Clint Faraday Mysteries collection A Muddled Murders Collector's Edition (85 page)

Clint began to wonder if maybe she could make
a one-woman man of him! It was too good to be real! He sure as hell
wasn’t going to fight it.

Gina had to be at work at eight thirty, so
Clint walked into town with her. She met Bobby, who was a neighbor.
He confided in her that he had tried to get Clint into bed for five
years and he wasn’t going to stop trying just because some
fantastic-looking bitch was in the way. She laughed and said to go
for it, but no man would look at him after spending an hour with
her!

When they left Bobby at the Hawaii Gina said
she liked his friends – even the beyond-the-normal ones.

“
Beyond
the normal? Like who?”

“
Oh, come
on, Clint! There’s no way you can say Dave’s norm ... well, here.
The ones who are boringly normal lumps back home would be the
abnormal ones here!”

“
We all
like to have fun. No one takes offense. We can joke about
it.”

She nodded. “I see that. Not much is weird or
strange here.”

That would soon change.

“
Clint!”
Judi called across the bay from her deck. “Phone!”

Clint raised an eyebrow and went inside to
call Judi.

“
Something weird is happening,” she reported. “It may be
connected to ... but it can’t be!

“
Remember
that land on the point just below The Bluffs? With those coconuts
and pineapples and yuca?”

Clint said he did.

“
There
was a report that there may be a body buried there, so Serg
(police. Sergio Valdez) went out and used a probe in all the likely
areas.

“
They
didn’t find a body. They found a treasure chest. Lots of gold and
emeralds and such. Doubloons and crucifixes and the regular things.
It was a large chest, I understand.”

“
It isn’t
the first pirate treasure found around here,” Clint pointed
out.

“
And
about a million and a half in dollars. That kind of thing was found
around here, too, but not in the same box!

“
You
never turn your phone on. Serg wants you to come out. You can take
the boat.”

Clint looked at his phone. It was on, but on
silent ring mode. He sighed and said he’d go. She said to pick her
up. This, she had to see.

He called Sergio on his private celular. He
said there were some things Clint would find very interesting in
the chest. It was also interesting that there was such a call that
would lead them to this kind of thing. He couldn’t trace who had
made the call. Gloria thinks it was a woman, but she’s not sure.
They hung up too soon.

Clint said he’d be there in twenty minutes,
then called Manolo, an interpol agent (No one but Clint and a
couple of friends knew that), to ask if he had a clue. Nothing.

Clint picked Judi up at her dock and headed
for the point, then to where he could see the police and a bunch of
gawkers. He beached the boat and walked over to look at the
chest.

It was definitely an old chest. It was
covered in copper that was almost oxidized through in spots. It was
about four feet by two and maybe twenty inches deep. The jewelry
and such was certainly authentic. The stacks of hundred dollar
bills looked real to Clint.

“
Judging
by the series on the bills, this has been here about fifty years,”
Sergio said.. Clint shook his head.

“
There’s
something on a few of the bands on the money. B. B. y H. H. Mean
anything?” He showed a band to Clint. It was in marker, hand
written. Clint shook his head.

This was weird. Surely no one who knew about
that kind of treasure would report it to the police! They could get
every bit of it and be gone before anyone knew about it. They could
dig it up, clean out the chest and rebury it and no one would know.
It would be a truly rare accident for anyone to be where they could
see what was going on there. It was hidden enough that regular
traffic on the Caribbean wouldn’t see them there. His only clue was
some initials or a code or something.

He talked with a few people, then said he was
going back. Judi said there wasn’t anything that struck her.

Silvio Guerra, an Indio friend, caught
Clint’s eye and motioned with his head. Clint mouthed “Casa?” and
Silvio nodded. Silvio had a small place just past The Bluffs going
toward Bocas Town.

Clint and Judi headed back home.

“
Que
paso?” Clint greeted Silvio.

“
Ola,
Clint. (Rest translated) I thought I would tell you that there was
someone where they found the treasure last night. A woman, I think.
She was there just when the moon came up over Carenero. She had a
machine like they use on the beach to find money.”

“
A metal
detector?

“
The moon
isn’t far past full, so it was about eight thirty or nine. Did she
come by boat?”

“
I did
not see. I don’t ... she ... I was in my cayuca coming back from
Drago. I think ... maybe there was a small ... one of those jet ski
things.”

“
Oh. Then
from Bocas,” Clint replied.

“
They
have them at the Playa Mango and some of those places,” Silvio
pointed out. Clint nodded and thanked him, then went back toward
his house.

A woman. From Bocas on a jet ski or PWC. He
went into Bocas to ask around the places those were available to
find none were out past about six the night before. He got on his
motorcycle and rode out to several of the hotels that had jet skis
and PWC’s for their guests (rented at ridiculous prices, but, if
you could spend 125 bucks per night you could afford 50 for a jet
ski for an hour). The only possibility was at Caracol. Three of the
personal cabins on the water had PWC’s.

Donald Ferguson and family, from New Jersey,
Betina Blakley from Houston, and Frank Glissom from Atlanta.
Nothing rang a bell. A call to Manolo told him none of them were on
a watch list. A call to Manny resulted in nothing further.

One of those three was implicated. He would
have to opt for Betina Blakley because of the ‘B. B.’ on those
bands. He didn’t have another hint of a clue.

Betina Blakley stayed in her cabin, alone. No
one noted when she was or wasn’t there unless she left a message to
tell someone where she was.

“
She did
that?” Clint asked.

“
We don’t
answer questions about the guests here!” Nick, the manager,
snapped.

“
I’ll be
back with the police. You can explain why they were here,” Clint
said. “About an hour. Right at dinnertime. We’ll look for you in
the restaurant about then?”

He sighed. “What do you want to know?”

“
If she
left any messages for anyone and who. Not content, unless it was
criminal.”

He went to a spike with notes on it and went
through them. “She left a message for anyone twice that merely said
she was going to Drago for the day and one to a Raul Avenidas
saying she would come to the office about four. Today.”

“
Thanks.
Not much there and certainly not criminal. I hope I won’t have to
bother you again.”

He called Manolo and asked about a Raul
Avenidas. There was a pause for about thirty seconds, then Manolo
said it was possible he was being watched for jewel theft. He
seemed to have a source of antiques that wasn’t explained, though,
so far as they knew, none of it was stolen. It was from some years
ago, not recent.

Clint told him about the chest. He was very
interested, but would play it quietly. He couldn’t figure what it
was, except that Avenidas might have found the chest and had been
letting items out a little at a time.

“
For how
long? Fifty years?” Clint asked.

“
No. He’s
only been at it for about twelve years. He’s in his early
forties.”

Clint thanked him, then headed for the police
station. He asked Sergio to check out Raul Avenidas very
thoroughly. They might have a break. He then went home, got a call
from Gina and prepared to take her to a few places. She wanted to
try the food at The Lemon Grass, so they would start there.

They chatted a bit about her day. She went to
the hotel and changed while Clint talked with people he knew on the
verandah.

“
I had a
good enough day, I guess. It’s mostly sitting around and answering
the phone,” Gina said as they strolled toward The Lemon Grass.
“Only one person came into the office. A woman who wants to invest
in something or other. The boss was fawning all over her. It was
mostly kind of boring. The only thing that makes it a good thing is
that I have the total night to do as I please.

“
How was
your day?”

“
Other
than being a little strange, pretty much the normal way of things.
They found a treasure chest that had stuff hundreds of years old.
Lots of gold and emeralds and such.”

“
I’d
think that was exciting! It must be pirate treasure. I heard they
found a few of them along here and in Coln.”

“
It was
partly pirate treasure and partly cash. Dollars.”

“
Dollars?
They didn’t have dollars back in ... I guess maybe they did. The
later part of the pirate problem, anyhow. Confederate money and
like that.”

“
They
were dollars from about fifty years ago.”

She seemed shocked. “That doesn’t make any
sense!”

“
My
sentiments exactly. Weird,” Clint said. “Here’s The Lemon Grass and
this is Judi Lum, my neighbor, friend and partner in solving crime.
Judi, Gina.”

“
I was
just leaving,” Judi said. “Clint told me a lot about you, Gina. I
see he wasn’t exaggerating at all! Selma said you were a bit of
Okay.”

“
It’s all
lies! They hate me! They’re just trying to cause me grief!” Gina
cried. Judi laughed and said Gina was going to be a buddy, sure as
sunset.

She and Clint went in. They chatted about
anything that came up and Clint introduced Gina to a dozen or so of
the regular crowd. As they were leaving a rather fat individual
came in with a local “lady” who worked the bars. Gina gave him a
disgusted look and hurried Clint out as the man caught a glimpse of
her. He was about to call to her, but they were out. She made it a
point not to look in his direction.

“
Who was
that?” Clint asked.

“
My boss.
Raul Avenidas. He’s a scumbag – but he pays well. For the office. I
doubt that one costs much. A few drinks and five dollars. He was
nothing like I expected.”

Clint laughed. Very interesting. Raul
Avenidas. Betina Blakley.

They went to The Rip Tide for a few drinks
and conversation with a number of people, then went to Clint’s
place. He suggested she move in. No need to pay for a hotel when
she didn’t even use the place. She said she’d consider it.

They chatted a bit and sat together on the
deck. The police boat went by and several of the officers waved to
Clint.

“
I still
wonder why there were any dollars in the chest you told me about.
Do you suppose someone found it and buried it back so they could
come after it later? Maybe didn’t realize they’d dropped any money
in it?” she asked. “Pirate treasure should be only that! It ruins
the fantasy if there are newer things in it, not to mention how it
needs explanation.”

“
They
didn’t drop the dollars in it. They put them in,” Clint replied.
“You don’t accidentally drop a million and a half in hundreds into
a box with five times that in gold and jewels already
inside.”

“
GUHH!
MILLION!?”

“
Uh-huh.”

She seemed to be unable to believe that.
Clint wasn’t so sure he could believe it. It was just plain
weird.

They were in bed for about an hour when the
phone rang. Clint said he’d forgotten to turn the damned thing off
and picked it up. It was Sergio.

“
Clint?
I’m sorry to bother you at this time of night, but there’s been a
murder.”

“
Details?”

“
A woman
was stabbed to death. Stabbed repeatedly. This was a murder by a
person who was angered beyond control. The woman isn’t from around
here and knew very few people in the area, it seems. Gringa from
Colombia. Fifty one years old. She was staying at Caracol so she
wasn’t poor, by any standard.”

“
Caracol?
Tell me her name wasn’t Betina Blakley?” Clint said. Gina sat up
and make a little cry.

“
Yes. You
knew her?”

“
I think
she was the B. B. on those bands. Any reason to come
there?”

“
Not that
I can see.”

“
I’ll see
you in the morning, then.

“
Gina,
what’s the matter?”

“
Betina
Blakley was the woman who came to the office today ...
yesterday.”

Weird Day

“
Judi,
this is getting weirder and weirder,” Clint complained over
breakfast in the morning. Gina had made omelettes and a fruit
salad. She had fallen in love with the coffee Clint had from the
friend near Enel Fortuna who ground just a hint of cacao in as he
ground the coffee that he grew. It was delicious.

“
It
really shook me when Clint said it was this Betina woman who was
killed. She was in the office yesterday to talk with my boss. I
figured she had money because he was fawning all over her. He can
be downright obsequious,” Gina said. “I pretended I didn’t see him
last night at The Lemon Grass, so he’ll be trying to find out if I
know about his whore – like I would even care.