CRIME OF RETRIBUTION: A Gripping Crime Mystery Full of Twists Page 15

  She offered another suggestion. “Let’s meet at the Lobster Barrel when I get off.”

  “That’s the abandoned restaurant at the end of the peninsula. Why go there?”

  “It’s the place I told you about where I go on breaks. A perfect spot to enjoy the beauty of the ocean. No one but me ever goes there. We can take advantage of the full moon we missed when you were with Woody.”

  A late night stroll wasn’t what he had in mind but she was hard to say no to.

  • • •

  Upon her arrival at the restaurant, Maddy followed her sister’s instructions to confirm Dan’s location.

  “Where are you?” she asked when he answered her call.

  “At the Whale’s Tail. Why do you ask?”

  “I thought you might be with my husband. He’s not answering his phone.”

  “Sorry, I can’t help you. I’m by my lonesome.”

  “Okay. I’ll see Tom later at home.”

  Maddy slumped in the seat of her car and cursed her sister for talking her into the scheme.

  I should be inside ordering fried clams and beer. Instead, I’m stuck in the parking lot waiting for Dan to leave so I can tail him.

  Half an hour later, she was amusing herself singing along with the radio when he appeared at the exit.

  As Dan descended the stairs to street level, another man emerged from the restaurant. He was wearing dark jeans and a black sweatshirt.

  When Dan looked over his shoulder, the man leaned over to tie his shoe. When Dan paused to check his cell phone, the person lingered on the stairs.

  Maddy watched in her rear-view mirror as Dan continued toward the dock, oblivious to the fact he was being followed. Hiding her hair under a baseball cap, she willed herself to count to ten before leaping from the car in pursuit.

  As she positioned herself to follow the men, she heard her name called.

  “Hey, stranger. Come over and say hello,” someone hollered.

  Several of her friends staggered from the restaurant. They had obviously been drinking and were making a lot of noise.

  When Dan turned toward the source of the ruckus, his pursuer ducked behind a truck.

  “How is married life treating you?” one woman inquired. “It’s been ages since we’ve seen you.”

  Maddy acknowledged the greeting with a wave to silence them. By the time she looked back, Dan had disappeared and there was no sign of the person in black.

  Her friends wandered off, leaving Maddy alone in silence to contemplate her botched assignment.

  • • •

  Maddy walked inside to cheer herself up. Time for fried clams and beer. I’ll dream up an excuse for Lea later.

  She took a seat at the end of the bar and waved at the bartender.

  “Where’s your better half?” Ingrid asked, placing a menu in front of Maddy.

  “He’s working tonight. Since I was in the neighborhood, I decided to treat myself to avoid going home to a microwave dinner.”

  “You’ve come to the right place. What can I get you?”

  Maddy pointed at an item on the menu. “A beer and a basket of clams, please.”

  “Coming right up.”

  Ingrid filled a glass from the dispenser and placed it in front of Maddy before going to the kitchen to order the food.

  After swallowing a long sip of beer, Maddy swiveled her chair to enjoy the view. This is more like it, she thought, ignoring the inner voice nagging her to call Lea.

  When Ingrid returned, she ventured to ask about the subject of her surveillance. “I’m supposed to deliver a file to Dan Archer but he’s not on his boat. I know he’s a regular here. Have you seen him tonight?”

  “You just missed him.”

  “Do you know where I can find him?”

  Ingrid swiped the bar with a cloth. “I heard Dan and Stacy plan to meet at the Lobster Barrel.”

  “That place is closed. Why would they go there?”

  The bartender smiled shrewdly. “Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe they want some privacy.”

  Maddy drained her beer. “Make my order to go, Ingrid.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Dan drove into a parking lot overgrown with weeds and walked toward the abandoned building which had once housed the elegant Lobster Barrel Restaurant.

  He walked past a lifeless statue of a mermaid surrounded by landscape turned brown and dusty. The structure itself showed signs of salt and rust invasion, inevitable near the ocean. Next door, the Casa Serene Motel was also deteriorating.

  Standing alone on the dock, he stared toward the islands. Moments passed until he was suddenly overcome with a feeling of being watched and turned around.

  Stacy stepped out of the shadows and walked toward him. She pointed to a boat slip next to where they stood.

  “Prior to his death,” she explained, “the developer held lavish parties on his yacht, the Dry Martini, which he docked here outside his restaurant.”

  “It’s an interesting place,” he acknowledged, “but an unusual site for an evening stroll.”

  She clutched the shawl wrapped around her shoulders. “Exploring abandoned buildings provides a certain level of excitement for me and feeds my curiosity. Besides, this particular place holds memories.”

  “You came here before it was closed?”

  “Many times. My uncle lives in Los Angeles. We visited him every summer when I was growing up. Of course, we did the usual attractions. Disneyland, Magic Mountain, Universal Studios. But my favorite tradition was to drive up the coast the last Saturday of vacation for dinner here at the Lobster Barrel.”

  Taking his hand, she led him to the front of the building. “It was a sit-down seafood restaurant in the old-school tradition with attentive waiters, an impressive menu, and this stunning view of the harbor.”

  “It’s hard to visualize this deserted shell as a once vibrant establishment filled with people.” He pointed at the roof. “The only visitors now are those blue herons seemingly standing guard.”

  She pulled him toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. “Come take a peek.”

  Squinting his eyes to look through the dust-covered glass, he was startled by what he saw.

  Stools at the full-length bar were neatly arranged as if customers would appear momentarily to order drinks. A number of tables still had white cloths. A few even had salt and pepper shakers filled and ready to use. Serving trays were set up beside the larger booths, ready for waiters to serve the hungry diners.

  “What an eerie scene,” Dan exclaimed. “It appears everyone left in a hurry and never came back.”

  They went to view the banquet facilities on the other side of the building. In the largest room, chairs were scattered about and decorations drooped limply from chandeliers.

  “Must have last been used for a wedding or celebration of some sort,” he suggested.

  Stacy shivered. “Looks creepy, doesn’t it?”

  He removed his leather jacket and draped it around her shoulders.

  The word hello had been traced in the dust on one window. The letter ‘o’ was crossed out and the second ‘l’ turned into a ‘p’.

  “What does that mean?” Stacy asked nervously.

  “I hate to think,” Dan replied.

  She turned away from the windows. “It’s a shame to view the restaurant in such disrepair.”

  “Too bad someone doesn’t renovate the place,” he said, looking around. “The location is amazing. One of the best views on the coast.”

  Her eyes lit up. “You see it the way I do. When I learned what transpired, I tried to talk my husband into restoring it. My dream was to manage the restaurant with an occasional appearance as a singer.”

  “Sounds like a good plan. What happened?”

  “Tony decided a long-distance marriage couldn’t work. He wanted me to stay at home, effectively shattering my dreams. Not long after, the feds closed in and my marriage was shattered as well.”

  “Is that the reason
you came out here after your divorce? To attempt to renovate the restaurant yourself?”

  “You can’t fault a girl for trying. I’m a pit bull once I decide on a course of action. Nothing stands in my way.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a minute. I’d hate to try to stop you.”

  They walked to the other side of the building to return to the parking lot, but ran into a locked gate. Opting not to double back, they followed the path to the abandoned motel.

  There, too, a beautiful mermaid statue waited for visitors to arrive, but the rest of the property looked shabby. The office was empty except for dusty filing cabinets and chairs hastily stacked. The courtyard contained overgrown shrubs and weeds and was partially covered with sand blowing from unattended planters. The balconies in front of the vacant rooms were rusted. Outdoor fixtures were strangely lit but stairs to the upper level were boarded shut.

  “This place gives me the jitters,” Dan told her. “Scattered lights still working, overturned salt shakers on wrinkled tablecloths, and creepy writing on the windows. Like the setting for a scary movie.”

  A sudden banging noise made them jump.

  “Who’s there?” Stacy cried, alarmed.

  Dan detected movement behind one of the wilted palms. “Wait here,” he ordered but his companion grabbed his arm.

  “Don’t leave me,” she wailed.

  The figure disappeared in the shadows before Dan could follow. He turned back to Stacy and hugged her trembling body.

  “It’s only the wind,” he said to put her mind at ease. He pointed to a panel on a boarded-up window swinging loosely on its hinge.

  He pushed her toward the parking lot. “Let’s get out of here.”

  After he watched her drive away, he returned to the motel and knelt beside the spot where he detected movement. There were traces of footprints in the sand.

  My mind could be playing tricks about what I imagined I saw but these prints are real. Someone was here.

  Stacy’s walk through memory lane was eerie, Dan thought as he hurried to his car, but there may be more here than meets the eye. This is the perfect setting for a murder.

  Retracing his steps to the restaurant, he stole a second glance at the mermaid. This time, she appeared to be weeping.

  Pull yourself together, Archer. You’re imagining things.

  He sat in his car without starting the engine forcing himself to consider the possibility forming in his mind.

  Was I set up?

  If so, who besides Stacy could have known where I would be?

  He sat motionless listening to an inner voice.

  You can’t ignore facts, Archer. If the facts don’t fit what you want to believe, you have to alter your thinking to fit the facts.

  He tried to silence the voice but it continued.

  Those facts can be unpleasant and change your perception. You may discover that truths you never questioned are not really true at all.

  He slapped the wheel in frustration but he couldn’t ignore the logic. He knew Stacy was a perfect example.

  She might not be who I think she is. She may even know the person trying to kill me.

  With a last glance at the mermaid, he asked himself the questions he was most reluctant to consider.

  How badly does Stacy want that restaurant?

  What is she willing to do in order to get it?

  Dan knew he would have no peace until he found the answers. He drove away, leaving the herons to watch over the deserted property.

  • • •

  A short distance away, Maddy sat in her car rubbing goosebumps caused by the moist sea breeze blowing in the window.

  Hers was the only vehicle on the darkened street. The sole illumination came from a streetlight on the corner.

  She took several deep breaths as she listened to the sound of distant foghorns. Earlier, she was glad for the fog to cover her clumsy surveillance. Now, the trailing wispy clouds only enhanced the eeriness of the night.

  She dreaded calling her sister. She had no good news to report about her mission to follow Dan.

  “I didn’t expect to hear from you until tomorrow,” Lea said when she answered.

  “No time like the present. Besides, as the bearer of bad tidings, I want to get them off my chest.”

  Lea responded with an explosion of questions. “Were you able to follow Dan? Where did he go? Was anyone following him?”

  “Whoa. One at a time.”

  “Sorry. I’m eager to hear what happened.”

  Maddy relayed her account of the man who followed Dan from the Whale’s Tail but omitted to tell her sister about her cover nearly being blown or stopping for a beer. She skipped to the part where she caught up with Dan.

  “He went to the abandoned Lobster Barrel.”

  “Why in the world would he go there?”

  “I had the same question. It’s hardly my idea of a romantic spot but he and Stacy met up there.”

  “What were they doing?”

  “Strolling around the place looking through the windows and talking.”

  “Did you get close enough to hear what they said?”

  “I only heard bits and pieces of their conversation. Stacy talked of her dream to renovate the restaurant so she could manage it and be a part-time entertainer. She hoped her husband would buy the abandoned building but they ended up divorcing.”

  Lea sounded disappointed. “If that’s all that took place, you wasted your time. I apologize for sending you on a wild goose chase.”

  “I didn’t say nothing interesting happened. Let me finish.”

  A slow moving security car drove down the street in her direction. The driver had one hand on the steering wheel. With the other, he flashed a spotlight on empty buildings. Maddy slumped in her seat, waiting for the car to pass.

  A voice squawked on her cell phone. “Are you there, Sis? I can’t hear you. What are you doing?”

  Realizing she was holding her breath, Maddy gasped for air. “A security guy just drove by. He probably wonders why anyone sits in a car outside a vacant building. I’m asking myself the same question.”

  “Forget the security person. Don’t keep me in suspense. Finish your story.”

  “Dan and Stacy weren’t alone at the Lobster Barrel.”

  Excitement rose in Lea’s voice. “Why didn’t you tell me someone else was there?”

  “Because you’ve been plying me with questions. Give me a moment and I’ll tell you now.” She watched closely as the patrol car left the area.

  “I’m waiting,” Lea said impatiently.

  Exhaling with relief, Maddy resumed her story. “When I got to the property, Dan was standing on the dock outside the restaurant admiring the view. I parked on the street and stayed in my car. Moments later, I saw another man walk toward the dock. He was carrying something at his side. I’m sure it was the same person who followed Dan from the Whale’s Tail.” Her voice grew strained as she relived the moment. “I was convinced the object he carried was a rifle. I expected Dan to be murdered right there in front of me.”

  “Did you try to warn Dan?”

  “Are you kidding? I was too scared to move. Thankfully, Stacy’s car drove into the parking lot and the man disappeared.”

  “Disappeared how? He couldn’t have vanished into air.”

  “Well, he did.”

  “That’s impossible.”

  “You never believe me. If you would have been here yourself as you should have been…”

  “Let’s not get into that. You know why I couldn’t be there. Now, tell me more. What happened after Dan and Stacy explored the restaurant?”

  “They walked over to the abandoned motel next door but they didn’t stay long.”

  “Why not?”

  “They heard a loud noise which frightened Stacy. Moments later, Dan walked her to her car. After she left, Dan returned to the motel.”

  “What for?”

  “I have no idea and I didn’t hang around to find out. By
then, I was completely spooked. All I wanted was to leave as fast as I could. I rushed to my car, locked the doors, and hid. Dan drove past moments later.”

  “Was anyone following him?”

  “Nope. Except for yours truly, the street was empty.”

  “The man you saw on the dock could be Stacy’s ex. From what Dan said, their marriage ended badly.”

  Maddy empathized. “I’ve been there. I know how ugly divorce can be.”

  “Dan claims he and Stacy only commiserate over their divorces but I think there’s more to their relationship.”

  “If what you say is true, it didn’t take Dan long to get involved considering the short time he’s lived here and all.”

  “I wonder how soon Paul would find another woman if we divorced,” Lea mused.

  Maddy chuckled. “Don’t waste time thinking about it. You two will never break up.”

  “You can’t be certain. I’m sure Paul looks at other women.”

  “Every man looks. Looking doesn’t matter as long as they don’t follow up with action.”

  “Do you know for a fact Tom never does more than look?”

  “He loves me too much. Besides, he has no desire to go through another divorce which would be the result of his cheating. Speaking of my husband, may I go home now?”

  “Absolutely. Good job, Mad. Now we can tell Dan with certainty that someone is following him.”

  “What are you planning to say when he asks how we know?”

  “I’ll have to think of something. He won’t be happy to find out you followed him.”

  “Be sure to emphasize whose idea it was.”

  “Tell him yourself.”

  “It’s bad enough I let you talk me into this scheme. I have no intention of being there when you clue him in on what I did.”

  “You’re being silly. Dan will understand.”

  “I wouldn’t bet on it. This time, I’m afraid you overstepped your bounds.”

  “Nonsense. I simply need to figure out the right approach.”

  “Don’t plan on my help. I’ll be busy at my store tomorrow.”

  “We have a full day planned at the agency as well. I’ll talk with Dan later in the week.”

  “Don’t put it off too long. He may find out I followed him from other sources.”