Winds Across the Bay

By Loretta DeAngelis

When ex-cop-turned-college professor Colt Keel dies in an explosion on his sailboat, lead investigator Jake Lester thinks its an accident. Amy, Keels wife believes it was murder, and shes determined to find the truth. When Jake realizes it was no accident, Amy is right at the top of the list of suspects. Jake suspects Amy, because he knows secrets from Keels past. Amy suspects everybody else.

Keel was always a controversial figure, often doing the wrong thing for the right reason. Keel and his wife had become environmental activists. By trying to find out who killed Keel, a man of many identities emerges. He was a classic idealist, who loved his family, life, and the environment.

Amy decides to become actively involved in the investigation, a fact Jake is non too pleased with. Why cant she just stay out of his way and let him do his job? Although they are at odds at every turn, Jake develops a begrudging admiration for Amys staunch dedication to finding her husbands murderer. With a suspect list of crooked politicians, marina bums, and other unsavory characters, finding the killer isnt going to be easy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Aug 13, 2013
• ISBN: 9781480801646

Loretta DeAngelis

Loretta DeAngelis has been a long time resident of Tampa, Florida. She and her husband are avid sailors, cruising Florida, the Bahamas, and Cuba. Her love of the environment inspired her to write Winds across the Bay.

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Copyright © 2013 Loretta DeAngelis.

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ISBN: 978-1-4808-0163-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-0164-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013912320

Archway Publishing rev. date: 09/17/2013

Contents

Acknowledgment

The Explosion

Before the Explosion

Investigation

Amy Investigates

Jake: Running the Bases

Truth or Consequences Time for Amy

Jake Gets Motivated

Amy Following and Being Followed

Coming up with a Plan

Amy Follows Wendy

Where’s Pierce

Afterword

About the Author

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.

—Edmund Burke

Acknowledgment

T hanks to my husband and family who have been part of all of it, both the story line and unlimited assistance in the writing of this book. Special thanks to my three children who have been part of this adventure from the very beginning. Captain Kathi Anderson Moore for her continued help. Joe DeAngelis for all his technical assistance. Tina Mattison for unending support and inspiration. Edward Woodward who has been part of the criminal justice system for many years, always doing the right thing. Pastor H. Clark Edwards who is always ready to ride for the good cause.

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The Explosion

Colt Keel

C olt Keel walked down the hallway of the college that was becoming more and more vacant as the Friday afternoon wore on. He was wearing his standard uniform of jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt from some dive shop. Keel left the air-conditioned building and felt the heat as he walked through the humid air of the college parking lot. The temperature was already eighty six degrees, it was typical Tampa weather for the end of March.

Several students said hello as he left the building. Keel realized a few years ago that many students here had an agenda other than getting an education. Some were here because their parents paid for them and it was easier than getting a job. Then there were the students on some sort of welfare. There were always a few girls who were looking for a husband. Most of the students right out of high school were just looking for a good time. Keel found that the older students and the ones who took night classes were definitely more serious about learning.

He had been a professor for nearly twenty five years and had seen many changes in his time. He was twenty nine when he started teaching. The college wasn’t the only thing that had changed. His once thick dark hair was now streaked with gray. There were fine lines around his dark brown eyes. His graying beard gave him an Earnest Hemingway look. At fifty five he was in better shape than most of his students. He attributed that to hard work. He never minded getting his hands dirty working on the car, house, or the boat. He didn’t quite fit into the stereotype of a college professor. Others professors didn’t know just what to think of him, but he wasn’t the kind of person to care what anybody thought. Keel got into his old Chevy van, rolled the windows down and turned on talk radio. Within a minute, he was in disagreement with the radio announcer regarding an issue on gun control. Keel drove across the bridge that connects Tampa to St. Pete. He loved the water. Keel felt a magnetic pull towards the water. He needed to be near it, on in, and in it.

Keel pulled into the marina and saw Todd waving his hands around like a flag in a hurricane. Todd Taylor was the owner of the marina. Todd didn’t know how to talk without his hands waving. Before Keel even got out of the car, he heard Todd cursing at the lift operator. The lift operator was placing large straps under the boat so that he could pull it out of the water to be scraped and painted. The boat yard was busy with activity as five or six boats were being worked on at the same time. Todd yelled at Kent, You stupid idiot, you’re going to break the shaft if you put the straps that far back! Todd saw Keel’s van pull in. Todd walked over to the van. Hey Keel, how you doing old buddy? You gonna be here awhile?

Not too long, I’m going to check out my new switches. I was going to try and get home by five thirty. Why, do you need something?

What I need are some employees who have at least one brain cell. Todd pointed to planks of wet wood that were stacked up at the water’s edge. Then Keel noticed more planks still floating. Keel saw several people bobbing around in the water. It appeared they were trying to get the wood before it floated away.

Those stupid Cajun brothers went to get new wood to replace some of the rotten planks on the dock. So they backed up their truck into the ramp and the wood goes flying out the back of the truck. That’s what I get for paying them in beer. I have another issue with those two. I was hoping maybe you could give me some ideas on how to handle it. Todd still had a heavy New York accent. Maybe we could go have a beer or something. Or how bout you’s guys come over tonight and we’ll have something at the house. That would be even better."

I’ll give you a call later and let you know. Keel walked down the dock that was in desperate need of repair. He was thinking that if the Cajuns could collect the floating wood, maybe they could actually make this place a little more presentable. The weathered boards sagged beneath his feet. There were certainly better marinas in the area, but there was something about this place that Keel liked. The people were real, not the yacht club type with their noses up in the air. He stepped on the boat and opened the hatch. The hot air from inside the boat rose as he opened the hatchway. He was going to open all the hatches and turn the air-conditioner on, but first he wanted to see if the new switches he had installed would light. Everything seemed okay. The lights on the switches seemed to be working. Keel turned the battery selector switch to the battery one position to start the motor. That’s when the explosion happened.

It was a sudden blast. The fire spread so quickly that the bystanders at the marina could do little but look on in amazement. Some of the men working in the yard pulled a hose around to try and put the flames out. Other boaters ran to get fire extinguishers. It was already too late to make a difference. The fire had spread had spread too quickly. Within a few minutes, all that could be seen was the bowsprit. The two masts that had fallen together to make a cross. Pieces of the mainsail were caught in the slight breeze. Some of the pieces floated in the air like feathers. The water was becoming thick with diesel fuel. The diesel formed a rainbow of multi-colors on the water.

For a few minutes, no one was sure if anyone was on the boat. Old Tom, one of the liveaboards, was sure he saw Keel step on board. Todd ran into the office and called 911. Todd was sure there was no way Keel could have managed to get off the boat, but he was hoping that somehow he was wrong. The Marine Patrol, the sheriff’s office, and fire rescue were immediately dispatched to the scene. It was quickly learned that the owner of the boat was Colt Keel. Several people had seen him just before the explosion. They were pretty sure he was on board when the explosion took place.

Jake Lester

Jake Lester looked at the clock on the wall. There was still a pile of papers on his desk. Jake had intended to clear his desk before the day was over, but that didn’t happen. Jake figured they would still be there when he got back on Monday. The sheriff’s office was generally quieter this time of day. The uniform officers who just changed shifts were pretty much already out on patrol. He had just gotten into his unmarked police car when he heard the excitement on the radio. It sounded like every emergency vehicle was being dispatched to a nearby marina. The marina was located just a few blocks from his present position. The dispatcher gave the location of the call as Cruising World Marina. Fire rescue and an ambulance were dispatched. This would be a Florida Marine Patrol call most likely. The sheriff’s office would probably dispatch someone to the scene anyway. Jake started up his car and headed in the direction of the marina, just to see what was going on. It wasn’t like he had anything or anyone waiting for him anyway. He knew he needed to get a life. Unfortunately, at forty five, after two divorces, he just didn’t know what kind of life.

Jake found the scene to be chaotic. There were several sheriffs’ cars, an ambulance, and a fire rescue team. There were reporters on the scene from a television station that was located across the street. Jake saw several of the TV crew, some with cameras and some with microphones. Jake was amazed at how quickly the news had traveled. There were emergency vehicles all over the marina parking lot. Everyone at the marina was standing and staring at what was once was a forty two foot ketch sailboat. No one had any idea what had happened. They all knew there was an explosion and they were sure the owner was on the boat at the time.

Within half an hour the sheriff’s office had a dive team on the scene. Jake walked around the crowd and asked who was in charge of the marina. A woman pointed to a short stocky man with slick hair. The man she pointed to wore a silk shirt opened at the top. A large gold medal of some kind hanging from a huge chain reflected the setting sun. Jake held out his badge and introduced himself. I’m Jake Lester, I’m a detective with the sheriff’s office. Can you tell me what happened?

Beads of perspiration sat on Todd’s forehead and he looked to be out of breath. I already talked to those guys in blue uniforms. Todd pointed to some uniformed officers. I don’t know what happened. Keel was talking to me one minute, the next thing I know, boom. It sounded like a bomb exploded. Jeez, I feel just terrible about it.

Did you say Keel? That wouldn’t be Colt Keel would it?

Todd nodded his head, Yeah, he was a friend of mine too, nice guy. I can’t believe this. I was just talking to him a few minutes before it happened.

Jake couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Keel. Jake had a sudden surge of memories of the days he and Keel used to be buddies. That must have been twenty years ago. He figured the last time he saw Keel was a few years ago. Do you know if anyone else was with him?

No, he was alone. I guess Amy is still at work. I guess someone will have to tell her what happened. Todd looked dazed and still in disbelief. That’s his wife. He has three grown kids too. I don’t want to be the one to tell Amy. Is that something you can do? I’d like to leave that to you, you have probably done that kind of stuff before. I just wouldn’t know what to say. I know his phone number if you need it. Like I said, we were buddies. Keel kept his boat here off and on for several years. He just recently brought his forty two foot sail boat back here a few weeks ago.

Unfortunately, the job of informing the family still belonged to Jake. He wasn’t looking forward to it, but he knew he was obligated to be the one to inform Amy. Yes, I’ll take care of it. I need the address, if you have it. We can’t call his wife on the phone.

Jake followed Todd into the marina office. It took his eyes a minute to adjust to the darkened room. It was quite a contrast to the bright sunlight in the boat yard. The air-conditioner gave him a quick relief from the heat. Todd flipped through some files and gave Jake the current home phone number and address. Jake realized the Keel’s still lived at the same house they had been at for years. He looked at his watch it was six thirty. He decided to take a ride by the Keel’s house. According to Todd, Amy had an office job somewhere in Tampa. Jake walked back to the dock where Keel’s boat had been tied. By now the fire had been put out. The rescuers were still working on the scene. Jake overheard the marine patrol officers talking to each other.

You know who owned this boat? Remember Keel. Isn’t he the guy that almost cost you your job?

Yeah, that’s him. Well they say, payback is hell. The two men laughed and then quickly changed their conversation when they saw Jake staring at them. The faces of the bystanders looked at the disappearing boat with anguish. From the sounds of their conversations, Keel was well liked, at least by the other boat owners.

Amy Keel

Amy Keel sat at her desk, attempting to finish up some of the week’s work, trying not to look at her watch. Amy had been promoted to credit manager after a few years on the job. She was a hard worker, but was always thankful when it was quitting time and especially on Friday. She wasn’t a typical professional woman. Her true love was her family. She couldn’t wait to get home and put on something comfortable. She was much more comfortable in shorts and sneakers than hose and heels. Amy and Colt had married right out of high school. Their kids had also married young. They felt lucky to have grandkids while they were still young enough to enjoy them. Amy decided to leave a few minutes early to avoid the mad rush at five o’clock. She pulled a clip out of her auburn hair and let it fall to the middle of her back. She rolled down the window to enjoy the fresh air. Even though she worked for an air-conditioning company, she preferred the fresh air. Colt’s van was not there. She remembered he said he might go by the marina after his last class. He had promised her that tonight they would go out.

She opened the gate into the yard and immediately felt the cooler air. The trees that Colt had planted a few years ago now made a canopy of shade surrounding the house. The tide was high and the water was slapping the bottom of the dock just at the edge of their property. Amy felt a cool breeze as she stepped under the shade of the stilt house. She changed into shorts and a T-shirt as she listened to the messages on the recorder. Amy looked at the clock and figured Colt would be home soon.

There was a message on the recorder from Colt. He said, I’m going to the marina for awhile. I want to check on the new switch. I’ll be home by the time you get off. Think about what you want to do tonight. Love ya.

Amy made the bed and washed the few breakfast dishes in the sink. She heard a car pull up and looked out the front window to see if it was Colt. She didn’t recognize the car or the face. She stepped out onto the porch that overlooked the front gate. It took Amy a minute to realize who it was. It was Jake Lester; he was now a detective with the sheriff’s office. He had been one of Colt’s first students at the college. That was back in the days when Colt taught criminology. Colt and Jake had remained friends over the years, but didn’t see each other too often. She and Colt saw him on the news all the time. They hadn’t seen him in person for a few years. Amy realized that he had put on some weight. She remembered him with a head full of wiry hair. Jake’s hair had thinned out significantly in the past few years.

Amy walked down the stairs and greeted him at the gate. I almost didn’t recognize you, I haven’t seen you in ages. Colt’s not home yet. I expect him any time. He’s down working on the boat. Amy realized that Jake was no longer wearing his thick glasses. She guessed he either was wearing contacts or had received eye surgery.

Jake didn’t know just where to start with the unfortunate information he was about to relay. Could we go in the house? I need to talk to you. Amy didn’t react to what Jake had just said. She led him up the stairs and into the stilt house.

Oh sure, you want something cold to drink? Colt should be here any minute. It’s getting hot already. Isn’t it? Before waiting for Jake’s response, she was in the kitchen putting ice in a glass.

Amy, I’m here about Colt, there’s been an accident. There is no easy way to tell you this. There was an explosion on the boat and everyone is sure Colt was on it at the time. I sure hate to be the one to tell you this. Jake saw the color disappear from her face. She sat down, feeling a weakness in her knees. Jake held his arm out just in case she might need it. Amy felt her stomach turn. For a second everything was frozen in time. She knew what Jake had just said, but it wasn’t registering with her brain. Something was wrong, this just couldn’t be. It was Friday, they were planing on having a nice weekend. This couldn’t be happening. You must be wrong. I’m sure Colt is fine. I have to go there.

That wouldn’t be a good idea right now. They have divers on the scene and the place is surrounded by news media and emergency vehicles.

Amy looked at Jake with a blank stare. Maybe he wasn’t even on the boat. What happened anyway? Maybe you’re wrong.

All we know, so far, is that there was some kind of explosion. It’s too early to tell at this point what happened. The fire rescue team said that it appears to be a propane explosion. Maybe there was a leak in the propane tank. Of course, it is still much too early to tell.

Amy sat on the couch wringing her hands together. That’s not possible. You don’t know how careful he was. We have an alarm for fumes, besides Colt would have smelled it. He has such a good sense of smell. Maybe he got off the boat and he doesn’t know about it yet. You must have made a mistake.

Jake studied Amy’s face. Her face showed anxiety, but no tears. Expressions told more stories than words. I wish you were right, but several people saw him get on the boat. I’m so sorry. I wish there was something I could do.

Amy just wanted Jake to go and leave her alone. If he would just get out of the house, she was sure she would be all right. Jake knew Amy wanted him out of there, but he wasn’t sure of the reason. She thought he was reading her thoughts. He said, I don’t want to leave you here alone. Do you want me to drive you to one of your kids’ house?

No, I’m fine. I’ll have to call them. I’ll call my oldest daughter. She might be able to come over. My other daughter lives in Brooksville. My son lives here in Tampa at the north end of the county. I think he is out of town today. I don’t know how to tell them about their father. My daughter could be here in an hour. Amy felt like she wasn’t going to last an hour. She picked up the phone, and then realized she couldn’t tell them over the phone. I can’t remember my daughter’s phone number. Isn’t that the craziest thing? I call her all the time and now I can’t remember her number. Amy held the phone like she had no idea how to use it.

Jake wasn’t sure how to help. Do you have your daughter’s phone number in memory in your cell phone? We can just call her from your cell. Amy opened her purse and gave the phone to Jake. He located the number and handed the phone to her.

Amy’s ten-year-old grandson answered. He said, Hi Grandma, are you okay? You don’t sound so good.

I don’t feel good honey, is your mom home. I need to talk to her. Kody called his mother to the phone. She said, Hi Mom, I was just on my way out the door, we’re going camping this weekend.

Honey, I don’t feel too good and I need you to come over now.

Where’s Dad? Mom, what is the matter with you? You sound weird. Let me talk to Dad. We have the whole weekend planned. We are going camping at Disney. Everybody is waiting for us. Where is Dad anyway?

Please, just get here as soon and you can. Amy was in no mood to argue with her. She also knew she couldn’t tell Marina about her father on the phone. For God’s sake, can’t you just this once do as I say without arguing. I need to see you right away.

Okay, chill out Mom. I’ll be there as soon as I can, but I can’t stay long. I’ll tell everybody I’ll meet them later.

Amy realized that Jake was listening, but at that point she didn’t care. She knew her tone would tell him that she was aggravated with her daughter. Jake felt like he was ease dropping on a conversation between a mother and daughter. He went into the kitchen and poured Amy a glass of ice water. Her face felt hot and flushed. She hadn’t realized until then that her mouth felt like a desert. She took the glass with a trembling hand and took a sip of water. When she put the glass down, she missed the counter and it fell to the floor.

The glass appeared to fall in slow motion, but she was still unable to catch it. A piece of the broken glass hit her leg and blood started running down. The odd thing was that when it hit the ground it didn’t seem to make any sound. Jake was saying something, but Amy couldn’t hear him either. Everything seemed to be coming through a fog.

Jake said, You’ll be fine, you’re strong, and you have your kids. That’s more than most people have. His words sounded so shallow. They meant nothing.

Amy took a paper towel and wiped her bleeding leg. I don’t think it was an accident. I know Colt was too smart for this to happen the way you said. You need to tell the detectives that this is probably a homicide, not an accident.

Look, you’re upset. This is a horrible shock, but you can’t let yourself think like that. It won’t do any good. I’ll wait ‘til your daughter gets here.

No please, I need some time to myself. I appreciate the offer, but I want to be alone.

Jake was uncomfortable with Amy’s response. He expected crying and hysteria. He didn’t expect silence. He wrote down a phone number where he could be reached and put it on the table. Call if you need anything at all. I’ll be in touch with you in a day or so anyway.

Marina

Amy closed the door behind Jake Lester. She walked out onto the porch. She thought she should be crying, but she just sat there starring, looking deep into the water. It was a view she and Colt had enjoyed so much. She couldn’t even imagine life without him. She didn’t hear Marina’s car, but the dog was barking. Then she remembered that her oldest daughter was coming. Marina felt an eerie silence as she walked into the house. I’m back here Marina, on the porch. I kind of lost track of time. I almost forgot that you were coming.

Marina had never seen her mother like this before. She wrapped her arms around Amy knowing something was seriously wrong. Mom, what’s the matter?

That’s when the tears fell. Through the sobs, Amy told Marina what had happened to her father. I didn’t want to tell you on the phone, but I knew I couldn’t drive. I just didn’t know what to do. Jake Lester is the police office who came and told me. Do you remember him? He didn’t want me to go to the marina, but I have to go there. I have to go look at the boat. I have to see what happened.

Marina had tears in her eyes. All she could say was Poor Dad, how terrible.

Amy went in the bathroom and washed the tears off her face. She looked at her swollen eyes and felt a great emptiness. Marina was on the phone with her ex-husband, she told him what had happened and asked him to meet her at her sister’s house. Marina would be the one to tell her brother and sister. She was the oldest, she was the strongest.

Marina, are you sure you are okay to drive. I remembered how I felt about my father’s sudden death. To this day I can’t remember driving to my mother’s house after I got the phone call. You and Noah were in school that day and Gina was still just a baby. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked you to drive. I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking clearly.

Mom, I’m okay to drive, but are you sure this is a good idea? Maybe we shouldn’t go to the marina.

I have to go. I have to see what had happened. I know this was no accident.

Mom, relax. Don’t do this to yourself. I know this is hard to accept, but you can’t think like that.

There were all kinds of emergency vehicles in the parking lot of the marina. There was a television station remote vehicle with a news reporter talking in front of a camera. Amy was thinking of an old song, The bubble headed bleach blond who comes on at five. There were pieces of the shredded main sail scattered in the parking lot of the marina. The breeze was gently swirling the pieces of sailcloth around. Marina and Amy practically had to push their way through the crowd to see the boat. The whole dock was surrounded by yellow tape that was used for a crime scene. The midsection of the boat was completely submerged below the water. There was debris floating on the water that was thick with diesel. The Coast Guard had already put yellow floats around the area of the boat. The booms were used to stop the spread of fuel and oil that would have floated into the bay.

The two masts had fallen during the explosion and had crossed like an X with the bow and stern slowly sinking into the water. Everyone at the marina looked dazed. Candy, the marina owner’s wife, spotted Amy in the crowd and came up and hugged her. She was saying how sorry she was, but Amy’s mind was in such a fog that nothing was clear. Amy stared at the boat. She realized that Colt could not have survived the explosion. The whole midsection of the boat was gone. Amy looked at Marina, and said, They tossed him in the ocean cause their hearts were made in hell.

What are you saying Mom?

It’s a song by Jimmy Buffet. Your father loved that song and for some reason it just came to my mind. Who could have done this and why?

A female news reporter some how must have realized who Amy was. She walked toward her and stuck a microphone in her face. Are you the widow?

Are you a vulture? I can’t believe how insensitive you are.

Marina realized that her mother was about to punch the news reporter. Marina hadn’t seen her mother upset too often, but watch out when her mother was angry. Marina said, Come on Mom, let’s get out of here. The reporter was just doing her job.

Marina and Amy got back in the car and drove north to Brooksville. Amy needed to tell the rest of the family. Amy stared out the window as tears rolled down her face. Amy had three children and seven grandchildren. All but the youngest of the grandchildren were old enough to understand what death meant. So telling them was going to be very difficult. It would be tough getting through the next few days.

The newspaper article stated that Colton Keel’s death was due to an unfortunate boating accident. He was survived by his wife, three children and seven grandchildren. He had been a professor at a Tampa College for almost twenty-five years and had served the community in many aspects. He was a former Coast Guard officer, specializing in port security. He was a former police officer, serving in various jurisdictions in Florida prior to teaching at the college. He was an author of a crime scene investigation text book. He taught the police academy for many years. He had been instrumental in the acquisition of the Rocky Creek Nature Park.

Amy Keel read his obituary. That was it. It didn’t seem right to her that after all his years of trying to do the right thing, his epitaph was a few short lines. The local paper had called it a boating accident, but Amy knew it was no accident. Colt was too careful for that to have happened. From the horrible moment she heard of his death, she knew it was no accident.

Amy left all the arrangements to her children. Colt hated funerals. He used to joke that he wasn’t going to his own. He said he never wanted a traditional funeral. They were too depressing. He just wanted everyone to have a laugh in memory of him and put his ashes into the water. His death had provided his final wishes. His ashes were already in the sea.

Amy went through the next few days in what seemed to be a zombie like state. Amy accepted the fact that Colt was dead, but continued to believe it was murder. She was angry at life. It seemed so unfair to her that Colt should be taken from her now. She and Colt were so happy and it had been a long bumpy road to get there. Life wasn’t fair, Amy knew that, but it didn’t help. She thanked God for her children who helped her get through this terrible time. His memorial service was attended by many of Tampa’s elite, some of which were his former students, who had become sergeants, detectives, attorneys, and doctors.

Memorial Service

There was no funeral, but a memorial service was planned at a nearby church. Amy hated the formalities, but went through the routine. Gina bought her a black dress to wear. The wind caught her skirt as she walked into the church. Amy knew these were the winds of change blowing again. Sometimes life’s winds were gentle and changes came slowly, blowing only slightly day by day. Amy had changed from girl to mother to grandmother not knowing exactly when the changes took place. The definition of love had changed many times for Amy and Colt. They had been through troubled times before and had always managed to somehow survive, but this time was different. The past problems had been nothing more than a wind. There were warnings, black clouds overhead and then the hurricanes blew, blowing everything out from under her. But there was still solid ground to rebuild on, but not this time. This time the wind came in the form of a tornado with no warning. Amy felt this time the foundation was blown away and she couldn’t imagine how to recover.

Jake observed of a wide spectrum of representatives from the community at the memorial service. There were college professors, law enforcement personnel, church types, and some that appeared to be from the lower social end of the spectrum. Jake watched Amy from the back of the church; a handsome family surrounded her. Her son was a good foot taller than his mother. Noah had turned into a handsome man. Amy’s daughters were natural beauties. Jake watched Amy talking to the pastor. It appeared to him that the pastor was very close to Amy. His eulogy confirmed Jake’s suspicion. The pastor talked of good times he and Colt had together. He introduced himself as Pastor H. Lark. Jake got the impression that Pastor Lark was a good old boy from Georgia, or maybe northern Florida. It became obvious that Colt had known the pastor for some time.

Pastor Lark talked about all the times that Colt had helped fix his boat. The pastor had baptized some of Colt’s grandchildren. He told stories of Colt’s good deeds and what an asset he had been to the community. Colt helped family and friends, neighbors, and strangers. Jake felt that he was hearing of a fourth dimension of a man he thought he knew. All the while Pastor Lark was talking, two large screens showed continuous pictures of Colt throughout his lifetime. There were many pictures of Colt and his family, lots of boating pictures, and family gatherings.

Then Pastor Lark told a story of one boating event. The pictures stopped on a group of about ten men including Colt and Pastor Lark. He said, This is a picture of a group of pastors that get together every year for a little fun and relaxation. This year they decided to come to Tampa, so I was in charge of the get together. I asked Colt if we could use his boat to take them out on a fishing trip. Colt moved his schedule around to accommodate me. It was a relatively calm day and we headed out through the shipping channel towards the Gulf. One of the pastors wanted to steer the boat and Colt was happy to oblige. Colt gave some quick instructions and said if another boat comes by make sure you hit the waves at a forty five degree angle. Colt went below into the cabin for a minute. All of a sudden a speedboat comes flying by. The pastor at the wheel obviously forgot everything Colt told him. The boat hit that wave straight on and became airborne. Colt comes up from below calm as can be and looks at me and laughs. Everything was scattered all over in the cabin and preachers were scattered all over the deck. Colt said that’s one way to spread the word.

After the service, Jake approached Amy as she walked to the back of the church and asked how she was doing. He thought how attractive she looked for a grieving widow. Her hair was twisted in a knot at the back of her neck and her black dress hinted at a still youthful figure.

I appreciate you coming. Are you here as a friend or are you investigating the accident? Have they found the cause of the explosion yet?

Amy, you shouldn’t have to ask. You know that Keel was a friend of mine. As far as the investigation is concerned, you have to realize that it has only been a few days. I’m sure the Florida Marine Patrol is going to look into it. I’m here as a friend. Keel was a great guy. He did a lot for me.

Why is the marine patrol investigation the explosion?

Well, the sheriff’s office will fill out a report, but since the explosion happened on Florida waters, they will take over the investigation.

Jake, this wasn’t an accident. It was murder.

From the evidence so far, there is nothing to indicate it was a murder, but I will certainly keep you informed. If it turns out to be a murder investigation then the sheriff’s office will take over the investigation

Does that mean you will handle the investigation?

Jake said, At that point, if it gets to that point, it could go to any number of detectives, but I think you are just imagining things. Give it a few more days to see what turns up.

I’m going to give you my daughter’s phone number. I’ve been staying there since this happened. Please call me if you hear anything.

Of course, I will. Are you planning on staying at your daughter’s permanently?

Actually, I had no idea what I am going to do about anything. I have a few family members coming by the house, but I don’t expect them to stay long. I’m going to get a few things and spend some time with my daughter in Brooksville. I just know that right now I couldn’t stay in an empty house with all of Colt’s things and a thousand reminders of him.

Amy’s three kids and their families made a short trip from the church to the house. Amy sat down at the picnic table under the house, almost as though she didn’t have the strength to climb the stairs. Gina gently touched her mother’s shoulder. Dad always said if anything ever happen that we should think of a happier time. I hate to see you so upset like this.

Amy gave her daughter a half smile. I’ll be all right, but it will take some time. Right now it seems that the happy times are gone forever.

Marina started packing up some of Amy’s things. The boys and I would love you to stay with us. They echoed their mother’s wishes, Yeah Grandma, that would be great. We could ride bikes everyday after school. Mom won’t let us go outside until she gets home and then it’s too late to ride.

Marina intervened, Boy’s, quit thinking about yourselves. We are trying to do what makes Grandma happy, not you guys.

Gina overheard the conversation. Mom is coming to stay with me. Why would she want to stay at your house when you are never home?

Marina knew that would be best. Okay but you are staying at my house on the weekends.

Amy looked up at her children arguing over her. It was a comforting thought. For the first time that day she noticed how nice they all looked. Her granddaughters were in dresses and her grandsons were wearing long sleeve shirts and ties. Amy knew that she still had so much to be thankful for. I’m sorry, but I wouldn’t be much fun right now anyway. We’ll go bike riding in a week or two.

That’s okay Grandma, we understand.

Amy stared into the water. You know, the more I think about the accident, the more I believe it was planned. You know how your father was; he never worried about upsetting anyone. He used to say that they were so many people mad at him they would have to take a number and wait their turn. If he felt something was wrong, he went all out to correct it. He never worried about the consequences.

Noah knew that his father wouldn’t have had it any other way. Mom, you should be happy for Dad that he died quickly. He died on his boat and that’s the only way he would have wanted it. I could never see him growing old and useless. He died on his boat that he loved so much.

Maybe you are right, but I’m still going to find out what happened. I have to know.

Marina said, But Mom, if it was an accident wouldn’t the police know that by now?

I don’t have a lot of faith in anybody doing a good job. Most people just go through the motions. They will look for the easiest way out. In this case that would be to call this an accident. I remember your dad telling me one time that when he was doing undercover work, he was amazed at how hard the bad guys would plan a crime. He walked into the sheriff’s office and overheard some of the detectives discussing how to go about a situation. Should they approach from the left, the right, should they start early or late in the afternoon. Your dad said he was so pleased to hear them getting into their work. Unfortunately, as he listened a littler longer, he realized they were planning on putting a sprinkler system in one of their yards. The cops and crooks all had their weekend plans. I already told Jake what I thought. He said he will look into it, but I could tell he just thought I was some crazy old fool.

First of all you aren’t old and you certainly aren’t a fool. Hell, Jake is as old as you and Dad.

Not quite, he’s about ten years younger. He and your dad use to be very close, but that was a long time ago.

Kody was only ten, he said, I’ll help you Grandma, we’ll find out who killed Grandpa. Amy smiled for the first time in days. Kody was Colt’s grandson all right.

Amy spent the next few days in Brooksville with her kids. She kept waiting to hear from Jake Lester, but the call didn’t come. She felt her life was on hold until she learned the truth. After a week of waiting she finally called him at the sheriff’s office.

Jake, this is Amy Keel. I hadn’t heard from you, so I thought I’d give you a call. Have the investigators come up with any information?

No Amy, I’m afraid not. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence to indicate foul play.

I’m going to be in Tampa tomorrow. Could you give me about twenty minutes of your time? I can meet you wherever it is convenient for you.

Amy could hear the hesitation in his voice, but he agreed to meet her. Sure, your house will be fine. It’s not that far out of the way. How about two in the afternoon?

Thanks, I’ll see you then.

Jake went by the medical examiners’ office. The medical examiner said that the cause of death was certainly the explosion, but he could not determine the cause of the explosion. He stated that he had already sent the remains to a local funeral home on Hillsborough Ave. The family had wished for any remains to be cremated. Jack decided to pick up the remains for Amy. At least that was something he could do for her.

House at Rocky Creek

Everyone, including her children, kept calling it an accident. Amy wanted to go over all the details with Jake. She needed to convince Jake that this was a murder that needed to be investigated. She knew that if she couldn’t convince Jake that it was a murder, the killer would get away with it.

Jake walked under the stilt house. He noticed decorations of ropes with block and tackle. Behind the ropes were old crab traps and life rafts. It gave him the feeling of being in boatyard. It was obvious to Jake that Colt had a hand in the decorations. Amy met him at the top of the stairs.

This is a great house, I didn’t know you had built a new house on the property. When did you have this house built?

It was after Hurricane Elena. We had water waste deep, the wiring and plumbing was all destroyed. Of course the house was about fifty years old. The hurricane also took most of the roof. We had hurricane insurance which covered rebuilding the house. Most of the people in this neighborhood didn’t have insurance. I can tell you I was sweating that one out. I couldn’t remember if I had mailed the check for the insurance and we couldn’t get in the house for a few days. That’s the first thing I did once we were able to get back in. I went and looked at all the canceled checks to make sure we had paid the bill. Then we had to wait to get zoning to approve rebuilding because we didn’t have enough land. Fortunately, the county grandfathered us in so we were able to rebuild. The only reason it was approved was because we had plans to rebuild on stilts.

Jake sat at a wooden dining room table that was build from a ship’s wheel covered with glass. Well it’s very nice, you have a great view.

Amy saw him staring at the table. Colt and I built this table ourselves. It looks expensive, but it wasn’t. We did just about everything ourselves. You should have seen us building the docks.

The house overlooked what was now a preserved wetland. The screened in porch wrapped around the back of the house. It overlooked a creek that wound its way to the bay. Amy said, The view is still here because Colt has been fighting for years to keep it preserved. If it hadn’t been for him, they probably would have built condos there by now. I couldn’t even tell you how many times he’s been to court over that land.

Amy followed Jake down the stairs that lead under the house. There were picnic tables and a hammock.

Jake said, this place looks like a resort. I see you already have a for sale sign up.

Oh that went up a few weeks ago. We weren’t sure if we were going to stay here after we retired. We were going to sail for a few years before we bought something smaller, probably closer to the kids. Now of course, I have no idea what I’m going to do. Tell me about the investigation. Have the detectives been able to find any evidence that Colt’s death was not an accident?

Jake said, There are lots of pieces of debris, but nothing so far that indicated this was intentional. Why are you so convinced this was murder?

"Just before the explosion a private detective followed us, Colt spotted him. The detective said he didn’t know who hired him. He said he was paid in cash. Colt was trying to find out