“Yeah,” Red responded, “I should just throw the damn thing out and get one of those digital ones. They play any song you can think of.”
“I only want to think about the songs that are already in that one,” said Dan. “If I had to choose from thousands of songs, I would never be able to make up my mind.”
“True dat, Dan the Man,” said Skip. “I don't need that kind of stress in my life.”
Red scanned the room. “Look at this place,” he said. “What a friggin' mess.”
“It could have been a lot worse,” Gene offered.
“Yes, it could have,” Peg agreed, placing her hand on top of Gene's. “Crazy old fool,” she said.
“Hey, I resemble that,” Gene said, laughing. “Just think of the great story we have to tell at the Moose Club Wednesday night, old woman.”
“Wednesday night?” Skip asked.
“Meatloaf night,” Dan explained.
“Ah.”
“We're just lucky Harrison's men left when they did,” Richard said.
“We're lucky Joey P got a hold of the people Harrison worked for and told them about the thumb drive,” said Dan. “Evidently, Harrison and his wife had been collecting data on every bit of wrong doing his clients were involved in.”
“I can't believe Harrison thought he could blackmail those people,” said Red, shaking his head. “What an idiot.”
“According to Joey,” Dan continued, “Harrison did finally come to his senses and decide against blackmailing them, but his wife wanted out and threatened to go to the cops. That's when Harrison decided to have her killed and blamed it on Maggie's boyfriend.”
“That explains why he wanted his wife out of the picture,” said Richard. “But why did he want Maggie dead?”
Dan shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe she was asking too many questions after her mother's death. I guess we'll never know for sure.”
“No sign of Harrison?” Skip asked.
“Nope,” Dan replied. “Joey said he disappeared an hour or so after his phone call.”
“You think he escaped?” asked Richard.
“I think he's sleeping with the fishes,” said Dan.
“Wow, I never heard anyone say that before, and mean it,” Richard said.
“So, even though Harrison decided not to blackmail his clients, they still killed him,” Red said.
“They probably didn't think they could trust him anymore,” said Dan.
“But they trust us?” Richard asked.
“I guess Joey put in a really good word for us.”
“Where's the thumb drive now?” Skip asked.
“I'm keeping it in a safe place until I hand deliver it to Joey Friday morning.”
“Where is the safe place?” Red asked.
“Between my butt cheeks,” Dan replied.
“Are you serious?”
“No, I'm not serious, ya moron,” Dan shot back. “It's in the drawer in my nightstand.”
The group chuckled and Dan lifted his tequila, Seven, and lime into the air. “To Jocko,” he said. “God's eatin' a damn good T-bone steak tonight.”
Everyone raised their glasses. “To Jocko!”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Friday afternoon, on his way back from delivering the thumb drive to Joey Pantucco, Dan got a call from Doc Briddle's office. The DNA results were in. He stopped by the office and picked up the envelope and drove straight home.
When Dan pulled his Porsche into the driveway, he could see his father and Richard sitting in the Adirondack chairs next to the fire pit. Dan climbed out of the car and carried the envelope down the driveway and into the back yard. Buddy lay on the ground next to Richard's chair.
“Dad, where's Mom?” Dan called out.
“I killed her,” said Gene.
“Dad.”
“She's in the house.”
“Mom!” Dan hollered. “Maxine!” He walked over and grabbed the folding lawn chair, unfolded it, and sat down. He held the envelope to his forehead like Carnac the Magnificent. “I have in this envelope the results from the DNA test.”
Gene and Richard sat forward in their chairs.
“Maxine!” Dan yelled. “We should get Mom and Maxine out here too.”
“What?” Maxine shouted.
“I've got the DNA results!”
Maxine and Peg hurried out of the house and trotted down the gravel path to the fire pit.
“What does it say?” Peg asked.
“I haven't opened it yet,” Dan said. “Is everyone ready?”
“Ready,” everyone said.
Dan took a deep breath and started to open the envelope.
All heads turned toward the road when they heard Skip's Volkswagen Thing pull up out front and sputter to a stop.
“What the Christ?” Dan whispered.
A few seconds later, Skip and Red bumbled down the path to the backyard.
“What's up, Coasts?” Red asked.
“We got the DNA results back,” Gene answered.
“What's the verdict?” Skip asked.
“Haven't opened them yet,” Richard answered.
“Okay,” said Dan. “Is everybody ready?”
“Ready,” everyone responded.
Dan tore at the corner of the envelope.
“Yoo-hoo!” Edna McGee called out. She was carrying a plate of cookies.
“Are you shittin' me?” Dan grumbled quietly.
“Richard!” Edna sang out. “I made you those peanut butter cookies like I promised.”
Richard stood. “Gee, thanks, Edna,” he said. “We just got the DNA results back. Dan's about to read them.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Edna crowed. “Maxine told me you were getting one done. This is so exciting.”
Richard offered his chair to Edna and she sat down. He placed the plate of cookies on the picnic table.
All eyes were on Dan. “Ready?”
Can I get a cookie first?” Red asked.
“Yeah, me too,” said Skip.
“No,” Dan replied. “Ready.”
Dan tore open the envelope and pulled out the paper inside. Before unfolding it, he paused and looked at Gene. Dad, he said, “If we find out today that Rich is your son, that means you've spent the last forty-something years being a dead beat dad. Are you willing to step up and take responsibility for Richard?”
“You don't know me,” Gene shot back. “I take care of my kids.”
“It's time to kick that dog to the curb!” Skip shouted.
“You need to dump that zero and get yourself a hero!” Red shouted, and began pumping his fist in the air. “Maury! Maury! Maur—”
“Shut up, you morons!” Maxine hollered.
Dan unfolded the paper. “Dad,” he said.
“Yes?” Gene responded.
“You are my father.”
Gene glanced over at Peg. “And all this time I thought it was the milkman,” he quipped.
“Shut up, you old fool,” Peg said. “What about Richard?”
“Dad.”
“Yes?”
All eyes were focused on Dan.
“Drum roll please,” said Dan.
Skip began performing his best drum roll imitation, complete with hand gestures and vibrating his tongue against the roof of his mouth.
“Gene Coast,” Dan continued, “Richard Bong … is your son.”
“I knew it!” Peg shouted. She was the first one to reach Richard with a great big welcome to the family hug.
As Richard was having the life squeezed out of him, he turned and looked in Dan's direction. He smiled and nodded his head. Dan returned the gesture with another nod.
Skip wiped the tears from his eyes as he made his way to Richard. He stuck out his hand, and they shook. “Welcome to the family, Dick Bong,” he said.
“Thanks, Skip Stoner,” Richard replied.
Gene was next with the hugs, and Dan waited to take his turn last. He and Richard shook hands and Dan said, “We got a lot of catching up t
o do.”
“You got that right, brother,” Richard replied. “But let's do some of that catching up in Texas. Florida is just too damn dangerous.”
Dan chuckled and pulled his new brother in for a hug.
“Wow,” Maxine said. “A hug. He doesn't do that very often.”
“Specially with other guys,” Red added.
“Jealous?” Dan asked. He turned and pulled Red into a hug as well.
“Two hugs in one day,” said Peg. “A new record.”
“Take advantage of it,” Dan said. “Anybody else? It's now or never.”
Gene went in for his hug, and so did Skip.
Peg turned and threw her arms around Maxine. “I need one too. Come on, Edna. Get in here.”
“This is just like the end of a Nicholas Sparks movie,” Skip sobbed, the tears streaming down his face. “I'm gonna be even worse at you guys’ wedding. Did you set a date yet?”
“Shut up,” said Dan.
The End
Coming Soon:
Fernandina Beach Mysteries
Serial Maintenance
Sunrise City 4
Dig Two Grave
ALSO BY RODNEY RIESEL
From the Tales of Dan Coast Series
Sleeping Dogs Lie
Ocean Floors
The Coast of Christmas Past
Ship of Fools
Double Trouble
Most Likely to Die
Deadly Moves
On the Wagon
No Enemies Here
Neighborhood Watch
Jake Stellar Series
North Murder Beach
Beach Shoot
When Death Returns
The Obedience of Fools
Dead in the Water
Excited About Nothing
The Dunquin Cove Series
The Man in Room Number Four
Return to Dunquin Cove
Local Hero
Sunrise City Series
Sunrise City
Sunrise City 2: From Bad to Worse
Sunrise City 3: Never Strikes Twice
Fernandina Beach Mysteries
Maintenance Required
High Maintenance
From Here to There: A Collection of Short Stories
Another Mother Page 15
