The door opened and the tall man came in. Lucky remembered now it was the man he’d seen at the restaurant with the blue-haired woman.
“The bartender out here is getting antsy. You got anything?”
Consuelo pointed to the phone in Lucky’s hand. “He says he hasn’t seen her since the hotel, but she called his cell during the night and didn’t leave a message. Lucky says someone was following them, thinks maybe that’s who grabbed her.”
“Who?”
Lucky took a step towards the man. He remembered the name: Taco Bob.
“Reverend Sharkey.”
“The one in the paper?”
“Yeah.”
Taco Bob looked at the others, then at Lucky. “You want to help us find Lydia?”
“I’ll do whatever I can.”
Consuelo grabbed him by the arm. “Come on, Lover Boy. We’ve got a lot to talk over.”
The door opened again. Ron.
“I hate to bust up your little party back here, but I got a bar to run. Lucky, I need two cases of - ”
Slip stepped up to Ron. “Sorry partner, your boy has got himself in some trouble.”
“Oh? What kind of trouble?”
Slip pointed to Consuelo. “Boy got my niece here in a family way.” Consuelo gently patted her flat stomach. “We’re just about to head out to find a place to get these two hitched. He’s going to need the day off, I’m afraid.”
“She’s pregnant? That was quick!” He looked at Lucky, then the others, all deadpan serious. “Hey, I can’t run this place by myself!”
“I think you’ll find the answer to your problems is standing right behind you.” Ron turned around to see a small, wiry man drinking directly from one of the taps. “His name’s Skunk and he has plenty of experience in bars. Isn’t that right Skunk?”
The scruffy little man belched and nodded at Ron. “Damn right! You might say I been in training my whole life for an opportunity like this!”
∨ Key Lucky ∧
36
Working Together
Lucky hadn’t planned on taking the gun but Taco Bob insisted.
“I’m pretty sure you’re who we think you are, so you’ve probably got a gun somewhere in this storeroom since Slip didn’t find one in the backpack. You might want to go ahead and collect it up it since you’re likely to need it before this is over. And since you may not be coming back here.”
So he reached behind the ice machine and pulled out the mini-Glock. Taco Bob had a hand out. “Better let me hold that for now.”
It was crowded in the old pickup truck. Taco Bob drove with Slip at shotgun, and Lucky in the middle with Consuelo sitting on his lap. He wouldn’t be making any sudden departures.
They headed straight for the marina. Lucky didn’t like the way Consuelo kept looking at him. He couldn’t figure the connection between the three, but judging by the way they moved together onto an old houseboat he decided they were some kind of a team.
“Have a seat here, Lucky. Now you can call my sister.”
Lucky punched in the number. Consuelo sat with him shoulder-to-shoulder and turned the cell phone so they could both hear. Slip handed her a note pad and pencil.
“Hello?”
“Let me speak to Lydia.”
“She’s kinda tied up at the moment. Who should I say is calling?”
“This is Lucky. Is this Sharkey?”
“Please, dear boy, careful with the names. Are you alone?”
Lucky glanced at the three sets of eyes staring at him.
“Yes.”
“Good. Listen carefully. I want what you have, and you want what I have. We make a simple trade and everyone is happy.”
“I don’t have it all. My partners took some of it already and left town.”
“You have the cross though? I have a picture of it. A recent picture.”
Oh, shit. Consuelo is giving him dagger eyes. This is not good.
“The boss took it. I have bars and coins. All of them, over a hundred pounds. Just tell me where and they’re yours.”
“Exactly. Bring it all in a nice strong box. Perhaps a chest?”
“I have just the thing.”
“Fine. At five this afternoon I’ll come by boat to the north end of the Mallory dock. Just have it all in one container ready to go or I’ll take your little treasure here to the place where they found the mother lode, and toss her overboard with an anchor tied around her neck.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll have it there at five. Now let me speak to Lydia.” Lucky let the phone come down. “The bastard hung up.”
∨ Key Lucky ∧
37
Boat
“That went well!”
The Reverend was quite pleased with the way things were going. Mallory wouldn’t be crowded at that hour, but still a public enough place Lucky wouldn’t be trying anything cute. Forgot to mention he’d dime him to the police for the reward if he didn’t come across with the treasure, but maybe thinking about his girlfriend going swimming with a boat anchor around her neck was incentive enough. Speaking of incentive, time to clean the gun again. Maybe take a little walk later, see if he could find the guns he’d tossed. His asshole father used to say you can never have too many scams or too many guns. Bet the old buzzard would shit if he saw the numbers he’d come up with for what a hundred pounds of gold was worth. Not to mention the coins. But first things first.
“Darling, you got to pee?”
Still pretty groggy from that punch. Let her go in the bathroom once a couple of hours ago. Not taking any chances though. Only untied her wrists for a few minutes and kept the bathroom door open so he could watch. Kinda liked that, might be something to pursue once he got settled in Costa Rica. Bet there’s plenty of girls who’d do anything he asked for a few American dollars.
But things were definitely going well – everything set for the exchange in a few hours. All he needed now was a boat.
∨ Key Lucky ∧
38
Plans
The Sandy Bottomed Girl, Taco Bob’s restored bachelors pad houseboat, bustled with activity almost immediately after the phone call. Soon the smells of coffee brewing and soup simmering filled the comfortable old boat while a muted Weather Channel played on the television and plans were made and options discussed. Taco Bob had the notepad and the floor.
“First priority is the exchange. Lucky, you definitely have what this Reverend fella wants then?”
“Yes. It’s in a safe place, guaranteed safe.”
“We don’t want to get fancy here. You just give him what you’ve got and he gives us Lydia. Agreed?”
“Agreed.”
Taco Bob had a chart of the area around the Mallory docks on the table in front of them. “Here’s the place the Reverend says he wants to do the deal. Unless he’s coming in something the size of an aircraft carrier, he should be able to get right up to the edge of the square and out without any problems.”
Everyone studied the chart.
Except Lucky, who looked instead at the two somewhat weathered, middle-aged men and the athletic young woman – all of whom were totally focused on the chart and discussing scenarios involving channels and approaches. Consuelo looked up.
“What’s the matter?”
“How did you know?”
“The treasure?” Consuelo glanced at the two men. “We solved the puzzle.” She took the notepad, turned a few pages, and showed him their calculations and LUCKY written on top and circled.
“I’ll be damned. I didn’t expect anyone to solve it until maybe months from now, if ever. I didn’t think it was that clear.”
“It wasn’t.” Consuelo looked smug. “Taco here is a word whiz, and the three of us make a pretty good team.”
“Yeah, I noticed. So, you went in my trailer looking for the treasure?”
Consuelo looked at her partners again before answering. “The first time. The second time we were looking for the rest of the pictures you took of me with
the cross. Which by the way I still want, like real soon.” He could see the fury starting in her eyes again.
“I have them. Sorry about taking them without you knowing. I wanted something, I don’t know, something I could look back on years from now, and, well, savor.” Consuelo eased up, but only a little. “I realize now it was a stupid thing to do. Especially since it sounds like our Reverend Sharkey has seen them.”
Taco Bob looked annoyed. “Yeah, those pictures put an innocent person in jeopardy. Of course she’s not so innocent now. None of us are since we’re pretty much aiding and abetting here. Plus, from what you’ve told us about the Reverend, Lydia’s likely in serious trouble.”
Lucky felt like shit. He’d never planned on getting anyone else involved.
Consuelo’s phone rang and she went into the galley to stir the soup and calm her sisters.
Taco Bob went back to the chart. “Slip, you good for going with Lucky here? Okay, then you two get the treasure and take it to Mallory. Maybe hang close enough to keep an eye on the swap when it goes down.”
Nods from Lucky and Slip. Taco Bob pointed to the marina on the chart.
“Skunk, Con, and I will take the Wilbur. We can stay off Mallory a few hundred yards and watch for a signal if there’s trouble. Lucky, write your cell number on the notepad below mine and Consuelo’s. Let’s make sure we all have phone numbers and check our watches while we’re at it.”
Consuelo announced coffee and soup were ready in the galley, then stood in front of Taco Bob. “Sara and Josey are in.”
“There’s enough people involved already, Consuelo. No sense in – ”
“They’re already involved, I told them everything. You realize those two are borderline nuts already, and with Lydia kidnapped they’re both ready to start tearing off some heads.” She turned towards Lucky. “Starting with you.”
“Look, Consuelo, I never meant for - ”
“None of us want to know any more about what you’ve done, how you did it, or who you’re with. We just want to get Lydia back from this Reverend clown, and I want to know right now where those other pictures of me are.”
“They’re with my laptop and camera, at the same place as the treasure. When we go to get the treasure I’ll give them to Slip and he can burn them.”
“And the camera? Is there anything on it or your computer?”
“No, I deleted the pictures as soon as I printed them. I keep the camera and laptop clean. You’re going to have to trust me on this, Consuelo.”
She didn’t seem to be in a hurry to trust him, much less forgive him. In fact, she didn’t say anything else, just went into the galley and banged around some pots and pans.
Slip had gone over to the television for a closer look at the weather. Taco Bob went into the galley for a few minutes and things quieted down in there. When he came out he had a question. “Who is this Reverend?”
“Other than what was in the newspaper, all I know is he followed Lydia and I the night we saw you. When I confronted him on the street he had a gun. He definitely had a gun. That’s when I shot his car. He’s a big guy too, and if he’s the Sharkey I heard about in prison, then he’s got a tattoo of a shark on his face. The times I saw him he either had on big sunglasses or it was too dark to tell. As far as the reverend thing, I have no idea. Lydia told me he’d come by their hotel with a picture of me with a beard. The only time I had a beard was when the picture was taken in Tampa for my new ID.”
“So, he probably got the picture from whoever made the ID?”
“He must have come here looking for me thinking I was involved in the heist.”
“Well, you got to give him that. Sounds like he’s also been in your trailer. Anything else besides those pictures of Consuelo we should know about? Anything he can use against you, or her?”
Lucky had to give that some thought.
“No. The only things in the trailer that could tie me to anything were the pictures, and those will be gone soon. I don’t like to think about him having one though.”
“It’s not a pleasant thought for any of us, especially…” Taco Bob gestured with his thumb towards the galley. Consuelo came though the door and shot a dirty look Lucky’s way. She walked over to Slip glued to the television.
“What’s the haps?”
“Thunderstorms, Blondie. Cranking up in Florida Bay and coming this way. Might be a bit of a bumpy, wet evening.”
They felt the houseboat move ever so slightly a few seconds before Skunk burst through the door.
“Well, I got fired!”
Skunk stood there grinning while Taco Bob rolled his eyes. “Why does this news flash not surprise me?”
“That damn bartender Ron about worked me to death, then accused me of stealing liquor and fired me without even paying me!”
Taco Bob looked at his watch. “What’s the rest of it?”
Skunk set a paper bag of bottles on the table and started pulling more bottles out of his clothes. “Luckily I seen it coming and set a few things out by the back door just in case.”
“Slip, let’s help him put this liquor in the galley so we can fill him in real quick and hit the bricks.”
They stashed the liquor horde, then everyone gathered in the lounge with Taco Bob pacing once again.
“Okay, Slip and Lucky are going to take my truck and get the treasure. They’re going to park close to Mallory and stay with the truck. Just before five Lucky will take the treasure to the north end of the docks and wait for the Reverend to show, supposedly by boat. Slip will be in the area during the exchange. Lydia comes on the dock, and the treasure goes on the boat.”
Taco Bob nodded towards Consuelo.
“Con is going to brief her sisters, and Josephine and Sara will be hanging close by at Mallory to take care of Lydia as soon as she’s ashore. The Reverend has seen at least Josephine, so I’m sure they can come up with suitable disguises.” Consuelo nodded in agreement. Lucky had something to say.
“You need to make sure your sisters aren’t telling anyone else about this. I know you aren’t very happy with me at the moment, but after we get Lydia back I still need to get myself out of Key West.”
“You don’t need to worry about my sisters, nothing will go beyond them.” It was as much the look in Consuelo’s eyes as her words. Lucky knew he didn’t have to worry about the sisters.
Skunk looked nervous. “Well, what are you and I going to do, Taco?”
“You and I need to get the Wilbur ready. Since none of us trust this Reverend character, we’re going to be on the water within sight of the Mallory docks until we know Lydia is safe. As soon as Consuelo gets her sisters squared away at the hotel she’ll hook up with us here at the marina and we’ll take the Wilbur out.”
Taco Bob looked at the roomful of serious faces, then gave Lucky his gun back.
“Everyone keep in touch by phone. Let’s do it.”
∨ Key Lucky ∧
39
The Treasure
“I drove this old truck all the way from Texas without a scratch, so I’d appreciate it if I could get it back in one piece.”
Slip couldn’t believe the forlorn look on Taco Bob’s face standing there patting the old truck on the fender as he and Lucky were about to leave. All that worrying can make a man old.
“Quit worrying about us, Taco. We’ll grab the goodies and get parked close to Mallory in plenty of time. We have any problems Lucky here will give you a call.”
They headed for Stock Island with Slip driving in a sudden rainsquall.
“Looks like we’re in for a crappy afternoon. Hope this blows on through soon.”
Other than the weather, Slip was pleased with the way things were going so far. Though he’d like to be out on the Wilbur with Taco Bob, at least he was about to actually see and touch what nearly everyone else in Key West was dying to get a glimpse of.
Slip had to hit the brakes at one intersection to miss a tourist trolley full of rain-swept vacationers as it beat
full speed into the storm. The driver taking a shortcut to the safety of their home base.
“Lucky, I can’t say I necessarily agree with what you and your partners did, but I gotta hand it to you, it took some serious balls to pull that off.” Lucky just sat there looking straight ahead, deep in thought. “You’re doing the right thing though, using your share of the treasure to get Lydia back. She’s a real fine person.” That got Lucky to at least glance over and nod before going back to his thoughts. “Uh, again I ain’t necessarily condoning illegal acts here, but I hope you’re saving at least a little for yourself. I mean, there hasn’t been anything in the media about just exactly what all is missing, so this Reverend fella isn’t going to know if you save out a handful of coins for yourself.” Still didn’t say anything, but a little bit of a smile made a brief showing. They saw a man in a raincoat in the parking lot of a big hotel. The man held a metal detector in one hand and a shovel in the other while arguing with someone in front of a recently dug-up landscape island. “I don’t know if anyone told you or not, but me and Skunk found a silver coin in a lobster trap.”
That got Lucky’s attention. “Is that so?”
“Yep, I’d show it to you but it’s Skunk’s turn to hold it, so he’s got it now.”
Until then Slip had been so excited about the prospect of seeing the treasure with Lucky he hadn’t given much consideration to Skunk and their coin, in a boat, out on the water. He sure thought about it now.
Lucky assured him the treasure was close to the trailer park. They were almost there when he had Slip pull into a self-storage complex.
“Gotta hand it to you, Lucky, this is a mighty convenient place to store Spanish treasure.”
With Lucky directing, Slip backed to the right door without hitting anything. Inside the small room a bicycle with a flat tire leaned against a beer keg. The only other thing in the tiny room was a plastic toolbox. Slip took a look.
“The beer keg?”
“Got it at work. Took it to a machine shop in Marathon.” Lucky found a small screwdriver in the toolbox and pried the top off. Slip looked inside, then at Lucky.
Key Lucky Page 10