Dreams of Paradise

by R. B. Conroy

  Arriving at the shorter tee, the lady jumped out of the cart and hurried to the tee. She teed up her ball, took a couple of waggles, and then smacked the ball aggressively toward the green. Holding her position at follow through, she watched as the ball rolled up on the green some thirty or so feet from the pin. She jumped in delight, holding the club high above her head with both hands. She did a little victory dance, shook her behind playfully and then scampered to the cart, exchanging a glancing high-five with her playing partner. Animated conversation followed as the cart rolled toward the green.

  The man grabbed his sand iron, hurried to the bunker and blasted from the trap, landing some fifteen feet from the hole. He narrowly missed the ensuing putt for a par. Frowning, he tapped the ball in the hole and then watched as the happy lady pranced daintily across the green, putter in hand, and two putted from thirty for a nice par. He dropped the pin back in the hole and slid his arm around her waist as the two of them made their way back to the cart. He was shaking his head while she had a huge smile plastered all over her face.

  She slid her glove off and stuffed it in her bag on the back of the cart along with her remaining balls and tees. “What’s up for tonight?”

  “The Collins are having several couples over for dinner and drinks. Tom said it will start around 7:00-ish.” He grabbed a white towel out of the wire basket behind the seat and aggressively dried his face and neck.

  “Oh good, it gives me time to go home and freshen up.”

  “While you’re freshening up, I’m going to ride into town and pick up a bottle of wine for tonight. They like Riesling and we don’t have any Riesling in our wine cabinet right now.”

  “Okay honey, but don’t dally. We don’t want to be late again.”

  He lifted his chin, his eyes resting on her, “I beg your pardon, I happen to be a most punctual person.”

  “Yes, and I’m Nancy Lopez.”

  A grin spread quickly across his face. The two of them slid into their seats on the cart. Her eyes narrowed as she spoke, “See you at a quarter til?”

  “How about ten til?”

  “Now, Hank.”

  “Now, Susan.”

  The handsome couple laughed out loud. She punched him playfully on the bicep and fell back against her seat as the cart jerked to a start and then sped down the winding path toward the nearby street. A gust of cool wind rushed through the cart, brushing against their warm faces. The setting sun continued its steady descent and disappeared below the distant horizon. The almost prehistoric call of a nearby Sandhill crane echoed across the lush landscape, bidding the departing couple an eerie good-night.

  Chapter 39

  Willie leaned forward and snorted the slender line of the powdery substance into his left nostril. Raw from constant irritation, his eyes flittered momentarily in pain. He sat up and lifted his chin high to let the pungent substance soak in, and then he quickly dropped his head back toward the Formica top and snorted a second line into his right nostril, which for some reason was not nearly as sore as his left. He sat up and waited for the powerful drug to take effect. His mind was frazzled. Sleep for Willie had been pretty much non-existent lately. After the murder of his friend and mentor, Dr. Joe, his life had spun out of control. His feelings of depression and paranoia had been growing ever since that night. Feelings of guilt and fear had pushed his anxiety level to new highs and no amount of coke or meth seemed to sooth the pain for very long.

  Willie tapped the table top nervously with his fingers. His frantic eyes searched the length and depth of his cluttered mobile home searching for nothing in particular. Pacing back and forth a few times in the small mobe seemed to sooth the anxiety just long enough for him to keep him from going completely out of his mind. Luckily, the drug was beginning to take effect. A subtle buzz started to pulse through his veins giving him a very temporary sense of well-being. For causal coke users, their highs lasted for several hours, but for someone like him, the actual high was only temporary--about an hour at best. He needed the drug more often and therefore he needed more money to fuel his addiction--money he didn’t have. He lifted his cell phone and punched the speed dial.

  “Are you alone?”

  “Yes, I am. Hank went to Sweet Bay to buy a bottle of wine for a party we are going to a little later.”

  Willie laughed sarcastically. “And how is life in your little paradise, Mom? Are things going pretty well?”

  “Look, what do you want? I’m in a hurry, Hank will be back soon.”

  Tears suddenly welled in Willie’s eyes. “I’m scared, Mom. I’m fuckin’ scared to death.”

  “Don’t use that word around me, okay?”

  “Sorry Mom, but I’m falling apart over here! It’s been a year and the detectives are still calling me and asking questions. It’s been too long, I think they’re suspicious of me.”

  Susan sighed, “What does that have to do with me?”

  Willie’s brow furrowed and his tone became harsh. “Cut the bullshit, Mom. You know what I’m talking about.”

  The phone went quiet on the other end for a few seconds and then his mother replied, speaking very softly “Do you think this has been easy for me? The man I loved was viciously murdered and my whole life was turned upside down. Why it’s just been awful for me.”

  “Yeah, you’re really in a tough spot, Mom. Living in a million-dollar house in Bridgeport and driving a Cadillac Escalade around your beloved Villages every day. My heart is breaking for you.”

  “I’m hurting inside.”

  Willie chuckled, “Oh I’ll bet you are, your grief must be overwhelming. I think you may be forgetting a few things, Mom.”

  “I don’t know what on earth you are talking about.”

  “Well, since you asked,” Willie paused and jiggled a cigarette out of a nearby pack. He stuck it between his teeth, snatched the Bic lighter off the table and lit up. He took a long drag, exhaled and continued in a low, hoarse voice. “Let me jog your memory, Mom. Remember when I accidentally told you about the insurance money one night when I was stoned out of my mind on coke? A dumb mistake on my part, I thought at the time, but as fate would have it, it turned out to be a big help.”

  “Listen son, I really have to get….”

  Willie quickly interrupted, his gravelly voice shouting into the phone, “No, you don’t, damn it! No, you don’t! You’re into this thing up to your eyeballs, Mom! I didn’t want to kill Dr. Joe. I had changed my mind. I liked the guy too much, but you talked me into it, Mom, remember? You gave me the money to buy the gun and you talked me into killing him! Hell, you’re more guilty than I am! You wanted that million dollars and you know it! You said you needed the money to pay that creep, Dusty, the twenty thousand you owed him. You never really loved Dr. Joe; he was just a means to an end for you. You always had your eye on that Hank fella! He was your dream man, not fat old Dr. Joe! Now you have it all, Mom--lots of money, a beautiful house in The Villages, and a handsome and very rich husband. I’m still living alone in this shit hole in Orlando with no one to hang with since my friend Tito was shot to death by the police!”

  Susan spoke almost inaudibly, “He wasn’t your friend, you were just using him.”

  “Well shit, you’re probably right, Mom. You’re the expert on using people. If you say I was using him, it must be true.”

  “What an awful thing to say to your mother.”

  “Oh, forgive me all to hell, Mom.”

  “Listen, it’s twenty-til and Hank could be back anytime and there’s something I have to tell you.”

  “What’s that.”

  “Hank and I had dinner with Joe’s attorney, Doug Johnson, last evening.”

  “Really?”

  “I wouldn’t joke about something like this, son. After dinner, Mr. Johnson informed me that he had talked with the detective in charge of Joe’s case just yesterday and he was told that the police have completed their investigation and that the case will soon be closed. He apologized for the lengthy delay a
nd told me that we should have our money in a matter of days. He said we would have had it much sooner, except for the fact that it was contested quite vigorously by Joe’s daughter, Heather, but she had an unexpected change of heart recently and gave him the go ahead to give us our share.”

  Willie jumped to his feet, kicking his chair to the side. He began pacing the floor and shouting, while waving his free arm wildly in the air. “Shit! That’s great! Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

  “You didn’t give me a chance. Congratulations, son, Our ship has arrived.”

  Willie was running his hand through his hair over and over again, his tired eyes wide with excitement. “What about the attorney? How much do we owe the attorney?”

  She giggled, “Nothing. He’s waiving all of his normal fees because Dr. Joe was such a good friend of his.”

  “So the whole quarter mil is all mine?”

  “That’s right, son. It’s all yours!”

  “Awesome! Awesome! Awesome!”

  “The garage door just went up, Hank’s home. I have to go, son. Love you!”

  “Love you, Mom!”

  Chapter 40

  Susan quickly tapped her phone into text mode and spoke the following message, “Dusty, text me with the amount I owe to date. I will have the money next week. I will call you in the next couple of days with the details. DO NOT attempt to contact me under any circumstances!”

  She dropped the phone in her purse and leaned slightly left and glanced in the large mirror hanging in the foyer. Still somewhat insecure around the handsome and very much the perfectionist husband Hank, she was afraid to look less than perfect when he was around. She fluffed her hair in front and straightened the collar on her amber golf shirt.

  The garage door swung open and Hank stepped into the kitchen smiling from ear to ear. He glanced at his shiny Rolex. “A quarter-til, I do believe.”

  “You’re right on time, darling. I must say, I’m a little surprised.”

  Hank’s smile gradually faded, his eyes locked on Susan, “I have something very personal to say to you, darling. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “Why certainly, honey, go right ahead”

  He moved closer to Susan and placed his hands gently on her upper arms. “As you know, our dear departed Joe was not much of a wine drinker, but when he did occasionally have a glass or two, Riesling was his favorite.”

  Susan nodded.

  “Something came over me, a deep sense of nostalgia on the way home from the liquor store. I thought of Joe and my heart began to ache.”

  Susan lowered her chin, “Oh yes, I know exactly how you feel.”

  “Susan, there’s something that I have been wanting to say to you ever since our wonderful wedding.”

  Baffled, Susan’s brow lifted as she awaited Hank’s musings.

  The corners of Hank’s mouth turned down, the edges of his eyes crinkled with compassion. “I can only imagine how difficult this has all been for you. You and Joe were so much in love. I want you to know how impressed I’ve been with the courage you’ve displayed over the past several months. Your strength in the face of such a tragedy has been more than impressive.”

  Susan feigned a show of concern, “Why thank you, Hank. It hasn’t been easy for any of us. Joe was a fine man.”

  His hands slid up and gently stroked Susan’s face. “I want you to know how much I admire and respect you, Susan. You’ve brought a sense of courage and dignity to my home that was very much needed and I have grown to love you very much. Thank you so much for coming into my life.” He leaned forward, brushing his lips against hers and then kissing her tenderly. They fell into each other’s arms, caressing warmly.

  Susan laid her head gently against his thick chest and spoke softly, a tiny smile appeared on her face, “I never thought I could love a man as much as I loved Joe, but in you Hank, I have truly found the love of my life. I am so blessed!”

  “Oh Susan, you are the best!” His long arms pulled her closer to him. Locked in a warm embrace, the two unlikely lovers swayed gently back and forth in the corner of the expansive kitchen as the long shadows of the setting sun fell across the room beckoning the end of another wonderful day in paradise.

  “My dream has come true,” Susan whispered.

  About the Author

  R B once again uses the setting of his winter home, The Villages, Florida to create his sixth novel and the second in his Paradise series. In Dreams of Paradise R B taps into several issues in modern society--the growing gap between the rich and the poor, drug addiction, and illegal immigration, to create a fast-paced story of desire, deception, and finally murder.

  R B’s novels can be found on all the dot.coms, including Barnes & Noble and Amazon. They are also available on Kindle, Nook, and most e-books.

  R B Conroy’s other novels are:

  Devil Rising

  Return of the Gun

  In My Father’s Image

  Deadly Game

  Evil in Paradise