Jude and the Joke

By Derence Rolle Davis

The town of St. Phillips is known for its peaceful ways—until the night Danielle McKenzie suddenly hears a scream and a splash in the river. After she investigates and finds nothing, she returns home without any idea that a chain of events has just unfolded that will change everything. Paul Metulas is determined to find money for more beer and drugs. It is not long before his mission leads him to a young man hitchhiking on the side of the road. After an unsuccessful robbery attempt, he pushes Jude Richie over the side of the Burke Bridge and leaves him to swim his way to the shore. But when Richie’s body is discovered the next morning, the investigation eventually leads to the arrest of Metulas and four others. As their murder trial begins, the result is shrouded in mystery, leaving everyone to wonder if it was all just a joke. In this gripping mystery, an entire town becomes immersed in a trial where secrets are unraveled and drama comes to life after an innocent man is murdered.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu Publishing Services
• Release date: Aug 2, 2017
• ISBN: 9781483472614

Book preview

remains.

CHAPTER 1

No! Stop! Danielle heard a man shouting.

Splash. Splash.

What was that? Danielle asked herself. She was sitting at the point. She had only just sat down, as she’d allowed her co-workers to go ahead of her. Danielle could not let her smoking habit be known again, as they had made such a fuss about her stopping. She had not stopped smoking. Danielle was facing the water, not too far from the bridge that connected the city of San Enrique to the town of Acklina.

She got up and looked around to see where the sound was coming from, but it was so dark that everything was in shadows. She was surprised because it was usually quiet there at one in the morning, but she didn’t dwell on it. She knew the time because it was the usual time she would get off work and stroll down Baldwin Drive for the scenic view home. The country of Saint Phillips was known for its cultured and peaceful ways. She sat down again and pondered the whereabouts of her man.

Tonight would be different. She looked again, only to see shadowy forms. She believed it looked like maybe three or four men, but she was not sure. She heard laughter and then a scream. No! This was followed by a muzzled sound she couldn’t make out.

She got up and looked around again, trying to focus on what seemed to be a vehicle parked in the middle of the bridge. Each end of Burke’s Bridge had a streetlight that was attached to the land; there were none on any other part of the bridge. The bridge spanned 410 feet and was made of cast iron in some parts and steel in others. The railings were made of a combination of wood and aluminium, which was ahead of its time in the 1960s. On the southernmost side was the boardwalk. A boardwalk existed on either side of the bridge for pedestrians.

This bridge connected the old city of Acklina and the new city of Enrique. Crossing the bridge always felt like driving from a small town of the past to a modern big city. The former had only two-storey buildings, and for the period during which they were built, those buildings were like high-rises. The new city had buildings at least ten stories high. The tallest in the country was the Noni Building, which was twenty-five stories high and had a mall and office building, along with residences and penthouses in one location.

Saint Phillips was located in the Northern Pacific Ocean. Its nearest neighbour was the Cook Islands. It was comprised of 2,300 square miles of land, hundreds of small islets and cays; the residents numbered around fifty thousand.

Danielle was not certain what she’d heard. She now heard people laughing, so she sat back down. It was usual for people to jump into the water there as a recreational activity. With an average temperature of seventy-five degrees Fahrenheit, the area was perfect for outdoor fun. The sea and water-related activities was the highlight of most evenings and late-night outings for natives and visitors alike.

The bridge, which wasn’t completed until 1961, was about twenty-five feet high, and it had a two-lane span that allowed traffic to go at the same time in either direction. Burke’s Bridge was the older of the two bridges on the island. It was named for the designer and philanthropist who built it in the early 1950s. People of all ages frequented the area for fishing; people watching; and, depending on the weather, picnicking. In some instances, people would even dive off the lowest portion of the bridge, using it as a dive platform, or dive from the rocks. There were usually some of their peers cheering them on. So she thought nothing of it when what sounded like the voice of a man shouted out, Please, no! Then she heard bluuuup! It was the sound of something hitting the water.

Oh well, she said to herself. Must be some children playing. But why so late in the night? she wondered.

Danielle McKenzie was a thirty-two-year-old, medium-built brunette with shoulder-length hair and brown eyes. She was a bombshell, built like a soda bottle, and had a pleasant personality. She was number one of the three chefs at Dinner in Paradise and had been a part of the Paradise family for six years. She had just gotten off work when she witnessed the things she didn’t even realise were of consequence.

The way people carry on nowadays is so ridiculous. You don’t know when it’s real or play, said Danielle.

She was speaking to her friend Montez, who was on the phone with her. I want to see you tonight, or should I say this morning? I need my sleeping pill. I want to have a good rest, okay? So don’t take long to get there. I’m walking now.

Smiling to herself and anticipating the meeting, she got up off the bench and looked around again to see if someone was in the water. She looked and looked again, only to discover that nothing was distinguishable. She saw only what looked like a branch of some sort. She could not dismiss the possibility of what might be lurking in the water, but she didn’t want her mind to run away with her. It could have been anything and anyone fooling around.

Danielle walked slowly down the lane that accessed the bridge. She was tired and just wanted to see Montez, as it had been a week since she had seen him, touched him, and devoured him, as he liked to put it.

The pace had been brisk tonight at Dinner in Paradise; the customers were eager to see the menu changes. For Paradise, as the restaurant was known, was just starting to undergo a makeover. Things were supposed to be a little less complicated. A simplified menu and a change in the style of food presentation were both part of this change. The mystery of it all was not the store’s appearance; rather, it was the quality of both the service and the food. Things were wonderfully prepared and professionally served. The reviews were accordingly favourable. The place moved from a wooden shack with fifteen tables to a more extravagant, nicely painted, and well-organised place. Now Paradise had a lot more sophistication, with a staff and organised system of work.

The view from Dinner in Paradise at Burke’s Bridge ravine was like a painting of a beach. It was breathtaking, complete with canoes, hammocks, and palm trees. The restaurant was equally famed for its water options and for couples-only picnics at the bay and the tempting desserts prepared by one of the finest local chefs. The water came up to the steps that led to the beach and then cascaded back and forth according to the tide. The building was two stories high and had a veranda that was made of locally harvested wood, painted brown with a circular design in the handrail of the staircase and flagpole casing. The outside was painted white and trimmed in lime green. The French doors were opened in every direction, and only small pieces of the wall existed in structural necessities, allowing every table to view the water as best it could wherever situated.

The waiters and waitresses were impeccably dressed in uniforms that looked more like a 1920s-style American period worker, with caps to match. The white portion of the shirts and collars were crisp, clean, and starched stiff. Each male wore black pants, and each female wore black skirts. Their service was like clockwork. A day in Paradise was indeed a day like no other. The chefs were veterans, each having the ability to specialise in more than one area. The employment opportunities were far and few between. Simply being employed at Dinner in Paradise meant you became a family member of the most prestigious employer and owner of the most well-kept property in the country.

The owner said to his guests, We treat the food as if we prepared it for kings and queens, our guests as the masters of the universe, our staff as our children, and our property as we would want our neighbour to keep their yard.

Danielle walked slowly, smiling to herself as she thought of getting her fill for the morning. Hopefully, Montez would be waiting at her apartment when she arrived.

CHAPTER 2

Montez walked on the sidewalk facing the traffic as he always did. The roadways had no medians separating the roads from the sidewalks, as the cost of such infrastructure was too high. The streets were not busy, and they were well lit. The government always thought it wiser to invest in lighting and tree trimming, along with abandoned lot clearing. Better safe than sorry was the rule of the day.

A vehicle was slowly approaching. All of a sudden, the vehicle started to swerve, and then it straightened up again. The motion of the car caused Montez to momentarily stand still. When he continued walking, he became concerned about what was ahead of him.

The neighbourhood was spaced well; the lot sizes were no less than ten thousand square feet, and there were no fences between the homes. The concrete sidewalks were cracked in various places. The grass in front of most of the homes was cut neatly, and the houses were colourfully painted. The variety of colours and the palm trees that lined the area made the community seem like a utopia in Saint Phillips. Walking the streets was commonplace. Most people walked or hiked to where they were going. Montez was walking from his house on his way to meet Danielle. It was about 12:45 in the morning. The streets were quiet in certain parts of the city. It was expected that this was one of those quiet places, since this was just outside of the city.

What the hell! Are you guys crazy or what? Can’t you see I am walking here! shouted Montez.

The vehicle came close enough for him to recognise the make and model. The blue, 2004 Honda Civic had scratches on the right side. The left quarter glass window was patched in the back with a plastic of some sort. The car had a broken taillight and a dimmed headlight. Anyone seeing the vehicle coming head-on would sure