*****
The Fall of Autumn
Autumn Harvest
The fog lifted early one morning as the people around Tampa Bay began to stir. The sun peeked through the clouds as they slowly moved out. It looked like it was going to be a good day for boating on the gulf. There were several people around the marina that morning as Rob worked on his yacht. He was getting it ready so he and his wife, Suzanne, could get away for a two week vacation in Mexico. It was nine o’clock in the morning when Rob finished preparing the yacht for their trip and he waited for Suzanne to arrive; she was running a little late and he was beginning to worry that something had happened to her. As Rob waited, he sat down, lit a cigarette and watched the seagulls fly about the marina.
“The birds are really pretty,” he told another boater as he pointed to the birds flying around the dock.
Then Rob looked across the dock and saw a pelican perched upon a pole at the end of the pier.
“It looks like it’s going to be a pretty day,” said the boater.
“Yes, it does,” replied Rob as he took the last drag from his cigarette and thumped it into the water.
“You going to do a little fishing, today?” asked the boater.
“No,” replied Rob. “My wife and I are going to take a little vacation to get away from things.”
“Sounds good,” said the boater. “I think I’m going to try a little deep-sea fishing myself.”
“Good luck,” replied Rob. “I hope you catch a lot of fish.”
“Thanks, man.”
About that time, Suzanne walked up with a couple of suitcases and a briefcase.
“Have a good trip; enjoy your vacation,” the boater said as Rob helped Suzanne with her bags.
As Suzanne got onto the yacht, she kissed Rob and apologized for being late.
“The traffic was back up something awful,” she said. “There was a terrible wreck.”
Rob replied, “I’m just glad you’re okay. I thought something had happened to you. Well, I have everything ready to go. So, sit back, honey, and enjoy yourself.”
Slowly, the yacht, Autumn Harvest, pulled out of the dock and eased its way out into the open gulf.
“It is a pretty day,” Suzanne said.
“A great day,” he replied. “Look at the seagulls; they are so breathtaking?”
“They sure are,” she said. “I can’t wait until we get there.”
As Rob eased the throttle up, the yacht picked up speed and cruised upon the open gulf; the marina slowly faded in the distance. The wind was up a bit and the water was a little troubled. But, Rob didn’t think it was anything to worry about. Suzanne relaxed as the wind blew through her long blonde hair. As they headed on out, they passed a Coast Guard boat. They waved and continued on their journey. About a mile out, Suzanne took the binoculars and looked out across the water. Rob was at the wheel enjoying the trip when Suzanne yelled for him; she saw something in the water. She handed him the binoculars so he could see what she was talking about. Sure enough, it looked like something was in the water. He took a second look. It looked like a man struggling to hold on to a canoe which had flipped over. The man noticed the yacht and began to wave and scream to get their attention. Quickly, Rob turned the yacht a slight and headed toward him. The waves were bobbing the man up and down as he held on to the overturned canoe. As they approached the man, Rob recognized who he was. When he turned around to tell Suzanne he was not going to help the man, she had a gun pointed at him and told him to help the man get on the yacht. Rob had no other choice but to grab the man by the arm and pull him on board. The man immediately grabbed Rob and Suzanne ran to the rear of the yacht and watched as the two men fought. Rob scrambled to get the gun he had next to the wheel but the man got to it before Rob did and shot him which caused him to fall overboard. As soon as Rob fell overboard, the man turned to Suzanne.
“I’m sure glad,” he said, “I put a tracking device on the yacht last night. I was beginning to think you weren’t coming.”
“Oh, Joseph,” she said as she kissed him and put her arms around him.
“Did you bring the money?” he asked.
“Sure, baby,” she replied. “It’s in the briefcase.”
“Where’s the briefcase?” he asked.
“It’s down in the cabin,” she answered.
“Well, go get it,” he instructed.
“Hold on a second. I’ll be right back. Here you go. It’s all there,” she said as she walked to the rear of the yacht.
When Joseph opened the briefcase, it was full of newspaper.
“What in the hell, Suzanne?” What’s going on? What’s up, baby?” he asked.
“You, baby,” she replied as she pointed a gun at him and fired.
About that time, the big waves rocked the yacht and knocked her off balance. It gave an injured Joseph just enough time to rush her and knock the gun out of her hands. When the gun fell to the deck, it went off and hit the gas line. Suzanne and Joseph tried their best to get to the gun but the yacht was bobbing up and down so much from the waves they couldn’t get to it. Suddenly, a huge wave crashed against the yacht. Joseph fell overboard and Suzanne fell to the deck. Within minutes, the punctured gas line ignited from the heat of the engine and caused an explosion. The yacht was engulfed in flames. The Coast Guard noticed the huge cloud of black smoke climbing upward into the sky and quickly headed out across the gulf. As Suzanne tried to get up, she had flashbacks of her life. She saw both the good and bad times. She recalled her childhood and brief moments with her dad and mom. She saw herself as she grew up and her marriage to Rob. She and Rob each had adulterous affairs. She recalled when she first met Joseph and they began their affair. She also remembered how she and Rob embezzled money from Rob’s company. Rob had no idea she was having an affair with Joseph. For a brief moment, she thought about how she and Joseph planned to kill Rob, take his money and go to Mexico. Once Suzanne was able to get on her feet, she looked over the side of the yacht and saw Joseph in the water. She immediately remembered the look on his face when he opened the briefcase full of newspaper. That was the last thing she thought about before she had to jump off the yacht to escape the flames of the sinking yacht.
When the Coast Guard arrived, the Autumn Harvest was fully engulfed in flames and sinking fast. They quickly pulled the two men from the water; both were dead. They surveyed the area to see if there was anyone else in the water and that’s when they spotted Suzanne and hurriedly pulled her into the boat; she was still alive. The bullet had only grazed her head. There was no way the Autumn Harvest could be saved. The only thing the Coast Guard could do was let it burn and sink. Once it was determined there were no other people involved, they headed back to the marina. When Suzanne looked back, the Autumn Harvest yacht was almost under water. When they arrived at the marina, an ambulance and the coroner was waiting for them. Suzanne was taken to the hospital where she was treated and released; the bodies of the two men were taken to the morgue.
Detectives Bill Mitchell and Brett McPherson of the Tampa Bay police force were assigned to the case. Before Suzanne was released from the hospital, the detectives arrived to question her.
“Mrs. Fitzpatrick, I’m Detective Mitchell and this is my partner, Detective McPherson. Can you give us a detailed account of what happened?” asked Detective Mitchell.
“I’m not sure if I can,” she said as she began to cry, “but I’ll try. Rob, my husband, and I left the marina and headed across the gulf for our two week vacation. I was looking out across the water with my binoculars when I spotted man in the water holding on to an overturned canoe. I told Rob we needed to help him so he steered the yacht closer to the man and he helped him get on board. Neither of us recognized him or knew who he was. I wish I had never spotted him in the water because as soon as he got onto the yacht, he turned on Rob and they started fighting; he shot Rob and Rob fell overboard. I was so scared.
When I started screaming, he told me to shut up or he’d kill me and toss me into the water. I was so afraid, I couldn’t stop screaming. That’s when he pointed the gun at me and fired. The last thing I remember is falling overboard into the water. The next thing I know, I was on the Coast Guard boat headed back to the marina.”
“And you’re sure you nor your husband knew this man,” said Detective Mitchell.
“No, I’m positive I didn’t and I’m sure Rob didn’t either,” she stated.
“Okay, Mrs. Fitzpatrick,” replied Detective McPherson, “that will be all at this time. But, we will keep in touch.”
“What did you think about her story?” Detective Mitchell asked Detective McPherson.
McPherson replied, “I’m not sure.”
“Me either,” said Detective Mitchell.
Both of them believed the whole story sounded fishy. When the autopsy came back, they found out who the unidentified man was. He was identified as Joseph Mills by his fingerprints and dental records. Joseph was an ex-con who had been released three years ago from the Florida State Reformatory in Jacksonville. He served fifteen years at Jacksonville for attempted murder and blackmail. He stayed out of prison for a few years before he had to go back and do three years for violating his parole. About two days in to their investigation, the detectives found out Mills had a girlfriend by the name of Earline Rodgers. They tracked down her address and went to talk with her. When she answered the door, it looked like she had been crying. The detectives told her who they were and why they were there which was to get some questions answered about Joseph Mills.
“Come on in and have a seat, detectives. What do you want to know?” she asked.
“How long have you known him?” Detective Mitchell questioned.
“We started dating about a year ago,” she replied. “I really don’t know too much about him. He never talked too much about his past.”
“Did you know he had been to prison?” asked Detective Mitchell.
She said, “Yes, he did mention it but he didn’t tell my why.”
“Did he ever mention a Rob Fitzpatrick?” Detective McPherson asked.
“No, not that I can remember,” she replied. “But, he was always on the phone. Who with, I don’t know.”
“Could it have been Mr. Fitzpatrick?” questioned McPherson.
“I really don’t know,” she said. “It could have been, I guess. Again, I don’t know.”
“Was it a woman?” he asked.
She paused for a moment and appeared to become agitated.
“Well, do you think it was a woman?” McPherson questioned.
“At one time, I thought it was,” she replied. “I never could figure it out because each time he talked to them, he only talked for a few minutes.”
“Miss Rodgers, is there something you’re not telling us?” asked Detective Mitchell.
“I don’t know for sure but I believe Joseph was blackmailing someone,” she nervously replied.
“Why do you think that?” asked Mitchell.
“Because, every so often Joseph would have a huge roll of money and he wasn’t working at the time when he had it.”
“Is there a possibility it was drug money?” questioned McPherson.
“No, I don’t think so,” she replied. “He didn’t mess around with drugs. He smoked a little pot every now and then but not that often.”
“Do you know Suzanne Fitzpatrick?” asked Detective Mitchell.
“No, not that I can recall,” she replied. “Is she related to Mr. Fitzpatrick?”
“She’s his wife,” stated Detective Mitchell.
“Well, Miss Rodgers, thanks for your time. That will be all for now?” said McPherson. “However, we may want to talk to you later.”
“No problem,” she said. “I’ll be here if you need me.”
After the detectives left, her phone rang. She answered it and only talked for a few minutes before she hung up.
“Do you think Mills was blackmailing Fitzpatrick?” Detective McPherson asked Detective Mitchell as they got into the car.
“There is some kind of connection between the two,” replied Mitchell. “Why else would he kill Fitzpatrick?”
“What do you think the motive was?” questioned McPherson.
“I think it was blackmail. Let’s check out Fitzpatrick’s business,” replied Mitchell. “Maybe something will turn up there. If it was blackmail, something should show up in the accounting paperwork or some of his employees may know something.”
It didn’t take them long to arrive at Fitzpatrick’s financial firm. As soon as they walked in, they were greeted by his private secretary, Jo Ann Green. As the detectives spoke with her, she broke down and told them the firm was nearly in ruins; it was on the verge of being bankrupt.
“Why do you say that?” asked Detective McPherson.
“Because, Mr. Fitzpatrick has been embezzling money from investors for the past year. He had the investors believing everything was all right. He constantly told them the firm was in a short downfall because of the economy and it would bounce back when the economy stabilized. The investors had no reason not to believe him. And, they trusted him because they had done business with him for years and he had made them a lot of money. There was no reason for them not to believe him. But, the firm was worse off than Mr. Fitzpatrick let on. Mr. Fitzpatrick had covered up a lot of bad investments with phony loans from overseas investors with bogus stocks, bonds, gold and silver certificates. When I first found out what he was doing, I tried to advise him against it but he was too far in. Things had gone beyond repair.”
“Do you know a man named Joseph Mills?” asked Mitchell.
She said, “There was a man who came in here from time to time to see Mr. Fitzpatrick but I don’t know who he was.”
“Is this the man?” asked McPherson as he held up a picture of Fitzpatrick.
“Yes, that’s him,” she replied. “The last time he was here, I overheard them arguing in Mr. Fitzpatrick’s office and then he stormed out.”
“Can you recall anything else?” Detective McPherson asked.
“No, I don’t think so,” she replied. “Oh, wait a minute. I do remember seeing Mrs. Fitzpatrick in a restaurant with Mr. Mills one day when I went to lunch. As soon as I walked in the restaurant, they got up and left. Nonetheless, I have also seen Mr. Fitzpatrick out with a woman I didn’t know on several occasions. However, I never thought much about seeing either of them out with someone else. It wasn’t any big secret that Mr. Fitzpatrick and his wife had an open marriage. They seemed to love one another; they just liked having affairs from time to time.”
“Well, thank you, Mrs. Green,” replied Detective McPherson. “You have been a tremendous help.”
“You’re welcome, detectives. Have a good day.”
“Where are we headed now?” asked Mitchell. “To see Mrs. Fitzpatrick.”
“You got it,” replied McPherson. “Let’s see if we can get her to come to the station for questioning.”
Once they arrived at the station, they called and asked Mrs. Fitzpatrick if should would come to the station to answer a few more questions. She agreed and told them she’d be there in about 30 minutes. When she arrived, they took her into the interrogation room and began questioning her.
“Mrs. Fitzpatrick, are you sure you don’t know Joseph Mills?” asked Detective McPherson.
“Yes, yes I do know Joseph,” she answered.
“Why did you lie when we asked you before?” McPherson inquired.
“I was afraid,” she said, “because I knew Joseph was blackmailing Rob but I had no part in it. I met Joseph about six months ago and we started having an affair. Joseph somehow found out Rob was embezzling money from his investors and he wanted in on it. I didn’t want any part of it so I broke off the affair and I hadn’t seen him until the day we rescued him.”
“Did Mr. Fitzpatrick know you and Mills were havin
g an affair?” asked Mitchell.
“No, not that I know of,” she replied. “We never discussed our affairs with each other.”
“Why would your husband help Mills out of the water if Mills was blackmailing him?” asked McPherson. “He had to recognize who he was.”
“I don’t know,” she said. “At first I didn’t even recognize it was him until he got onto the yacht. So, maybe he didn’t either.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” stated Detective Mitchell. “You had an affair with him and your husband was being blackmailed by him but neither of you recognized who he was.”
“I know,” she said. “I can’t explain it.”
The more they investigated, the more complex the case got with several bazaar twists. There were no witnesses to what actually happened on the yacht except for Mrs. Fitzpatrick. Divers had been sent down to the sunken yacht to search for the gun, money or any incriminating evidence that would be able to shed some light on the case. Unfortunately, they were unable to find anything because there wasn’t much remaining of the yacht because of the explosion and fire. Without enough evidence or any other witnesses, they couldn’t charge Mrs. Fitzpatrick with murder. And, they couldn’t charge her for embezzlement or blackmail because they didn’t know if she was involved. The detective’s instincts told them she was not an innocent victim and they were determined to get to the bottom of things. Needing to find a witness, they headed to the marina to ask if anyone had seen the Fitzpatrick’s the morning they left for vacation. One boater did remember talking with Mr. Fitzpatrick that morning.
“Mr. Fitzpatrick arrived early that morning,” he said. “When I talked to him, he was preparing his yacht to go on vacation. Mr. Fitzpatrick had become concerned because his wife was running late. He thought maybe she’d had an accident or something. He was relieved when she finally arrived and was okay. After his wife came, I told them to enjoy their vacation. The last time I saw them, they were headed out across the gulf.”
The detectives thanked him for the information. They continued to ask around but no one else at the marina could tell them anything.
It so happened, Mrs. Fitzpatrick was running late because she had to switch out the briefcases. It took her longer than she expected to stop and buy an identical briefcase like the one she and Rob had put the embezzled and blackmailed money in. She put the money in the new briefcase and stuffed the old briefcase with newspaper. Plus, she got delayed by a terrible wreck on her way to the airport to rent a locker. She rented the locker under a fake name to hide the briefcase of money. To keep from raising Rob’s suspicions, she had to make sure she took the old briefcase since it was slightly worn. If she had taken the new briefcase he would have recognized it right away and would have wanted to look in it. Even though she was late, Rob never suspected a thing.
The detectives contacted Mrs. Green to see if she would come down to the station. They wanted her to give a description of the woman she saw Mr. Fitzpatrick with to a police sketch artist; she agreed. When the sketch was finished, detectives McPherson and Mitchell knew exactly who it was. It was Earlene Rodgers, Mills’ girlfriend. Mrs. Green told the detectives she had never seen her at his office but saw Mr. Fitzpatrick and the woman together several times outside of the office. They thanked her for her cooperation and how much they appreciated her coming in. Immediately, the detectives wondered if Mrs. Fitzpatrick and Miss Rodgers worked together to get rid of Fitzpatrick and Mills. They went back to her house to see if she would answer a couple more questions. When they arrived at her house, it was as if she was expecting them.
“Come on in, detectives,” she said as they stepped upon the porch.
“Miss Rodgers, we’d just like to ask you a couple of more questions,” said Detective McPherson. “Why didn’t you tell us you knew Mr. Fitzpatrick?”
“I had nothing to do with the embezzlement or blackmail,” she replied. “As far as I know, Rob didn’t know I was Mills’ girlfriend because we never talked about our personal life. We just enjoyed our affair with no strings attached. Our relationship was simply about sex and there’s no law against that.”
“Did Mills know about your relationship with Fitzpatrick?” questioned McPherson.
“No, not for a long time,” she replied. “Joseph did his thing and I did mine. He was too wrapped up in the money thing and cared less about me.”
“Maybe he did care,” stated Detective Mitchell.
“I doubt it,” she replied. “He only cared about himself and money. If he did care, maybe he’d still be alive today.”
Mitchell looked at McPherson and then said, “Thank you for your time, Miss Rodgers. We’ll keep in touch.”
“No problem, detectives.”
Once again, when they left, her phone rang. She answered it but only talked for a few minutes and then hung up.
The detectives were baffled. They felt like they were constantly hitting a brick wall. They desperately needed a break in the case, something solid to go on. Without a doubt, they believed the motive was all about money. The million dollar question in their minds was if the two women were working with Mills or if they were in on it together. Weeks went by and the detectives were not even close to solving the case. They had the two women under surveillance. Ironically, they were never seen together. The detectives figured they were laying low because they probably thought they were on to them. Both women had stopped cooperating with them and refused to take a lie detector test. Detective McPherson finally convinced a judge to grant an order for a wiretap to be put on their phones. But, they still weren’t able to get any concrete evidence on them because they never contacted each other. The case had basically became a cold case. However, both detectives believed the women were in collusion and they had concocted the whole scheme to get Mills to kill Fitzpatrick and then Mrs. Fitzpatrick to kill Mills in self-defense so they could have all the money for themselves.
It was about two months before the two women finally made a move. Still under the detective’s surveillance, they were each followed to the airport but they weren’t together. Once inside, they went to separate bathrooms. The detectives waited for them to come out with hopes they would lead them to the money. But, they never did come out or so the detectives thought. By the time the detectives decided to go inside the bathroom, the two women were long gone. They had changed clothes and put on wigs to alter their appearance. They managed to slip past the detectives and mix in with the crowd at the busy airport. The detectives realized what had happened but it was too late. The two women sat on a plane together with the money and were headed out of the country. The case was never solved and it remains a cold case.