Moments Before Dawn

By Irwin L. Hinds

This engaging novel describes the dilemma wealthy widower and aged businessman, Demetrius Fargo faced when deciding which of his two daughters should be the sole heir to his estate. Initially, he chose his biological daughter, Yolanda, the younger of the two women over her adopted sister, Zelda, who lived relatively close to him in New York City, and had been his care giver for quite some time. Yolanda lived in Tennessee and had not seen her father or sister in five years.
She had been her fathers favorite. As such, she often exploited that preference and relied on him for financial support. She was consumed with greed and a determination to acquire his wealth. Zelda, on the contrary, was an independent -minded, hard working, modest, and caring individual. Her only desire while on the same Caribbean summer cruise as her sister and father was respite from the day -to -day care giving.
Yolanda, on the other hand, cared very little about her fathers safety, his health, or well-being. Her only concern was his money. She was determined not to wait for years to inherit it, and plotted a scheme to make him disappear. Bartholomew Fargo, Demetriuss first cousin and long time business partner, had a similar plan and encouraged Jake, a friend and ex-convict, to join him on the same cruise.
Yolanda used her personal savings and the help of an ex-boyfriend to hire two hit- men to take out her dad. At that time, she was unaware that he had changed his will and made Zelda the sole heir to his fortune. Unwittingly, though separately, both sisters became romantically involved with the would-be assassins.
Who would decide Demetriuss fate?
Would it be Yolanda, Bartholomew, or someone else?
Would the individual or individuals be successful and get away with it moments before dawn?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing
• Release date: May 9, 2013
• ISBN: 9781466981164

Irwin L. Hinds

Irwin L. Hinds is the author of Discourse, Betrayals and Deceit, The River Lime, and Staged. He is currently an adjunct associate professor at Medgar Evers College of the City University and lives with his family in New York City.

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© Copyright 2013 Irwin L.Hinds.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

This is a work of fiction. The characters in this book are creations of the author’s imagination. Any likeness to persons dead or alive is purely coincidental. With the exception of well known historical events, organizations, and/or places, all incidents are imagined and dramatized.

ISBN: 978-1-4669-8115-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-8117-1 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4669-8116-4 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013902937

Trafford rev. 05/02/2013

7-Copyright-Trafford_Logo.ai www.trafford.com

North America & international

toll-free: 1 888 232 4444 (USA & Canada)

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CONTENTS

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EIGHTEEN

NINETEEN

TWENTY

TWENTY-ONE

TWENTY-TWO

TWENTY-THREE

TWENTY-FOUR

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-SIX

TWENTY-SEVEN

TWENTY-EIGHT

TWENTY-NINE

This book is dedicated to my family.

ONE

T hey glanced at each other and smiled as they were dropped off by their respective taxi service. The cruise ship was scheduled to leave the dockyard for a nine-day Caribbean cruise. Their interest in each other was evident, but neither wanted to appear too brazen. The glances, however, continued; so did the smiles as different deckhands at Red Hook Dockyard tagged their luggage and directed them to the security checkpoint. Both had cruised before, so they knew that there was a 50 percent chance that they may see each other again as they embarked on one of the largest ships operating in Caribbean waters.

For a brief period, they lost sight of each other, and while Memphis Sterling showed no concern, Zelda Fargo was not about to miss what she considered a great opportunity to get to know the handsome stranger. After all, that’s one reason for me being on this cruise, she thought. She then located her cabin on deck 8, checked it out thoroughly, and felt satisfied with the amenities. Shortly thereafter, her luggage was delivered; she looked at the cruise summary and decided that while her chances of meeting him again were slim, time was on her side. With that in mind, she left for lunch.

Before she finished eating, she noticed that most passengers were leaving the dining room and realized that the rush was to get toward the front of the vessel or onto the upper deck at poolside. Most people wanted to secure a spot from which they could view the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge as the ship sailed through the Buttermilk Channel toward the bridge and eventually under it toward the Ambrose Channel and into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. For Zelda, that novelty had waned. She had become familiar with the site after seven previous cruises, so she merely sat back to enjoy her meal.

Then, instinctively, she looked up, and there was that handsome stranger again. He smiled and asked with a charming Southern intonation, May I join you?

You certainly can, said Zelda. When he sat down, she asked, Are you cruising alone?

Well, I am supposedly with a group, but I am pretty much on my own, said Memphis, a forty-two-year-old Southerner with a boyish look. Is that true for you also?

Not quite. I am not attached to any group. I am alone, but my stepfather is also on this cruise. His cabin is on deck 14.

Well, my name is Sterling. Memphis Sterling.

Zelda stretched her hand across the table, and they shook hands as she introduced herself. She then asked, Are you from the New York area?

No. I live in Lexington, Kentucky, but I was born in Knoxville, Tennessee. My parents still live there.

Gee! You are a long way from home.

I like visiting different parts of the country or the world for that matter.

Are you with the cruise line? Zelda asked, expecting to get some information about his occupation.

No. When you live in the middle of the country like I do and wish to cruise, you must get to a port city.

She was disappointed that Memphis did not divulge his vocation, but she asked nothing further about that. Instead, she asked, Have you been to your cabin?

Oh yes! It is lovely.

Where is it?

It is on deck 8.

My cabin is also on the deck 8.

You are not with your stepfather. That’s great! Maybe we can meet for breakfast sometime.

That would be nice, but why wait until breakfast? I could use a drink just about now.

Drinks other than coffee, tea, or sodas are not served in this dining room, but there is a nice little lounge on deck 4.

We can do better than that, she said as a delightfully seductive smile brightened her face. Although there was no verbal response from Memphis, she knew from his body language that she had stirred his interest or at least his curiosity. So she continued. I have received two complimentary bottles of liquor. You can join me if you wish.

Then why are we still here?

Okay, let’s go.

They left the twelfth-floor dining room and rode the elevator down to deck 8. Zelda stood in the waiting area for a moment, uncertain as to the direction of her cabin. She then pointed to her left and said, It’s down here. I am in 14D.

That’s interesting.

What is so interesting about that?

My cabin is a little further down. I’m in 20J.

There was no immediate response from Zelda as they reached her cabin door. She stopped, inserted her keycard into the lock, and opened the door.

Here we are, she said.

They entered, and Memphis pulled the only chair in the cabin from where it was, at a desk that doubled as a dresser, and he sat down.

That’s nice. He is comfortable with me, Zelda thought.

You wouldn’t mind? she asked as she pulled off her top and tossed it on the bed before taking a bottle of champagne out of the small under-counter refrigerator. We can have this or that. She held up the champagne and pointed to a bottle of Scotch whisky that was on top of the small tablelike refrigerator.

Which do you want? Memphis asked.

I would prefer the softer of the two.

He took the bottles from her, poured some of the well-chilled champagne in one of two glasses that were on the refrigerator, and handed it to her. In the other glass, he placed four ice cubes and poured enough scotch for himself. She rested her champagne on the desk and changed into a dressing robe.

Cheers. They tapped glasses before sipping their drinks. Then, instead of returning to his seat in the chair at the desk (the dresser that is), he sat next to her on the bed. She took his glass, got up, and placed it on the refrigerator together with hers before rejoining him on the bed. Without asking, they kissed each other. They repeated the process, perhaps to ascertain its authenticity. She unbuttoned his shirt. He wasn’t wearing an undershirt, tank top, or any other type of undergarment, and although she made no mention of it, she was impressed by his rippled abs.

Seconds later, they lay across the bed and rolled over several times before they assumed a position perpendicular to the bed head. For the next thirty minutes, they were oblivious to the outside world. They had been in bed for several hours when, shortly after 5:10 p.m., Memphis asked, Are we moving?

Yes, the ship is moving.

Shouldn’t we get up?

Why?

I would like to get a glimpse of that bridge. What’s the name of it again?

Are you speaking of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge?

Yes, that’s the one. I would love to get some pictures of it.

Then you must hurry.

Wouldn’t you like to come along?

No. I have done that too many times before.

Would I see you later?

Maybe.

Why did you say maybe?

I do not know what your plans are.

Memphis laughed and said, Okay. I will see you later. What’s a good time?

That is entirely up to you.

Would 6:00 p.m. be okay?

Six o’clock would be fine.

Then I will meet you here at six.

I’ll see you then.

Okay. See you later, bye, he said as he walked out the door.

It’s hard to believe that I spent the entire afternoon in bed with a total stranger, he thought as he walked off in the direction of his cabin.

Zelda placed the Do Not Disturb sign on the outer handle of her cabin door and returned to bed. She wasn’t sure what she was feeling. Is it dejection, or is it remorse? she wondered but soon fell asleep.

She was up and ready for any eventuality by 5:45 p.m. By then the ship had passed under the Verrazano Bridge and was well on course toward the Ambrose Channel where it followed a southerly course toward the Caribbean. Memphis kept his word and arrived at Zelda’s cabin at 6:00 p.m. precisely.

What are we going to do? she asked.

We could have dinner then take in a show at the theater.

What is showing?

I don’t know, but does it really matter?

Of course, it matters.

Well, there are other things that can occupy our time.

You must have enjoyed every minute of it.

Are we on the same page? We haven’t done anything together as yet.

Oh! Really, maybe I was hallucinating.

Come on, let’s go, Memphis said as he placed his right hand at the middle of her lower back and guided her out of the cabin.

Where are we going? she asked after she pulled the door shut behind her.

"First, we will stop at Culinary Delights. It’s a Caribbean restaurant. Or rather, a restaurant that serves Caribbean food."

About twenty minutes later, they entered the restaurant and were served promptly. As they ate, they conversed. Memphis was concerned that Zelda’s cabin was so far from her stepfather’s, so he asked, Why is your cabin located on deck eight and your stepfather’s is all the way up on deck 14?

He likes to have a balcony where he can sit outside, smoke, and drink vodka.

Couldn’t you get a cabin closer to him?

He would have loved that, but I didn’t want one.

Why didn’t you?

Zelda was becoming wary of Memphis’ questions, but she answered reluctantly, He is a miser and would have expected me to pay for the cabin and still look after him.

What is so wrong about that? Memphis wondered. You are grown and should be responsible for your own expenditures, he thought. However, he asked, How old is your stepdad?

He is seventy-six and has been a magpie for as long as I have known him, all thirty-two years.

That may be the reason he is now able to enjoy the finer things in life.

He is the only father I know, but he is always feuding with someone about money. His business partner, who, incidentally, is his first cousin, is constantly in conflict with him over investments and profits. They own an automotive repair and body shop on Merrick Road in Valley Stream, New York, and have amassed a fortune over the years, but both are as miserly as they come, and I should add, they now hate each other.

Zelda’s tone caused Memphis to wonder, Is she the same genteel, romantic individual I met and spent several hours with earlier? He did not comment, but she continued in a more apologetic tone.

I am sorry if I seem to be uncouth, but the very thought of him makes my nerves jagged.

Didn’t you say earlier that he is the only father you know?

Yes, but that does not change the fact that he is not a nice person. He never was.

He seems to have raised you well.

Credit for my upbringing goes to my mother. He was at work seven days per week for twelve to fourteen hours per day, and whenever he was at home, he seldom spoke to us.

Us, does that mean you and your mother?

No! By us I mean my younger sister and I.

Are you close in age?

I am three years older. To some people, that may seem close; to others, it may not.

That’s close enough, said Memphis as he thought, She does have a striking resemblance to Yolanda Fargo whom I knew in Knoxville and whose father, Demetrius Fargo from New York, is supposedly on this cruise. So he asked, Where is your sister now?

She lives in Tennessee.

Where in Tennessee does she live?

The last time I heard from her, she was living in Knoxville.

How long ago was that?

Oh, that was about five years ago.

You have kept in touch though, haven’t you?

No.

How could that happen in today’s world with the Internet and e-mail, and all of the social media?

It happens.

Does that make my job more difficult? he wondered. It shouldn’t. However, I have eight days to carefully assess the situation.

TWO

A fter dinner, they spent two hours at the casino, during which time Memphis lost a total of $57, but Zelda’s luck brought her winnings that totaled $92. There was neither regret nor an expression of joy on the part of either. Instead, they left the casino calmly at midnight and proceeded to Zelda’s cabin. Once there, they relaxed and sipped champagne as they conversed. Zelda wanted to know more about Memphis’ occupation while he focused his attention on her stepfather’s whereabouts and habits. She was unsuspecting and revealed all she knew about Demetrius Fargo, the man she had always called Dad.

Satisfied with his achievements, Memphis abruptly stopped asking questions about Zelda’s family. He decided that it was time to relax and be tender with her. By then their glasses were empty, but neither made any attempt to replenish the drinks. They focused their attention on each other, and not much more was said as their heart rates and body temperatures increased. They kissed and caressed each other, and their soothing and affectionate touching continued throughout the night until both were energy-spent. Exhausted as he was, Memphis asked at 6:00 a.m., Shall we meet for breakfast this morning?

I don’t think so, Zelda whispered.

Could we make it lunch or dinner perhaps?

Maybe, Zelda said. She was reluctant to commit to anything, and Memphis sensed that.

I will see you when I see you then, he said as he got up to leave.

Close the door behind you, she said without looking in his direction.

He, being aware of her inattention, used a napkin to pick up the glass from which she drank her champagne and took it with him. By then he had all of the information he needed to carry out his plan, and he was in a position of focusing on doing just that without further input from her. His strategy after he accomplished his goal was to lead investigators away from the culprit, himself, and onto some unsuspecting individual or individuals. To him, Zelda fitted that profile perfectly. She, on the other hand, was wary of his behavior, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint the reason for her suspicions.

He returned to his cabin, wrapped the glass in soft tissue, placed it in a clear plastic bag, and refrigerated it. He knew that housekeeping would not have removed any item that was packaged in that manner, so he was certain that Zelda’s DNA would be well preserved on the glass. He was confident also that neither his fingerprints nor his DNA could be present. Having done that, he kicked off his shoes, lay back in bed, and used the remote control to turn the television on and follow the ship’s itinerary.

He saw several activities that were of interest to him and decided to have breakfast before attempting to do anything else. He proceeded to the dining room where he took his meal buffet style. As he ate, he continued to hope that Zelda would join him. She did not, and neither did anyone else. After breakfast, he walked to