Murder Beach — Reality is a Bitch

Since Chance and Linus estimated the drowning would happen between eight and nine in the evening, that it was to take place on Murder Beach, and whom the assailants would be, they had some idea of how to proceed. They also knew what Rick Jacobs and his henchmen looked like, and a description of the cars they would drive. Unfortunately, they had no idea when Marlena would witness the murder of Rick Jacobs’ associate.

Chance was late and he walked hurriedly through the casino to Hogan’s Alley, found Julie at the bar and sat down beside her. “I’m sorry I’m late, hon. This poacher case is spinning out of control. Now, it appears the two perps are mixed up with the drug cartel that has been driving out the local dealers.”

Julie looked over and frowned. “Is it serious? I can call in sick at the Grotto if you have to go.”

“No, that’s fine, the Sheriff has taken over and they won’t need me until tomorrow.”

“Didn’t you tell me that Rick Jacobs was in league with the cartel?” Asked Julie.

“I said I believe so, but I couldn’t prove it. People like him always have their bases covered.”

Julie sat back and sighed, then looked over at Chance. I wish we didn’t have to get involved with him. I’m worried about Marlena, but I’m also afraid of people like Rick Jacobs.”

Chance placed his hand gently on top of Julie’s wrist. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. You’ll be a casual acquaintance of Marlena. Nothing more. Should this situation get serious, I want you to stay here. I’ll handle it. I don’t want Linus involved either, but he’s too important to put on the bench.”

“Do you think this is the real deal?” Asked Julie, a serious look on her face.

“Truthfully, I’m not sure. I don’t believe it is possible to see into the future. It’s a lot easier to believe Linus is crazy.”

“What if it is not possible to change the future?”

“That’s the problem,” said chance, I don’t think it is possible.”

“Then, why are we doing this?”

“It’s like Linus and I explained when we first told you about what’s going on. There are too many facts that Linus knows that he has no way of knowing. For instance, he told me about the scar on Rick Jacobs’ face, and the green pinky ring with the gold emblem on it. Based on his descriptions of the area and approximate time of day, we were able to find the location, and using the tide tables for this time of year I can determine the approximate time the murder will occur. Then there’s Marlena. If there’s a possibility that it could be true, and we stand by and let it happen, how would we feel? Could any of us live with ourselves. If it’s not true, it will be a small inconvenience.”

Julie looked down at her fingers and realized she was picking the little skin tags around her nails, a nervous habit. She looked up and said, “I’d hate myself, just like you would. But even though I like Linus, and I trust you, the idea that you can see into the future under any circumstance is hard to accept.”

“Believe me, I’m right there with you. We only have to watch over her for the four nights that cover her show schedule; and if nothing happens, we can let it go. We’ll write it off to Linus conducting unauthorized personal chemistry experiments early in his college career.”

Julie leaned over and kissed Chance. “I’m taking off. I want to talk to Marlena backstage.”

“You don’t have to do that,” said Chance. “I’ve got her for the rest of the night. You should go home, take a hot bath, and let me worry about Marlena.”

“You said I had to act like a casual friend, and that’s all I’m going to do. I’ll go in and say hi and chat for a minute and then I’m going home. Don’t worry.”

“Promise?” Asked Chance.

“Better a broken promise that no assurance at all,” said Julie as she turned and headed for the back of the stage.

“Yeah. That makes me feel better,” said Chance quietly.

Julie kept walking and disappeared behind the stage curtain.

Chance finished his drink and was on his way to the Copalis café near the front of the casino when Julie called. Her voice sounded different and he could tell she was shaken. “Chance, she’s not here.”

“Not in her dressing room?”

“That’s right, but she’s also not here in the casino.”

“Did you talk with the band?”

“I talked with everyone and no one has seen her since four o’clock. The last time I saw her was when was at three thirty, when I met her by the pool. She was going up to her room to relax and get ready. The show starts at eight o’clock and Marlena usually gets here early so she can go over the playlist. She always stops by the bar for a quick drink before each show. She should have been here at six thirty, so she’s already twenty minutes late.”

“And you called her, left a message?”

“Ten minutes ago. She hasn’t called me back. I’ve been hanging out here by the bar. There’s a view of the entrance, so if she left that way, I would’ve seen her. I couldn’t watch her any closer without making her suspicious.”

“Don’t be hard on yourself.”

“What should we do?”

“Give me a moment. I’m going to check with Linus. I’ll call you right back.”

Linus was laying by the pool when the call came. You’re interrupting my tanning schedule.”

“Linus. We’ve lost track of Marlena. She with you?”

Linus jumped up, knocking over his drink. “No. I called her when I got back to my room, thinking maybe we could get together. She wasn’t there, so I left a message and she hasn’t gotten back to me.”

“When did you call her?” Asked Chance.

“Not sure. Between three and four o’clock. You know, the show starts at 8 o’clock, she might be running late.”

“I know, but she comes in early to rehearse with the band,” said Chance.

“Oh, God. The premonition happened between eight and nine in the evening. They could already have her.”

“It’s almost seven o’clock. It could take us twenty minutes to get up to Murder Beach. Get dressed and meet me in the Kalaloch Hotel lobby. I’ll be there in ten minutes or less.”

“You have a plan?” asked Linus.

“It’s too late for planning. We’re out of options. We’ll have to make this up as we go along. Get ready. I’ll be there soon.”

Chance called Julie next. She answered the phone immediately. “What have you found out?”

Chance hesitated for a moment as he considered how much she should tell her. He wanted her to stay at the hotel where he knew she would be safe, and he feared she might do something crazy if she knew exactly what they were going to do. He decided to tell her everything.

“She’s not with Linus. But I know where she might be.”

“Is she all right? I mean, do you think she’ll be all right if she’s where you think she is?”

Chance didn’t have, much time. He would have to be straight to the point. “I think she’s in trouble. If what we suspect might happen is happening tonight, we are on a short timeline. It’s now a little past 7 o’clock and I believe they will take her down to the beach somewhere around 830. We need to get there as soon as possible, hopefully before Rick Jacobs and his crew get there, which may give us some advantage.”

“You’re going to the beach where it happened?”

“We don’t have a choice. We have to go out there and see if there’s something we can do. If we’re lucky, the premonition is all a bunch of bullshit. But if not, we have to stop this from happening.”

Julie started to cry. “You can’t go down there alone. Linus won’t be able to help you. You’ll be you taking on Rick Jacobs and his henchmen by yourself. I don’t want you to go. I don’t you call the police and get some help?”

“I wish I could, Julie. But the truth is, taking on these kinds of people is part of my job. I don’t have enough evidence or proof to make a case that would justify or convince any law enforcement people to come help me. That’s the bottom line.”

“I don’t want you to go,” said Julie, sobbing.

“I’ll be all right. But I want you to stay here where you’ll be safe. You have to promise me.”

“What will you do?”

“I have a plan. And I must leave right away. But here’s what I want you to do. You wait here for me to call you.”

“Call me. Why?”

“Look, we do have an advantage. If this premonition is true, then we can be ahead of the game because of what we know. Linus and I are going to head out to Murder Beach. We’ll have to be careful how we approach so they won’t know we’re coming. If I can confirm that Marlena is in danger, I’ll call you immediately. When I do, I want you to call the police and tell them that there has been a shooting at Murder Beach a quarter of a mile south of the beach access road where Roosevlet creek empties into the ocean. Tell them someone has been shot and they must respond quickly. Then go to the bar, get a sheet of aluminum foil, and wrap your phone. They won’t be able to track you if you do, which means that they can’t determine your location is inside the casino and write it off as a prank call. Wait fifteen minutes and remove the foil so I can call you when it’s over. Do you understand?”

“I do. I’ll make sure I have a sheet of aluminum foil when you call. It shouldn’t be too hard to find here,” said Julie. Then, she paused and said, “I’m so scared.”

Chance tried to sound calm. “I’ll be all right. Do what I told you to and it will be a big help. Do not leave the casino. Promise?”

“I do,” said Julie quietly.

“I have to go, Julie. Linus and I must get there as soon as possible. Goodbye. Love you.”

“Chance, wait. I…”

Chance was gone and Julie stood there staring at her phone, wondering if she would ever talk to him again.

Linus grabbed his coat and hurried down to the hotel lobby. A fisher throughout his life, Linus had recently purchased a folding knife which felt heavy in his pocket. My last resort thought Linus. I hope I don’t have to use it.

He kept thinking about the sight of Marlena screaming through the scarf tied across her mouth as they lowered her into the water. He tried to think of something else, but the vision of her death kept resurfacing into his consciousness. He closed his eyes, attempting to think of other facets of the premonition. Then he heard the horn from Chance’s truck.

Linus got into the big black Silverado and grabbed for a seatbelt. “How are we doing on time?”

“Not good,” said chance. “We need to get there before they do. If we can. We don’t have a precise time, so we’re going to have to wing it.”

“It’s seven twenty now,” said Linus. “How long will it take to get to Murder Beach?”

“It would normally take me twenty minutes, give or take. I think I could do it in fifteen without killing someone on the highway.”

Chance steered the pickup to the highway and was up to seventy-five when Linus said, “Can’t you go faster? We are probably late already.”

Chance gave Linus a sidelong glance and said, “I know how you feel. But if I go faster, it will be harder to slow down when I have to, which can result in too bad situations: I’ll get pulled over and we won’t be able to make it at all, or I run off the road on one of the curves.”

Although they made it in sixteen minutes, it seemed more like twenty-five. When they got near the turnoff, Chance shut off his headlights and proceeded carefully in the pale light of the evening moon. Chance eased the pickup along the access road, moving slowly, intent upon keeping the engine noise low. He turned off his parking lights and continued to pick his way along the uneven ground and broken starfish shells washed up by the dark ocean water. They kept moving south along the beach, looking for the small stream Linus had described in his premonition. Chance stopped, opened the door and stood on the driver side foot rail in order to see further down the beach.

“I don’t see any lights. Either they’re not coming or they’re on their way.”

“Or, they have come and gone,” said Linus, his voice low and small.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. We might be in luck.”

Chance got down and opened a fuse panel near the door, then grabbed a flashlight and a pair of needle nose pliers from the gap box.

“What are you doing? Can’t that wait?” asked Linus.

“No, it can’t. I’m pulling the fuse that connects the brake lights so we won’t be seen. Any kind of light is visible from a distance along the beach.”

“Good idea,” said Linus. He looked towards the sand cliffs, and back along the beach. “I think we’re getting close. Let’s go.”

“I heard that,” said Chance easing the pickup into gear and leaning out the front window as they rolled slowly along the beach.

Linus kept eyeing the Sandy cliffs up from the beach, checking for any features he might remember. He saw something in the rear window. “Stop!”

“What is it?” asked Chance.

“I saw a light back the way we came. It could be them.”

“Damn it,” said chance. “We have to get past Roosevelt creek before they do.”

“I think we’re close. Can you speed up?”

Chance nodded. “I’m going to drive down to the water so that there’ll be no tracks for them to see at the murder site. Then we can double back.”

Chance downshifted and the pickup jumped ahead. Before long, they were far down the beach and the lights from the approaching car were no longer visible.

Linus put his hand on Chance’s right elbow. “We’re past the place where it happens, but not too far.”

“That’s good,” said Chance. He slammed on the brakes and turned back to the Sandy cliffs. “We’ll leave the truck and walked from here. He pulled his pistol from its holster, popped the magazine, checked the number of rounds and reinserted. “You stay behind me. I have gun and a badge and I’m now acting as a game Warden, following up on the drug connection to those poachers I stopped. That’s our story as to why we were here.”

“I understand.”

“Good. I want you to stay low and tell me if you see those lights again.”

They walked quickly back toward the site. Linus could see lights flashing as the two cars bounded over the uneven ground of the beach.

“What do you think?” Asked Chance, pointing to the lights.

“There are definitely two cars. I feel that it’s them.”

Chance grabbed Linus’s arm. “It’s going to get serious from here on. I need you to verify what is happening, and I also need you to do exactly as I say. Okay?”

Linus glanced nervously at the flickering lights in the distance. “Sure. I an artist. I don’t even own a gun. I won’t be charging ahead. Believe me.”

“Good. Let’s get up there and position ourselves up in the hills on the grassy area. We’ll have the advantage from up there and we’ll be able to identify them before we take any action. Once you confirm what is happening, I want you to call Julie and she’ll report an emergency, getting the police up here. Her number is in my phone.”

“I’m right behind you,” whispered Linus.

They continued toward the murder site, walking quickly, but keeping a low profile. Up ahead, the flickering lights were getting bigger. They found a small gully behind one of the grassy mounds and hunkered down.

At first, it was difficult to see the outlines of the vehicles, but Linus could hear the staccato roar of a big Charger r/t engine like the one in his premonition. “Chance. That’s the car I heard in my premonition. That means Rick Jacobs and his crew are here.”

Chance looked at the dark shapes of the cars moving into view. Can this really be happening? He turned toward Linus. “That might be true, but we have to wait until we see who it is and if they have Marlena. After that, I can proceed with authority. But I will be on my own.” He handed his phone to Linus. “When I give you the signal, call Julie and tell her to make the call.”

“What are you going to do? Walk in Texas Rangers style and make everyone put their guns down?”

Chase eyed the approaching vehicles. “No. That would be four against one. They’d kill me, then you and finally, Marlena.”

“Then, what?”

“We’re going to interrupt them. If they don’t know who it is or what is going on, they will not go ahead with the drowning because they will be afraid of witnesses. We need to keep them busy until the Calvary arrives.”

“What should I do?” asked Linus.

“Call Julie when I tell you to. Then stay close to me but do exactly as I say.”

They both watched in silence as the two vehicles approached. The black charger roared in first, followed by a nondescript sedan. Rick Jacobs got out and slammed the car door. He marched over and yelled at the men in the sedan.

“Did you hear what he said?” asked Linus.

“No, only a couple of words, nothing that made sense.”

Three men got out of the sedan and gathered around Rick Jacobs. Only one of the men stood at eye level with Rick, the other two were short but muscular. Two were wearing cheap suits and the smallest man was wearing a tight polo shirt. Rick pushed the tall man wearing cowboy boots toward the car.

“Get her out!” said Rick. He pointed to the ocean, barking orders at the men.

The evening winds were blowing in from the ocean and neither Chance nor Linus could make out what Jacobs was saying. They watched the tall man wearing the cowboy boots open the door and drag a woman from the back seat.

Chance put his hand on Linus’s shoulder. “Don’t move or say anything. Wait until we see her.”

Linus gritted his teeth and whispered, “I got you. Don’t worry.”

The tall man dragged the woman toward Rick and when the car lights reflected off her face, they knew it was Marlena.

Chance gripped Linus’s arm. “Call Julie now. Tell her to make the call. Stay down and don’t move.”

Linus started to answer, but Chance was gone. The sand was blowing into his eyes and he wasn’t sure which direction Chance took. He turned his back to the wind and called Julie.

She answered on the first ring. “Chance?”

“Julie, it’s me, Linus. You need to make the call right now. We have confirmed it’s happening.”

“Oh, God! Is Chance — ”

“Julie! Make the call. Now!”

“I will,” said Julie quickly and disconnected.

Chance was crabbing across the mounds of grass and sand as quickly as he could, hoping to position himself in time. He needed to find a place to fire the first shot and then relocate without being seen. He glanced at the scene below and could see that Marlena was struggling.

He found an arroyo formed by the stream and fired the first shot into the air. He gambled that the muzzle flash would be blocked from anyone below noticing the precise location, but they would look toward the sound. Then he ran north in a crouch to get on the other side of the two cars.

He found a grassy knoll to hide behind, went into a prone position, his gun pointing forward. He peered over the knoll and could see that two of the men below were scrambling around, trying to find the source of the shot. The man with the cowboy boots was holding Marlena close to him. Both of her hands were tied, and she had a scarf tied between her teeth.

Chance saw the man wearing the polo shirt walk toward Linus. Shit. I can’t let him find Linus. I’ll have to move. He fired another shot which pinged near polo shirt’s feet and moved again to another position. Three bullets kicked up dirt where Chance had been. Someone is a good shot. Damn.

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