectives that I needed to stay close. It was too late to rent another beach house and all the hotels were booked or too expensive to rent weekly. Perry was stuck with me. But with all the arrangements to be made regarding Melinda, I didn’t see him much.

I kept an eye out for David but I never saw him again. Maybe he finally understood that I was finished with him. Gene was upset about what happened and wanted me back in Charlotte immediately. Since I couldn’t, he offered to come stay with me. I told him that once the Pirate was inhabitable again, he could come for a week. There were plenty of rooms and I knew it would ease Wade’s mind. With the tourist season underway, he had little time to check on me.

There wasn’t much progress made on the case, though there were some peculiarities. The fingerprints found on my car and those found all over the bedroom were Melinda’s. The police turned to Perry for the answers. I overheard him tell one of the detectives that Melinda hadn't been in the house for extended periods in almost a year and had no reason to be searching the bedroom, because all the stuff in it was mine. Maybe she was searching for some proof that Perry and I were having an affair or just being nosy. If that’s the case, why did someone kill her?

Two days after Melinda’s death, the Chief came over to visit me and Perry, bringing along a troubling autopsy report! She had been bludgeoned to death, which was no surprise to any of us since we all saw her head trauma. But the coroner thought that the wounds matched the grip of revolver much like the one I was missing. The Chief explained the theory to us, using a diagram supplied by the crime lab. As he finished, Perry got a phone call. It was one of Melinda’s relatives, so he took the call in his bedroom. The Chief took the moment of opportunity to show me something that was found in Melinda’s hand during the autopsy.

He pulled a clear plastic bag from his pocket and asked, “Do you recognize this?”

I took the bag and examined it. Inside was a ring that I hadn’t noticed was missing. It was a small gold ring with a pearl and two rubies. David had it designed for me on my birthday last year. He said the pearl stood for our pure love and the rubies represented both of us, putting our heart into the relationship. I remember when he told me what the ring meant that I wept at the poetic symbolism. Then I declared to him that my romance writing was rubbing off. We shared a wonderful time that night. Sadly it was one of our last.

“Yes, my fiancé gave me that ring last year for my birthday. I didn’t know it was missing. I wonder what Melinda was doing with it?”

“I would love to know the same thing, Miss Rosewood.” He took the ring away. We were talking about the weather when Perry returned, looking troubled.

“Chief, would you give Melinda’s sister, Meagan a call and explain to her what’s going on with the investigation? She thinks I’m hindering it some how. It would ease the family’s mind and maybe get them to leave me alone for a few days.”

“Sure Perry.” He took down the phone number and then bide us adieu. I didn’t mention the ring, since the Chief failed to. I figured it wasn’t important. And to, it showed Melinda in a bad light, in my opinion.”

Three days passed and the police finally declared that the house was no longer a crime scene. I was leery about moving back into it. There was almost a month left of my vacation. When I mentioned leaving the island, Perry and Wade protested. So I relented and agreed to stay. Perry had a professional cleaning service to give the place a thorough cleansing. He also, had the carpet replaced in the bedroom and declared that he would use the room for something else. The bedroom furniture was put into storage and the room closed off. All my things were moved to the master bedroom on the top level, the one with the nautical theme and heavy oak furniture. I felt as if I were sequestered in a Pirate’s cabin and might even drown in a testosterone sea.

While all this was going on, Gene was calling me daily. As was common with his type of career choice, a wild imagination was his bane. His theory was that I was the real target and the “bimbo” from Banning House was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He badgered me about being careful and growing eyes in the back of my head. I got to the point that I hated answering my cell phone. Finally, he pushed me into inviting him to visi. He was obsessed that I was the target of a ‘sinister story plot.’ He packed it all nicely into a conspiracy theory, which made no sense to me. I invited him but not because of the conspiracy theory. I invited him because I missed my dear friend.

When I told Perry that Gene, my publicist was coming to visit for a week, he didn’t seem too pleased. I reassured him that Gene wouldn’t be a problem and he would sleep in the small bedroom off the kitchen. I was relieved that Perry didn’t have time to start an argument, because he had to pack an overnight bag and get his suit dry cleaned. Melinda’s funeral was in Raleigh the following day.

The stress was taking its toll on him and his temper was short. I saw him snap at Wade, which is something he’s never done in my presence. Once he got irritated with me about cleaning up the boathouse (I was trying to occupy my thoughts by doing some light house keeping). I didn’t take offense. He had a heavy burden on his shoulders. He looked tired and haggard, a pale wraith of the man he was a week ago. I had talked to Nova a few times on the phone and she said Melinda’s family was giving him a hard time about Melinda being murdered at the Pirate. They seemed to think he should do some detective work on his own.

I’m not sure if the island was prepared for Gene’s arrival. As a very powerful man in the publishing industry, his wardrobe was de rigueur for his image. But during his leisure time, he was a mid-thirties guy stuck in the 70’s with his flashy tie dye t-shirts and his love for Motown music. On the night before he was due to arrive at the Pirate Gene called from Raleigh to confirm that it was still okay for him to visit. He had spent the day with some clients, tying up loose ends so he could relax while he was visiting me.

As he drove into the driveway, Perry was putting his overnight bag behind his seat. Anticipating his arrival, I stood on the deck laughing, because I could hear Gene’s music long before he pulled up behind my car. I should have warned Perry about Gene’s grooving to the tune of another era, but it didn’t cross my mind.

When Gene shut off the engine of his car and opened his door, Perry walked over and asked, “Sir, are you lost?” I hurried down the steps to greet Gene.

“Gene, you made it!” I was giddy as a teenager. My eyes sought any eminent changes in his appearance. He had shaven off his goatee and sideburns, making him look much younger with a smoother face.

“Well, chickie? Are your arms broken? Give me a hug!” I wrapped my arms around him giving him a bear hug.

“I’ve missed you.” I said.

“Same here, kid. Woo ho, look at you. You’re a super freak with those blond streaks. Look at that tan, you foxy mama!”

“Look at you, dude. You’ve shaven off your peach fuzz.” I laughed, “You could pass for a teenager.”

Perry watched our tête-à-tête with an eyebrow raised. I swiftly remember my manners. “Perry, this is Gene Michaels. Gene, Perry O’Brien." The two men shook hands, each measuring the other as they exchanged pleasantries. I couldn’t help but hide a smile, thinking, “Men!”

As if I weren’t there, Perry said to Gene, “I’ll be back tomorrow sometime. Keep an eye on Kerrie for me.”

“I can’t blame you for hating to remove that eye. She looks fantastic, I say.” Gene’s reply surprised me. But I didn’t take the compliment, because being discussed as if I were wall art brought out the tiger in me.

“I think I can keep an eye on myself.” I replied dryly.

Gene winked at Perry, “She hates the truth, but we don’t, do we?”

Perry laughed, “Kerrie, retract your claws. We’ll behave.”

I smiled, “Have a safe trip. Is Nova going along?”

“Yes, she’s my moral support. I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon.” He nodded to Gene and then he was gone.

Chapter 32

I woke up from a terrible dream of heavy weights tied to my legs, pulling me down into deep black water. The bedcovers were tangled around me, so I kicked them away. Once my legs were free, I felt the panic leave me. For a moment, I had to get my bearings. The room looked strange. Then I remembered that I was at the boathouse. The memories of the night flooded over me and I could feel myself sinking back into deep dark waters.

Shaking with fright, I got up and felt the walls like a blind woman, searching for the light switch. When I found it, I turned on the light, banishing the shadows. If I didn’t get out of the room, I would start to scream hysterically. Slipping out of my pajamas and into a pair of denim shorts and a white long sleeve t-shirt, I put on a pair of worn sneakers. Fresh air was what my mental doctor prescribed. Carefully I walked through the boathouse. All the interior lights were out but moonlight slipping in through the windows guided me to the door. I very carefully turned the lock, trying to be silent as a tiny mouse.

The air was warmer than normal. Summer was here and the nights would get warmer as the days went by. Nights would grow shorter. I stood at the edge of the walkway, looking out towards the ocean. The night was a lapis blue with a multitude of stars shining. They looked like pictures out of an astronomy book pasted to the limpid sky. I found the little dipper but couldn’t make out any other constellations. Which star should I make a wish on? There were too many choices, and as simple as it should have been, I couldn’t make a decision. I whispered to no one, “No wish for you tonight, silly girl.”

“Why not?” The wind carried a voice to me. I spun around and saw Perry standing a few feet away, barefooted wearing jeans and an unbuttoned denim shirt.

I didn’t answer his question. Instead I changed the subject, “The night is beautiful. You can almost touch the stars. If I were taller, I could wear them in my hair.”

“What a vision! Couldn’t sleep, woman?” He sat down on the steps. “I heard you leave the boathouse. With a violent person on the loose, I thought I should make sure you were fine. I hope I’m not intruding.”

“No, it’s nice to have you here. I’m sorry I woke you. Oh dear, I must have been louder than I thought. I tried to be quiet as a mouse.”

“Actually you were. I wasn’t sleeping.”

“A nightmare woke me. I felt as if the air around me was tainted from the dream, so I came out for some fresh air.” I sat beside him, careful that we didn’t touch. I couldn’t stand it if he pulled away from contact.

“I keep thinking of Melinda. I can’t get what happened out of my head. Whoever killed her will pay, they’ve got to or I’ll go crazy.” Perry’s voice was so soft I barely heard him.

“I’m sorry, Perry. This must be hard for you. I wish things were different.”

“I keep thinking about the past. About what went wrong, what went right…I keep remembering the night we met. Back then, life seemed so easy. I met Melinda at a party in Raleigh. An old college friend's wife had written a book published by Banning House. They threw a release party and invited me. Melinda was there because she was involved with the publishing of the book. I didn’t know a soul, except the hosts and was standing by a fireplace, watching the crowd when I saw her. She had on a very pale green dress with sparkles. I couldn’t stop looking at her. When she threw back her head to laugh at a joke, I knew then that I was going to marry her. But it took a while to convince her.” He laughed, lost in memories. I let him talk about her. If he remembered the good times, maybe the nightmare of her death wouldn’t haunt him tonight.

“She didn’t want me to build the Pirate. She wanted to sell the land and buy a condo at a more populated shore, like Myrtle Beach or Wrightsville Beach. I wouldn’t do it. Once it was finished, she called it her mansion but I knew she thought of it in a monetary light more so than in a place I built with love.”

“I wish I knew when things unraveled between us. To be honest, we didn’t have a lot in common. She lived for a glitzy social life. I loved a quiet night at home. Because I wouldn’t sale the Pirate, she decided to divorce me.” He laughed bitterly. “She said I alienated my affections because I loved a beach house more than her.”

“Did you?” I asked my eyes on the stars.

“I think I loved the vision in green that sparkled. From the day we married we had different visions of what life should be, Kerrie. She’s dead now and I’m not ripped apart by it. I don’t mean to sound callus. I didn’t want her dead. Never once have I wished it on her. I think if I loved her, I would be wailing away, but I’m not. So I guess I did love this place more than her.”

I sighed. His talk of the past made me think of mine, which made me sigh again.

“I’ve been gabbing too much.”

“No, you need to let it out. This is good for you.”

We sat silently for a while. The surf touching the sand was the only song playing, as we watched the dark water with its white tips move back and forth.

“How did you meet David Harper? You don’t strike me as a baseball nut. No pun intended.” His question surprised me.

“You’re so right. I’m not a big fan of baseball. I didn’t know he was a baseball player until our third date. We were taking a walk through downtown Charlotte and at least seven people stopped us, asking for an autograph. I was impressed, but also almost put off by the attention. He thrived on it. But when my fans would stop us when we were out someplace, David would be livid over the intrusion. I guess, because he wasn’t the center of attention.” I sighed, “That was just one of the small issues in our relationship.”

“You didn’t answer my question. How did you meet?”

I laughed, “I went off subject didn’t I? Well, I met him about five years ago. Against my better judgment, a friend of mine set me up on a blind date. I was to meet the guy named David White at an upscale hotel in the lounge.” I gave a small laugh. “But I didn’t sparkle. I had on a black dress with red roses embroidered on the bodice. When I got to the lounge, I went to the bar and sat down beside David. The bartender came over to take my order. I remember looking around and seeing a lot of single men. Having no clue as to what my date looked like, I asked the bartender if David had left a message for me. That’s when David turned to me and said ‘I’m David.’ We talked for awhile and then danced until dawn. I thought he was the David I was supposed to meet. With the chemistry flying, I never caught on that he wasn’t. We made a date for the next night. When I arrived home, I had a message on my answering service.”

Perry interrupted, “The real David, I’m betting.”

Laughing, “Yes, he had called moments after I left my apartment. He left a message that he had to work late and couldn’t get make our date. He wanted me to call him, but I never did. David and I fell in love that night I think.”

“What about now, Kerrie? Do you still love him?”

“I’ll always love David in some way. But I’m not in love with him. There’s a difference you know.”

Perry sighed, “Yes I do.”

I yawned suddenly. Now wasn’t the time to tell Perry about David and me. We both needed sleep. “I’m sleepy again. Fresh air helps.” I laughed.

Perry stood up, smiling down at me. “I’m sleepy too. Thanks for dragging me out here, woman.”
He took my hand, as I stood up and we walked quietly back to the boathouse hand-in-hand, united briefly in our shared memories of the past that promised to keep the present at bay, even if only for one night.