Scheme - Chris Gordon (reading in the dark .txt) 📗

Governor’s Harbour and approached an occupied desk. The man behind the desk was as black as the triangle on his national flag. There was a hint of native intelligence in his eyes and a look of constant bemusement in his smile. I knew it would be fun dealing with him. The man stood and said “I am superintendent Reginald Simms. How may I help you?” He sounded like Sidney Poitier.

 

“My name is Elaine Marshall. I believe you have arrested the husband I am trying to divorce. His name is Timothy Ryan.”

 

“You are quite correct. Mr. Ryan is in the cell at the rear of this building. He murdered a local man named Roderick Cooper. Divorcing him would seem the correct thing to do.”

 

“May I see him?”

 

“Of course. We have no visiting room like you might see in films. Follow me and I’ll put a chair outside his cell for you.”

 

I sat on the provided folding chair and took a long look at the man lying on a cot in the cell. I had once been so infatuated with him. What a fool I was. He jumped to his feet saying “Laney, you’ve come! You have to help me.”

 

“Well, Timmy, what have you done now?”

 

“Nothing. I swear. They say I killed the man who sold me a worthless house. But I haven’t even seen the guy since I bought that damned house. I know I told people I was going to get him but I never did. Laney, you have to help me.”

 

“You bought a house at the edge of the water where there’s a hurricane every couple of years. What did you expect?”

 

“I don’t know anything about houses and boats. I thought you just buy them and they take care of themselves. I was wrong, okay? I know that now.”

 

“You bought a boat too?”

 

“Yeah, a sailboat for chartering out. It’s in okay shape. I can live on it when I get out of here.”

 

“Timmy, I don’t want any part of this. AlI I want is for you to sign these affidavits so we can finally get divorced.”

 

“All right. I’ll make you a deal. You help me get out of this mess and I’ll sign the papers.”

 

“What do you expect me to do?” I asked him.

 

“I don’t know. Hire a detective or a lawyer. You can afford it.”

 

I got back in touch with the Bahamian detective, Harrison Sawyer, who had helped locate Timmy for me. I explained the situation and asked him to look into the murder, see what he could find out.

 

Harrison got back to me two days later saying there’s something not right about this. Cooper’s body has disappeared.

 

#

 

I returned to the police station. “Superintendent Simms, I wish to see the body of Mr. Cooper.”

 

“Oh I’m afraid that’s quite impossible. The body was returned to the family for burial.”

 

“Where is it buried?”

 

“I do not know. I was not involved.”

 

“All right then, which undertaker was the body delivered to?”

 

“Ms. Marshall, this interview is interrupting my tea time. Might I suggest that we move outside where I can enjoy what my wife has packed for me and we can continue the discussion there?”

 

“Certainly.”

 

We walked outside to a bench in the park behind the station. Simms offered me part of the small pastry his wife had packed for him. It was tempting but I declined.

 

“Ms. Marshall, why do you wish to see this body? What do you imagine you would learn from that?”

 

“With all due respect Superintendent, I do not think there is a body. I think Mr. Cooper has left Eleuthera.”

 

“No body? Do you think I made this all up?”

 

“Yes, frankly, I do. I think you came up with a very clever plan to rid yourself of two headaches.”

 

“You give me too much credit. I am just an ordinary policeman.”

 

“I know that is untrue.”

 

“Okay. Let’s imagine that you’re right. Let’s say that I invented a scheme to be rid of the troublesome Mr. Cooper and the potentially troublesome Mr. Ryan. Let’s say, hypothetically, that both of these bad men will have quietly disappeared, never to return. Ms. Marshall, I ask you, if there had been such a scheme, what would you have thought of it?”

 

I was puzzled for a moment then asked “By ‘disappeared’ you don’t mean . . . “

 

“No, no. Allow me to explain. Mr. Cooper, wherever he may be now, is most healthy. He is not even concerned about the threat of Mr. Ryan coming after him since he is proven to be already dead. And Mr. Ryan will, if given an opportunity, leave the Bahamas as quickly as possible and never return to face these pending murder charges. Do you see?”

 

“I think that is an absolutely brilliant plan. You get rid of both men with no money wasted on investigations, trial and prison. Cooper won’t return because Timmy is out to kill him. Timmy won’t return because you’ll lock him up for life. And nobody wants to ask any questions except me. I wish there were more men in this world clever enough to produce such useful schemes. I approve completely. But I do have one request. Might we include in this hypothetical plan one additional element?”

 

”What might that be?”

 

“I still need to get Timmy to sign these affidavits documenting that our marriage is irretrievably broken and that he wishes to petition for divorce. I need a small amount of leverage over him to get him to sign..”

 

“I understand. What do you suggest?”

 

When I explained my idea he agreed. “That would fit in perfectly,” he answered. “I think we have arrived at an understanding. We will go back inside and you can speak with your husband again.”

 

I sat again in the same folding chair and told Timmy “I hired a Bahamian detective named Harrison Sawyer. He thinks he has found something that could help your case when it goes to trial. It’s not proof but a good lawyer should be able to make good use of it. I’m also prepared to hire an attorney for you and provide him with the evidence that Sawyer came up with. But this is the end of my involvement. I will do this on one condition - that you sign these affidavits right now.”

 

“I knew you’d come through for me Laney. Sure, I’ll sign. Do you have a pen?”

 

#

 

I met with Superintendent Simms the next afternoon. He told me that he had unlocked Ryan’s cell door in the morning and told him “I know you’re guilty and I’m going to prove it. But the prosecutor says we haven’t enough evidence yet to continue holding you. I am letting you go for now but do not leave the island. Do you understand?”

 

“Of course. I’m looking forward to proving my innocence in court. I’ll be here. I have a boat in Hatchet Bay where I can stay until the trial.”

 

“All right. But that boat must remain in Hatchet Bay. If you should take it into your head to sail off, you would be in very serious trouble when you returned.”

 

“You don’t need to worry about that.” Simms told me he felt certain that this, at least, was an honest statement.

 

Simms later learned through local gossip that Ryan left the police station and walked to where he had left his BMW. It wasn’t there. He called Basil Albury, the taxi driver, who drove Ryan to Alicetown. He walked down to the Hatchet Bay dock and found that his car was there but his boat was not. Rose had left on the boat three days earlier. I winked at the Superintendent and said “maybe Rose didn’t adore him quite as much as he thought.”

 

Simms also told me what he had learned from Seymour Cartwright who owned Eleuthera Car Rentals in Governor’s Harbour. Ryan came in and pleaded with him “Mr. Cartwright, this car is worth a lot of money. All I want for it is enough to buy a plane ticket and have some spending money back in the States. Surely we can work something out.”

 

“Mr. Ryan,” Seymour replied, “I’m not a used car dealer. I rent cars to tourists who want something inexpensive to drive around the island. They won’t want to pay what I would have to charge for renting your fine car.”

 

“Mr. Cartwright, I understand, but there are no car dealers on this entire island. You’re the only one who is in a position to buy it. And I know there will be some wealthy tourists looking for a luxurious rental just like this one. Or, you could sell it to one of the tourists now living here. You could get a lot of money for it. Please, I know you have me over a barrel but I need to sell this car. Have a heart.”

 

“I can sympathize with your plight, Mr. Ryan. I will offer you $500 for it.”

 

“You can’t be serious! I paid $50,000 for it! That’s a hundred times what you’re offering!”

 

“But, as I say, I don’t have a use for this car. That’s all it’s worth to me.”

 

“Okay, okay. You know I’m desperate and I have to accept that. I’ll take $2,000 for the car, in cash, today.”

 

“Oh, I can’t go that high. Shall we say $700? I don’t see how I can go higher than that.”

 

“Seymour, this is robbery but I’ll take $1500 and that’s final.”

 

“Then we seem to be at an impasse. I am very sorry we couldn’t work something out.”

 

Ryan was dejected. He made one final attempt. “All right, let’s compromise on $1,000.”

 

“I will agree to this even though I may never make it back. I am a generous and compassionate man. We can go to the bank tomorrow and obtain the necessary cash. Or, if you prefer, I can give you all the cash I have here in the office, about $800. Which would you like?”

 

Seymour had won a total victory. Ryan said. “I’ll take the $800.”

 

#

 

Hank and I decided to spend an extra week on Eleuthera, a sort of pre-wedding honeymoon. We consulted Winston, the busboy, for his recommendations of places to visit. He told us “I like the north. That’s where I’m from. I grew up in the Bogues. There’s not much for you dare but you could tay the Span Well Fey and see all a fishin boats, or the fey to Briland where you’ll find lotsa rich tourist shops.” Whenever he mentioned the Bogues his English would lapse back to his youth.

 

“Hold on,” said Hank who was taking notes. What’s a span well fay?”

 

“Oh, I am so sorry, that’s just my old talk slipping back in. The Spanish Wells Ferry will take you across to that island or the Harbour Island Ferry will take you to that other island. If you have enough time you should visit both. Then down south of Governpr’s Harbour you should stop at Tarpum Bay for the best conch salad on the whole island and see some paintings by artists who live there. At Rock Sound you can get a good meal at the Wild Orchids and you can feed the wild fish at the Ocean Hole. If you drive all the way out to Cape Eleuthera you can sit on the beach and look out at Exuma Sound.”

 

“That all sounds great, Winston,” I said , “but we’ll need a car. Can you arrange that?”

 

“Yes, madam. But you should just stop in at Eleuthera Car Rentals here and choose the car you want.”

 

“We’ll do just that.”

 

The next morning we were dealing with Seymour Cartwright at Eleuthera Car Rentals. He showed us a small Toyota that was available, and a larger Volkswagen. We weren’t enthused about either. Then he showed us a nearly new BMW convertible that he had just acquired at great expense, he claimed. He could let us have it for $200/day.

 

Hank said “How about five days for $800?”

 

Seymour thought for a moment then replied “I’m a generous man. If you could make it $900, in advance, you can have it for all five days.” And that’s what we did.