The next morning Jack and Kathy were watching the local news, and savoring the excellent coffee prepared by Joseph and Betty Minh. Peter Brandon hired Vietnamese immigrants with a combat background whenever he could. The Minhs, like the Nguyens, were also skilled if somewhat ancient warriors. Jack admitted he was a coffee addict and couldn’t figure out how the Minhs made coffee so much better than he did. He knew it wasn’t the Florida water. The stuff was barely drinkable. Kathy was planning to visit Anita in the afternoon. Anita had made it clear she didn’t want visitors until she felt better. Kathy knew it would be a short visit.

Just as she was leaving, the Channel 4 news alert covered last night’s explosion and fire at Yulee. The news alert stated a mobile home trailer had exploded and burned leaving two fatalities. Fire Department officials said the explosion seemed to originate underneath the trailer. Traces of several different types of explosives and associated electronics were found during the investigation. The news alert also said the Nashua County Sheriff’s office had called in the FBI to assist in the investigation. Police were now searching for the next of kin. The names will not be released until the next of kin have been notified.

The news anchor also said, according to the sheriff’s office, the people who died in the explosion were building a major bomb and something went wrong. They believe others were involved, and a fight had broken out before the explosion. One of the bodies was clutching a shotgun, and two tires were cut on the panel truck loaded with a fertilizer bomb. A neighborhood canvas turned up nothing. A hard rain and high tide since the explosion had wiped out any evidence that might have helped the investigation.

Jack said, “Bottom line is they have no leads, and the investigation is approaching a dead end. I think we can say this case is closed. The sheriff’s office has found or suspected something beyond their laboratory’s capability. The burned dead man gripping a shotgun is enough to cause everyone to take a hard look. They may find the two .22 slugs in Jones’ body and maybe the .22 brass casings under the trailer. Still ballistics will not start a trail back to us. We’ll get rid of the .22 just to be safe.

“Jones’ fingerprints may have survived and a check with the FBI’s fingerprint database will turn up his military record. County documents will also identify both of them. If they do a detailed background check on Norma Carlson, the lack of a family or personal history will excite their interest. The panel truck full of kerosene-soaked fertilizer really grabbed their attention. A check of the truck’s VIN will probably show it is a stolen vehicle. Those facts made it a no-brainer for the sheriff to ask for FBI support. The feds will be all over this in no time.

“I’ve been going over a list of the equipment we had with us last night. I think we can account for everything. Anita left a cut-in-half cottonmouth under the trailer, but the fire took care of that.”

Kathy said, “To start with, I believe the Bureau will, at first, take the simple and obvious position a bomb maker made a mistake and blew up the works. Then, I think they will focus on third-party involvement. A careful search of the perimeter will be made and neighbors questioned again regarding anybody they saw in the area. Did anyone see us going in or leaving? Or note our car parked below the entrance to the trailer homes? More untidy ends than I like. The car could be traced directly to us.”

Jack said, “Let me put my homicide hat back on for a minute. First, I think we should strengthen our cover story by staying here a few days for some beachcombing and fishing. If anyone noted the car parked along the road and called the police with a license number, we could eventually be questioned. So we need a contingency cover story, something like you and I were checking our map for a shortcut to Jacksonville and dinner, but gave up and came back here for a light supper. Arriving back at the house, we found Anita had just been bitten by a cottonmouth while fishing on the edge of the marsh. I really don’t expect the police will question us, but it is better to be ready. Stories made up on the fly seldom stand up.”

Kathy smiled and said, “I can handle playing tourist for a few days. Let’s get on with it. Fishing, playing tennis and beachcombing. I’m ready as soon as I get back from the hospital.”

***

Buy “Justice Beyond Law” on Amazon, as well as the rest of the Jack Brandon series and other books by Barry Kelly, a former CIA agent and adviser to President Reagan.