by Matt Day
The events of the past week had finally caught up to him and he didn’t know where to turn for help. He really wished he could talk to Tommy; he’d know what to do.
*****
Tuesday, pre-dawn, August 26, 1955…
Jimmy snuck out his bedroom window, making sure he closed it tightly in case it rained before someone discovered it was open.
Skirting around the side of the house, he headed down the drive, jogging at an easy pace as he headed towards the marina. He had a small motorbike stashed in the orange groves just east of the main house, and he retrieved it quickly, grinning when it immediately started up.
He was going to hide out for a few days, let things blow over with Tommy, and then he’d go talk to Captain Maclean and figure things out. He knew Tommy had been furious with him for spouting off in the bar like he had, but he wasn’t a drinker, and after that incident, didn’t care to ever pick up another alcoholic beverage again with the intention of drinking it.
He made his way to the marina, easily jumping the security fence, totally oblivious to the man who was following him. His parents kept a boat docked here; a fancy 90 footer with sleeping cabins, a well-stocked galley, and other luxuries only the truly rich could afford.
He’d never been very appreciative of his parent’s wealth, until right now. He knew they would be worried about him, but they would recover once they realized by hiding he was saving his own life.
He stayed in the boat until Friday evening; until the lure of the stock cars wouldn’t be ignored any longer. As the sun started to set, he calmly walked out of the marina, and jumped on the motorbike he’d arrived on.
He knew there would be lots of people still milling around the cars, and he hoped to take a look at them, and then return to the marina. Funny how things didn’t always work out the way you planned them.
He’d been minding his own business, looking at the cars, and even carrying on a conversation with a few other boys around his age, when the Batistos from Mac’s Place had shown up.
They had come straight for him, but when he ducked, the guy standing next to him took the punch. All hell had broken loose then. Girls were screaming! Guys were either joining in the fighting, or cheering from the sidelines! As for himself, he had found himself backed up against one of the vehicles, the man with the mustache and his wicked looking switchblade advancing on him. “Tell me where the treasure is?”
Jimmy could barely understand the man, his accent was so strong, “Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You are lying! You spoke of a treasure, in the ocean. I want to know where it is.”
Jimmy’s performance was worthy of an award, “You mean my rambling the other night while I was drunk?”
When the man nodded his head, Jimmy started laughing; it was a forced laugh, but he was hoping Mr. Knife wouldn’t know the difference. “Man, I say all kinds of stupid stuff when I’m that drunk. You didn’t actually think I was telling the truth? You did? Man, I’m real sorry about that.”
“Hey, that guy’s got a knife! Someone call the cops!”
Mustache man advanced on him again, “One last time. Tell me what I want to know, and I won’t be forced to cut you.”
Jimmy rolled his eyes at the man, yeah right! “I already told you, I don’t know nothing.” He was watching the fighting going on behind mustache man, and thought he saw an opportunity to escape unscathed. Putting his hands out in front of him, he rushed the man holding the knife, but he didn’t anticipate the man being able to withstand a full frontal attack without backing up just a little.
The knife had penetrated his chest, all the way to the hilt. Jimmy had lifted his eyes, watching as a look of horror and disbelief filled the mustache man’s eyes. He hadn’t meant to stab me! I ran into his blade!
Jimmy had felt his blood running down his chest, dripping onto the sand at his feet, but had been able to do nothing to stop it. He remembered hearing people screaming, and then he recalled a voice urging him to open his eyes.
He had done so, only to find himself in a white room that appeared to be bouncing up and down. The searing pain in his chest, and the roaring noise in his ears, had been too much and sent him back into the dark abyss of unconsciousness.
Chapter 25
Saturday, August 30, 1955, Our Lady of Mercy Hospital, Third Floor…
Charlie was walking down the hallway, headed back towards the elevator when he saw Carmelita coming straight towards him.
He stopped walking, waiting for her to look up. When she did, he saw her eyes grow to round saucers, and the warm welcoming smile he was coming to love, lit up her face, “Charlie, what are you doing here?”
Her smile died as she realized he was probably there to visit someone who was ill, “Is someone in your family ill?”
“No, nothing like that. I was here to talk to Jimmy Spencer.”
“Oh, that poor boy! I don’t know what the world is coming to anymore. He was stabbed only a short distance away from where we were yesterday morning.”
“That’s what I heard. Anyway, I’ve been searching for him the last few days. That’s why I was at the races yesterday. I wish I’d found him before this injury occurred.” Charlie felt beads of sweat run down his temples and reached up to brush them away. As he drew his hand back, he realized it was shaking, badly.
Carmelita noticed the profuse sweating and even though he tried to hide it, she’d seen the way his hand had been shaking just now. “Charlie, your blood sugar is off.”
Charlie only nodded, really needing to sit down for a minute and then head straight home. Glancing at the clock on the wall behind the nurse’s desk, he realized he’d skipped lunch again. He really needed to quit doing that, his body was telling him the same thing. He also only had a few hours before he was supposed to meet with Tommy, so he would need to hurry things along.
“I’ll be fine. My sugar was a little high this morning, but I’ll check it again when I get home and make the proper adjustment to my Insulin dosage.” He smiled at the worry on her face.
When Mrs. Spencer stuck her head out of her son’s room, asking, “Nurse, he really does need another painkiller. Now!”
Carmelita spared a smile and nod for the anxious woman, “I’m on my way.” Turning back to Charlie, she gave him a quick assessment, “Are you positive you can make it home okay? You don’t look so good. Did you eat lunch today?”
“I’ll be fine. I promise.” He hoped he wasn’t being overly optimistic; after all, the hospital was only a few blocks away from his house. Surely he could make it that far. Maybe he’d stop by the cafeteria and grab a snack to help.
“Okay, I need to go give this to the patient,” she said, holding up the syringe of painkiller she held in her hand. “Why don’t you have a seat over there,” indicating a row of chairs next to the nurses’ station, “and let me check your blood sugar. I’d feel better knowing you were okay.”
“I appreciate the offer, but really, I’m fine.”
Carmelita didn’t look convinced, but she needed to take care of her other patients, “Well, if you’re sure, I’ll see you tomorrow?”
“Sure. Oh, before I forget, I talked to my brother and he wants to meet with Mateo Monday after school about the job.”
Carmelita smiled, “Great!” Then her face dropped, her smile slipping, “Oh no! Monday won’t work at all. I have to work until late that night.”
Seeing her crestfallen expression, Charlie found himself rushing in to fix things, “No problem. I can pick Mateo up at the high school and run him by the service station, and then take him back home.”
“Really? I don’t want to put you to any trouble…”
“It’s no trouble, really. I’m happy to do it. We’ll discuss this more tomorrow. You have a patient to attend to, and I really do need to check my sugar level.”
“Go,” she said, all business once again. “You’re sure you can get home alright?”
“Positive. See you tomorrow.�
�� Charlie didn’t give her a chance to question him again, but headed to the elevator, pleased when it opened right up. He gave her a little wave, seeing her still standing in the hallway watching him leave.
He headed immediately home, opting to forego the delay stopping at the cafeteria would create. He checked his sugar levels, sighing when he saw the bright orange color. Taking out a sterile syringe, he loaded it with the correct dosage of Insulin, injecting it into himself before retiring to the couch for a few minutes.
He slowly ate the small snack he had brought with him, making sure to drink several glasses of water from the pitcher sitting nearby. He had discovered early on that managing his disease became much easier if he drank plenty of water throughout the day. The doctors had been skeptical here in the states, but the physicians that had first treated him over in Europe had been convinced of the practice.
Fifteen minutes later, he was feeling much better, and he was able to relax. He made a few notes for himself, hoping that his upcoming meeting with Tommy would help answer some of the questions that were still out there.
He picked up the phone and called Wally.
“Hello?”
“Hey, we found our missing kid.”
“Really, where’d you find him?” Wally asked, out of breath.
“What’s wrong with you?” Charlie asked, not liking the gasping sounds that were coming from the other side of the phone line.
“Nothing. I was outside and had to run inside to answer the phone. I’m just out of breath.” Wally continued to gasp for breath.
Charlie shook his head, “Just checking. Anyway, it seems our friend had a little run-in with a group of Batistos down at the beach last night.”
“Really? That’s kind of creepy, ain’t it?”
“Especially when you factor the witnesses’ descriptions of the Batistos – they match our four almost to a tee.”
“What was our little lost man doing at the beach last night? And for that matter, where’s he been hiding all this time?”
“The answer to your second question is on daddy’s boat. I didn’t even think to inquire, but I should have. We could have found the kid a few days ago, and this injury wouldn’t have happened.”
“Injury? I thought you found him?”
“No. He was involved in an altercation on the beach last night and got himself stabbed in the chest.”
“The Batistos?”
“Yep, according to the witnesses who were there. A small, thin wiry man with a thin mustache was holding the knife.”
“Was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
“What do you think?” Charlie asked, wondering if Wally was already making assumptions about what had really happened last night on the beach.
“Maybe. I don’t know.”
“Neither do I, but I’m hoping to get some more answers from him when he’s stronger. Right now he’s scared and not talking. But he’s also hurting and knows he’s not leaving the hospital in the next few days.
“When that situation changes, I think he’ll be more than ready to tell us whatever he knows. If he’s scared of what’s on the outside, the threat of being shoved back out there without any protection might be enough to get him talking.”
“You gonna offer to protect him when the time comes?” Wally asked, never having known Charlie to take on private security jobs.
“Maybe. I might need a little help in that area, but I’m hoping we can get this situation resolved to everyone’s satisfaction before that time.”
“That would be nice. Well, I’ll be around. Let me know what you need help with.”
“Will do. I just wanted to let you know we aren’t still searching for him.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that, and even though he’s injured, I’m glad he’s not still out there on the streets or in hiding. At least this way he can get some help for whatever problem sent him into hiding.”
“I agree. I’ve got to go. I’m meeting with another member of Pat’s crew in an hour. The man didn’t go out with them Tuesday, and seemed really upset during the funeral. I aim to find out why.”
“Sounds like a plan. Let me know how it goes.”
“Okay.” Charlie hung up the phone, determined to find the missing piece of the puzzle.
Too many unexplainable things were happening, and for some reason, they seemed to be all connected, but he had yet to find the common link. Maybe Tommy was that link!
Chapter 26
Saturday, August 30, 1955, Seabreeze café…
Charlie arrived at the café around 3:30 pm, looking for a chance to speak with Bill before Tommy arrived. He got his wish, as the diner was devoid of customers when he got there.
“Hey Bill, things are pretty quiet around here.”
“Not for long. The bike races took place earlier. One of the riders took a bad spill on the north turn, where the sand and pavement meet. It seems that everyone loves a tragedy.”
“Don’t tell me the spectators all went down there to see?”
“Yep,” Bill shook his head. “The rumor that came through here a while ago was that he died, and several others were injured.”
“Wow!”
“So, did you go to the funeral this morning?” Bill asked.
“Yeah, it was a very nice service. Afterwards, Carol came up and hugged me, thanking me for finding her husband’s body. Made me feel two-inches tall; let me tell you. She was crying all over me, and thanking me at the same time.”
“She’s a pretty neat lady, that one. I remember when my wife was ill, Carol took a turn sitting beside her bed, reading aloud to her, or just sitting quietly by her side so she wouldn’t be alone. I’m sorry she has to go through this. She and Pat were soul mates and best friends.”
“She’s strong. And based on what I saw this morning, the ladies have circled the wagons around her. She’s going to come through this just fine.”
“Good. So, any news in regards to who did this?”
“As a matter of fact, Morgan called me a little while ago. A ship went down during the storm this last weekend. A ship from Havana, headed for New York.”
“Drugs! That’s all them ships from Havana carry. That and alcohol. Too bad more of them don’t sink.”
Charlie lifted an eyebrow, having very seldom heard Bill get so worked up over a topic. “Anyway, Morgan said the feds were here this morning, asking questions about weird happenings and such.”
“The feds are involved? Any connection to the group of men that have been coming in here every day?”
“I don’t know. I have another lead though. I’m meeting another crewmember of the “Big Mama” here in a little bit. The man didn’t go out with them on Tuesday morning, having spent most of the night in jail.”
“Jail?! What for?” Bill asked
“That’s what I aim to find out. The man also has a record and did time up in New Jersey.”
“What did he do time for?”
“Drug trafficking.” Charlie watched the wheels turn in Bill’s head. “I can see you’re already making the same assumptions I did. Bob seems to think I’m way off base, but I’m going to wait and base my opinion off of our conversation tonight.”
Bill nodded his head, “Seems awfully strange that everything is starting to fit together.”
“Yeah, unfortunately, the picture that’s emerging isn’t a very pleasant one.”
Before he could reply, the front door opened and in walked Tommy. “That your guy?” Bill asked.
“Yeah. Talk to you later.” Charlie walked over the greet Tommy, “Thanks for meeting with me. Why don’t we take that booth there in the back?”
Tommy nodded, nervousness making him dart his eyes around the small café, “We the only ones here?”
“For now. The dinner crowd doesn’t start rolling in until later. You want something to eat or drink?”
“Just some coffee,” Tommy replied with a shake of his head.
Charlie gestured for Tommy to have a
seat and then went around the counter and poured them two cups of coffee, stopping Bill when he started to come out and serve them, “I got this. Don’t worry about us none.”
Bill nodded and ducked back inside the kitchen to finish dinner preparations.
“You seem awfully friendly with the cook.”
“Owner, Bill owns the Seabreeze café, and I’ve been coming here a long time. His waitress should be here in a little bit, but until then, I’ll play waiter.” He handed over one of the steaming cups of coffee and then retrieved the small tray with the creamer on it from the icebox beneath the counter.
Tommy took the offered cup, taking a sip and nodding his head, “It’s good.”
“Cream?” Charlie offered as he scooted into the opposite side of the booth.
“Nah, I like it black. Didn’t use to, but prison has a way of changing a lot of things.”
“Bob mentioned you’d done time up in New Jersey.”
Tommy gave Charlie a measured look, “Did he tell you what for?”
Charlie looked at him a moment before answering, “Yeah. Yeah, he did.”
Tommy nodded, lowering his gaze for a moment before raising it again, “You have any idea who killed Maclean or the Parker boys?”
Charlie shrugged his shoulders and shook his head, “Not really. The cops didn’t find any clues on the boat or the bodies. I was hoping maybe you could provide me something new to look at.”
Chapter 27
“Me?! I wasn’t even there that day!”
“Yeah, about that. I understand you spent most of Monday night in jail.”
Tommy sighed and nodded his head, “Yeah. Joseph came down and bailed me out, but it was almost 4 a.m. before they released me. I was irritated with myself for losing control, and Joseph suggested I take the day off and get my head together.”
“Why did you lose control?” Charlie asked, picking up on the pieces of the puzzle that were still cloudy.
