Gene's Story or How I Gained a Cousin A novel by Karen Lockhart Copyright 2016

CHAPTER 59

We sat quietly for about a half hour. Soon the crunch of automobile tires on the snow was heard. The doorbell rang, I got up and answered the door ushering in the uniformed trooper.

“I'm Captain Smith, are you Tina?”

I introduced myself and Ginny, and said Tina was in the kitchen, and would be coming out shorty. “Would you like a coffee or soda?” I asked.

“Coffee would be grand. It's really cold outside, but don't make a special effort just for me.”

Tina entered the room with a carafe of coffee, cups, and cream and sugar. “I was making coffee for us anyway, I'm Tina Morales.”

“Thanks, Tina, I'm Pete Smith, I work homicide in Boston. With this storm, I was helping out up here in the Andover barracks. There's no delicate way to say this, but you knew your father was responsible for the distribution of drugs on the North Shore, and he was connected with the Mob in Boston?”

“Yes, I was,” Tina answered.

“You received a call from the Coast Guard earlier that your father's thirty foot boat was found drifting and had been towed to the base on Northern Avenue in Boston?”

She answered 'yes' again.

“Good, this is where I come in. It appears your father is missing; when was the last time you saw him?”

“I last saw him before the Patriot's football game last Saturday evening. He was going to stay with a friend in Revere because of the snow storm. He left a message on my phone saying he would swing by the marina in Boston to check on the boat.”

“When was that?” Captain Smith asked.

“Sometime Monday afternoon, let me check my phone. Yes, here it is, 1.35pm.”

“Good, that narrows things down a bit. Did you try to call him back at anytime?”

Tina looked at me, I spoke up, “Captain, she's been living across the street from me in Swampscott after having a fight with her father. She came to my door this afternoon, worried something had happened to him, saying she kept calling and calling with no answer. Ginny and I brought her here to see if she could find out what had happened to her dad. That's all we know, I doubt Tina knows more.”

Captain Smith finished his coffee. “You've been really helpful; now I have a place to start. Oh, would he have any reason to go out in the boat this time of year?”

Tina took a sobbing breath, “I think he went out to pick up drugs, but when I accused him of it, he got mad and said only a crazy man would do that.”

“Again, thank you very much. I'll be keeping you informed. Here's my card, I've written my private phone number on the back. Call me any time, whether you have any questions or not, either my sergeant or I will call you right back. Good night, ladies, be careful, it's icy out there.”

We watched him return to his cruiser, and turn north out of the driveway.

Tina started crying again, Ginny hugged her and rubbed her back until the crying subsided.

“Let me look in the kitchen, I bet the makings of supper are out there. Why don't you and Tina watch the News, while I throw something together?” said Ginny.

The news was still full of scenes from the storm, quite unbelievable. Slowly Tina recovered,
thanking us for coming over, and offering bedrooms for the night. What bedrooms they were! They made mine look like a tent and cot.

Soon the sounds of pans banging around came from the kitchen, Ginny at work. Tina and I made our way to the kitchen and sat at the center island counter.

“What's for dinner?” I asked. “Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?”

“Not on your life, I found chicken cutlets in the freezer, and pesto sauce in the refrigerator.
We're having fried cutlets, garlic-Parmesan bread, and pesto spaghetti sauce, over vermicelli pasta. I also found some nice Chianti in the fridge.”

This got a small smile from Tina, “I haven't eaten for a while, I was worrying too much. I'm
starving.”

I opened the Chianti bottle and poured three glasses. “Tina, you realize it looks bad for your father? The fact the head of the State Police homicide division is involved isn't a good sign.”

'Ever since my mother died, I've expected some policeman to knock on the door with the news my father was dead. I wondered what I would do, how I could live by myself. It's really a miracle its happened now that I'm an adult and can care of myself.”

Ginny started serving supper, “If the worst happens, are you going to keep this house or put it on the market? It must be worth two million dollars at least?”

“I really have no attachment to this place. My father bought it after Mom died. We used to live in Chelsea on the Revere line in a nice Colonial. He was different then,less gangster than he is now. After Mom died he changed, lots of money, new Cadillacs, real scary people hanging around.”

I looked at her as I poured more wine, “The boat, isn't it too small for running drugs in from the ships off-shore?”

“I think dad only used it in the spring and fall, and really fished from it in the summer. He also went duck hunting in the late fall and early winter if the weather was nice.”

“Why don't we go to sleep early and see what's going on tomorrow? Steve Brady told Ginny and me to stay home tomorrow too, so we will be here with you all day.”

Tina showed us to our rooms, and wished us good night. After stripping to my underwear, I slid under the blankets.

The next thing I knew, Ginny was shaking my shoulder. “Rise and shine, sleepy-head, it's eight o'clock, time to get up.”

I dragged my body into the bathroom, wow! I didn't look closely last night; a tub with a Jacuzzi, and the shower had ten heads! I decided on a shower. If I got into that bath, I'd never get out again. After showering, I fixed my face with the little stuff in my purse, and headed down to the kitchen for coffee.

Tina came down twenty minutes later, she looked like a raccoon, with black rings around her eyes. She gave Ginny and me a weak smile, “Good morning, I guess,” she said.

I gave her a quick hug, “Coffee?”

She nodded yes. Ginny slid a plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of her. “Eat this, you'll feel better.”

Two more plates were put on the counter island, and she and I ate. I filled three cups with coffee.

When we were almost finished, the phone rang. Tina got up and answered. After hanging up she told us “The police are impounding the boat; one less thing to worry about I guess.”

She led us to Vinny's study, looked around and opened his desk with a key she found under the desk leg.

“Now, how much of what's in here would the Staties like to see? As far as I'm concerned, they can have it all. I'd rather see him in prison alive, than dead in the harbour, but it's too late!” With that she broke down again.

To be continued.