“They die in a fiery crash on the side of a mountain somewhere. Or in the middle of the ocean. We pretty much fly over water the whole way down to Miami from here.”
“What is wrong with you?!” Leonard asked. “A fiery crash?!”
“I was kidding. There hasn’t been a crash in forever. I can’t even remember the last one.”
“Then we’re due. I knew it. We’re fucking due for a fiery crash.”
“They’re calling our group,” Skyler said, getting to her feet. “Let’s go. I will hold your hand.” And she did. And it was quite moist.
After takeoff, which Leonard Little, police officer, survived, the plane leveled off Skyler suggested they both order Bloody Marys. “My go-to airplane drink,” she explained. “Although I don’t think I’ve ever paid for them before.” She handed her credit card to the flight attendant.
“I can’t believe they take credit cards up here,” Leonard said. He plastered his face to the window and looked down. “All I can see is water.”
“Told ya,” she said. “The coast curves in. A straight line to Miami is over the Atlantic.”
“Hence the life jacket demonstration?” he asked.
“They do that on every flight no matter where you’re going. They do it from D.C. to Vegas, like you’re going to magically ditch in the Potomac River, or Lake Mead, or something. I guess anything is possible. Actually, an Air Florida flight once crashed into the Potomac right after take-off. I think it was in the early 1980’s. You probably don’t remember that. Most everyone died. There was ice on the wings.”
Leonard was actually turning green. “Skyler, I’m pretty sure there is an unwritten rule that you’re not supposed to talk about airplane crashes on fucking airplanes. It’s why they don’t show airplane crash movies on airplanes.”
“You’re not supposed to talk about bombs or hijackings on the airplane or in the airport,” she said. “They never tell you not to talk about crashing.” She noticed an elderly woman across the aisle giving her a nasty look. “I think we might be talking too loudly.”
“I think so,” Leonard said. “Try not talking at all. I need to concentrate.”
“Thinking about the case?”
“No,” he said, “I’m concentrating on not crashing.”
“I see.”
They sat in silence for the next hour and nursed their drinks. Skyler knew she had to make it last because she doubted the flight attendant would be back. And she was right.
The landing was uneventful and when the plane started taxiing to the gate, Leonard seemed to exhale for the first time. Skyler grabbed his hand again and found it dryer than before. “We made it.”
“And with that, I just moved to Miami, Florida,” he said, quite seriously. “I don’t think I can do another flight ever again.”
“There’s the train.”
“There’s a train?! Why didn’t you tell me that?”
“It’s Amtrak and it takes something like 8,000 hours to go from Maine to Florida. No one does that. No one in their right mind anyway. There’s actually an auto train from just south of D.C. to the Orlando area. I have no idea who does that either, but you can have your car loaded onboard, have dinner, go to sleep, and wake up at Disney World with the family minivan. Imagine that.”
“I’ve never been to Disney World.”
“I figured.”
They made their way into the terminal and started the epic walk to the outside where they planned to get a taxi to…
“Where are we staying?” Skyler asked, suddenly realizing she had no idea.
Leonard consulted an itinerary that Kristin had printed for him. “The Best Western Premier Miami International Airport Hotel.”
Skyler’s eyes bulged. “Oh no we don’t. You go ahead and cancel that.” They slipped into the backseat of a taxi and Skyler stuck her head up to the Plexiglas. “The Delano, please.”
“What’s that?” Leonard asked.
“A boutique hotel in South Beach. It’s surprisingly inexpensive in the summer. It’s a Wednesday. They’ll have rooms.”
“Rooms?”
“You expect me to sleep with you? In the same room?”
“Who is paying for all of this? We have a pre-paid room at the Best Western.”
The cab driver started chuckling.
“See?” Skyler said. “Even he knows that we don’t want to stay at the fucking Best Western at the Miami International Airport. I’ll pay for the rooms.”
“We could share and save some money.”
Skyler thought about it for a moment. Her crotch tingled slightly and she turned to look her old friend in the face. It was a sudden and inexplicable feeling and what she said next nearly blew her mind, “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“I think that’s what I just said.” Her face reddened—what was she doing?!
“Okay. One room at the…what was it?”
“The Delano,” the cab driver said.
Skyler exhaled slowly. “Sure. No need to waste my money.”
“Only if you’re sure that you’re okay with it,” Leonard said with a half smirk on his face.
“I’m more than okay with it.”
“Me too,” the cab driver said.
Twenty minutes later, they pulled up to the front entrance of the Delano and were escorted to the front desk. While Leonard ogled partially clothed model-wannabes walking through the lobby, Skyler opted for an insanely expensive loft suite—because she was feeling both frisky and extravagant. She handed over her American Express Platinum card and was immediately upgraded to a poolside duplex bungalow. She didn’t feel so bad about the credit card’s hefty annual fee anymore.
Minutes later they were marvelling at the two-level palace steps from the iconic pool.
“It’s all so white,” Leonard said.
“And so are you,” Skyler said, indicating his pale Maine skin. “And if we are going to hang out here, we need to get you new clothes.”
He stood forlorn in his well-worn jeans, dingy white sneakers, and a faded navy blue Wabanaki Police Department polo shirt.
“I didn’t mean to embarrass you. But you’re going to stick out like a sore thumb in that outfit. Or in any of your Maine clothes.”
“Great. This is becoming a very expensive operation. I just don’t have the money, Skyler.”
She smiled sweetly. “But I do. And I want to help make this the most productive investigation trip possible. That includes dinner and drinks by the pool in a new South Florida summer outfit. I’m thinking linen pants.”
“I believe you’ve lost your mind.”
“Maybe,” she said. “But it’s been quite some time since I was on vacation with an attractive man.”
Leonard was dumbfounded. “Attractive?”
“Yeah,” she said. “Is that okay?”
“I guess. But we’re not on vacation.”
“Tonight we are. We’ll start working first thing tomorrow.”
She felt like a different woman, one who makes rash, foolish decisions. She was smarter than this—a cautious, practical woman most of the time—but it was as if some switch was magically flipped inside her when they got into that airport cab: she was attracted to this man and despite her very recent resolution that she was done with such male beings, caution was hastily and unceremoniously thrown to the proverbial ocean wind. And she decided to not analyze it any further.
They made a dinner reservation over the phone then headed to a men’s and women’s clothing boutique close to the hotel on Collins Avenue. Skyler made Leonard try on a half dozen outfits until she was satisfied. She selected a pair of pale blue searsucker shorts, tan penny loafers, and a long sleeve white linen shirt with the cuffs turned up. He looked very GQ and she was more than pleased with herself. She bought him a few polos, another pair of shorts, and a square
cut bathing suit. She got herself a great bikini on sale, as well as a light wrap dress for dinner.
Back in the suite, they had three hours to kill before drinks and dinner, so she suggested they get changed into their bathing suits and have some pool time. He agreed and they began undressing in front of each other. Slowly. He looked unsure. She was more confident. When they were both naked, she instinctively fell into his arms and he lowered her to the bed. They kissed deeply. She moaned and pressed herself into his midsection.
“Are you sure?” he whispered into her ear.
“Absolutely.”
And he was inside her.
They went for a near-world-record, fucking for what seemed like hours. When he couldn’t take it anymore, he pulled out and came on her chest just as she screamed out her third orgasm.
Spent, they fell asleep in each other’s arms and didn’t wake up until 45 minutes before their reservation. They showered together, dressed, and went to the pool bar for a drink.
“That was unexpected,” Leonard said after their vodka sodas with fresh cucumber arrived.
“It was probably one of the best of my life. I’m not even half kidding. I mean, really, Leonard. You’ve got some impressive equipment.”
He reddened. “Thanks.”
She laughed. “I now know why you’ve had so many women fall all over themselves since high school. Holy fuck.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t need to marry all of them.”
“Don’t worry,” she said, “I’m not going to marry you. But I do want more of that.” She looked down at the bulge in his shorts.
“Skyler! Come on. I can’t get hard out here at the pool.”
“Should we skip dinner?”
“I think so.”
And they did.
* * *
Sheriff Little reluctantly pulled into Gerald Gains’ driveway and parked in front of the house. With his headlights still on, he could see Gains standing on the front porch with the former Vice President by his side. The two men were silent and motionless, almost statuesque. The Sheriff turned off the car and made his way up the steps.
“Gentlemen. It’s very dark out here.”
“Good evening, Sheriff,” Gerald said, a bit too formally. The Vice President remained silent.
“Oh geez. What’s happened?”
“It appears that someone has cut my electricity and the internet cables to my house. We have nothing but candles going inside. My wife is beside herself. She’s unhurt but she’s scared to death, understandably.”
“Are the animals okay?”
Vice President Farr spoke for the first time. “We just got back from the barn. All are accounted for. But this was deliberate. We found the severed cables dug up out of the ground down near the street.”
“And a knife,” Gerald said.
“They used a knife to cut electrical cables?”
“We suspect an axe was used for that,” Farr said.
“Where’s the knife?”
Gerald flipped on a flashlight and shined it toward his front door. Sticking out of the heavy wood door was a very large carving knife.
“Have you touched it?” Little asked.
“No,” both men said in unison.
The Sheriff called for backup and while they waited, he fetched an evidence bag from his truck and managed to pull the knife out of the door without actually touching it.
“We’ll see if we can get prints from this.”
“Maynard,” Gerald said, following him to his truck, “is enough enough yet? Can you please go get Porter?”
“I can arrest him if there is cause, Gerald. I can’t go pick him up every time something bad happens on your property. We have no evidence that he’s done anything.”
“Who the fuck else would do this to me? I’m an upstanding member of this community.”
Sheriff Little exhaled deeply. “Gerald, I have pulled you over for drunk driving half a dozen times over the years. Do I need to remind you that on the evening you smashed your car into Porter Maddox, you and the esteemed Vice President over there were in the car with a prostitute? Do I have to remind you that the three of you were drunk out of your minds and I covered all of that up for your sake? Do I have to remind you about that again and again for the rest of our damned lives?”
“What?!” a voice yelled from the dark.
The Sheriff and Gerald Gains turned around quickly and Gerald illuminated the figure with his flashlight. Vice President Farr joined them. The three men stared at Deputy Kristin who was standing next to Gerald’s wife Mary. No one spoke for a very long half a minute. They listened to the crickets and their own heartbeats.
“Gerald,” Mary finally said, breaking the silence, “please tell me that what the Sheriff just said was a joke.”
“Mary.”
“Gerald! A prostitute? In Wabanaki?”
“I think it would be best if we all took some time to process this news,” the Sheriff said. “Kristin, I need you to call the utility company and get an emergency crew out here to repair the Gains’ electricity. I then need you to call in the rest of the deputies and walk every inch of this property. Someone cut the power and left a knife in the front door.”
Kristin didn’t move.
“Deputy, I’m not kidding. I need you to get to work.”
“Yes, sir,” she said tentatively.
The group broke up, walking in different directions. Mary went into the house and slammed the front door, locking her husband out. The Vice President grabbed Maynard Little by the arm.
“I can’t have a scandal, Maynard,” Daryl Farr said. “I’m just starting the campaign for governor for God’s sake.”
“I’m going to do my best to get a handle on this situation, Daryl. If Gerald can contain his wife, I can shut down Kristin. We’ll take care of it.”
“We better.”
Gerald Gains approached. “She won’t let me in. I’m going to let her cool off and talk to her tomorrow. It was fucking years ago, I’m not sure what she’s so mad about.”
“Well, yeah. Sure. I can’t imagine,” the Sheriff said. He and Gerald stood uncomfortably in the dark. “Do you want a ride somewhere?”
“Yeah. I guess I’ll go to the Sea Captain’s Inn.”
“If I remember correctly, that’s where we met the hooker the first time,” Farr said.
“Shut the fuck up, Daryl,” Gerald said.
“The first time?” the Sheriff exclaimed.
EIGHTEEN
After a very satisfying ‘good morning’ quickie in the shower, Leonard sat down at the desk on the lower level of the Delano bungalow and fired up his laptop. His father had sent an email late the previous afternoon.
From: [email protected]
July 7 5:09pm EST
To: Leonard Little
Subject: Start at MIA
Lenny,
Patty’s Mustang was found late last night in a parking garage at Boston’s Logan airport. No suitcase, no purse, and no fingerprints besides hers and yours. It’s being towed back to Wabanaki later this week.
United Airlines let me know that the ticket was purchased with cash by an unidentified man on Patty’s behalf. Ticket was purchased at 7:54am on July 3 at the main ticket counter near the G concourse at MIA. This is kind of huge, obviously. Start there.
Love, Dad
Sheriff Maynard Little
Wabanaki Police Department
12 Main Street, Suite P
Wabanaki, Maine 03999
Main: 207-555-4679
Cell: 207-555-2368
Skyler descended the stairs in a tight pair of jeans and a tank top. She carried a pair of sunglasses and a small clutch bag. “I’m ready. Do you want to eat first?”
“I thought we already did.”
“Gross. I’m serious.”
“
Gross? Do you really think that?”
She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. “What’s that?”
“Read it,” Leonard said, pointing at the screen.
When she was done reading she said, “So we’re off to the airport. Is my top tight enough?”
“It’s perfect. You look very Erin Brockovich.”
“I’m surprised you even know who that is. And, no, I’m not a crusader, but I like doing my part when I can. I met her once at a PR convention in Denver. She’s just amazing.”
They had planned to grab a taxi, but the Delano doorman offered the chauffer driven Mercedes sedan, a much better option. The driver took the MacArthur Causeway across Biscayne Bay past the cruise ship terminals. Leonard and Skyler marveled at the five behemoths tied up in a row.
“I’ve never been on a cruise,” Leonard said. “They look like cities. I had no idea they were so big.”
“I’ve never been on one either,” Skyler said, “but I’m intrigued. I have friends who swear by them. My girlfriend Liz has done something like 50 cruises all over the world.”
“Geez.”
“They’re a lot of fun and a great bang for your vacation dollars,” the driver added from the front seat. “My wife and I go every January. We’re doing Hawaii from San Diego this coming winter.”
“Cool,” Skyler and Leonard said in unison.
“Oh great,” she said, “Brenda is rubbing off on you.”
“Oh no. Only you can rub off on me.” He smiled and she noticed how Hollywood-perfect his teeth were, despite years of smoking cigarettes.
“You have great teeth.”
“Thanks,” he said. “It’s the one thing I really take care of. I use whitening strips and I floss like it’s nobody’s business.”
“It really isn’t anyone’s business. But you need to smile more. So handsome.”
“Do we need to go back to the hotel?”
“No, we need to go see a man about a ticket.”
“You’re really hoping he’s a straight man, aren’t you, Erin.”
She laughed despite herself. “I’m flexible. I can deal with any situation.”
They arrived at the terminal and before the sleuths got out, the driver asked if he should circle the airport. Leonard said that they weren’t sure how long they’d be, so he sent the driver away.
The Maine Nemesis Page 13