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

when I was about seventeen…just hoping to start college. But after their deaths my father’s business slowed down and was in danger of closing. My uncle stepped in and found me a good business college and paid for my attendance. He also took over managing my family’s winery and kept it going. I did well and graduated with honors. I was able to take over the business and it started making money. My part was running the business end of the winery and promoting sales in America. I travel a lot making export connections. That’s where I met Susan.”

“I see. Go on,” Rex said, taking out a pipe and without lighting it up placed it in his mouth.

“I owe my uncle a lot of money. Hundreds of thousands for schooling and the cash loan that the business required to be kept running and improved while I was in school,” Javier said.

“I understand,” Rex said. “I assume you don’t know where the children are being held or Harris would have the police there?”

“That’s right. I was not told. I was told my part, for the time being, is to disappear until I’m needed.”

“Where were you when you saw your uncle earlier here in town?”

“Harris and I were trying to figure it out.”  Javier looked uncomfortable. “He won’t be there. He won’t stay where I know where he is. He’s not afraid that anyone will find him.”

“He believes that you will not betray him.  Okay, so he owns the houses?”

“Yes…well his corporations do. The official records will not show that he is the owner. He may even have someone else holding the children.”

“I see.”

“Does anyone else live at the house where you met him?”

“No. Not on a permanent basis. This is his base for business here in America. So, his associates may stay there, but only by appointment.”

“I take it then no one is there now?” Harris said.

“I believe that is true.”

“It should be empty?” Harris persisted.

“Yes.”

“What are you thinking?” Rex asked Harris.

“Any reason he might go back there?”

“He has an office but I don’t think that he would leave anything there that was important.  He is like me, a frequent traveler. You become light and mobile.”

“Okay, it was just a thought,” Harris said, feeling Rex’s eyes on him.

“Do you have a safe place to stay?”

“Yes, on Stock Island.”

“Okay. Harris, can I talk to you for a moment in the other room?”

“Sure.  We’ll be right back, kid.”

They walked over to the kitchen and Rex closed the door. “I get the feeling that this kid is on the up and up.”

“I agree,” Harris said. “He has the life of my grandson being held over his head.”

“Okay, the old ‘trust but verify’ is important now. I would like to talk this over with Sharkey.”

“Sure. I’m going to go home to my honey and relax. He should be fine in the house there. He assured me no one knows where he is. I already checked for a tracker on his car. It’s clean.”

“Good. I’ll be in touch and if possible, we’ll meet here.”

“Okay. Thanks Rex.”

Javier was looking at the books in Rex’s office. “You wrote these?” he asked as they reentered the office.

Rex laughed. “Sure did. You want to read them?”

“May I?”

“Sure. I have a starter kit that you can have with the first six of the set.”

“Thank you.” Javier grinned for the first time.

“I’ll get them and put them in your car.”

“Okay, Kid, let’s get going,” Harris said with a rare smile.

*    *    *

Leslie Graham pulled her car up to the dock of a friend’s house and got the kayak out of the shed and headed for water’s edge. She pushed off and paddled slowly along the bush-lined canal. The sky was clear as only a few puffy clouds made their way across the sky. She continued along, enjoying the warmth of the sun and the beauty of the clear aquamarine water. An hour later she had paddled around the edge of the island.

Mangrove trees lined that section of the shore. She found a place to stop for a rest and ate her lunch in the boat. She rested for a while watching the birds hiding in the trees. Continuing on, she saw something floating in the water ahead. Curious, she paddled closer.  She gasped and stopped the kayak a few feet away from what appeared to me a man floating in the water.

She pulled her cell phone out of the sealed plastic bag she carried it in while on the water and called 911.

“There’s a body in the water. I was kayaking around the island. He’s about three feet from me. I’m in the channel between the salt ponds and the Ninth Street canal.”

“I’ll have an officer meet you there. You can stay in your kayak until he gets there. Your name is?”

“My name is Leslie Graham.”

“Officer Rosario will meet you, Leslie.”

Officer Cruz Rosario headed for the canal in answer to a call for any cruiser close to the canal. He was the first to respond to the call. He got out of his car and walked across the grass to the edge of the water and saw the woman in the kayak.

He waved and she headed towards him. He extended his hand to help her up the edge of the water.

“Hi, I’m Officer Rosario. I heard you found something interesting.”

“He’s just up the canal a little way. There’s a branch that caught him.”

“There is an aquatic team coming. Did you go near the body?”

“I saw it when I was about three feet from it. I didn’t disturb it.”

“Thanks for calling it in.  If you’ll just fill out this card with your information you can be on your way. This area will