by Abigail Keam
“I’ll get it repaired when I file for my divorce.”
“When will that be?”
“I’ve talked to a lawyer. He’s going to file the papers the first of next month. After that I’ll make a claim with the insurance company.”
“Make sure that you do or else I’ll have to give you a ticket for the busted light.”
As Lillian opened the car door, sweltering air escaped from the vehicle. “One thing I haven’t gotten used to is how hot cars can get. Sometimes my steering wheel is almost too hot to touch.”
“You’ll get used to the heat, I promise.”
“Hope so. Thank you, Officer Masterson. I appreciate you listening to me.”
“Jim. Call me Jim.” He gave Lillian a wide smile.
Lillian nodded but didn’t reply. She didn’t really want to get on a first name basis with Masterson. She didn’t know why.
She just didn’t.
22
When Lillian arrived at the meeting, she was met by an African-American Episcopal priest. And a woman at that!
Lillian felt more comfortable when she realized that no men would be attending. Apparently they had their own meeting at another location.
After the priest gave the invocation, she thanked the rabbi for donating the room and asked the attendees to leave a small donation to help cover expenses for the synagogue. “Just a dollar will do, if you can afford it,” the priest requested before getting down to the business of the night.
Lillian kept quiet most of the night, listening intently to the other women speak. The meeting lasted less than two hours, but Lillian felt empowered. She was also scared. Some of the women had horrible stories of being stalked . . . some of the stalking lasting for years until the stalker was caught, sentenced, or killed.
At the end of the meeting, Lillian thanked the priest and got information about the next meeting. Though some of the other women were meeting for a drink and invited her, Lillian declined and hurried home.
She had a lot to digest.
23
Lillian drove back to the Pink Flamingo expecting the motel to be quiet, but was unpleasantly surprised when she saw a police car with its lights flashing in the parking lot.
Guests were standing around the pool and several children were crying.
Lillian hurriedly parked her car and rushed over to the pool where Heather was trying to herd guests back to their bungalows.
“Heather, what’s wrong?” asked Lillian, pushing through the crowd.
Heather pointed to the pool.
There was Officer Masterson fishing out something unpleasant looking with a net. The clear blue water had turned to a murky red.
“What’s going on?” Lillian asked Officer Masterson.
“It seems like someone skinned Eva Hanover’s pet iguana and threw its carcass in the pool for the guests to find.”
Lillian’s hand flew to her mouth. She glanced at Heather’s startled face and the disgusted expressions among the guests. She knew she had to do something to appease them. “Ladies and gentlemen, I am so sorry that this nasty event has occurred during your vacation. Even in Paradise, the serpent sometimes raises his head,” she announced.
“Don’t you have any security?” asked one woman. “I’m afraid to stay here.”
Lillian thought quickly on how to handle this crisis. “I assure you this is an anomaly. I don’t know how this happened, but we will increase security. You can rest assured that you are safe at the Pink Flamingo Motel.
“Since the pool will have to be cleaned, I will make arrangements at another hotel for use of their pool during your stay. Of course your bill will be reduced for this inconvenience.”
“How much?” yelled a man, clutching a crying baby.
Lillian stood flummoxed for a moment. “Everyone’s bill will be reduced fifty percent. That is our apology to you for this horrible prank.”
The crowd murmured with approval.
“Please everyone. Go back to your rooms. Thank you so much.”
By this time Officer Masterson had wrapped the unfortunate animal in a blanket and taken it away to his car.
Lillian pulled Heather aside. “Why were the police called in?”
“The guests alerted me to the problem and wanted something done about it. I didn’t think that just scooping that poor animal up and throwing it in the trash was the correct PR thing to do, especially with people watching me, so I called the police.”
“Do you think someone skinned him to eat? In many countries, people eat iguanas for protein.”
“Maybe they wanted some kind of trophy,” stated Heather.
“Do you think one of the guests did it?”
“Had to be. I haven’t seen anyone else on the property.”
“This is just terrible. Who is going to tell Eva that someone killed her pet iguana?”
“Well, it’s not going to be me. That’s for sure,” rushed Heather.
Officer Masterson sauntered over to where Heather and Lillian stood whispering.
“You gals find the skin?”
Heather shook her head.
“I just got here,” answered Lillian. “Maybe we will find it in the morning. This is awful.”
“Can I bother one of you for a cup of coffee? I was heading home when I got the call and I haven’t had anything to eat since lunch. Coffee would perk me up some before I drive home.”
“Sure. Sure. Come this way, Officer Masterson. I’ll make some in my quarters. It’s connected to the office. Heather, are you going to finish your shift?”
“Yeah, but I’m glad you’re back, Lillian. I would have been so creeped out if you hadn’t come when you did.”
Officer Masterson followed the women into the office.
“Follow me, Officer Masterson,” requested Lillian as Heather took her station at the front desk.
The policeman followed Lillian into the manager’s quarters. His keen eyes quickly took in the apartment. “Nice,” he murmured.
“Yes, it is, isn’t it,” replied Lillian. “I’ve enjoyed my stay very much. Everything is so well designed. If you will excuse me, I’ll put my purse up and then be right back to make some coffee. I have some eggs. Perhaps you might like an omelet and I made cinnamon rolls this morning too.”
“Homemade cinnamon rolls?”
“Actually, I’m a very good cook. I still make dishes from scratch.”
“Sounds good. I’m so hungry I could eat a . . .”
Lillian held up her hand, “Please don’t mention eating any animals.”
Officer Masterson grinned. “Gotcha.” He sat at the breakfast bar.
Lillian nodded and went into her bedroom to put up her purse and change into some flip-flops. Her feet were aching from the pounding she gave them.
Officer Masterson was taking in the fine workmanship of the living area when he heard a cry from the bedroom.
“Hey. Everything all right?” he asked, leaning back in his chair. He unconsciously unclipped his gun holster and put a hand on his Glock 9 mm.
Lillian didn’t answer.
“Lillian?” asked Officer Masterson, pushing back his chair and standing.
Lillian slowly entered the living area from the bedroom. Her face was glowing. “Look what I found sleeping on my bed.”
In her arms wiggled an irritated and sleepy iguana.
“Is that . . .?”
“Yes, this is Eva’s pet lizard.”
Lillian and Masterson looked questioningly at each other and then yelled at the same time, “HEATHER!!!!”
24
“He said he worked at Aussie Jack’s with you and that it was your birthday and on birthdays, the staff played practical jokes,” confessed Heather. “I had no idea that he was going to sabotage the pool. He said he just wanted to put Eva’s iguana in your bed as a joke. I didn’t know anything else until I heard kids screaming at the pool.”
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” demanded Lillian.
“I didn’t want to get
into trouble. Do you think Eva’s going to fire me?”
“Uh, let me see. The motel will now be in the red since I offered a fifty percent reduction on our guests’ bills. I think she will fire the both of us.”
Heather started to cry, but Lillian was unmoved. She suspected the crying was a sympathy ploy.
Officer Masterson wandered back into the office. “I checked that thing I pulled out of the pool. It’s looks like it’s a turkey dressed up to look reptilian. I also took a sample of the pool water. Based on what we’ve seen so far, it’s probably red dye.”
“I didn’t know. I swear,” squeaked Heather.
The policeman looked suspiciously at Heather. “Now Heather, I think we both know there is more to this than ‘you just don’t know.’ You need to fess up before I arrest you for lying to an officer.”
“Arrest me! You’ve got to be kidding. For a harmless prank!” Heather turned to Lillian. “I just hate you for this.”
“She didn’t do anything. You did.” Officer Masterson pulled out his handcuffs.
Heather’s eyes grew wide and she started bawling harder.
“Come on, Heather. Turn around and put your hands behind your back.”
“I’ll tell. I’ll tell you everything. He paid me fifty dollars to put the iguana in Lillian’s bed. There’s a pair of shoes I want, so I needed the money. I thought it was just a harmless prank. He said Lillian was frightened of lizards.”
“Who gave you the fifty dollars?”
Heather looked down. “I don’t know. I was telling the truth when he said he worked with Lillian.”
“Come on, Heather. Turn around.”
“OKAY! OKAY! It was Jeremy Salvador. We went to school together.”
“You’re sure that it was Jeremy?” questioned Officer Masterson sharply. He was getting rather impatient with Heather.
“Yes!!!”
“Get your things. I’m taking you home to your mother. Maybe she can talk some sense into you.”
“You’re not going to arrest me?”
“I haven’t decided yet. I have to talk to Eva Hanover. This stunt has cost her a pretty penny.”
Heather started crying again.
Officer Masterson looked over Heather’s blond head and winked at Lillian.
Lillian smirked and rolled her eyes. She was not amused.
Heather grabbed her backpack and started to follow Officer Masterson out the door when Lillian grabbed her arm. “Just a minute, young lady. Hand over the fifty dollars. No way are you going to buy a pair of shoes with that money.”
“But that money is mine!” protested Heather.
“How can you be so insensitive? That money is going into the cash register. Just a drop in the bucket of what we both now owe Eva.”
Heather reluctantly reached into her backpack and pulled out a fifty dollar bill and plunked it into Eva’s outstretched hand. “Shall I come in tomorrow?”
Lillian snorted with disdain. “You can take the day off. I’ll handle your shift. Eva will be home in a few days and she can then decide when your shifts are.” Lillian could not believe that Heather didn’t understand that she would probably be fired and barred from the Pink Flamingo, but that wasn’t her decision to make.
Eva was going to have to make that call. In the meantime, Lillian was going to start looking for another job. She was sure she would be bounced out on her ear.
And she didn’t want to leave Key Largo. Not ever!
25
Several hours later Lillian heard the bell as the office door opened. She wiped the tears from her eyes and went out to the front desk.
There stood Officer Masterson with a gym bag, pizza, and drinks. “Figured we both needed something to eat.”
“Did you drop Heather off?”
“Left her in the angry arms of her mother who is probably still yelling as we speak.”
Lillian eyed Masterson’s bag suspiciously. “What’s the bag for?”
“I will be staying in the extra bedroom.”
“What!” exclaimed Lillian. She didn’t like the sound of that at all.
Officer Masterson strode into the manager’s quarters and put his stuff on the kitchen counter. “I called Mike and told him what had happened.”
Lillian groaned, “Oh, dear. We’ve spoiled their honeymoon.”
“Mike’s not going to tell Eva, but we both thought it was a good idea for me to stay at the motel until they come back. Mike and I go back a long way. We used to play football together in high school. Every penny Eva and Mike both possess is sunk into this place. I’m not going to let a two-bit punk like Jeremy Salvador ruin it for them.”
“This is all my fault. I feel so terrible.”
“Is that what the tears are about?”
Lillian’s hand rushed to her face. She nodded.
“It’s not your fault. I think if Heather would tell the entire truth, we would discover that Jeremy put Heather up to working here. It was a setup, I’m sure. Apparently Heather used to date Jeremy.”
“Oh.”
“Yes, oh.” Officer Masterson sat at the counter and took a slice of pizza out of the box and took a bite. “Let’s eat. We will both feel better with something in our stomachs.” He pushed a drink toward Lillian.
Reluctantly, she joined him at the kitchen counter and took a slice of pizza. She slowly took a nibble. “You’re right. This is good pizza.”
They both ate in silence until most of the pizza was consumed. While Masterson cleaned up the counter, Lillian got a flashlight. “It’s near midnight. I usually do my rounds before I lock up the office for the night.”
“I’ll go with you. Give me a minute to change my uniform.” He looked questioningly at Lillian.
She pointed to a door.
Masterson hurried into the second bedroom and closed the door.
Lillian didn’t like the officer sharing the apartment with her, but what could she do. She had caused a pickle for Eva for sure and needed help. Lillian eventually realized that it might be a good idea for Officer Masterson to stay at the motel until Eva came back.
She pushed the thought from her mind that this was the first time she had shared quarters with a man who was not her husband. It made her uneasy, even though she felt she could trust Officer Masterson. The trouble was she had felt she could trust her husband and look where that had gotten her. The truth was Lillian didn’t want to be around men . . . any man ever again.
Officer Masterson emerged from his bedroom in swim trunks and a tee shirt. The thin cotton shirt stretched tightly across a muscular torso. His legs were well-proportioned and showed that he regularly exercised.
Lillian’s chest tightened a little. She compared Officer Masterson’s physique to that of her pudgy beer-bellied husband’s and couldn’t stop herself from admiring Masterson’s athletic body. Lillian looked away, embarrassed at the carnal thoughts that entered her mind.
Masterson took the flashlight from Lillian. “Let’s go,” he said while holding the office door open for her.
Lillian locked the front gate to the property. A key card would be needed to come in and out after midnight until dawn the next morning. She counted the cars.
“Everyone is in,” she related to Masterson. “No key cards should be off the property.”
Masterson grunted and walked quickly around the property’s perimeter, checking the fence. “Anyone could jump this fence,” he muttered, looking concerned.
Lillian didn’t answer.
After they checked the fence line, Masterson checked the outer buildings and lagoon. Several boats were moored in the bay near the lagoon.
Lillian thought the boats looked lovely bobbing in the bay with their night-lights twinkling, but Masterson didn’t like the boats moored so close to the motel.
“I’m going to talk to Mike when he gets back. I think the security of the motel should be stepped up.”
Lillian’s heart sank. “Because of me?”
Masterson gave a whispe
r of a smile before replying, “No. People are different nowadays. Sooner or later, Eva will get a crazy guest or some druggie will jump the fence and go rampaging through the bungalows looking for drugs. She needs a better security system.”
“I love the Pink Flamingo. If you put up alarms and security systems everywhere, it will destroy the atmosphere of this charming little motel.”
“It can be done in such a way that guests don’t even know there are systems in place,” assured Masterson. “I think we’re done for the night. I’ll get up around three and do another perimeter check. Right now I’m going to take a quick swim in the lagoon. Do you feel confident to go back to the office alone?”
“Of course,” said Lillian.
“Unless you’d like to take a swim with me?” asked Masterson.
“No, thank you. I don’t swim where I can’t see what’s underneath me. I’ll go back. You have a key to the office?”
“Yes. I should be back in about ten minutes.”
“Make sure that you are or else I’ll come looking for you.”
“Yes, ma’am,” grinned Masterson. He liked it when Lillian got a little feisty.
Lillian nodded and quickly went back to her quarters. Heating up some milk, she took the glass of warm milk to her room and shut the door. There she read a book until she heard Masterson come in and go to his room.
Masterson was safe.
Lillian heard him take a shower and go to bed. She felt relieved, but didn’t know why she felt relieved. Lillian continued reading her book until she nodded off with the lights on.
Later she was awakened by the sound of the office door opening and shutting. Glancing at the clock, she saw that it was a little after three.
Lillian got up and went into the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea. She sat at the kitchen counter waiting for Masterson to come back.
Twenty minutes later, Masterson returned and was surprised to find Lillian waiting for him.
“Everything okay?” asked Lillian.
“Yes,” replied Masterson. “I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you.”