window but had the discretion not to comment on Drex’s speed and chancy maneuvering.
As they neared the general vicinity of the marina, it became apparent that access to it had already been restricted. Some streets had been cordoned off. On those remaining open, traffic was being redirected by officers with flashlights and reflective vests. Seeing that one was about to signal him to make an unwanted turn, Drex whipped into the parking lot of a strip center where the shops were closed for the night and announced they would go the rest of the way on foot.
“There may be barricades,” Gif said.
“Keep your badge handy.”
“Do you intend to muscle your way in?”
“Only if I have to.”
“If you do, Rudkowski will—”
“Keep your badge handy.” Drex put a lid on Gif’s arguments. They would be reasonable. He would encourage prudence. He would advise that they tread carefully.
Drex didn’t want to hear it.
They made it to the base of the pier without being challenged. Drex indicated a roped-off area where the media had been shepherded. “Go mingle with the news crews. See if you can learn anything beyond what Mike has told us.”
“Where will you be?”
“Up there.” He motioned toward the elevated pier. “Look for me at the railing.”
He climbed the steps. The pier was crowded with spectators, but they were unexpectedly subdued. Drex made his way through them until he reached the wood railing and saw what they were looking at on the beach below.
EMTs were lifting a body bag from the packed sand onto a gurney. Once transferred, it was strapped down. The gurney was carried to an ambulance and placed inside. The doors were shut with a sound that had a finality to it. The ambulance drove away down the beach.
As though watching the last scene of a sad movie, the crowd remained still and hushed before gradually beginning to disperse, talking quietly among themselves, posing questions of each other, speculating, philosophizing about the fragility of life.
“Drex.”
The soft-spoken voice brought him around to Gif. “It’s not official yet,” he said, “but they’re all but certain it’s Elaine Conner.”
Drex felt as though his breastbone would crack and his chest cave in. From anguish over Elaine. And guilt-ridden relief that it wasn’t Talia. He turned back to the railing, braced his hands on the weathered wood, and bent double, taking deep breaths through his mouth.
Gif let him have a full minute before continuing. “People in the marina saw the yacht leaving the harbor, wondered why anybody would be going out in weather like this. According to several witnesses, there, uh, there was a man at the wheel.”
“Jasper.”
“Unidentified.”
“It was Jasper.” Drex took one last deep breath and stood up straight. “While he had us looking the other way, he must have come straight here from the airport and boarded the yacht.” Turning only his head, he looked sternly at Gif. His friend knew the question he wanted to ask, but he couldn’t work up enough courage.
Gif raised his shoulders, looking apologetic. “It’s unknown if anyone else besides the man and Elaine were onboard.”
What went unspoken was that the last time Talia was seen, she had been in the company of her husband, but whether as a victim or an accomplice remained unknown. As though following Drex’s thoughts, Gif said, “The authorities have had no indication of another casualty, so the search is being referred to as a rescue, not a recovery.”
Drex stared out across the water. “They may find Talia, or her body,” he said in a voice scratchy with emotion. “But if they search till Doomsday, they won’t find a trace of him.” He pushed off the railing, turned, and started walking with determination toward the steps leading down. “The fucker can swim.”
He was pleased with his new appearance.
True, Howard Clement wasn’t as dashing as Jasper Ford, husband to Talia Shafer, friend to Elaine Conner, member in good standing of an exclusive country club, snappy dresser, and connoisseur of fine wine and cuisine.
But his new look and persona would do. He would never be recognized among the crowd of gawkers on the pier who watched as Elaine became a headline, her life reduced to a sound bite.
However, that was more notoriety than most people got. When looked at that way, Jasper had done her a favor. He had attained for her in death the attention she craved in life.
Her exuberance had been annoying at times, especially when his investment advice paid off in large dividends. On those occasions the two of them