Captain Dead Man (Sweetfern Harbor Mystery Book 3) Read online

  “I have plenty besides the ones we have here. I’ll get them to you.” He stopped talking. Then he spoke softly. “Well, no. Most of the photos went down with my boat, if you’re correct. But I have some in my suitcase that is stored in the harbor master’s office. I’ll get them.”

  While he did that, Brenda met Mac Rivers who hurried along the dock. Brenda told him everything she knew and his eyes widened as he stepped back to view the boat beside them in a whole new light.

  8

  The Switch

  As Brenda finished telling him everything she had learned from Pratt, Mac sensed the excitement in her demeanor. He smiled briefly to see her so excited to help move the investigation forward, and he, too, felt relief at this new development.

  “I don’t think Pratt had anything to do with it, but someone went to a lot of trouble switching the boats.” She showed Mac the painted-over name on the boat they approached. “Pratt is looking for more photos of his boat that sank.”

  “Wally’s identical boats made it hard to see the difference. I’m surprised Pratt didn’t notice before now,” Mac said, shining his flashlight on the boat.

  “He said he hadn’t been on the boat much since the race. There was nothing to make him think it wasn’t his.” At his questions, Brenda explained how she found Captain Pratt on her doorstep after walking home. “When I saw the picture of his new engine I had an idea to come down with him to look at it, just in case. He swears it’s the same engine Wally put in after his malfunctioned on a fishing trip. But this definitely isn’t his boat.” She explained to Mac how confused Pratt had been when he discovered the switch, which led her to believe he genuinely had no idea it had happened until now.

  “Whoever went to the trouble of painting over Eddy’s name could have also had time to switch the engines. What if they put the malfunctioning engine in the sailboat that sunk? We need to know who had access to where the malfunctioning engine was stored,” Mac said firmly.

  Brenda agreed. “Wally might think he knows where the old one is. But right now, it’s down with the sunken boat. We definitely need to question him and his work crew in the morning.”

  Mac put a call in to Chief Bob Ingram and told him of the discovery. Despite the late hour, the Chief stated he was on his way to the harbor. Captain Pratt rejoined them on the deck and showed them the few pictures he had of his boat.

  “This is my boat...my real boat, which I now know is beneath the water.” He showed them a few pictures of the cabin and the kitchen which, in contrast to the decorations Brenda had just seen inside, was quite different – tidy and spartan. The sailboat pattern on the curtains was also plainly visible in several of the photos. As he flipped through the small stack of photos he had found, there was one showing the deck of a boat.

  “What did you keep this wooden barrel on the deck for?” Mac asked, pointing out a detail.

  “I always kept a large wooden vat of some kind on deck. This one isn’t mine. I know it’s Eddy’s. He did the same as I did. We both liked to race boats but we like to fish more. It was handy to throw the fish in when we fished from the deck.” His eyes grew sad. “It’s hard for me to think about someone shoving Eddy’s head into it to cause his death. Who would have done something like that?”

  “We don’t know that answer,” Brenda said apologetically, “but we’re working on it. Do you happen to have a receipt showing the new engine?”

  Pratt opened his hands wide. “Not with me. That’s something else that’s at the bottom of the ocean.”

  The police chief arrived and he asked Captain Pratt’s permission to look through the boat. He, Mac and Brenda searched the boat for clues. Pratt followed them and assisted with answers and suggestions as they went through the vessel. At last they seemed satisfied.

  “Don’t leave the harbor with this boat,” said Chief Ingram, tiredly wiping his hand across his forehead. “We’ll probably be back tomorrow first thing in the morning to talk some more.” He assured Pratt that it was fine for him to sleep on the boat as usual. “Don’t tell anyone of our findings here tonight. That includes Captain Scully.”

  “I’m sure Scully had nothing to do with any of this,” Pratt protested.

  “It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks. Right now, everyone is a suspect. Keep this information to yourself.” Chief Ingram’s face was stern. Captain Pratt readily agreed with his request.

  They all said goodnight and Mac offered Brenda a ride home. She explained she had arrived in her own car and they said goodnight for the second time that evening. She drove home with her excitement fading into fatigue by degrees. When she glanced in her rearview mirror she saw Mac’s car behind her. Back at the bed and breakfast, Brenda invited him in when she saw his car still idling in the driveway and he agreed. Neither of them were quite ready to say goodnight after all, after the excitement of the late-night discovery.

  But as they walked through the dew-kissed grass toward the garden, instead of discussing the developments of the past few hours, Brenda brought up the subject of their engagement.

  “The boat races are over and things are calming down around here,” she said. “When is a good time to announce our engagement?” He squeezed her hand as they reached the garden bench and sat down together. He turned to look at her with a soft sigh.

  “I suppose my hesitation is that I want you all to myself. Once we announce it we will be bombarded with attention. Everyone will have questions and ideas on how the wedding should play out and who knows the advice that will hit us right and left.” He ducked his head down bashfully and she started to understand the fierce need for privacy that he cherished in his life.

  Brenda smiled. “What you say is true. Maybe we should just enjoy it between us alone for a time. But I’m not letting you off the hook, Mac Rivers. When I think we should let the world know, that’s when it will happen. You may guard your private life for a little while yet, but this engagement is mine, too. I need the support and love of my friends around me. So be prepared,” she teased him.

  His response was a chuckle. Brenda leaned into his shoulder for a moment, then went to the kitchen and brought a cold beer to him and a glass of wine for herself. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Neither could get their minds off the events at the harbor.

  “What’s your next step in regard to the switched boats?” Brenda asked.

  “I think both of us should pay a visit to Wally Doyle’s and his crew first thing tomorrow morning.”

  “He doesn’t seem to be someone who would commit murder but he definitely is someone who needs to answer pertinent questions.” Brenda sipped her wine. “I am finding this whole boating thing fascinating. Who knew racing boats could be so luxurious?”

  “It isn’t the first time I’ve seen one,” Mac said. His eyes danced when he looked at her. “I’ve been around here a long time and have seen more than one boat race. Haven’t you noticed some of the boats that visitors dock along the harbor?”

  “I have noticed but have never been inside any of them until now. Maybe one day I’ll get to visit one that isn’t a crime scene!” Brenda took another drink of her wine. “Back to Wally now. I have a feeling you may be suspecting him.”

  “In my field, I never take it for granted that certain persons of interest aren’t capable of committing a crime like that,” Mac said. “I do agree that Wally doesn’t seem like a murderer. He’s had a spotless life when it comes to any infractions of the law and I’ve known him a long time. But he had opportunity. That’s not much, but we do have to rule him out. Not to mention his crew.”

  Brenda stifled a yawn and Mac glanced at his watch. It was well past midnight and he stood to go. They walked back to the kitchen together to deposit their drinks.

  “Thanks for the beer and the good company,” he said. “We both need to get some sleep. We have a lot of work waiting for us.” He leaned over and kissed Brenda. “I’ll let myself out.”

  Brenda yawned again. “I apologize for not stif
ling that yawn. The day and the wine contributed.” She followed him to the door where he kissed her, leaning in with a warmth that made her tingle.

  After he left, Brenda brushed her hand softly across her lips and then locked the front door. For the first time in a long time, when she went into her apartment she didn’t feel like the engagement ring was taunting her from its hiding place. It was safe and sound where it was supposed to be – just like her.

  The next morning, Brenda met Mac at Jenny’s Blossoms when he dropped his daughter off for work.

  “When will your car be ready again?” Brenda directed her question to Jenny.

  “I should have it back by the end of the day. I’m thankful it was nothing serious, but Randy told me I’d probably need new brakes in a few months. Guess I’ll have to start saving up for that next.”

  Jenny’s long blonde hair shook a little as she laughed. Brenda couldn’t recall ever seeing Jenny not upbeat and outgoing in mannerisms. She kept up with everything going on in Sweetfern Harbor, and today was no exception. She leaned in confidentially toward Brenda.

  “I heard Captain Scully isn’t as outgoing as he was before the races. I think the death of his good friend really shook him.” She paused for a brief moment. “It didn’t help that he rescued Bryce Jones just before that boat sank. That would be enough to shake me up.”

  “Have you been around Scully much since the races?” Brenda asked.

  “He was in the coffee shop early this morning. Someone offered sympathy at the loss of his friend. He just nodded and took a drink of his latté. He isn’t the same man and that’s for sure.” Jenny turned when she heard the back doorbell to her shop ring. “That’s my delivery. I’d better go.”

  They wished her a good day. “And a prosperous one,” said her father. They heard Jenny’s melodious laugh on her way to the back door.

  “Let’s go see Wally now. We can walk down there,” Mac said.

  When they got to the shipwright’s shop, Brenda was impressed at how large the workshop was. There was a large fenced area that held open-air supplies, parking for the workers, and trailers for the boats, as well as a tall warehouse that served as the main boat building facility. Mac told her the height of the building was so it could accommodate the deep keels of the sailboats Wally built. The shop was built behind a building that had originally been a house, and Wally’s father had expanded it into the warehouse space and the fenced yard behind. They entered through a side door of the warehouse workshop. Several workers were busy in the back and Wally came forward. He greeted them and Mac asked if there was someplace private they could talk.

  He wiped his hands on his thick canvas apron with a smile. “I expected to see you at some point. Let’s go back to my office.”

  He escorted them to a spacious room that held a large oak desk with a computer and printer set at the end of it. Behind was a credenza, also oak. Several cushioned chairs were scattered opposite Wally’s desk. As he took off his apron, he winced when he sat down, and she noticed a black nylon back brace velcroed around his trim waist. She asked him if he was okay and he waved off her concern, explaining that he had long had a bad back. “These days we have machines that do the heavy lifting for us, but when I was a younger man...let’s just say my doctor wishes I hadn’t showed off so much around the shop!” A small fireplace was in the far corner and two winged chairs flanked it. Brenda realized they must be in the part of the building that was part of the old house. It was cozy, with wood paneled walls and a few old paintings of seafaring ships. On one wall were mounted a number of commendations and newspaper articles written about his company and its quality craftsmanship.

  Wally gestured toward the chairs across from him and asked if they wanted anything to drink. Both declined, though Brenda had the feeling anything they may ask for was at hand for visitors or prospective customers. Wally’s boats were not cheap and everywhere she could see the evidence of the prosperous nature of his work.

  Nevertheless, they were there about much more pressing matters. She got right to the point. “When did Eddy’s and Pratt’s boats get switched?” Brenda asked.

  Wally’s face went blank. He shook his head. “What? They didn’t get switched. There was no reason to do so. All three boats were identical except for the interior finishes. Scully didn’t have a preference about most things, but Pratt and Eddy specified certain things such as the type of wood finish in the interior. They even had their own ideas about specific patterns in the kitchen curtains. I had my seamstress make them the way they wanted,” he finished proudly. “So there’s no way I could have switched the boats even if I tried.”

  “Did you replace an engine on Captain Pratt’s boat?” Mac pressed.

  “I did that when his engine malfunctioned out on the water one day recently. He and Captain Eddy went out fishing and weren’t sure they were going to make it back to shore. The engine kept cutting out. When I took a look, I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with it, so I think it came from the factory defective. I replaced it with a newer one. The company told me they now make them to last much longer than the others. Pratt was happy to show it off to the other two.”

  “Do you have proof that the new engine went into that particular boat?” Brenda watched his eyes. There was no hesitation.

  Wally opened a drawer and pulled out a folder. “Of course. I’m still old fashioned. I have it all on my computer but I believe in hard copies. Here it is.” He opened the folder that had Captain Pratt’s name on it and spread the receipts in front of them. The invoice for the replaced engine was there, and so was the labor sheet showing the date and the time that Wally had replaced the engine. Everything was as Pratt had told them.

  Brenda spoke. “I’d like to see the old engine you took from the boat for comparison. Do you still have it or did you discard it?”

  Wally said he kept it and led them back to the workshop. “I tried to return it to the company, but they don’t make that model anymore, so they told me I could scrap it. But I thought maybe one of the guys could figure out what was wrong with it, maybe salvage a few parts...” They followed him to the shop area, where he stopped. He searched for several minutes with no result. “I know it was right here where I tagged it with the boat number and Pratt’s name.” He called to his workers. “Did any of you move the old engine I took from Captain Pratt’s boat?”

  Brenda watched each face. All spoke in the negative. One remarked they all knew better than to move things once Wally set them down. The other three laughed. Wally made the remark that they learned their lessons well. Then he turned apologetically to Mac and Brenda.

  “I have no idea where it is. It’s heavy so I can’t imagine someone just walked off with it. I can assure you that engine was not safe. It could have caused a fire in an instant. They’re lucky they made it back to shore with it the first time it died. The electrical system was off and could have bled fuel and caught the boat on fire.”

  “What about sinking a boat? Would a malfunctioning engine cause a boat to sink?” Brenda asked.

  Wally was taken aback when she said this, clearly understanding the implication. “Not in my experience. Usually it would catch on fire, first. But if the raw-water hose ruptures and comes off a fitting in the engine, a boat would sink. Yes.”

  “Wouldn’t that mean it would sink while docked? Before it even gets out on the water?” Mac asked.

  “Not necessarily. In the case of a hose rupture, the water seeps in faster if the boat is running, since the water is running through the engine at a faster rate. Even under sailing power, when they’re not using the engine much, the raw-water hose is feeding water through the engine at a pretty fast rate. The engine I took out of Pratt’s boat did show wear in that hose which was another reason I had to replace it right away.” He thought for a few seconds. “Now that I think about it, I doubt very much it came from the factory that way. It’s almost as if someone purposely caused the slight rupture I noted.” He looked around again as if hoping t
he engine would suddenly appear. “I have no idea where that engine is but maybe one of the guys on the other shift moved it with the forklift. When I find it I’ll call you right away.”

  After they left the shop, Brenda spoke. “I think that old engine is underwater. Someone got into Wally’s shop and took it and put it back into Captain Pratt’s boat. The same person painted over Eddy’s name with Pratt’s name instead.”

  “That would mean the killer also tampered with the engine’s hose and that’s how it sank once on water. I don’t understand why the boats were switched, or when. That part makes no sense.” Mac wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

  “I think we’d better get Captain Scully down for questioning,” Brenda said. Mac agreed.

  “Let’s grab lunch at Morning Sun and something cool to drink.”

  Molly waved from the back of the shop and then came over to their table. “You both look like you need a cold lemonade to cool you off. It’s gotten hot out there today.” They agreed gratefully and she left to get their drinks.

  They discussed their findings quietly. Several people sat a few tables away from them out of earshot.

  “Wally seemed completely surprised at the switching of boats,” said Brenda. “He seemed completely open and honest. What was your take on him?”

  “I picked up the same reaction. My guess is that his second shift crew won’t have any answers, either. He doesn’t know where the old engine is because someone stole it from him. I’ll go back soon and talk with all of his crew. I know he checks them out, but we can’t be too careful.”

  Brenda took a sip of her lemonade and pondered just how many hands had to touch each boat before it was ready to go out on the water, and how one malevolent person had wrecked all that by taking one man’s life and nearly drowning another one.

  9