Key West Gone into the Night Elizabeth Hilleren (if you give a mouse a cookie read aloud txt) 📖

“What?”

“I warned you,” he said softly, “it’s a power game. Sometimes I don’t play well with others when I don’t think they are playing fair with me.”

She shook her head. “Great, a macho war.”

There was a knock on the door.

Chichi stood and said, “We’ll talk about it later.”

Jerry smiled. “Okay.”

Alex came in and handed Jerry a thumb drive. “I must warn you that anything that you find out about the people involved in this case must be held in the strictest confidence.  Her financials and notes on whom I talked to and the information I attained are all here.  I also talked with Sharkey and got some information on the investigation.”

“Keeping confidences is standard procedure in our industry,” Jerry said.

“Basically, the police have Susan’s body and I understand that they’re looking for the father of Susan’s new baby. He’s off the radar, along with his kid and Harris’s other grandson. It’s all there. I tried to lay it out so it should be easy to follow.  I can tell you that Harris’s ex-wife is a handful. Pretty easy to see why they aren’t together anymore.  Harris paid child support until Susan was eighteen.”

“Poor Harris,” Chichi said. “He’s really in a bad place, not being able to help with the investigation.”

“Yeah.  I’ve got to get to work, but if you have any questions or if there’s something I can do, just let me know. Work understands and will cover for me.”

“Great.  Okay, we’ll take up where you left off. Thanks for all of this,” Jerry said.

“Sure thing. Good to see you both.”

“You too, Alex.”

Chichi pulled up a chair to look over Jerry’s shoulder.

“Kidnapping is one of the worst jobs anyone can ask you to work on.”

“You’ve done it before?”

“No, but it’s difficult at best. Sharkey has his work cut out for him. Let’s see if we can help,” Jerry said.  “So, from what I can gather, Harris’s daughter was in deep debt.”

“Let’s check out what we can find on Susan Abbott, AKA Susan Harris.”

“I’ll get started with that and I’ll check with Gabby at the insurance company and see what she can come up with.”

Jerry looked through Alex’s gatherings from Susan’s house. He noted the picture of Harris on the mantel.

“Hey, take a look at this picture of Harris.”

“That’s him? He’s so young,” Chichi said smiling at the picture. “Wow.”

“The note here says that she supposedly hated him.  Do you keep pictures of people you hate on your mantel?”

Chichi laughed. “Only if they have a target on their face. Usually, little girls adore their dads and that love never dies. I know.” She gave Jerry a look through slitted eyes.

“Too bad for me.  Susan’s husband, this Carl Abbott, sounds like a real jerk. I’d start tailing him right away,” Jerry said.

 “Okay, he’s at the Hyatt. Alex has pictures of Carl and Harris’s ex-wife Stephanie Williams.”

“Humm, didn’t age well,” Chichi said. “Looks like a barracuda.”

“Chichi.”

She giggled. “Oh, you think that wasn’t nice?   Harris is such a good guy and I understand that he’s going to get hitched to a truly lovely lady.”

“Where did you hear that?”

“Cami Sharkey.” Chichi smiled like she had personal access to a covert source.

“Let’s head over to the Hyatt and scope this guy out.”

Chichi grabbed her lightweight windbreaker and climbed on the back of Jerry’s big, red, V-Rod Harley.

*    *    *

The Hyatt was crowded with people. He found a parking spot on the corner and they walked over to the hotel.

Chichi put on her wide-brimmed hat and sauntered over to the huge parrot in a cage. “Got to say hello to my favorite parrot.” While she cooed and talked to the bird called Ode, Jerry sat down in the outside lounge area across from the elevators and main desk.

He pretended to be studying a brochure he had picked up in the concierge area. Chichi came from Ode’s cage and wound her way by the turtle pond, and then wound through the hot tub area and the pool and over to the outdoor bar.

She ordered a tall iced tea and casually scoped out the bar. There were several people sitting at the bar and about six couples at tables. The waitress brought her the iced tea. “Will someone be joining you?”

“No, not tonight. Just killing time before dinner.” The waitress nodded and left.

Chichi sipped her drink and mentally took pictures of the men at the bar.

She was about to leave when her phone vibrated. She casually pulled her phone out of her pocket.

“He’s on his way in with a mom-in-law in tow.” Jerry said.

She closed the phone and pulled a travel guide out of her purse and started looking in it. They sat at a corner table. Chichi slipped her special hearing device in her ear.

“I’m telling you, Carl. This is not the way to handle this situation.”

“Too damn bad.  I think it’ll work.”

“And if it doesn’t, then what?”

“I’ll take care of that when the time comes.”

“It’s been a long day. I’m going to eat dinner and go back to the hotel.”

“First have a drink. It will relax you.”

“What makes you think I’m not relaxed?”

“You’re raising your voice. Pipe down and relax. Nobody knows we’re here. My plan will work.  It went out this afternoon and I bet I get a call tomorrow at the latest. Where there’s money involved time moves fast.”

“Look, I’m hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”

Carl looked perturbed but decided to finish his drink and stood to go.

Chichi called Jerry. “Coming your way to have dinner.”

“Thanks. Meet me out by the dining room.  I’m following them now.”

Chichi finished her drink and headed for the dining area.