Sea Change

“I am Austrian,” Jurgen said. “Is there a problem?”

“You are a crewman on the Sea Cloud, ” Jesse said.

“Yes sir.”

“Do you know Florence Horvath?”

S E A C H A N G E

Jurgen smiled. “Florence,” he said. “Yes. I am very sorry to hear that she died.”

“How did you know her?”

“She was with Mr. Darnell when I worked on the Lady Jane. ”

“With Mr. Darnell?”

“You know, like his girlfriend.”

“Didn’t Mr. Darnell have several girlfriends?” Jesse said.

Again Jurgen smiled.

“Yes sir,” Jurgen said. “Many. But Florence was . . . she was like the head girlfriend.”

“I have a copy of a videotape,” Jesse said, “which shows you and another man having simultaneous sex with Florence Horvath.”

“Oh,” Jurgen said. “Oh my. You have that tape.”

“I do,” Jesse said.

“Have I broken the law?” Jurgen said.

“No,” Jesse said. “I’d just like you to tell me a little about the tape, if you would.”

“I . . . I do not know what to tell you,” Jurgen said. “I have done that never before.”

“Had sex for the camera?”

“No, that either,” Jurgen said. “But I have never shared a woman. It is very embarrassing.”

“Who’s the other guy?”

“My brother.”

“His name is Jurgen, too?”

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R O B E R T B . P A R K E R

“Yes. Konrad.”

“How’d the tape come about?”

“Florence wanted to make it.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. She was living on the boat. We were crew.

Everyone else was ashore.”

“Darnell there?”

“God, no. I could not do that in front of another man.”

“Except your brother.”

“That is different,” Jurgen said.

“Where were you moored?”

“Fort Lauderdale.”

“Who took the pictures,” Jesse said.

“Her sisters.”

“Florence Horvath’s sisters,” Jesse said.

“Yes.”

“Corliss and Claudia Plum.”

“I think so, I don’t really remember the names very well but that sounds as if it is correct.”

“And this was Florence’s idea.”

“The whole thing,” Jurgen said.

“She approached my brother and myself,” Jurgen said.

“We were embarrassed. But we are brothers. I could not do such a thing with a stranger.”

“How about the Plum sisters?”

“Oh, yes. We didn’t know them. But they were not, ah, actively involved, if you see what I mean. And besides, they were girls. I wouldn’t want another man watching.”