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think so.” Beckford tilted his head slightly in his attempt to recall. “I think he said there was some information that indicated that he had a woman he was in love with. Wait a minute. Now I remember. He said there was some kind of connection with a woman in England. And I think it was a love interest of Isaac Joppa’s. That’s it.”
    â€œA woman he had fallen in love with? Was he ever married?”
    â€œNow you’re going beyond what I remember. I do remember him saying that there was some information, historically, that indicated Joppa had a woman in England he had fallen in love with. And then there was something about a second woman. But I can’t remember. You’ll have to talk to him about that.
    â€œBesides talking to this August Longfellow, is there anything else you think I ought to know?”
    â€œJust this—the party on the other side of this lawsuit—Terrence Ludlow. See, if Reverend Joppa can’t prove the innocence of Isaac Joppa, then the island goes to Ludlow—he’s a shirttail relative of Randolph Willowby. Ludlow’s got this lawyer—Virgil MacPherson from Raleigh. Comes off polite. But then he knifes you in the kidney. MacPherson’s slipperier than the skin on a tiger shark. Keep your eye on him.”
    After another moment of reflection, Beckford spoke up again.
    â€œAnd something else. Your real opponent in this lawsuit isn’t Terry Ludlow. Or even MacPherson. Not by a far stretch.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?”
    â€œLudlow’s a drunk. And probably a dope addict to boot. He’s one of the low-life characters along the beach. He tends bar over at Joppa’s Folly. There’s no way in the world he could have come up with enough money to hire Virgil MacPherson. This much I know—there’s a guy behind Terry Ludlow that’s pulling all the strings. Somebody who’s paying Virgil MacPherson. Somebody who’s really running the show.”
    â€œWho are you talking about?” Will asked.
    â€œA guy by the name of Blackjack Morgan.”
    â€œThat his name?” Will asked with a chuckle.
    â€œI’m not lying to you. The guy actually went into court and got a name change. I think he did it because of the way he won his first boat down here about ten years ago.”
    â€œGame of blackjack?”
    â€œExactly,” Beckford said. “An ace and a king. Perfect twenty-one. The word down here is that Morgan has the luck of the devil. Came down here a little more than ten years ago. And in that period of time, he’s set up a diving operation, a salvage company, and a tavern. And now he’s working on a real estate development company. The guy’s not educated. Not smart in that way. But he’s street-smart, if you know what I mean.”
    Will nodded.
    â€œAnd then there’s the other stuff about Morgan…”
    â€œWhat other kind of stuff?” Will asked.
    â€œTo my knowledge, he’s never been convicted of a criminal offense down here on the Banks. But the word among the drug community is that he’s buying and selling big-time. He’s been clever enough to not get caught—yet. When he first came down here a grand jury almost indicted him for the suspicious disappearance of his girlfriend. Presumed dead. He managed to slip out of that too. That’s the kind of guy you’re dealing with.”
    â€œWell, what interest does he have in funding Ludlow? The island?”
    â€œThat I don’t know. I just do know, based on our investigation, that Morgan’s paying attorney MacPherson’s legal bills.”
    Will jotted down a few more notes and then rose to leave.
    â€œYou’ve been very helpful. Anything else I should know?”
    Beckford paused before volunteering the last piece of information. “The fact is,” he said, reaching under the leg cast to scratch, “I have my suspicions. Not based on anything