I got into the office today with only a few drops of rain soaking me. Grabbing my mail from the box in the foyer and walking up the stairs to the second floor, I look through the mail; electric bill, garbage bill, water bill; nothing in the way of a check or a request for services. Not that I normally get a letter requesting my help with a case, but one can always hope.
My name is Stacy Walker. I am 35 years old, single and a private investigator. This profession came to me and no, I did not start in some police force, rather as a Marine in Bagdad working with the Intelligence Unit. My first case was a small dog which just showed up in the compound and was without food or water. I was given the job because it would be seen as beneath the men in my unit to find this mutt his or a home and as I woman I could move more easily through the streets of Bagdad. Two days later, a man showed up at the gate of our compound and asks if there was a small dog in the area. He was directed to me and before I could ask any questions, he detonated a PIE (Personal Improvised Explosive) luckily for me it was not loaded correctly and I only received a concussion. The man was killed and the dog was in my tent. Why this should create a new job for me I am not sure but that was the beginning.
Coming back to the states I found myself without a job, place to live and before long no food to eat. At a local VFW, I met Charlie a retired gunny with another retirement from the local police force. He seemed to like giving me a hand and pretty soon we were a team. I learned a lot from Charlie and quickly (after 18 months in Bagdad) learned how to trust without trusting at all. This would soon be a lesson I could use a refresher course in. We worked together for a couple of years, made a little money, I now had a condo and food in the refrigerator; while Charlie longed more and more for deep water fishing.
All and all Charlie went fishing and liked it a lot. I stayed in Woodenville, WA and continued our work, which now seemed more like my work. Don’t misunderstand, I love the work and can do a very good job, the problem is being in two places at one time. I carry a Glock, Mace, and Taser to equalize things when need be; most of the time none of these things are necessary and I can just hand someone a piece of paper or in worse case handcuff them and take them to a bail bonds man. I have found that I have one partner I can trust, that would be Shell. Shell is a 115 pound black and tan shepherd/lab mix and she takes no stuff from anybody.
Chapter 1
Now that the introduction is over and I have just opened the door to my office on the second floor of an office building in Covington, WA there is a man waiting. I am surprised as I am sure the door was left locked. I introduce myself and double check my calendar, no I did not forget anyone. I must have looked quizzical as He introduced himself as Ray Brotherton. He stated that he was looking for Charlie and need to hire him to find his father. After getting us both a cup of coffee and being seated in my office, and Ray learning that Charlie was away for how long I did not know (it’s already been six months); we talked about the job. And frankly it sounded straight up, Dad remarried; left with new wife and Ray did not know where they had gone. More digging on my part gave a completely different picture. Although John and Melva (dad and new wife) had been gone for two months, they had just walked out of the house as though going to the grocery store and never returned. Ray had found in the house information which led him to believe that Melva was possibly seeking financial gain from this union. This thought coming from, Melva having been married before to a gentleman with somewhat the same circumstances, except he turned up dead.
I assured Ray I would be able to help him; however I would need a contract and a retainer ($1500.00 retainer). I bill on 15 minutes increments anything left of the retainer at completion of the job would be returned; however if at the end of the retainer Ray ask me to continue there would be a charge of $75.00 per hour. Ray stated this sounded reasonable and pulled out his checkbook. We got down to information I would need for this job. I was provided everything and was feeling pretty good; when I ask the question ‘do you have any brothers or sisters?’ Seems Ray has 3 brothers and he assures me they are all on the same page with this problem. Siblings on the same page, I have found rarely, but we don’t debate family in the first hour of a contract. After two hours of getting the contract and information I was ready to start and Ray was ready to go home. While taking notes I had learned a lot about this family, and like any family some good some not so good. We agreed to meet in one week to look at what I had found. That would be Monday, February 9th. And I felt certain I would have some news for him.
Leaving the office shortly after Ray, my first stop was the bank. If the check was no good then I would have news sooner than next Monday. The check was good so I was off to do some research and since it was February Schell was in the Jeep. If I had to get out of the Jeep there was no concern she would over heat in an enclosed auto. The Jeep was not just a bumpy ride with nonexistent shock and the smell of wet dog, oil and rags; no it was a fully loaded Grand Cherokee with the aroma of wet dog, extra suspension and a hemi. Charlie said get something that could out run them and was comfortable enough when it came time to spend the night in it. With all this love of metal, motion and maximum comfort, this could not just be a Jeep; hence I had Cimmaron put on the bug catcher on the front bumper.
First I drove by John and Melva’s house it looked as though they would be back any minute. Although a closer look did turn up newspapers and bulk mail had accumulated over a period of time (note: ask Ray to remove them). The next door neighbor to the south, a woman in her fifties had just picked up her mail and I stopped her to ask if she knew John and Melva. Her response was not out of the ordinary: yes she knew them and no she did not know when they would be home and yes they had been gone for some time. This was of no value as it was the same Ray had just told me.
Schell and I went to have lunch. While I had a salad and Shell a lean burger patty; I began to look at my notes and write in the case file what I did know. They were not living in the home, I went too. It did not appear that anyone had broken in or ransacked the house. The neighbors were probably not going to be of much use for information. I would go back to the office and see what other information I could gain from the computer, which is by the way a dandy piece of equipment for anyone, especially a PI.
Checking the property tax records for John Brotherton, I found only one piece of property in King County; however I did find another piece of property, a cabin, in the Wenatchee Forest which could give some information. However, that was for later in the week; right now it was raining and those Natural Resource Roads were a muddy mess.
Phone records showed only one phone for, John at the Totem Lake address. Melva was listed on that phone as well as a cell phone 425 515-5151 and another phone at a Bothell WA address. The Bothell address may provide some information and I could look into that tomorrow. Since all three phones were active I called each one. I was only able to get answering machines on them.
Looking at the Department of Motor Vehicles was another search with some results, maybe even a good lead. John had a Chrysler Town Car and a Dodge Ram 450 Pickup registered to him. Melva had a new Toyota Prius registered to her. But most surprising to me was that during the last month one of them had purchased a large sailboat and the Vehicle Registration was in both names. This would be another lead to look into and possibly where they were. I began to check for moorage for the sailboat systematically moving through the Puget Sound and out toward the Pacific Ocean. Not finding the boat around the Seattle area was not a surprise, however more questions than answers begin to pop up as I ruled out the San Juan Islands and along the Lower Western Canadian Coast. No one would head for Alaska at this time of year in a sailboat, so I continued to look down the western coast of the U.S. I was having no luck.
Chapter 2
At this point Shell was ready for a walk and I was ready for anything but trying to find a sailboat in the Pacific Ocean. While I was turning off the computer and closing things down for the night I still had that nagging feeling about my office being open this morning. Ray had been clear that it was open when he arrived. Not knowing any different he thought perhaps I was just in an adjoining office and so he had a seat. Schell got her leash and I set up the motion activated camera for our office. I had not used it since Charlie had been gone, he was the one always setting it up and saying we needed to use it. When he went fishing I thought the locks were enough; after all first you had to get pass security (we had a private security which all the tenants paid into; due to two medical offices and one investment company held offices in this building with us) and into the building, then into the office space with little or no lighting. Our building was a commercial office building which sat right in front of the King County Sheriff’s Office. One would think this would be a very secure place.
Making sure all doors were locked, Schell carrying her leash and I went out to Cimarron. Our nightly routine is so predictable (and yes I should know better) we go to Marymoor Park off leash area and Schell can get all the exercise she wants while I get in a good run. Then we go home and have dinner after which I answer e-mails and pay bills until 9:00PM when Schell is ready for T.V. We watch T.V. together for about an hour and go to bed. Usually, that is our routine, not tonight though; after the park we arrived home to find the Condo unlocked.
I put Schell on sit guard command and I went in to look around. Nothing seemed to be moved or missing; but things just did not feel right. I backed out and called 911. Being a PI doesn’t mean I shouldn’t use the locals for a few things. Although PI’s are not a part of law enforcement, doesn’t mean we don’t see a lot of each other and get to know each. I asked Dispatch not to send them in lights and siren, but that was lost somewhere between the address and the Code Orange (which means one of us). Walk through and taking statements from each of my neighbors, as well as a quick print job (meaning they took prints from each door (3) and main trafficked areas of the house, so 4 hours later they were done and I was left with an apartment which looked like 25 four-year-olds with chocolate hands had just finished looking in every nook and cranny.
11:00PM is not my idea of an hour to begin cleaning even when it is only my mess to clean. So Schell and went back to the office where there was a good couch and some peace. It felt different sleeping in my office, not home of course, but not like in Bagdad either. There was a peacefulness within the rooms and sense they were familiar no need for nightlights.
Chapter 3
I woke at 6:00AM the next morning. (By the way if you feel like this is driven by time – it is. Too much training in the marines will make everything seems as though there must be a timeline for completion.) Anyway Schell and I were up, I started the coffee and while dripping into the pot, we went for our morning walk. Schell is a creature of habit and does not like to take care of business anywhere but in the same area every day. On one hand this is nice as I don’t have to worry about her if I let her out on the job; however, on days like today, taking her home for this is a bit much. As I approached Cimarron, it was apparent someone had soaped the windows. My first thoughts were its coming up spring and close to Graduation for the local high school kids; upon closer observation it was evident this was not a kid or at least not one I wanted to know. Pulling out my cell and the police business card with the case number on it from last night, I called to the Sheriff’s Office and giving the pertinent information, name, case number, current location and a brief reason for the call; I was transferred to a Detective Olson. I gave him a rundown on this morning’s concerns and he stated he would be here in short order. Since he was located within a block of me (remember this building is adjacent to the Sheriff’s Office), I probably did not have time to return to the office and get coffee, and worse Schell was doing a cute dance indicating the morning needs were urgent. I walked her over to the grass edging the parking lot and gave her the command to take care of business, although she looked at me as though I was not thinking straight she followed orders. As she was finishing a tall blond man, dressed in a suit and tie came into the parking lot. He came right up to me and introduced himself as Det. James. My immediate observations were positive and we made our way to Cimarron.
The Jeep had been covered in excrement and blood, Det. James asks if I would leave it there for the lab to have a look at. It was nice to ask, but really who would drive that anywhere. I agreed, if they would after going through it, run it through the Sheriff’s car wash. He agreed I gave him the keys, made sure he had my cell number and went back to the office to have coffee and call for a rental car. I had coffee and the rental had been delivered by 9:00 AM. Armed with a plastic baggie and Schell carrying her own leash, we started for the rental with a stop to clean up Schell’s morning offering. Once in the car I called Barb’s Brush and ask if she could see to it my Condo was cleaned by 5:00PM today. I explained the necessary cleaning needed and she agreed. Dropping off a key, I was on my way to the U.S. Coast Guard Station to see if they had a lead on the missing sailboat.
The Coast Guard Station is located in downtown Seattle. The rental car was a minivan with some ability to move quickly by nothing compared to Cimarron. Once there the weather was still cool, for Schell to stay in the car; however, with all that was happening I chose to take her with me. Now she must wear her leash and her PI vest. She had been trained in explosive detection and came to U.S. soil by way of Air Force Troop Transport. Her trainer had been killed in action and she was being retired. No one in the unit was willing to leave her in country. A friend at the base called me and one thing and then another, she was working with me.
No one questioned about Schell and we went up to the counter and ask about ship location by DOL number. We were sent down the hall to another office and another counter. After the same question, we were introduced to a 1st Class Shipman who was going to help us. I was not completely straight forward with him, only telling him I was looking for a 45ft sailboat with the assigned number which I could not find in any of the marinas in Puget Sound. I was told a boat of that size could be most anywhere as it would be sea worthy, in most any case. However, that did not mean it would be easy to find as all U.S. owned boats and ships must be registered with the USCG if over 30th, it seems that there is large population of the boating world who felt that the USCG had more important things to do than keep up with their boats. This was sounding good, this was still a positive lead, and the Shipman began looking. An hour later, I was asked if I was sure the number was correct. I was but the number was not pulling up any boats. The Shipman wanted to check one more roll before I left; this was not likely that it would be there as this was a list of scuttled boats over the last 5 years. Getting another cup of coffee I realized that Schell was probably thirsty also, so I grabbed a bowl in the cafeteria and tried to hide the bowl as I left the area. Upstairs at USCG Headquarters, I went into the restroom and got her water.
Returning to the Shipman’s work area in 30 minutes revealed he had found nothing. He wanted to continue looking and see where it was originally licensed and what happened next. We, in the meantime, began the trip on to Bothell and the location of a residence for Melva. The residence was an apartment located in a large complex. Talking to the complex manager, I was convincing as the person saddled with the job of doing a welfare check. The manager was not feeling comfortable with letting me see a tenants residence, but since the alternative was, I could of course call the Bothell Police to do this, as that would be the easiest for me. The manager grabbed her master keys and the key to a golf cart. We rode in silence to the fourth building on the property and then walked to the second floor. She opened the door, with a cautionary bid, that I was only to look in the door and call Melva’s name. This was probably not going to work for me but I was at least getting information. When the door opened, the manager and I both recoiled back in surprise. This was a brand new apartment which had never been lived in. The vacuum lines on the carpet were still in place. Melva had paid rent monthly for six months on a place she had never entered.
As I was pulling into the office parking lot, Det. James called my cell and said he would be right over. I parked in my space as the Cimarron was not in sight and went on up to my office. Everything appeared in order so I washed out the coffee pot and made another pot. I was just settling in when Det. James arrived. He wanted me to come with him and look at some things they had found on or in the Cimarron. Well, there goes the second pot of coffee. Schell took her leash and we went to vehicle impound in the back of the lot. The lot was very small as no auto was held here more than one day, then out to the county lot. This was where the lab guys (5 people, 3 were female) did their work. The first thing was the odometer reading, I was not sure down to the last number how many miles were on it, I could only give the reading from the last oil change. Next was medical waste. It seemed whatever was happening the perpratator had used medical waste from the local hospital to smear on my vehicle. This was serious and I had no idea who would do this. However, it was obvious that whoever did this also was the intruder at the condo last night as two prints matched and one of them was in blood.
Thoughts were going through my head like flies. Who, what, why, (especially why) and how – I didn’t think I had any enemies to this extent. Now there were three detectives asking questions and I had little to offer. My cases were pretty much the norm – whose wife is with who; what is happening when I am away; and which person jumped bail and needs to come in. We talked about Charlie and I was to call him after we finished; we talked about the current case, which frankly didn’t seem to out of the ordinary until I mentioned names. It seemed the Brotherton name was well known to Woodenville Sheriff’s Office and the accusations of Ray and family had all been heard before. I still did not understand what that would have to do with my immediate problems.
As the detectives moved back to their other jobs, Det. James told me he had been assigned to this case which in the departments view was an open active case. I would be hearing from him frequently and his suggestion was that I find alternate living and working arrangements for a while. My vehicle was to be cleaned by a team certified in crime scene clean-up and I should consider the same for my home.
I left and went to Myhre’s a local diner with good food and friendly patrons. I am known there for stopping in for a lunch or dinner and today was one time I just wanted to sit and think. The suggestions made by Det. James made sense but the logistics would need to be thought through. Work was actually easier than my condo. My computer was a laptop, easily moved and data made it a simple fix. My records were easily stored in a local storage business. My licenses I carried with me, anyway and most of my business papers for Schell were in file. My condo was a different matter and how far was I willing to go for this person. Thinking all this over and eating a meatloaf and mash potato dinner with Ice Tea was a good way to go about making decisions. It was about this time that I remember Barb’s Brush and called to see if the clean-up was completed. I got the answering machine for the business, which seemed a bit unusual. But I have enough of my own questions to worry about, so I sat there with a paper and pen and made a list of options. I was just about ready to call Charlie and bring him up to speed when my phone rang.
Det. James wanted to know where I was and if I could meet him at my condo. Of course I could and then I would be able to get a few things while there. I paid up and got some meatloaf for Schell and started home. I had a nagging feeling about this trip home, but could not place what it was. Deciding that I was just in overdrive with all the mischief going on, I put the thought out of my head and turned on the radio. Music is very soothing and can be just the right thing to relax me. Schell was sleeping on the seat next to me and night-time was fast coming in. The Pacific Northwest gets dark early this time of year and a check of my watch showed it was only 615PM.
Pulling into my neighborhood I was immediately aware of the number of law enforcement present and the media was on the road above the little valley we lived in. There was no point in trying to get to my condo parking place, so I pulled on to the shoulder of the road, leashed up Schell and walked toward my home. Schell’s hair was bristling and a low growl was heard every few feet. As I reached the unit I live in, Det. James saw me and came directly to me. He pushed me against a wall and told me that once again someone had been in my condo but this time a person was found dead inside. I was glad for the wall as I was weak in the knees and my stomach was having a difficult time keeping dinner down. I gave Schell the command to lien into me and stay, which she did immediately, placing herself between the world and me. I was ask a lot of questions by local police and Det. James; did I have anyone scheduled inside my condo today, no – wait a cleaner from Barb’s Brush to clean up after the lab crew last night; had I received any threats in the last week, no; where was I today, office, USCG Seattle, Bothell apartment of Melva, Sheriffs’ office, my office, and Myhre’s. Was I willing to try to ID the person in my house? Yes – No, Yes I have seen a lot in the Marines, but those were not in my condo. The minute I started to move, I was told no dog. OK this was not going to happen; I explained the need to have her with me and the kind of training she had gone through, still no dog. A canine officer offered to put his dog away and stand at the door with Schell. It seemed that was the best I was going to get.
Entering my condo I felt like a large cloud had dropped me into a sci-fi movie; the place was brightly lit between my lights and the crime scene lights they bring in. All seemed in the ordinary on the first floor with the living room and dining room, until I turned the corner to the kitchen. There lay a woman in her late twenties that I had never seen before. No blood to speak of, just a spot on her chest about 2 inches in diameter and her face was turned away from us. Going up stairs I was so sorry to be Barb from Barb’s Brush; she was crying and looked kind of a yellow color. A plain clothes officer was interviewing her, but it seemed mostly all he got was sobs. I was asked to stay in the second bedroom with another plain clothes officer while I answered some questions. I was upset, but I would not say anything but in control as I answered the questions; so imagine my surprise when I heard a commotion of loud voices and scrambling feet. Like a shot, Schell was at a working command sit in front of me. Mostly I heard grumbling about dog hair in the crime scene, as I praised Schell for her obedience and courage. Det. James said she may as well stay now.
I got some changes of clothing and my toiletries, grabbed the necessary work related objects and the one thing that I felt was of value, My Mother’s Wedding Ring; then told the local law enforcement that I was leaving for the night or maybe forever. I was asked to let them know where I would be at my earliest time, which was not now, as I had no idea. At the condo I put my stuff inside and got in with Schell; then I did something I had not done in three years, I cried. I cried for the poor woman in my home, for my loss of safety, for the desecration of my life by unknown people. After that I went to the store and picked up dog food and a few items for me to eat and went by the local hardware store. Howe’s is known for their ability to have anything you needed in the hardware line. I picked up a $152.00 lock and deadbolt for my office and then went and got the screwdriver and wrench to put it in myself. My tools were either in the Cimarron or the Condo, either way not available to me. It was late so I checked my ammunition for the Glock and made sure it was loaded. Then we went to the office.
Chapter 4
Everything was quiet and peaceful at the office. Schell was happy to see some water and a familiar place that was friendly. Schell had her evening walk and we went back to the office. I got out the lock and installed it in short order. Put a note on my desk to call Brink’s Alarm for instillation tomorrow. Then I called Charlie, only to get voice mail. After all of this I took a pad of paper and a pen drew a line down the center and did a timeline of my last two days.
The first thing to become clear was this assault on my life started at the same time as the case I was working about John and Melva. This did not mean they were related, but it was worth making a note of. The next thing that became clear at the same time was I knew more about the John and Melva (J&M) case than about what was happening in my life right now. I would put the J&M case on the shelf for the next twenty-four hours and instead work on my case. I felt safe staying at the office however it was not made for living in. Trying to sleep that night was futile, who had I messed with and why, kept running through my mind.
At 400AM I was up and making coffee, I had also purchased a container of Bear Claws last night so that was breakfast. Schell was hopeful to have some too (not happening girl). Now looking at the time line, I realized the two cases started at the same time exactly. That did not seem coincidental. I decided to look into the Brotherton family a little more especially Ray Brotherton.
Brink’s Alarm was to be at my office at 3:00PM this day. So I went across the street to see if I could work a deal with the Marina to use the showers they have for the members to use when it is not available on their boat or they just want to turn around in the shower. Pleasantly surprised that I could use the showers if I paid a monthly moorage fee, things were looking up, until I learned the moorage fee was very expensive. I really did not see a way around it, unless I went home or to a high end hotel and neither of those were happening. But I could maybe get some useful information for my money regarding the missing boat in the J&M case. (Never say I can’t multitask)
I learned that I was going about this search all wrong. I was looking through the legal end of things, when I should have been looking through the ‘never wanting to be found, end. It seems if you buy a boat and pay the original licensure, then just paint over the number and copy the number of a similar boat in size and style, another new boat and no questions asked. This is what happens when you’re following the legal eye, Charlie would have told me and he probably would have had it figured out yesterday sometime. A worker at the Marina who shall remain nameless made the suggestion I find where the boat was moored during the original licensure and then look at the other boats within the marina. Again, Charlie would have had this figured out way ahead of me.
Okay, now I need to know more about Ray Brotherton and family. Frankly it didn’t seem like there was anything there until I came across Mark Brotherton, Ray’s younger brother. Mark had spent some time in our states corrections facilities for assault and then numerous other fights and assaults while in the facilities. Seems he moved from one facility to another for being trouble and creating trouble. I looked back at the original offense and found it had been right here in King County and with no other than Melva Brotherton. This was looking like a road to trip. I located a current (?) address for Mark and thought I would pay him a visit. The only problem was Brinks was due within the hour. I did not want to farm either activity out to someone else. So I waited for Brink’s and while doing so called the local law enforcement in Fort Lauderdale FL to pay a welfare check on Charlie. They were not happy about it but I played the sweet little thing who was sooooooo worried. They were to call me back within 24 hours.
Once Brink’s was through wiring in a new alarm system I went for a ride to Mark’s address. The residence seemed well taken care of and there were cars in the driveway. Continuing to play the uneducated person (regarding Mark’s brushes with the law) I got out of my rental and walked up to the door. The window was down for air and a fast exit for Schell. I knew if needed she would be at my side in seconds. The knock was answered by a young woman of 20 to 25 years of age. She said Mark was in the back, if I wanted to see him. Moving around the house I found a smaller version of Ray Brotherton, cutting wood in the back of the house.
Mark as it turned out did know that Ray had hired me; however felt it was a waste of time and money. His perception of Melva was definitely not flattering. The thing was I found him to be very credible in his explanations and his insight with the relationship between J&M. Since I had found her on line I knew Melva to be 30 years younger than John, with no reliable income source. The income part was something I was working on as she had been the sole beneficiary of her previous husband’s life insurance policy; however the policies paid to a Christine Murray. Christine lived outside the U.S. and had financial holdings in Bermuda. Talking with Mark I learned that Christine was only one of five names used by Melva. As for the 42 foot boat, Mark said he had never seen it and did not think his father would purchase it as he would get sea sick on a Washington State Ferry. As for the cabin in the Wenatchee National Forest, Mark did not think his father had been there in years. It was a family vacation spot as the Brotherton clan was growing up and now was with Mark’s third brother John. John was a hermit and did not come out of the mountains easily. As a matter of fact the last time Mark had seen him was at their Mother’s funeral elevan years previous.
I had put together a lot of information and Mark’s revelations definitely add more to the picture. I did not see him as the person to be physically violent. And the cabin in the forest was a place one did not go without back up, especially a woman. So I would think about that one for a day. I would ask Det. James who the investigating officer was for the case brought by Melva regarding Mark and what his impression was.
It was getting late and I still needed to have some dinner, as Schell reminded me of upon return to the car. Being a Friday night, diners would be busy and loud with people having a good time. So I picked up some fast food on the road back from Mark’s and went back to my office/residence (for now). I had a lot to figure out first about my problem with who was following me and making my life very unpleasant and second with the J&M case. I did still think they were tied together somehow, just not sure how.
The burger was good and Schell had already been out for her evening walk, so we were in for the night. I begin looking at my paperwork again to see if I could determine where the two cases crossed. While reading through the notes there was knock at the main door to the building. I was about to turn off all the lights and get out my Glock when my phone rang. Det. James was at the door and had seen the lights on; he wanted to know if everything was okay and if he could come up. This was not my plan however, telling him ‘No’ was not a good move. I went down to let him in and locked the door behind him.
He said my Jeep was ready for pick-up early tomorrow. This was very good; I missed Cimarron and really did not like this lease car I had. He also wanted to pass on the information regarding the detective on the Mark Brotherton case. That would be Deputy Walker, and he was on tomorrow also. My day was shaping up to start at the Sheriff’s Office and spending some time there. I ask Det. James if we could drop the formalities as I would like to keep our conversations a little more relaxed. Turns out his name is Don, which is very easy for me to remember, as my days at the University of Washington the head coach was a man named Don James, no relation it turned out.
Don did tell me he thought I was on the right track with my believing the two cases were connected somehow. Schell had decided that Don was a good person before this, so we kicked back and began to get acquainted. Don and I went over my notes and we discussed the Mark Brotherton case. He said the general conversation around the station was the Melva was making too much out of the incident and that Melva seemed a little shady herself. No one knew how to put it together but there was something not right with that situation. When I mentioned the boat, Don sat up. There was a boat at the J&M house when the officer went to interview Melva, the officers noted it because it seemed too big to tow with the Dodge Ram that was parked there at the time. When the officers went back a few days later the boat, truck and J&M were gone, and haven’t been heard from since.
Right then my phone rang and Charlie was calling. Charlie was not happy about the welfare check and wanted to be sure I knew it. I skimmed over the surface of all that was going on and ask how he was. He said he was fine and it sounded like I would like a little help. Which was very true , and I was so glad I didn’t have to ask. I begin to fill him in with more detail when Schell started a low growl, I had only heard a few times. Without turning around or giving away that I had heard her, I told Charlie that I had Det. Don James with me and we were going over some of my thoughts. At first, Charlie did not catch on, only telling me he did not know of a Det. James and he must be new. I turned around at that moment and looked at a Glock twice as big as mine (or maybe it just looked that way because it was pointing at me). Charlie was catching on fast and ask if I was in the office which I answered in one syllable.
Hanging up the phone I ask what was going on. Don explained I was too close to the right track. As he reached for me, Schell grabbed his arm and everything began happening in double time. The next I realized I was in a car and Don was driving, and driving very fast too. I started to open the door for a jump and a burning sensation in my right side made me stop. Just as I turned to look out the front windshield, the car seemed to explode and I was floating on nice soft clouds. When I would begin to get close to the earth again the pain would return and it was so cold.
I have no clear idea of how long this continued, the next thing I remember is a voice telling me I was going to be o.k. and I should just rest. I woke two days later in the hospital in Seattle, I don’t remember getting there by helicopter or having surgery to repair damage from a bullet. The first thing I saw was Schell sitting on the floor and Charlie next to her in a chair scratching behind her ears.
I am back home in my Condo now and recovering very well. I don’t remember a lot of what happened, mostly because Don shot me just as I was hanging up the phone from the call with Charlie. Charlie has filled in the remainder, Don was not with the Sherriff’s office, and he was in fact the son of Melva. I just assumed that he was a detective since I had the business card and he was always around when the police were. They assumed he was just with me and they needed to keep him in the loop with me. Charlie had called the Sheriff and explained what he felt was happening in my office and the office being so close it took only minutes for help to arrive. They however, could not stop Don who already had me in the car and was leaving the area. Two cars followed and one car took Schell to a 24 hour Vet to take care of her wounds. About 30 miles down the road police working together with another county and the State Police distributed a spike strip. When the tires blew out Don lost control of the car and we went over a very high incline.
The rest of the story went along the lines of Melva had already killed John for his life insurance. Don was to keep me out of the way, while she left the country for a while. Melva was picked up at the airport in Miami, FL. The funds were already sent via wire to Bermuda; however Ray and Mark are in the process of getting the money back. The boat was a brilliant move; Melva had it at the marina in Miami for transportation back and forth to Bermuda, and yes it had a whole set of new Florida ID numbers.
Melva was wanted in three states and Canada. She had worked one to many scams. She had not worked alone and that was the most interesting of all. She worked with her son and daughter. The daughter was in Bermuda, having established residency and claims she has no idea what her mother and Don were up too. Since Don had died in the accident (that landed me in the hospital) the case pretty much wrapped up, with Charlie’s help.
I am learning this trade and certainly learned a lot on this case. Schell and I are partners and I know she has my back. After a week at Whistler Blackcombe resting and building up my strength (skiing is not even a possibility), we walked back into the office and began looking at a missing husband case. Oh, Charlie went back to fishing, promising to keep his cellphone turned on and charged. Seems he likes the fishing better than the PI work.
