Electric Barracuda
Page 32
“What’s all there?”
“The solution to your problem.”
Skid Marks opened the packet and flipped through powers of attorney and other stamped documents with every caveat that put Brad’s entire offshore portfolio completely in their control. He looked up from the last page. “But how’d you get him to sign all this?”
“You don’t want to know.” Serge took another pull of water and gazed out over the sparkling mangrove bay. “Can’t make you accessories after the fact.”
“Really appreciate it,” said Bacon Strips.
Serge tossed another packet on the bar. “That’s a bonus.”
The bikers opened it and read Brad Meltzer’s just-revised last will and testament. Skid Marks looked up. “It leaves everything to our families.”
“But ‘will’?” said Bacon Strips. “Doesn’t that mean we have to wait until he dies?”
Serge just smiled.
Skid Marks closed his eyes. “You’re right. We don’t want to know.”
Serge took another cold sip and turned to Mahoney. “So what now?”
“I’m retired.”
“Retired? You can’t do that?”
“Conflict of interest.”
“That would be me?” said Serge.
“You have your rules—I have mine.” Mahoney idly peeled his beer label. “Took an oath. One I can no longer faithfully execute. All that’s left is turn in the papers and give ’em back the car.”
“Promise to stop taking those stupid meds?” said Serge. “We’ve got a lot of catching up to do, and I want to have fun!”
“Any ideas?”
“Enjoy fishing?” said Serge.
“Got a place in mind?”
“That I do.”
Mahoney nodded. “Bogie Channel.”
“I hear the bonefish are biting.”
“Let’s roll.”
Mahoney threw cash on the bar, and they went back out to the Crown Vic.
Serge grabbed the handle on the passenger door. “Sorry about the teeter-totter.”
“Just don’t do it again.”
The Loop Road
Splashing in the swamp.
A few hundred yards behind the old Capone place.
Greed was the hallmark of a Miami attorney named Brad Meltzer. Overruled all other human instincts. Eating, sleeping, survival.
With night on the way, and eyelids swollen big, Brad remained hard at work. The broken boards would be several feet underwater during the rest of the year, but right now they still remained in reach.
Brad dove down again and came up with fistfuls of soggy currency, which he carefully unfolded and added to the growing damp stacks at the base of a tree. Next to a small pyramid of gold bars.
He returned to the hole and jumped back in. Then up again with more wadded bills. Before he climbed out, another splashing sound to the north.
His head swung. “Who’s there?”
A blurry form approached.
Brad pulled his right eyelid up.
“Oh, it’s you. I was just about to call. I found Serge.”
No reply.
Brad climbed out of the underground wooden box. “I thought you’d be happy. You didn’t actually think I’d steal your thousand dollars. I— . . . What’s the gun for?”
Silence.
“Oh, I get it. You want a cut of this.” He dumped more cash next to the tree. “I was going to tell you about that, too. It was a freak discovery—just happened. My cell phone got wet, but I was going to call as soon as I got out of here. I swear.”
Nothing.
Brad’s chest heaved. “Since we’re practically partners now, it’s only right you should get, say . . . twenty-five percent. No need thank me.”
Quiet.
Brad bit his lip. “Okay, half.”
Just crickets.
“Please, put the gun down,” said Brad. “You’re scaring me.”
A drilling stare.
Desperation. He finally nodded to himself. “Fine. You can have it all.”
The gun came closer.
Brad’s hands went up. “Wait! No! Molly!”
Bang.
About the Author
TIM DORSEY was a reporter and editor for the Tampa Tribune from 1987 to 1999, and is the author of twelve previous novels: Florida Roadkill, Hammerhead Ranch Motel, Orange Crush, Triggerfish Twist, The Stingray Shuffle, Cadillac Beach, Torpedo Juice, The Big Bamboo, Hurricane Punch, Atomic Lobster, Nuclear Jellyfish, and Gator A-Go-Go. He lives in Tampa, Florida.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Also by Tim Dorsey
Florida Roadkill
Hammerhead Ranch Motel
Orange Crush
Triggerfish Twist
The Stingray Shuffle
Cadillac Beach
Torpedo Juice
The Big Bamboo
Hurricane Punch
Atomic Lobster
Nuclear Jellyfish
Gator A-Go-Go
Credits
Jacket design and illustration by Mumtaz Mustafa.
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
ELECTRIC BARRACUDA. Copyright © 2011 by Tim Dorsey. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
EPub Edition January 2011 ISBN: 13: 9780062041593
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Table of Contents
Dedication
Epigraph
Prologue
Part I
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Part II
Chapter 7Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Part III
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-two
Chapter Twenty-three
Chapter Twenty
-four
Part IV
Chapter Twenty-five
Chapter Twenty-six
Chapter Twenty-seven
Chapter Twenty-eight
Chapter Twenty-nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-one
Chapter Thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-three
Chapter Thirty-four
Chapter Thirty-five
Chapter Thirty-six
Chapter Thirty-seven
Chapter Thirty-eight
Chapter Thirty-nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-one
Chapter Forty-two
Chapter Forty-three
Chapter Forty-four
Epilogue
About the Author
Also by Tim Dorsey
Credits
Copyright
About the Publisher