From Beer to Eternity

by Sherry Harris

  He nodded like he understood. It made me wonder what he did for a living. Joaquín might know.

  “Another time?” he asked.

  “Can you fill me in now?” I had a few more minutes before I should get back.

  “Lots of eyes and ears out here. Voices carry on the water.”

  Now I was curious what he knew. “Okay, Boone’s place at ten thirty tonight.”

  “See you then.”

  “Okay.” Then I hurried back to the Sea Glass.

  * * *

  I sprinted through closing so Vivi, Joaquín, and I could chat, and then I could get home to talk to Rhett. Joaquín had his usual beer. I had something he’d whipped up with blueberries and basil. Vivi pursed her lips when she saw the pink paper umbrella. But couldn’t everyone use a little something to make them happy? Vivi sat with her usual sparkling water. It reminded me again that the night of the argument, she’d had a bottle of bourbon sitting in front of her. How much of it had she drunk? Could she even remember what had happened that night?

  We all sat down at the table usually reserved for the heritage business owners and looked awkwardly at one another.

  “I need to apologize to you both for lying to you about my car being broken down. I was following Boone’s wishes and didn’t know what else to do.”

  Vivi put her manicured hand on top of mine for a brief moment. “I understand. I also would have done anything Boone asked me to. He was my heart.”

  I nodded and looked up, trying to use gravity to keep the tears I felt forming from leaking out. Good grief I was full of tears today.

  Joaquín cleared his throat. “So, just what have you been up to?”

  CHAPTER 23

  “I took a ride on the Redneck Rollercoaster, bought groceries at Russo’s, took the sunrise cruise on the glass-bottom boat, and went to the Crow’s Nest last night. I just talked to people. Asked a few questions. So really, not much.”

  Joaquín and Vivi exchanged a look that I couldn’t quite interpret.

  “You call that not much?” Joaquín asked. “My mother would say your snooping schedule is fuller than a tick that’s been on a hound for a week.”

  My feathers felt a little ruffled. “I was pretending to be a tourist enjoying a day off. Why would anyone think anything else? Oh, did I mention I rented a Jet Ski and saw Gloria with some man’s hand on her thigh over at Crab Island?”

  Joaquín muttered something in Spanish that ended with ay, caramba. I’d been the cause of most of his muttering lately.

  “Did you mention Elwell while you were pretending?” Joaquín asked.

  I thought back. “Ralph told me that Elwell pissed off the wrong people, but didn’t say more than that. Do you know what he was talking about, Vivi?”

  Vivi lifted a shoulder and dropped it. Wow. These heritage business owners were like some secret society the way they protected one another. But it seemed like Elwell was on the periphery. Maybe Elwell’s family hadn’t been here as long. I thought back. Buford had said they’d been friends since kindergarten, so Elwell’s family had been here over sixty years at the very least. But if they didn’t own a business, he was always on the fringe of the group.

  “What else did you talk about?” Joaquín asked.

  I wondered why Joaquín was asking all the questions. Did he and Vivi plan some kind of good cop/bad cop routine? “Why I’d shown up here.” They both knew now why I had. “I gave him my standard car story.”

  “Where did you go next?” Joaquín asked.

  “I stopped at the grocery store on my way home the other night to get some supplies.”

  “Anything happen while you were there?” Joaquin leaned his forearms on the table.

  I wiped a little condensation off the side of my glass. “No. I picked up some food and got a great deal on some shrimp that was left over from the morning’s run.”

  “What about on the glass-bottom boat? Anyone paying extra attention to you there?” Joaquín asked.

  “I took the sunrise cruise. It was mostly families with little kids. It didn’t look like anyone local.”

  “Leah didn’t say anything unusual on the tour?” Joaquín chugged some of his beer. He was probably as eager to get home as I was.

  “No. After we docked, we talked about Elwell and Ivy.” I paused. “She mentioned some rumors swirling around that Elwell was gambling, had a brain tumor, or had some kind of deal going on with someone.”

  Joaquín and Vivi exchanged another of their looks.

  “Why do you two keep doing that? What aren’t you telling me?”

  “Nothing,” Vivi said.

  Yeah, right. It seemed like Vivi and Joaquín knew something that Vivi didn’t want shared. This was so frustrating. They both knew I was trying to help. Why were they keeping me in the dark? Joaquín was loyal to her. He’d been working here for more than ten years. I’d try to find out from him later.

  “So then I went to the Crow’s Nest and talked to Ivy.” Ivy had talked more than Ralph, Frank, and Leah combined, but was any of it truthful? “She claims Elwell had a deal going with one of the town council people here in Emerald Cove. That they were working on getting high-rises approved. Ivy seemed convinced it was going to pass, but one person can’t ram a law through on their own, so her confidence seems unwarranted. Right?”

  Vivi paled.

  “They can’t, can they?” I asked.

  “No,” Joaquín said. “But a couple of the newer members think it’s time for change.”

  “But that would be awful,” I blurted out. “It’s gorgeous here. There are plenty of high-rises in Destin if people are interested.” And from what I’d seen of Destin, people were interested. Parking lots were packed. The tax revenues must be incredible. I could see how that could appeal to some people in Emerald Cove. More people, more money, more revenue for the town, more revenue for developers.

  “Vivi, is it true? Is there a vote coming up that could change the face of Emerald Cove?” I asked.

  Vivi did a slow nod. “Things are changing. People don’t see what a gem this place is, as it is. Money talks, as they say.”

  “I saw in Elwell’s obituary that he was a land developer. And from what Ivy told me, it sounds like he was involved.” Was he some kind of middleman and someone decided to cut him out? “So who’s behind the money?” I asked.

  “I wish I knew,” she said.

  I’d spilled enough without getting much in return. That stopped now. “Who were you arguing with the night Elwell was murdered?”

  Joaquín raised his eyebrows.

  “You were gone by then, Joaquín. I was cleaning, but Vivi and a man were going at it by the back door.”

  “It was Elwell. I’ve told Deputy Biffle. I’m surprised you didn’t.” Vivi looked at me.

  No wonder she’d been questioned so often. “I couldn’t. I knew you couldn’t have murdered Elwell. Not because you’re not capable. I mean, look at your toned arms. You could kick my butt and probably anyone else’s.” I blew out a breath of air. “What I mean is, you wouldn’t stab Elwell and walk away. You’re not that kind of person.” I hoped.

  Her eyes widened. “I’m glad you have so much faith in me.”

  “It’s because of Boone. Do you know who else has been questioned?”

  “All the heritage business owners. They’ve talked to the employees at Elwell’s dealership.”

  “Did they find anything there, because I got a weird feeling in that place. A hint of desperation.”

  “They’re taking a closer look at the books, but so far, they haven’t found anything felonious.”

  “You seem to know a lot about what’s going on.”

  “If you’ve lived here as long as I have, there are lots of people who are willing to tell you things.” Vivi stood. “Thank you for sharing what you’ve found.” She picked up her drink and disappeared into the kitchen with it. A few moments later, we heard the back door click shut.

  I looked at Joaquín. “She’s hidi
ng something.”

  He drummed his fingers on top of the table. “You may be right.”

  “What was with all the looks you and Vivi kept exchanging?” I thought for a minute about what I’d said. “Does Vivi have a gambling problem?” Was that why Boone wanted me here? Why he’d given me a share of the bar? To keep it safe?

  “Not does. Did. It was a long time ago. Before I worked here.”

  I hoped Vivi hadn’t fallen off the wagon and done something stupid. But it might explain why she didn’t want me around. I was a connection to Boone. She wouldn’t want to let him down and maybe, somehow, that extended to me.

  * * *

  A few minutes later, as I climbed into my car, my phone buzzed that I had a text message. It was a number I didn’t recognize.

  This is Rhett. I had to work and won’t be able to make it. My apologies. I’ll catch you later.

  I didn’t bother responding to his text, but I did wonder how he’d gotten my number. Only a few people had it, one being Vivi. I couldn’t imagine that was where he got it. Maybe Joaquín had given it to him. I hoped Rhett didn’t mean he’d be around later tonight. I huffed about what kind of work one did at ten o’clock at night. Probably work called Ann Williams. It annoyed me that I was so annoyed.

  On the off chance someone was following me, I drove around the circle in Emerald Cove a couple of times. Vivi’s behavior made me more worried, not less. The diner’s neon light winked at me, and I remembered the coupon I had for a milkshake. Finding a place to park was easy this time of night and, a minute later, I pulled open the door to the diner.

  A couple of people sat at the counter. A few of the aqua-colored vinyl booths were filled. Ralph Harrison sat in a big corner booth all by himself. The remains of a dinner was pushed off to one side, a cup of coffee in front of him. He spotted me and waved me over.

  “Join me,” he said.

  I worried he was going to grill me again, but, hey, maybe I could turn the tables. “Sure. Thanks. I’m here for that milkshake you gave me the coupon for.” I sat down and scooted into the booth. A waitress with big, brassy hair, unusually pale skin for a Floridian, and bright red lips, who looked to be about the same age as the other heritage business owners came over. She stood by Ralph, and he looped an arm around her waist.

  “This is my wife, Delores. And this is Chloe.”

  My mouth opened while my brain tried to work through things. Fred Russo had been married to the dispatcher Delores. Here was another Delores. It must be a popular name down here.

  “Hi, honey. We spoke the other day on the phone. I’m so sorry you had to find Elwell. Not a very good introduction to Emerald Cove.”

  Did I suddenly have lockjaw because I seemed to have lost my ability to speak as I looked from Ralph to Delores and thought about Fred. “You’re the dispatcher?”

  “And I own this place.” She waved a hand around. “What can I get you?”

  “You were married to Fred?” I looked back and forth between Ralph and Delores. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. A chocolate shake, please.”

  “How about a couple of pieces of your pecan pie for us too, please, darlin’?” Ralph asked.

  “You bet.” She kissed the top of Ralph’s head and sashayed off.

  In my head, I was doing calculations. Fred said he’d been divorced for five years, so these two couldn’t have been married for long.

  “My first wife, the mother of my two children, went boating with friends one day twelve years ago and never came back.”

  “You don’t have to tell me this.”

  Ralph bobbed a quick nod. “Coast Guard searched, most of Emerald Cove searched, even half the fleet over in Destin. No sign of the boat was ever found.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Delores came back over with a chocolate shake in a tall glass and the two pieces of pie. The pie was twice the height of any I’d ever seen. “That’s my special, double-high pecan pie.” She handed me a straw, a long spoon, and a fork. “Napkins are right there.” Delores pointed to a chrome dispenser by the salt and pepper shakers. She grinned at Ralph and left us.

  I took a sip. After a couple of tries, I grabbed the spoon. This was the thickest shake I’d ever seen, but its icy goodness made my mouth sing with happiness. I tried the pie and sighed out loud with satisfaction while Ralph smiled his approval. Between the shake and the pie, I wondered if I would ever be able to sleep off the sugar high.

  “She’s something,” he said, looking past me. “We were high school sweethearts, but neither set of our parents approved, so there was a lot of sneaking around. I left for the Air Force and she ended up marrying Fred.” Ralph ate some of his pie. “After they divorced, we reconnected. Happiest I’ve ever been.”

  “Delores works as a dispatcher and you both own businesses.” I kept eating while Ralph talked. “You’re busy people.”

  “It’s how it is for the locals. Profit margins are low. The cost of living keeps rising with the influx of newcomers. It’s a love-hate relationship. This town was always the one for teachers, laborers, fisherman, artists, just common folk. We’re trying to keep it that way, but it’s harder every year.”

  Ralph sure was in an expansive mood tonight. A way of life was at stake. How had Elwell played into that? For that matter did Ralph really want to keep the town for “common folk” or did he wish he and Delores didn’t have to work so hard?

  “People keep saying Elwell made the wrong people angry. Who are they talking about?”

  Ralph pushed some pie crust crumbs around on his plate. “Elwell always was a hothead. It’d probably be easier to list who he didn’t make angry. Because far as I can tell, people he angered starts with his own family, passes on through the heritage business owners, and beyond. Not very helpful.”

  “Why’d he make you angry?” I asked.

  “Closing time,” Delores called out.

  Ralph stood. “Better get going. I don’t want Delores to be unhappy.”

  More like he didn’t want to answer that question.

  * * *

  It was close to midnight when I got home. Rhett wasn’t parked in the drive—I wasn’t sure what he’d meant when he said he’d catch me later. I went through the house to the back, but he wasn’t out there either. I wasn’t going to wait up any longer. The sugar high had worn off and I was crashing. After I got in bed, night sounds settled around me—the soft whir of the air conditioner, a couple of sleepy-sounding birds, what might be a tree frog, at least I hoped it was. For all I knew, it was a feral hog or panther or alligator. Did alligators even make noises? I pulled up the sheet under my chin. Wildlife is terrifying. I’m a city girl through and through. I liked my wildlife encounters to occur in bars.

  It was so dark and so quiet out here. It was something that would take some getting used to. I had lived in the heart of Chicago, not far from Wrigley Field. I was used to traffic, people, and the roar of the “L”—the elevated train that was one mode of public transportation in Chicago.

  I didn’t trust the quiet.

  CHAPTER 24

  I dreamed I was camping. The bonfire grew larger and larger. It snapped and popped like a wild alligator over a piece of meat. Maybe they do make noises. Instead of the woodsy scent I was used to from my youth, it smelled of gasoline. I jerked upright, awakened from a nightmare. My room was dark except for a glow outside the bedroom window. Flames flickered and danced outside behind the curtain. I yanked the curtain aside and saw burning wood piled up near the side of the house.

  Holy crap. The inside wall was warm, smoke started to seep through cracks around the window. I grabbed my phone, called 911, and calmly gave them the address of Boone’s house. I yanked on shorts and a T-shirt, coughing, as more smoke came in through the screened porch and started to fill the house.

  I hustled into the living room, looked out the front windows, and didn’t see flames. I felt the front door, which was cool, so I ran outside just as the smoke detector started to wail. Better
late than never. Sparks drifted in the air. At least it wasn’t windy out. I turned the outside faucet on full blast and uncoiled the hose running to the side where the fire was. I depressed the nozzle and water shot out toward the flames, but the fire was bigger than the stream of water could handle.

  The frame of the concrete block house was safe from the flames, but the wooden windows, roof, and porch weren’t. So I turned the hose first on the windows, soaking them, and then the eaves under the roof. The flames started crawling across the ground. I soaked as much of the roof as I could. I couldn’t reach the screened porch from here. Sirens sounded as the fire tried to creep up the side of the house and grab the roof. Sparks danced toward the scrub oak and brush, but, thankfully, the recent rain helped slow the fire’s progress.

  A whoosh of flame sent me running back to the front corner of the house. The smell of gasoline finally woke me to the fact that this wasn’t an accident. That’s when I noticed the other piles of wood. One more on this side of the house, one near the front door. Neither of them had been started, for some reason.

  The piles of wood were set up like teepees. As if a group of Scouts had come by. But this wasn’t the work of anyone good. Little flames licked around the bottom of another of the wooden teepees as embers from the pile by my bedroom window jumped over. It was perilously close to my Beetle. I hosed it off and ran back into the house to grab my keys so I could move my car.

  The smoke hit me like a wall when I went in. I dropped to my knees and crawled toward where I thought my purse was by the couch. My eyes burned. It was so dark and smoky. I felt my way around, only opening my eyes when I absolutely had to. Maybe I should just give up and get out of there. But my hand touched the couch. I coughed some more as I snagged my purse. I heard a fire truck roar up and people shouting instructions to one another as I started to crawl back toward the door, dragging my purse behind me. A fireman burst through the door, breathing mask in place, and swept a powerful flashlight around until it landed on me.

  The fireman scooped me over his shoulder like I was a beach towel, carried me outside, and dropped me off at an ambulance. I called a thank-you as he headed around the side of the house. Flashing red lights reflected off the front windows of the house. I waved off the EMTs. Told them I was fine. However, the minute I started coughing, they insisted that they take my blood pressure and heart rate. Both were slightly elevated, but that was to be expected. I watched as water shot out of the tankers, squelching the fire in a hurry.