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

stopped talking to us so we had no clue what was percolating through her brain.”

“I’ll put an APB out on her,” Sharkey said.

“Roger that.  I’ll canvas the town and see if I can spot her,” Harris said. “She’s always been the kind to go off halfcocked. But I’m not sure why she would do what she thought was crazy when Carl did it. Damn, she’s apt to get herself killed.”

“Those guys that put Alex in the hospital just put him back in, along with Cynthia.”

“I’ll keep looking and let you know what I find.”

Harris went to the La Conch and inquired about Stephanie Williams.

“I’m sorry sir, but she checked out last night. Said she was going home.”

“I’m a cop.” He pulled out his badge. “You got her auto license number on file with her room?”

“Yes, I believe so. Just a moment.”

Harris looked around the lobby. Nice place.

The clerk returned and wrote down her license that she had left with him.

Harris returned to his car and ran it through the DMV.

“That car is registered to a Carl Abbott with Miami address.”

Crap why didn’t they impound his car?

He called impound and was told that it had been impounded. She must have just used his plate number. Stephie, Stephie, Stephie…she must be on foot.

*    *    *

Stephanie laid low in a B&B waiting for a response to her personal ad.

Sure enough, her throw-away phone rang.

“This Gramma?”

“Yes, I have cash money. Fifty thousand dollars.”

“Then we meet at eleven at the Key West Hockey Rink.”

“A hockey rink in Key West?  You’re kidding me. I thought you were serious.” Stephanie said.

“The southernmost rink is at the corner of Bertha Street and Atlantic Boulevard. Eleven PM. Bring the money.” They hung up.

“See ya,” Stephanie said into the dead line.

She was ready. She had Carl’s gun from his hotel room. She was smart to take it when he went into the shower, leaving her reading the newspaper while he showered.

She had his gun in her purse and she felt that this time she would find out where the children are. You want something done right you have to do it yourself. Carl tried to cheat them…I won’t.

*    *    *

Harris was canvassing the hotels and inquired at the front desk if Stephanie Williams was registered. “No sir, we have no one by that name.”

“Here’s her picture. This is official police business.”

“She’s still not here.”

“Okay thanks.” He wandered out and continued down Duval Street.  She could be anywhere.

*    *    *

Mckenzie didn’t speak to Connor when they got back to the office.

“How about some lunch?” Connor said, trying to catch up with her.

“Connor, you’re supposed to be backing me up, not telling me it’s time to drop the subject and leave, dismissing my opinion.”

Connor watched Mckenzie sit down at her desk and flip her red hair up off of her collar and up in the air.

“Sorry, I just thought Sharkey was right.”

“You thought that going along with Sharkey’s request was the right thing to do?”

“It was.” He sat down in the chair next to her desk. “If kids are missing, he has his hands full. If they were kidnapped, their lives could be in danger. Alerting the public could spook them. If it isn’t a relative involved, they just might kill them and feed them to the fish rather than taking the chance of being caught.”

Mckenzie frowned. “I just think he should have at least let us know the details. I hate the insinuation that I can’t be trusted.”

“Listen, my sweet, tenacious, reporter, it’s a situation you don’t want to inadvertently blow up. You just don’t.”

“That’s just it.  I’m a reporter. And I’m tenacious…but not stupid.”

Connor’s mouth turned up on one side.

“I’ll buy a thick steak you can get your teeth into and a Mojito.”

“Okay.  I hate it when you’re right. It’s awful that kids are taken and are in danger.”

“It is. Sharkey will take care of it and if he thinks we can help, you’ll be the first to know.  Sorry I yelled at you.”

She hugged his arm. “You yelled?”

“Come on, I’m hungry,” Connor said. “Hey, O’Brian, take a lunch break with us.”

“Really?”

Connor threw him a look. “Yeah.”

“Sure.”

“Good. Robbin?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll be right there,” she said.  Connor smiled. Mckenzie grinned.

“Lunch on me.” He looked into Barney’s office and said, “Lunch’s on me.”

Barney threw him a rare grin. “Sounds good.”

“No further talk about anything serious. Got it?”

“Got it,” they all said.

*    *    *

Sharkey called Harris, who answered on the last ring.

“You find Stephanie?”

“Not yet. I figure she’s on foot and staying low.”

“I sent out a picture to go along with the APB. You think she’s really dumb enough to meet with these guys?”

“I wouldn’t call her dumb…but sometimes she gets headstrong and goes off halfcocked.”

“You mean intentionally meeting people you know kill people, on a dark street in the middle of the night, with a big bag of cash, and no one around, doesn’t qualify as dumb?  I’m also going to step up patrols around the waterfront. Heard from our young friend?”

“No. He’s bunkered in.”

“Okay, Jenny and I are going to canvas the waterfront too. Keeping a low profile. You need to go home, and I’ll call if anything goes down.”

“I’m tired. I think I will.”

Jenny came through the door with two big white food bags. “Food is here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starved.”

“Thanks, you got that one right. I’ve got some interesting news,” Sharkey said, clearing off his desktop and grabbing a plate from the cabinets behind him. He passed one to Jenny, who pulled a chair up to his desk.

He told her about the visit from Mckenzie and