Ghost River, Jon Coon [ebooks online reader TXT] 📗

Complete denial. Never met Jewels Peterson. Had no idea what Bodine was up to.”

“No surprises there,” Gabe said. “Have they pulled up the boat?”

“No. Do we need to?”

“Wilson Corbitt is still on board. He deserves a decent burial.”

“I’ll tell the captain. The team shouldn’t have any trouble now. We’ve locked down the bridge site and put uniforms out there. We got two good sets of tire tracks, and there are prints in the crane. The operator wasn’t smart enough to wear gloves. He also left muddy boot prints.”

“What about the Pelican case?” Gabe asked.

“It was dry. Several sets of old five and a quarter floppy disks. We’re trying to find a computer that will read them. A couple notebooks, but not much of interest there.”

“Zack has his dad’s old Radio Shack computer. That will work.”

“Great. I’ll call him. There were more photos of the Bodine girl. Man, she was something.”

“Sad,” Gabe said. He remembered the photos of Nancy Janna had shown them.

“How’s the leg?” Bob asked.

“Sore, but as long as it doesn’t get infected, it will be fine.”

“Well, with a hot nurse like Carol, I’m not worried.”

“It’s not your leg. Come and get me first thing Monday. I’m not about to sit and watch soap operas waiting for this to heal. We need to pay Conners a visit.”

Inside the RV Emily and her mom were making root beer floats. Emily asked, “Gabe hasn’t ever had a family, has he?”

“No, honey.”

“Why?”

“Why don’t you ask him?”

“Okay.” She picked up two glasses and marched down the Montana’s steps to the picnic table beneath the awning. Gabe had just put down his phone.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Anything.”

“Why haven’t you ever had a family? You’re not too old and not too bad looking. I’m sure someone would have taken you. Why not?”

Emily giggled as her mom joined them.

“Well now, that’s a real question,” Gabe smiled. “I lost my parents when I was just a little older than you are now. I was in a boys’ home in New Orleans, and the only women were nuns. When I was old enough, I went to dive school and then got a job offshore. Not any girls in dive school or offshore, so you’re right, I have a lot to learn about living with girls. Little ones and big ones too. Especially smart-alecky ones.”

“Well, that explains a lot,” Emily said confidently.

“What do you mean, honey?” her mom asked.

“We’re going to have to teach him how to live with girls, Mom. He missed it.”

“Looks like he did, but I think there’s hope, don’t you?” Carol smiled.

“Maybe, but he needs a lot of work,” she giggled again and hugged him on her way back inside.

“What was that about?”

“Charlie was very affectionate with both of us,” Carol explained. “He kissed her good morning and always went in to pray with her at night. She misses that.”

“She misses him,” Gabe said.

“Of course, but she loves you too. Just let it come naturally.”

“She’s right, you know, you are going to have to teach me a lot. I did miss it. Probably had something to do with being a closet ghost whisperer.”

“Our time is coming, Mr. Ghost Whisperer,” she promised. “It will be fine.”

“How did it go?” She asked on a burner cell phone.

“No evidence plus no witnesses equals no crime. Works every time.”

“Let’s hope so,” she said. “But did you have to kill the cops?”

“Collateral damage. Don’t worry. It won’t come back on you.”

“But will it come back on you?”

“I don’t care. He killed my dad and my sister. I’ll be long gone before the cops find me. The cops dove on the boat last night, but I gave them a welcome they won’t forget. Don’t worry about that briefcase. I’m sure it’s down there for good.”

“Be careful, Wyatt. We’re so close. We don’t want to mess this up now.”

CHAPTER 36

1000

Gabe’s RV

Tropical winds gaining strength

Gabe was on the couch with his leg propped on a pillow when Carol brought his cell phone. Gabe put Bob on speaker and put down the phone. “Sorry to bother you on an injured reserve day,” Bob said. “The tox screen came back on Bodine. You guessed right: drugs and booze. It was the Secobarbital that got him. He was nearly dead before he went over the rail.”

“Nearly dead?” Gabe pondered.

“Yeah.”

“Could he have still walked out there without help?” Gabe asked.

“You mean was it suicide? The ME says not a chance. With all the drugs in his system, he couldn’t even have crawled to that balcony alone. We’re asking more questions. Someone has to know something.”

“What else?”

“The hit on Rogers and our guys was professional. Do you suppose Wyatt Bodine had anything to do with it?”

“After the pounding he gave us on the river, nothing would surprise me. He certainly had motive if Rogers killed his sister and his dad.”

“Anything on Rogers’s partner, that D. B. Johnson, the one Mickey shot?” Gabe asked.

“Yes, Mickey. I never can remember her name. Clean shoot. Johnson had a knife to her boyfriend’s throat. We got the knife and the prints. She said Carol taught her how to shoot. Is that true?”

“Yep, she’s no one to mess with. It’s that Texas Ranger blood.”

Carol heard him and nodded her agreement.

Gabe rubbed the stubble on his chin and said, “Hopefully Johnson’s not another ghost at the bottom of the river. That place is starting to give me the creeps.”

“I’m going back to see that secretary, Janna,” Bob changed the subject. “She has identified most of the folks in those photos for us. Then we’re going to visit the engineers on that cruise list. Want to ride along?”

“Nope. I’m enjoying the professional care and the painkillers. And Carol has an appointment with a builder.”

“Builder? That sounds serious. Quite a jump from two weeks ago. What happened?”

“Not the big jump just yet. We’re going to split the property. She’s building a house, and I’m moving the RV. Neighbors and pals, that’s it. At least for now. She’s