The Narrows

Could you please get to the point or whatever this important information is because I need to write a story this morning?"
    "Terry McCaleb was murdered."
    "Uh, no, actually he wasn't. I read the story. He had a heart attack. He had a heart transplant like six years before. He-"
    "I know what was put out in the press and I'm telling you it is wrong. And it will come out that it is wrong. And I'm trying to find out who killed him. Now can you tell me whether or not you put out a story that had his name in it?"
    She seemed exasperated when she answered.
    "Yes, I wrote one story that he was in. For like a paragraph or two. Okay?"
    "Just a paragraph? What did it say?"
    "It was a follow-up to my story on the missing men. I did a follow-up to see what had come in. You know, what new leads, if any. McCaleb was mentioned, that's all. I said he came forward and offered his help and a theory but Metro said no thanks. It was worth throwing in because the story was dry as a bone and he was sort of famous because of the movie and Clint Eastwood and all of that. Does that answer your question?"
    "So he didn't call you?"
    "Technically, yes, he did. I got his number from Ritz and called him. I left a message and he called me back. So technically he called me, if that's how you want it. What is it you think happened to him anyway?"
    "Did he tell you what his theory was? The one Ritz wasn't interested in?"
    "No, he said he didn't want to comment at all and he asked me to keep his name out of the paper. I talked to my editor and we decided to keep it in. Like I said, he was famous."
    "Did Terry know you put his name in the story?"
    "I don't know. I never spoke to him again."
    "In that one conversation you had, did he say anything about the triangle theory?"
    "Triangle theory? No, he didn't. Now I answered your questions, you answer mine. Who says he was murdered? Is that official?"
    Now it was time to back out. I needed to stop her in her tracks, make sure she wouldn't hang up and immediately start making calls to check me or my story out.
    "Well, not really."
    "Not really? Are you-well, what exactly makes you say this?"
    "Well, because he was in perfect shape and he had a young person's heart in him."
    "So, what about organ rejection and infection? A thousand different things could have-do you have any official finding about this or confirmation? Is there an official investigation?"
    "No. That would be like asking the CIA to investigate the Kennedy assassination. The third one. It would just be a cover-up."
    "What are you talking about? The third what?"
    "The third Kennedy. The son. John-John. You think his plane just dove into the water like they said? There were three witnesses in New Jersey who saw men carrying their bodies onto that plane before it took off. The witnesses have disappeared, too. It was part of the triangle theory and then-"
    "Okay, mister, thanks a lot for your call. But I'm on deadline right now and need to-"
    She hung up before finishing her own sentence. I smiled. I thought I was safe and was particularly proud of my creativity. I reached over to the passenger seat and lifted the file. I opened it and looked at the chronology. Terry had noted the conversation with Hinton on February 2. The story probably ran in the next day or two. As soon as I got to a library with a computer I would be able to look the story up and get the exact date and read what had been written in the one reference to McCaleb.
    For the time being I listed it on the chronology on February 3.1 studied what I had for a few moments and started putting my own case theory into form:
    McCaleb sees the January 7 Los Angeles Times story on the missing men. He gets interested. He sees something in the story that the cops may have missed or misinterpreted. He works up a theory and his thoughts and calls Ritz at Metro two days later. Ritz gives him the cold shoulder but happens to mention the call to Hinton when she does a follow-up. After all, it serves Ritz to keep the story circulating in the press and dropping a "celebrity" investigator's name might help do so.
    Hinton's follow-up story with the mention of McCaleb runs in the Sun the first week of February. Less than two weeks later-February 13-McCaleb is alone on his boat when Jordan Shandy shows up on a water taxi and asks for a half-day charter. McCaleb grows suspicious of the man while they are fishing and surreptitiously takes photos of him. A week later Shandy is at the Promenade mall stalking