Sailors Tacking from Murder

By Bob Gebhardt

A down to earth, wealthy and industrious young woman, who was quite fond and compassionate for her elderly uncle, became mired in down in his Murder.
This uncle is the source of her original wealth and was to name her in his will. She was not only a suspect; she became the subject of mortal danger from others who conspired to receive her part of his estate.
Her Uncle Stan always tried to push her and other close relatives into accomplishing great things. In his elder and sickly years Jill continued catering to her uncle by visiting him and frequently reading adventures of sailing the Caribbean to him and pretending they were the participants.
On his death he continued challenging her and others, in his will, and in this case to become sailors, as in their lounge chair adventures. To receive an additional portion of the inheritance she and others were challenged to learn to sail and single hand a sizable sailboat from North Florida to Key West but sabotage was on the menu.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: Oct 27, 2013
• ISBN: 9781304567215

Book preview

Sailors Tacking from Murder

Sailors

Tacking

from Murder

a novel by

Bob Gebhardt

Copyright © 2013 Bob Gebhardt

All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-304-56721-5

No part of this book, eBook, EPUB, text, or the likes, may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, graphic, electronic, data process or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, typing, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.

Contact Bob Gebhardt

Email

[e-mail]

Website

www.gebhardtnovels.com

Purchase Gebhardt novels online

Lulu Bookstore

www.lulu.com/spotlight/BobGebhardt

This book is dedicated

to my loving wife

Patricia A. Gebhardt

For her tireless assistance, her encouragement,

and support in the preparation of my novels.

Very special thanks to my friend, neighbor

and professional illustrator,

Mike Bartus

for his help, advice and illustrations

in this and my other novels.

Other Books by Bob Gebhardt

Trove

The discovery of a hide map that leads to a pirate trove

of riches and lifelong friendships.

Island of Death

Those who venture in search of its pirate treasure never come back.

Pirate’s Ghostly Spirits

The friendly paranormal interaction with the spirits of the pirates.

Treasure a Sailor’s Siren

A pirate’s spirit complicates the hunt for untold riches.

El Dorado Relics Recovered

The story of the world famous legend of El Dorado’s elusive treasures.

Extra-Dimensional Visitation

A parallel dimension of advanced humans

making rare visits sharing enlightenment.

Sailing Simplified

A short, to the point, lesson on how to sail

small-to-medium sized sailboats.

Visit the author’s website at:

www.gebhardtnovels.com

Disclaimer

Sailors Tacking from Murder story is a totally fictional novel. Any similarity or suggestion to crime(s) or incident(s), political or legal jurisdiction(s) or exact geographical locations is purely coincidental. All of the characters and actions are strictly fictional and are not based on any actual people, incidents or subjects. The legal aspects and functions are also fictional and were created purely for the enjoyment of the reader.

List of Characters:

Amanda Lee McMann - allegedly had illegitimate child,

B. Simpson - deceased male alleged father of illegitimate child

Barney - Bomb Squad detective technician

Bart - Detective

Bonk, William E. - Defense attorney

Burk - alias for Yardley

Cantwell, Sylvester A, Attorney - real name James Cantrell

Detective Sergeant - Joe Faraday lead investigator Friday"

Dina - assistant prosecuting attorney

Frank Avery - deceased criminal

Gene Breeden - retired police administrator, forensic detective

Herbert Parson - attorney originally employed by Stan Mc Mann

Jerry Valentine - criminal hired by Cantwell

Jill Andrew - socialite, heir of fortune, executive

Keith Smith - crow attorney for McMann's estate, Samuel James

Kurt - Detective

Lt. Barton - local law enforcement officer and friend of Feraday

Lon Yardley - aka Lion, the burglar who shot a police officer

Mark Simpson - crow contestant from Australia Marvin Schmidt

Milton G. Morrow - Sandy's husband, criminal as Doran

Pete Wilde - harbor master, friend of Stan McMann

Richard Bell - McMann’s accountant /financial advisor

Sam - Police officer assigned to holdover (Jail)

Samuel K. James - Fake attorney aka Keith Smith

Sandra McMann Morrow - Jill's cousin, Stan McMann's niece

Spencer Koke - law student intern at law office.

Stan McMann - murdered wealthy retired, uncle of Jill Andrew

Tom Smith - crow or fictitious person

Prologue

The title Tacking From Murder refers to the novel’s characters who are recreational sailors and who, out of self-preservation, are tacking or fleeing, frantically at times, and methodically at others, from the threat of murder. They are attempting to protect and defend themselves by veering away from, or tacking from actual and attempted murder.

They also pursue efforts in liaison with law enforcement to help find and prove the identities of the perpetrators of the murder and several attempted murders for the prosecution of these and numerous other crimes.

The perpetrators, through a myriad of criminal activities, devised a conspiracy to financially defraud one of the victims which resulted in his and several other murders.

The word tack is a sailing term for changing the vessel’s heading by tacking through the eye of the wind to go in a slightly different or a reciprocal direction of the wind. This is made necessary as it is not possible to sail directly into the eye of the wind, so if the ultimate destination is near the eye of the wind a sailboat tacks back and forth in a zigzag pattern to reach it.

A few other definitions, not necessarily germane to this yarn are as follows. Tack is also used to describe a point of sail, such as a starboard beat or reach, and can be referred to as a starboard tack

Dictionary definitions relative to nautical use of the word range from turn into the wind, turning in the opposite direction, as well as types of equipment such as lines used to control sails, and hard tack, an ancient food used by sailors. But now back to the story.

Retirement Leisure

Gene was sitting in his twenty-five foot Skipper sailboat named The Bank’s that was berthed in its slip at the Maritime Marina on the Caloosahatchee River in the Fort Myers, Florida area. He was just resting after a vigorous day of cleaning barnacles off the boat bottom. He owned a hookah diving rig installed on the sailboat that allowed him to breathe through a hose-connected mask underwater while scraping the sailboat bottom.

The barnacles were not all that bad as the bottom had been painted with anti-fouling paint and he had been fairly well keeping up with any accumulation. It was still hard work underwater because any pressure against the hull pushed him backwards so he had to kick his fins almost continually to stay close and apply pressure to the scraper.

He had made some sun tea before he went into the water and with ice and a little sweetener it really hit the spot now that he was done. He intended to stay aboard for the night and relax, as he was in no hurry and he was quite comfortable reclining on the cockpit seat cushions and listening to his iPod music through a small Bluetooth speaker. His reverie was rather short lived when a woman called out, Ahoy there, sailor!

Yo mate, who goes there? he answered thinking it was one of his boating friends trying to sound salty.

Just a scurvy and lost mate looking for some sailing information.

He sat up, turned toward the voice, and focused in on who was speaking to him, finding a female totally overdressed for a marina dock of smaller boats.

She looked very well groomed and wore jewelry that did not look like it was of the costume type. She was probably looking for a sixty or seventy foot yacht for a cocktail party.

How can I help you?

We'll, I just need a little information. Is this your boat?

He was thinking of answering that No, I’m just sitting in it to hold it down, but he thought better of it. Yes, it’s mine, well, mine and the bank’s.

I need to know how to sail, can you teach me?

He looked her over and was trying to see if this attractive creature was serious or just pulling his leg.

We'll, I’m not a professional sailor or instructor, but if it’s just a little friendly honing up on your seamanship or sailing skills, I may be able to help a bit. Let me see if I have any free time on my calendar. He looked at his hand, as if examining a calendar, and replied, Well, it looks like you’re in luck. I have the next six or seven months totally clear.

That's great. Can I come on now, no wait, that not the way to say it; request permission to come aboard, Captain?

As she was climbing aboard, not waiting for an answer, with her skirt hiked up and easing her high heeled shoes over the side, she continued. Where do we start, Mein Kapitan? as she tried to mimic a German accent.

You can certainly come aboard, he said after the fact, But we can hardly start tonight.

Why not?

Well, it’s getting late and the sun will be going down in an hour or so and I don't think you’re quite dressed for it.

Oh, I thought you could sail in the dark, and maybe shorts would be better, you think?

As she straightened her skirt and attempted to stand in high heels on the uneven cockpit sole without holding on, she lost her balance and she was falling backward.

He caught her hand and stopped her fall but then she fell forward into him knocking him back onto the cockpit seat with her on top of him.

Pardon me, madam, but I don't think we’ve been properly introduced.

She made no effort to move and said, Well, you might say that I fell for you right from the start, sailor. Jillian... you may just call me Jill.

Well, how do you do, Jill; I’m just Gene, your cushion.

Oh, sorry, as she managed to get off of him and take a seat next to him.

In answer to your question, yes, you can certainly sail in the dark, but that may not be the best time to learn to sail, but a skirt and no high heels would be a little bit better to get around the boat. Shorts or some sort of slacks and soft-soled flat shoes, if you please.

She then hiked her left leg over her right leg, her skirt all askew, and removed her left shoe and then reversed and removed the other from her nylon covered feet while looking at him rather seriously.

Maybe I could be here in the morning, dressed properly. Listen, Captain, I know I probably sound like a featherhead or something but I had several glasses of champagne and had a rather traumatic meeting/celebration at an attorney’s office. And in addition to that I must be pretty proficient at sailing in three days.

Please call me Gene and I understand the effects of champagne so let’s give it a go in the morning.

She sat for a few moments as if she wanted to discuss something else and then took her shoes and cautiously climbed out of the boat and walked down the dock. He watched her walk away without shoes thinking that she was quite sexy; maybe I should have told her to wear a bathing suit or a bikini.

The next morning he was having a bagel with cream cheese and hot coffee just as the sun was coming up and he thought about this Jill woman. His thought went to wondering why she had to learn to sail in three days and then thought she probably won't even show up, or it will be near or after lunch.

He was impressed when he saw her walking toward the boat carrying a small ice chest and a canvass bag. She was wearing shorts and a practical short sleeved blouse and deck shoes. When she got closer he realized that she had bought the exact thing that the ship’s store had on display on a manikin in the window.

Good morning, Jill!

Good morning, Captain Gene. Are you ready for me?

"Well, I'm not sure. It kind of depends on whether you’re going to knock me down again or you just want to learn to sail.

If it’s just sailing, I'm ready. But if you’ll join me for coffee and a bagel I would like to know what knowledge level of sailing or seamanship you have and what you want to know."

She did have a bagel and coffee and explained, I’m actually not an airhead but I know nothing about seamanship, sailing, or regular boating for that matter, so I want to know everything I can learn in three days. I would like you to assume that I know nothing about the boat or seamanship and please explain everything. I will pay you whatever you normally get or may require.

Pay, we didn't talk about pay. I thought this was just a friendly assist to get you up to speed. Maybe you better get a professional instructor to help you. What are you doing, going for a captain’s license or what?

No, Gene, no professional instructor, and I would like to keep this confidential, just friendly informal instruction.

I need to pass as and talk as an old salt or someone who has been sailing for a few years in just three days and be able to step onto a sailboat and sail it away.

Do you mind if I ask why.

I was going to say that I didn't think I should tell you but I guess it is only fair to give you an idea of what is going on. In a nutshell I have to learn to sail because of my Uncle Stan. I have had an interesting and challenging life due to him and his challenges and this is his last.

"I have always had a very good income, from not only my employment, but from an endowment from my uncle, Stan McMann. Consequently, I have always been close to the man and loved him as much as my own father. He just passed away and apparently left me some of his estate with conditions, like learning to sail, and has disinherited several other relatives who, I presume, thought I had hoodwinked him into leaving more to me than to them.

This is what the celebration was all about; at least that’s what I think with the champagne and all. I’m not much of a drinker. Oh, there were some disgruntled people present who became a bit truculent."

Then we all found out that his cause of death is suspicious and I’ve been told that if it is found that he was murdered I will be among the prime suspects, or as they say now, a person of interest.

I see. So you’re one rich lady, but how exactly is that related to learning to sail in a short time? Oh, wait a minute, you’re going to sail off to avoid going to prison or getting a reserved seat in the electric chair.

He held her hand trying to comfort her as she seemed in distress over the situation and it pained her just to think about it.

I'm sorry for your loss and making light of the situation, but I know in my mind that you are not guilty of anything as heinous as murder so I think a little levity helps.

It does help, but they don't electrocute people anymore, they give them a shot of poison, as she laughed in a nervous manner.

He attempted to keep it light and not scare her but pointed out that if someone murdered her uncle for what they thought would give them a large inheritance and she was the recipient instead of them she could be in danger.

She thought that was very insightful of him to point that out, and relayed that he should be a detective.

No thank you, madam. I’ve been there and done that. I’m a retired police administrator and former forensic detective sergeant and have been down that road before, many times.

She sat in the cockpit in