Chapter 29
Stone and the commander were sitting at a table in a quiet corner of the coffee shop, nursing their drinks, when Stella entered by herself.
“Sorry about before,” Stella said when she reached them. “Barry can be…”
“Single-minded?” Stone suggested.
“I was going to say an idiot.”
“Would you like something to drink?”
“An iced latte would be great.”
Stone put in the order, then returned to the table. “Did I miss anything?”
“Stella was just telling me about the lawsuit,” Choi said.
“I didn’t want to get involved,” Stella told him. “I just wanted to put it all behind me, but Barry insisted.”
“How is Barry related to you?” Stone asked.
“He’s my husband, sadly.”
“Am I right in presuming a lawyer named Cory Whittaker approached you about the suit?”
She nodded. “He’d already signed up Deirdre and Gerry and a few relatives of those who didn’t make it. Do you know him?”
“Not personally, but by reputation.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” Stella said.
“My advice, find a credible lawyer to look over anything you’ve signed with him. Your understanding of your agreement and the reality might be two different things.”
“I told Barry we shouldn’t trust him,” she said, shaking her head. “He gave me a creepy vibe.”
“Not the first time I’ve heard that,” Stone said. “If you’d like, I’d be happy to take a look at whatever he’s given you.”
“You’re a lawyer?”
“I am.”
“I don’t think I can afford you. Especially since I’m out of work now.”
“I will do it gratis. One survivor to another.”
“You don’t know how much I appreciate that. Thank you!”
Stone gave her his card.
“Sorry, Commander,” Stone said to Choi. “I didn’t mean to highjack the floor.”
“All good,” the commander said. She smiled at Stella. “If you’re ready…?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” Stella said.
Choi pulled out a notebook and pen. “I realize this was in your statement, but I’d like to hear directly from you what you remember from that night?”
Stella shrugged. “Okay, but I’m not sure it’ll help. Deirdre and I shared a cabin. If she hadn’t woken me up, I wouldn’t be here now.”
“Do you know when she realized something was wrong?”
“I probably shouldn’t be saying this, but I think she was in Gerry’s cabin when the boat started going down, and they weren’t asleep, if you know what I mean.”
“I do.”
“She woke me, grabbed a few of her things, and the three of us rushed up to the deck.
“We pounded on the doors we passed, but by then the boat was already listing pretty good. We barely had enough time to get topside and launch a lifeboat.” She stared down at her coffee. “Maybe we should have tried harder.”
“If you had, you would have died there,” Stone said. “I almost didn’t make it, and my cabin was a lot closer to the outside deck than yours.”
“I suppose.”
“At any point, did you see Mr. Sidney?” Choi asked.
“No. We didn’t see anyone else. Not even you, Mr. Barrington. If we had, we would have pulled you into the lifeboat.”
“I know,” he said.
“Just so I’m clear, you were asleep when the yacht started to sink?” Choi said.
Stella nodded. “Yes.”
“Did Miss Lyne or Mr. Villarosa mention hearing or feeling anything unusual when the boat started going down?”
“You haven’t talked to them yet?”
“We’ve tried, but we haven’t been able to connect with them.”
“They’re dodging you because of the lawsuit, aren’t they?”
“We don’t know that for a fact,” Stone said. “But that would be my guess.”
Stella shook her head in disappointment. “Deidre said something about hearing a pop or a clunk. I can’t remember exactly. She didn’t think anything of it at first, but soon after the boat began to shift.”
That likely was the water shoving the cut piece of the hull out of the way, Stone thought.
“Was there anything else that happened or that your friends told you that seemed unusual?” the commander asked.
“Other than the fact the boat was sinking?” Stella asked, the hint of an ironic grin touching her lips.
“Yes, other than that.”
“I can’t think of anything.”
Choi nodded. “How well did you know the rest of the crew?”
“Some I’d worked with before on other yachts. And others, I was working with for the first time. The Amanda Jae was new, and we’d been hired not long before Mr. Sidney took possession.”
“All of you?” Stone asked.
“I don’t know, but I assume so.” She cocked her head. “I think I heard that someone got hurt and had to be replaced at the last minute.”
“Do you know who?” Choi asked.
After several silent seconds, Stella shook her head. “No. Sorry.”
“What about what part of the crew they were on?” Stone asked.
She shook her head.
Choi set her pen down. “I think that’s all I have for now.” She glanced at Stone. “Unless there’s something you think I missed.”
“I can’t think of anything,” he said.
“If I have further questions, may I contact you?” the commander asked Stella.
“Of course. Do you have my cell number?”
“Is it the same as the one you provided when you gave your statement?”
“It is.”
“Then I do.”