Mango Key Page 2

  I nodded. “Sure is.”

  The view from the pavilion was the kind people who dream of visiting Florida expect to find. Long views of the ocean framed by gently swaying palms with a cobalt blue sky overhead. Slow rolling waves coming in from the gulf with sea gulls darting above a white, sandy beach that stretched for miles in both directions.

  Lori had planned it well. She had picked the perfect spot on the perfect day and was doing her best to get me in a good mood. She wanted everything to be right when she asked me for the favor that I knew was coming.

  While we ate, she talked about the weather, pointed out dolphins playing in the surf and pretty much avoided any mention of our previous road trip. After we finished our meal, she came over, sat down beside me and took my hand. She looked into my eyes and said, “Walker, you know what this is about. I want you to take me to Key West.”

  I smiled. “Really? Key West? I'm surprised you haven't mentioned it before.”

  She squeezed my hand, hard. I could see she was trying to hold back, not wanting to show anger. Through clenched teeth she said, “I have mentioned it before. Like ten times. You know that.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, now that you mention it, I do remember you saying something about going to Key West. But as I recall, when I asked why you wanted to go, you always changed the subject. So I'll ask again. Why do you want me to take you to Key West? ”

  She smiled and licked her lips. “Isn't it enough that I want to go to Key West with you?”

  I shook my head. “Lori, you flatter me. But I'm not falling for it. You made it clear we're not right for each other. So just tell me the real reason you want to go to Key West. That's all I ask.”

  She looked around, making sure no one was close enough to overhear what she was about to tell me. We were the only people in the park, so she was safe. She looked at me again and said, “My younger sister lives in Key West. Her name is Summer. I've been promising her for months I'd visit, but never got around to it.

  “Last night she called and said she needed my help. She said there is a guy there who is giving her a hard time. He’s trying to get money from her and won’t leave her alone. She said she is afraid he might hurt her. Since she doesn’t know anyone there who can help her, she wanted to know if I knew someone who could come down and talk to the guy.

  “So I told her about you. I said you could be quite persuasive.”

  I smiled. “You think that? That I can be persuasive?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, that's what I think. I saw how you handled those two guys who threatened me with a knife when we were in Miami. You didn't have to touch them. You just told them what would happen if they didn't walk away. The way you said it scared them so badly they left us alone.

  “You did the same with the four gang bangers on the highway. I thought they were going to shoot you. But you calmed them down, gave them a reason to leave happy.

  “Polly told me about how you took care of the guy who was giving her trouble. She said you didn't hesitate; you just waded in and took care of business.

  “So, yes, I know you can be persuasive. Your laid back beach bum act might fool some people, but not me. I know better. I've seen you in action. That's why I want you to go to Key West with me. To help my sister.”

  I nodded. “Okay, that's a pretty good reason. But shouldn't your sister go to the police? Wouldn't that be the best way to handle it?”

  Lori frowned. “That's what I told her. Go to the police. Get a restraining order. But she said, 'No.' She didn't want to get the police involved. Something about how it might cause other kinds of problems. She didn't go into detail, so I didn't ask. All I know is she wants to take care of this guy without the police.”

  “Think you'd be interested in helping her out?”

  “Maybe. Tell me more about your sister. Is her last name the same as yours? Is it Joy?”

  “Yeah it's the same. And yes, her name really is Summer. As in Summer Joy. But it gets worse. She's known as the Wiener Girl of Key West.”

  I stopped her. “Did you say Wiener Girl?”

  “Yes, I said Wiener Girl. But it's not what you think. She has a food truck. It's really just a trailer. And she sells hot dogs from it. Her regular customers started calling her the Wiener Girl and she decided it would be a good name for her business.

  “So she had 'Wiener Girl' painted in big letters on her signs. Now everybody in Key West knows about the Wiener Girl hot dog stand. The local tram that takes tourists around the island added it to their tour.

  “Even people who don't like hot dogs visit the Wiener Girl trailer to buy a T-shirt or take a selfie. Summer said her business is doing great, except now some guy is trying to extort money from her. He says he'll ruin her business and run her off if she doesn't pay up.

  “That's why she needs someone to have a talk with the guy and give him a reason to leave her alone. I'm hoping that someone will be you.”

  It sounded like a good story with just enough weirdness to make it believable. But I had a few questions. “So you're telling me your sister, Summer Joy, is also the Wiener Girl of Key West? Are you sure you're not making that up?”

  “Walker, it's all true. If I were going to make something up, I sure wouldn't tell you my little sister was the Wiener Girl of Key West. You know I could do better than that. Will you help her or not?”

  I wasn't sure if Lori was telling me the whole story but the Wiener Girl part got my attention. If Summer Joy was a real person and if she voluntarily called herself the Wiener Girl, I definitely wanted to meet her.

  “Okay Lori, I'll take you to Key West. When do you want to go?”

  She smiled. “Tomorrow morning.”

  Chapter Five

  “Tomorrow? You want me to take you to Key West tomorrow? No way, I can't do that.”

  “Walker, yes you can. You know you don't have anything else to do. And anyway, I told my sister we'd be there tomorrow night.”

  I started to object, but Lori said, “I've got it all planned out. We'll leave in the morning around eight. We'll stop at Oasis for lunch and then we'll take the overseas highway to Key West.

  “If we don't get stuck in traffic, we'll reach Uncle Leo's before dark. We'll spend the night there. You won't have to do anything except drive. Any questions?”

  Yeah, I had questions. Like how did she know I'd agree to take her to Key West and who was this Uncle Leo we'd be staying with?

  I already knew the answer to the first question. She knew if she told me her sister was in trouble and needed help, I wouldn't be able to say, “No.” She was right about that.

  So I asked about Uncle Leo.

  “Who's this Uncle Leo? One of your relatives?”

  “No, not a relative. Uncle Leo's is the name of an RV park in Key West that I found on the internet. Their website says they have full hookups, level sites, and when I called, they had one site available, and I reserved it. Any other questions?”

  “Yeah. If I take you to Key West, can I get a picture of you wearing a Wiener Girl T-shirt?”

  Lori smiled. “If that's what it takes to get you to drive me there, then yes, you can take a picture of me wearing a Wiener Girl shirt.”

  We were still sitting under the pavilion at Maxine Barritt Park, having just finished up our bag lunch. I took a sip of my drink and said, “Tell me more about your sister.”

  Lori looked out over the water then back at me. “She's two years younger than me. People say we look alike, but I don't agree. She's a lot prettier. At least that's what the guys in high school thought. She was the popular one. She was the one they asked out, not me. That didn't bother me much. It was okay that she was popular. I could live with that.

  “I was more of a loner so being popular wasn't my thing. I didn't mind staying home alone and studying while she was out partying. I wanted good grades so I could get into a good college. But Summer didn't worry about college. She didn't worry about anything. She just figured things would work out for her because they
almost always did.

  “Even then it was clear we were going in different directions in our lives. As we got older we grew apart. I went off to college and she stayed home and partied. When she graduated from high school, she left the party scene and decided she wanted to live off the land, so she found a cabin in the woods and moved into it.

  “It didn't take her long to figure out living in the woods and trying to grow food was a lot harder than she’d imagined. Three months in, she decided it wasn't for her. She left the woods and started hitchhiking around the US.

  “After three years of traveling, she landed in Key West. She planned to stay a week and then move on. But a week turned into a month and she didn't leave. She said Key West was filled with the kind of people she could relate to. People who didn't live by the same rules everyone else did.

  “After being there for nine months, she called me. It was the first time I'd spoken to her in years. She filled me in on her life and her plans to start a small business. It all sounded good, but I figured she was calling to ask for money. To help her get started. But she didn't ask for anything. She just called to say she wanted to stay in touch.

  “We've been trying to do that ever since. We talk on the phone at least once a month. And she's never asked me for anything. Until now.

  “When she asked if I knew someone who could help with the guy bothering her, I knew it must be serious. She wouldn't have asked if it wasn't. So I said, 'Yes, I know someone who can help.' And I promised her I'd have him in Key West the next day.

  “That's why we're leaving in the morning. Because my sister asked for help and I didn't want to turn her down. I hope you understand.”

  I did understand, but only if she was telling me the truth. It did sound like the truth. Like it came from her heart. Never before had I gotten that feeling with the things she had told me. This time I did.

  I took a deep breath. “Okay, I'll take you to Key West and when we get there, I'll do my best to help your sister.”

  She reached over and hugged me. “Walker, I really, really appreciate you doing this. It really means a lot.”

  When she let go of her hug, I said, “I need to know more about this guy I'm supposed to talk to. What's his relationship to your sister? Does she owe him money? What kind of threats has he made?”

  Lori shrugged. “I don't know anything about him. But tomorrow, when we get to Key West, you can ask my sister. She'll tell you everything.”

  I nodded. “I'm looking forward to that, talking to Summer Joy the Wiener Girl. Maybe after she tells me about the guy who's bothering her, she can tell me a little more about you. Like why you never told me you had a sister.”

  Lori smiled. “Don't get your hopes up. My sister is like me that way. We tend to keep secrets. It's something we learned to do when we were young. Maybe I'll tell you about that some time. But not today. Today you need to go back to Mango Bay and get your motorhome ready for the trip.”

  She stood, bagged up what was left of our lunch and dropped it in the green trash can at the corner of the pavilion. I was still sitting at the table, finishing off the ice in my drink. From behind me I heard her jingling her car keys. I turned to see what she wanted. She just smiled and said, “You're riding with me, remember?”

  I did remember. There was no way I was going to forget the ride to the beach in her new little Mini. Hopefully, she'd take it easy on trip back to the Rialto where my Jeep was parked.

  I finished my drink and headed to her car. She was standing by the passenger door, keys in hand, waiting for me. She walked over and my first thought was she was going to give me the keys and let me drive. But she didn't. Instead, she put her arms around me and whispered, “Key West is where your wildest dreams might come true.”

  She kissed me on the cheek, took a step back and winked. Then she got in on the driver's side and started the car. I shook my head, thinking about what she'd just said. Maybe fantasies do come true in Key West. We'd soon find out.

  The ride back to the Rialto was uneventful. Lori never exceeded the speed limit, never chirped the tires, and even stopped for an elderly couple in a crosswalk. She was being a model citizen, up for a safe driver award.

  Back at the Rialto, I started to get out, but she stopped me. She reached over, placed her hand on mine and said, “We're going to Key West in the morning. Me, you, and Bob. I'll be at your place at eight. Call me if anything comes up.”

  Chapter Six

  Back in my Jeep, I watched as Lori drove off in her Mini. She headed north, on Business 41, presumably planning to cross the middle bridge to get off the island. From there she'd follow Venice Avenue to her home.

  I'd only been to her home once. That was the day I'd first met her. She hadn't invited me in then, and hadn't invited me in since. She'd spent the night in my motorhome several times, but I'd never been inside her house.

  I hadn't asked why she never invited me over. Nor had she volunteered an answer. It was just one of the many mysteries of Lori. She kept secrets. Maybe that was one of the reasons I put up with her. She was a woman of mystery.

  I started the Jeep, pulled out of the Rialto and headed south, back toward the Circus Bridge. As I got close, the red and white traffic gates came down, the warning bells started to sound, and the lights signaling the bridge was about to go up started flashing. The three cars in front of me slowed to a stop and I stopped behind them. Looking over to my right toward the Intracoastal waterway, I saw a tall, masted sailboat slowly moving upstream toward the bridge.

  The bridge would remain open until the boat passed under. At the rate the boat was moving, it was a pretty good bet we'd be stuck for at least five minutes. I put the Jeep in first and killed the motor.

  While waiting for the bridge, I thought about what Lori had asked me to do. To talk to the guy causing problems for her sister, Summer.

  I don't consider myself to be a tough guy. At least I try not to give that impression. Being six foot tall and still in good shape from my days in the military, I understand I can be intimidating if need be. But I prefer to talk my way out of trouble. It's a lot easier for everyone involved. Less blood. Fewer broken bones.

  But sometimes it takes more than just talk. Sometimes a few punches have to be thrown before the other guy gets the message.

  Hopefully, this Key West deal wouldn't be one of those times.

  I started thinking about my Jeep. The motorhome was good on long trips, but not so good in city traffic. That's why I'd bought the Jeep, to have something to drive around town. I could also tow behind the motorhome.

  Maybe it would be a good idea to take it to Key West. It would give us an easy way to get around town once we got the motorhome hooked up at Uncle Leo's. I called Lori to see what she thought.

  She answered on the second ring. “Walker, I didn't expect to hear from you so soon. What's up?”

  “I'm stuck at the bridge and was wondering about taking the Jeep to Key West with us. I can tow it behind the motorhome and it'd give us something to drive around in once we got down there.”

  Lori didn't hesitate with her answer. “No. Don't bring the Jeep. We won't need it. Just me, you, Bob and the motorhome. Any other questions?”

  “No, that's it.”

  “Good. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  She ended the call. It sounded like she was in a hurry, which made sense. She probably had a few things to take care of before the trip. Same as me.

  Up ahead, I saw that the mast of the sailboat had cleared the bridge. When the bridge came down, I headed back to Mango Bay.

  Chapter Seven

  Bob was waiting for me at the door when I got back to the motorhome. He's the three-year-old cat that lives with me. I'm not a cat person and never planned to be one, but sometimes plans change.

  Eight months ago, the woman I was dating at the time asked me to take care of her cat for a few days while she moved into a new apartment. I couldn't see any reason to say, “No,” so I agreed.

  A few days later
, she arrived at my doorstep with Mango Bob, a large, orange, male cat with just a stub of a tail. She said he was a special breed, an American Bobtail.

  I had to take her word on the breed thing because I didn't know much about cats. All I knew was the one she brought over was big, the biggest cat I'd ever seen. I was worried about his size, but she assured me he was friendly and easy to get along with. She gave me his litter box, a bag of food and said she'd be back to pick him up in a few days.

  I had no reason not to believe her, so I took in the cat, expecting him to be just a temporary guest in the motorhome. No more than a few days.

  But a week passed and she didn't come back for him. I was a little worried but figured she must have been busy with the move and had been delayed. I was pretty sure there was no way she would abandon her special cat, Mango Bob.

  After the second week, I wasn't so sure. She hadn't come for him nor had she called. I kept expecting her to show up, apologize for leaving him so long, and take him back.

  But it never happened.

  What did happen was Bob went through all his food the first week and I had to go to the store to get more. Everything he ate came out the other end and landed in his litter box. The one she'd left for him was too small for such a big cat and half of what came out of him ended up on the floor.

  So while at the store, I picked up the biggest litter box they had and large bag of fresh litter. In a moment of weakness, I bought him a mouse toy. I figured it would keep him busy while he waited for her return.

  He seemed to appreciate the fresh litter and the toy. He dragged the little mouse around the motorhome, tossing it in the air and attacking it as it fell to the floor. Occasionally he'd bring it to me, wanting me to throw it so he could chase it around. Reluctantly, I played along.

  It wasn't long until there wasn't much left of the mouse toy. Bob chewed off its little head and spread the cotton stuffing from inside on the floor. He deposited the remains on my pillow. Apparently he wanted me to know what a great hunter he was.