21 Dares: A Florida Suspense Mystery

by JC Gatlin

  Turning his head south, he stood, holding the broken tiara, and looked for the two cars. They were long gone now, headed toward downtown Tampa.

  Chapter 16

  Rocky and Abbie parked their respective cars in a four-story parking garage a couple of blocks from the Riverwalk in down town Tampa. The group left the garage and Abbie looked-up at the lit towers on the horizon—the angled Sun Trust Financial Center, the peaked Regions Building and the soaring Bank of America Plaza against the black sky.

  “Have you ever strolled down the Tampa Riverwalk?” Susan came up beside Abbie and put an arm around her shoulder. Abbie shook her head. Susan shot her a smile. “Well, lemme explain it to you. If someone tries to pass you on the boardwalk, speed-up and keep pace with them.”

  “Why?” Half listening, Abbie glanced at her watch. It was a quarter till seven.

  “Cause it really freaks their shizz out,” Susan said. “And nod at the people walking toward you like you know them.”

  They made their way toward the winding sidewalk along the Hillsborough River. Roughly a mile ahead, the river emptied into Tampa Bay and they strolled along the riverbank, following a wooden plank path. Benches on either side had been strategically placed to take advantage of the view. Lanterns lit the trees. Strings of white lights wrapped around the street lamps. A man strummed a guitar near the water. Couples of all ages walked past, some walking dogs, some snapping pictures. A man cast a fishing line over the white fence. It plopped in the dark water with a splash.

  Making their way through the crowd, Susan and the twins asked random people to take a photo with Abbie. There were two sailors, a group of high school boys, and some girls celebrating a bachelorette party. Two cops riding Segways flirted with Lindsey and Lindsay. A little later, the group knocked out eight photos with various people standing in line at the Tampa Theater.

  By the time they reached The Sail Pavilion, Abbie had taken twenty-one photos with random strangers. Abbie flipped through the pics on her phone as they continued down the boardwalk. When they reached The Sail, Abbie looked up at the circular waterfront bar. People sat at tables under a pergola, in the open salt air. A live band played near the bar. All around, from every direction, boat lights shimmered on the Bay. McKenzie stopped Abbie before she took off for the restaurant.

  “Wait, you completed the dare,” McKenzie said. A group of tourists looped past them as they followed the curve of the sidewalk. “Send the mission complete text message.”

  “I’ll do it inside.” Abbie took a couple of steps. McKenzie blocked her again.

  Susan came up beside them. “The next dare was McKenzie’s idea and she wants you to do it before you go inside.”

  McKenzie waved toward the bright lights of the Sail Pavilion ahead. “You’re entering the bar as a twenty-one year old woman,” she said. “That’s a big deal.”

  “Fine.” Abbie grabbed her phone and sent the text message.

  “This is a milestone in your life.” McKenzie’s arms moved wildly as she spoke. “I just want it to be memorable. You know, I still remember my twenty-first birthday.”

  Rocky chuckled. “You mean the birthday you had last year?”

  “It was still a big deal.” McKenzie put her hands on her hips when her phone suddenly beeped. Every phone went off at the same time. She glanced at her screen. “It’s dare seven.”

  Abbie looked down at her own phone.

  Abbie shot McKenzie a puzzled glance “Is that it? That’s the dare you came up with?”

  “Well, it wasn’t the only dare I came up with.” McKenzie pointed toward a young man wearing a red vest and bow tie standing at a valet booth.

  “I don’t think he’s a bouncer,” Abbie said.

  “Sure he is.” McKenzie nudged her, pointing. “He’s going to ask for our IDs.”

  Abbie shook her head. “The bartender might, but that’s the valet.”

  “Would you just do it already?” McKenzie gently pushed her forward.

  Abbie took her ID out of her purse and crossed the parking lot for the Sail Pavilion, headed toward the young man. He barely looked old enough to drive, much less park cars. He smiled at Abbie with a mouth full of braces, and told her good evening.

  “I don’t have a car,” she said slowly, twisting the unicorn pendant on her necklace. “But I was wondering…”

  “Applications are inside.” He nodded at another couple passing by, then looked back at Abbie. “Ask the bartender.”

  Abbie held up her driver’s license. She handed it to him. He glanced at it, as she asked him if they could take a picture together. “It’s my twenty-first birthday.

  Begrudgingly, he leaned in toward her, posing. Abbie held up her ID. McKenzie snapped the photo.

  Inside, Susan and Abbie made their way to the large circular bar in the center of the pavilion. People crowded around it, cheering and pointing toward a game on the television set. Abbie pushed through as a new text message popped-up on her phone. Abbie looked down at it.

  “It’s from the landlord,” she said. “Mr. Sherman wants us to stop texting him party dares.”

  “That old fart.” Susan rolled her eyes. “He probably doesn’t even remember his twenty-first birthday.” She leaned over the bar and called for the bartender. She ordered drinks. Abbie put a hand on her arm.

  “You really shouldn’t say that,” Abbie said. “It’s not that he’s old, he just doesn’t want to go to a bar with a bunch of twenty-one year olds.”

  The bartender set a shot glass in front of Abbie and Susan. They stared at the yellow-tinted drink with bright red salt around the rim. Abbie blinked.

  The bartender pointed toward McKenzie, Rocky, and the twins sitting at a recently vacated table overlooking the Bay, away from the crush of cheering people watching a game on the TV over the bar. The bartender scooted the drink toward the girls. “They ordered this for you,” he said.

  “What is it?” Abbie stared at the brightly colored drink. As if on cue their cell phones chirped. Abbie read the new text message out loud as Susan looked over her shoulder.

  “A birthday cake shot?”Abbie looked up at Susan. Susan grinned.

  “Guess you won’t be driving us home tonight.” She picked-up the shot glass and headed to the table. “We’ll have to assign another designated driver.”

  Abbie followed. Rocky, McKenzie and the twins were already seated. Abbie sat down next to them. Despite the music, she could hear waves breaking on the shore somewhere below them. She glanced out at the dark waters of the Bay, then looked at the drink. Rocky laughed.

  “A birthday cake shot. Excellent,” he said.

  “I don’t even know what that is.” Abbie couldn’t take her eyes off it. It looked like cool-aid her grandmother would make on summer afternoons. Rocky leaned toward her. His glasses fogged from the humidity.

  “Somehow the combination of a little vodka, sugar, and splash of Frangelico produces the sensation of drinking a slice of cake.” He reached for the glass and slowly turned it, as if he was admiring the swirling colors.

  “That’s delicious all by itself,” McKenzie added, leaning in closer to Rocky. “But the real trick is to chase it down with a lemon wedge.”

  Abbie looked over at them, wondering if they were putting her on.

  “We’ve all done it. It’s a rite of passage.” Susan pushed the shot glass across the table toward her. Abbie took the shot and sipped it. It left red salt on her lips.

  “You’ve got to chug it,” Rocky said.

  “And you can’t use your hands.” McKenzie gently swiped Abbie’s hands off the table as she spoke. “It’s the rules.”

  Abbie locked her arms behind her back and leaned over the table to grip the edge of the shot glass with her mouth. Her necklace drooped down from her neck. The silver unicorn landed on the table below her chin. With her hands behind her, she lifted her neck, allowing the drink to splash into her mouth and down her throat. When the glass was empty, she gripped it with her teeth and brough
t it back down onto the table. Wiping her mouth with the back of her arm, she uttered, “Hot Damn! That was just like drinking a slice of cake.”

  McKenzie clapped her hands. “You want another one?”

  Everyone laughed and Abbie sent the mission complete text. As she looked at her phone, she brought up the photo of the valet. In it, she was posed next to him, holding up her ID. She had a silly expression on her face. His head was tilted down. He was clearly staring at her chest. Abbie laughed, and McKenzie and Susan moved beside her.

  “What’cha look’n at?” Susan asked.

  “Look at my face.” Abbie pointed to the photo.

  Susan took the phone. “He’s check’n you out. You actually caught him looking at your… you know…”

  “Ta Tas?” Lindsey offered.

  Lindsay leaned back and looked at her sister. “Are you in the fifth grade? Don’t say ta tas.”

  “Okay then.” Lindsey glared at Lindsay. “Righteous jugs.”

  “Free thrills,” Abbie said, taking her phone back from Susan as McKenzie leaned in close. Abbie swiped the photos across the screen. She laughed at the picture with the high school boys, and Susan said that she knew a couple of the sailors.

  “You would,” McKenzie said, as they came to the photo of the boys standing in line for the nightclub. “I went back, you know, to get the numbers of a couple of those guys.”

  Abbie looked at her, then over at Rocky. “McKenzie, you’re engaged.”

  “I got them for you, okay?” McKenzie set her purse on the table and pulled out a couple of receipts with phone numbers scribbled on them. “See, isn’t this fun?”

  “Yeah, I guess.” Abbie looked at the receipts. She considered setting them on fire and dropping them in her glass. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a candle on the table.

  “I’m actually more surprised that I’m having a good time,” Susan said, picking up a couple of the receipts and glancing at the numbers. She folded one and slipped it into her jeans pocket. “Watching you do these dares is actually pretty entertaining.”

  Abbie started to say something then suddenly stopped, her brow furrowing as she stared at a photo. “Oh my God,” she said under her breath, then spoke a little louder. “Oh my God.”

  She moved away from the table, taking her phone with her. Susan and McKenzie came up beside her. “What’s wrong?”

  Abbie ignored the question, thumbing quickly through the photos on her phone, then swiped back to the first one. It was a picture of her standing beside a random man. The camera had caught a few people passing behind them.

  “That’s the guy,” she said. She enlarged a section of the screen, zooming in on the upper right hand corne. There was the man. Tan trench coat. Brown hat. “That’s the guy I keep seeing.”

  McKenzie took the phone from her. “What are you talking about?”

  Susan grabbed the phone out of McKenzie’s hands. “You mean he actually exists?”

  Lindsey took the phone from her and shared it with Lindsay. Crowding their heads close together, they studied the picture.

  “He looks creepy,” Lindsey said.

  “Like right out of a Wes Craven movie,” Lindsay added.

  “That’s the man who’s been following me. He’s in the photo.” Abbie took her phone back and held it up in front of Susan’s face. “This proves it. You see, I’m not making it up. This man is following me.”

  McKenzie took the phone from Abbie’s hands and looked down at the screen, clearly studying the picture. Looking up, she scanned the Pavilion. “Well, I don’t see him in here. You’re safe now.”

  “I don’t want to be rude,” Susan said. “But you’re a grown-ass woman. Why are you being so paranoid?”

  Abbie shook her head. “I’ve seen him four times in the last two days. So, no, I don’t think I’m being paranoid.”

  Her phone chirped and she looked down at the screen. McKenzie’s pink phone, lying on the table, beeped. Then the twins phones went off. And, finally Rocky’s dinged in his pocket.

  Abbie read the text message out loud.

  “I don’t even know what a Sweaty Mexican is.” Abbie sighed and dropped her phone into her purse. “I can’t do this anymore. The party’s over.”

  She got up from the table, nearly knocking over her stool, and headed for the exit.

  Chapter 17

  McKenzie held the hem of her red Qipa with one hand as she ran out the Pavilion, following Abbie onto the crowded Riverwalk. Rocky came out behind her, then Susan and the twins.

  “Bookworm, wait!” McKenzie caught up to Abbie as the bright lights of a cruise ship passed in the Bay. “Where you going?”

  “I’m done. Just done.” Abbie walked faster, doing her best to stay ahead of McKenzie. Moving away from the Riverwalk, she crossed the street as a man riding a bike zipped past her. With earphones in place, he sung, loudly, off key, “Party rock is in the house tonight.” An oncoming car dodged his shaky bike. McKenzie, waiting for them to pass, called out again, but Abbie didn’t stop.

  “This is creeping me out,” Abbie yelled from across the street. She didn’t turn around. "I’m going home.”

  Susan, the twins and Rocky caught up to McKenzie. Together, they followed Abbie for several blocks, coming to an intersection. Abbie paused. Susan stepped beside her as they waited for the crosswalk light.

  “You’re over-reacting,” Susan said. “It’s just a face in the crowd.”

  “Why won’t you listen to me?” Abbie stared at the red light, wishing it would change. “Don’t you get it? Someone is following me.”

  “That’s absurd.” Susan punched the button on the crosswalk post a couple of times. “There’s no one here. It’s all in your head.”

  Abbie looked at her, then at McKenzie. “What more can I say? You saw the picture.” The crosswalk light changed and Abbie pounded across the street. The others followed, making Abbie run a little faster. “I just want to go home. I’ll call a cab or something if I have to.”

  “You can’t.” McKenzie ran ahead of Abbie, as best she could in the tight dress. The wind unraveled the pink ribbon in her hair. Still she managed to stop in front of Abbie and hold out a hand, palm up, while pulling the ribbon out of her hair with the other hand. McKenzie’s red hair fell to her shoulders and into her eyes. Slightly amused by it, Abbie stood at the curb beneath a street lamp and allowed the others to catch up. McKenzie kept her arm raised, hand out. “We haven’t finished the dares and you’ve got to get to the surprise waiting for you at the end.”

  “Wait, Abbie. Please.” Rocky came up beside McKenzie and faced Abbie. Beads of perspiration dotted his forehead and his glasses slid slightly down his nose. He pushed them back as he spoke. “It’s not that we don’t believe you, but…”

  Abbie turned away from him. She fiddled with the unicorn pendant. “It’s just what?”

  “It’s just that—” he said. “Let’s say you’re right and someone is following you. Well, no one is going to bother you with all of us together.”

  “That’s right,” Susan said as several cars rushed past. “And beginning tomorrow, I’ll be your chauffeur. I’ll drive you to class. I’ll pick you up at your therapist. I’ll drop you off a cliff all Thelma and Louise style.”

  “What are you doing?” McKenzie finished tying the ribbon in her hair. “You’re going to tip her off.”

  Abbie threw up her arms. “I’m sorry. I don’t care about it anymore. It was fun, but the night’s over.”

  Abbie moved past her entourage and headed down the sidewalk. She crossed another intersection. On the next block, Sam’s Pizza signs glowed with neon brilliance. The night air filled with the aroma of garlic and cheese. The shop looked crowded inside and several couples sat at tables on the outside patio. People watched as McKenzie and the group shouted at Abbie. McKenzie grabbed her arm.

  “You can’t bail on us now,” she said. “Your surprise guest has gone to great trouble to make this a memorable night for you.”

&nbs
p; “This is all just too much.” Abbie waved her away then crossed her arms across her chest. “I had a good time, but the party’s over.”

  “No, come on, please.” She turned Abbie around and took her hand, tugging her a couple of steps up the sidewalk. “You’re going to love the next destination.”

  Abbie pushed McKenzie’s arms away. “What’s up with you? I haven’t seen you in two years and, yeah, we spent a few summers together as kids back in Pembroke Pines, but how does that make me your oldest, dearest friend?”

  “You’re right.” McKenzie stopped, looking almost as if Abbie had just slapped her. She licked her lips and her gaze dropped to her feet. “We weren’t BFFs and I wasn’t always nice to you growing up. I didn’t realize it then and I certainly didn’t mean anything by it. I was just having fun.”

  “You thought calling me The Bookworm was fun?”

  “It wasn’t really THE Bookworm. It was just Bookworm.” McKenzie looked at the others, then back at Abbie. She started to say more when a couple of out-of-towners interrupted her. They asked for directions to the Florida Aquarium and McKenzie pointed them in the right direction. Abbie watched the couple walk away, past a homeless man pushing a shopping cart full of stuff down the middle of the street.

  Together, the group started down the sidewalk again, walking in the opposite direction as the out-of-towners. They came to Eighth Avenue where a large “Welcome to the Historic Ybor District” sign arched across the hectic street. Beyond that was a two story shopping center with a movie theater, comedy club, ice cream shops and hamburger joints.

  “Let’s just check out the next destination,” McKenzie said, leading the group past the shopping center. “If you don’t like it, we’ll leave.”

  “Where is the next destination?” Abbie had never been to the Ybor District and she stared at the brightly lit shops.

  “It’s not far,” Susan said. “And I promise you’ll have a good time.”