Desperation Reef

26

The next afternoon, Brock, Casey, and Mahina await San Diego Sheriff detective Bob Temple in Laguna’s Marine Room, a locals hangout with good views of Coast Highway and Main Beach.

They’ve got a table by a window and tequila sunrises, Casey’s and Mahina’s virgin, and Brock’s not.

“I want you to do the talking today, Casey,” Brock says quietly. “All you have to do is tell the truth. You did not burn up any boats. You have a good alibi because it’s true. You are innocent of this, and you know that we are, too.”

“Totally,” says Casey.

Of course, Casey isn’t at all totally sure of Brock’s innocence. Whether or not Brock had that big lion dream where hero Casey as a white tiger saves the day, or maybe just made it up so he — Casey — can testify to the cops about Brock’s innocence. But, the fact of the matter is Casey hasn’t seen or heard one shred of evidence that Brock has done anything against the Wu pirates or their boats. Except that such a thing is exactly what his brother would do. Dream or not.

A minute later, Temple comes in, goes to the bar, then carries a cup of coffee their way. He’s long-haired and rangy, in jeans and a brown sport coat that doesn’t quite hide his gun. He sits and sets a thin deck of photographs on the table.

“Thanks for meeting me on short notice,” he says.

“Thanks for coming up our way,” says Casey. “Must be important.”

“I believe so.”

Temple fans out the photos, which show Empress II, Stallion, the white panga, and the sleek red Cigarette boat Bushmaster. All are in varying states of destruction from fire and bullets.

He also snaps down four more photographs of four different boats, long-distance shots from a cell phone, Casey surmises. The crew is hard to make out, for the ski masks.

Casey catches the hard expression on the detective’s face, and he’s glad he doesn’t have to lie to this guy. He’s never been a good liar, pretty much gave up trying by the time he was twelve.

It’s three days since somebody set Empress II ablaze, two days since they blew up the Stallion, and just yesterday destroyed the sleek red Cigarette Bushmaster, and a panga. And dumped their crewmen onto the rocky beach of San Clemente Island.

Brock glances at the pictures, then gets up and goes to a window looking out on Ocean Avenue, his back to the detective, boredom personified.

“I’m talking to all of you, Brock Stonebreaker. You might want to listen up,” Temple says.

“I hear you just fine.”

“Jimmy Wu told me you three — and unidentified others — took out these boats. He values them at four million dollars. Says they’re all owned by King Jim Seafood of Long Beach, their family business.”

“We didn’t burn their boats,” says Casey. “They torched the Barrel but we didn’t burn the boats.”

“Wu denies burning the Barrel,” says Temple.

“I’m sure they did it, Detective Temple,” says Casey. “But we didn’t burn up their boats.”

Temple looks at Casey with amusement.

“And Brock, how do you weigh in on Empress II?” he asks.

“I wouldn’t waste a good match on that piece of shit. And I haven’t seen it in over a week. None of those other boats, either.”

Temple nods, consults his phone, then sets it down. “I’m sure you have tight alibis for the afternoon the Empress II exploded. I mean, you can lawyer up if you want, but if you give me some straight answers here we can save a lot of time. No recording. No notes.”

Casey tells Temple the simple truth as alibi: he was helping his mom rebuild the Barrel.

Brock and Mahina claim to have been way out in Aguanga the last few days, and they’ve got half a dozen “rescue missionaries” to corroborate.

“So that’s not you up in the crow’s nest with the flare gun?”

Brock gives the cop a derisive shake of his head.

“Do you have another witness, Casey?” asks Temple. “Someone not family?”

“Just me and Mom and Grandma, and sometimes Grandpa Don,” says Casey. “We’ve been there for, like, weeks. The air in the Barrel is totally foul; Mom bought some new KN95s for us but I still had a headache every day.”

Temple nods, dubiously. “Did you make or receive any calls or messages while you were there?”

“Sure,” says Casey. “I’m always doing that.”

A beat of silence then while Casey tries to gauge how much the detective suspects his alibi, which is fundamentally true. And that of his brother and Mahina, which, technically, Casey can neither confirm nor dispute.

A tough face to read, he thinks. Cops must practice that.

“Did you shoot any pictures or video that afternoon at the Barrel?” Temple asks. “A time-and-date stamp would be nice.”

“None those three days,” says Casey. “But lots before. We just worked and went outside every half hour for fresh air.”

Temple nods.

“Mr. Temple,” says Casey. “I’d like to know if you guys are going to nail the Wus for torching the Barrel.”

“Not my jurisdiction. Laguna PD is in charge of that.”

“Why don’t they arrest them?”

Brock gives Casey another sharp look. Casey looks down at his hands, rubs the pinpoint burn scabs.

“Casey, these people are hiding on or near the world’s second largest ocean. The Empress II was a speck. The Cigarette boats, the Luhrs, and the Bayliner are specks. Even to choppers and search planes, specks. Laguna Police don’t even have a patrol boat. Orange County Sheriffs has six single-engine patrol boats for harbor and shallow-water work. And some helicopters. A lot of Wu’s organization lives up in San Gabriel. You’re lucky to have found them at all, if in fact...”

“Exactly,” says Brock. “We didn’t.”

“I wish I could believe your brother on that.”

Casey hears the condescension in the detective’s voice. Hates it. Has always hated it when people talk to him like he’s a child, or a moron.

“Plus,” says Temple. “There are fifty public marinas between Ensenada and San Francisco. Dry docks, too. Hell, Wu and his flotilla can stay on the high seas — if they’re outside the twenty-four-mile line — only the military can touch them.”

“DEA can find anybody,” says Casey.

“Too busy with big-time fentanyl at the border,” says Temple. “Jimmy’s small-time.”

“They aren’t even going to look?” asks Casey.

“Eventually,” says Temple. “You guys found Empress II, Stallion, and Bushmaster. According to Jimmy, that is.”

“I told you we didn’t do anything to those boats,” says Casey.

“You don’t have to tell him again,” says Brock. “He gets it by now.”

Casey knows that lots of people think he’s dumb, but Brock was the first. The only people who have ever told him right to his face that he’s smart are his mother and, weirdly enough, Bette Wu.

“Casey, Brock? I’d understand it if you guys blew up those boats. Because of what you say Jimmy Wu did to the Barrel. I’ve eaten at the Barrel. I know what a great place it was.”

“We didn’t blow up those boats, Detective,” Casey says firmly.

“I’m just saying I could understand it, if you felt like it.”

“Well, sure, I felt like it.”

“Please shut up, Casey,” says Brock.

“Let’s talk again soon,” says Temple. He finishes his coffee, stands, and drops a twenty on the Marine Room counter. “I’d like you three down San Diego way.”

“Yeah, sure,” says Casey.

“Just one of you at a time, though. Like to start with you, Casey.”

“I know a good lawyer,” says Brock.

Outside, Casey, Brock, and Mahina walk up Ocean toward Casey’s place in Dodge City.

Casey’s guts are tight and he can’t figure out why he feels like he’s just lied to the detective.

“Brock?” says Casey. “Did you burn those boats?”

Brock stops and sets his dark, strong hands on Casey’s square shoulders.

“I already told you we wouldn’t. And you just about convinced the cops that you didn’t. Good job, Case. You are awesome.”