The Return Ch. 05

Staring back out at the harbor, Geoff whispered, "I believe if the Armesteads had known he had sold that to the town, Mom and Dad would be alive today."

"I...I don't know Geoff, that sounds pretty farfetched, even for that family. But, I'm here for you. You need to use the Palatka, you got her. Just say when."

Geoff smiled. He knew his Dad's old partner and friend owned a 1982 seventy-two foot Hatteras motor yacht. Jack had named the craft, The Palatka, after his home town in Florida. Once out of the service, Jack had gone back home only to find his mother and father had died in a car crash. The only family he had left was in California, Geoff's dad, so Jack came to California and teamed up with the McKenzie's in the construction biz and as they say, the rest was history.

"Jenny is getting me some sonar gear, hopefully, in the next couple of days. If you can bring the Palatka down to Moon Key, we can rig her with the equipment and start searching for the Annabella."

"Okay, it's done then. Call me when you're ready and I'll run her down." Jack stuck out his right hand and Geoff gripped it in an iron handshake, with both men looking very determined.

"Thanks Jack, I knew I could depend on you."

A day later, Sarah found herself back in the passenger seat of Geoff's gun metal bullet, his Lexus roadster, flying down the coast highway heading back home. Though she and Geoff stayed in different rooms, she enjoyed staying with Terry and Jack. Later that night, Geoff once tried to sneak into her room and had his hand on the door handle only to hear Terry's voice. Amused, Sarah could hear their conversation just outside her door.

"Geoff, are you alright? Why are you up so late? Is there anything I can do for you?" asked Terry demurely. Sarah heard Geoff's stammering voice sounding much like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"Uh, no...no, I'm okay. I was just going into the kitchen for some, uh...warm milk...you know, having a hard time getting to sleep."

"Oh, well here, let me help you fix up some then."

Sarah quietly giggled. She could hear the anxiety in Geoff's excuses and the knowing concern in Terry's. Fifteen minutes later she heard their steps pass her door and Terry's voice calling out good night to Geoff. His voice, full of frustration, returned the nocturnal salutation. As the wind swept through her hair, she started laughing causing Geoff to stare at her.

"What's so funny?"

"Oh, I was just remembering how Terry helped you last night."

Geoff laughed and said, "Shit, she saw my hand turning the knob of your door. She knew exactly where I was going and what we were going to do. I felt like my mother caught me doing something naughty." Chuckling, he added, "She even warmed up the milk for me and stayed with me until I was finished. Do you know, she followed me back to my room? Terry would make a terrific prison guard!"

Sarah laughed and grabbed his hand squeezing it. She had never been happier than she was at this moment.

*****************

"Nevy, can you help me please?" cried Julie. At the moment, she had her back against a large chest of drawers trying to push the huge piece of furniture along the wall of her bedroom.

"Neville? NEVILLE!"

Heavy footsteps sounded in the hallway as Julie was struggling with the dresser. A shadow fell over her and she looked up. Her eyes widened in surprise as she stared at a huge man standing in the doorway with a gun in his hand, the gun pointed directly at her.

"Julie McKenzie?"

"Ye...yes?"

"No trouble now...come with me." The man stared at her, his eyes devoid of emotion. Gesturing toward the door with the barrel, Julie carefully stepped past the gunman and down the hallway, hearing his steps behind her.

As she turned into the main room, she saw Neville sitting on the sofa clutching his forehead, blood running down his face.

"NEVILLE!" she screamed and ran to him her arms engulfing the injured man.

"I'm alright, Julie...I'm okay," he said trying to calm her.

She pulled his hand away and saw a small laceration just above the forehead in his hairline. She stood and started for the kitchen, one of two men ordering her to remain seated.

"He needs medical attention but since, I don't believe he won't get it from you two assholes so I'm at least going to clean and dress the wound." She glared at the larger of the two as she said this.

"You want the same bitch...just keep going." The big man moved toward her.

"Raf! Back off...now." The voice came from behind her, smooth and articulate; it invoked an assumption of complete obedience.

The big man moved back as she turned to the voice behind her. She saw an average looking individual with dark hair slicked back. He wasn't overly handsome but he wasn't homely or ugly either, clean shaven and wearing a dark gray suit and lighter gray tie. She would have never noticed him out of a crowd. Until she saw his eyes. They were a pale blue, an icy blue reflection of death. Julie shuddered as he nodded to her saying, "Get what you need now and get back here. Pauli, stay with her and Pauli... don't do anything stupid, understand?"

The smallest of the three vigorously nodded and followed Sarah from the room. Of the three men, only the one called Raf held a gun. Pauli trailed her into the kitchen where she reached up into a cupboard and removed a small blue nylon pack marked with a white cross on the side. From there, she grabbed a towel, held it under the faucet soaking the material before she returned to Neville.

Julie gently dabbed at the forehead cleaning off the blood, finding a small three inch laceration hidden just inside the hairline. The bleeding had stopped but, because of the hair, the small butterfly band aids wouldn't hold the wound.

"Nev, you're going to need stitches," she said, her face full of worry.

"Okay, just try and relax. These men won't hurt us anymore than they already have." Neville tried to sound positive but did not believe he pulled it off. "It appears they work for my brother."

"Robert sent them?"

"Of a sort, they're looking for Geoff. Seems Robert wants to talk to Geoff but he's disappeared."

If Julie hadn't seen Neville's glare at her, she would have mentioned Geoff leaving for Coos Bay, Oregon. Neville knew it as well and wouldn't tell them.

"Oh, well Geoff's in San Francisco!" she exclaimed.

The unknown thug asked, "When's he coming back?" Mr. Armestead needs to speak with him as soon as possible." He spoke as if he was already bored with her answer.

Julie whirled on the speaker and snarled, "Why the hell should I tell you? You come into my home, injure Neville and pull a gun on me. And, now you want Geoff? Fuck you and the horse you rode in on."

"Car..." Julie noticed the big guy stop in mid-sentence when the nameless suit glared at him. She knew the largest of the three was Raf and the little weasel looking goon was called Pauli but the third one was careful. He wanted to remain nameless and that scared her.

"Julie, it is Julie?" the third man asked. Julie nodded but didn't reply.

"Julie, we're not here to hurt anyone and we won't hurt your brother. Yes, I know he's your brother. Mr. Armestead has a business proposition to make and he needs to speak with Mr. McKenzie. When he returns, if he returns, please have him call Robert Armestead."

He turned to Neville.

"Mr. Armestead, I apologize for my partner's unfailing lack for patience. I will notify your brother of the unfortunate incident. We are going to leave now. I would ask you to think carefully before you consider calling the authorities. After all, this was a distressing accident. Please, Miss McKenzie, transport Mr. Armestead to the hospital and have that," he pointed to Neville's scalp, "taken care of."

Julie watched as he gestured with a quick nod toward the door, the other two quickly leaving the room.

"Good day." Saying that, the non-descript man followed.

Julie and Neville sat there until they heard the sound of the front entrance open and close with a loud thwack.

"Neville, what's going on? Who were those men and why do they want Geoff?" She fired off her questions faster than any expert marksman at a shooting range.

"They are hired thugs for my brother. These men are new, I don't know them. Robert had two others, Frank Manelli and Victor Silverman but they evidently decided to leave. At least, I haven't seen them around lately. Frank and Victor were like the two here, the big one and the smallest of the three. The third man, I'm not sure about him but the other two do exactly what he says."

"God, he was creepy," Julie whispered. "If I had passed him on the street, I'd never given him a second glance, but, here in my house...and those eyes." She shuddered.

"Neville, we have to tell Geoff about those three thugs. Damn, that idiot brother of mine won't answer his cell phone."

Neville looked at Julie and smiled. "I don't believe you have to worry too much about your brother." He thought back to Frank and Vic. Somehow, he had an idea Geoff knew exactly where the two may have gone.

To be continued...