Drunk on a Plane

by Zane Mitchell

  I couldn’t believe it. Finally, we had a break in the case. Her car! It had to be. I nodded at him. “Yeah, this is her car. Thanks man.”

  He frowned. “You gonna take care of moving it, or do I need to call someone to have it towed?”

  “No, no,” said Nico. “We’ll take care of it. Thanks a lot for your help.”

  “Yeah, no problem.”

  He went back inside, leaving us standing in the alley staring at Cami’s car. Nico and I looked at each other uneasily. This was definitely not a good sign. We approached the car trepidatiously and peered inside. It was empty. I heaved a tentative sigh of relief.

  “Check the door,” said Nico across the top of the car.

  I looked down at the driver’s door. Hooking the hem of my shirt around the door handle, I gave it a tug. “It’s unlocked.”

  “Good. Pop the trunk,” she said, walking around to the back of the car and waiting.

  I leaned down and hooked my shirt around the trunk latch and pulled.

  I heard it pop and then squeak as Nico lifted it open. Immediately she sucked in her breath. “Oh my God.”

  I closed my eyes. I didn’t even need to ask. “She’s in there?”

  “Yup.”

  Fuck.

  “Now what?” asked Nico, slamming the trunk shut.

  While I felt thankful in that moment that I hadn’t had to see Cami, I felt my heart drop. Not only would I now have to tell Freddy Vergado and Mrs. Acosta that they weren’t ever going to see Cami again, but finding Cami had been my last chance at getting the only eyewitness to relay to the island cops that I was not the one she’d seen fleeing my motel room.

  I leaned backwards against the dumpster and crossed my legs out in front of me. “I don’t know,” I sighed.

  “Well, Jimmie’s killers obviously knew that she saw them.”

  “Yeah.” I nodded absentmindedly. My mind had already wandered off to think about what life would be like inside an island prison. Would it be worse than an American prison? I shook my head. Oh man, this is going to kill my mother.

  “Drunk?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Are you with me?”

  “Yeah.” The muttered word came out without conviction.

  She heard the resignation in my voice as I looked up at her blankly. “Come on. We can’t quit now.”

  “I know, I know.” She was right. I had to push past the feelings I was having.

  “So Jimmie’s killers followed her. Who knew that there was an eyewitness?”

  I shrugged. “I’m pretty sure that everyone at the hotel knew. The front desk employees heard us talking about it that night, the valets knew, Ozzy—he’s the head of security—and Artie, the resort owner. Obviously they both knew.”

  “Yeah. Who else?”

  I shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe even some of the guests. The police obviously knew. Plus if any of the employees knew, they all knew. Gossip like that spreads like wildfire.”

  “Okay, well. Let’s think about this logically. If after killing Jimmie, the killers came out of your room and saw Cami watching them. Then what?”

  “Bang, bang. She’d be dead on the spot.”

  “Right. So, it’s more likely that they didn’t even known she’d seen them until after they’d fled.”

  “Makes sense,” I agreed, thankful that Nico’s cooler head was prevailing. Mine was still spinning.

  “So, it’s more likely that they’d found out later that she saw them. Right?”

  “I suppose.”

  “That means someone told them there was a witness. It could have been any of those people you just listed. It could have been an employee, a guest, or even the cops that told those men about Cami.”

  “You think it could have been the cops?”

  She shot a raised eyebrow at me. “You’ve met the island cops, right? They don’t like American tourists much, do they? Would you put it past them to do whatever it took to blame this on an American?”

  “And kill an islander to do it? I don’t know.” It seemed too far-fetched to believe, but there were definitely crooked cops in the US too. We couldn’t rule anything out.

  “It wouldn’t just be about framing you, Drunk. Look at the bigger picture. Whatever’s going on is worth millions. Dirty cops have killed innocent people for far less. If they’re involved in this international cryptocurrency crime ring and Jimmie’s murder, then of course they’re going to take out an innocent islander just to keep their secret safe.”

  Dirty cops? International crime ring? I lifted my hat so I could run a hand through my hair. How in the world had I gotten wrapped up in this mess?

  Nico continued. “The point is, we don’t know what to believe and we don’t know who is trustworthy. To me, this means that we can’t call the cops. They’d be quick to pin Cami’s murder on you. You were the one that found her, after all.”

  “Can’t call the cops? So are we just supposed to let Cami rot out here in the car?”

  “No. We can call in an anonymous tip after we’re long gone,” she suggested.

  My head rolled back on my shoulders. The thought sickened me.

  “Unless you’ve got a better idea?”

  A light went off in my mind. I lifted my head and smiled at Nico. “As a matter of fact, I do.”

  46

  With her hands on her hips, Nico shot me a confused look as a Paradise Isle police cruiser pulled up in the alleyway, just in front of the dumpster. “I thought we agreed not to call the cops?”

  “Yeah, well, I have faith in this one,” I said, shooting Nico a wink as Officer Francesca Cruz opened her car door and stepped out.

  Nico took one look at the woman, with her long hair bound up in a ponytail, her impressive physique, and her perfectly made-up face, and turned to me, rolling her eyes. “Of course you do.”

  “What?” I said with a smile. “She told me she wanted to help me in any way she could. I thought she’d be a safe bet to call.”

  Officer Cruz walked over to me and Nico. “What’s going on, Drunk?”

  “Officer Cruz, we really appreciate you coming so fast.”

  She smirked. “Trust me, it’s my pleasure. Sergeant Gibson had me behind a desk again, typing up some paperwork for him. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.”

  I pointed at Nico. “This is my friend, Nicolette Dominion. Nicolette, this is Officer Francesca Cruz.”

  The women cast critical eyes on one another. Nico’s raised eyebrow and pursed lips told me she was annoyed. I wasn’t sure if she was annoyed because I’d called island authorities, or if she was annoyed because the island authority just happened to be a beautiful woman.

  Officer Cruz extended a hand to Nico. “Ms. Dominion.” Her tone was stiff, and she dipped into a lower, throaty register to speak Nico’s name. I couldn’t help but smile at the female equivalent to a male’s puffed-out chest when greeting another dominant male.

  I could tell Nico wanted to roll her eyes, a gesture she seemed comfortable with, but she restrained herself. If Officer Cruz was going to be professional, Nico was going to be twice as professional. “Just Nico is fine. Right this way. Drunk, pop it.”

  I gave a curt nod and spun around to walk over to the car and pop the trunk. I made sure to once again hold my shirt over the door handle and the latch to avoid leaving fingerprints and being tied to the scene in any way. “We found Camila Vergado. She was the maid that saw the two men flee the scene at the resort.”

  Officer Cruz took one look at the body and sucked in her breath. Perhaps we should have prepared her before springing Cami’s dead body on her. “Oh my God.”

  “Yeah,” I said, hanging my head.

  She held a hand to her nose and mouth. The smell was putrid. Cami had been in the hot trunk for the better part of a week, but she’d been next to a dumpster, so it was more than likely that any odor that had leaked out of the trunk had been attributed to the garbage. “How’d you find her?”

  “Long st
ory short, her brother, Freddy, told us to check Gino’s. He said she always stopped here for dinner after work at the resort. We think she was followed after the murder. Her car’s been parked back here all week. The restaurant owner thought it was an employee’s car.”

  Officer Cruz’s jaw dropped. “This doesn’t look good for you, Drunk. You being the one that found her.”

  Nico made a face. “See? I told you we shouldn’t have called the cops.”

  I swallowed hard. “Yeah. I knew it wouldn’t look good. I hope you know that’s why I called you. After our little run-in the other day, I could tell that you were in my corner. Probably one of the few people on the island that is. When we found her, we could have just left her in there for someone else to find or not find. But I’m a good guy. I couldn’t do that. She’s got a brother and a mother that are worried sick about her. I figured if I was going to report it, I would report it to someone that would believe my story.”

  Nico took one look at Officer Cruz’s gaping jaw and shook her head. “Save your breath, Drunk. She doesn’t believe you.”

  Officer Cruz looked at Nico and then at me. “Alright, well, I didn’t say I didn’t believe you. I just said it looks bad for you.”

  “I know it does. That’s why I’m going to need you to just say that you got some anonymous tip about a bad smell coming from an abandoned car.”

  “You want me to lie to Sergeant Gibson?!”

  I looked at her with pleading eyes. “Yes.”

  “Drunk—”

  “I’m sorry, Officer Cruz. Francesca. I’m not trying to get you into any trouble here, but I didn’t kill that guy in my room. I swear. And Nico and I are going to prove it. When we do, I’ll make sure that you get the collar.”

  “I don’t know, I—”

  “She’s not gonna help us, Drunk,” said Nico, clearly not impressed by Officer Cruz. “We’ll have to figure something else out.”

  Officer Cruz held up her flattened palms and tipped her head forward slightly. “Now hold up a minute. I didn’t say I wouldn’t help you.”

  “Well, you also didn’t say that you would!” snapped Nico.

  I spun to face Nico. “Nico,” I growled. “You’re not helping any!”

  “Listen. You asked for my help, Drunk. Not this… secretary’s!”

  Officer Cruz’s eyes widened. “Secretary!”

  “Nico!”

  Nico threw both of her arms out by her side and stomped off, growling under her breath.

  Officer Cruz watched Nico disappear around the corner of the strip mall, an equally annoyed look on her face. “What’s her issue?”

  I sighed. “I’m sorry about her. She’s just upset. We spent all day looking for Cami, just to find her dead. And then we agreed we wouldn’t call the cops, and I called you. But I called you because I really felt like I could trust you and we could help each other.”

  Officer Cruz put a hand on her hip and looked down at the ground while she mulled over my request. Finally, she looked up at me. “You’ll let me make the collar when you find the guys who did this?”

  “A hundred percent!”

  She poked a finger into my chest. “You better not make me regret this, Drunk.”

  I raised my right arm to shoulder height and held up three fingers. “On my honor. You will not regret this.”

  She sighed. “Fine. I’ll handle this.”

  I wanted to hug her. I gave her one of my winning smiles instead. “Thank you, Officer… can I call you Francesca?”

  “No.”

  “Frankie?”

  “No!”

  “Okay, okay,” I said, holding out a hand to shake hers. “Officer Cruz it is. Thank you, Officer Cruz. I will forever be in your debt.”

  “You better not forget it!”

  Just then Nico reappeared in her rental car around the corner of the alley. I waved at Officer Cruz as I began to walk towards the car.

  Nico held my phone out the window as she drove. “Drunk! Your phone’s ringing!”

  I jogged faster and took it from her. “Drunk here.”

  “Drunk?”

  “Al?”

  “Yeah. Where are you?” His rough voice sounded panicked.

  “In town. What’s up?”

  “Uh, we’ve got a situation.”

  I felt the blood drain from my body. “A situation? What happened, Al?”

  “Artie’s been abducted.”

  “Artie?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How do you know he’s been abducted and didn’t just go somewhere?”

  “Ozzy said he saw him leave with two men. I think it’s the guys that broke into your room.”

  “What!” I bellowed into the phone. I rushed around to the passenger’s side of the car and got in, gesturing for Nico to start driving.

  “Don’t yell, will ya? I got my hearing aids in.”

  I winced. “Sorry. Did Ozzy call the police?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Good. Tell him not to. We’ll handle this.”

  “Okay. There’s more, Drunk.”

  “More?”

  “Yeah. The cold storage keys. You know, those things that Jimmie hid in your bag?”

  “Yeah?”

  “They’re gone too. I think the men got those too.”

  “Don’t fuck with me, Al.”

  There was silence on the other end of the phone. Then finally, “I’m really sorry, kid.”

  I buried my head in my hands and sighed. Finally, I sat up straighter. “Don’t move, Al. We’ll be there as soon as we can. Meet me out front.”

  “Okay, Drunk. We won’t do anything until you get here. Be careful.”

  I hung up the phone and glanced over at Nico, now behind the wheel and maneuvering back onto the busy street.

  “Where are we going?”

  “The resort.”

  “What happened?”

  “Those two Aussies kidnapped Artie Balladares and took off with the cold storage keys.”

  Her jaw dropped. “Are you kidding me?”

  “I wish I was. Just step on the gas, okay?”

  47

  Nico floored it on the ride back to the resort while positively fuming. “I can’t believe we’ve been fucking around in town all day, chasing a dead girl, and now the key’s gone.”

  “Correction. The keys are gone. There are three of them,” I pointed out.

  “I’m only concerned about my boss’s. Fuck the rest. If the Aussies get the money transferred before we get it back, we might as well kiss the seventeen million dollars goodbye.”

  Nico pulled up beneath the porte cochere, where we found Al waiting for us.

  “Where’s Ozzy?” I asked, jumping out of the car before it had even come to a complete stop.

  Al’s face looked pained as he followed me into the lobby. “He’s in Artie’s office. You don’t think they’re going to kill him, do you?”

  I stopped moving and looked down at him. “Al, they didn’t kidnap Artie because they wanted a new guy to hang out with. Of course they’re going to kill him. But first they’re going to make sure the keys are what they were looking for.”

  Al nodded, his mouth agape. Genuine fear floated in his eyes.

  I squeezed his arm. “We’ll find him, alright. I’ve gotta talk to Ozzy and see if he’s got any clue as to where they might have taken him.”

  Al stopped walking as Nico came running up behind us, but there wasn’t time for introductions now. “Come on. We need to talk to Ozzy before we run out of time.”

  “You go ahead.” He waved us on and then pointed back to the lobby area. “I’ve gotta see a man about a horse.”

  I stared at Al incredulously. “Are you shitting me right now?”

  “What?” he barked. “At my age, you never give up an opportunity to use the bathroom! Go, go, I’m not stopping you. I’ll be there shortly.”

  Nico and I ran to the counter, where I found Anita working. “Anita. I need to see Ozzy. He’s in Mr. Bal
ladares’s office. It’s an emergency.”

  “Yes, Mr. Becker told me that Ozzy’s expecting you. Go ahead.”

  I nodded and led Nico to Artie’s office, where Ozzy was waiting behind Artie’s desk. His usually neat office had been turned upside down. Drawers on Artie’s filing cabinets had been pulled out and emptied, garbage littered the desktop, and the oversized portrait of the Seacoast Majestic that I’d admired just a few days before was now on the floor. I realized now that it had been hiding a wall safe, which now stood wide open and empty.

  Ozzy stood up the second we entered the room. “Drunk, oh thank God you’re here. I-I didn’t know what to do.” He looked up at Nico and his eyes grew round. “W-who’s she?”

  “Ozzy, this is Nico. Nico, this is Ozzy Messina. He’s the head of resort security.”

  She looked him up and down and then lowered her chin as she turned to me. “Seriously?”

  Even though I understood the ridiculousness of that statement, I furtively squeezed her ass as a silent gag order. We couldn’t risk Ozzy taking offense and then deciding not to tell us what he knew as a result. “Okay, Ozzy. We need to know everything. Start from the beginning, and don’t leave anything out.”

  Ozzy nodded and sat back down behind Artie’s desk. “Well, I was in here, working on Mr. Balladares’s computer. Earlier in the day, he said he was having some issues with his internet. I stepped out for a minute to check the settings on the equipment in the server room, and as I was coming back, I saw him leaving out the back with two men.”

  Nico leaned forward, putting her hands flat on Artie’s desk. Her biceps smashed her breasts together, exposing her cleavage to Ozzy. “What did the men look like?”

  Ozzy’s eyes lowered to her chest. “T-they were big,” he said slowly, unable to tear his eyes away from the pair of breasts within touching distance.

  I snapped my fingers in front of his face. “Ozzy, focus. This is important. If we’re gonna find Artie, we need to know who we’re looking for.”

  “Oh, r-right,” he stuttered. He closed his eyes and tried to gather his wits, then he looked at me and tried not to even turn his eyes back towards Nico. “They were big. One was a big bald black guy with tattoos on his neck. He had an eye patch. The other guy was white. He kinda looked like a cowboy or something.”