Devil's Workshop: The Ultimate True Crime Tale

Section 6:THE HAPPY CAMPER DEATHS

CHAPTER 32

Amy received Zoom call from a middle-aged middle class Jewish New York woman named Debra Zorinsky, who had reached out to her on email. "Thank you for taking my call, Amy, I am so concerned about my sister Gina. She moved to Panama last year after her divorce from Elmer, which was painful for the both of them, but she moved to Panama and into this expatriate place called Bello and settled in there. At first she was telling me how glad she was to be happily retired in such a great place and integrate into this expat place and meet all sort of wonderful people.

"But after a while she became lonely and sad, and she talked about it every day, which was strange to me that she would feel this way since she was living in paradise. So anyway, we arranged for me to come visit her a week from today, and I was all getting ready to make flight plans so that she could pick me up. And we were looking forward to seeing each other, since we are very close.

"But then two weeks ago she ghosted me, she never sent any texts or calls, and no one else had heard from her. This went on until the next week, when out of the blue, she sent several of us a text telling us that she was out of the country on a sailboat. Take a look." She held up her phone to the camera, showing the group text.

"So you have a feeling that something bad might have happened?" asked Amy gravely.

"There are so many things wrong with this. First of all, Gina always hated sailboats, she was more of a motorboat type. Also, Gina and I talked every day, so she would have told me her plans to be out of the country. And also, Gina was careful of her privacy, like a mother bear, so it seems strange that she would text everyone in our family, including her ex, that she was leaving her house all alone."

Amy pondered this for a while. "Have you contacted the embassy in Panama?"

"I have, they said they could try to convince the local authorities, but they just look at this as just another expat moving away. It seems like this sort of thing happens with expats there a lot, they stay there for a while and then go to some other part of Latin America."

"What did Gina tell you about expat life in Bello?"

"When she divorced Elmer, she wanted to move someplace where the cost of living was affordable. After some internet searching, she came across Bello, which was stated to be a hotspot for expats. Once she moved there, she told me that the expats discouraged her from making friends because, as soon as you got to know them, they would pack and move away. But she did tell me about this place called the Happy Camper Alehouse where they would have drinks and socialize."

Debra showed Amy pictures that Gina shared. There were several pictures of Gina's house. Some of the other pictures had been taken inside the Happy Camper. There were patrons gathered around tables with their drinks. Some of these were selfies taken by Gina.

"Looks like this place is a hot spot for the expats in this city. Has anyone from this community reached out to you?"

"No, no one at all."

"So no one seems concerned about Gina's sudden disappearance?"

"Like I said, expats have a tendency to just pack up and go after short while. No one seems to take this as a serious problem. But I am very worried. Something may have happened to her. You're aware that drug cartels run amok in Latin America, and they do all kinds of horrible things to anyone they want. I fear that she has fallen into their hands and that they have done terrible things to her."

Amy thought about this for a moment. "Debra, I will take this case, although I must disclose that I have never gone out of the country to solve a case. And considering the place where I am going to, there will be some risk involved. I also may have to deal with the international bureaucrats. But I promise you I will do what I can to find out what I can about your sister. Someone is bound to know something about her."