The Coast Guard commander told Ben that they were taking the most common route to Catalina.
“Detective Shea told me that theHavanais not equipped with AIS, an automatic-tracking system, so without an eye in the sky, I’m not optimistic.”
“I hope that I have enough optimism for the both of us. We will find her.”
The commander nodded and went back to his station while Ben stayed at the rail. He searched the sea ahead of them, praying for a sighting. The ocean certainly was a huge place when a person was trying to find a single vessel.
They’d been traveling for about ten minutes when the cutter changed direction. Ben turned and looked back toward the commander, who smiled and gave a thumbs-up. “We’re getting a Mayday from theHavana.”
“What?”
“Your officer. She’s got control of the boat. She read us what the instruments are telling her. We’ll be with them shortly.”
Ben couldn’t say that he was surprised. He fought a smile. “What happened?”
“The Mayday says there’s been a shooting on theHavana, and she didn’t know how to slow things down, but we talked her through it. One injured, one restrained, per her report.”
Who was injured? Ben wanted to ask, but the commander returned to his duties.
After what seemed like forever, but he knew was just a few minutes, Ben saw the yacht. It bobbed on the swells in front of them, and the cutter slowed.
It wasn’t until he saw Lainie waving at them from the deck that he relaxed.
CHAPTER 69
Ben followed the Coast Guard team off the cutter and onto theHavana. It gave him a start to see Lainie so bloody—but her eyes were sparkling and alive. There was victory in that gaze, so fear fled.
“Ben, I didn’t expect to see you.”
“I hitched a ride—are you okay?” He pointed to her wrists.
“Dirty, sore, and tired but okay.” She pointed and stepped aside for the Coast Guard medic. “These guys snatched me from my home.”
“Vine and who is the other guy?”
“Bodyguard, I guess. Maybe I didn’t get Vine for Daphne’s murder, but he won’t skate on this.”
With the rise and fall of the stopped vessel, Lainie stumbled and Ben stepped up to steady her. He put an arm around her waist as a medic approached to treat her wounds.
She looked up at him. “I’m a mess; you’ll get dirty.”
“I have good cleaners. Besides, I have a surprise for you.”
“What?”
“I met Avery West. He was baring his soul to Shea when I left them at the dock. I heard quite a story.”
While her bleeding wrists were bandaged, Ben recounted for Lainie what he’d heard Avery West tell Shea.
“He witnessed the murder of Daphne. It happened at the Barn like you thought, Lainie. And it happened because Sparks had discovered Vine was embezzling. She’d threatened to go to the police, and he shot her.”
“West saw that?”
“Yeah. Vine used West’s hatred of cops and money to keep him quiet. At the time, West had just been evicted from his apartment. He was living at the Barn. Vine let him move to theHavana, later giving it to him outright. And over the years, he provided a lot of support to the family. Even putting Avery’s favorite nephew through college.”
“Callen?”
“The boy had no idea how evil Vine was. He saw him as a benevolent friend of the family.”
