Free Scent of Gardenia (Scott Tucker Series) by Dick Waters Page B

investigation into my son’s disappearance. Although Ms. Strong has
been very helpful, her hands are obviously tied. I don’t want her to jeopardize
her position by overstepping her bounds.” He stood up and looked out the window
behind his desk.
    “I am
going to share some things with you that I have not shared with Ms. Strong. I
feel you need to know as many facts as I can provide to assist you in exploring
all avenues of my son’s disappearance.” He sat back down, handing us two
photographs. “These are my two sons. Nils is the blond and Nigel has the darker
hair. These are my only children. My wife died about ten years ago.” He waited,
while we both looked at the photographs.
    He shared,
“I have a very large import company and several Scandinavian furniture stores.
Suffice it to say we have done very well—perhaps too well. The following is a
little hard for me to convey, but I feel you need to know these details.” He
stood up again, walking over to the small bar to our left.
    “Please
join me, I could use a cocktail. Mercedes, what can I make you?”
    “Thank
you Mr. Nielsen, any bourbon on the rocks would be fine.” He proceeded to put
some cubes in two glasses and poured a dark liquid from a carafe. He handed one
of the glasses to Mercedes. “Please gentlemen, the scotch is on the left, vodka
and gin in the center and the bourbon on the right.” They poured their drinks
and sat back down.
    Mr.
Nielsen took a healthy hit. “My two sons do not get along. My oldest son,
Nigel, feels Nils is just a rich kid who has never grown up. There’s some truth
in that, but he has overplayed that perspective. Nigel feels being the oldest;
he is in line for the fruits of my success. Although I’m not ready to ‘exit
stage left’ yet, I have contemplated selling the business. That’s where my sons
have had some heated words. They have had two fights that I am aware of. One of
those was just before Nils left on his cruise to Bermuda, the Bahamas and the Caribbean. That was just over two months ago. The other fight and I heard this
second hand…” He paused, looking at Mercedes, “was when Nils arrived in Bermuda.”
    Mike
could tell Mercedes was hearing this for the first time. “Mr. Nielsen, we
appreciate your being frank with us. This will be helpful, please continue.”
    “Nigel
has denied going to Bermuda, but I have my sources and I know for a fact he did
go there around the time Nils disappeared. I did not confront Nigel after I
confirmed he went to Bermuda. Although my sons have different views, I can’t
believe either of them would actually cause the demise of the other. However, I
want this aspect investigated to learn what actually happened.” He took another
hit on his drink. “Let me continue, Nils was traveling with a male companion
and three young women. I would like to know what happened to them, and the
‘Import-ant’, which is the 42 foot yacht Nils was sailing at the time of his
disappearance.”
    They all
drank simultaneously. Paddy asked, “Mr. Nielsen, were either of your sons
involved with drugs?”
    “I
understand from Mercedes you prefer to be called Paddy. So Paddy, I’m glad you
are thorough enough to ask that question. I have not been able to confirm that,
but I have considered that possibility. I would appreciate your investigation
including that facet. I have no respect for anyone using drugs, and should I
find either of my sons involved with drugs, it will have an impact on my will.”
    Mike
asked, “Is there anything else you care to share? Do you have any thought as to
what happened in Bermuda?”
    “Mr.
Miller, or if you prefer Mike, I have given hours of thought to that. My best
guess is that my sons did have a fight, but it was just two siblings. Nils
might have been so upset about it to alter his plans to do something he wasn’t
planning on. I have no idea what that would have been.”
    He
continued. “Let me explain. When Nils had any major problem during his