“We'll have that for lunch tomorrow.”
“Maybe you guys should just go without me, and I'll stay here and have a sandwich.”
“You're coming with us, Mom.”
Peg got up off the couch. “Let me go see if I can do something with this hair,” she said.
“Sonny, make me a drink. This could take a while.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Peg shot back.
“What?” Gene asked.
“What the hell is—”
“I don't know what you're talking about, woman.”
“Make you father that drink, Danny, then shove it up his ass.”
“Ouch,” said Gene. “Go fix your head.”
Peg headed for the bathroom. “Prick,” she whispered.
“What was that?” Gene called out.
“I don't know what you're talking about!” Peg hollered back.
“Dan, can we talk out back for a second?” Richard asked.
Dan craned his neck to see if Maxine was in the kitchen out of ear shot. “What is it?” he asked.
“The thumb drive.”
“What about it?”
“Can we go outside and talk about it?”
Gene's eyes went from Richard to Dan and back. “Are you gonna tell me what's going on?”
“Can it wait till we get to Red's?” said Dan.
“I guess.”
“Where is it?”
“The thumb drive?”
“Yeah.”
“In my pocket.”
“Don't lose it.”
“How would I lose it?”
“Maybe I should hang onto it,” Gene said.
“Rich will hang onto it,” said Dan.
“What's going on, Sonny?”
“I'll fill you in later, Dad.” Dan pulled out his cell and dialed.
“Danny Boy!” Joey Pantucco answered. “How those tiny little testicles hangin'?”
“Maggie is here,” Dan said.
“Maggie who?”
“Maggie Harrison, the lawyer's daughter.”
“Oh, yeah, her. I thought you wasn't supposed to talk to her.”
“I'm not.”
“Then why ya got 'er at your house?”
“She just showed up.”
“That's bad, really bad.”
“Yeah, I know, Joey. Have you heard anything?”
“Not a thing. Does Harrison know she's there?”
“He called me about an hour ago. He thinks she's here. He said if she wasn't home by tomorrow afternoon, that his guys were coming down to get her. What should I do?”
“For starters, have her home by tomorrow afternoon.”
“She says Harrison is gonna kill her.”
“Did you happen to ask her why he would want to kill her?”
“She mentioned something about money, but didn't elaborate.”
“Elaborate?” Joey asked. “You get hit in the head with a dictionary, Coast? That's a pretty big word for you.” Joey laughed.
“Stop kidding around, Joey.”
“You gotta make her go home,” Joey insisted.
“What if he kills her? That will be on me.”
“What if you don't get her home and he kills you and Red, and who knows who else? That'll be on you too.”
“Ugh! I don't know what to do.”
“Just get her home, Coast.” Joey ended the call.
“Dammit!” Dan said angrily, as quietly as he could.
“Any good news?” asked Richard.
“Yeah, Rich. It was all good news. I always say 'dammit!' when I get good news.”
“You don't have to be a jerk.”
“Yes, he does; he can't help it,” said Gene. He rubbed his belly. “I'm hungry.” He took a couple steps back and looked down the hallway. “Old woman! You ready?”
The bathroom light turned off; Peg walked out and down the hall. Her hair didn't look any different than it did when she entered the bathroom. “Did I hear someone say 'dammit'?” she asked.
“No,” Dan answered. “Maxine, you ready to go?”
“Ready when you are,” she hollered from the kitchen.
“Who's riding with who?” Gene asked.
“Rich and I will take my car,” Dan replied, “and Maxine can ride with you and Mom in your rental.”
“Sounds good,” said Gene. “Let's move out.”
Everyone exited the house and Maxine locked the door behind her. The group climbed into the two cars and were off.
Dan reached down and turned on his radio and tuned it to No Shoes Radio. Kenny Chesney was singing “Keys in the Conch Shell.”
“Love this song,” Dan said, and turned it up.
“Really?” Richard asked. He reached over and turned it down.
“Hey!”
“Don't you want to know what's on the thumb drive?”
“Of course I do. I just figured we would wait till we saw Red—oh, that reminds me.” Dan pulled out his cell and phoned Skip.
“What's up, dude?”
“Hey, Skip. it's Dan, I need—”
“I can't come to the phone right—”
“Son of a bitch!” Dan waited for the beep. “Hey, Skip, it's Dan. Got a little problem. Meet us at Red's a soon as you can.” He hung up.
“It's names and dates and times,” said Richard.
“What?”
“The thumb drive. It's names, dates, and times. There's mention of deliveries, shipments. There's a whole folder on cops and judges who have been paid off, and what they've been paid off for.”
“Shipments of what?” Dan asked.
“How would I know?”
“Does it mention the cops by name?'
“Name, badge number, address, and cell phone numbers. There's even a short bio about each guy.”
“Wow, thorough.”
“Yeah, almost too thorough,” Richard agreed. “Why would a lawyer have this kind of information?”
“Seems odd to me, but then again, I've never been a drug dealer's attorney. My guidance counselor in high school never even mentioned drug dealer's attorney as a career. ”
“Why is everything a joke to you?”
“Ate a lot of lead paint chips when I was a kid.”
“There's no off switch for you, is there?”
“Yes, but it's all the way down at the bottom of a tequila bottle.”
“And you always have to get in the last word.”
“Yut.”
“It's annoying.”
“My mother's dyin' words.”
“I should have stayed in Texas.”
“Hey, if you're ever down in Texas, look me up. Cha-cha-cha.”
Richard slumped back in his seat. “What have I gotten myself into?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Dan and Richard pulled into Red's parking lot with Gene driving in right behind them. Dan backed into his spot and Gene pulled into the spot next to him.
Gene swung open his door and climbed out. He stretched his arms over his head and took in a deep breath of island air. “We should really think about moving down here, Mother,” he said.
“No you shouldn't,” Dan answered. “You'd hate it down here.”
“Yep,” Gene continued, as everyone else exited the cars. “We could sell our place back home and buy a little place down here.”
“Yeah, Dad, you could sell your place back home for two hundred grand, and then buy one here for two million. I'm sure you wouldn't have any problem making those mortgage payments.”
“You're forgetting, Sonny, I got a wealthy son … and, I might be getting another wealthy son real soon.” Gene glanced over the cars at Richard. He pointed and gave him a wink. “Ain't that right number two son?”
Richard winked and pointed back.
“He's older than me, Dad,” said Dan. “So technically he's number one son. You know, just like in the old Charlie Chan movies.”
“Holy Christ,” said Richard. “I'm just going to let t
hat one go.”
“What?” Dan asked, shrugging his shoulders.
Richard closed the passenger side door and headed for the entrance. “Just shut up and come on, round eye.”
“Hey! That's racist,” said Dan.
“How can it be?” Richard asked with a grin. “I have a round-eyed brother.”
“He's got ya there, Sonny,” said Gene.
The group of five crossed the parking lot and went inside. Being a Monday, there were only about six other patrons in the bar. Two were seated at the bar, and the others were scattered about at tables. Ziggy Marley sang “Love Is My Religion” on the old Wurlitzer.
Gene's eyes went from the two surfboards suspended from the ceiling to The Endless Summer and Chasing Mavericks movie posters on the wall, to the Red Stripe and Islamorada Beer Company signs. “I love this place,” he commented. “Maybe Red will give me a part-time bartending job to help out with that two million dollar mortgage.”
“Yeah, maybe,” Dan said.
“Bring it back to earth, Gene,” said Peg. “We aren't moving anywhere.”
“A boy can dream,” said Gene.
“Yeah, a boy can,” Peg responded, “but not an old fart like you.”
Red looked up from the bar. “The Coasts!” he announced. Every head in the place turned to see what Red was talking about, and then turned back to their meals and drinks. “What brings you folks in on this fine evening?”
“I need one of Jocko's T-bone steaks in a bad way,” Gene replied.
“Ooh, that sounds good,” said Richard.
Red stepped back and pushed open the kitchen door a crack. “Abby!” he called out. “Come here and help me push a couple tables together.”
“We got it, ya lazy bastard,” said Dan.
“Never mind, Abby!” Red shouted.
Dan, Richard, and Gene pushed two four-tops together and placed six chairs around them. Gene took a seat at the head of the table with Peg to his right. Dan grabbed the chair at the other end with Maxine to his left, and Richard on his right. Red quickly left Cindy behind the bar, and joined his friends at their table.
“Haven't seen you guys since Christmas a couple years ago,” Red stated. “What's new?”
“Not much,” Peg replied.
“What's new with you?” Gene asked.
“Same old thing,” said Red.
“Maxine tells me you have a new girlfriend,” Peg said.
Red's face blushed a little. “Yeah.”
“She said you had your first date on Friday night.”
“Uh … yeah.”
“How did it go?”
“Very good, Peg,” Red said. “Thanks for asking.” He glared at Dan when he said it.
“What?” Dan asked.
“You never asked me how my date went,” Red tossed back.
“Oh,” Dan chuckled. “I'm sorry. I would have asked, but I didn't care.”
Gene and Richard laughed.
“He's a prick,” said Richard.
“I don't know where he gets it,” Gene said.
“Yeah,” Peg said sarcastically. “I don't either.”
“Red,” Dan said, “did you still need Rich to look at that thing in your office?”
“What thing?” Red asked.
“That thing you were telling us about.”
“Thing?”
“On your computer. That thing.”
“Oooh, that thing,” Red said, finally catching on. “The thing in my office. The computer thing.”
“Yeah, that thing.”
“Yes, Dan, I do still need Richard to look at that thing.”
Peg, Maxine, and Gene looked on in confusion.
“What thing?” Gene asked.
Red stood. “Can you look at that now, Rich?” he asked.
“Of course,” Richard said. He got up from his chair.
Dan got up as well, and so did Gene.
“I want to see this thing,” said Gene.
Maxine shook her head. “Morons,” she whispered.
The four men crossed the floor and disappeared through the swinging kitchen door.
“Hey, Jocko,” Gene said on his way by the grill. “Long time no see.”
Jocko spun around and stuck out his hand. “Hey, Gene. How's it goin'?”
Gene winced a little when Jocko's giant hand squeezed his. Jocko slapped him on the shoulder with the other hand.
“What am I cookin' for ya tonight?” Jocko asked.
“I was hoping you had a nice thick T-bone somewhere in that cooler,” Gene replied.
“Sure do.”
Red opened his office door and stepped back as the other three entered. Red's office was small, just barely big enough for a desk, two chairs, a bookcase, and a computer stand. The men crowded in and Red shut the door.
Red looked from Dan to Richard. “I'm sorry, guys,” he said, “but I can't for the life of me remember what I wanted you to look at in here.”
Dan and Richard looked at each other and then back at Red.
“You didn't want us to look at anything,” said Dan. “I was just trying to get you in here.”
“So, there's no thing?” Gene asked.
“No, Dad.”
“Huh. I had prepared myself for something really cool.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Dan responded. He turned to Richard. “Where's the thumb drive?”
“Right here in my pocket,” Richard said. He reached into his front pocket and pulled it out.
Dan took it and handed it to Red. “Put this in your computer.”
Red did as he was asked. “Now what?” he asked.
“Let's look at those files,” Dan answered.
“Um,” said Red.
“Click on that little blue circle in the bottom left hand corner,” Richard instructed. “Now click on Computer.” Richard waited a second. “Now click there, where it says Cruzer.”
When Red did so a third window popped up with a list of files.
“What are we looking at?” Gene asked.
“They're files Maggie downloaded from her father's home office computer,” Dan responded.
“Are you shittin' me?” Red asked.
“Let me in there,” Richard said.
Red stepped back, and Richard sat down in the desk chair. Using his feet, he Fred Flintstoned it over to the computer stand, grabbed the mouse, and clicked on one of the files. “Here's a list of people,” he said. “Below each name is an address and phone number. There's a brief description of each person and a little bio explaining who they are and how and when Harrison met them.”
“Does it tell if they did anything illegal?” Dan asked.
“No,” Richard said, “but here under this file”—he exited the current file and brought up another—“there's a list of people Harrison has represented in court.”
“Representing people in court isn't illegal either,” Gene pointed out.
“Is there anything on here we can use against him?” Dan asked.
Richard brought up a third file. “This one here is labeled cops and judges who are friends.”
“That sounds incriminating,” Red said.
“Yeah,” said Richard, “especially since there are payment amounts and dates the payments were made. Also a brief description of why the payments were made.”
“We could threaten Harrison with this,” said Dan. “We could tell him if he doesn't back off, and if anything happens to us or Maggie, we'll take this to the cops.”
“If he kills us all,” asked Richard, “then how do we get it to the police?”
“Well, in the movies,” Red explained, “the good guys always give the evidence to a third party and—”
“It seems like I have to explain to you quite often that this isn't a movie,” Dan interrupted.
“I know what he's saying, though,” Gene said. “You give it to a third party with the instructions to turn it over to the authorities if anything happens to any of you.”
“W
hy don't we just turn it over to the police now?” Richard asked.
“Maybe we should give it to the media,” suggested Red.
“How many names are in that first file?” Dan asked.
Richard brought the file back up. “At least thirty names,” he said.
Dan read through the names. “Oh crap,” he said.
“What?” Red asked.
“I didn't notice before, but look at the tenth name down.”
“Red counted down the list. “Joey Pantucco,” he read aloud.
“Isn't that your friend in Miami?” Richard asked.
“He ain't really my friend,” said Dan.
“He kinda is,” Red said. He read on. “According to this, Harrison has known Joey since November 2009.”
“Go back to that list of clients,” Dan said. “See if Joey is on that list.”
Richard clicked on the client list once again. Everyone read down the list to themselves. Joey was nowhere on that list.
“So, Harrison knows Joey, but Joey isn't a client,” Dan surmised.
“What does that mean?” asked Gene.
“It probably just means that Joey has never been caught doing whatever it is he does,” Richard answered. “So he's never needed Harrison's services.”
Red turned to Dan. “What exactly does Joey do, anyway?” he asked.
Dan shrugged. “Mobster stuff,” he replied.
“Can you narrow it down?” Richard asked.
“All I know is that he owns a few bars, restaurants, and strip clubs,” said Dan. “He owns Sid's Beach Bar and Grill up in Islamorada.”
“Hey,” Gene asked, “is that the one with the giant flamingo on the billboard?”
“That's the one,” Dan replied.
“All their steaks are flame-ingo broiled,” Red added.
Richard looked back over his shoulder at Red. “What the hell is flame-ingo broiled?”
“I have no idea,” Red replied. “But that's what the billboard said.”
Dan's cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Dan? It's Maggie.”
“Everything all right?”
“Yes, but I'm starving and there's nothing to eat in this place.”
“Did you check the cupboards?”
“Of course I checked the cupboards. There's two boxes of stale breakfast cereal, a can of chicken soup, and a few boxes of dry pasta.”
“You don't like soup?”
“Seriously?”
“Okay, okay. I'll grab you something and bring it over.”
“Thank you.”
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