Wilmington, NC 05 - Murder On The ICW

night in Lucca, our visits to the churches by candlelight. But as our plane kept pace with the sun's journey westward, we couldn't help speculating about what we'd find when we got home.
    "Whoever killed Joey Fielding set Melanie up," I said.
    "Well, everyone knew she was the real estate agent for the Bitterman house. Her sign was right out front. And Melanie's got a reputation as a hands-on realtor. So the killer didn't even have to know Melanie personally, just that she had a key to the house and that she'd be in and out frequently," Jon said.
    "But they couldn't know that she wouldn't have a client with her. If she had taken a client, she could not be framed for murdering Joey," I reasoned. "So it must have been someone who was keeping track of her schedule, who knew she checked the house after lunch every day. Someone was watching the house. And maybe watching Melanie.
    "Then he or she lured Joey Fielding there and shot him, placed the gun on the floor right inside the front door where Melanie would be sure to see it, and acting in her role as caretaker, she'd be sure to pick it up and put it in a safe place. He called the police as soon as he saw her enter the house, knowing the police station was a minute away."
    I agreed this is what had happened.
    "But who did it and why?" I wondered out loud.
    "We're going to get to the bottom of this," Jon said reassuringly.
    "I don't like it that Mickey Ballantine is still hanging around Wilmington, and that Melanie is harboring him, letting him hide out at her house."
    "You know Melanie. She's loyal to her old friends. But I want you to be careful if you should encounter him again. I don't trust that guy. Never did, even if he did help us out that time."
    "He won't be staying at Melanie's house again, not unless she lets him in. I made him give me her house key."
    "Good move."
    "But he's involved in some scam, Jon. He as much as told me so. Somebody owes him money, he said, and he's not leaving town until he collects it. Probably one of his gambling buddies but I have no idea who his friends are."
    "Melanie might know," Jon suggested.
    "Let's talk about who had access to the Bitterman house. Bunny and Clay, but they were in Palm Beach."
    "Do we know that for a fact?" Jon asked. "Did the police check their alibis?"
    " I'm not trusting the police to do any detecting on this case. They've charged Melanie with the crime, case closed as far as they are concerned and move on to the next."
    I withdrew a notebook from my carryall. "Let's make a list of suggestions for Melanie's private investigator. Number one: verify that Bunny and Clay Bitterman were at Palm Beach on Thursday, November 3rd, the day of the murder." I wrote that down.
    "Good thinking. Okay, next is Brie. Where was she? Melanie said she was back in the states, but where exactly?"
    I made a note. "Then there's Al Shariff . His gun was the murder weapon. How did his gun get into the house if he did not take it there? Did he have a key to the house? Where was he that day? Does he have a strong alibi?"
    I added Al Shariff to my list along with the questions.
    "And here's another question that hasn't been answered: how did Joey Fielding get to the Bitterman house that day? His car is identical to Melanie's and no one saw it. Melanie said it was not there when she arrived."
    My list was growing.
    "He may have been the person who came by boat," Jon said.
    "Or maybe they both did. He and his killer."
    Jon said, "I can't help wondering about Scott Randolph and the case he's working on. ATF handles smuggling. Alcohol, tobacco, yes, but also firearms and explosives. And in today's world that means terrorists and the people who aid terrorists. At the risk of making another politically incorrect statement, Ashley, Shariff is of Middle Eastern descent, he's a Muslim, and he travels all over the world with Brie's tours. A perfect cover. How difficult would it be for him to smuggle firearms or explosives in the crates they ship for Brie's shows? There would be props, costumes, musical instruments. And Homeland Security does not check cargo the way they check passengers."
    I looked at him with renewed admiration. "You're not just a pretty face, are you?" I quipped, and we smiled and kissed.
    "That's really good thinking, Jon." My list was growing longer. Investigate Al Shariff and his connections was the next item I wrote down.
    "But if the ATF was in Wilmington investigating Shariff , wouldn't they have sent a whole team of