MartyS

Hi Benji, There have been a lot of things running through my mind since Chapter 81 was posted. I would like to review them with you. We are not necessarily in agreement on everything. I am going to do my best to stay away from these areas. I intend to present this the way an attorney presents an Opening Statement at a jury trial. I do not intend to provide specific links or explanations as to where this information appears in the story. If I were to do so I would still writing this when CJ finishes Circumnavigation. I am not going to attempt to be politically correct in the use of pronouns. Synopses Rachel and Dirk entered into a criminal conspiracy. The object of this conspiracy was to arrange for the disappearance of Rachel. The plan called for making it appear the Ares had sunk and she drowned. They must have committed several crimes in order to set this up. The conspiracy worked for over nine years without discovery. It was an established fact the boat sunk and Rachel drowned as the result. The police and Bridget believe Dirk destroyed the Ares using a bomb. The police have no physical evidence to allow them to arrest and prosecute Dirk. The conspiracy went unchallenged until Dirk learned Trevor was searching for the wreck of the Ares. You and I believe part of the conspiracy was to switch the identities of the Ares and the Atlantis. The Chandlery Pre 1997 Dirk and Rachel operated the chandlery. How or when the business was established in unknown. By the time 1987 arrived, they had established a fair line of credit. After the purchase of the Ares, Rachel was operating the Charter Business, while Dirk did the same with the chandlery. How much, if any, involvement Rachel had with the operation of the chandlery is unknown. Dirk could not be involved with the physical operation of the Ares. The business operates in what would be described as a prime location. Unless the business operation depends on using the of catalogue sales, it is necessary to maintain an expensive inventory. I believe they did so. The fact that several satellite phones were in stock helps support my opinion. Post 1997 After the disappearance of Rachel, Dirk continued to operate the business. He apparently had no employees. Trevor, at age 16, did give him some assistance. How much is unknown. Dirk apparently took his days off during the week. This would make sense. Mid-week is the slow time of the week in that business. Dirk He is not less than 37 years of age and most likely several years older. There is no mention of him having any relatives. Except for Trevor, none are mentioned or alluded to. Trevor, makes the only mention of family holiday activity, post May 1997. He described their Thanksgiving Dinner doings. Dirk does not come across to me as an alpha male. When faced with difficulties he does not think them through before taking action. He has admitted to committing several crimes. I believe Rachel nudged him into breaking the law. In December 1996 he started to extricate himself from his criminal activities. He wants to get out, but does not want to pay the penalty for his transgressions. He may have loved Rachel at one time. That romance was finished by the close of 1996. IMHO Rachel manipulated Dirk into marrying her. There is no question in my mind Rachel wore the pants in the family. This next item may be off the wall, but I have considered it. I have asked myself if Trevor is the result of an agreement between Rachel and Dirk. Did Dirk make that part of his price, for him to agree to the Ares and the charter business? Off the wall thought, I know. I am positive Dirk loves Trevor in the traditional way. Dirk does require him to meet certain standards. Dirk does not have a clue about Trevor’s sexual preferences. Dirk suggested Trevor take an extended holiday with a female companion. This statement, in itself, proves to me, he is not above stretching the envelope. I believe Dirk’s sexual interests are exactly as Shane describes himself in Chapter 81. Rachel I believe Rachel did not die as the direct result of the chronicled scenario of May 1997. I do not believe she is dead. Where she is and what she is doing is a mystery to me. I believe she is approximately the same age grouping I assigned to Dirk. She was not born in the United States. She has relatives in Australia. She evidently began her career on the water at age 12. She is well trained and very able to operate a sailboat under difficult circumstances. She has a dominant personality. She is not afraid to break the law. She is a good planner. The basic plan in the conspiracy, as understood by Dirk, survived the years. Only because of Trevor’s actions, has the chance of it becoming unraveled prematurely arisen. Crimes There is no question that both Rachel and Dirk broke the law. The setting up and implementing the disappearance of the Ares and Rachel was one they both conspired in. In Dirks case, there are three federal statutes, which have not reached the expiration of their Statute of Limitations. One is a violation of Internal Revenue Service laws. The Statute of Limitations on this offense is six years. This will expire in November 2006. (Seeing as the story has reached December 1st, this one has expired.) The second is a conspiracy charge with and a seven-year Statute of Limitations. This will expire in December 2006. Dirks last action with this statute must have been in December 1999. This is the same month Rachel’s Memorial Service was held. The third and final offense Dirk can be charged with also expires in December2006. It is for a violation of a federal conspiracy statute. The Statute of Limitations is ten years in length. Dirks last involvement with this statute must have been in December 1996. There is no way, based on available information, to determine, when this conspiracy commenced. As to whether Rachel was involved with this offense cannot be established. Prior to her disappearance Rachel was involved in some sort of criminal activity. Rachel learned about the investigation of her ongoing activities. I have serious doubts that Dirk was involved in it. While it was in progress Dirk may not have even known about it. I am basing my conclusions on a fact. If he was involved, he was never arrested for it. It has been nine years since the, “Disappearance.” Rachel’s vanishing act and subsequent legal determination of death, would have stopped the investigation as far as she was concerned. If Dirk were involved they would have continued the investigation. It is possible the government did not have sufficient evidence to indict him. At the present time Dirk is a fugitive. He has three Major Felony charges hanging over his head. There may well be other charges associated with these offenses. My interpretation of Chapter 54 is Dirk leveled with Frank Tittle. He would have explained to Frank, whatever he had been involved with, in the past. If there was any possibility Dirk would have any criminal responsibility, for being involved with the offenses, Rachel was under investigation for; Frank would have taken this into account in his summery. Either Dirk was not involved or the Statute of Limitations has already expired. In the prologue, there is mention of Dirk and Rachel using creative claims to purchase the Ares. There is not enough information available to determine if their actions constituted an offense. Do to the implication; “Rachel is deceased,” no information is available, for me to consider her criminal responsibility, for any of her actions. When she did her “Houdini,” did that stop the clock? Hell Benji, I don’t know. Could the government go into court and have the declaration of death reversed? This might be possible. There was fraud in obtaining the decision. Here I think case law might play a part. I am too lazy and the information not easily available for me to bother researching. If the truth be told, I don’t give a damn what happens to her. I know we disagree about Rachel. We have agreed to disagree. I am sticking with our agreement. Whatever she did or did not do, neither Trevor nor Dirk will be doing her time in jail. However, I am willing to give her credit. If she did, what I think she did, she would have incorporated this into her plans, and will probably walk out the courtroom door, whistling a happy tune. Jim Ainsworth and Dirk. Do they have a sexual relationship? I think yes. Benji, you can go find the following statement, if you’re interested. I know it exists, but do not recall where. In one of the conversations between Dirk and Jim that has been posted, Jim makes the following comment to Dirk, “WE haven’t had a vacation together yet.” That sounds more like something a person in a relationship would say, as opposed to what a friend would. Dirk certainly kept Trevor in the dark about Jim’s existence. Going so far as to lie. The police tracked him making regular visits to Jim’s residence. I think the observation, “The guilty flee, where no man pursues,” should be considered, in arriving at a conclusion. Dirk’s reaction to Trevor’s mentioning anything about gay’s, led Trevor to conclude, Dirk was homophobic. Rachel’s whereabouts I do not know where she is. It is my considered opinion; CJ would like us to believe she is in Australia. There is plenty of evidence he has interjected so far. Chapter 81 was his most recent attempt. In one chapter he attacked the disappearance of Rachel and the location of the original Atlantis. CJ knows there are those of us who believe the Ares and Atlantis identities were swapped. There isn’t much he can do to change our minds. His absolutely tremendous portrayal of Trevor and Shane finding each other speaks for itself. There is no question, in my mind; he worked on that a long time. He knew it was going to happen, he planned it, right up front. He egged us on. Consider his starting the thread, “Poll - Shane .” The goat must have made a bet with himself. How many can I get to stick their necks out and make a public commitment? Shane did not lie to Trevor. He told him he was not gay. Shane also told him he liked girls. CJ does a good job describing the actions of the participants in his stories. That conflicting, confusing description of Trevor and Shane’s attempts to view the plaque is laughable. His response to my critique is even better. He does his best to explain away Trevor’s ability to make the salmon-like leap. He never comments on the fact, Trevor could not have even seen the plaque, while hanging from the transom, with his arms extended. He got so confused; he screwed up port and starboard. As I said, he had a good reason for inserting that entire scenario in such a dramatic fashion. It may have been his final opportunity, to wean away from their convictions; the readers who believe the boats were swapped. The number of times CJ has inserted little hints, clues or whatever you want to call them, connecting Rachel and Australia is interesting. He has been dangling these throughout the story. It started in Chapter 7, I think. Seventy-four chapters later, he is still trying. He has to get out of this story with some dignity remaining. So he keeps trying. CJ inserts another Key lime pie, with unidentifiable conversations in the background, this time. Just in case someone missed it in Chapter 68. He has dug himself into deep hole with this story. Look at what he is facing with the ending of Circumnavigation. He may be able to remove the threat to Trevor, Lisa and Joel by eliminating Bridget, George and Sanchez. He is still faced with some real problems. Consider Lisa and Joel. Their activities and loose lips damn near sunk the Atlantis. Twice. Then they would be responsible for Trevor being the main attraction in a replay of the life of John the Baptist. Is Rachel in Australia? I hope not. Trevor is on a real slippery slope right now. With Shane he should make it. Now in about two weeks or so he will be hearing, from his father, the truth about what occurred in May 1997. Do you think that would be the time, on top of all his other problems, to have Rachel pop up in his face and say, “Sorry about that?” That’s it for now Benji, Marty

Benji Didn't you read my lenghty posting in Brain storming I am just proofing a multi-page posting in Brain storming for you right now Marty

You might be correct on most. Unfortunately, based on my life experiences, I don't agree with your assessment of the reporter. To start with, Shane took him for 200 Australian dollars. That would make it personal. Second. He has been hiding out in the brush, conducting a surveillance that has not paid off, so far. Last, but not least, he will have to share the credit. I have a question for you. Do you think Chapter 45 will appear Saturday morning on AD. Jamie used to post every three weeks, when he was able to.

I hate to sound like Cassandra, but while everybody is jumping up and down with glee, you are forgetting real life. I do not think you are considering the following: How will these good citizens in Carnarvon react when they figure out the new relationship? The Blake’s Ned Officer Fowler and his partner. Don’t forget their wives. The citizens who already hate Shane. The reporter who could spread the news worldwide. Something to think about before Chapter 82 surfaces.

. EEEEErrrrrrrrrr Hi CJ, Have you considered taking a course in basic seamanship? OR Now I can understand having problems with typos, But how did you type port and your posting spelled it starboard. OR Maybe Trevor is screwed up. Hanging on the transom, facing forward, goes left to see something that is close to the starboard stair. Sorry CJ when I was typing this I sorta got on a roll. One after another, different ideas on how to zing you kept popping into my head

Hi Benji, It is my intent to limit my comments regarding Chapter 81. I will be addressing what occurred while Trev and Shane are getting out of the water. IMHO, in the first portion of Chapter 81, CJ tried to confuse his readers. The scenario he constructed about the plaque on the transom reads great, if you depend on the written word. It is my intent to bring to your attention, a more complete understanding of the actions, taken by Trevor and Shane. Prior to studying my analysis I would like you to do two things. First, print out this posting. Once you have done so, open the Circumnavigation page, which contains the many pictures of the Atlantis. As I go through the actions taken by Trevor and Shane, I want you to try to imagine them, in relation to what you see. This is my disclaimer. I want to make one thing clear to you Benji. (And to all who read this.) It is not my intent or purpose to criticize or demean CJ. In the past, If I observed what I believed to be an error, I would email CJ. In the message I would bring to his attention what I had noticed. He has publicly thanked me for bring something to his notice. Once I have completed my critique, I intend to give my opinion as to why he created this scenario. I believe he had a very good reason for doing so. I am surprised about one thing. I do not understand how his team did not pickup on it When you use the photographs it is difficult to determine size or dimensions. There are no people showing, which would help. As to the drawings no scale is given. I intend to copy and paste, directly from the chapter, the portion I will be addressing. I will insert my comments regarding each action or group of associated actions. What you see here is a true Copy and Paste. I will be separating paragraphs to allow me to insert my comments. Before I begin I would like to establish some facts. Both Trevor and Shane are in good physical shape and have excellent upper body strength. There are two facts I do not know and it is impossible for me to find out. First unknown is, where was the Zodiac when this when this was taking place? Second unknown is, where was the plaque located on the transom, Begin Copy and Paste Trevor, muscles rippling in the sun, kicked upwards and lunged to grab ahold of Kookaburra’s transom, sparing just a glance forward between her hulls as he pulled himself upwards, intending to return to the cockpit. Take a look at the pictures of the stern of the Atlantis; Notice the distance between water surface and the lower edge of the transom. Then add in the distance from the lower edge of the transom to the upper edge. IMHO, The distance is more than five feet, probably closer to six. Trevor is going to leap close to six feet, straight up, starting submerged to his neck in water. Nothing solid to push from. Then he is hanging down, holding onto the edge, with his hands. I do not know where the Zodiac is. If it is hoisted on it’s davits, Trevor would be passing between the Zodiac and the transom. Look at the drawing on the Picture Page. It is not scaled. It does show you the hoisted location of the Zodiac. A brass plaque on the left side of the transom’s aft edge caught Trevor’s eye, and he edged sideways for a look. “Atlantis has one like this, with her name and model on it,” he said, looking at the plaque with a sad smile. At the start of this paragraph, Trevor has already grasped the uppermost edge of the transom and is hanging from his hands, Benji; I want you to do something before continuing. I want you to stand and raise your arms straight up. Then walk over to a wall. Place your hands and body flat against it, facing the wall. . Now look to your left. What do you see? All I saw when I did this, was the inside of my arm, not the wall beyond it. Shane scrambled up beside Trevor, putting one hand on Trevor’s shoulder and hanging on to the deck edge with the other and he leaned in and read from the plaque. “Kookaburra, Lagoon 57, launched April 22nd, 1996,” Shane said softly. Shane scrambled up beside Trevor. I would not describe what Trevor did as scrambling. The only way I can see a person scrambling from the water, to the height of the transom, would be to use the steps, which are formed into the stern of the Port Catamaran. I do not know how far out on the transom Trevor is hanging. If Shane is alongside Trevor’s left side, I suspect he would be covering the plaque. Why would he be hanging by one hand if he scrambled up the steps? If he left the steps to hang alongside Trevor, how close was he to Trev? If he was not close enough to cover the plaque with his body, how could he reach Trevor’s shoulder with his hand? Trevor, always interested in all things related to Lagoon catamarans, reached out to tap the plaque’s lower right corner. “JeanneauTechniques Avancées. That’s the builder, same yard that built Atlantis and Ares, and Atlantis’s plaque didn’t have that. Atlantis was renamed by my mother – it’s normal for a new owner to want to name their boat – so she had a new plaque made. When it’s got the builder’s name and insignia on it like this, it means the owner ordered it new from the builder, and the builder made the plaque,” Trevor said, idly tracing his finger on the brass, coming to some smaller engraved print, ‘FR-CNB5703D996’. Trevor smiled, remembering being taught how to read the code. “The ‘FR-CNB’ part of the serial number means she was built at the Lagoon factory in France… Atlantis’s serial number starts with FR-JTA, so I guess they changed that for the 57’s, which I think might have been built at a different yard there, some of ‘em anyway. The ‘5703’ means she’s the third Lagoon 57 built, the ‘D’ is the fourth letter of the alphabet so that’s the fourth month of the year, April, and the 996 means she was competed in 1996, which was the first year they made the 57s.” Both of them are hanging by one had. Trevor is using his right hand to hold on. Shane is using his left. At least they are using their dominant hand. While hanging there, one handed, Trevor starts to teach Shane about boat plaques. Benji, One thing was confirmed for us. Rachel knows how to order, remove and replace Builders Plaques on a Lagoon 55. “The Blakes have had her since she was new,” Shane said, and then gave Trevor a curious look. “How the hell do you know how to read bloody serial codes like that? I think you know more about Lagoon catamarans than even the Blakes do. I love crewing, but you... you’re a captain. You like being at the helm and you know a million little details like this, and how to trim and balance the sails, all that stuff. I watched you close on the way here from Monkey Mia; I’ve crewed on a lot of boats, and you’re about the best I’ve ever seen, and don’t deny it – if you weren’t, you wouldn’t have survived to get here,” Shane said, with a touch of admiration in his voice, as he climbed up and over the rail and into the cockpit. They continue the conversation, each hanging by one hand. Then they decide to climb up to the cockpit deck. I have no recollection of Trevor going aboard the Atlantis, from the water, except by using the steps. End Copy and Paste Several theories, which have been advanced, are probably no longer viable. There has been speculation; Rachel’s Lagoon 55 after it sailed from the Bahamas, had been transformed into the Kookaburra. The information on the Kookaburra’s plaque pretty much eliminates that. From the way Trevor describes the plate it appears to be genuine. The Kookaburra was built and launched the year before the, Disappearance. The plate could be a forgery, but I wouldn’t bet the farm on it. I believe CJ wrote this into Chapter 81 for a special reason. At present Benji, you and I believe the Atlantis and Ares were switched. I doubt we are the only readers who think that. This has been my theory for some time. I am almost willing to bet that CJ figured someone would advance our hypothesis. When he originally formed and refined the plot, he had this in mind. He had to insert it so that people snapped it up. If he had just written, “Trevor noticed the plague while claiming steps,” I know I would have said, “Why now?” “Trevor has been aboard Kookaburra for over a week.” CJ then sits down and creates a dramatic scenario. The main problem he has, as far as I am concerned is; the event as he described it is not realistic. The only observation I would make regarding the later portion of the chapter is: on the subject of Shane going to the Bahamas with Trevor. Both the Bahamas and Australia are members of the Commonwealth of Nations. (Formerly the British Commonwealth.) If Trevor is correct in a previous statement, in another chapter, he may have some claim to Australian Citizenship. This is because of his mother’s birth. That’s all for now Marty

Hi Benji, I have been working on this post since last week. The entire Carlson family is all screwed up. Combined they are a mystery story even if you take away the events of May 1997. While I was kicking things around in my head, something came to my attention. I cannot say it is important or not. The big event we are waiting for is: The Statute of Limitations to expire. The best information available appears in Chapter 54. We can only speculate what offenses Dirk committed. Frank Tittle summarizes the Statute of Limitations information. He tells Dirk all the SoL, both federal and state, have expired except three. All remaining are for violations of federal law. One of them he describes. This is a violation of Internal Revenue Law. It has a six-year expiration date. The expiration date is in November 2006. The two remaining are both criminal conspiracy charges. The one has a seven-year expiration date. The other is ten years. Both of them will be completely gone by December 16th. It may only be one expires on that date, with the other on an earlier dater. I have read over both statutes. They both cover a number of different crimes. With the information available, there is no way to determine what crimes Dirk committed. If you holdup a bank it is not difficult to establish when the SoL clock starts. With a conspiracy offense is not that simple. They can go on for years. Dirk’s, “Final Action,” on the seven year SoL, was in December 1999. This is the month Rachel’s Memorial Service was held. The one with a ten-year SoL, the clock started in December 1996. Please note, this is several months before the Mayday was broadcast. I doubt the ten-year one had anything to do with the, “Disappearance.” Rachel May/may not have been involved in that offense. Now let us consider Rachel. We know she was under investigation by the federal government. (We disagree on what the circumstances are.) Did the government have a completed case? She disappears in May 1997. There is no way of knowing when the government ceased working on the case. She was declared dead in 1999. That should have stopped any active investigation. Sometime after December 16th, Dirk will be giving a statement to the police. All he has to do is prove Rachel was alive after the mayday call. I believe Frank Tittle will advise him: to answer questions, tell the truth and don’t volunteer anything. He should come up smelling like roses. I have no doubt federal authorities will be notified. I seriously doubt Dirk knows exactly where Rachel is. I am positive he has not been in touch with her. He was very, very careful not to talk to anyone, about the events in May 1997. Except to an attorney. I do not think Rachel told Dirk about finding the papers concealed aboard the Ares. Henry may have told him about Bridget being under suspicion for the attempted bombing of Trevor’s boat in the Suez, What about Rachel? A court made the determination of death, not a medical examiner. I have no recollection of hearing about any M.E,s, death pronouncement being reversed years later. I think a court could void that death certificate. Where does she stand concerning Statutes of Limitations? Hell, I don’t know. At the time they bought the Ares Rachel and Dirk were operating a ship’s chandlery. Boating is damned expensive. The type of operation they are running requires keeping an expensive inventory. How did they get into the business? I don’t know. What is Dirk’s age? What is Rachel’s? Those questions are important. How much did the Ares cost? We know they had to put money into the Ares to get her ready to sell. That is before the engine problem came up. Gonzalez makes a statement regarding the amount Dirk attempted to raise the insured value to. He mentioned 250 thousand dollars. But, then again it is mentioned that Arnold wanted to sell her cheap because of his upcoming divorce. We know nothing about Dirk’s background. This was more or less ready to go yesterday. I held off. I wanted to see what new information became available in Chapter 81. There was a lot, but nothing affecting this post. I am going to post this now. I will then start on some comments regarding # 81. Marty

Congratulations CJ. Great chapter. You certainly moved the plot forward. However, the chronological advance was maybe five hours, or so. With that ending, the next chapter should start out on Saturday morning. Who knows? They might miss their scheduled departure tide on Sunday.

Hi Benji, Thank you for the quick reply. I thought that was what you were referring to. Chapter 80 ended sometime around noon on Friday, Dec 1st. Maybe CJ will pass over the remainder of the Friday and Saturday. If the story starts out with them underway to Carnarvon, that would be nice. I sure hope someone or something, throws a monkeywrench into their plans to set sail for Florida. I have sincere doubts, the Kookaburra will head for Florida. My reasoning is right from CJ himself. He has responded to several posts recently about how many chapters are there to go. He doesn't sound like he expects to hit 100 chapters. Right now I am working on a post for you. Your belief that both Rachel and the Original Atlantis are in Australia, is what started me thinking. Damn problem is I cannot find any evidence to support the theory. Only CJs little nudges about a POSSIBLE American influence being present in Carnarvon so far. One thing for sure will start the landslide moving. If we are correct in our prediction about Ned finding those hidden papers, it will be the beginning of the end. If they are found, I hope Sanchez finds out about what they contain. Maybe he will figure out that Bridget either knew or suspected they were there. That is the only way I can think of, to get rid of her and her lover. I hope Gonzalez does not get the evidence to file a case on the two of them. If he does, it will wreck both Lisa and Joel. Better if Sanchez sends them on a short cruise on the Sea Witch. The cruise can end when their boat converts from a cabin cruiser into floating debris. Have a nice weekend. Marty

Hi Benji, In this post I only reply to items I feel need to be responded to. We do not agree on some of my deductions. But, I believe we are mostly in agreement. I am going to do my best to follow the primary rule of Brainstorming. Many people do not understand it. Once they grasp the primary concept, they generally use it effectively. Unfortunately others refuse to use it. They believe have to argue. Many feel they have to convince others they are right. They refuse to abide by the primary rule, “Don’t Criticize.” The secondary concept of, “Use the ideas other people have, to develop your own conclusions,” is alien to them. Their own most important rule is often, “My Way or Take the Highway.” I believe an investigator should always be ready to, “think outside the box. OK. I promise, no more preaching. I agree. It was after I posted this, I realized I had not been broad enough in describing Bridget’s reason for killing Arnold. It is my belief Rachel thinks of herself primarily. You use the word, “findings.” I am not certain, I understand what you are referring to. I posted this calendar a while back. It is for May 2006. It may assist you in organizing the information. I damn near screwed up big time using it. When I put together Paragraph “H” of this posting, I used this calendar to determine, which days of the week, the May 15th and May 25th, 1997 were on. Lucky for me I spotted it when I was proofreading. I had to look at a May 1997 calendar to get the correct days of the week. Orange Highlighting = Historial reference to May 15th 1997 Charter Blue Highlighting 19 thru 21 = Charter trip with 3 females. Blue Highlighting 26 thru 29 = Pilgrimage Trip Brown Highlighting = Trevor’s last day of school. Keep in mind one thing. The reported location is in “Bahamian Territorial waters. The US Coast Guard probably became involved. They would not be the primary agency responsible for conducting the search or an investigation. It is my understanding the USCG can conduct an investigation of US Flagged Vessels, in the waters claimed by another country. There must be some limitations imposed on them. In Chapter 80, Trevor tells Shane, the USCG went to their home to make the Official Notification. Based on Trevor’s comments, I was unable to determine if they were doing so; as a courtesy to assist the Bahamian CG by making a notification, officially assisting the BCG in their investigation or as part of their own investigation. However, Trevor does mention Dirk, was hitting the bottle, while talking to the USCG personnel. My gut reaction to that is, they were providing the BCG a courtesy. If they were conducting an investigation “Gin,” would not be involved. I doubt Dirk would be drinking alcohol if they had read him a Miranda Warning I did not copy and paste my entire original post. I did copy/paste your response. There is something to be said for this. I will not disagree with you. However, I will not agree with you either. I am unable to find any information which supports your opinion. To the best of my recollection, the following is the only time, anything appeared, which could be considered. This excerpt is from the Chapter 61. Trevor has just met Ned. This is a small portion of their conversation. Thanks Benji, for your input. Marty

Thank you, CJ, for a very clear explaination. I am almost sure I will not remember the correct name. I will probably call it, "the thee little dots."

CJ You said, "Thanks" Was that responding to his acknowledgement you had written a "Great Chapter?" or Were you referring to his changing his vote? The latter might well be considered Electioneering, in the immediate vicinity of an "Official Voting Site.

Hi Benji, This will acknowledge I received and quickly read over your response. I am putting it aside to continue considering another aspect of Circumnavigation. The primary thought in my mind at present is, “CJ must be sitting in his hideaway saying, “The two of them must have hacked my computer and read my plot outline.” He might also be thinking, “ How did they get to see a copy of Shane’s unpublished narrative “Trevor’s Tribulations.” Then reality kicks in. Maybe he is saying, “Hot damn, those two dummies are the direct descendents of Inspector Clouseau.” I am sure you have considered the position we are both in. When all is finally revealed, we will be either bona fide members of the “Baker Street Irregulars,” or the clones of “Inspector Lestrade.” It is one thing to read a mystery and defeat the author by solving it anonymously sitting in our armchairs. This can lead to feeling all warm and cuddly, but no one else knows. When you step up into the fray, unfurl and hoist your Battle Ensigns and fire a broadside of conclusions, you are no longer sitting on the sidelines. Well like they say, “No Guts, No Glory.” I did have one reservation about publicly entering the Forum and posting my conclusions. I have corresponded with CJ using both PM and emails. I privately brought to his attention several items I felt he needed to consider. He has acknowledged my observations were worthy of consideration and has used some of them to modify the story. One thing for sure. He never let slip any undisclosed information to help me solve the mystery. I do admit he did give me something to help me in my tracking down the solution. He explained how to construct a successful theoretical, “Who done it.” In real life I never had to unravel a convoluted mystery. Stupid, greedy people commit the majority of crimes. Most homicides are simple affairs. They occur accidentally without any pre-planning. When the police or the first person arrive at the scene, the “Perp,” is sitting there crying or has just left, probably leaving his wallet lying on the floor. Anyway back to my reservation about publicly posting my conclusions. I gave this serious consideration. My thought process went as follows: I post my opinion that a certain thing occurred; CJ reads the post; I am correct in my deduction; CJ puts on his thinking cap; CJ then modifies the plot; I am left with egg on my face. I knew this was possible, but was it probable? I knew from reading the Forum Posts, CJ had slid into a negative position posting the story. This was not a story he written and completed. He had not turned over the finished manuscript to the Webmaster (or whoever) with instructions to post one chapter a week. It took me a while to consider this. While I was an avid fan of his, what did I know about him? I had two sources to use in evaluating his probable actions. The Forum and the private communications we had exchanged. In his Forum postings he had readily admitted to screwing up. Early on in our exchange of PMs and emails he did the same. I made the decision to post. I really felt, if there was egg on my face, it would only be there, if my published conclusions were incorrect. I am putting aside your response to my original posting. I want to see what a detailed study of your responses generates in my mind. One thing I have to mention, before I continue. The method you used to insert your responses to my posting is great. It certainly will be easy to consider your input. There is something that has been banging around in my head. I do not recall anyone really examining this subject before. It is part of the foundation upon which this story is based. Unfortunately it is pretty much glossed over and only mentioned, never examined. An established fact is Dirk and Rachel had decided to get divorced. In order to submit the paperwork to a court, there must have been extensive discussions between them. My understanding is, they were unable to agree to the division of property and were submitting the matter to a judge for a decision. 1 – First let us examine the money and/or valuable real property. There is the legitimate business, the chandlery. There is a residence, two boats and whatever else they jointly own. I am not an attorney. I have a fair understanding of criminal law and associated procedure. When it comes to civil law I am lost.. I think I am safe to say at this point, that as a married couple everything Dirk and Rachel owned, that was acquired since they married is community property. Unless, there was a written agreement establishing otherwise, it was all in one pot, so to speak. 2 – There is a comment in the prologue that Rachel would run the charter business and Dirk the chandlery. My impression overall is, the two of them were joined together in all business matters. 3 – Rachel and Dirk both knew one absolute fact. It was her ideas and her actions, pushing him, which enhanced their financial situation. 4 – If you read the Prologue with a more jaundiced view, like I have, a different conclusion can be easily arrived at. I believe that Rachel did not view it as a true financial partnership. It clearly says, “It was easy money and Rachel knew she would need it…” There are two features about that sentence I would like to bring to your attention. It is Rachel, not Rachel and Dirk is going to need it. The next item is not as obvious. I bring to your attention the “…” that ends both the sentence and paragraph. Unless CJ, his computers writing program, all members of his Crew goofed, that is not a typo. It is my understanding writers use this to indicate an incomplete thought or curtailed statement. 5 – In a previous post I had given my evaluation of Rachel. I am repeating it now. “I would describe Rachel as a driven, self-centered, conniving, individual. I do not think there is much difference between her and Bridget. Agreed, Bridget has more experience under her belt and has certainly demonstrated the depths she will sink to, to gain her objective. I think of Rachel as a “Wanabe Bridget. Whether Rachel can, “Walk the Walk,” remains to be seen.” 6 – My opinion regarding Dirk is not negative. The chandlery appears to be making money. There is no doubt in my mind he truly loves Trevor. He does not appear to spoil him and does his best to guide him. A good example is the restriction on the satellite phone. I do not think he is able to communicate effectively with Trevor. I may be judging him unfairly with this. For sure, at least since May 1997, he has had a lot on his mind. Trevor has stated he attempted to raise his sexuality with Dirk three times. Dirk must have responded strongly. Trevor believes his father rejects him because he is gay. Nothing Dirk has said indicates, to me, Dirk has any suspicion regarding Trevor’s choice of bed partners. Next, consider Dirk’s actions regarding his association with Jim. Dirk has never even mentioned Jim to Trevor, let alone introduced them. Dirk makes frequent trips to meet Jim and lies to Trevor about them. Dirk’s apparent reaction to Trevor’s attempts to “Come Out,” is interesting. Dirk appears to be erecting a defense around himself. It would be very easy for me to conclude that Dirk is gay. One thing stops me. CJ loves to set up his readers. He feeds them little ambiguous hints. Inserts random, but possibly related information and actions. He allows them to commit themselves. Then and only then, does he pull the rug out from beneath them. Then what does he do? He sits back, with a “$hit eatin grin on his face and say, “But I never said that!” 7 – Does Rachel love Dirk? Did Rachel ever love Dirk? Does Rachel love Trevor? Did she ever love Trevor? Any attempt to answer any of these questions is at best difficult. There is only one instance where Rachel has demonstrated any sign of feeling, to the best of my recollection. In the Prologue there is mention of a tear in her eye, when she recalls her last contact with Trevor, prior to departing to leave on the charter. I am going to be guided by the one person appearing so far in this story, Dirk. He would be the best to speak on Rachel. Dirk does not discuss Rachel, at least with Trevor. Is she alive? I do not know. If she is deceased, it could not be as a direct result of the circumstances occurring in May 1997. Dirk is primarily worried about the expiration of several Statutes of Limitations. Could she have died in the intervening years? Possible, but unlikely. People like her seem to have the Devil’s Own Luck. Returning to Dirk’s various comments. Not all of the conversations between Dirk and Jim are published. Dirk very well might have told Jim a lot about Rachel. Jim knows she didn’t die. Those conversations could not appear in the story. However, what does appear can be used as a guide. To summarize and analyze Jim’s dialogue with Dirk, regarding Trevor’s reaction to the events of May 1997 is enlightening. He is attempting to convince Dirk that Trevor will eventually forgive him for the deception. The conversation does not cease at that point. Think about that. Agreed, nothing said by anyone in the story can directly indicate Rachel is alive. This has not occurred. OK! Jim could lie to Dirk and vica versa. This conversation could only take place if, Jim lied to Dirk, Dirk lied to Jim, both of them knew the other was lying, and permitted the conversation to continue. Sorry, that would be ludicrous. Let me back up a bit. Until Henry told Dirk and Jim, Joel was not with Trevor, they believed he would be there to help Trevor over the bumps, when he learned about the deception. They were depending on Joel to help. I do not believe that Dirk thinks Rachel will be of any assistance. The only reasons I can think of are: She is not there; She is not interested in doing so; and last but not least, Trevor will reject her. I do not have a good answer to any of these questions. One item is still hanging out there unclear to me. Before everything blew up, Dirk attempted to convince Trevor, to take a trip to Australia, in December 8 – Bridget has had several conversations with George. I do not have any recollection she knew about the divorce being planned by Dirk And Rachel. 9 – There was a planned divorce. The papers Trevor found and comments made by Sergeant Gonzalez verify that. I think Rachel learned about the fact she was the subject of an investigation, after the divorce papers were filed with the court. It makes no sense to file those if she had already planned the disappearance. 10 – I think the hang-up with the division of monies is simple. Rachel believed the money gained through the operation of the charter business belonged to her. 11 – It is very possible that Dirk owes Bridget a big thank you. It is both our opinions that Rachel and Dirk planned the disappearance of the Ares and Rachel. Only two credible theories have been advanced to explain the possible sinking. The first by Ares being struck by a much larger vessel. The second theory is a bomb had destroyed the Ares. If the first were true, Sergeant Gonzalez would have no jurisdiction or authority. It would be an accident. If a bomb caused the disappearance, that would change things. The one thing that stopped Sergeant Gonzalez from proceeding with an arrest was a lack of evidence. I believe part of the plan was to deposit some debris to support the contention she had sunk. The fact that Bridget found some flotsam, supports my contention that it was. Bridget positively identified the flotsam was from the Ares. She goes on to describe the debris as having scorch marks. That is why she believes there was a bomb used. If the authorities in 1997 had that debris, Dirk would probably been convicted before the Trevor’s tenth birthday. Rachel dropped of the debris. Dirk should have known that was part of the plan. I do not think he knew about the scorch marks. Rachel must have prepared the wreckage. So Benji, do you still think Rachel has mother love for her son? Let me examine this from a different point of view. The plan starts with Rachel. She has already squirreled a nice sum of money. She sets up the disappearance with Dirk, her co-conspirator in falsifying bank records. She convinces him to commit several other offenses, in order to get the plan in motion. Then she plans and executes the double-cross. She is in the clear with a boat worth approximately a quarter of a million dollars. (Those figures come from a statement by Sergeant Gonzalez.) She is free and clear. Nobody is looking for her. Eventually the Statute of Limitations will expire on all crimes she committed. If Dirk was convicted and executed, well ain’t that to bad. If he was given a life sentence, she might hope he gets a handsome,gentle roommate. His only defense to the murder charge would be to explain the planned disappearance. He would have had to admit to the other offenses; he is presently awaiting the expiration of the Statute of Limitations on. In order to get a conviction for murder, Rachel would have to be declared dead. There go the charges against her out the door. If he were executed, his estate would have been placed in trust for Trevor. Whatever remained after attorney’s fees defending him against the charge of murder and assorted other offenses. Benji, on second thought, I think, Rachel might be able to teach Bridget some new tricks. Well Benji, there you have it. I am real looking forward to your comments. Marty

Hi Benji, The main reason I wanted to start a new topic was to get away from the old Topic, which referred to a specific chapter. We can use this one until the end of the story. As long as we make entries, it will stay close to the top of the listing. First I am going to list items, which I believe we both agree on. Then go on to others. We can kick them around. Once you have gone over the latter ones, I look forward to your input, 1 – Rachel and Dirk purchased the Ares from Arnold, without Bridget being aware of it. Bridget learned of the sale and murdered Arnold. Bridget could not stop Rachel and Dirk from taking possession of the Ares. 2 – Rachel started and ran a charter service. While she was doing this, Bridget recruited Rachel to transport money for the purpose of laundering it. It would not surprise me, if some of the money being made legal, belonged to Rachel. 3 – After Rachel became involved in this activity, Bridget notified the authorities about her breaking the law. Rachel later learned she was the subject of an investigation 4 – Rachel had found documents hidden aboard the Ares by Arnold. When she read them, Rachel learned Bridget was involved with smuggling drugs for the Colombian Cartel. 5 – Rachel knew she had to disappear permanently. BENJI: YOU AND I MAY NOT AGREE AS TO WHY SHE HAD TO. 6 – Rachel and Dirk entered into a criminal conspiracy to fake her death. Rachel knew she couldn’t just disappear. The two of them worked out a plan. Rachel would be underway sailing in the Bahamas. A brief radio Mayday would be broadcast. Some identifiable debris would be dropped into the water, in the reported area. 7 - Rachel knew Bridget wanted to regain possession of the Ares. If the Atlantis were used as the reported missing vessel, the Ares would still be available for Bridget to get control of. Bridget knew Dirk could not go to sea and would have no reason to keep the Ares. 8 – Rachel and Dirk had purchased another Lagoon 55 from Bridget for cash. The bill of sail identified the vessel by the Registration Number, not by name. As the seller, Bridget would know, the registered owner was Trevor. After Rachel had purchased the vessel it was named the Atlantis. 9 – Rachel and Dirk arranged to have the ownership of the Atlantis transferred to Rachel. They had planned to get divorced. They had filed and submitted the paperwork. They did not complete the court hearing. No final order was issued. Rachel prepared a will. She left the Atlantis to Trevor. Dirk would still be her husband when she was declared dead. He would take possession of all jointly owned property, thus no inheritance taxes. He would be the executor of her estate. They knew Bridget had never indicated any interest, in gaining possession of the Atlantis. The concealed papers would remain safe. 10 – Rachel sailed on a charter, which commenced on Thursday, May 15th, 1997 and was completed, as scheduled, on Sunday, May 25th, 1997 in Nassau. BENJI, I HOPE YOU AGREE WITH ME SO FAR. IF YOU DO NOT, LET ME KNOW AND WE CAN KICK IT AROUND. NOW, ON TO THE TRICKY STUFF. A – Rachel was in Nassau with the Ares. B - The distance between Nassau and Fort Pierce is approximately 214 nautical miles, as the crow flies. If you factor in necessary course changes, I would guess-ta-mate the cruising distance to be approximately 250 miles. C - I was unable to locate a site on the Internet to ascertain the daily weather conditions for May 1997. The information may be available, but I was unable to locate it. The only mention of weather in the Prologue refers to the final time Rachel sailed aboard the Ares. This was approximately six hours before the Mayday radio message was broadcast. The Prologue states, “Rachel,” sailed. There is no mention of what vessel she was on. There is no mention of her destination. As to the time of sailing, it is described. I believe there was another trip made before this final one. I address this later on. It is at this point the inconsistencies start to appear. D – In Chapter 7 Trevor sails from Fort Pierce. The purpose of his trip is to search for the reported missing Ares. He wants to recover his mother’s body. Trevor sails on a Friday afternoon. His trip is well described as to the directions he sailed and his activities. It was on the third day he dropped a wreath into the water. That was to commemorate the date of his mothers reported death. This was done on Sunday, May 28th, 2006. His thoughts were described. Trevor can lie under the guidelines established. However, I find it difficult to believe, he would deliberately lie to himself. The date of his mother’s death is on her tombstone. E – In the Prologue, Rachel’s Memorial Service is described. The fact that an empty oaken casket was lowered into the ground is documented. In Chapter 79, Trevor describes to Shane the memorial service for Rachel. He mentions the fact that a headstone was put up. When CJ posted the announcement regarding the delay for posting Chapter 80, He included an announcement. He said that readers could post questions. He would choose one of the characters appearing in Circumnavigation to answer it. One of the questions I asked was, “What is the date of death that was inscribed onto Rachel’s Memorial Tombstone in 1999?” CJ responded, “It’s the date Trevor considers the anniversary.” That is three days after the May 15th Charter ended F – Trevor sailed on the “Pilgrimage Trip,” on Friday, May 26th, 2006. He dropped the wreath on the third day of the trip. That would be Sunday, May 28th 2006. G – In doing my research to establish the time Rachel sailed from Nassau, I located a site, which supplied me the information I was seeking. The website gave me the time of sunsets for May 1997. The times listed for the last week of May were approximately 19:45 hours. The Prologue describes Rachel sailing six hours prior to the Mayday radio message. My research indicates she sailed at approximately 19:45 hours on Tuesday, May 27th, 1997. This would establish the time of the Mayday around 01:45 hours the following day. H – Based on all my research this is what I believe happened. The Ares docked in Nassau on Sunday May 25th, 1997. Between that event and the Mayday transmission on Wednesday, May 28th, 1997, the following took place. Shortly after dropping off her passengers Rachel sailed for home. There is no weather information available to me. These calculations are based on the speed Trevor established for the Ares in Chapter 69. Trevor stated she could travel at 14 knots using her engines. I have estimated the distance as being approximately 250 miles. Dividing the distance by the speed of the Ares comes up with an answer of approximately 18 hours. I believe Rachel arrived in Fort Pierce aboard the Ares. At some later time she sailed from Fort Pierce aboard the Atlantis. Eventually she arrived in Nassau. I do not know what time she arrived in Nassau. I do know that it had to be prior to 19:45 hours on Tuesday May 27th, 1997. That is the time I calculated to match the statements given by the Narrator, in the Prologue. During the trip from Fort Pierce to Nassau, I believe she jettisoned the flotsam, which was found by Bridget. During the time Rachel was at Fort Pierce, I believe she changed the displayed name of the Ares to Atlantis. Any identifiable gear belonging to the Atlantis would have been placed aboard the renamed Ares. Likewise any Ares gear would go onto the vessel she was departing in. The Ares Zodiac was part of that gear. As to whether or not, the observable name on the vessel she was returning to Nassau in, was changed is unknown to me. My personal opinion is no. When Rachel sailed from Nassau, as the last rays of sunset glittered off the calm, azure seas, as was described in the Prologue by the Narrator, she was aboard the original Atlantis. I do not know where she went. I seriously doubt she went anywhere near the Bimini Islands. Rachel was listed on the vessel’s documents as the owner. Those papers identified the boat by the Registration Number, not by name. She would have had no problem selling the boat. Well Benji, that’s all. Please look it over and give me feedback, please. Marty

Err CJ, I am not quite sure what this means. Are you implying the story and the readers suck? Who? What? When? Where? How? Is there an orgy in progrese no one told me about?

Hi Benji, I am going to open a New Topic titled "BrainStorming. I will respond to this post there, either later today or tomorrow. Marty

For the record: A while back when I read about Shane writing a book, in collaboration with Trevor, I started to wonder. My first though was, everything occurring here, except for historical references, took place approximately five years ago. Next I asked myself a question. Would CJ be sneaky enough to appropriate another’s hard work and claim it for his own? After not much thought, I found my answer. Another question flashed into my mind. It is a great story, why didn’t Shane and Trevor publish it? The answer was simple and awful. Sanchez kept his promise to Bridget. What could I do? If I raise a hue and cry, his friends will protect him. Then another reader, wildone, certainly braver than me cast out an accusation. I wavered, unsure if I should join my voice with his. I procastinated and and then it happened. It was CJ himself who responded. What did he say? I would describe his response as ambigious. He hmmed, paused, and then attempted to shift the blame. Did he deny it. You just have to read his answer to find out.

I don’t think so. In the US, lying to a US Law Enforcement Officer is an offense. (Maybe someone can tell me if it is the same “down under.) Both officers, Greg Fowler and Craig Grundig, have demonstrated they are in a protective mode concerning Trevor. I have no recollection of Trevor informing either of them, or Ned, he has relatives in Australia. Agreed, Martin Blake who was told by Trevor might have informed them. Anyway, along comes Sneaky Kline. His associate has already told him most of the information he has gathered is from internal service rumors. (AKA Gossip) So Klein telephones either of the officers, falsely identifies himself as a supervisor that neither of them knows and starts asking questions. I doubt that would work. If he approaches them and identifies himself as a law enforcement officer, he would wind up wearing handcuffs. If he identifies himself as a reporter, they will most likely tell him to “Go get Stuffed.” Politely of course. No, I think Kline may approach the officers and use the information he has gathered, to imply he is related to Trevor. I believe he will insert the name Smith to help establish his bona fides. If Kline decides to use the approach I just outlined, it might be the answer to one of Trevor’s problems. Kline and Co. appear to be the only members of Fourth Estate, who are aware there really is a story. I look forward to reading about the encounter. That is if Shane’s plagiarist decides to include the incident in his version of, “Trevor’s Travels & Troubles.” Maybe Shane will use the title “Trevor’s Tribulations,” for his incomplete opus.

It has been said that all thing are possible. IMHO at age 10 he might have stolen Trevor's lollypops, during recess at school.

Please CJ, Rknapp was only 10 years of age in 1997.

Hi Benji, I have a suggestion. Why don’t we kick around some of the aspects of Rachel’s plan and see if we can come up with the answers, before CJ posts the chapters revealing them. Did you notice and consider his responses to my postings on time and distance. He went all out to prove my calculations were defective. The question I keep asking myself is, why? Normally CJ sits back and basically say’s, “I cannot comment on this or that.” Not this time. He created a posting, which rejected just about every conclusion I posted. He did a damn good job of it also. It took me the better part of a day to research, find the supporting visual inserts, type, edit and proofread, before it was ready for posting. I am retired, with some medical problems. I have all the time I need to spend on something like I did. CJ works, travels and has other responsibilities to use up his time. Therefore, I believe there must be a very good reason he did so. Although CJ qualified his response by saying it was a technical one, I wonder. Maybe you have some thoughts on this, you would like to share. Anyway, let me return to the primary purpose of this post. My interpretation of our combined posts follows. I am keeping it simple and barebones. Rachel needs to disappear permanently. (For whatever reason.) She has discovered the items hidden on the Ares. Rachel and Dirk conspire to fake the sinking of the Ares and her disappearance as a result. Rachel wants to keep the Ares out of Bridget’s control and retain control of the items she found. Here is what I believe Rachel did. Rachel knew she had to create a believable sinking. To just disappear would not cut it. Rachel wanted to keep it simple. She planned for the Mayday radio broadcast. The broadcast was to a female voice, disjointed and brief enough to defeat radio direction finders. She planned to leave identifiable debris in the area indicated in the broadcast. Unfortunately Bridget discovered the flotsam and removed it. The authorities were left with only the radio transmission to consider. However, with only that, Rachel was declared dead in December 1999. The Ares arrived in Nassau on schedule, Thursday, May 25th., She dropped off the passengers of the May 15th Charter. This places Rachel and the Ares in Nassau on that date. If Rachel was not aboard, I believe it could have created problems after the sinking was reported. The tasks that need to be resolved: Rachel and the Ares are in Nassau. The Atlantis is docked in Fort Pierce. The boats need to be swapped. The debris needs to be placed in the reported sinking area. The Atlantis needs to disappear. Last, but not least, Rachel needs to be in Nassau on May 27th, prior to 19:50 hours. In the Prologue, the Narrator states Rachel sailed from Nassau at sunset. The Narrator does not state a time or date. Nor does he identify the vessel. If you have been following my posts, you know I determined the time/date through research. Keep in mind, there is at least 2 days between the arrival of the Ares on the 25th and Rachel's sailing on either the 27th or the 28th. It is also the Memorial Day weekend. Well Benji, the problems Rachel needs to resolve, are set forth. I have some ideas as to what she did to complete her planned disappearance. If you are willing to give me your thoughts, I would appreciate it. Maybe we can beat CJ to the draw. If you decide to decline my request, please inform me. Marty

Hi Benji, After reading this post, I did a lot of thinking. I can agree with much of your reasoning. I, for some time have believed the boats names were swapped. I thank you for supplying me, a viable reason. I have never considered Rachel finding the papers, Bridget feared were secreted by Arnold on the Ares. I disagree regarding what Bridget told the government regarding what activities Rachel was involved in. I disagree with your conclusions regarding mother love. In a more perfect world, they would reign supreme. Unfortunately, I have learned otherwise. It has been a long time since I took love for granted in examining a situation. Conversely, I have seen love conqueror seemingly insurmountable odds. I have reached an opinion regarding Rachel and dovetailed this new idea into my deductions. What little we know about her is from the Prologue and other comments from various members of the cast. What makes Rachel tick? First and foremost, almost every problem that has landed on Dirk and Trevor is the end result of Rachel’s greed. My read on Dirk is he would have been happy to operate a ships chandlery for the rest of his life. Read again the Prologue. The nautical establishment was making money. It was Rachel’s idea to buy the Ares. She convinced Dirk it would be a good idea. However, in order to do so, they had to make a few creative claims on the loan application. (Lied) Then came the problems with the Ares engines. It is Rachel who devises the plan to solve them and executes it. More money rolls in running a charter service. Rachel and Dirk disagree but, in the end, Rachel had her way. She would run the charters and Dirk would run the chandlery. A second Lagoon is purchased for cash. Somewhere along the way Rachel becomes involved with Bridget in laundering money. Bridget in order to pressure Rachel, to sell back the Ares, passes the word to the US Government, regarding Rachel’s money manipulation. (Bridget told George, Rachel was not involved in the drug smuggling.) Somehow Rachel becomes aware of the investigation. She does not want to go to jail or loose her ill-gotten gains. If she just takes off, that will not stop the investigation. Rachel, with the reluctant assistance of Dirk, devises a plan. Rachel will create a scenario that will lead the authorities to believe she is dead and the Ares lost at sea. Dirk agrees to the plan and it is put into action. With the probable, apparent death, of the principal person of interest, the government investigation would founder. Once Rachel is formally declared dead the investigation would grind to a halt. An investigation of that type generally allows the suspect to continue is operations. If there is no risk of violence it is better to allow the offender to provide additional evidence of the offense. (Sidebar: If the published reports are accurate, ATF apparently did not consider the probability of violence, in their investigation of gun smuggling recently.) Rachel may have discovered what Bridget fears Arnold hid aboard the Ares. She is not stupid. She knows Bridget has been trying to regain possession of the Ares. According to Bridget, the hidden items probably referred to drug smuggling. Rachel does not want those kinds of people coming after her. They do not believe in a Statute of Limitations. Rachel had to safeguard her find and stop Bridget from regaining control of the evidence. Taking a page from one of the E.A. Poe’s stories, she hid the Ares in plain sight, by switching the identities of the Ares and the Atlantis. Rachel reasoned Bridget would cease her attempts and all would settle down. It was not until years later Trevor took up his quest. Bridget learned of it. She was in that circle of acquaintances in the yachting world. She instituted a watch on Trevor to keep her abreast of his search for the Ares. Bridget’s attempts to force Trevor to stop his search for the Ares are chronicled throughout Circumnavigation. Bridget even had Julie available to discuss Trevor and his activities. I am not inferring Julie was working with Bridget. Bridget is crafty and manipulative as hell, as observed by Sergeant Gonzalez to Henry. Look how she has co-opted Lisa and Joel. Rachel takes off for somewhere. The title papers for the Atlantis identify the vessel by identification number. Atlantis would be no problem to sell. Bridget observed a Lagoon 55 docked in Nassau displaying the name Stardancer. I considered the probability that Rachel had renamed Atlantis and took up residence there. While that is possible I consider it unlikely. Rachel was known in the area’s boating community and might have been recognized. Dirk may or may not know where Rachel is hiding. I sincerely doubt he has been in contact with her. Rachel Carlson may be legally dead, but if Dirk had contact with her, in her new identity, IMHO, that could once again start the clock on at least one of the Statute of Limitations. Dirk’s comments to Jim regarding Joel being with Trevor, when he learns the truth about Rachel’s death are interesting. He predicts Joel will be able to help Trevor over the bumps in the road. Dirk does not say he expects Rachel to be able to do so. Why I do not know for sure. Dirk knows Joel did not arrive in Australia with Trevor. He should know that Joel intends to be there shortly after December 17th. That is when he intends to tell Trevor the truth, about what occurred in May 1997. He is unaware of the existence of Shane and the relationship between Trevor and Shane. BTW, if you have not read my posting in the “Post Poll Shane,” I would recommend you do so. IMHO, once Shane learns Trev’s hunt for Rachel’s body has ended, there might very well be a change in Shane’s disclosures to Trevor. Enough said about Trevor and his escapades and problems. Let me redirect myself to Rachel. I would describe Rachel as a driven, self-centered, conniving, individual. I do not think there is much difference between her and Bridget. Agreed, Bridget has more experience under her belt and has certainly demonstrated the depths she will sink to, to gain her objective. I think of Rachel as a “Wanabe Bridget. Whether Rachel can, “Walk the Walk,” remains to be seen. I believe that Dirk has pondered deeply his relationship with Rachel. Based on his comments to Jim, regarding Joel being with Trevor when he learns the truth, may say it all. It is very probable that Dirk, does not believe Rachel will be any assistance to Trevor, even if she were immediately available. Conversely, Dirk may still have feelings for Rachel and cannot be sure she would be available. Trevor is in Australia. Dirk’s only contact with Trevor is via Henry thru Joel. Even that is limited by the lack of a cell phone in Trev’s possession, so far. (Does the cell phone Joel is using have Caller ID? Would a satellite phone number appear and be retained, on a cell phone that did have Caller ID?) Trevor arrived in Carnarvon accidentally. He does not know any contact information for his mother’s and his relatives. Trevor deliberately withheld from Greg and Craig the fact he had family in Australia. Martin Blake was told, as was Shane. Trevor has no way to directly contact Dirk to get contact info. Last, but not least, would Dirk, jeopardize himself by attempting to contact anyone in Australia, prior to December 17th. Henry would have informed Dirk of Trevor’s arrival and the pirates already. Dirk should be smart to know his getting involved, could create problems. Marty

Hi CJ, I have read your technical posting. I could challenge some points, but it would only gain maybe ten miles or so. I will concede you have created “Reasonable Doubt,” regarding the length of time, the distances traveled and the conclusions I posted. I also noted, how carefully you constructed your response. The first sentence demonstrates this nicely. However, I would like to thank you for pushing me into analyzing the purpose of your post. You did that by defending the possibility that Ares could have done the task. I do not know how the chain of thought formed, but it did. What it did was to push me into considering something, I had accepted, but never really examined. It was integrated into my deductions, without my notice . With this in mind, all appears to drift into place. In all honesty I feel like kicking myself for previously overlooking this. In Chapter 54 is the key piece of proof. This is where Dirk, Jim, Henry and Frank Tittle are all in a conference. This conference took place sometime prior to October 20th, 2006, Let’s leave them there and go on to the following hypothetical scenario. A, Dirk decides to kill his wife by exploding a bomb aboard the Ares. B. During the month of May 1997, the he causes the bomb to explode, sinking the Ares. Rachel dies as the result of the detonation and her body is not recovered. C. Rachel is declared dead in December 1999, approximately two and a half years later. D. Rachel’s will is probated and Trevor inherits the Atlantis. That is the substance of the original case against Dirk, as believed by Sergeant Gonzalez and Bridget. The reason the Sergeant was unable to get an indictment was lack of evidence. That did not restrict Bridget. Now my questions. 1. How did Dirk schedule the explosion of the bomb? (Consider the difficulties Bridget, et al, had trying to time the detonation of the bomb aboard the Atlantis. She wanted the bombing to be discovered.) The explosion allegedly occurred a substantial distance from Fort Pierce. It has been established; Dirk is unable, for all practical purposes, to sail on a boat or fly in an airplane. Did Dirk use a cell phone? Did he have someone assisting him? Did he use a timer? Whatever he is alleged to have done, how could he be sure Rachel would be aboard? Would the Ares be underway? Would she be anchored or moored alongside a pier? The alleged planned explosion would appear to have occurred at approximately 02:00. Were other vessels in the immediate vicinity? Keep in mind; it was the Memorial Day Weekend. Why is there a two to three day difference between the scheduled date the Ares dropped off her passengers and the date Trevor commemorates as the date of Rachel’s death? What occurred during that time? 2. During the conference we left to go to the hypothetical scenario and my questions, one interesting thing occurred. After Frank Tittle has concluded outlining the completion of the Statute of Limitations. Dirk raised a question as to Trevor’s accountability. Frank goes into a lengthy response regarding Trevor. Frank responded based on what Dirk has told him regarding the reported, alleged sinking of the Ares. Frank also addressed Trevor’s devolved assets. (The Atlantis.) Let’s step away from that and go back to the outlined hypothetical scenario. Rachel left the Atlantis to Trevor in her will. Trevor was seven years of age in May 1997. If Rachel had left him the vessel, and he was part of a conspiracy with Dirk to kill her, then there might be some reason to challenge his ownership of the Atlantis. Unless he so was involved, the bottom line would be, Trevor’s father killed his mother and he inherited the Atlantis. Why has Dirk, on more than one occasion, expressed concern regarding Trevor’s retaining ownership of the Atlantis. 3. There is a contradiction between what the Narrator states in The Prologue regarding Trevor’s ownership of the Atlantis and Trevor’s articulated statement he had inherited the Atlantis thru Rachel’s will. Trevor believes Dirk could take Atlantis from him and sell her. Trevor is a minor and subject to his father’s decisions. Rachel could have done so prior to December 1999.(When she was declared dead) Did Trevor ever read Rachel’s will? Dirk did not dispute Trevor’s statement, as to how his ownership was established. Dirk more or less confirms Trevor’s ownership, by telephoning Jim to arrange to conceal the Atlantis. (As a sidebar to this. Afterward Jim demonstrates and acknowledges his limited skills to handle a power vessel approximately one-third the size of the Atlantis. Shane was smart enough to admit his.) Dirk apparently only wanted to stop Trevor from poking around the reported location of the alleged sinking of the Ares, until December 2006. 4. The coast guard received a radio broadcast. It concerned a vessel taking water and a location. If a bomb big enough to completely destroy the Ares went off, how was a radio call transmitted? Why such a miniscule amount of flotsam? If it was not large enough to pulverize the Ares, why no mention of an explosion in the radio transmission? (Finally in Chapter 79 Sergeant Gonzalez is thinking about that.) CJ has raised the point that in an emergency the captain of a vessel might well be inaccurate in the description of the location. What emergency? 5. Does anyone wish to explain why Trevor might be in danger of having the Atlantis taken away from him legally? 6. The key fact I had ignored was simple. Dirk demonstrated it long before he went into hiding the second time. Dirk loves Trevor, as a father should. 7. We know very little about Rachel first hand. Where is Rachel? Is she alive? Does Dirk know the answers to these two questions? The Prologue is strictly descriptive, all information in narrative form. It addresses years of activity, with few dates to guide the reader. The key paragraph describing the Ares dropping off her passengers and Rachel sailing is ambiguous at best. All information regarding Rachel is scattered piecemeal throughout seven-nine chapters, so far. 8. If the Ares had not been sunk as the result of an explosion in May 1997, where is she? 9. Why is Dirk worried about a Statute of Limitations? What offenses did Dirk commit leading to these concerns? Frank Tittle is of the opinion only three charges are still eligible to be prosecuted. One is a violation of Internal Revenue Statutes. Frank’s review of that offense establishes a SoL expiration date of November 23rd, 2006. Frank’s summery of the other two allows a determination of the offense dates. Both expire in December 2006. The one with the seven-year SoL must have been completed in December 1999. The one with the ten-year SoL must have been completed in December 1996. That would be approximately five months prior to the reported sinking of the Ares. 10. If Dirk and Rachel entered into a conspiracy, were there any co-conspirators? If any existed, could their actions, extend the Statute of Limitations? Would Dirk be stupid enough to lie to Frank Tittle, his attorney? 11. Why have I reached the conclusion the Rachel is almost as cold-hearted a “*ITCH,” as Bridget. (The reader may substitute any letter of the alphabet they chose to replace the “*.” 12. Does Dirk still love Rachel? Did he ever? 13. Did the charter, which commenced on May 15th, 1997, actually have anything to do with the disappearance of Rachel and the Ares? (I have been wondering about this for a while.) 14. Last but not least, “Will CJ ever stop using CLIFFHANGERS? I am sure there are many questions I have not raised. I do not have the answers to many of them. I however will post this “Summery of my Conclusions” Dirk and Rachel entered into a conspiracy to terminate an investigation of Rachel, by the US Government, by falsifying her death at sea. No vessel was sunk as the result of this scheme in May 1997. The Ares assumed the identity of the Atlantis. This occurred in 1997. In May 2006 the results of this conspiracy began to blossom in unexpected directions. Already the fruits have come forth. Murder, Attempted Murder and Piracy are but three of the consequences so far. A conspiracy has been hatched to falsely accuse innocents and a further homicide planned. Oh, what a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive. There is something to look forward to. When the listing for Circumnavigation indicates the story is, “Completed,” the fun may begin. The posts in the Forum may well be filed with questions, challenges and comments. It is something to anticipate. Unfortunately Question # 14 will never have a positive answer. Regrettably the progenitor of these has retreated to a remote location and is in complete denial.

Sorry Benj, I disagree to the following: Rachel was the person of interest in an investigation by the US Government, as the result of a tip to them by Bridget. If Rachel had found the information Bridget fears was concealed by Arnold, (Information regarding drug smuggling) I am fairly sure she would have attempted to work out a deal for immunity for Dirk and herself. Dirk and Rachel were in consultation with an attorney at the time. Dirk and Frank Tittle discoused this attorney in Chapter 54. I would recommend you look over my next post. I responde to CJs technical critique of my discourse regarding times and distance. I go on to raise other matters you might find interesting.

In 1997 Why did you cancel the application to increase your wife's life insurance?