Chapter 13
My phone buzzed with a call from an unknown number as we walked back to the car. I hesitated before answering. “Hello?”
“Deputy Wild?” a somewhat familiar voice asked.
“Speaking.”
“This is Catalina from the gala.”
“Yes, of course. How are you?”
“I’m good, thank you.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have much to tell you regarding the theft. It was a pretty sophisticated operation.”
“Actually, that’s not why I’m calling.”
That took me by surprise. “What can I do for you?”
"I just wanted to apologize again. I wasn’t myself last night, and I realize I came off a bit rude. I know how hard you boys work, and I don't want you to think that's not appreciated.”
"No worries. You already apologized.”
“Yes, but I’m an over-apologizer.”
I chuckled. “It was a traumatic incident. You've been through a lot. Someone put a gun to your head. That would set anybody on edge.”
"Well, thank you for being so understanding. As a token of my appreciation, I'd be delighted if you’d be my guest tomorrow morning for an adventure.”
Intrigued, I said, "What kind of adventure?”
"I suspect a man in your line of work might have a certain predilection for high-stakes situations.”
I laughed. "You would be correct.”
"I, too, am a bit of an adrenaline junkie, though I prefer to get my fix in less terrifying ways than last night. I was planning on going skydiving tomorrow morning. My partner backed out at the last moment, and I thought of you.”
"Skydiving?"
"You're not afraid of heights, are you?"
I laughed. "No. Not at all.”
"This wouldn’t be your first jump, would it?"
I laughed again. "No. You might say I'm a seasoned professional."
"Good. So it settled. You’ll meet me at the FBO at 8:00 AM. I take it you have your own gear. If not, that can be provided.”
"I have my own gear and will most definitely pack my own chute.”
"Excellent. I look forward to seeing you in the morning. We'll have lunch afterward."
"It's a date," I said in an optimistic voice.
Catalina ended the call, and I slipped the phone back into my pocket with a grin on my face. Catalina was a good-looking woman. There was no denying it. Jumping out of a perfectly good airplane and hurtling toward Earth with her didn't sound like a terrible idea.
I gave Jack an update.
"Be careful with that one. She looks like trouble."
Catalina most certainly looked like the good kind of trouble. Wealthy, adventurous, breathtakingly gorgeous—what was there not to love?
We hopped into the Porsche and headed back to the marina at Diver Down. JD and I took a seat at the bar and chatted with Teagan. She’d seen the chaos at the mall on the news and had plenty of questions. We still didn’t have many answers, but I caught her up to speed.
“I can’t seem to connect the two crimes,” I said. “Dustin said he doesn’t know anyone named Evelyn Ellington.”
“Somebody could be lying to you,” she said.
“At this point, I expect it.”
After we ate, JD and I walked back to the Avventura. He urged me to call Harvey, and I did. He answered after a few rings.
“Harvey, Tyson Wild. I’m here with Jack Donovan. You’re on speaker. How are you?”
“I’ve been worse.” Harvey had a gravelly voice and didn’t seem too enthused about anything at the moment.
“Is this a good time to talk?”
“Depends what we’re talking about.”
I chuckled. “I hear you’re thinking about selling Sonic Temple.”
“Not much to sell at this point. But it is a prime location.”
“Indeed, and it deserves a full restoration.”
"I suppose you think you're going to be the one to restore it?"
"The thought had crossed my mind.”
"It's important to me that the legacy lives on.
I don't want it to become condos or a fast-food restaurant.
It's been a staple of this island for a long time.
I just don't know if I've got it in me to go through the construction phase, deal with all the contractors, the permits, the headaches.
It's not like it was when I first built it. Now everybody's got their hand out.”
"It's a lot of work," I said.
"Tell me what your plan for it would be.”
"It was a great venue. The best on the island. JD and I want to make it bigger and better and continue what you've built.” I detailed some of our plans.
Jack went into his spiel.
Harvey seemed somewhat impressed. "I'm not gonna lie.
I like where you're going with this. I know how much you two care about the island and the music.
I can't think of better stewards to take it on.
But that venue was a part of me. I'm not entirely sure I want to let it go.
And then there is the matter of price. It is a valuable piece of land, and the goodwill and history are priceless. "
"I have no doubt we could come to an agreement that would be hard to say no to."
"That's what I like to hear.” He exhaled a breath. "There's no particular rush to start rebuilding, but I am paying property tax on a piece of land that's not making money.”
"The sooner we can break ground on new construction, the better.” I paused. "But take some time and think about it. Put together some numbers you would feel comfortable with, and we’ll touch base again in a few weeks.”
"I’ll do that. Thanks for the call.”
“See you, Harvey,” Jack said.
I ended the connection and shared a look with JD.
“I’m cautiously optimistic he’ll sell. What the hell else is he going to do with that land? I can’t imagine he wants the hassle of rebuilding it at his age. How much longer was he planning on running it anyway? He doesn’t have any kids. He’s got no one to take it over.”
"Time will tell," I said.
I prepped and packed my gear for the morning, then we met the guys at Tide Pool for a few drinks. Maybe a few too many. A good time was had by all.
The morning came way too soon. I was up at the ass-crack of dawn. After a quick shower, I stumbled down to the galley, nuked a breakfast burrito, and stuffed it in my face. Afterward, I grabbed my gear, stole the keys to Jack's Porsche, then drove to the FBO.
I parked in the lot and hustled into the terminal.
Catalina looked as stunning as ever. She was flanked by two beefy dudes that I recognized from the gala—her security guards, Marco and Deke.
With stone faces, they hung in the background, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.
Their job was to provide unobtrusive security.
After the fiasco at the gala, I didn't have high confidence in their abilities. Then again, JD and I hadn’t done much to stop the heist either.
Catalina smiled, and that smile could brighten anyone's day. "Good to see you, deputy. Are you ready for adventure?" she asked with a sultry glimmer in her eyes.
"Always," I replied with a grin.
The Sky King waited for us on the tarmac. The twin-engine prop plane was ideal for recreational jumps. After a brief talk with the flight crew, we did our safety checks, loaded into the plane, and waited for clearance from the tower.
The engines spun up and rumbled.
Soon we barreled down the runway, and the nose lifted skyward. The wheels left the ground and retracted, and the engines howled. The pilot soared us toward the clouds.
The morning sun cast long rays over the island. It was a beautiful day. Perfect for skydiving. The view from up here was remarkable. It gave you a whole new perspective.
"Thanks for the invite," I shouted over the engines.
Catalina smiled. "I'm just happy you were available. I think it's a good way for us to get to know each other. You can tell a lot about a person if they’re willing to jump out of an airplane.”
I laughed. "How often do you do this?”
“As often as I can. It's liberating. Nothing else matters when you jump out of an airplane. The rest of the world fades away. I find it's a great reset.”
Hurtling through the air at 120 miles an hour left a person little time to worry about rent, bills, taxes, and the challenges of daily life. In that moment, there is only one thing that matters—whether or not your chute will open.
The plane reached an altitude of 14,000 feet. We huddled by the door. The wind whipped around, and the island looked small below.
"See you on the ground," Catalina said before jumping out of the aircraft.
I followed.
We soared through the air, and soon the Sky King became a speck in the air behind us.
Wind whistled my ears, my goggles keeping my eyes from peeling back into my skull as we plummeted toward the ground. My heart raced, and adrenaline spiked.
This was better than any cup of coffee.
We enjoyed the free fall, flying like superheroes.
The moment passed all too quickly. It took roughly 60 seconds to drop from 14,000 to 3,000. Sixty seconds to give gravity the middle finger. But gravity always has the last word.
It was time to deploy the chutes and pray they opened.
I pulled the handle.