Clearwater Journals

“What do you think we should do now?” Mia asked as she swiped at her eyes.

  “Are you sure you want to go on with this? You’re okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I can’t stand Ted! He’s a friggin’ pig.”

  “How long has your mom and stepdad lived there?”

  “A couple of years—they moved sometime after Vickie was killed. They used to live in a gated estate in Tampa. But my mom actually grew up near where I live now. She wasn’t always rich.”

  “What about Ted?”

  “No, he wasn’t rich. He grew up somewhere up north, made some money and then moved down here and made a lot more. He regularly brags about being a self made man. More like self made asshole…”

  “Well, we need to find this guy, Eddie Ralston—the guy who was hanging around Vickie before she was killed. I should also try to meet your brother, Terry, and a few of Vickie’s school friends. Maybe I could put together a short list of people I should talk to and you could try to get me their phone numbers and addresses. I think it might be best if I talked with most of them alone. And let’s not tell any more people about what we’re up to. Okay?”

  “I thought it would be alright to tell my mom,” Mia said defensively.

  “You’re probably right,” I said, “but it’s who your mom tells that might be the problem—like your stepdad or a neighbour with something to hide.”

  “I should have thought of that. I just believed that she would like to know that I haven’t given up.”

  “It’s okay,” I said trying to reassure her without raining on her parade too hard. “It will get around a bit when we talk to these people we need to see, but maybe we can play down the true purpose of our interest. So, for the time being, let’s not say anything to anyone else. Oh yeah, I thought you told me at the outset that your mom didn’t know that Vickie was going to visit you?”

  “That’s what she said to me when I phoned to find out why Vic hadn’t arrived. But it didn’t sound that way when you asked her. Maybe, at the time, I just misunderstood.”

  I didn’t think so. I was going to have to find some way to find a few minutes to talk with Langdon alone. I thought I had just found another reason for the cop to get on board. Discrepancy is always an interesting key to opening the doors of an investigation. Something didn’t gel. Cops love when stuff doesn’t gel.

  “Let’s go back to the beach,” I said wanting to get away from thinking about Langdon and the topic of Mia’s dysfunctional family. “You can unpack the rest of those two bags containing all your worldly possessions. Then, if you want, we can go over to Island Estates and do some shopping, and I can get some more money. After that, we can tidy up my room, and maybe do a quick check of the rest of Mrs. Reilly’s house to make sure everything is okay. And then, after we walk the beach, and maybe have swim, I’ll take you to Cooters for one of the best steaks of your life. When we come back, maybe we could check to see if that little red bikini still fits you?”

  I looked over to where Mia was rolling her eyes.

  “I get it Joe—yadda yadda yadda,” she said with her ‘your oars are out of the water’ look. “Did Annie ever tell you you’re a bit compulsive, Joe? I mean —you almost told me when I had to go pee.”

  “Well, I like to be organized and have a plan,” I replied.

  “When this is over, maybe we should get your head examined.”

  “Now who is making plans?”

  “You are a nut Joe—but you are my nut.”

  I just smiled and drove.

  After a few moments and maybe to cover the ‘my nut’ comment, Mia asked, “What about Langdon. Do you think we have enough to get him to help?”

  “I’ll take care of him. What time do you go to work tomorrow?”

  “One to ten.”

  “Okay, so we’ll have lunch with him. After lunch, you take your car on to work, and I’ll talk to him for a while. I’ll meet you at IHOP tonight at ten and tell you what I found out. Do you want to hear my new blonde joke? I’ve been saving this one for a special occasion.”

  “If it will make you happy,” Mia sighed quietly rolling her eyes again.

  “You’re the one with the happy problem right now Sweet Cakes. And I’m just the guy to cheer you up. Anyway, so here’s the joke: A Blonde comes home from shopping all day and discovers that her house is on fire. She calls the local fire department on her cell phone.

  “Please state the nature of your emergency,” the operator says.

  “My house is on fire!” the blonde replies.

  “Okay, where do you live?”

  “In a house—silly,” the blonde replies.

  “No, I mean how do we get there?” asks the operator in frustration.

  “Well, duh! In your big red truck!”

  Mia broke up. Another day and night in paradise!

  We Put On Our Game Faces