by Philip Cox
Inside, the bar was quite large. Walking through the entrance lobby again they were hit by the icy gust from the air conditioning. Two doors were on their left: the men’s room and the women’s.
‘Look,’ Ben indicated. ‘Sanchez said there was no CCTV out here.’
Inside the bar was quite large. The actual bar area was ahead of them, about twenty feet long. To their left were three pool tables, only one of them in use at that time; to their right was a low stage at the back of which was a large TV screen on the wall, blank at the moment. There was a small empty space directly in front of the stage, presumably for dancing.
There were a couple of dozen small tables with red check table cloths in between. Looking around, Ben and Craig saw about half a dozen customers, all men. Three were playing pool, two were sitting at the bar, and one was sitting alone at one of the tables. A short plumpish guy was behind the bar chatting to one of the customers. Every so often a girl in a short black skirt and red top would walk backwards and forwards carrying a tray of drinks. Country and Western music was playing over a loudspeaker.
The two men already at the bar were both sitting at one end; Ben and Crag sat at the other. The short plump bartender saw them and ambled over.
‘Help you guys?’ he asked.
‘Two beers,’ Ben replied. ‘Bud Ice?’
‘You got it.’ The bartender brought them a bottle each.
They each took a mouthful. ‘I needed that,’ said Craig.
Ben indicated over to one of the tables. ‘Let’s go sit over there.’
‘But we need to talk with that guy,’ argued Craig.
‘But he might be more willing to talk away from the bar.’
‘Anything else I can get you? Any food?’ The bartender sauntered over again.
‘Well,’ Craig began. ‘We are looking for some help.’
‘Oh yeah?’ He took the towel off his shoulder, laid it on the bar and leaned over. ‘What kinda help?’
‘To cut to the chase,’ said Craig, ‘I’m looking for my brother.’
‘The British guy?’
You know about him? How did you know?’ asked Craig.
The bartender rubbed his chin: they could hear he had not shaved that day. ‘Think about it. The police are in here asking about a kid from the UK who was last seen here; three weeks later another Brit – you – comes in asking the same questions. No brainer, really. I guess you’ve been to the police.’
‘Just come from there.’
‘Well, I’d just go back there. I can’t tell you anything.’
As he was talking, Ben reached to his back pocket and got out his wallet. He pulled out five ten dollar bills and started to casually flick though them, studying them.
The bartender noticed this. He quickly glanced around and leaned forward some more. ‘Look kids, all I can tell you is this. Your brother came in with another guy. They met up with some of the local kids. Then they went off over there to watch the ball game or shoot some pool, I don’t know what. It was busy that night, and I wasn’t watching him. I caught a glance of him sitting over there talking to some girl, then they were gone. That’s all I can tell you.’
Ben passed the bills over to him and he quickly palmed them.
‘The police said you had some CCTV footage.’
‘We did. They watched it. Don’t think it was any use to them.’
‘Have you still got it? Could we look at it?’
He stood up, putting the towel back on his shoulder. ‘Haven’t got it anymore. We wipe the tapes after a week. Now why don’t you boys just enjoy your beers?’
Ben pulled out more cash, this time a wad of tens. ‘That’s a shame,’ he said, flicking through the bills.
The bartender stared momentarily at the cash. ‘Of course we might not have wiped that tape. On account of the police. I’ll go check.’
He disappeared behind the bar. Ben looked over at Craig and grinned. A waitress walked past them behind the bar. She made eye contact with them both and smiled. Ben smiled back.
The bartender came back. ‘You guys are in luck.’ He indicated for them to follow and led them behind the bar and into a back room.
‘I managed to find the tape you are looking for.’ He showed them a table holding a small TV and a VCR.
‘Help yourselves,’ he said, holding out his hand.
Ben passed him the money and they sat down.
‘Now you boys just holler if you want anything else,’ he said, folding the money, slipping it into his top pocket, and returned to the bar leaving them alone.
‘Jesus! Tapes and a VCR! A veritable antique! How much did you give him?’ asked Craig quietly.
‘About a hundred.’
‘Let’s hope it’s worthwhile.’ Craig put the tape into the VCR.
The tape contained three points of view: from a camera directly over the bar, one pointing at the pool area, the other the stage and TV.
‘See?’ Ben pointed at the screen. ‘No view of the toilets or the door.’
The tape started at ten in the morning, so they picture searched to six in the evening. The place got busier after six: the seats at the bar were mostly full and all three pool tables were in use.
‘No sign of your brother yet,’ said Ben.
The time clock on the corner of the screen showed 07:15:44 PM when two men walked in.
Craig pointed at the screen excitedly. ‘Look, there he is!’
Ben peered forward. He recognized Adam from the photograph: Tall, with dark hair. He was wearing a white tee shirt and blue denims. The other wore a pale blue shirt and blue denims as well.
‘That’s Steve Gibbs.’ Craig tapped the screen.
‘I thought you said your brother came out here with two mates?’ Ben asked.
‘He did. Well I thought so. Maybe the other one is in the restroom or just didn’t come. Don’t know.’
They watched Adam and Steve make their way to the bar. They both bought a beer, and went and sat down at one of the tables, looking over at the giant TV screen. They were drinking and chatting for a while, and at 08:35:37 a group of three men and two women sat at the next table.
‘That’s those locals Sanchez spoke about,’ Ben said.
‘Yeah. And one of those girls,’ Craig tapped on the screen again, ‘is the one Adam left with.’
At 10:05:55 the group at the other table started to drift away, one by one. A man and one of the girls went over to a slot machine. Then minutes later the two other men also got up. They had a brief conversation with Adam and Steve and then made their way to the pool tables; Steve stood up, stretched, and followed. By now the bar was quite busy: a lot of people were standing, and a few couples were dancing in the space in front of the stage, so Steve and the two others had to make their way through these crowds.
‘Right. So that just leaves Adam and that girl, Stacey, I guess.’ Craig leaned forward. ‘Pity we can’t see her face more clearly.’
‘Maybe she’ll turn round at some point.’
While the group was at the other table, the girl was sitting behind one of the men so the camera could not see her clearly. All Ben and Craig could see was that she had shoulder length dark hair, and was wearing what looked like a black leather jacket and trousers. She was about five feet tall. Once she was left alone, she moved over to join Adam, but now she had her back to the camera. A couple of times a waitress brought over drinks for them, bottled beer for them both.
‘They seem deep in conversation,’ Ben muttered.
‘Oh yes, very deep,’ said Craig as they noticed Adam lean over slightly and put his hand on the girl’s knee. She obviously had no objection as she started to move her hand up and down his arm, then moved her chair closer.
It was now 11:45:55 and the two of them were still deep in conversation but by now they had got beyond leg touching: Adam had his hand on the side of her face and they were kissing. Her hand appeared to be on his crotch.
‘That’s my brother for you.’ Craig leaned b
ack in his chair slowly shaking his head.
Ben nodded his agreement. ‘Way to go, Adam.’
11:59:00 and the two of them separated. Adam got up and went over to the pool tables. The girl also got up, and walked over to the main doors.
‘There she goes, to the bathroom,’ Ben muttered. ‘Shit, still can’t see her any better.’
They saw Adam speak briefly with Steve, who then carried on playing with the others, and then follow the girl outside. They watched the screen for another ten minutes, then picture searched again. Steve left at 12:35:55, the others in the group ten minutes later.
The bar closed at one, the tape ended fifteen minutes later.
The girl never returned.
Adam never returned.
Chapter Nine
BEN AND CRAIG stared at the screen as the tape reached its end. The VCR clicked a few times, then the tape began to automatically rewind.
‘That more or less confirms what that Sanchez woman said,’ said Ben.
‘Hm,’ agreed Craig, ‘I was rather afraid of that.’
While they had been looking at the tape, the little waitress had been walking in and out of the room; a door the other side led to a kitchen and she had been taking dirty glasses out. As she walked by this time with an empty tray Ben called her over. ‘Excuse me, could we borrow you for a minute?’
She glanced over to the door to the bar, and then smiled at Ben. ‘Sure thing.’
Ben leaned back in his chair and swiveled round to make eye contact with her. He noticed a name badge pinned to her shirt. Her name was Corinne.
‘We need some help if you can - Corinne.’ He smiled as he said her name; she gave a shy smile back, and tucked a strand of hair over her ear.
‘We’re trying to trace a - er - friend of ours. We can see him on the tape from when he was here last. I wonder if you could identify any other people on the tape.’
She nodded. ‘Okay.’ She leaned forward to look closer at the screen.
Craig rewound the tape to 07:15:44 when Adam arrived.
Craig touched the screen on Adam’s image. ‘Do you recognize either of those?’
Corinne thought for a moment. ‘Might have seen them before. They look a bit familiar. Don’t know their names though.’
‘Had they been in here before?’ asked Ben.
‘Probably,’ she replied. ‘It can get quite busy in here, so I don’t think I’d recognize them if they only came in here once. Is one of them that guy who disappeared?’
‘Yes, the one in the white,’ Craig said.
‘Yeah. I kind of remember him. British. He seemed nice.’
Craig moved the tape on to 08:35. ‘What about that group over there? Sitting at the next table?’
Corinne focused on the screen again. ‘No. Don’t know them. Wait a minute: that guy there.’ She pointed to one of the men in the group, long, dark hair tied in a ponytail and sharing a joke with one of the others in the group. ‘That’s Billy. Don’t know his last name. He’s from around here. I think he works in the gas station over on Third.’
‘What about her?’ Ben pointed to the girl with her back to the camera.
Corinne looked closer. ‘No, can’t make her out. Wait till she turns round.’
‘Long wait,’ Ben said. ‘That’s the problem. She never turns round. Even when she leaves, we can’t see her face. The cameras don’t pick her up.’
‘Corinne! Customers!’ They could hear the bartender call out from behind the bar.
‘Yeah.’ She straightened up. ‘I keep telling Harry he should put more cameras in. But he says that costs. Sorry, I have to go now.’
She left them and went back into the bar.
Ben waited until she had gone. ‘Want to look through the tape again?’
Craig shook his head. ‘Can’t see any point. No further forward than what Sanchez told us.’
‘Except we know who one of those other guys is.’
‘That’s right. So we need to go see Billy at the gas station.’
They got up and went back the way they came, back into the main bar. The bartender, whom they assumed was Harry, walked over to them. ‘Get all you need, guys?’
‘Fine thanks,’ said Craig.
‘Come back soon,’ Harry said, wiping the bar top with his towel.
As they were walking to the door, they passed a table where Corinne the waitress was picking up some empty beer bottles.
‘How long you guys gonna be around?’ she asked.
‘A few more days,’ replied Ben.
‘Well maybe see you in here again,’ she said, once again tucking a strand of hair over the top of her ear, and turning her glance away.
They both said good bye and walked back to the car.
‘Shall I drive now?’ said Ben, holding his hands out for the keys. ‘First stop the gas station on Third.’
‘Let’s get something to eat first.’ Craig unlocked the car, passed Ben the keys, and got in the passenger side.
Half an hour and two cheeseburgers and fries later, they were driving down Third Street, looking for the gas station.
‘That must be it,’ said Craig pointing at a tall Exxon sign on the next corner.
‘Might as well fill up while we’re here.’ Ben directed the car over to a set of pumps. As they pulled up, the white haired pump attendant came out of a kiosk.
‘Fill her up, guys? he asked.
Ben wound down the window. ‘Yes, please.’
The attendant filled up the tank, flipped the tank cover shut, and wiped his hands with a dirty cloth. ‘Check oil and water as well?’
‘No thanks.’
‘Clean your windshield?’
‘No thanks. Just the gas.’
‘That’ll be twenty-eight dollars and eight-one cents, then, sir.’
Ben passed him three ten dollar bills. ‘No change.’
The attendant touched his forelock in a kind of salute. ‘Well that’s kind of you, sir. You come back here real soon.’
‘Actually,’ said Ben, ‘there is something else. Is there someone called Billy working here?’
‘Billy?’ He rubbed his chin contemplatively. ‘No, don’t think so. Wait, you must mean Billy Loomis. Works over there in the shop.’ He indicated over to a building next to the gas station. A large set of shutter doors was open and two cars were outside. One had the hood up with a man in blue overalls working on the engine.
Ben thanked him, and drove the hundred feet or so over to the workshop. They got of the car and walked inside. The man working on the engine ignored them.
‘Hello. We’re looking for Billy Loomis,’ Ben said to an older man inside the shop. He was crouching by another vehicle, as if checking the paintwork. He looked up when he heard Ben.
‘Billy?’ he said, standing up. ‘He’s not here. Should be back soon, though. Went out for lunch at twelve.’
‘No problem,’ said Ben. ‘We’ll wait then if he’s due back soon.’
Just then they heard the sound of a bike engine. It got louder and louder, and within seconds the cause of the noise pulled up outside the workshop. The rider switched off the engine, got off the bike, and took off his helmet. The hair was in the same ponytail that they saw on the VCR earlier. He looked over at Ben and Craig inquisitively.
‘Great bike,’ said Ben.
‘Yeah,’ the rider said proudly, looking over the bike. ‘BMW K1300S. Electronic ignition, 6 speed transmission, 175 horsepower, feels more like 200.’
‘How much would it cost?’
‘Not for sale pal,’ he said rubbing his hands over the handlebars, ‘but if it was, you’re talking fourteen hundred.’
Ben whistled, and looked over at Craig, giving him an I’m impressed look.
‘Billy Loomis?’ Craig asked.
‘Yeah, that’s right,’ Billy said, chewing. ‘You looking for me?’
‘We just want to ask you something, if you can spare five minutes,’ said Ben.
‘Shoot.’ Billy propped
the bike up, and put the helmet on the seat.
Craig spoke first. ‘We’re trying to trace somebody we know.’
‘The missing Brit?’
‘You guessed,’ said Craig.
‘How could I not?’ laughed Billy.
‘The last time anybody saw him was in Shots. We’ve just come from there and they showed us the CCTV of that night. We saw you and four others, two men and two girls, talking to him.’
‘What of it?’
‘We’re just trying to track down one of the girls you were with, as one of them left with him that night.’
‘Two girls?’ Billy thought for a second. ‘Oh yes, there was Holly, she came with one of the guys up from Celebration.’
‘Which one was she?’ asked Ben. The redhead or the one with dark hair?’
‘Holly was the redhead. The other one, don’t know much about her. Before we went to Shots the four of us met up at a diner on the Seminole County Road. She was already there, and asked if she could come along with us. Said she was supposed to meet a guy there but the stupid son of a bitch hadn’t come. So we said yes.’
‘So she just tagged along? You don’t know anything else about her?’
‘If you say so – tagged. She came to the bar with us, had a few drinks, seemed more interested in your missing Brit than playing pool. When we left at about twelve thirty she had gone. With your friend, I guess. Guess she was determined to get laid that night,’ he laughed, looking over to see if his workmates were sharing his joke.
Ben nodded. ‘Looks like she was. Looks like a trip to that diner,’ he said slightly theatrically to Craig. ‘Where is the diner?’ he asked Billy.
Billy stared intently at Ben as he replied. ‘Go back onto the 27, head north, take the second exit. Then you’re on the Seminole County Road. Go north about fifteen miles and you’ll see it. But they won’t know her there.’
Ben shrugged. ‘Probably not. But it couldn’t hurt. We’ve got all day.’
‘Suit yourself,’ the biker muttered.
‘Thanks anyhow, and - great bike,’ Ben smiled at Billy, and joined Craig at the car.
‘Sure,’ grunted Billy, and then walked back inside the workshop.
Back in the car, Ben switched on the ignition, and they enjoyed the air conditioning for a moment.
