Death at Buzzards Point: A South Florida Mystery

By Russ Moore

It is the 1960s as drugs and gambling transform what was once a quiet cattle town into a shooting gallery.

Theo is a seasoned hitman who has become used to lying in silent wait for his next victim. After he murders his latest target and disposes of his body in the Everglades, two young law enforcement officers and a crusty retired sheriff begin investigating. After Sheriff Charlie, a living legend in South Florida, partners with his less experienced counterparts, detectives Dale Norris and Clem Winke, they begin to unravel the motive for the murders of some of the town’s leading citizens. While their investigations take them from the small town of Davie into the dark hole of organized crime plaguing South Florida, Theo falls in love and quietly plans his next murder. Will the sheriff and his counterparts be able to find the killer before he strikes again?

In this murder mystery, three South Florida law enforcement professionals must partner together to find and stop a determined hit man before he takes out more innocent victims.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Archway Publishing
• Release date: Apr 30, 2019
• ISBN: 9781480877627

Russ Moore

Russ Moore is a veteran newspaper and magazine publisher, writer and editor. Death at Buzzards Point is his first novel. His short stories were published in P’AN KU magazine, Fiesta Magazine and The Banner News. His work as a writer, editor and publisher has earned him national recognition. As editor of P’AN KU magazine the magazine was rated number one by the Columbia Press Association. He was recognized as one of the top 25 young business people in the nation for his work as publisher of the Banner News. The publications that he has worked in as Writer, Publisher and Director include Fiesta Magazine, The Banner News, The Miami Herald and the Sun Newspapers. Moore is a veteran newspaper and magazine professional and in Death at Buzzards Point he draws on his experience in South Florida. While a work of fiction, the book draws on his experiences and the life and times in South Florida during his early years as a writer and editor in Davie Florida.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 Russ Moore.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Archway Publishing

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.archwaypublishing.com

1 [phone]

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, names, incidents, organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

ISBN: 978-1-4808-7761-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-7763-4 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4808-7762-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019905200

Archway Publishing rev. date: 4/29/2019

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

Chapter 53

Chapter 54

Chapter 55

Chapter 56

Chapter 57

Chapter 58

Chapter 59

About the Author

Special Thanks to: 

For Rena Lee

the Best for Last…

Betty Owen

For giving me my wings.

Rebecca McQuillen

For Sisterly Review

CHAPTER 1

Theo guided his car into a narrow opening onto a shell rock road and stopped behind a massive aging Australian pine tree. He turned the lights of his old Chrysler off and waited. Traffic was thin on State road 84 this time of night. He thumbed off the light switch disabling the dome light and stepped out of his car. The gravel and shell rock crunched under his feet as he made his way to the West side of the massive Australian pine tree. He shook out a cigarette and tore the filter off. He let the cigarette hang out of his thick Germanic lips and waited. The taste of tobacco made him remember other nights when he lay in silent wait taking great care not to be seen.

Watching each car closely, Theo waited for the distinctive profile of the Cadillac Eldorado that he was hoping to catch. He studied each car carefully as they passed him. His ancient ankles began to ache reminding him of days long ago when he stood in the freezing cold of the German winter waiting for an allied troop patrol to make its way beneath the rinse on which he stood. He was jerked from the memory by the approach of the bright headlights as a 1961 Eldorado sped past him. He spun on his heel and made for his car.

The shell rock flew rattling in the wheel wells of his Chrysler 300H as he made for the highway in pursuit of the Cadillac. His tires squealed as he fought for traction on the highway. He spun the steering wheel to bring the 4,980-pound car around and then to straighten his vehicle positioning him to begin pursuit of the Eldorado. The Eldorado’s tailings were fading quickly into the starless night. as he put the accelerator to the floor.

Minutes passed as the 413 cubic inch wedge engine’s two four-barrel carburetors gulped air and gas as Teo guided the car west in pursuit. Soon he picked up the flicker of the Cadillac’s taillights as they loomed from the darkness, he eased off the accelerator just enough to maintain the distance between the two cars. The road became darker as they passed the last lights of farmhouses and outbuildings. Now there were only orange groves passing by on the driver’s side of the two cars and what seemed to be a never-ending row of giant Australian pines on the right.

The lights of the Cadillac glowed brighter as the driver applied the brakes and slowed to make a turn on to an unmarked unpaved road that ran into Orange groves. Theo followed dowsing his lights. He made the turn, tailing blindly behind in the dark with only the taillights of the car he was following to guide him. Suddenly the Cadillac’s lights disappeared into the darkness and he slowed wondering if the lead car had somehow detected his presence. Slowing to a crawl, he soon came to an intersecting trail and turned right in the darkness again picking up the tail lights of the car ahead of him. He slowed as he made out lights that seemed to be higher than the Cadillac’s. As he came closer, he could make out the outline of a two-story house. The car in front of him slowed and parked in front of the two-story house. Theo stopped.

The driver’s side door of the Eldorado flung open as a pair of naked legs swung out of the car. Two small woman’s hands reached down to pull on a pair of high heels. Theo was in disbelief these were not the legs of the man he was supposed to be tailing. He waited and began to wonder if his target was the passenger but as the lady emerged from the car it was clear she was alone. The unexpected lady stepped firmly from the Cadillac dressed in a tight short dress with a ruffled flare, her long hair cascaded down around bare shoulders. She moved a few feet from the car stopped, put her hands on her sculptured hips and took a long look around the front yard and groves. Satisfied she was alone, she moved in long fluid measured strides toward the front of the house. She mounted the steps slowly climbing to the porch then slipped to the front window. The unidentified woman carefully peeked into the house. Believing she was alone; the mystery lady began trying the keys from the ring she carried until one unlocked the door.

Theo looked around wondering where Phil Archer was. Who could this strange woman be? He had tailed Archer for almost two weeks and was convinced that he had learned his routine. Theo decided to make his move. He was a deliberate man who planned his work carefully and this woman, in Archer’s car, without him was not part of his plan. Worse yet, he had no idea who she was and how she came to driving his targets car. He shook his head clearing out thoughts of doubt and uncertainty and stepped to the rear of his Chrysler and removed an aging K98 sniper rifle.

The lights in the house came on as Theo moved past the Cadillac, stopping to peer in the windows and saw a familiar briefcase on the rear seat. During the past weeks, he tailed Archer - the briefcase rarely left his presence. He wondered how the briefcase and the Cadillac came to be here without their owner. He moved in a crouch toward the house taking advantage of what cover there was to reach the side. Theo slowly rose to the height of the window. He looked through a gap under the window shade into the house and saw the woman inside opening and closing the drawers of Archer’s desk – he watched. Finally, she opened the bottom drawer of the desk and began checking each folder and then throwing it on the wooden floor. He stood for a moment trying to decide if he should watch a while when his thoughts were interrupted by the mystery women stopping as she began to examine the contents of a bulky folder. Knowing that this was his chance, he began to make his way toward the front door convinced that this was a robbery and his best chance to find Archer was to interrogate the woman.

Trying the knob on the front door he found it unlocked and eased the door open and stepped in just in time to see the woman rise from the desk chair and turn toward him. Both Theo and the woman stopped for an instant before she made for her purse. Theo raised the k98 stepping forward bringing the muzzle within inches of her waist. To his surprise, she stopped looking him dead in the eye with a strong gaze and then blinked as her red lips parted in a crooked smile.

They stood looking at each other. She was a young woman with big blue eyes that had turned from surprise to a sparkle that seemed to convey mild amusement. She was taller than most of the women he knew and her dress fit snuggly to the curves of her slender body as she stood in spike heels.

Where’s Archer, he said.

He’s been held up, she said still smiling.

They stood for a moment in silence. That pause gave Theo time to think, he had the distinct impression she was sizing him up much like his cat watched birds that happen to land on the open window of his apartment before she would spring into the air after them.

Sit down, he said.

She answered with a quick spinning movement grabbing the tip of the antique rifle pushing it downward. The sound of the old gun discharging shattered the quiet night. Theo pulled back the rifle and the woman stumbled toward him hampered by her shattered hip. Her eyes glowed in anger as she realized she was shot. Theo raised the rifle again stepping backward. She stopped. She blinked in disbelief bleeding profusely from her wound.

Theo’s hands shook slightly. He was a sniper used to killing men at a distance in carefully planned ambushes. This woman was not part of his plan. She sank to her knees in front of him as he stepped back again realizing that his bullet had severed the femoral artery of her leg. She clasped her hands to her leg and looked him in the eye.

I don’t have long, She said easing to the floor, And we are too far away from any medical attention to help me.

Theo could only shake his head.

I’m here only to retrieve that folder, She whispered laboring to raise her chin to point to the folder the contents of which lay scatted on the desk. If I give you Archer will you deliver the folder to my father?

How can you? Theo rasped.

Will you?

Yes, after I have Archer.

Finding the strength for another crooked grin she looked at him now with deeper eyes that seemed to look into to his soul as she weighed her decision. He was locked in her stare as her lips formed the words, Take my car keys – he is in the trunk.

Theo gasped. Not able to find words, he nodded.

Take the papers to my father at the Twenty Mile Bend Dinner. His name is Sam Taylor. He owns the place. She whispered. She fell backward as her hands loosened the grip on her hip and the floor around her turned crimson as her life flowed onto the floor in a widening pool.

Her eyes continued to look at him. He stood riveted to her and shook his head again in agreement absent of words. He did not move. Later he would try and remember how long he stood staring into her eyes. He was never quite sure when they no longer showed life. Yet Theo stood, finally slowly lowering his rife and stepping back and leaned against the wall in silence.

Theo grabbed a western style quilt that lay on a rocking chair and checked the stunning young Bonnie’s body for life. Finding no pulse, he gently laid the small quilt across her body. He then rose to collect the contents of the folder and placed them neatly inside. He stood fully upright and looked at the room searching and finally seeing the telltale hole in the molding of the wood stairs about a foot above the floor. Theo pried out the round that had killed Bonnie. Finally, he surveyed the scene realizing that the girl’s shapely legs showed out from under the old quilt. Theo looked at the shapely legs he had first seen starching out of Archer’s car. He shook his head again in a silent promise.

He walked quietly out the door leaving his footprints framed in her blood. Made his way toward the porch stairs where he quickly descended and sidestepped into the shadows on the porch and surveyed the yard and surrounding orange groves for any sign of movement. Satisfied he was alone, Theo fished out his cigarettes and stood to smoke in the darkness of the rural night.

Theo felt secure now. He was on a mission. He moved toward the Cadillac Eldorado the keys in his hands as he crossed the massive lawn. He slowed as he approached the car hearing the thumps of the captive prisoner in the trunk. He was supposed to kill Archer. Do his job, as he had done again and again across continents and oceans; it was all he knew. But tonight, a fire burned in him. He owed a life, for the one he had taken needlessly and without payment and now he owed a debt.

He approached the Cadillac and reached inside and popped the trunk. Archer jumped from out of the trunk and ran toward the driver’s side of the car shouting, You will pay for this you red neck wench! Surprised at seeing Theo who stood between him and the house, Archer tried to stop as he realized his mistake but his heels slid on the grass wet with dew and he lay on his back looking up at the business end of Theo’s old sniper rifle.

Who are you - what do you want - did you kill Bonnie? I can pay you! Archer screamed, I heard a shot, did you shoot her?

Theo’s lips tightened as he looked down at Archer. He stood saying nothing, took aim and shot him squarely between the eyes. He exhaled a long breath knowing he had collected on the debt of a life. Theo was surprised to feel himself grin sourly as he realized he would be paid handsomely for the act. What remained now was to deliver the folder to a father who could never know how it came to Theo.

Before dawn, Theo Drove Archer’s Cadillac with his body inside to the canal that ran west from his ranch into the Everglades. He put Archer behind the wheel with his foot on the accelerator and reached across and pulled the gear shift to drive and the car flew forward