Wilmington, NC 05 - Murder On The ICW

what she has to pay in fines when she cancels a tour?" He stomped off after Brie.
    Bunny jumped up. "Brie! Brie, honey, wait for mommy." And she was off too.
    With that, Clay pushed away from the table. "Keep away from my family," he growled at Melanie, and started to go.
    I stood up. "Just a minute here," I declared, "you're the one who scheduled this cozy little get-together!"
    Clay lumbered off, huffing and puffing as he climbed the stairs.
    Melanie buried her face in her hands. Her shoulders were shaking. But when she uncovered her face, I saw she was laughing.
    "This is not my life," she blurted. "Someone has stolen my life and replaced it with this nightmare."
    "Okay, baby, we're going to leave now," Cam said and got up, taking Melanie's arm.
    Jon stood up too and threw some money on the table. "Cheapskate stiffed us for his drinks," he said resentfully.
    "This is a nightmare," Melanie repeated. "What else can go wrong?"
    Two people were approaching our table. "Oh, no, not them. Not now," I breathed.

10

    "Were those the Bittermans we just missed?" David Boleyn asked. "Too bad. Clay and I go way back. Now, what's this I hear about you folks? A friend called me and gave me an earful about what's been going on here while we were out at sea," he continued. "We sailed back to shore as quickly as the boat could get us here."
    The "boat" that David Boleyn referred to was an eighty foot yacht named the Crystal Lynne.
    Mrs. Crystal Lynne Boleyn was at his side, a Dolly Parton look-alike with flowing platinum blonde hair and implants so big they cleared a path for her. Melanie had clued me in about the breast implants. I need clues about such matters because the truth is I don't have a clue. I just thought Mother Nature had been generous to Crystal Lynne.
    Melanie and Crystal embraced and kissed the air at each other's cheeks. "Crystal used to be my dearest friend," Melanie told us, "in our pageant days. How are you, sweetie?"
    Crystal said she was fine as David pulled out a chair for her.
    Over the years, Melanie had told me the sordid details of Crystal's unsuccessful marriages -- the infidelities, the legal battles. "This time she landed a big fish," Melanie had said.
    David took the chair that Clay Bitterman had vacated and settled into it.
    Jon shook hands and said something like "nice to see you again" to our client and his wife.
    Cam stretched a hand across the table and introduced himself. "It's a pleasure to meet you, David. I've heard a lot about you."
    Prior to David's recent retirement he had been a consultant to and a representative of the tobacco industry. In other words, a lobbyist. He directed huge contributions to favorite politicians. He dined with senators and cabinet members. He was a Washington insider, a mover and a shaker. He still dabbled in his chosen field, he had told us, maintained close ties with the rulers of the world -- his words.
    David and Crystal lived aboard a yacht while we worked to restore his grandfather's hunting lodge that David had recently taken an interest in. They sailed from Miami to Boston and back again, with frequent layovers at the Wrightsville Marina while David checked our progress on the lodge.
    "So what is this nonsense about finding some old bones under a pile of rubbish?" David asked brusquely. David could turn on the charm when he chose. He did not choose now, did not seem to think any of us at the table merited the effort.
    Jon and I explained how we'd found a skeleton in a shed.
    "The body has been buried there for about eighty years," Jon said.
    "Probably an animal," David said.
    "Oh, it's a human," I said. "A forensic anthropologist from the university exhumed the bones and says they are human."
    David stared me down. "I know all about the forensic anthropologist. And when that little girl gets her act together, she'll see it was just some large animal."
    There was no arguing with David. And he'd never admit he was wrong. The truth was my client intimidated me.
    Melanie was watching him over the rim of her iced tea glass with one of her narrow eyed, I've got you in the crosshairs expressions. She had never met him before. What must she think of him?
    David turned to her. "And I saw you on the TV news too, little lady. They keep rerunning that shot of you in handcuffs. You gals sure have a way of turning up the volume. Can't you fellows keep these girls in line?" he asked Cam and Jon.
    Jon choked on his gin and tonic. I knew what he was thinking. Keep Ashley