Swimming to Catalina

Guard to get you to a hospital. My diagnosis was that you’d be all right after some rest and nourishment. You hungry?”
    Stone nodded. “I missed dinner. Where are we headed?”
    “Long Beach; that’s where I keep the boat. Don’t get to use it much these days, though.”
    “I’m sorry if I’ve cut your cruise short,” Stone said. “By the way, my name is Stone Barrington.”
    “Good to meet you. Surprised to meet you.”
    “Yeah, I guess so.”
    “You want to tell me what happened?”
    “I was on my way to a dinner party aboard a yacht anchored off Catalina, but I think the invitation wasn’t sincere.”
    Helford laughed. “I guess not, what with the chain around your waist. Must have been hard to swim.”
    “It was harder when there was an anchor shackled to the chain.”
    “Holy shit! They didn’t intend for you to come up again, did they?”
    “No, they didn’t.”

    “I’ve got a cell phone aboard. Why don’t we call the cops and have them meet us at Long Beach?”
    “That reminds me,” Stone said. “There was a cell phone in my suit.”
    “Here it is,” Helford said, holding it up. “I emptied your pockets onto the chart table.”
    “Will you take out the battery and soak the phone in some fresh water?”
    “Sure, if you think it’ll help.”
    “It can’t hurt; I know the salt water won’t help.”
    Helford pumped some water into the galley sink and dropped Stone’s cell phone into it, then started making some sandwiches. “I see by your ID that you’re a cop.”
    “Retired.”
    “Pretty young for retirement, aren’t you? The knee have something to do with it? I saw the surgical scar.”
    “Yep.”
    “You’ve got a New York driver’s license.”
    “Yeah, I’m just a visitor to L.A.”
    “Speaking as a native Californian, I’d like to apologize for the reception; we usually treat tourists better.”
    “Apology accepted.”
    “What yacht were you headed for when you…took the detour?”
    “I don’t know her name; she’s probably big, though.”
    “We were ashore for dinner, and on the way back to the boat we passed something of about a hundred and fifty feet calledContessa. Could that be her?”
    “Could be.”
    “She was the only really big thing in the anchorage; nothing else over eighty, ninety feet.”
    “Contessa,”Stone repeated. He wanted to remember that. “What sort of boat am I on?”

    “A Catalina Thirty-five, elderly.”
    “She’s nicely kept,”, Stone said, looking around, “but I think your masthead light is out.”
    “You’re right; I haven’t taken the time to go up and replace it.”
    “I didn’t see her coming,” Stone said, rubbing his forehead.
    “You’ve got a bump there.”
    “It’ll go away.”
    Helford handed Stone a sandwich and another cup of soup. “Something I need to ask you,” he said.
    “Shoot.”
    “Am I involved in something illegal here?”
    “No. You just thwarted something illegal.”
    “You’re a lawyer, according to your business card; should I be hiring a lawyer?”
    Stone shook his head. “No need. The sandwich is wonderful.”
    “Thanks. You’re sure I’m not going to be in any difficulties because of your problem?”
    “Positive. You’re a Good Samaritan, and that’s it.”
    “You said something about wanting to be dead.”
    “No, Iam dead, and I want to stay that way for a while.”
    “So that whoever did this to you won’t try to do it again?”
    “They’re not going to get achance to do it again. It’s just that what I have to do now will be easier if they think they don’t have to worry about me.”
    Helford took a bite of his own sandwich and munched it thoughtfully. “Stone?”
    “Yeah?”
    “You’re not going to kill anybody, are you?”
    Stone thought about that for a minute. “No,” he lied.

33
    They made their berth at Long Beach at a little after 3:00A.M. Stone, wearing some borrowed jeans and a UCLA sweatshirt, helped them to tie up and set the boat in order, and they walked up to the car park together.
    Jennifer handed Stone a plastic shopping bag with a large, wet lump at the bottom. “Your clothes,” she said.
    “Stone, can I give you a lift somewhere?” Helford asked. “Finding a cab will be tough this time of night.”
    “My car is at Marina Del Rey; is that too far for you?”
    “No problem. Jennifer, honey, you go back to the boat and get some sleep; I’ll be back in half an hour.”
    “I’ll give you no argument,” she said