Murder at Sea

0:00 Speaker 1: The autumn sun hung low over Newport Beach, California, casting

0:04 Speaker 1: a golden glow across rows of foodstalls, carnival games, and

0:09 Speaker 1: families gathered for the annual chili cookoff. Laughter drifted through

0:13 Speaker 1: the salty ocean breeze as children ran across the grass

0:16 Speaker 1: with sticky fingers and painted faces. Local bands filled the

0:20 Speaker 1: air with country music while neighbors greeted one another like

0:23 Speaker 1: old friends. Among the crowd walked thirty nine year old

0:26 Speaker 1: Tom Hawks. Tom had the appearance of someone who had

0:30 Speaker 1: spent his life outdoors. Broad shoulders, powerful hands, a thick mustache,

0:36 Speaker 1: and a calm confidence made him stand out without him

0:39 Speaker 1: ever trying. He had spent years working as a probation officer,

0:43 Speaker 1: helping supervise convicted offenders while trying to guide many of

0:46 Speaker 1: them back toward honest lives. His job had taught him

0:50 Speaker 1: to read people quickly. He could usually tell within seconds

0:53 Speaker 1: whether someone was sincere or hiding something. But today wasn't

0:57 Speaker 1: about work. Today, he simply he wanted to enjoy an

1:01 Speaker 1: afternoon with his two teenage sons. Only months earlier, Tom's

1:05 Speaker 1: marriage had ended in divorce. It had been painful for

1:09 Speaker 1: everyone involved, especially his boys. Although he tried to remain

1:13 Speaker 1: positive around them, there were moments when loneliness crept in

1:17 Speaker 1: after the sun went down. He had quietly convinced himself

1:20 Speaker 1: that love had probably passed him by then, across the

1:24 Speaker 1: crowded festival, he saw someone. She was standing near one

1:27 Speaker 1: of the chilly booths, laughing with a friend. Her long,

1:31 Speaker 1: dark hair danced in the ocean breeze, and she wore

1:34 Speaker 1: the kind of smile that instantly made everything around her

1:37 Speaker 1: seem brighter. Tom couldn't stop staring. For several seconds, he

1:41 Speaker 1: forgot about everything else. Eventually the woman noticed, she looked up.

1:47 Speaker 1: Their eyes met. Instead of looking offended, she smiled. Tom

1:51 Speaker 1: immediately looked away, embarrassed that he had been caught staring.

1:56 Speaker 1: His sons noticed the awkward expression on their father's face. Dad,

2:01 Speaker 1: what are you doing, one of them asked with a grin.

2:04 Speaker 1: Tom chuckled nervously. I think your old man just made

2:08 Speaker 1: a fool of himself. His boys laughed, So go talk

2:12 Speaker 1: to her, Tom hesitated. He had arrested dangerous criminals, he

2:17 Speaker 1: had testified in court rooms, he had broken up violent

2:20 Speaker 1: fights during his career. Yet, walking over to introduce himself

2:24 Speaker 1: to a beautiful woman suddenly seemed like the hardest thing

2:27 Speaker 1: he had ever done. Taking a deep breath, he crossed

2:30 Speaker 1: the grass. Hi He said, with a friendly smile, I'm Tom.

2:35 Speaker 1: The woman smiled warmly, I'm Jackie. That simple introduction changed

2:40 Speaker 1: both of their lives forever. Jackie, hawks though that wouldn't

2:44 Speaker 1: be her last name yet, was twenty nine years old.

2:47 Speaker 1: She possessed an infectious kindness that made people feel comfortable

2:51 Speaker 1: almost immediately. She wasn't interested in expensive gifts or glamorous lifestyles.

2:56 Speaker 1: She valued honesty, loyalty, and family above everything else. Tom

3:02 Speaker 1: and Jackie spent nearly the entire afternoon talking. Hours disappeared

3:07 Speaker 1: without either of them noticing when the festival ended. Neither

3:11 Speaker 1: wanted the conversation to stop. Tom asked if he could

3:14 Speaker 1: take her to dinner sometime. Jackie smiled, I'd like that.

3:19 Speaker 1: Their first date led to another, then another soon. Neither

3:23 Speaker 1: could imagine life without the other. Friends often joked that

3:27 Speaker 1: they behaved more like teenagers than adults in love. They

3:30 Speaker 1: finished each other's sentences, they laughed constantly. Even simple grocery

3:36 Speaker 1: trips became adventures because they enjoyed each other's company so

3:39 Speaker 1: much More importantly, Jackie embraced Tom's two sons as if

3:43 Speaker 1: they had always been part of her life. She never

3:46 Speaker 1: tried to replace their biological mother. Instead, she simply became

3:51 Speaker 1: another person who loved them unconditionally. The boys noticed whenever

3:56 Speaker 1: they had school events, Jackie attended. If one of them

3:59 Speaker 1: got sick, she stayed up through the night making sure

4:02 Speaker 1: they were comfortable. She celebrated birthdays with handmade cakes. She

4:06 Speaker 1: remembered every important moment. Gradually, something remarkable happened. The boys

4:12 Speaker 1: stopped introducing Jackie as Dad's wife. Instead, they simply called

4:17 Speaker 1: her mom. Jackie would later admit that hearing that word

4:21 Speaker 1: for the first time nearly brought her to tears. Years earlier,

4:25 Speaker 1: when she was only twenty two, she had survived a

4:28 Speaker 1: devastating motorcycle accident. Doctors managed to save her life, but

4:33 Speaker 1: the internal injuries were catastrophic. After multiple surgeries, they delivered

4:38 Speaker 1: heartbreaking news she would never be able to have children

4:42 Speaker 1: of her own. For Jackie, it felt like an impossible loss.

4:46 Speaker 1: She had always imagined becoming a mother. She dreamed about

4:50 Speaker 1: bedtime stories, school graduations, holiday mornings, watching children grow into adults.

4:57 Speaker 1: In a single conversation, those dreams disappeared, or so she thought.

5:02 Speaker 1: Then she met Tom. His sons slowly filled a place

5:06 Speaker 1: inside her heart she believed would always remain empty. She

5:09 Speaker 1: didn't share their DNA, she shared something much stronger. Love.

5:14 Speaker 1: By nineteen eighty nine, Tom and Jackie decided they didn't

5:18 Speaker 1: want to spend another day apart. They were married in

5:21 Speaker 1: front of nearly one hundred and fifty family members and friends.

5:24 Speaker 1: The ceremony wasn't extravagant, It didn't need to be. Everyone

5:29 Speaker 1: present could see the happiness in their eyes. Guests later

5:33 Speaker 1: said they had never witnessed two people so perfectly matched.

5:36 Speaker 1: As the years passed, life settled into a comfortable rhythm.

5:40 Speaker 1: Tom continued working as a probation officer. Jackie devoted herself

5:45 Speaker 1: to their home and family. Weekends were spent camping, fishing, barbecuing,

5:51 Speaker 1: or simply relaxing together near the California coastline. Money was

5:55 Speaker 1: never plentiful, but neither of them cared. They measured wealth differently.

6:01 Speaker 1: To them, wealth meant eating dinner together every night. It

6:04 Speaker 1: meant watching sunsets, helping their sons with homework, laughing until

6:09 Speaker 1: tears rolled down their faces over silly jokes. No one

6:12 Speaker 1: else would understand. Their home became known as the place

6:16 Speaker 1: where everyone felt welcome. Friends dropped by without calling first,

6:21 Speaker 1: Neighbors stayed for hours over coffee. Holiday dinners often included

6:25 Speaker 1: extra guests who had nowhere else to celebrate. Jackie insisted

6:30 Speaker 1: no one should ever feel alone. Time, however, never slows down.

6:34 Speaker 1: The boys eventually graduated high school, then college. Before long,

6:39 Speaker 1: they were building lives of their own. Tom and Jackie

6:42 Speaker 1: felt incredibly proud, yet they also knew a new chapter

6:46 Speaker 1: was approaching. One evening, after dinner, they sat quietly on

6:51 Speaker 1: the porch, watching the sunset. The house was unusually silent.

6:55 Speaker 1: The bedrooms that had once echoed with teenage laughter now

6:58 Speaker 1: sat empty. Jackie reached over and held Tom's hand. We

7:03 Speaker 1: did it, Tom looked at her. What do you mean

7:06 Speaker 1: we raised two wonderful men. Tom smiled, we sure did.

7:11 Speaker 1: After a long pause, Jackie asked the question that had

7:15 Speaker 1: been on both of their minds. So what happens now?

7:19 Speaker 1: Tom laughed softly. I think he looked toward the Pacific

7:23 Speaker 1: Ocean in the distance. It's finally our turn. Neither of

7:28 Speaker 1: them wanted retirement filled with boredom. They had spent years

7:31 Speaker 1: dreaming about something extraordinary. Instead of buying a large house

7:36 Speaker 1: or traveling occasionally, they imagined waking up every morning surrounded

7:40 Speaker 1: by open water, a life without alarm, clocks, without rush

7:44 Speaker 1: hour traffic, without deadlines, just endless horizons stretching toward the sky.

7:50 Speaker 1: Over the next several years, they became almost obsessive about

7:54 Speaker 1: saving money. They skipped expensive vacations, They drove older vehicles.

7:59 Speaker 1: They repaired things instead of replacing them. Every extra dollar

8:04 Speaker 1: went into a retirement fund. Friends sometimes teased them, you

8:08 Speaker 1: two are acting like millionaires in disguise. Tom would laugh, No,

8:14 Speaker 1: we're just buying freedom. Finally, after years of discipline, the

8:18 Speaker 1: opportunity arrived. Their sons had moved out, their mortgage was paid,

8:23 Speaker 1: the retirement savings account had grown larger than either expected.

8:27 Speaker 1: Together with the money from selling their beloved family home,

8:31 Speaker 1: they finally had enough to purchase an aging but sturdy yacht.

8:35 Speaker 1: It wasn't luxurious. Paint peeled from parts of the hull,

8:39 Speaker 1: the interior looked tired, the engine needed work. Most buyers

8:43 Speaker 1: would have walked away. Tom saw possibility, Jackie saw home.

8:48 Speaker 1: The moment ownership became official, they gave the yacht a

8:51 Speaker 1: name that perfectly reflected everything they had worked toward Well Deserved.

8:56 Speaker 1: They stood together on the dock, staring at their floating home.

9:00 Speaker 1: Jackie squeezed Tom's hand, Can you believe this is really ours?

9:04 Speaker 1: Tom wrapped an arm around her shoulders. We earned every

9:08 Speaker 1: inch of it. Neither of them could have imagined that

9:12 Speaker 1: this beautiful dream, built over decades of love, sacrifice, and patience,

9:18 Speaker 1: would one day become the setting for one of the

9:20 Speaker 1: most horrifying crimes California would ever witness. Morning arrived differently

9:25 Speaker 1: aboard the Well Deserved. There were no alarm clocks buzzing

9:29 Speaker 1: before sunrise, no traffic roaring outside the windows, no ringing

9:34 Speaker 1: office telephones demanding attention. Instead, Tom and Jackie Hawks woke

9:39 Speaker 1: each morning to the gentle rocking of the Pacific Ocean,

9:43 Speaker 1: the distant cries of seagulls and waves quietly tapping against

9:47 Speaker 1: the hull of their yacht. For the first time in decades,

9:50 Speaker 1: their lives belonged entirely to them. Tom was usually the

9:54 Speaker 1: first one awake, before Jackie even opened her eyes. He

9:58 Speaker 1: would quietly climb on the deck with a steaming mug

10:01 Speaker 1: of coffee. He loved watching the horizon change from darkness

10:05 Speaker 1: to brilliant shades of orange and gold. Some morning's dolphins

10:09 Speaker 1: swam alongside the yacht, racing effortlessly through the calm water.

10:14 Speaker 1: Other mornings seals lounged lazily on nearby buoys, while pelicans

10:18 Speaker 1: glided just above the waves. Jackie would eventually emerge from

10:22 Speaker 1: below deck, wearing an oversized sweatshirt and smiling sleepily. Already

10:26 Speaker 1: enjoying the view without me, she'd tease. Tom would grin,

10:31 Speaker 1: I was saving the best part for when you got here.

10:34 Speaker 1: She would lean against him as they watched another California

10:37 Speaker 1: sunrise together. Those simple moments became their favorite part of retirement.

10:43 Speaker 1: Life aboard the yacht wasn't luxurious by the standards of

10:46 Speaker 1: wealthy yacht owners. The cabin was compact, The kitchen barely

10:50 Speaker 1: had enough room for two people. Storage space was limited.

10:55 Speaker 1: Every inch had to be organized carefully, but Tom and

10:58 Speaker 1: Jackie loved it. Every shelf, every cabinet, every photograph hanging

11:04 Speaker 1: on the wall reminded them of years spent working toward

11:07 Speaker 1: the stream. They spent weeks transforming the aging vessel into

11:11 Speaker 1: something that truly reflected who they were. Tom repaired worn

11:14 Speaker 1: wooden panels himself. He repainted faded railings, He replaced broken lights,

11:20 Speaker 1: and upgraded the navigation equipment whenever they could afford it.

11:24 Speaker 1: Jackie focused on making the inside feel like home. She

11:27 Speaker 1: sewed new curtains. She decorated the small dining area with

11:31 Speaker 1: framed family photographs. She placed colorful blankets across the couches,

11:36 Speaker 1: and filled shelves with books they planned to read while

11:39 Speaker 1: anchored beneath quiet sunsets. Visitors often commented that stepping aboard

11:44 Speaker 1: the Well Deserved didn't feel like entering a boat, felt

11:47 Speaker 1: like walking into someone's cozy living room. The yacht quickly

11:51 Speaker 1: became known among neighboring boat owners. Tom had a reputation

11:55 Speaker 1: for keeping everything spotless. Every rope was perfectly coiled, every

12:00 Speaker 1: tool had its place. Every inch of the deck gleamed.

12:04 Speaker 1: If someone visited unexpectedly, Tom would probably apologize for a

12:08 Speaker 1: tiny speck of dirt no one else had even noticed.

12:11 Speaker 1: Jackie laughed about it constantly. If the Navy ever needs

12:15 Speaker 1: lessons in organization, she joke, they should hire my husband.

12:20 Speaker 1: Tom would simply shrug. If you take care of your boat,

12:23 Speaker 1: your boat takes care of you. Their days settled into

12:26 Speaker 1: an almost magical routine. Some mornings, they sailed north along

12:31 Speaker 1: the California coastline, passing dramatic cliffs and hidden beaches few

12:35 Speaker 1: people ever saw. Other weeks, they cruised south toward Mexico,

12:39 Speaker 1: discovering quiet fishing villages where locals welcomed them warmly. Tom

12:44 Speaker 1: loved fishing. He could spend hours patiently waiting with a

12:47 Speaker 1: line in the water. Whenever he caught something. Jackie insisted

12:51 Speaker 1: on cooking it herself. Fresh grilled fish became one of

12:55 Speaker 1: their favorite meals. Dinner was usually eaten outside beneath an

12:59 Speaker 1: endless sky painted with stars. Afterward, they'd sit together in

13:03 Speaker 1: folding chairs on the deck. Sometimes they talked for hours.

13:07 Speaker 1: Sometimes they didn't speak at all. Silence never felt uncomfortable

13:12 Speaker 1: between them, felt peaceful. When storms rolled across the Pacific,

13:17 Speaker 1: they worked together like a perfectly synchronized team. Tom handled navigation,

13:22 Speaker 1: Jackie secured loose equipment. Neither panicked. They trusted each other completely.

13:28 Speaker 1: That trust had been built over nearly twenty years together.

13:31 Speaker 1: Whenever they returned to Newport Beach Marina, neighboring boat owners

13:35 Speaker 1: greeted them like family. Tom was always willing to help

13:39 Speaker 1: someone repair an engine, or untangled docking lines. Jackie somehow

13:43 Speaker 1: remembered everyone's names. If someone looked lonely, she'd invite them

13:48 Speaker 1: aboard for coffee. The Hawks were admired not because they

13:52 Speaker 1: owned an expensive yacht, but because they genuinely cared about people. Meanwhile,

13:57 Speaker 1: their sons visited whenever possible. They often joked that their

14:01 Speaker 1: parents had become full time adventurers. You two are having

14:05 Speaker 1: more fun than we are, one son laughed during a visit.

14:09 Speaker 1: Jackie smiled proudly. We waited a long time for this.

14:13 Speaker 1: One afternoon in early two thousand and four, while anchored

14:16 Speaker 1: just off the California coast, Tom's cell phone rang Reception

14:21 Speaker 1: wasn't always reliable on the water, but this call came

14:24 Speaker 1: through clearly. Tom answered within seconds. His face lit up.

14:29 Speaker 1: Jackie immediately noticed what is it? Tom slowly lowered the phone.

14:35 Speaker 1: His eyes had filled with tears. We're going to be grandparents,

14:39 Speaker 1: Jackie froz. For a moment, she couldn't speak, Then tears

14:43 Speaker 1: began rolling down her cheeks. She covered her mouth with

14:46 Speaker 1: both hands. No, Tom nodded, our son and his wife

14:51 Speaker 1: are expecting. Jackie burst into tears, not tears of sadness.

14:56 Speaker 1: Pure joy. She wrapped her arms around Tom as lightly

15:00 Speaker 1: as she could. For years, she had quietly accepted that

15:03 Speaker 1: she would never experience motherhood through childbirth. Yet now life

15:08 Speaker 1: was giving her something she had never dared dream about,

15:11 Speaker 1: a grandchild. She immediately began imagining everything, rocking the baby

15:16 Speaker 1: to sleep, reading bedtime stories, buying tiny clothes, celebrating birthdays,

15:22 Speaker 1: teaching the child to fish with Grandpa Tom. The more

15:26 Speaker 1: she imagined it, the more excited she became. Over the

15:29 Speaker 1: following weeks, every conversation somehow returned to the baby. What

15:34 Speaker 1: if it's a girl, Jackie would ask, Tom laughed, then

15:38 Speaker 1: she'll probably have you wrapped around her finger, And if

15:41 Speaker 1: it's a boy, he'll have both of us wrapped around

15:45 Speaker 1: his finger. They laughed together, but eventually another realization settled

15:50 Speaker 1: over them. Their son lived much farther inland. If they

15:54 Speaker 1: continued living almost full time aboard the yacht, they wouldn't

15:57 Speaker 1: be able to spend as much time with their future

16:00 Speaker 1: grandchild as they wanted. The decision wasn't easy. One evening,

16:05 Speaker 1: while watching another breathtaking sunset from the deck, Jackie finally

16:09 Speaker 1: said what both had been thinking. I think she hesitated.

16:14 Speaker 1: It's time. Tom looked toward the cabin, toward the photographs,

16:18 Speaker 1: toward the carefully restored wooden deck, toward the floating home

16:23 Speaker 1: that had given them two unforgettable years. He knew exactly

16:26 Speaker 1: what she meant, You want to sell her? Jackie nodded slowly.

16:31 Speaker 1: I love this boat, so do I. But I think

16:34 Speaker 1: i'd love being grandma even more. Tom smiled sadly. I

16:39 Speaker 1: think grandpa sounds pretty good too. They sat quietly for

16:42 Speaker 1: several minutes. Finally Tom stood. He rested one hand gently

16:47 Speaker 1: against the yacht's polished railing. Well deserved, he whispered, you

16:52 Speaker 1: gave us everything we dreamed about. It might be someone

16:56 Speaker 1: else's turn now. A few days later, Tom cared carefully

17:00 Speaker 1: photographed every angle of the yacht. He wrote a detailed

17:03 Speaker 1: advertisement describing its condition, upgrades, and history. Rather than placing

17:09 Speaker 1: the listing in a general newspaper, he chose a respected

17:13 Speaker 1: boating and fishing magazine read by experienced sailors. The asking

17:17 Speaker 1: price was approximately five hundred thousand dollars. They weren't expecting

17:21 Speaker 1: immediate interest. Finding the right buyer for a yacht often

17:25 Speaker 1: took months, maybe even a year. Jackie wasn't in a hurry.

17:29 Speaker 1: Neither was Tom. They believed the perfect buyer would appear eventually.

17:34 Speaker 1: They had no way of knowing that someone had already

17:37 Speaker 1: seen the advertisement. Someone who wasn't searching for a dream,

17:42 Speaker 1: someone searching for an opportunity, a man with a violent past,

17:46 Speaker 1: a man who saw the Well Deserved not as a

17:49 Speaker 1: beautiful home but as the centerpiece of a carefully planned trap.

17:54 Speaker 1: And before long, a polite phone call from an interested

17:57 Speaker 1: young buyer would begin, leading Tom and Jackie toward the

18:00 Speaker 1: darkest chapter of their lives. Tom Hawks had sold many

18:04 Speaker 1: things over the course of his life, cars, furniture, fishing equipment,

18:08 Speaker 1: but selling the Well Deserved felt completely different. This wasn't

18:12 Speaker 1: just another possession. It was the reward for decades of

18:15 Speaker 1: hard work. Every scratch on its wooden deck told a story.

18:20 Speaker 1: Every cabinet inside had been rebuilt by Tom's own hands.

18:24 Speaker 1: Every curtain Jackie had sown carried memories of peaceful mornings

18:27 Speaker 1: and quiet evenings at sea. If they were going to

18:30 Speaker 1: let someone else own it, they wanted that person to

18:33 Speaker 1: appreciate it just as much as they had. A Few

18:36 Speaker 1: days after the advertisement appeared in the Boating magazine, Tom's

18:40 Speaker 1: cell phone rang Hello, A confident young man's voice answered,

18:44 Speaker 1: my name is Skyler Dallyone. I saw your ad for

18:47 Speaker 1: the yacht. Is it still available? Tom smiled, yes, it is.

18:52 Speaker 1: The conversation lasted nearly thirty minutes. Skyler asked intelligent questions

18:57 Speaker 1: about the engine, the navigation says, fuel consumption, and maintenance records.

19:03 Speaker 1: He sounded like someone who knew boats. When the call ended,

19:07 Speaker 1: Tom turned to Jackie. He seems serious. Jackie looked hopeful.

19:13 Speaker 1: Do you think he's the one? Tom shrugged, Maybe we'll see.

19:17 Speaker 1: A meeting was arranged a few days later. When Skyler

19:21 Speaker 1: arrived at the marina, he immediately appeared friendly and respectful.

19:26 Speaker 1: He was only twenty five years old, much younger than

19:29 Speaker 1: Tom had expected, but he spoke confidently. He complimented the

19:33 Speaker 1: condition of the yacht. You've taken incredible care of her,

19:37 Speaker 1: he said, while examining the polished railings. Tom smiled proudly,

19:42 Speaker 1: she's been good to us. The two men spent nearly

19:45 Speaker 1: two hours walking through every part of the yacht. Jackie

19:48 Speaker 1: answered questions about the living quarters. Tom explained the mechanical systems.

19:54 Speaker 1: Skyler seemed fascinated by everything. Nothing about the meeting immediately

19:59 Speaker 1: raised alarm bells. Before leaving, Skyler looked at Tom, I'd

20:03 Speaker 1: really like to take her out for a sea trial.

20:06 Speaker 1: Tom nodded that standard the date was set. As Skyler

20:10 Speaker 1: walked away, Jackie leaned toward Tom, he seems nice. Tom

20:15 Speaker 1: didn't answer immediately. Instead, he watched Skyler disappear into the

20:20 Speaker 1: parking lot. Something about him felt difficult to explain. Not dangerous,

20:26 Speaker 1: just hard to read. Years spent working as a probation

20:30 Speaker 1: officer had sharpened Tom's instincts. He trusted people carefully. Still,

20:35 Speaker 1: he couldn't point to anything specific. Eventually, he smiled, I'm

20:40 Speaker 1: probably overthinking it. Meanwhile, several miles away, Skyler sat inside

20:46 Speaker 1: his vehicle making another phone call. His expression had completely changed.

20:51 Speaker 1: Gone was the friendly smile. His voice became cold. It's perfect,

20:56 Speaker 1: he said. The person on the other end asked something.

20:59 Speaker 1: Skyler answered quietly. They trust me. Inside a small apartment,

21:04 Speaker 1: Jennifer Daione lowered the phone. Unlike Tom and Jackie, Jennifer

21:09 Speaker 1: and Skuyler weren't discussing retirement. They weren't dreaming about grandchildren.

21:14 Speaker 1: They were discussing money. A tremendous amount of money. Skyler

21:19 Speaker 1: had spent years chasing easy wealth. Long before meeting the Hawks,

21:23 Speaker 1: he had already built an extensive criminal history. As a teenager,

21:27 Speaker 1: he had desperately wanted fame. For a short period, he

21:31 Speaker 1: had appeared as an extra on the popular television series

21:34 Speaker 1: Power Rangers. It wasn't a starring role, but he loved

21:37 Speaker 1: telling people he had worked in Hollywood. The attention never lasted.

21:42 Speaker 1: When acting opportunities disappeared, Skyler's life drifted toward crime. He

21:47 Speaker 1: surrounded himself with dangerous people. Eventually, he became involved in

21:52 Speaker 1: an armed robbery connected to stolen drug money. Police arrested him,

21:56 Speaker 1: the courts convicted him. He served time in prison. Most

22:00 Speaker 1: people leaving prison hope never to return. Skuyler was different.

22:05 Speaker 1: He emerged believing he simply needed a smarter plan. During

22:09 Speaker 1: his years behind bars, he met people connected to organized crime.

22:13 Speaker 1: He listened carefully. He learned how criminals laundered money, how

22:17 Speaker 1: stolen cash could become legitimate assets, how expensive property could

22:22 Speaker 1: hide illegal profits. When he was released, he recovered thousands

22:27 Speaker 1: of dollars he had hidden before his arrest. The money

22:30 Speaker 1: couldn't simply be deposited into a bank. Questions would be

22:34 Speaker 1: asked authorities might investigate. He needed a way to make

22:38 Speaker 1: dirty money appear clean. Buying an expensive yacht seemed like

22:42 Speaker 1: the perfect solution. At least, that was the story he

22:46 Speaker 1: would eventually tell investigators. But behind closed doors, another idea

22:50 Speaker 1: had begun taking shape, one far more horrifying. Jennifer wasn't

22:55 Speaker 1: horrified by these conversations. She encouraged them. The young couple

23:00 Speaker 1: constantly argued about money. Jennifer wanted a better house, better cars,

23:05 Speaker 1: a lifestyle they couldn't afford. Honestly, she became obsessed with

23:10 Speaker 1: finding shortcuts. One evening, she spread financial papers across their

23:14 Speaker 1: kitchen table. This isn't enough, she muttered. Skyler looked frustrated.

23:20 Speaker 1: I know there has to be another way. Silence filled

23:24 Speaker 1: the room. Then Jennifer looked directly at him. What if

23:29 Speaker 1: she stopped? Skyler stared back, what if? What? What if

23:33 Speaker 1: we didn't just buy the boat? Skyler remained quiet. Jennifer

23:37 Speaker 1: leaned closer. What if we owned everything? Neither of them

23:42 Speaker 1: spoke for several seconds. The idea settled between them like

23:45 Speaker 1: poisonous smoke. Meanwhile, Tom and Jackie continued preparing for the

23:50 Speaker 1: sea trial, completely unaware of the conversations taking place elsewhere.

23:54 Speaker 1: They carefully cleaned every inch of the yacht. Jackie polished

23:58 Speaker 1: the windows until they sparkled. Tom inspected the engine twice.

24:03 Speaker 1: He checked every safety system. He even purchased fresh snacks

24:07 Speaker 1: and bottled water for their guests. We want them to

24:10 Speaker 1: feel comfortable, Jackie said. Tom laughed, I think you've packed

24:14 Speaker 1: enough food for a week. You never know. The night

24:18 Speaker 1: before the scheduled sea trial, they shared dinner inside the cabin.

24:22 Speaker 1: The conversation naturally drifted toward the future. Where do you

24:26 Speaker 1: think we'll live, Jackie asked Tom, unfolded a road map.

24:31 Speaker 1: I've been looking at houses near the Arizona border, so

24:35 Speaker 1: we'd still be close to our son and close to

24:38 Speaker 1: the baby. Jackie smiled warmly. I can't wait. Tom reached

24:42 Speaker 1: across the table and squeezed her hand. We've had a

24:46 Speaker 1: wonderful life, the best, and it's about to get even better. Outside,

24:52 Speaker 1: gentle waves rocked the yacht beneath a sky filled with stars.

24:55 Speaker 1: Everything felt peaceful, safe, hopeful. Neither Tom nor Jackie noticed

25:01 Speaker 1: the dark suv parked quietly beyond the marina entrance. Inside

25:05 Speaker 1: sat Skuyler, watching, waiting, planning, every detail, because the sea

25:11 Speaker 1: trial scheduled for the following morning was never intended to

25:14 Speaker 1: decide whether he wanted to buy the yacht. Its real

25:17 Speaker 1: purpose was something infinitely darker, and by the time the

25:21 Speaker 1: sun set again, the lives Tom and Jackie Hawks had

25:25 Speaker 1: spent decades building would never be the same. The morning

25:28 Speaker 1: of November fifteenth, two thousand and four, dawned cool and

25:31 Speaker 1: calm over Newport Beach. The Pacific Ocean looked almost perfectly still.

25:36 Speaker 1: The marina was already coming alive as fishermen prepared their boats,

25:40 Speaker 1: gulls circled overhead, and dock workers exchanged cheerful greetings. It

25:45 Speaker 1: looked like an ordinary day, one that would soon fade

25:49 Speaker 1: into memory, like countless others. For Tom and Jackie Hawks, however,

25:54 Speaker 1: this day represented a major milestone. If everything went well,

25:58 Speaker 1: the sea trial would convince the prospective buyer to purchase

26:01 Speaker 1: the well deserved Within weeks, they hoped to begin searching

26:05 Speaker 1: for a home closer to their growing family. Jackie stood

26:09 Speaker 1: inside the yacht's small kitchen making coffee while Tom completed

26:12 Speaker 1: one final inspection. He checked the engine, the fuel gages,

26:17 Speaker 1: the navigation lights. Every rope was neatly coiled, every compartment

26:22 Speaker 1: was secured. Satisfied, he smiled, She's ready. Jackie handed him

26:27 Speaker 1: a steaming mug. I still can't believe we're saying goodbye.

26:31 Speaker 1: Tom looked around the cabin. I know. They stood together

26:35 Speaker 1: in silence, taking in every familiar detail, the framed family photographs,

26:41 Speaker 1: the wooden shelves Tom had built, the curtains Jackie had

26:45 Speaker 1: sown herself. Every corner carried memories. Finally, Tom reached for

26:49 Speaker 1: the keys. It's time around the same moment. Several miles away,

26:55 Speaker 1: another group was preparing for the meeting. Skyler Dally Oonne

26:59 Speaker 1: sat behind the wheel of his vehicle, checking his watch repeatedly.

27:03 Speaker 1: Beside him sat a large man with broad shoulders and

27:06 Speaker 1: tattoo covered arms. His name was John Kennedy. John rarely smiled.

27:12 Speaker 1: He had spent years moving through Southern California's criminal underworld,

27:16 Speaker 1: earning a reputation for intimidation and violence. In the back

27:20 Speaker 1: seat sat another young man. His name was Alonzo McCain.

27:24 Speaker 1: Unlike John, Alonso looked nervous. He shifted constantly in his seat,

27:29 Speaker 1: his hands trembled. Only weeks earlier, Skyler had convinced him

27:34 Speaker 1: to participate in what he described as a secret operation.

27:37 Speaker 1: According to Skyler, he worked as a professional assassin, not

27:41 Speaker 1: just any killer, an international contract killer. Skyler claimed wealthy

27:47 Speaker 1: clients paid enormous sums to eliminate dangerous criminals around the world.

27:51 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie Hawkes, he insisted, were not innocent retirees

27:56 Speaker 1: there involved in serious crime. Skyler had told him They've

28:00 Speaker 1: hurt a lot of people. This is justice. Alonso had

28:04 Speaker 1: believed him, or perhaps he simply wanted to believe him.

28:09 Speaker 1: Skyler had also promised him something impossible to ignore, one

28:13 Speaker 1: million dollars, enough money to completely change his life. Still,

28:18 Speaker 1: as they approached the marina that morning, Alonso couldn't shake

28:22 Speaker 1: the feeling that something wasn't right. What if they don't show,

28:26 Speaker 1: he asked quietly. They'll show, Skyler replied confidently. And if

28:31 Speaker 1: they cancel, Skyler smiled, they won't. At exactly the agreed time,

28:37 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie arrived. Tom parked their suv near the docks.

28:41 Speaker 1: As they stepped out, he immediately noticed something unexpected. Instead

28:46 Speaker 1: of meeting only Skyler, there were three men waiting. Tom

28:50 Speaker 1: slowed his pace. His years as a probation officer had

28:54 Speaker 1: trained him to read situations instantly, three unfamiliar men, no introductions, yet,

29:00 Speaker 1: no explanation. His instincts whispered that something felt wrong. Jackie

29:05 Speaker 1: noticed the change in her husband's expression. Everything okay, Tom

29:10 Speaker 1: forced a smile. Probably. The two groups finally met. Skyler

29:15 Speaker 1: greeted them warmly. Tom, Jackie, good to see you. He

29:20 Speaker 1: quickly introduced the others. This is my friend John and

29:24 Speaker 1: this is Alonso. They exchanged handshakes. Tom noticed John's powerful grip.

29:30 Speaker 1: He noticed Alonzo avoiding eye contact. Little details, tiny observations,

29:36 Speaker 1: nothing illegal, nothing obvious. Yet his instincts refused to quiet down,

29:42 Speaker 1: so Skyler said, cheerfully, ready for our sea trial. Tom hesitated.

29:48 Speaker 1: He looked toward Jackie, then back at the three strangers.

29:52 Speaker 1: You know, he began slowly. Maybe we should reschedule for

29:57 Speaker 1: the first time all morning. Skyler smile almost disappeared, only

30:02 Speaker 1: for a fraction of a second. Then it returned. No

30:06 Speaker 1: problem at all, Skyler replied casually. If today's inconvenient, we

30:11 Speaker 1: can always He suddenly stopped speaking. Actually, I need to

30:16 Speaker 1: make a quick phone call. Skyler stepped away from the group.

30:20 Speaker 1: He turned his back before dialing a number. His voice

30:24 Speaker 1: dropped almost to a whisper, they're getting nervous. A woman's

30:28 Speaker 1: voice answered immediately, I'm on my way. Skyler ended the call.

30:33 Speaker 1: Then he returned, wearing the same friendly smile. Sorry about that.

30:38 Speaker 1: They continued making small talk while waiting. Only a few

30:41 Speaker 1: minutes later, a vehicle pulled into the parking lot. A

30:45 Speaker 1: young woman climbed out carrying a tiny child. The baby

30:49 Speaker 1: couldn't have been more than a year old. The woman's

30:52 Speaker 1: face lit up as she approached. Hi, Skyler smiled, Tom, Jackie,

30:58 Speaker 1: this is my wife, Jennifer. Jennifer greeted them warmly. The

31:02 Speaker 1: little girl rested peacefully against her shoulder. Jackie's entire expression changed.

31:08 Speaker 1: Oh my goodness. She stepped closer. What a beautiful baby,

31:13 Speaker 1: Jennifer smiled. Would you like to hold her? Jackie's eyes

31:17 Speaker 1: filled with joy. I'd love to. Jennifer carefully placed the

31:21 Speaker 1: child into Jackie's arms. Jackie rocked the little girl gently.

31:25 Speaker 1: The baby giggled. Tom watched his wife, smiling from ear

31:29 Speaker 1: to ear. She looked happier than he had seen her

31:32 Speaker 1: in weeks. Thoughts of becoming grandparents flooded back into her mind.

31:37 Speaker 1: Jennifer seemed kind, gentle, completely harmless. Tom's uneasiness slowly began fading.

31:44 Speaker 1: He even laughed as the baby reached for his mustache.

31:48 Speaker 1: Looks like she likes you, Jennifer joked, I hope our

31:51 Speaker 1: grand baby likes me that much. The conversation became surprisingly relaxed.

31:57 Speaker 1: They spoke about children, family, retirement, travel. The atmosphere that

32:03 Speaker 1: had felt tense only minutes earlier suddenly seemed perfectly ordinary,

32:07 Speaker 1: exactly as Jennifer intended. Behind her warm smile, she already

32:12 Speaker 1: knew what was about to happen. She wasn't calming Tom

32:15 Speaker 1: and Jackie by accident. She was making sure they trusted

32:19 Speaker 1: them enough to step aboard the yacht. Several minutes later,

32:22 Speaker 1: Skuyler looked toward the dock, Well, should we take a look.

32:27 Speaker 1: Tom glanced once more at Jackie. She nodded. They seem nice.

32:32 Speaker 1: Tom took one last look around the marina. Boats gently

32:36 Speaker 1: rocked against their moorings. Families walked along the docks. Seagulls

32:41 Speaker 1: cried overhead. Everything looked completely normal. His instincts still whispered

32:46 Speaker 1: faint warnings somewhere deep inside, but looking at Jennifer holding

32:51 Speaker 1: that smiling little child, those warnings suddenly felt unreasonable, he

32:56 Speaker 1: smiled politely. All right, let's do the sea trt. Jennifer

33:01 Speaker 1: handed the baby back to her shoulder. I'd come with you,

33:05 Speaker 1: she said apologetically, but she's getting tired. I think i'd

33:09 Speaker 1: better head home. No problem, Jackie replied. It was lovely

33:14 Speaker 1: meeting you. You too. Jennifer waved as the group walked

33:18 Speaker 1: toward the Well Deserved. She watched until they disappeared onto

33:22 Speaker 1: the yacht. Then she returned to her car. She didn't cry,

33:27 Speaker 1: she didn't hesitate, she didn't try to stop what she

33:30 Speaker 1: knew was about to happen. Instead, she picked up her phone.

33:34 Speaker 1: Within moments, Skuyler's phone vibrated in his pocket. The trap

33:38 Speaker 1: had worked perfectly. Completely unaware that they had just taken

33:43 Speaker 1: their final steps on land, Tom and Jackie untied the

33:46 Speaker 1: ropes securing the Well Deserved to the dock. The engine

33:50 Speaker 1: rumbled to life. Slowly, the yacht drifted away from the marina,

33:55 Speaker 1: away from safety, away from everyone who could have helped them,

33:59 Speaker 1: and as as the California shoreline grew smaller behind them,

34:03 Speaker 1: three smiling passengers quietly waited for the perfect moment to

34:07 Speaker 1: reveal why they had really come aboard the Well deserved.

34:10 Speaker 1: Cut smoothly through the calm waters of the Pacific, its

34:13 Speaker 1: engine humming with a familiar rhythm that had comforted Tom

34:17 Speaker 1: and Jackie for years. Behind them, the Newport Beach Marina

34:21 Speaker 1: gradually disappeared into the distance, until it became nothing more

34:24 Speaker 1: than a collection of tiny shapes along the coastline. The

34:28 Speaker 1: farther they sailed, the quieter the world became. Only the

34:32 Speaker 1: sound of the waves remained. Tom stood confidently at the helm,

34:37 Speaker 1: steering the yacht through the open water. He explained how

34:40 Speaker 1: the navigation system worked, pointed out different gages, and described

34:44 Speaker 1: the maintenance he had performed over the years. You've really

34:47 Speaker 1: taken care of her, Skyler, remarked. Tom smiled proudly. I've

34:52 Speaker 1: always believed if you respect the ocean, you respect your boat.

34:56 Speaker 1: John Kennedy remained mostly silent, a case, nodding as if

35:01 Speaker 1: he were interested in the tour. Alonso stayed close to

35:04 Speaker 1: the rail, pretending to admire the scenery. In reality, his

35:08 Speaker 1: stomach was in knots. Every mile they traveled farther from

35:12 Speaker 1: shore made him more anxious. He had tried convincing himself

35:16 Speaker 1: that Skuyler was telling the truth, that Tom and Jackie

35:19 Speaker 1: were dangerous people who deserved whatever was coming. But standing

35:22 Speaker 1: only a few feet away from them, that story became

35:26 Speaker 1: harder and harder to believe. Tom didn't act like a criminal.

35:30 Speaker 1: Jackie certainly didn't. She laughed easily. She spoke about becoming

35:35 Speaker 1: a grandmother. She pointed toward a group of dolphins swimming

35:38 Speaker 1: alongside the yacht with genuine excitement. Oh look, she exclaimed.

35:43 Speaker 1: The dolphins leaped gracefully through the water, racing beside the

35:47 Speaker 1: boat for several moments before disappearing beneath the waves. Jackie

35:51 Speaker 1: smiled like a child, seeing them for the first time.

35:55 Speaker 1: They never get old, she said softly. Alonso watched her.

35:59 Speaker 1: A question informed in his mind. What kind of dangerous

36:03 Speaker 1: criminal gets excited over dolphins? He quickly pushed the thought away.

36:07 Speaker 1: Skyler had said they were bad people. Skyler knew more

36:11 Speaker 1: than he did, At least that was what he kept

36:14 Speaker 1: telling himself. For nearly an hour, the sea trial appeared

36:18 Speaker 1: completely normal. Tom demonstrated how the yacht handled different speeds.

36:23 Speaker 1: He showed Skyler the engine compartment. They discussed fuel efficiency,

36:28 Speaker 1: navigation equipment, and recent upgrades. Everything looked exactly like a

36:33 Speaker 1: routine boat. Inspection. Eventually they were several miles offshore. Land

36:38 Speaker 1: had nearly vanished behind a light ocean haze. Tom glanced

36:42 Speaker 1: at the horizon. This should be far enough, he said,

36:46 Speaker 1: you've seen pretty much everything. Skyler nodded. I'd like to

36:50 Speaker 1: take one more look below deck. Sure, he smiled politely, Tom,

36:56 Speaker 1: would you mind coming down for a second. I have

36:59 Speaker 1: a few questions about the engine, of course. Tom followed

37:03 Speaker 1: Skyler toward the staircase leading below deck. As he disappeared

37:07 Speaker 1: into the lower cabin with Skyler and John, Jackie remained

37:10 Speaker 1: upstairs near the galley with Alonzo. She poured herself a

37:14 Speaker 1: glass of water. You know, she said, kindly, trying to

37:18 Speaker 1: make conversation. This lifestyle isn't for everyone. Alonso forced a smile.

37:24 Speaker 1: I imagine not. You have to really love the ocean,

37:28 Speaker 1: Jackie laughed, My husband certainly does. For several seconds, silence

37:33 Speaker 1: filled the cabin. Then a loud crash exploded from below.

37:38 Speaker 1: It sounded like furniture being overturned. Immediately afterward came another

37:42 Speaker 1: heavy thud. Jackie frowned, what was that? Before she could

37:47 Speaker 1: move toward the stairs, Alonso froze. His heart pounded. He

37:52 Speaker 1: knew exactly what the noise meant, Skyler had begun. Everything

37:56 Speaker 1: happened in seconds. With a sudden burst of movement, Alonso

38:00 Speaker 1: lunged forward. Jackie gasped in shock as he grabbed both

38:04 Speaker 1: of her arms. What are you doing, she struggled instinctively

38:09 Speaker 1: let go of me, but Alonso had already forced her

38:12 Speaker 1: to the floor. She fought desperately, trying to understand what

38:16 Speaker 1: was happening. Please, you don't have to do this. Ignoring her, please,

38:22 Speaker 1: Alonso pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. Within moments,

38:26 Speaker 1: he had forced her hands behind her back and locked

38:29 Speaker 1: the cuffs tightly around her wrists. Jackie stared at him

38:32 Speaker 1: in disbelief. Terror filled her eyes. This has to be

38:36 Speaker 1: some kind of mistake. At that same moment, below deck,

38:41 Speaker 1: Tom had barely entered the master cabin before everything changed.

38:45 Speaker 1: Without warning, John slammed into him from behind. Tom staggered

38:50 Speaker 1: forward before he could react. Skylar, attacked years of physical training,

38:55 Speaker 1: immediately took over. Despite being nearly forty years old, Tom

39:00 Speaker 1: with incredible strength. He threw punches, he kicked, He struggled

39:05 Speaker 1: with everything he had. The cabin erupted into chaos. Furniture

39:09 Speaker 1: overturned drawers flew open. The sounds Jackie heard upstairs were

39:14 Speaker 1: Tom refusing to surrender. Even outnumbered, He continued fighting. Skyler

39:20 Speaker 1: hadn't expected such fierce resistance. For several tense moments, it

39:24 Speaker 1: looked as though Tom might actually overpower them, but John

39:28 Speaker 1: was much larger. Together, the two men finally forced Tom

39:31 Speaker 1: onto the bed. John pinned him down while Skuyler snapped

39:35 Speaker 1: handcuffs around his wrists. Breathing heavily, Tom glared at them,

39:39 Speaker 1: what do you want? Neither man answered. Instead, they dragged

39:44 Speaker 1: him upright back upstairs, Jackie heard footsteps approaching. She looked

39:49 Speaker 1: toward the staircase. Skyler appeared first. John followed between them.

39:55 Speaker 1: Tom his wrists were handcuffed. There was blood near one

39:59 Speaker 1: side of his face, where he'd struck part of the

40:01 Speaker 1: cabin during the struggle. Jackie's voice broke instantly Tom. She

40:06 Speaker 1: tried crawling toward him. Skyler grabbed her roughly no. Jackie cried,

40:12 Speaker 1: what are you doing. Tom looked at his wife, trying

40:16 Speaker 1: to stay calm despite the situation. It's all right, he said, quietly.

40:21 Speaker 1: We'll figure this out. But neither of them truly understood

40:25 Speaker 1: what was happening. Were they being robbed, kidnapped, held for ransom?

40:30 Speaker 1: Nothing made sense. Skyler forced Jackie down the stairs into

40:34 Speaker 1: the cabin where Tom had been restrained. The couple was

40:37 Speaker 1: placed side by side on the bed. Jackie immediately turned

40:41 Speaker 1: toward Skyler. Tears streamed down her face. Please, her voice trembled.

40:47 Speaker 1: Why are you doing this? We've done nothing to you.

40:51 Speaker 1: You met my wife, Skyler replied coldly. Jackie nodded desperately, Yes,

40:57 Speaker 1: I held your little girl, talked about family, We trusted you.

41:02 Speaker 1: Her voice cracked. Please just take the boat, take everything.

41:08 Speaker 1: We don't care. We just want to go home. Tom

41:11 Speaker 1: looked directly at Skuyler. You can have every dollar we own,

41:16 Speaker 1: the yacht, our car, everything, Just let my wife go.

41:21 Speaker 1: Skyler's expression never changed, his eyes remained completely emotionless. He

41:27 Speaker 1: turned toward Alonso taped them for a brief moment. Alonso hesitated.

41:33 Speaker 1: He looked at Tom, then at Jackie. Neither looked like

41:36 Speaker 1: hardened criminals. Neither looked dangerous. They looked exactly like what

41:41 Speaker 1: they truly were, a retired probation officer and the woman

41:45 Speaker 1: who had spent nearly two decades loving his family. Skyler

41:49 Speaker 1: noticed the hesitation, his voice became sharper, do it. Slowly,

41:55 Speaker 1: Alonso reached for the duct tape inside the small cabin

41:59 Speaker 1: of the Well DESERTRD. Hope began slipping away. Tom squeezed

42:03 Speaker 1: Jackie's hand as tightly as the handcuffs allowed. Neither knew

42:07 Speaker 1: what awaited them, but both realized the same terrible truth.

42:12 Speaker 1: This was never a sea trial. It had been an

42:14 Speaker 1: ambush from the very beginning, and somewhere beyond the cabin walls,

42:19 Speaker 1: the yacht quietly continued moving farther into the endless Pacific Ocean,

42:24 Speaker 1: toward a destination from which there would be no return.

42:27 Speaker 1: The atmosphere inside the Well Deserved had changed completely. Only

42:31 Speaker 1: minutes earlier, laughter had echoed through the cabin as Jackie

42:35 Speaker 1: admired dolphins dancing beside the yacht. Now the only sounds

42:39 Speaker 1: were muffled cries, heavy footsteps, and the steady roar of

42:44 Speaker 1: the engine carrying them farther into the open Pacific. Tom

42:47 Speaker 1: and Jackie sat side by side on the bed in

42:50 Speaker 1: the master cabin, their wrists locked in steel handcuffs. Alonzo's

42:54 Speaker 1: hands trembled as he wrapped thick strips of silver duct

42:57 Speaker 1: tape across their mouths. Jackie tried desperately to speak, Her

43:02 Speaker 1: pleas disappeared beneath the tape. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

43:06 Speaker 1: Tom never stopped looking at her, Even with his own

43:10 Speaker 1: hands restrained. He shifted closer until his shoulder gently touched hers.

43:15 Speaker 1: It was his silent way of saying, I'm still here.

43:18 Speaker 1: When Alonso finished covering their mouths, Skyler handed him another

43:23 Speaker 1: roll of tape the eyes. Alonso hesitated. They can't identify

43:28 Speaker 1: where we're going if they can't see, Skyler said coldly,

43:32 Speaker 1: with shaking hands. Alonso carefully covered Tom's eyes. Then Jackie's

43:37 Speaker 1: darkness swallowed them both. For the first time since this

43:41 Speaker 1: nightmare had begun, They couldn't even see each other. The

43:44 Speaker 1: room fell almost completely silent. Only the vibration of the

43:48 Speaker 1: yacht's engine reminded them they were still moving. Skyler climbed

43:52 Speaker 1: the stairs back onto the main deck. A moment later,

43:56 Speaker 1: the engine's pitch changed. He was increasing speed and tended

44:00 Speaker 1: to travel as far offshore as possible, far beyond ordinary

44:04 Speaker 1: boat traffic, far beyond anyone who might accidentally witness what

44:09 Speaker 1: was about to happen. Inside the cabin, John leaned against

44:13 Speaker 1: the wall watching the couple. Unlike Alonso, he showed no

44:16 Speaker 1: emotion whatsoever. He appeared almost bored. Alonso sat quietly in

44:22 Speaker 1: the corner. His breathing had become uneven. He kept avoiding

44:26 Speaker 1: looking directly at Tom and Jackie. Finally, Tom managed to

44:30 Speaker 1: move one hand slightly despite the restraints. His fingers brushed

44:34 Speaker 1: against Jackie's. She immediately reached back. Their hands found each other,

44:40 Speaker 1: their fingers intertwined. For several moments, they remained completely still.

44:45 Speaker 1: Then Tom began gently stroking the back of her hand

44:48 Speaker 1: with his thumb. He couldn't speak through the tape, yet,

44:51 Speaker 1: somehow Jackie understood exactly what he was trying to say.

44:55 Speaker 1: I'm here, You're not alone. Tears continued slipping beneath the

45:00 Speaker 1: tape covering her face. Alonso watched the scene unfold. Something

45:04 Speaker 1: inside him began breaking. These weren't monsters, they weren't violent criminals,

45:10 Speaker 1: they weren't dangerous. They were simply a husband trying to

45:14 Speaker 1: comfort his terrified wife. Minutes later, Skyler called down from above,

45:19 Speaker 1: how are they doing? John answered casually quiet. Skyler laughed,

45:24 Speaker 1: They'll stay that way. The engine continued, carrying them farther

45:29 Speaker 1: into the Pacific outside the California coastline had completely disappeared.

45:34 Speaker 1: Nothing surrounded the yacht except endless blue water, stretching toward

45:38 Speaker 1: every horizon. Skyler finally slowed the vessel. The engine dropped

45:43 Speaker 1: to a low rumble, then silence. The yacht drifted gently

45:47 Speaker 1: with the ocean swells. Skyler walked downstairs, carrying several documents.

45:53 Speaker 1: He placed them on the small table inside the cabin.

45:56 Speaker 1: Then he removed the tape from Tom's mouth. First immediately

46:00 Speaker 1: drew a deep breath. What do you want? Skyler slid

46:04 Speaker 1: the papers toward him. I need your signatures. Tom frowned.

46:09 Speaker 1: What are these boat transfer documents and bank authorization forms?

46:15 Speaker 1: Tom stared at him. So that's what this is. You

46:18 Speaker 1: want money, Skyler smiled faintly. Exactly. Tom didn't hesitate. If

46:25 Speaker 1: signing these means my wife and I go home safely,

46:28 Speaker 1: I'll sign every page, Skyler looked, pleased. I knew you'd

46:33 Speaker 1: be reasonable. He removed the tape from Jackie's mouth as well.

46:37 Speaker 1: She gasped for air before immediately speaking, Please, we won't

46:42 Speaker 1: tell anyone. You can have everything, the boat, our savings,

46:48 Speaker 1: our car, everything. We're about to become grandparents. She burst

46:53 Speaker 1: into tears. Please don't take that away from us. For

46:57 Speaker 1: just a fraction of a second, silence filled the cabin.

47:01 Speaker 1: Then Skuyler looked away without responding. He handed Tom a pen.

47:05 Speaker 1: Because both of their hands remained cuffed together, Awkwardly, signing

47:10 Speaker 1: the paperwork became difficult. John held the document steady while

47:14 Speaker 1: Tom slowly wrote his name. Jackie signed where instructed. Halfway

47:19 Speaker 1: through one signature, she deliberately misspelled her own last name

47:23 Speaker 1: instead of writing hawks. She omitted the final letter. It

47:27 Speaker 1: was an incredibly small mistake, one almost no one would notice.

47:32 Speaker 1: But Jackie hoped maybe someday someone investigating these papers would

47:37 Speaker 1: realize she never made errors like that. Maybe they'd understand,

47:41 Speaker 1: Maybe they'd realize she hadn't signed willingly. It was the

47:45 Speaker 1: only message she had left. Skyler gathered the signed documents. Satisfied,

47:50 Speaker 1: he placed them inside a folder. Then he looked toward John.

47:54 Speaker 1: It's time. Jackie immediately sensed something was wrong. You promised,

48:00 Speaker 1: Skyler ignored her. You said we'd go home. Still no answer.

48:05 Speaker 1: Tom slowly stood. He positioned himself slightly in front of Jackie,

48:09 Speaker 1: despite the handcuffs connecting them. If you're going to hurt someone,

48:14 Speaker 1: He swallowed hard, hurt me, Leave her alone. Skyler stared

48:19 Speaker 1: at him with empty eyes. Then he nodded toward the staircase.

48:23 Speaker 1: Bring them. John grabbed Tom's arm. Alonso carefully lifted Jackie

48:28 Speaker 1: to her feet. The couple stumbled together because their movements

48:31 Speaker 1: were restricted. Step by step, they were led upstairs. The

48:36 Speaker 1: afternoon sky was brilliant blue. The ocean sparkled beneath the sunlight.

48:41 Speaker 1: It should have been beautiful. Instead, the endless water suddenly

48:45 Speaker 1: felt terrifying. Jackie looked around desperately. No boats, no helicopters,

48:51 Speaker 1: no distant shoreline, nothing, only ocean. Tom immediately understood why

48:57 Speaker 1: Skyler had traveled this far. Could hear them? No one

49:01 Speaker 1: could help them. As they reached the rear deck, Tom

49:05 Speaker 1: quietly leaned close enough for Jackie to hear. His voice

49:08 Speaker 1: was calm, steady. I love you. Jackie closed her eyes,

49:13 Speaker 1: I love you too. Neither of them realized those would

49:17 Speaker 1: be the last words they would ever say to one another.

49:20 Speaker 1: Before the Nightmare reached its most horrifying chapter, A cold

49:23 Speaker 1: breeze swept across the deck of the Well Deserved as

49:26 Speaker 1: the yacht drifted in the open Pacific the sun was

49:29 Speaker 1: still shining. The ocean was calm to anyone passing in

49:33 Speaker 1: the distance. If anyone had been close enough to see,

49:37 Speaker 1: it would have looked like an ordinary afternoon on the water.

49:40 Speaker 1: But on the rear deck, time seemed to stand still.

49:44 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie Hawks remained handcuffed together, their wrists connected

49:48 Speaker 1: behind them. Every movement one made affected the other. They

49:52 Speaker 1: stood shoulder to shoulder, exhausted from the struggle below deck,

49:56 Speaker 1: trying desperately to understand what would happen next. Skyler folded

50:01 Speaker 1: the signed paperwork and tucked it into a waterproof bag.

50:04 Speaker 1: He looked satisfied. Everything he had planned for weeks had

50:08 Speaker 1: unfolded almost perfectly. The yacht, the ownership documents, access to

50:13 Speaker 1: the Hawk's finances, all of it was now in his possession.

50:18 Speaker 1: Jackie looked at him through tear filled eyes. You have

50:21 Speaker 1: what you wanted, she pleaded. The boat is yours, the

50:25 Speaker 1: money is yours. Please let us go, her voice cracked

50:30 Speaker 1: with emotion. We won't tell anyone. We just want to

50:34 Speaker 1: see our family again. Tom stood beside her, breathing heavily.

50:39 Speaker 1: He looked directly at Skuyler. I spent years working with

50:43 Speaker 1: criminals I've seen people make terrible decisions, but every person

50:48 Speaker 1: has a chance to stop. He paused, you can still stop.

50:52 Speaker 1: No one has to die today. Skyler didn't answer. His

50:56 Speaker 1: face remained completely blank, as though he wasn't listening at all. Instead,

51:02 Speaker 1: he turned toward Alonso. Go get it. Alonso froze. He

51:06 Speaker 1: knew exactly what Skuyler meant. For several long seconds, he

51:10 Speaker 1: couldn't move. Skuyler's expression hardened. I said, go get it. Reluctantly.

51:17 Speaker 1: Alonso walked toward the bow of the yacht. Every step

51:20 Speaker 1: felt heavier than the last. He reached the storage compartment

51:24 Speaker 1: and opened it. Inside rested the heavy steel anchor. Attached

51:29 Speaker 1: to it was a thick length of galvanized chain. Alonso

51:32 Speaker 1: stared at it. Until that moment, some small part of

51:36 Speaker 1: him had convinced himself the plan might still change. Maybe

51:39 Speaker 1: Skuyler only wanted to frighten them, Maybe he only wanted

51:43 Speaker 1: the documents. Maybe, but seeing the anchor erased every illusion.

51:48 Speaker 1: This was murder, nothing else. With trembling hands, he began

51:53 Speaker 1: dragging the anchor across the wooden deck. The steel scraped

51:57 Speaker 1: loudly against the boards. The awful sound echoed across the

52:00 Speaker 1: empty ocean. Jackie turned toward the noise. What is that?

52:05 Speaker 1: No one answered, Tom already understood. His heart sank. The

52:10 Speaker 1: chain clattered across the deck as Alonso pulled it closer,

52:14 Speaker 1: Each metallic rattle sounded like a countdown. John watched silently.

52:19 Speaker 1: Skyler calmly examined the end of the chain, making sure

52:22 Speaker 1: nothing had become tangled. Then he looked at Tom and Jackie.

52:26 Speaker 1: Sit down. Neither moved, I said sit. John stepped forward

52:32 Speaker 1: and forced them onto the deck. Because their wrists were

52:35 Speaker 1: connected behind them, they naturally ended up sitting back to back.

52:40 Speaker 1: Tom could feel Jackie's trembling against him. He leaned his

52:43 Speaker 1: head gently against hers. It's okay, he whispered. She shook

52:48 Speaker 1: her head. No, we can't die our grandson. We haven't

52:54 Speaker 1: even met him. Tom swallowed hard. He looked towards Skuyler

52:58 Speaker 1: once more. Please. His voice was barely above a whisper.

53:03 Speaker 1: My wife has done nothing to anyone. If someone has

53:06 Speaker 1: to stay, I'll stay, take me, let her go. Jackie

53:11 Speaker 1: immediately protested, No, I'm not leaving without you. Tom smiled sadly.

53:18 Speaker 1: You have to. She shook her head violently. I won't.

53:22 Speaker 1: I'll never leave you, Skuyler interrupted, coldly enough. He picked

53:27 Speaker 1: up the loose end of the anchorchain. Slowly, deliberately, he

53:32 Speaker 1: crouched behind the couple. Without saying a word, he clipped

53:36 Speaker 1: the chain securely through the handcuffs binding Tom and Jackie together.

53:40 Speaker 1: He pulled hard on the chain. Satisfied it wouldn't come loose,

53:44 Speaker 1: he stood again. The steel links rested heavily across the

53:48 Speaker 1: deck between the terrified couple and the enormous anchor. Jackie's

53:52 Speaker 1: breathing became frantic. She finally understood no. She began crying uncontrollably. No,

54:00 Speaker 1: oh please. She twisted desperately against the restraints. I don't

54:05 Speaker 1: want to die. I don't want to die. Tom closed

54:08 Speaker 1: his eyes. He fought to remain calm for her. We're together,

54:13 Speaker 1: he whispered, No matter what happens, we're together. Jackie leaned

54:18 Speaker 1: backward until her head rested against his. She drew strength

54:22 Speaker 1: from the familiar warmth of her husband's shoulder for nearly

54:26 Speaker 1: twenty years, whenever life became difficult, that was where she

54:31 Speaker 1: always found comfort. Skuyler walked toward the anchor. He wrapped

54:35 Speaker 1: both hands around the heavy steel even he struggled to

54:39 Speaker 1: lift it. The anchor weighed enough to hold an entire

54:42 Speaker 1: yacht in place against ocean currents. Now it had another purpose.

54:47 Speaker 1: Alonso turned away. He couldn't watch. John remained expressionless. Tom

54:53 Speaker 1: took one final look at the endless horizon. He thought

54:56 Speaker 1: about his son's He pictured them as little boys running

55:00 Speaker 1: through the backyard. He remembered teaching them to ride bicycles,

55:04 Speaker 1: their graduations, their weddings. Then his thoughts turned to the

55:09 Speaker 1: baby they would never meet, a grandchild who would grow

55:12 Speaker 1: up hearing stories about grandparents who disappeared without explanation. Jackie

55:17 Speaker 1: silently prayed. She prayed for her sons. She prayed for

55:21 Speaker 1: the unborn baby. She prayed that somehow, someway their family

55:26 Speaker 1: would eventually learn the truth. Skyler tightened his grip With

55:30 Speaker 1: a powerful swing, he lifted the anchor over the rail.

55:34 Speaker 1: For one suspended moment, everything became perfectly still. The anchor

55:39 Speaker 1: hung above the water, the chains stretched tightly across the deck.

55:43 Speaker 1: Tom reached backward as far as the handcuffs allowed, until

55:47 Speaker 1: his fingers found Jackies. They squeezed each other's hands one

55:51 Speaker 1: final time. Neither said another word. The ocean waited below

55:55 Speaker 1: and in the next horrifying instant, Skyler released the anchor.

56:00 Speaker 1: The anchor dropped like a block of iron into the Pacific.

56:04 Speaker 1: For a brief instant, there was only the heavy splash

56:07 Speaker 1: as thousands of pounds of sea water exploded upward around it.

56:11 Speaker 1: Then came the sound no one on that boat would

56:13 Speaker 1: ever forget. Clank, clank, clank, clank. The anchor chain raced

56:19 Speaker 1: across the deck at terrifying speed as gravity dragged the

56:22 Speaker 1: massive weight toward the ocean floor. Link after link shot

56:26 Speaker 1: over the wooden railing, each one scraping violently against the

56:30 Speaker 1: side of the yacht. The noise echoed through the open sea.

56:33 Speaker 1: It was deafening. It sounded almost like a train racing past.

56:37 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie watched helplessly as the chain disappeared overboard.

56:42 Speaker 1: There was nothing they could do. Their wrists were locked together,

56:46 Speaker 1: the chain attached to their handcuffs grew tighter with every

56:49 Speaker 1: passing second. Tom reacted instantly, Using every ounce of strength

56:54 Speaker 1: he had. He threw himself toward one of the metal

56:57 Speaker 1: supports built into the rear of the yacht. His fingers

57:01 Speaker 1: wrapped around it as tightly as possible. Every muscle in

57:04 Speaker 1: his body strained. For one unbelievable moment, he actually stopped

57:09 Speaker 1: the pull. The chain stretched tight, the anchor continued sinking.

57:14 Speaker 1: The force nearly ripped his shoulders from their sockets. Jackie

57:18 Speaker 1: cried out as she felt the weight dragging against them.

57:21 Speaker 1: Tom gritted his teeth, his hands burned, his arms shook violently.

57:26 Speaker 1: Hold on, he shouted, I've got you. But no human

57:31 Speaker 1: being could overpower the weight of a steel anchor. Sinking

57:34 Speaker 1: thousands of feet toward the bottom of the Pacific Ocean,

57:37 Speaker 1: the pressure became unbearable. The yacht rocked gently with the waves.

57:42 Speaker 1: That tiny movement was enough. Tom's grip slipped. His fingers

57:46 Speaker 1: clawed desperately at the smooth metal. Then they lost their hold.

57:51 Speaker 1: The chain jerked violently. Jackie was pulled backward with tremendous force.

57:56 Speaker 1: As she slammed against the wooden rail, the side of

57:59 Speaker 1: her head struck the edge with a sickening crack. Tom

58:03 Speaker 1: cried out her name. The impact stunned her instantly, Still

58:07 Speaker 1: conscious but dazed, neither of them stopped fighting. Tom grabbed

58:12 Speaker 1: at anything within reach, a railing, a cleat, even loose

58:16 Speaker 1: sections of rope. Each attempt lasted only seconds. Before the

58:20 Speaker 1: relentless pull of the anchor tore his hands away. Skyler

58:24 Speaker 1: stood only a few feet away, watching. He made no

58:27 Speaker 1: effort to help. Instead, a slow smile spread across his face.

58:32 Speaker 1: John Kennedy folded his arms across his chest, his expression

58:37 Speaker 1: never changed. Alonso stood frozen. His breathing became rapid. Every

58:42 Speaker 1: instinct inside him screamed to stop this, to cut the chain,

58:46 Speaker 1: to help the couple, to do something, but fear rooted

58:50 Speaker 1: him to the deck. Fear of Skyler, fear of John,

58:54 Speaker 1: fear of becoming the next victim. Tom looked toward Skyler

58:58 Speaker 1: one last time. His voice broke Please, Skuyler didn't answer.

59:04 Speaker 1: The chain tightened once more. With one final unstoppable pull,

59:09 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie were dragged across the deck. Their body

59:12 Speaker 1: slid toward the edge. Tom desperately twisted, trying to shield

59:17 Speaker 1: Jackie from the railing. For one brief second, their eyes met.

59:21 Speaker 1: Neither spoke. They didn't have to. After nearly twenty years together,

59:26 Speaker 1: everything they needed to say had already been said. They

59:30 Speaker 1: loved each other, they always would. The next instant, both

59:34 Speaker 1: disappeared over the side. The ocean swallowed them. There was

59:38 Speaker 1: barely a splash, before the anchor continued, dragging them downward

59:42 Speaker 1: into the endless darkness below. For a few moments, their

59:45 Speaker 1: hands instinctively fought against the restraints, their bodies struggled against

59:50 Speaker 1: the crushing pole. Above the surface, bubbles erupted where they

59:54 Speaker 1: had vanished. Then silence. The Pacific returned to its peaceful rhythm,

1:00:00 Speaker 1: as though nothing had happened. Skyler walked calmly to the

1:00:03 Speaker 1: edge of the yacht. He leaned over the railing, looking

1:00:07 Speaker 1: into the water. He laughed whoo. He clapped his hands

1:00:11 Speaker 1: together like an excited child celebrating a game. He stared

1:00:14 Speaker 1: at the widening circle of bubbles, waiting, watching, grinning. Alonzo

1:00:20 Speaker 1: felt sick. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. The

1:00:23 Speaker 1: couple had disappeared forever, yet Skyler seemed delighted. The bubbles

1:00:28 Speaker 1: slowly became fewer, then smaller. Finally, the ocean became perfectly still.

1:00:35 Speaker 1: Nothing remained on the surface, no cries for help, no

1:00:39 Speaker 1: floating debris, no sign that two innocent people had been

1:00:42 Speaker 1: alive only moments earlier. Skyler took one final look at

1:00:47 Speaker 1: the calm water. They're gone, he said, casually. Then he

1:00:51 Speaker 1: turned around. Let's head back, as though nothing unusual had happened.

1:00:56 Speaker 1: He climbed back toward the helm and started the engines.

1:00:59 Speaker 1: Well Deserved slowly turned around. The bow pointed once again

1:01:03 Speaker 1: toward Newport Beach. Behind it, nearly three thousand, five hundred

1:01:08 Speaker 1: feet below the surface, the Pacific Ocean guarded its terrible secret.

1:01:13 Speaker 1: Far above, the California sun continued shining. Boats crossed distant waters.

1:01:19 Speaker 1: Families enjoyed beaches, children laughed along the shoreline. No one

1:01:24 Speaker 1: knew that far beyond the horizon, one of the most

1:01:27 Speaker 1: horrifying murders in California history had just taken place. No

1:01:31 Speaker 1: one knew that Tom and Jackie Hawks would never return home.

1:01:35 Speaker 1: No one knew that their sons would soon begin desperately

1:01:38 Speaker 1: calling their parents, wondering why neither of them was answering

1:01:41 Speaker 1: the phone. For now, the only people who knew the

1:01:44 Speaker 1: truth were the three men aboard the yacht and waiting

1:01:48 Speaker 1: back on land, a woman named Jennifer Dalyon. She already

1:01:52 Speaker 1: knew exactly what had happened, because from the very beginning

1:01:56 Speaker 1: she had been part of the plan. As the Well

1:01:59 Speaker 1: Deserved made its way back toward Newport Beach, an eerie

1:02:02 Speaker 1: silence settled over everyone on board. Only the steady hum

1:02:06 Speaker 1: of the engines and the sound of waves striking the

1:02:09 Speaker 1: hull broke the quiet. Skyler stood at the helm, steering

1:02:13 Speaker 1: the yacht as calmly as if he had just finished

1:02:15 Speaker 1: an ordinary afternoon cruise. John Kennedy leaned against the railing

1:02:19 Speaker 1: with his arms folded, showing no emotion. Alonzo McCain sat

1:02:24 Speaker 1: alone near the stern, staring at the ocean where Tom

1:02:27 Speaker 1: and Jackie had disappeared. No matter how hard he tried,

1:02:31 Speaker 1: he couldn't erase the image from his mind. He could

1:02:34 Speaker 1: still hear the chains scraping across the deck. He could

1:02:37 Speaker 1: still hear Jackie begging for her life. He could still

1:02:40 Speaker 1: see Tom desperately trying to save his wife. For the

1:02:43 Speaker 1: first time since agreeing to help Skyler, Alonso realized he

1:02:47 Speaker 1: had participated in something far worse than he had ever imagined.

1:02:51 Speaker 1: Skuyler eventually broke the silence. Relax, he said, casually, it's over.

1:02:57 Speaker 1: No one answered. A few minutes later, his cell phone rang.

1:03:01 Speaker 1: He smiled before answering, yeah. Jennifer's voice came through the speaker.

1:03:06 Speaker 1: Everything done. Skyler glanced toward the others, they're gone. Jennifer

1:03:12 Speaker 1: didn't gasp, She didn't ask whether anyone had been hurt.

1:03:16 Speaker 1: She didn't sound shocked. Instead, she calmly asked, did they

1:03:20 Speaker 1: sign everything, every page and the bank papers done? There

1:03:26 Speaker 1: was a brief pause. Good, Jennifer replied, we'll talk when

1:03:30 Speaker 1: you get back. The call ended. Alonso stared at Skuyler

1:03:34 Speaker 1: in disbelief. The conversation sounded like two business partners discussing paperwork,

1:03:40 Speaker 1: not two people talking about the murder of an innocent couple.

1:03:43 Speaker 1: When the yacht finally returned to the marina, the afternoon

1:03:47 Speaker 1: crowd had grown. Boat Owners walked along the docks. Families

1:03:52 Speaker 1: carried fishing equipment. Tourists admired the expensive vessels lined up

1:03:56 Speaker 1: beside one another. Nobody looked twice at the well deserved

1:04:00 Speaker 1: Why would they? From the outside, it appeared to have

1:04:04 Speaker 1: returned from a perfectly ordinary sea trial. Skyler carefully secured

1:04:08 Speaker 1: the docking lines, John gathered several bags from below deck.

1:04:13 Speaker 1: Alonso remained frozen. Before leaving, Skyler looked directly at him.

1:04:18 Speaker 1: Remember we never saw them after today, Alonso swallowed. Skyler

1:04:23 Speaker 1: stepped closer. If anyone asks, they took the money, they

1:04:28 Speaker 1: got into their suv and they drove away. John added quietly,

1:04:34 Speaker 1: stick to the story. Alonso nodded weakly. He didn't trust

1:04:38 Speaker 1: himself to speak. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Tom and

1:04:43 Speaker 1: Jackie's oldest son was sitting at home, discussing baby names

1:04:46 Speaker 1: with his wife. His parents had promised to call as

1:04:49 Speaker 1: soon as the sea trial was finished. His father had

1:04:52 Speaker 1: sounded excited during their last conversation. If everything goes well,

1:04:57 Speaker 1: Tom had told him, will be house hunting before you

1:05:01 Speaker 1: know it. The phone never rang at first, neither Sun

1:05:04 Speaker 1: thought much about it. Perhaps the buyers had more questions

1:05:08 Speaker 1: than expected. Perhaps Tom and Jackie had gone out to

1:05:12 Speaker 1: dinner afterward. Perhaps they had poor phone reception. The following morning,

1:05:16 Speaker 1: they called their parents, no answer. Later that afternoon, still nothing.

1:05:22 Speaker 1: Another voicemail, another unanswered call. As hours became days, concern

1:05:28 Speaker 1: slowly replaced patients. Their parents never ignored family, not once.

1:05:33 Speaker 1: If they missed a call, they always returned it. Always

1:05:37 Speaker 1: something wasn't right. One son called his uncle, Tom's older brother, Jim.

1:05:42 Speaker 1: Hawks Jim listened carefully. You haven't heard from them, No,

1:05:48 Speaker 1: When was the last time? The day they were meeting

1:05:51 Speaker 1: the buyer? Jim thanked him and immediately began making phone

1:05:55 Speaker 1: calls himself. He tried Tom's phone, straight to voicemail. He

1:05:59 Speaker 1: tried by Jackie's phone. Nothing. He contacted several relatives, no

1:06:04 Speaker 1: one had spoken to them. An uneasy feeling settled deep

1:06:08 Speaker 1: inside him. Jim wasn't easily frightened. Years earlier, he had

1:06:13 Speaker 1: served as a respected police chief. He had investigated countless disappearances.

1:06:19 Speaker 1: He understood how quickly small concerns could become serious cases.

1:06:23 Speaker 1: The following morning, he made a decision, I'm driving to

1:06:26 Speaker 1: Newport Beach. When Jim arrived at the marina, he headed

1:06:31 Speaker 1: directly toward the dock where the Well Deserved had always

1:06:34 Speaker 1: been moored. As he approached, something immediately caught his attention.

1:06:38 Speaker 1: The yacht looked different, not dramatically, just enough. Several docking

1:06:44 Speaker 1: lines hung carelessly over the side. Protective covers had been

1:06:48 Speaker 1: removed from equipment and left lying loose. A couple of

1:06:52 Speaker 1: dirty towels protruded from one of the cabin windows. Most

1:06:55 Speaker 1: people would never have noticed. Jim did. His brother was maulous.

1:07:01 Speaker 1: Tom believed every rope had a proper place, Every surface

1:07:04 Speaker 1: should be clean, every cover should be secured. The untidy

1:07:09 Speaker 1: appearance didn't fit him at all. Jim quietly stepped onto

1:07:12 Speaker 1: the dock and looked around. There was no sign of Tom,

1:07:16 Speaker 1: no sign of Jackie, only the silent yacht rocking gently

1:07:20 Speaker 1: against its moorings. He knocked, no answer. He called out,

1:07:25 Speaker 1: still nothing. Then he noticed something else. The yacht hadn't

1:07:29 Speaker 1: been emptied. Several personal items still remained inside. If Tom

1:07:33 Speaker 1: and Jackie had truly sold the vessel, why had they

1:07:37 Speaker 1: left belongings behind. Jim's concern deepened. He reached into his

1:07:41 Speaker 1: pocket and removed one of his business cards. On the back,

1:07:45 Speaker 1: he quickly wrote a short message, please contact me immediately

1:07:49 Speaker 1: regarding Tom and Jackie Hawk's He left the card where

1:07:53 Speaker 1: the new owners would easily find it. Then he reluctantly

1:07:56 Speaker 1: walked back toward the parking lot. As he reached his vehicle,

1:08:00 Speaker 1: his cell phone rang. The caller identified herself as Jennifer Dalion.

1:08:05 Speaker 1: She explained that she had just found his business card

1:08:08 Speaker 1: aboard her newly purchased yacht. Jim listened carefully. Jennifer sounded calm, friendly, concerned.

1:08:15 Speaker 1: She explained that she and her husband had recently bought

1:08:18 Speaker 1: the Well Deserved, but they were also trying unsuccessfully to

1:08:22 Speaker 1: contact Tom and Jackie. There are a few controls we

1:08:25 Speaker 1: don't understand, she said politely, and they accidentally left some

1:08:30 Speaker 1: personal belongings behind. Jim asked, when was the last time

1:08:34 Speaker 1: you saw my brother and his wife. Jennifer answered, without hesitation,

1:08:40 Speaker 1: the day we finalized the purchase. They took the money,

1:08:44 Speaker 1: they got into their suv, and they drove away, exactly

1:08:48 Speaker 1: the story Skyler had instructed everyone to tell. Jim thanked

1:08:52 Speaker 1: her before ending the call, but something still didn't sit right.

1:08:56 Speaker 1: A retired police officer trusted evidence, and every instinct he

1:09:01 Speaker 1: possessed was telling him the same thing. Tom and Jackie

1:09:04 Speaker 1: Hawks hadn't simply disappeared. Something terrible had happened. He just

1:09:09 Speaker 1: didn't know what yet. Jim Hawks sat quietly inside his

1:09:13 Speaker 1: vehicle for several minutes after ending the call with Jennifer Daion.

1:09:17 Speaker 1: The marina bustled with its usual activity. Outside his window,

1:09:21 Speaker 1: Families carried coolers toward their boats. Fishermen laughed as they

1:09:25 Speaker 1: unloaded equipment. Seagulls circled overhead, their cries blending with the

1:09:30 Speaker 1: sound of waves against the docks. To everyone else, it

1:09:34 Speaker 1: was another ordinary day to Jim something felt terribly wrong.

1:09:38 Speaker 1: His years in law enforcement had taught him one lesson

1:09:41 Speaker 1: above all others. People often disappear for a reason. Sometimes

1:09:46 Speaker 1: they leave voluntarily, sometimes they suffer accidents, and sometimes someone

1:09:52 Speaker 1: makes sure they never come back. Tom wasn't the kind

1:09:55 Speaker 1: of man who simply vanished, Neither was Jackie. If they

1:09:59 Speaker 1: had sold the young they would have called their sons immediately.

1:10:02 Speaker 1: They had been too excited about becoming grandparents to stay

1:10:06 Speaker 1: out of contact for days. Jim started the engine. There

1:10:09 Speaker 1: was one person who might know more. Her name was Patricia.

1:10:14 Speaker 1: For the past several years, while Tom and Jackie traveled

1:10:17 Speaker 1: up and down the California and Mexican coastline, Patricia had

1:10:21 Speaker 1: handled their finances. She paid bills, monitored their bank accounts,

1:10:25 Speaker 1: and made sure taxes and other obligations were taken care

1:10:29 Speaker 1: of whenever the couple was away from reliable internet or

1:10:31 Speaker 1: phone service. Jim dialed her number. She answered almost immediately, Hi, Jim, Patricia,

1:10:39 Speaker 1: I need to ask you something. His serious tone immediately

1:10:43 Speaker 1: caught her attention. Of course, Jim explained that Tom and

1:10:47 Speaker 1: Jackie had disappeared shortly after selling their yacht. There was

1:10:51 Speaker 1: silence on the other end of the line. That doesn't

1:10:54 Speaker 1: sound like them. Patricia said quietly, no, it doesn't. Jim

1:10:59 Speaker 1: took a deep breath. They were supposed to receive nearly

1:11:03 Speaker 1: five hundred thousand dollars. Can you check whether that money

1:11:07 Speaker 1: was deposited? Patricia logged into their accounts while Jim waited.

1:11:11 Speaker 1: The seconds felt endless. Finally, she spoke, there's nothing. Jim frowned.

1:11:17 Speaker 1: What do you mean, no deposit, nothing close to that amount.

1:11:22 Speaker 1: Jim stared through his windshield. Are you sure I've checked

1:11:26 Speaker 1: every account the money was never deposited. The answer made

1:11:31 Speaker 1: no sense. Tom Hawks wasn't careless. He certainly wouldn't drive

1:11:35 Speaker 1: around with half a million dollars in cash. For several days,

1:11:39 Speaker 1: Patricia continued searching through recent transactions. There have been some

1:11:43 Speaker 1: smaller withdrawals, but nothing unusual. Jim thanked her and ended

1:11:48 Speaker 1: the call. His concern had now become genuine fear. A

1:11:52 Speaker 1: missing couple half a million dollars, no bank deposit, no

1:11:57 Speaker 1: phone calls, no contact with fans, Emily, the pieces refused

1:12:01 Speaker 1: to fit together. Within the hour, Jim walked into the

1:12:05 Speaker 1: Newport Beach Police Department and officially reported Tom and Jackie

1:12:09 Speaker 1: Hawks as missing. The report landed on the desk of detectives,

1:12:13 Speaker 1: who immediately recognized that this case deserved attention. The hawks

1:12:17 Speaker 1: had vanished under suspicious circumstances. They had recently completed, or

1:12:22 Speaker 1: supposedly completed, a high value boat sail. The buyers were

1:12:26 Speaker 1: the last known people to see them alive. Investigators began

1:12:30 Speaker 1: where they always did the buyers. A background check on

1:12:34 Speaker 1: Skuyler Daleone produced immediate results. The detective reading the file

1:12:39 Speaker 1: raised his eyebrows armed robbery. Another officer looked over convicted felon,

1:12:46 Speaker 1: he served prison time. The room became noticeably quieter. Skuyler

1:12:51 Speaker 1: had claimed to be an ordinary young businessman purchasing a yacht. Instead,

1:12:56 Speaker 1: his criminal history painted a very different picture. Detective wives

1:13:00 Speaker 1: immediately considered him a person of interest before bringing him

1:13:04 Speaker 1: in for questioning. However, they wanted to examine the yacht itself.

1:13:08 Speaker 1: One detective drove to the marina later that afternoon. Standing

1:13:13 Speaker 1: on the dock, he studied the well deserved carefully. It

1:13:16 Speaker 1: appeared quiet, no one seemed to be aboard. He slowly

1:13:20 Speaker 1: walked around the vessel, peering through the windows. Then something

1:13:24 Speaker 1: caught his attention. Inside one cabin window, it looked like

1:13:28 Speaker 1: a bloody handprint. His pulse quickened. He stepped closer. The

1:13:33 Speaker 1: reddish stain appeared frighteningly, similar to dried blood smeared against

1:13:37 Speaker 1: an interior surface. If it truly was blood, could justify

1:13:41 Speaker 1: a search warrant. Within hours, crime scene investigators filled the marina.

1:13:47 Speaker 1: Officers carefully boarded the yacht. Photographs were taken, evidence bags

1:13:52 Speaker 1: were prepared. Every room was searched, from floor to ceiling. Cabinets,

1:13:57 Speaker 1: storage compartments, mattresses, floors, walls. Nothing escaped examination. The detective

1:14:05 Speaker 1: carefully examined the suspicious handprint after laboratory testing. Disappointment quickly followed.

1:14:12 Speaker 1: It wasn't blood. It was rust. An oddly shaped rust

1:14:16 Speaker 1: stain had created the illusion of a bloody hand. Investigators

1:14:20 Speaker 1: continued searching anyway. Perhaps another clue remained, a fingerprint, hair,

1:14:26 Speaker 1: signs of violence, But despite hours aboard the yacht, nothing

1:14:30 Speaker 1: significant appeared. The vessel looked surprisingly clean, too clean, almost

1:14:36 Speaker 1: as though someone had made sure to remove anything incriminating. Still,

1:14:41 Speaker 1: there wasn't enough physical evidence to prove a crime had occurred.

1:14:45 Speaker 1: The detectives gathered outside the marina, one officer's side. So

1:14:50 Speaker 1: where do we go now? The lead investigator answered, without hesitation.

1:14:54 Speaker 1: We talked to Skyler Dalyione. The following day, Skyler voluntarily

1:14:59 Speaker 1: arived at the police station. He walked inside calmly, confidently.

1:15:04 Speaker 1: He smiled politely at everyone he passed. If he felt nervous,

1:15:09 Speaker 1: he hid it remarkably well. After introductions, detectives asked him

1:15:14 Speaker 1: to explain exactly how he had come to purchase the yacht.

1:15:17 Speaker 1: Skyler leaned back in his chair. It was pretty straightforward.

1:15:21 Speaker 1: I saw the advertisement. I called Tom, we met, I

1:15:26 Speaker 1: liked the boat, so we arranged the purchase. He described

1:15:30 Speaker 1: the transaction in great detail. According to Skyler, the final

1:15:35 Speaker 1: sale had taken place in the Marina parking lot. A

1:15:38 Speaker 1: notary had been present, his wife, Jennifer had attended. A

1:15:42 Speaker 1: friend had witnessed everything. Tom and Jackie received a suitcase

1:15:47 Speaker 1: full of cash. They signed the paperwork, then they climbed

1:15:51 Speaker 1: into their suv and drove away. It was the exact

1:15:54 Speaker 1: same story Jennifer had already told Jim Hawks. The detective

1:15:58 Speaker 1: listened quietly before asking another question. Five hundred thousand dollars

1:16:03 Speaker 1: is a lot of cash, Skyler smiled, it is, so,

1:16:07 Speaker 1: where did it come from? For the first time, Skyler hesitated.

1:16:12 Speaker 1: He rubbed his hands together. Well, I guess I should

1:16:16 Speaker 1: probably tell you the truth. The detectives exchanged quick glances.

1:16:20 Speaker 1: I used to tell people I made that money acting

1:16:23 Speaker 1: as a child. I appeared on Power Rangers years ago.

1:16:27 Speaker 1: He chuckled awkwardly. That wasn't really true. The room fell silent.

1:16:32 Speaker 1: The money was stolen. One detective leaned forward, explain. Skyler

1:16:38 Speaker 1: sighed dramatically. Years ago, I stole money from a drug dealer.

1:16:43 Speaker 1: I hid it before I went to prison. When I

1:16:46 Speaker 1: got out, I dug it back up. I couldn't spend

1:16:49 Speaker 1: it because it was dirty money. So I decided to

1:16:52 Speaker 1: buy the yacht and eventually sell it. That way, the

1:16:56 Speaker 1: money would become legitimate. The detective stared at him. Skyler

1:17:01 Speaker 1: had just calmly confessed to participating in a money laundering scheme,

1:17:05 Speaker 1: Yet he continued speaking as though admitting to a minor

1:17:09 Speaker 1: traffic violation. I figured honesty was the best policy. The

1:17:13 Speaker 1: lead investigator closed his notebook. He had just learned something important.

1:17:18 Speaker 1: Skyler was absolutely capable of serious crime. But one question

1:17:23 Speaker 1: remained unanswered. If Skyler was telling the truth about the sale,

1:17:27 Speaker 1: where were Tom and Jackie Hawks and why had they

1:17:31 Speaker 1: seemingly vanished without leaving a single trace behind Skyler. Dalione

1:17:35 Speaker 1: left the police station believing he had successfully outsmarted the investigators.

1:17:40 Speaker 1: Although he had admitted to laundering stolen drug money, he

1:17:43 Speaker 1: had done so strategically. By confessing to one crime, he

1:17:48 Speaker 1: hoped detectives would view him as unusually honest and become

1:17:51 Speaker 1: less suspicious about everything else. The gamble appeared to work

1:17:56 Speaker 1: for the moment. Investigators chose not to arrest him immediately

1:18:00 Speaker 1: for the money laundering confession. Instead, they focused on what

1:18:04 Speaker 1: mattered most, finding Tom and Jackie hawks. Over the next

1:18:08 Speaker 1: several days, detectives interviewed everyone connected to the yacht sale.

1:18:13 Speaker 1: Jennifer Daleone arrived first. She appeared calm and cooperative. She

1:18:18 Speaker 1: spoke softly, often sounding as worried as Tom and Jackie's

1:18:22 Speaker 1: own family. I wish I knew where they were, She said,

1:18:26 Speaker 1: they were such nice people. She repeated the same timeline

1:18:29 Speaker 1: Skyler had given investigators. The sale had supposedly taken place

1:18:34 Speaker 1: in the Marina parking lot. A notary had witnessed the paperwork,

1:18:39 Speaker 1: cash had changed hands, Tom and Jackie had driven away

1:18:42 Speaker 1: in their suv. Nothing unusual had happened afterward, When detectives

1:18:47 Speaker 1: questioned her about the personal belongings still left aboard the yacht,

1:18:51 Speaker 1: Jennifer simply shrugged, I guess they forgot them. She even

1:18:55 Speaker 1: mentioned wanting to return those items if the Hawks were

1:18:58 Speaker 1: ever found. Her performance was convincing, almost too convincing. Next

1:19:04 Speaker 1: came the notary, a respected woman named Kathleen Harris. She

1:19:08 Speaker 1: had worked as a notary for years without any complaints

1:19:11 Speaker 1: or disciplinary actions. When detectives asked her to describe the transaction,

1:19:16 Speaker 1: she confidently repeated the exact same story. I verified everyone's identities,

1:19:22 Speaker 1: they signed the paperwork, I watched the buyer's hand over

1:19:26 Speaker 1: the money, and then mister and missus Hawks drove away.

1:19:30 Speaker 1: Everything matched Skuyler's account. Everything matched Jennifer's account. Finally, detectives

1:19:36 Speaker 1: interviewed the third witness, a young man named Alonso McCain.

1:19:40 Speaker 1: He appeared noticeably more nervous than the others. His hands

1:19:44 Speaker 1: rarely stopped moving, his eyes constantly drifted toward the floor. Still,

1:19:50 Speaker 1: he repeated the same version of events. The sale happened,

1:19:54 Speaker 1: they left. That's all I know. Three witnesses, three nearly

1:19:59 Speaker 1: identif stories. On paper, it looked convincing, but experienced investigators

1:20:05 Speaker 1: noticed something subtle. People telling the truth rarely repeat events

1:20:10 Speaker 1: using almost identical wording. Real memories differ. One person remembers clothing,

1:20:16 Speaker 1: another remembers whether, someone else remembers conversations perfectly matching stories

1:20:22 Speaker 1: often suggest rehearsal. The detectives couldn't prove anyone was lying.

1:20:27 Speaker 1: Not yet, With few investigative options remaining, the Newport Beach

1:20:32 Speaker 1: Police Department made a public appeal. Television stations across southern

1:20:37 Speaker 1: California broadcast photographs of Tom and Jackie. Newspapers published articles

1:20:42 Speaker 1: describing their disappearance. The public was asked to report any

1:20:46 Speaker 1: sightings of the couple or their dark colored SUV days past. Nothing.

1:20:51 Speaker 1: Then a phone call arrived from Mexico. An elderly couple

1:20:55 Speaker 1: living in a quiet neighborhood near the Arizona border had

1:20:59 Speaker 1: seen the top television bulletin. They recognized the vehicle immediately.

1:21:04 Speaker 1: It's parked across the street from our house. The detective

1:21:07 Speaker 1: receiving the call nearly dropped his pen. Are you certain? Absolutely?

1:21:13 Speaker 1: Within hours, American investigators coordinated with Mexican authorities. Police vehicles

1:21:19 Speaker 1: quietly surrounded the neighborhood everyone believed the mystery might finally

1:21:24 Speaker 1: be over. Perhaps Tom and Jackie had traveled south after all,

1:21:28 Speaker 1: Perhaps they were staying with friends. Maybe everything had a

1:21:32 Speaker 1: simple explanation. Officers approached the house where the suv was parked.

1:21:37 Speaker 1: They knocked firmly. Moments later, the front door opened. A

1:21:41 Speaker 1: middle aged man looked outside with a puzzled expression. The

1:21:44 Speaker 1: officers immediately asked about the vehicle. Who owns the suv

1:21:49 Speaker 1: parked outside? The man answered, casually, my friend. What's his name? Skyler?

1:21:56 Speaker 1: The officer's exchanged stunned glances. Skuyler dalleone. Yes. The answer

1:22:03 Speaker 1: changed everything. Detectives quickly asked another question, Do you know

1:22:07 Speaker 1: Tom or Jackie Hawkes? The homeowner frowned, No, I've never

1:22:12 Speaker 1: heard those names. He explained that Skyler had recently left

1:22:16 Speaker 1: the suv with him while traveling. That was all. The

1:22:20 Speaker 1: officers thanked him and quietly stepped away. One detective stared

1:22:24 Speaker 1: silently at the vehicle. The realization hit him instantly. Skyler

1:22:29 Speaker 1: had lied. According to his statement, the last time he

1:22:33 Speaker 1: saw Tom and Jackie they drove away in that suv.

1:22:36 Speaker 1: Yet somehow their vehicle had ended up in Skyler's possession.

1:22:41 Speaker 1: There was no innocent explanation. He had either seen them

1:22:44 Speaker 1: again or they had never driven away at all. Back

1:22:48 Speaker 1: in California, detectives moved quickly. The evidence might still be circumstantial,

1:22:54 Speaker 1: but it was enough to act. Skyler was arrested on

1:22:57 Speaker 1: the money laundering charge he had volunt teroly confessed to

1:23:01 Speaker 1: days earlier. This time, he wasn't leaving the station. Search

1:23:05 Speaker 1: warrants were immediately executed on the Dalyones home. Investigators carefully

1:23:11 Speaker 1: examined every room. First, nothing seemed unusual. Then officers began

1:23:16 Speaker 1: discovering items that didn't belong there. A laptop, a video camera,

1:23:21 Speaker 1: personal belongings. All of them belonged to Tom and Jackie Hawks.

1:23:26 Speaker 1: The detectives looked at one another. These weren't possessions someone

1:23:30 Speaker 1: accidentally left aboard the yacht. These were items taken from

1:23:34 Speaker 1: the Hawks after they disappeared. Each discovery tightened the net

1:23:38 Speaker 1: around Skyler. Still, he refused to change his story. During

1:23:43 Speaker 1: another lengthy interview, detectives confronted him. How did Tom and

1:23:47 Speaker 1: Jackie's suv end up in Mexico? Skyler shrugged, I don't know.

1:23:53 Speaker 1: How did their personal property end up inside your house?

1:23:56 Speaker 1: They probably forgot it you expect us to believe Dave

1:24:00 Speaker 1: that Skyler leaned back calmly. It's the truth. No matter

1:24:04 Speaker 1: how aggressively detectives questioned him, he never admitted anything. Meanwhile,

1:24:10 Speaker 1: Jennifer appeared on local television programs defending her husband. With

1:24:15 Speaker 1: tears in her eyes, she insisted police had made a

1:24:18 Speaker 1: terrible mistake. My husband would never hurt anyone. We're just

1:24:23 Speaker 1: as worried about Tom and Jackie as everyone else. She

1:24:26 Speaker 1: smiled sadly for the cameras she spoke about praying for

1:24:30 Speaker 1: the missing couple. She portrayed herself as a frightened young

1:24:34 Speaker 1: mother caught in an unfair investigation. Many viewers believed her,

1:24:38 Speaker 1: but detectives did not. They knew the truth was buried

1:24:41 Speaker 1: somewhere inside the stories told by Skuyler, Jennifer, Kathleen Harris,

1:24:47 Speaker 1: and Alonso McCain. One of them would eventually break. The

1:24:51 Speaker 1: investigators just needed to discover who would lose their nerve.

1:24:55 Speaker 1: First days turned into weeks, the disappearance of Tom and

1:24:59 Speaker 1: Jackie Hawk's dominated local headlines. Every newscast repeated the same questions,

1:25:05 Speaker 1: where had the retired couple gone? Why had they vanished?

1:25:09 Speaker 1: Immediately after selling their beloved yacht, and why did every

1:25:12 Speaker 1: trail seem to lead back to Skuyler and Jennifer Dalyone

1:25:16 Speaker 1: Inside the Newport Beach Police Department, investigators gathered around a

1:25:20 Speaker 1: conference table covered with photographs, witness statements, financial records, and maps.

1:25:26 Speaker 1: Every piece of evidence pointed toward the Dalyones. Yet there

1:25:30 Speaker 1: was still one enormous problem. They didn't have a body,

1:25:33 Speaker 1: they didn't have a confession, and without either, proving murder

1:25:37 Speaker 1: in court would be incredibly difficult. One detective leaned back

1:25:41 Speaker 1: in his chair. We're missing something. Another nodded, they're all

1:25:46 Speaker 1: telling the same story. The lead investigator looked toward the

1:25:50 Speaker 1: stack of witness statements, exactly too much the same. He

1:25:55 Speaker 1: tapped one particular name with his finger, Kathleen Harris, the notary.

1:26:00 Speaker 1: Something about her interview had never felt right. Unlike Skuyler

1:26:04 Speaker 1: and Jennifer, Kathleen had no criminal history, She had spent

1:26:08 Speaker 1: years building an honest career. She had everything to lose

1:26:12 Speaker 1: by lying to police. If someone's going to crack, the

1:26:16 Speaker 1: detectives said, quietly, it's her. The following morning, officers asked

1:26:21 Speaker 1: Kathleen to return to the station. She arrived looking nervous.

1:26:26 Speaker 1: This time, the interview felt very different. The detectives didn't

1:26:29 Speaker 1: accuse her immediately. Instead, they calmly walked her through every

1:26:34 Speaker 1: detail of the supposed yacht sale. What time did you arrive,

1:26:38 Speaker 1: what documents were signed first? Where exactly was everyone standing?

1:26:44 Speaker 1: Kathleen answered each question carefully, but as the interview continued,

1:26:48 Speaker 1: the detectives began confronting her with inconsistencies. You said the

1:26:53 Speaker 1: paperwork was signed beside the suv, but earlier you said

1:26:57 Speaker 1: everyone stood near the dock. Kathleen hesitated. You also said

1:27:02 Speaker 1: Jennifer was holding her child during the signing. Earlier you

1:27:06 Speaker 1: told us someone else was. Kathleen swallowed hard. The room

1:27:10 Speaker 1: became silent. Then the lead detective placed the sale documents

1:27:14 Speaker 1: in front of her. He gently pushed them across the table.

1:27:18 Speaker 1: We know something isn't right. You have one opportunity to

1:27:22 Speaker 1: tell us the truth. Kathleen stared at the papers, her

1:27:26 Speaker 1: breathing became heavier. For nearly a minute. She said nothing,

1:27:30 Speaker 1: Then tears filled her eyes. Her shoulders began shaking. Finally,

1:27:36 Speaker 1: she whispered, I wasn't there. The detectives remained silent, allowing

1:27:41 Speaker 1: her to continue. I never met Tom or Jackie Hawk's.

1:27:45 Speaker 1: She buried her face in her hands. Skuyler paid me,

1:27:49 Speaker 1: he gave me cash. He asked me to notarize paperwork

1:27:53 Speaker 1: that had already been signed. I backdated the documents. I

1:27:58 Speaker 1: knew it was wrong. I just she broke down, crying.

1:28:02 Speaker 1: I never imagined people had died. The room fell completely silent.

1:28:07 Speaker 1: The investigators finally had what they had suspected all along,

1:28:11 Speaker 1: the official paperwork proving the yacht sale was fraudulent. The

1:28:15 Speaker 1: timeline Skyler had created had completely collapsed. One detective quietly asked, so,

1:28:21 Speaker 1: on the day you supposedly witnessed the sale, you weren't

1:28:25 Speaker 1: there at all. Kathleen shook her head. No, I've never

1:28:29 Speaker 1: even seen Tom and Jackie in person. The interview ended

1:28:33 Speaker 1: with Kathleen agreeing to cooperate fully as she left the building.

1:28:37 Speaker 1: Detectives wasted no time. There goes the alibi, one investigator said,

1:28:43 Speaker 1: but we're still missing the whole story. The next name

1:28:46 Speaker 1: on their list was even more important, Alonso McCain. Detectives

1:28:51 Speaker 1: already knew he had lied. The question was how much

1:28:54 Speaker 1: did he know? Alonso arrived looking exhausted. Unlike Skuyler, he

1:28:59 Speaker 1: no longer. Unger projected confidence. Dark circles surrounded his eyes.

1:29:04 Speaker 1: He had barely slept since the murders. Every night he

1:29:07 Speaker 1: replayed the same horrifying images, Jackie begging Tom, fighting, the chain,

1:29:13 Speaker 1: disappearing into the sea. The detectives began calmly, tell us

1:29:17 Speaker 1: again what happened that day. Alonso repeated the familiar lie.

1:29:22 Speaker 1: They signed the papers, they took the money, they left.

1:29:26 Speaker 1: The lead detective interrupted him. No. He placed Kathleen's sign

1:29:31 Speaker 1: statement onto the table. She confessed she wasn't there. There

1:29:37 Speaker 1: was no legitimate sale. Alonzo's face turned pale. The detective

1:29:41 Speaker 1: leaned forward. We know you're lying. We know Skuyler lied.

1:29:46 Speaker 1: The only question now, he paused, is whether you want

1:29:50 Speaker 1: to spend the rest of your life protecting him. Silence.

1:29:54 Speaker 1: One detective spoke softly, Skyler isn't protecting you, He's protect himself.

1:30:01 Speaker 1: If this case goes to trial the way it stands,

1:30:04 Speaker 1: you'll face exactly the same consequences. Alonso stared at the table.

1:30:10 Speaker 1: His breathing became uneven. He still said nothing. The detectives

1:30:14 Speaker 1: exchanged glances. Then the lead investigator made one final offer.

1:30:19 Speaker 1: If you tell us everything, If you tell us exactly

1:30:23 Speaker 1: what happened to Tom and Jackie. We'll inform the prosecutor

1:30:27 Speaker 1: that you cooperated. We can't erase what happened, but your

1:30:31 Speaker 1: honesty will matter. The room became painfully quiet. Seconds stretched

1:30:36 Speaker 1: into minutes. Finally, Alonso closed his eyes. A single tear

1:30:41 Speaker 1: rolled down his face. When he finally spoke, his voice

1:30:45 Speaker 1: was barely audible. It wasn't supposed to happen like that.

1:30:49 Speaker 1: The detectives immediately leaned forward. For the first time since

1:30:53 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie Hawks had disappeared, someone was finally about

1:30:57 Speaker 1: to tell the truth, and that truth would reveal a

1:31:00 Speaker 1: level of cruelty so disturbing that even seasoned homicide detectives

1:31:05 Speaker 1: would struggle to listen without emotion. The interview room was silent,

1:31:09 Speaker 1: except for the faint hum of the air conditioner. Alonso

1:31:13 Speaker 1: McCain sat motionless, his hands clasped together on the metal table.

1:31:18 Speaker 1: His face was pale, and his eyes were fixed on

1:31:21 Speaker 1: the floor. For several long moments, no one spoke. The

1:31:24 Speaker 1: detectives knew better than to interrupt. After weeks of lies,

1:31:29 Speaker 1: they sensed the truth was finally beginning to break through.

1:31:32 Speaker 1: Alonso took a slow, shaky breath. I'll tell you everything.

1:31:37 Speaker 1: One detective quietly switched on a tape recorder. Start at

1:31:41 Speaker 1: the beginning. Alonso nodded weakly. It started a few weeks

1:31:46 Speaker 1: before the boat trip. He explained that he had first

1:31:49 Speaker 1: met Skuyler years earlier while working as a jailer. Skuyler

1:31:53 Speaker 1: had been serving time for armed robbery, and despite the

1:31:56 Speaker 1: obvious conflict of interest, the two had remained in contact

1:32:00 Speaker 1: after Skuyler's release. At first, their friendship seemed ordinary. Then

1:32:04 Speaker 1: one evening, Skyler invited Alonso over and told him something

1:32:08 Speaker 1: that sounded like the plot of an action movie. He

1:32:12 Speaker 1: said he was an international assassin. The detectives exchanged quick

1:32:16 Speaker 1: glances but remained silent. He told me, wealthy people paid

1:32:21 Speaker 1: him to eliminate dangerous criminals all over the world. Alonso

1:32:25 Speaker 1: lowered his head. I believed him. Skyler had described Tom

1:32:29 Speaker 1: and Jackie Hawks as ruthless criminals who had supposedly harmed

1:32:33 Speaker 1: innocent people and accumulated enormous wealth through illegal activities. He

1:32:38 Speaker 1: said they deserved to die. He said the government couldn't

1:32:42 Speaker 1: touch them, so someone else had to. One detective interrupted,

1:32:47 Speaker 1: did he ever show you proof? Alonso slowly shook his head. No,

1:32:52 Speaker 1: I just his voice cracked. I believed him. Skyler had

1:32:57 Speaker 1: promised him one million dollars for helping come the mission.

1:33:01 Speaker 1: To a young man with little money and few prospects.

1:33:04 Speaker 1: The offer seemed life changing. Looking back now, Alonso could

1:33:08 Speaker 1: barely understand how he had been manipulated so completely. He

1:33:13 Speaker 1: knew exactly what to say. He made it sound like

1:33:17 Speaker 1: we were doing something good. The detective asked quietly, when

1:33:21 Speaker 1: did you realize he was lying? Alonso closed his eyes.

1:33:25 Speaker 1: When I met them, He described arriving at the marina

1:33:29 Speaker 1: that morning, Tom greeting everyone politely, Jackie smiling warmly, holding

1:33:34 Speaker 1: Jennifer's baby, talking excitedly about becoming grandparents. They weren't criminals,

1:33:41 Speaker 1: they were just he struggled to continue, they were just

1:33:45 Speaker 1: good people. His voice broke completely. The detectives allowed him

1:33:50 Speaker 1: a moment to compose himself. Eventually, he continued describing everything

1:33:55 Speaker 1: that had happened aboard the yacht, Tom growing suspicious, Jennifer

1:33:59 Speaker 1: arriving with the baby to make everyone feel safe, the

1:34:02 Speaker 1: sea trial, the attack below deck, Jackie being handcuffed, the tape,

1:34:08 Speaker 1: the signatures, Every horrifying detail matched what investigators had already suspected.

1:34:14 Speaker 1: Then Alonso reached the final moments. He could barely speak.

1:34:18 Speaker 1: We took them onto the back deck. His breathing became uneven.

1:34:23 Speaker 1: Skuyler told me to get the anchor. The room remained

1:34:26 Speaker 1: perfectly still. I knew then, I knew exactly what he

1:34:30 Speaker 1: was going to do. One detective quietly asked, why didn't

1:34:34 Speaker 1: you stop him? Alonso buried his face in his hands.

1:34:38 Speaker 1: I was afraid. I thought his words dissolved into sobs.

1:34:44 Speaker 1: I thought he'd kill me too. After several minutes, he continued.

1:34:48 Speaker 1: He described attaching the chain to the handcuffs, Tom trying

1:34:52 Speaker 1: desperately to protect Jackie. Jackie begging to see her family

1:34:56 Speaker 1: one last time, Tom offering Skuyler everything they owned. None

1:35:00 Speaker 1: of it mattered when Alonso described the anchor being thrown overboard.

1:35:05 Speaker 1: Even the detectives struggled to hide their emotions. One investigator

1:35:09 Speaker 1: slowly removed his glasses, another looked away. They had spent

1:35:14 Speaker 1: entire careers investigating murders, yet this confession affected them deeply.

1:35:19 Speaker 1: Alonso then revealed something investigators hadn't known. After they disappeared,

1:35:25 Speaker 1: He swallowed hard. Skuyler started laughing. He ran to the

1:35:30 Speaker 1: edge of the boat. He looked down into the water

1:35:34 Speaker 1: like a little kid watching fireworks. Alonzo's voice trembled. He

1:35:39 Speaker 1: shouted woo hoo. The detectives wrote the word into their

1:35:43 Speaker 1: notes exactly as Alonso said it. He just stood there, smiling.

1:35:49 Speaker 1: He waited until the bubbles stopped. When the water became calm,

1:35:53 Speaker 1: he turned around and said, let's go home. Silence filled

1:35:58 Speaker 1: the room once again. Confession lasted hours. By the time

1:36:02 Speaker 1: Alonso finished, investigators finally understood exactly what had happened to

1:36:07 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie Hawk's. Although the couple's bodies would likely

1:36:11 Speaker 1: never be recovered from the depths of the Pacific Ocean,

1:36:14 Speaker 1: the truth had finally surfaced. With Alonzo's complete statement, Detectives

1:36:20 Speaker 1: immediately moved to strengthen the case. John Kennedy was arrested.

1:36:24 Speaker 1: Jennifer Daione was brought in once again. This time, investigators

1:36:29 Speaker 1: confronted her with Alonzo's confession. She denied everything. She insisted

1:36:34 Speaker 1: Alonzo was lying to save himself. She claimed Skuyler was innocent,

1:36:39 Speaker 1: but detectives already possessed phone records showing multiple calls between

1:36:43 Speaker 1: Jennifer and Skuyler during the hours Tom and Jackie disappeared.

1:36:47 Speaker 1: The timing perfectly matched Alonzo's account. Every new piece of

1:36:51 Speaker 1: evidence supported his confession. Search warrants uncovered additional financial records.

1:36:58 Speaker 1: Investigators confirmed that attempts had been made to access the

1:37:01 Speaker 1: Hawk's bank accounts using the signed authorization forms. The forged paperwork,

1:37:06 Speaker 1: the hidden vehicle in Mexico, the personal belongings recovered from

1:37:11 Speaker 1: the Daily Oone home, the phone records, the confession. Together,

1:37:15 Speaker 1: they painted an overwhelming picture. The investigation that had begun

1:37:20 Speaker 1: as a missing person case had become something much darker.

1:37:24 Speaker 1: Authorities were now preparing one of California's most disturbing murder prosecutions.

1:37:29 Speaker 1: But before the trial even began, investigators made one final

1:37:34 Speaker 1: discovery inside the Dalyones home, a discovery so cold and

1:37:38 Speaker 1: heartless that it would leave Tom and Jackie's family devastated

1:37:42 Speaker 1: all over again. Months after the arrests, investigators continued processing

1:37:47 Speaker 1: every piece of evidence recovered from Skuyler and Jennifer Dallyon's home.

1:37:52 Speaker 1: Boxes filled with documents sat inside the evidence room. Laptops,

1:37:57 Speaker 1: financial records, photographs, seats, hard drives, personal belongings that had

1:38:03 Speaker 1: once belonged to Tom and Jackie Hawks. Each item was

1:38:07 Speaker 1: carefully cataloged, photographed, and examined. Although Alonzo's confession had finally

1:38:12 Speaker 1: revealed what happened aboard the Well Deserved, prosecutors knew a

1:38:16 Speaker 1: confession alone would not be enough. They wanted every possible

1:38:20 Speaker 1: piece of evidence to present before a jury. Among the

1:38:23 Speaker 1: property recovered from the daily owned home was one item

1:38:27 Speaker 1: investigators almost overlooked, a small handheld video camera. It belonged

1:38:32 Speaker 1: to Tom and Jackie. For years, the couple had carried

1:38:35 Speaker 1: it everywhere they traveled. It had become a visual diary

1:38:39 Speaker 1: of their retirement, every fishing trip, every sunset, every quiet

1:38:44 Speaker 1: evening at sea, every happy memory. A forensic technician carefully

1:38:49 Speaker 1: inserted the tape into a video player. Several detectives gathered

1:38:53 Speaker 1: around the monitor. The screen flickered to life. The first

1:38:57 Speaker 1: images showed exactly what they expected. Jackie smiled warmly into

1:39:02 Speaker 1: the camera behind her. The cabin of the Well Deserved

1:39:06 Speaker 1: looked spotless. The walls were decorated with small keepsakes collected

1:39:10 Speaker 1: during years of sailing. Photographs of family members sat neatly

1:39:14 Speaker 1: on shelves. Everything reflected the peaceful life Tom and Jackie

1:39:19 Speaker 1: had built together. Jackie slowly walked through the cabin. While filming,

1:39:23 Speaker 1: her cheerful voice filled the room. She explained that they

1:39:27 Speaker 1: were preparing to sell the yacht, although saying goodbye would

1:39:30 Speaker 1: be difficult, She and Tom believed it was time. A

1:39:33 Speaker 1: grandchild was on the way. They wanted to be closer

1:39:37 Speaker 1: to family. She laughed as she pointed the camera toward Tom.

1:39:41 Speaker 1: He smiled back at her from the helm. You ready,

1:39:44 Speaker 1: he joked, She laughed again, as ready as I'll ever be.

1:39:49 Speaker 1: Neither of them had any idea those would become some

1:39:51 Speaker 1: of the last moments ever recorded of their lives. The

1:39:55 Speaker 1: detectives watched quietly. Several smiled sadly at the obvious love

1:40:00 Speaker 1: between the couple. Then the recording suddenly stopped for a

1:40:04 Speaker 1: brief second, the screen turned black. Everyone expected the tape

1:40:08 Speaker 1: to end. Instead, a completely different scene appeared. The date

1:40:13 Speaker 1: had advanced several days, the location had changed. Now the

1:40:17 Speaker 1: camera showed a brightly decorated dining room. Children's toys lay

1:40:21 Speaker 1: scattered across the floor. Thanksgiving dinner filled the table. The

1:40:26 Speaker 1: people smiling into the camera were Skyler Jennifer, their young daughter.

1:40:32 Speaker 1: Investigators stared in disbelief. Skyler laughed as he chased his

1:40:36 Speaker 1: little girl around the room. Jennifer smiled warmly while serving food.

1:40:41 Speaker 1: Family members chatted happily in the background. No one watching

1:40:45 Speaker 1: the recording would have guessed that only days earlier, the

1:40:48 Speaker 1: couple had participated in one of the most horrifying murders imaginable.

1:40:52 Speaker 1: Even more disturbing, they were recording over Tom and Jackie's

1:40:56 Speaker 1: precious memories. Every new second of footage permit erased another

1:41:01 Speaker 1: part of the hawk's life together. One detective quietly switched

1:41:05 Speaker 1: off the television. No one spoke. Finally, another investigator broke

1:41:10 Speaker 1: the silence. They didn't just steal their boat, they stole

1:41:14 Speaker 1: their memories. The room remained silent. The tape would later

1:41:18 Speaker 1: become one of the most emotionally devastating pieces of evidence

1:41:22 Speaker 1: presented during the trial. It revealed something prosecutors wanted the

1:41:26 Speaker 1: jury to understand. This wasn't a crime committed in panic.

1:41:30 Speaker 1: It wasn't an accident, it wasn't self defense. It was calculated, deliberate,

1:41:37 Speaker 1: and afterward, life simply continued for the killers. While Tom

1:41:41 Speaker 1: and Jackie lay thousands of feet beneath the Pacific Ocean,

1:41:45 Speaker 1: Skuyler and Jennifer celebrated Thanksgiving, played with their daughter laughed together,

1:41:51 Speaker 1: made new family memories using the camera they had stolen

1:41:54 Speaker 1: from the people they had murdered. As prosecutors prepared for trial,

1:41:58 Speaker 1: Tom and Jackie's son faced an entirely different battle. For months,

1:42:03 Speaker 1: they had held on to hope. Even after the arrests,

1:42:06 Speaker 1: Part of them still wished their parents might somehow be

1:42:09 Speaker 1: found alive. Alonzo's confession destroyed that hope. Forever. There would

1:42:14 Speaker 1: be no miraculous rescue, no emotional reunion, no final goodbye,

1:42:20 Speaker 1: only the painful knowledge that their parents had spent their

1:42:23 Speaker 1: last moments comforting each other. Family members gathered together as

1:42:27 Speaker 1: prosecutors carefully explained what had happened aboard the yacht. Some

1:42:31 Speaker 1: details were considered too disturbing to repeat publicly, others were

1:42:35 Speaker 1: impossible to forget once heard. Tom's brother, Jim, sat quietly

1:42:41 Speaker 1: throughout the meeting. As a former police chief, he had

1:42:44 Speaker 1: witnessed countless tragedies during his career, yet nothing compared to

1:42:48 Speaker 1: hearing how his own brother had died. Still, one small

1:42:52 Speaker 1: detail offered the family a measure of comfort. During the investigation,

1:42:57 Speaker 1: handwriting experts examined the documents Tom and Jackie had been

1:43:01 Speaker 1: forced to sign on one signature line, Jackie had misspelled

1:43:05 Speaker 1: her own last name. She had written Hawk instead of Hawks.

1:43:10 Speaker 1: Experts believed the mistake was intentional. Even while facing death,

1:43:15 Speaker 1: Jackie had managed to leave behind one final message, a

1:43:19 Speaker 1: silent signal that she had signed those papers under extreme duress.

1:43:23 Speaker 1: It was an act of extraordinary courage, a final attempt

1:43:27 Speaker 1: to help investigators uncover the truth. Soon, the courtroom would

1:43:31 Speaker 1: hear every horrifying detail. The prosecution was ready, the defense

1:43:36 Speaker 1: was preparing its arguments, and the people responsible for the

1:43:40 Speaker 1: murders of Tom and Jackie Hawks were about to face justice.

1:43:43 Speaker 1: The courtroom was filled long before the trial began. Family

1:43:47 Speaker 1: members sat quietly together holding photographs of Tom and Jackie Hawks.

1:43:53 Speaker 1: Reporters packed the gallery. Prosecutors organized stacks of evidence that

1:43:57 Speaker 1: had taken months to collect. Across the room sat the defendants.

1:44:02 Speaker 1: Skuyler Dalyone showed little emotion. Jennifer dalyone remained composed. John

1:44:07 Speaker 1: Fitzgerald Kennedy sat silently beside his attorneys. For Tom and

1:44:12 Speaker 1: Jackie's family, simply seeing them in court was painful. Nothing

1:44:16 Speaker 1: could bring their loved ones back, but they hoped the

1:44:19 Speaker 1: truth would finally be heard. Over several weeks, prosecutors carefully

1:44:24 Speaker 1: reconstructed every step of the crime. They showed the jury

1:44:27 Speaker 1: the forged sale documents. They presented financial records proving the

1:44:32 Speaker 1: Hawk's bank accounts had been targeted after the murders. They

1:44:35 Speaker 1: introduced phone records showing repeated calls between Skuyler and Jennifer

1:44:39 Speaker 1: during the attack aboard the yacht. Then came the testimony

1:44:43 Speaker 1: that silenced the court room. Alonso McCain took the witness stand.

1:44:47 Speaker 1: His voice shook as he described the events of November fifteen,

1:44:51 Speaker 1: two thousand and four. He admitted his role in the crime.

1:44:55 Speaker 1: He accepted responsibility for helping restrain Tom and Jackie. He

1:44:59 Speaker 1: described the sea trial, the assault below deck, the forced signatures,

1:45:04 Speaker 1: and the horrifying moments at the stern of the well deserved.

1:45:08 Speaker 1: Many people in the courtroom lowered their heads as he

1:45:10 Speaker 1: recounted Jackie's desperate pleas to see her family one last time.

1:45:14 Speaker 1: Others quietly wiped away tears when he described Tom comforting

1:45:18 Speaker 1: his wife, telling her that no matter what happened, they

1:45:21 Speaker 1: would stay together. Perhaps the most chilling moment came when

1:45:25 Speaker 1: prosecutors asked Alonzo what Skuyler did after the couple disappeared

1:45:29 Speaker 1: beneath the ocean. Alonso answered quietly, he laughed, He ran

1:45:35 Speaker 1: to the edge of the boat. He watched until the

1:45:38 Speaker 1: bubbles stopped. The court room became completely silent. Jurors listened

1:45:43 Speaker 1: as prosecutors played portions of the recovered video camera footage.

1:45:48 Speaker 1: First came Tom and Jackie smiling aboard their beloved yacht.

1:45:52 Speaker 1: Then came the thanksgiving footage recorded over their memories. The

1:45:56 Speaker 1: contrast was heartbreaking. One family had been filled with hope

1:46:00 Speaker 1: for the future, the other had celebrated only days after

1:46:04 Speaker 1: taking their lives. The defense attempted to challenge Alonzo's credibility.

1:46:09 Speaker 1: They reminded jurors that he had accepted a plea agreement.

1:46:12 Speaker 1: They argued he was trying to reduce his own punishment

1:46:15 Speaker 1: by blaming Skuyler and Jennifer. But prosecutors countered with overwhelming

1:46:20 Speaker 1: physical evidence. The forged paperwork, the recovered property, the phone records,

1:46:26 Speaker 1: the hidden SUV in Mexico, Jackie's intentionally misspelled signature. Every

1:46:32 Speaker 1: piece supported Alonzo's confession. After hearing weeks of testimony, the

1:46:37 Speaker 1: jury deliberated. The verdicts reflected the cruelty and planning behind

1:46:42 Speaker 1: the crime. Alonso McCain received a sentence of twenty years

1:46:45 Speaker 1: in prison, reduced because he cooperated fully with investigators and

1:46:50 Speaker 1: provided the confession that solved the case. Jennifer Daleion was

1:46:53 Speaker 1: convicted of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without the

1:46:57 Speaker 1: possibility of parole. Although she had not been a board

1:47:00 Speaker 1: the yacht during the killings, the court found that she

1:47:02 Speaker 1: had knowingly helped plan the murders and lured Tom and

1:47:05 Speaker 1: Jackie into a false sense of security by arriving with

1:47:08 Speaker 1: her infant daughter before the sea trial. John Fitzgerald Kennedy

1:47:12 Speaker 1: was convicted of murder and sentence to death. Skuyler Daleione,

1:47:16 Speaker 1: the architect of the entire plot, was also convicted of

1:47:19 Speaker 1: murder and sentence to death. Years later, following changes in

1:47:23 Speaker 1: California's death penalty procedures, Skuyler and John remained on death

1:47:28 Speaker 1: row while their sentences were subject to the state's legal process.

1:47:32 Speaker 1: Jennifer continued serving life without parole, and Alonso remained incarcerated

1:47:37 Speaker 1: under the terms of his plea agreement. Tom and Jackie's

1:47:40 Speaker 1: bodies were never recovered more than three thousand feet below

1:47:44 Speaker 1: the surface of the Pacific Ocean. The sea kept its silence.

1:47:48 Speaker 1: Their sons never had the chance to say goodbye. Their

1:47:51 Speaker 1: grandchild would grow up knowing them only through stories, photographs,

1:47:56 Speaker 1: and the memories shared by those who loved them. Yet,

1:47:59 Speaker 1: despite the unamis imaginable cruelty of their deaths, Tom and

1:48:02 Speaker 1: Jackie Hawks left behind something stronger than fear. They left

1:48:06 Speaker 1: behind an example of unconditional love. Even in their final moments,

1:48:11 Speaker 1: neither thought only of themselves. Jackie pleaded to see her

1:48:15 Speaker 1: family again. Tom tried to save his wife until the

1:48:19 Speaker 1: very end. When there was nothing left they could do,

1:48:22 Speaker 1: they comforted one another, refusing to let fear separate them.

1:48:26 Speaker 1: Jackie's final act, intentionally misspelling her signature, became one last

1:48:31 Speaker 1: effort to expose the truth. Even facing certain death, she

1:48:36 Speaker 1: found the presence of mind to leave investigators a clue

1:48:39 Speaker 1: that something was terribly wrong. The murders of Tom and

1:48:42 Speaker 1: Jackie Hawks shocked investigators across California and remain one of

1:48:46 Speaker 1: the most disturbing cases in modern American true crime. It

1:48:50 Speaker 1: was not only the brutality of the crime that haunted

1:48:52 Speaker 1: those involved, but the betrayal. A kind, trusting couple opened

1:48:57 Speaker 1: their hearts to strangers who pretended to share their d

1:49:01 Speaker 1: only to become victims of a meticulously planned scheme driven

1:49:04 Speaker 1: by greed. Justice could punish those responsible, could reveal the truth,

1:49:10 Speaker 1: but it could never replace the years Tom and Jackie

1:49:12 Speaker 1: should have spent watching their grandchildren grow, celebrating holidays with family,

1:49:18 Speaker 1: and enjoying the peaceful retirement they had worked so hard

1:49:21 Speaker 1: to earn. Sometimes the darkest true crime stories are not

1:49:24 Speaker 1: remembered because of the killers. They are remembered because of

1:49:28 Speaker 1: the goodness of the victims. Tom and Jackie Hawks dreamed

1:49:31 Speaker 1: of sunsets, family, and a quiet life at sea. Their

1:49:35 Speaker 1: story ended in darkness, but their love for each other

1:49:39 Speaker 1: and the courage they showed until the very last moment

1:49:43 Speaker 1: ensured they would never be forgotten.