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Back Loitering With Intent Save as PDF
Chapters (64)
  1. Stuart Woods
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  64. AUTHOR’ S NOTE

“Gee, Evan, I’m not sure. Do you think it could be because of the large amount of drugs in the stern locker?”

“There are no drugs on my boat.”

“I pried the lock off the stern locker myself. The Coast Guard chose that moment to arrive, relieving me of the responsibility of calling them.”

“The stern locker wasn’t locked,” Evan said. “The lock I had on it rusted out, and I threw it away. I haven’t yet bought a replacement.”

“Well, somebody did you the favor of buying a replacement, a very substantial combination lock.”

“I don’t know anything about that.”

“Evan, I think you’d better return to Key West right away and answer some questions.”

“I can’t just yet. I’m dealing with my father’s burial. My grandfather isn’t up to it.”

“I should tell you,” Stone said, “that one of the theories being posited in all this is that your grandfather hired someone to kill both you and your father.”

“That’s preposterous!” Evan said. “No one who knows my grandfather would ever think that.”

“Do you have another candidate for who might want both you and your father dead?”

A long silence. “No, I don’t.”

“Then answer me this: Who might have a motive for wanting you both out of the picture?”

“I don’t know.”

“A financial motive, maybe?”

“Do you mean the money from the sale of the family business?”

“I would have thought it was enough to kill for.”

“For some people maybe, but not my grandfather.”

“Well, on your fl ight back to Key West, you’ll have time to consider who else might profit from your demise.”

“Am I suspected of a crime?”

“You own a boat that was carrying drugs.”

“There were no drugs in that locker when Gigi and I left,”

Evan said. “I know, because I got a rubber dinghy out of the locker to move us and our luggage from the boat to the seaplane, and there was nothing else in that locker except fenders and mooring lines.”

“Evan, are you coming back? What do you want me to tell the Coast Guard?”

“I’m coming back, and I’d like to retain you again.”

“All right. When are you coming back?”

“My father’s remains are being cremated tomorrow morning. I’ll get the earliest plane I can after that. I shouldn’t think it would be before tomorrow night, or perhaps the day after. It depends on how my grandfather is bearing up.”

“All right, I’ll call the Coast Guard and tell them that.”

“Thank you. I’ll call you when I get in. Goodbye.” Evan hung up.

“You lead such an interesting life,” Annika said.

44

44

STONE ARRIVED BACK at the Marquesa near lunchtime the next day to find Dino on the phone. Dino punched the speaker button. “You might want to hear this; it’s Dan Hotchkiss.”

Stone sat down.

“Go, Dan,” Dino said.