by Bill Myers
“You want me to call her?”
Buck smiled. “Let me call.”
He punched her number into his phone, then he walked away a few steps so I couldn't hear the conversation. Probably sweet nothings I didn't want to hear anyway.
When the call ended Buck walked back over. “She said bring her a turkey sandwich and a Coke, please.
“She also said she's found something on the computer you'd be interested in. She didn't say what, but said you'd definitely want to see it.”
Maybe Polly had located the missing money. I sure hoped so.
Buck and I got into the Jeep and headed to the local deli to pick up lunch. From there we headed back to Serenity Cove, by way of Dearborn Street. As we passed the library, I remembered what Eddie had told us about the place.
He said the back parking lot was a good spot to hang out after dark. Nobody hassled him there, and if he passed out, he'd get a good nights sleep without being disturbed.
Maybe we'd find Eddie there later on tonight.
When we pulled into Serenity Cove, we could see that the lights in the manager's office were on and the 'Open' sign had been placed on the front door once again.
When we walked in, Polly was sitting at the desk, entering something into the computer. She looked up at us and smiled.
I wasn't sure whether she was happy to see us or happy to see the food we were bringing. Either way, it was good to see her smile.
Buck walked over and kissed her on the top of the head. “We brought you lunch.”
He started to spread out the sandwiches on her desk but she stopped him. “Oh no you don't. I've just finished cleaning this up, and you're not going to mess it up with food.”
She pointed to the open door behind her. “We're going into the apartment and eat like civilized people at the kitchen table.”
She led the way and we followed.
As soon as I walked in, I noticed the change. The night before, the room had been dark and uninviting. But today, it was totally different. The shades had been opened and sunlight streamed in. The windows had been lifted and a fresh breeze had replaced the stale air.
The counter tops, sink, and kitchen table gleamed. The floor looked like it had been swept.
“So,” asked Polly, “what do you think?”
I smiled. “This looks great. I can't believe it. In just a few hours, you've totally transformed this place. You didn't have to do all this.”
“I know. But once I got started, it was hard to stop. And being the Queen of Serenity Cove, I wanted things to be nice around here. There was no one else to do it, so I did it myself.
“And you know what? I liked it. In fact, I was even thinking I might apply for the permanent position. Queen of Serenity Cove.”
I smiled. “Be careful. Because if you apply, you just might get the job.”
She started unwrapping her sandwich, then stopped. “Wait until I show you what I found. You're going to be amazed.”
Intrigued, I asked, “What? Tell me.”
She shook her head. “Not now. I want to eat first. Then I'll show you.”
We took our time eating our sandwiches. It was good to sit around a kitchen table with people I liked.
After we finished and cleaned up our napkins and wrappers – at Polly's insistence – we went back into the front office.
Polly sat down at the manager's desk and pointed at the computer screen. “While working this morning, I found a spreadsheet that showed monthly income and expenses for Serenity Cove.
“Among other things, it breaks out monthly rental income for each site in the park. And right away, I noticed it showed ten sites as being vacant and not producing any income.
“But if you walk through the park, you'll see that none of those sites are vacant. In fact, we don't have any vacancies.
“I called one of the people on the list and they assured me that they had been paying rent. They even offered to show me their canceled checks.
“Each of those spots rents for $500 a month, which means the manager was under reporting monthly income by at least $5,000.
“I checked the previous four months, and it was the same. And it doesn't stop there. If you look at expenses, you'll see there's a five hundred dollar entry each month for pool services.
“I know for a fact that no one has serviced the pool for months. So I called the pool company and they said the service was canceled more than a year ago. That means the manager was showing expenses and cutting checks for work that wasn't being done.”
Polly swiveled her chair to face us. “The way I figure it, he was scamming the owner out of well over five thousand a month. And on top of that, he was being paid a salary to do it.”
Buck was impressed. “You figured out all this since this morning? Maybe I ought to get you to go over my books.”
Polly beamed with pride.
I smiled. “Polly, you are amazing. But don't tell anyone about this. And keep digging. If you find anything else, let me know.”
She smiled. “That's not all I found. Check this out.”
She swiveled her chair back around so she was facing the computer screen. “I checked the browser history to see what the manager had been looking at on the web, and I found this.”
She clicked a link and the screen showed a sales page from Amazon for a full face sun protection mask. The kind Darrell had been wearing on the beach.
I was stunned. “You have got to be kidding me. The manager was looking at fishing masks on Amazon? Can you tell if he bought one?”
She clicked a few keys, and the page reloaded displaying a message that read, “Instant Order Update. You purchased this item on . . .”
The date shown was ten days ago. The item had been shipped directly to the Serenity Cove office.
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
“So, the embezzling manager of Serenity Cove ordered a face mask just like the one Oscar's dognapper was wearing? Are you sure?”
Polly pointed at the computer screen. “That's what it shows at Amazon. He ordered the mask ten days ago using this computer. He had it shipped here and it arrived three days later.”
I leaned in and saw that the mask shown looked exactly like the one worn by the man I'd met on the beach.
“That's pretty interesting.”
Polly looked up from the screen, “I thought so. It means that s.o.b. manager is probably the one who broke into my trailer and took Oscar.”
I shook my head. “Polly, we don't know that for sure. Just because he ordered a fishing mask doesn't mean he's the guy. But it is pretty strange that he ordered the exact mask the guy was wearing.
“It's also strange that he disappeared about the same time Oscar was taken.”
Polly shook her head. “I never trusted that man. I knew he was up to no good, but I never imagined he would pull anything like this.”
Buck put his hand on Polly's shoulder. “Polly, we don't know for sure he's the guy. But me and Walker are going to find out. We'll be out looking for him tonight.”
“What do you mean you'll be looking for him tonight?”
Buck looked at me, then back at Polly, “We're on a secret mission for Homeland Security. They picked us out special for this.
“They want us to find this Darrell guy. And maybe he and the former manager of Serenity Cove know each other – or are the same person. Either way, we're going to be looking for him starting tonight.”
Polly looked up at me. “You agreed to this?”
I nodded. “We weren't really given a choice. They said it was my fault they lost track of Darrell, and it was up to me to find him.”
She stared at me for a moment, then asked, “How can I help?”
Before I could answer, my phone rang. It was Anna.
I excused myself and stepped outside.
“Anna, what's up?”
“I just spoke to the owner of Serenity Cove. She's in a panic and wants to sell right away. She's afraid she's in too deep.
�
��She was depending on this month's rent to catch up on the payments, but now that the money is gone, she doesn't see any other option but to sell.”
“Anna, what's the number? How much will it take to buy the place?”
“Walker, she said it's worth at least one point three million. But she thinks that at that price, it'll take a while to sell.
“She told me if she could get six hundred fifty thousand for it, she'd sell it today. But she can't wait long. She needs the money now.
Anna paused, then said, “Walker, would you be interested in buying at that price?”
“Maybe. Does the six fifty include your commission?”
“No. With commission, it'll come out to six hundred eighty two thousand. When you add closing costs, figure seven hundred thousand dollars. That's less than you'd pay for a waterfront home. If I were you, I'd jump on it.”
It was a good price. But seven hundred thousand dollars is a lot of money, any way you look at it.
I had a little more than that in the bank, which meant I could buy Serenity Cove and pay cash. But doing so would deplete most of my funds. I wouldn't have much left.
“Walker, you still there?”
“Yes. Just thinking this through. Can I call you back in an hour?”
“An hour? Yes, I can hold her off for an hour. But not much longer. Call me back no later than two.”
We ended the call and I walked back into the office.
Polly looked up. “Important call?”
“Kind of. I'll tell you about it later. But right now, I need to ask you another favor.
“I need you to look at the Serenity Cove books and tell me if this place can be profitable. I also need to know if there are any outstanding debts or upcoming major expenses that have to be covered.
“And I need to know all this within an hour.”
Polly looked at me. “An hour? You need to know all this in one hour?”
“Yes, sooner if possible. It's important.”
Polly sat down at the computer. “I'll try. But you two need to get out of here. Let me get to work.”
Buck and I took the hint and stepped outside. After we got back into the Jeep, Buck turned to me. “What's up? Why do you need the numbers?”
“I'm trying to save Serenity Cove.”
Buck frowned. “And why would Serenity Cove need saving?”
“Because the owner is in trouble and needs money fast. She's thinking about selling to developers who'll shut the place down and build condos.
“So, I'm trying to save it.”
Buck looked at me. “How do you plan to do that?”
“I'm thinking about buying it.”
“Buying it? That's going to take a lot of money. You got that kind of juice?”
“Maybe. But first I need to know if this place can be profitable. That's why I asked Polly to run the numbers.”
“Well, if you need an investment partner, I might be interested. I've got a little money put away and would be willing to help to keep Serenity Cove alive.”
“Good to know. But right now, I think I've got it covered.”
Buck nodded. “So, when are we going to start looking for Eddie?”
We were in the Jeep, and I started the motor. “How about we start right now? I've got a newspaper clipping at my place that might help us find him.”
The local newspaper had run an article about my 'heroic' rescue of Eddie after he was hit by a car. Lucy had clipped the article and given it to me the day after it had run.
If I remembered correctly, the article had Eddie's full name in it. That could be helpful in finding his home address or maybe locating a relative who knew where he was staying.
Back at my place, I pulled into the driveway and turned to Buck. “I'll be right back. Gotta get something from inside.”
I expected Bob to meet me at the door, but he was a no show. Most likely he was in the back, sleeping. Just to be sure, I checked on him. As expected he was asleep on the bed. Curled up with his little feet tucked up under his chin.
Not wanting to disturb him, I went back up front and tried to remember where I'd put the article Lucy had given me. She had presented it to me in a small picture frame, but I didn't think she really expected me to hang it on the wall – and I hadn't.
I'd stuffed it in one of the drawers or one of the overhead cabinets that lined the walls of the motorhome. And I couldn't remember which one.
I started by looking in the most likely places. The junk drawer in the kitchen. The catch-all cabinet above the couch, the magazine rack near the reading chair.
It was in the magazine rack. A quick glance showed the article did indeed include Eddie's last name.
It was Booth. Eddie Booth.
Back out in the Jeep, I showed the article to Buck.
“You had it framed?”
“No, Lucy framed it. As a memento of our first night out together.”
Buck took it from me. “So why is the article important?”
I pointed to the text below the photo.
“Eddie Booth. That's the guy we're looking for.”
Buck frowned. “So we know his full name. But there's no address. That doesn't help much.”
“Sure it does. It means we can go online, do some searches, see if we can find a phone number or a home address. Who knows, he might even have a Facebook page.”
Buck shook his head, “You're kidding, right? You don't really think Eddie, a guy who lives on the street, has a Facebook page?”
I smiled. “Stranger things have happened. And it won't take long for us to find out.”
I got out of the Jeep and headed for the door of the motorhome. Buck hesitated, then followed me.
Inside, I fired up my computer and invited Buck to sit on the couch while I searched the internet for Eddie Booth.
“Make yourself at home. You need a drink or anything?”
Buck said no. “Too early for a drink, but if you have bottled water, that'd be good.”
“It's in the fridge. Help yourself.”
Behind me, I heard Buck get up and go to the fridge where he found the water. Then instead of going back to the couch, he asked, “You got a bathroom in here?”
“Yes, it's in the back.”
While Buck headed for the bathroom, I did a Google search for 'Eddie Booth Englewood Florida'.
Turns out, Eddie did not have a Facebook page. Nor did he show up as having a listed phone number.
But a quick search of Sarasota county records showed that an Edward Booth of Englewood had been arrested for public intoxication. The arrest report showed his address as 'unknown'.
A second arrest report showed he had been picked up for loitering. And again, the home address was listed as 'unknown'.
Neither of these would help our cause.
But a third arrest record for Edward Booth proved useful. The charge was 'unlawful entry', and was filed by a woman claiming to be Eddie Booth's girlfriend.
The responding officer reported that Mr. Booth arrived at his girlfriend's home in an intoxicated state and she refused him entry. He then went to the back of the home, entered a screen porch, and passed out on a mattress on the floor.
After the responding officer questioned the complainant and determined there had been no violence, he wrote a ticket for unlawful entry, and left Mr. Booth to sleep it off.
The police record was dated just three months earlier and the street address for the girlfriend was listed.
“Hey Buck, I found something.”
No response. He hadn't returned from the bathroom. He'd been in there at least ten minutes.
I sent the police report to my printer, and got up to go check on Buck.
From the kitchen, I could see that the bathroom door was open. Buck wasn't in there.
Going to the bedroom, I found Buck laying on my bed. His eyes were closed. Bob rested on his chest, purring.
My first thought was that Buck had had a heart attack. But as I stood there looking at him, he
opened his eyes and looked up at me with a sheepish grin.
“Your cat likes me.”
I nodded. “It looks like he does. You okay?”
“Doing just fine. Wanted to rest a bit, and this cat decided to join me. I'm ready to go whenever you are.”
“Don't get up yet. I've still got a few things I need to do on the computer.”
I went back up front and picked up the printout of the police report with Eddie's girlfriend's address. I entered the address into Google, and printed out a street map.
Almost an hour had passed since we'd left Polly in the office, and I wondered if she'd been able to run the numbers on the potential profitability of Serenity Cove.
As I was reaching for my phone to call her, it chimed an incoming call. From Polly.
“I was just about to call you. What have you found?”
“Good news, I think. I ran the numbers for the past three years, backing out the false expenses and adding back in the missing rents, and it painted a pretty good picture.
“It shows the average income after expenses should be around eleven thousand a month. It'll be a little lower in the summer and a little higher during snowbird season.
“The annual income before taxes would be about one hundred thirty thousand dollars a year.”
I let this sink in. Serenity Cove could be a very profitable business. At a hundred thousand a year profit, it could repay my investment in less than eight years.
“Polly, that's pretty impressive. Serenity Cove should be a profitable business.”
“It would be, as long as you don't have a manager stealing you blind.”
“So Polly, what kind of unexpected expenses could the park owner face?”
“I figured you might ask that. The three biggies are utilities, property taxes and liability insurance.
“Since the park is primarily a vacant lot with forty eight parking slabs with just one small building, property taxes aren't bad.
“Insurance is a different story. It's been going up every year. Having a pool, water frontage and paying guests means higher rates. It works out to about fifteen hundred a month.
“The biggest bill is park utilities. Over the course of a year, they average about six thousand a month. Lower during the winter and spring, and higher in the summer.
