3 Mango Bay (21 page)

CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

All was quiet when I got back to the motorhome. Bob met me at the door, purring for a change instead of demanding immediate food service.

I rubbed the top of his head with my thumb then headed to the back bedroom, Bob right on my heels. Apparently he wasn't going to let me out of his sight.

I topped off his food and water bowls on the way. He would need more attention later, but not now.

Right now, my plan was to take a hot shower and rinse off the sand, salt and wet dog smell I'd picked up during today's adventure.

After the shower, I changed into clean clothes and plopped down on the living room couch. Bob settled in beside me.

I checked the messages on my phone, starting with the one from Lucy.

“
Walker, where are you? We're worried. Give me a call as soon as you can.”

She had called while I was stranded on the island.

I deleted the message.

The next message was from Agent Harris at 12:28pm.

“Walker, we were reassigned at the last minute. Call me as soon as you can. It's not over.”

No apology for leaving me stranded without a backup. No explanation. Just telling me it wasn't over.

I pressed the call button. After three rings, a voice answered.

“
Harris.”

“
What do you mean it's not over?”

“
Walker, good to hear from you. We were starting to get worried.”

“
You left me out there without backup.”

“
I know and we didn't want to do that. But something came up. An all-hands-on-deck kind of thing.”

“
So that's the way you operate? You stick someone in the field, then abandon them?”

“
No, that's not the way we operate. I didn't want to leave you without backup.  But it wasn't something I had control over. And anyway, it sounds like you made it back just fine.

“
So, how did the exchange go? Did you get the dog?”

“
Yes, I got the dog. And I spent five hours stranded on a sandbar down by Stump Pass.”

“
What about the drugs? You still have them?”

“
No, of course not. I exchanged them for the dog, just like we planned.”

“
So you don't have the drugs in your possession?”

“
No I do not.”

“
Well, that's not good. We signed them out to you. We either need to get the drugs back or find the guy you delivered them to.”

I couldn't believe what Harris was saying.  That somehow I was responsible for getting the drugs back. That was definitely not part of the deal. I was to do the exchange, get the dog back, and then I'd be out of it.

“You've got to be kidding. You planned this whole thing. I executed my part. Your guys bailed. And as far as I'm concerned, my part's over.”

Silence on the other end of the line. Then, “Walker, let's get together tomorrow and talk this through. I'll call you in the morning. In the meantime, don't leave town.”

Harris ended the call.

I couldn't believe it. They came up with the plan, they supplied the drugs, they told me what to do, and then they took off at the last minute and left me on my own.

And now, I was somehow responsible for getting either the drugs or the guy holding the drugs back to them?

That was crazy.

Looking for something to take my mind off the mess, I turned on the TV and tuned to the local news. The screen showed an aerial view of a Coast Guard cutter approaching a large yacht. A scrolling message across the bottom of the screen read, “Coast Guard stops vessel carrying missile.”

Turning up the volume, I listened as a local reporter told how authorities had received a tip that a vessel in the gulf was transporting a shipment of shoulder mounted surface to air missiles.

The Coast Guard, in conjunction with officials from Homeland Security, had searched for the vessel and eventually located it seven miles offshore.

When they approached the vessel, shots were exchanged, and one crewman on a Coast Guard boat was injured. The suspect vessel was eventually disabled and boarded by Coast Guard and Homeland Security agents.

Upon boarding the vessel, several crates of weapons were found.

No other details were available, but the reporter assured viewers that they were on top of the story.

Apparently, this was the reason Harris and his agents had been ordered to drop everything and assist the Coast Guard. Finding missiles was more important than helping me rescue a dog.

Knowing this, I felt a bit better about the situation.

The next story on the news concerned the building of a new baseball stadium in Tampa. I wasn't interested so I turned the volume down.

Almost immediately, my phone chimed with an incoming call. The caller ID showed it was from Anna. I answered.

“Anna, what's going on?”

“
Walker, I was about to ask you the same thing. I've been trying to reach you for two days, and you haven't called me back.”

“
Sorry about that. I've been away from my phone and just got back today.”

“
You been on a trip?”

“
Kind of. Been on a boat, no phone.”

“
Sounds like fun. But we've got a problem.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

“What kind of problem?”

“
The owner of Serenity Cove called me this morning. She said the park manager didn't deposit this month's rental checks in the bank. And he didn't pay the park's electric bill either.

“
When the owner called the manager's office to talk to him about it, no one answered. She said she called ten times and still no answer.

“
She called me to have you check it out. And I couldn't reach you. She's in a panic right now, wondering what's going on down here.

“
So since you're living in Serenity Cove and supposed to be keeping an eye on things, tell me what's going on.”

Anna was upset. She had told the owner I would watch over things. I'd be their 'undercover' guy at the park.

And I'd missed something important.

“
Anna, I haven't seen the manager in a few days. I don't know if he's sick or if he's taken off with the money. How much are we talking about?”

“
A lot. About eighteen thousand dollars. It should have been deposited five days ago. But it wasn't.

“
And there's another problem. Serenity Cove's bank account looks like it's been cleaned out. There was a ten thousand dollar balance. And now it's gone.”

“
That's a lot of money.”

“
Here's the worst part. Without the monthly deposit, the owner is going to have a hard time paying this month's mortgage payment and utility bills.

“
She said she might be able to hold off on the loan payment for another thirty days, but if the electric bill isn't paid, they'll turn it off.

“
That means no electricity for anyone staying in the park.”

“
Anna, how long before they shut off the electricity?”

“
Thirty days at most. Last month's bill wasn't paid either.”

“
So how much is it?

“
About six thousand. And another thousand for the water bill.

“
The owner doesn't want to deal with problems like this. If the rent money isn't found, she'll be in trouble. Her personal home was used as collateral for the loan.

“
She's in a panic. She's saying she may have to sell the place to land developers.  If she does, they'll close the park, kick everybody out and put up condos.”

I'd only been living in Serenity Cove for three weeks, but I'd come to enjoy the lifestyle it offered and the people I'd met here. I'd hate to see it sold to developers and replaced with high rise condos.

“Anna, see if you can stall the owner for a few days. I'll look for the manager and the missing money.”

“
Walker, you do that. If you find out anything, call me immediately.”

We ended the call.

I'd planned on an afternoon of rest after what had been a long day following a sleepless night. But it was not to be.

After learning about the disappearance of the rent money, I decided to check out the manager's office. Maybe he was sick or something and wasn't able to answer the phone or go to the bank.

I decided to find out.

It took me less than two minutes to walk from my motorhome to the Serenity Cove office. When I got there, the front door was locked, no lights were on.

Walking around the building, I checked all the windows. They were locked and shades had been pulled preventing anyone from seeing inside.

At the back of the building, a six foot wooden fence surrounded a small courtyard that led to the back door of the manager's apartment. The gate on the fence wasn't locked, so I pushed it open and went in.

Inside the courtyard, I found two plastic lawn chairs and an empty trash bin. Nothing else. The metal door leading into the apartment was locked as was the small window beside it.

So far, I'd seen no sign of life. No indication that anyone was in the office or the apartment. But I needed to make sure, so I knocked loudly on the apartment door.

There was no response.  I knocked again, this time even louder.

After thirty seconds, no response.

Either no one was inside, or they were unable to answer the door.

I knocked one more time, just to be sure.

Again, there was no answer.

I pulled out my phone and called Anna. She answered on the second ring.

“Anna, I'm at the manager's apartment. No one seems to be here. All the doors and windows are locked.

“
Think I should try to go in?”

“
Walker, do you have a key?”

“
No. I was thinking about maybe taking the door off the hinges.”

“
And you're asking my permission?”

“
Yes.”

“
I'll call you right back.”

Anna hung up.

While waiting for her call, I went back to my motorhome and grabbed a hammer and the battery powered drill I kept in one of the outside compartments.

With these in hand, I headed back to the manager's apartment and waited for Anna to call.

I didn't have to wait long.

“
Walker, I spoke to the owner. She says do what you need to get inside. She said if you find the manager, don't hurt him and don't get the police involved.”

“
Got it. I'll call you back and let you know what I find.”

Using the drill, I removed the screws from the door hinges and lifted the door out of the frame. Then I stepped inside and announced myself. “Anyone home?”

No response.

Finding a light switch on the inside wall, I flipped it on.

I was in the kitchen. Nothing askew. No dead bodies. Just a kitchen. Small kitchen table. Stove, microwave, an older fridge.

Exactly what you would expect to see in a small apartment.

Venturing further in, I headed toward a short hallway that I suspected would lead to a bathroom and a bedroom.

Again, I announced myself. “Hello, anyone here?”

No answer.

Flipping on the light in the hallway, I saw that it indeed led to a small bedroom. Inside, an unmade bed, an empty closet, and a dresser with empty drawers.

No sign that anyone was still living here.

Checking the bathroom, I found the same thing. Nothing. No personal items on the counter or in the medicine cabinet over the sink.

Back in the kitchen, I pushed open the door that led into the business office of Serenity Cove.

The office was undisturbed. Pretty much the way it had looked when I had checked in earlier this month. Nothing seemed to be missing. Nothing unusual.

Except there was no manager.

And no sign that anyone had been here in the last week or so.

I checked the manager's desk looking for any clues as to when he might have left or where he had gone.

In the desk drawers, I found the normal things you would expect. Notepads, pens and pencils, rental forms, and handouts for new guests.

But nothing of a personal nature from the manager.

It was like he had never existed. There was no sign of his presence anywhere.

On the corner of the manager's desk, a red blinking light on an ancient answering machine got my attention. Looking closer, I could see the number 'twenty three' below the red light. Twenty three new messages.

Most likely these were calls from park residents, potential guests, and the park owner. Someone would need to listen to these and make sure the manager hadn't left a message.

But not me, at least not right now.

I walked through the office area, seeking any clues as to the manager's reason for not being here. Nothing stood out. No signs of a struggle, no blood, not so much as a file cabinet or chair out of place.

I continued my search for ten minutes. The only unusual thing I found was a set of keys on the manager's desk. They were marked 'Serenity Cove'.

I picked them up and put them in my pocket.

Satisfied that I hadn't missed anything obvious, I turned off the office lights and headed back into the manager's apartment, where I did another search. Looking for anything that might help me find the manager or the missing money.

But the place was clean. No personal items of any kind. No food in the fridge. No dirty dishes in the sink.

I'd been inside the building for twenty minutes and hadn't found anything.

I called Anna.

“Did you find him?”

“
No. There wasn't anyone inside. And no sign that the manager is living here. It looks like he's moved out.”

“
That's not good.”

“
I was thinking the same thing.

“
I tried to find the company checkbook, but it looks like it's gone too. You'll probably want to have the owner close the account in the morning. Report the checks as being stolen.”

Anna sighed. “No telling how many checks he's written.

“When I call the owner and tell her about this, she's not going to be happy. She's probably going to want to sell the place.”

I nodded. “I don't blame her. Losing that much money has to hurt.”

Anna took a deep breath. “You know, Walker, Serenity Cove could be a good investment for you. Fix it up a little, and you could get a pretty good return.”

That caught me by surprise. I'd been looking for a place to buy, but hadn't even considered a commercial property like Serenity Cove.

Still, it might be worth investigating.

“
Anna, I might be interested. But the price is probably more than I can afford. This place has got to be worth a lot of money.”

“
Walker, if the power gets turned off, the residents will have to move out, the rental income stops, and the place will lose half it's value.

“
The owner doesn't want that to happen, so she's thinking of setting a low price to get a quick sale. She knows she can't afford to draw this out.

“
The price might be within your reach.”

“
That'd be good. Find out what she wants for it, then let me know.”

“
Will do.”

We ended the call.

After I'd first met Anna over on the Treasure Coast, and we had found our gold coins, we daydreamed about what we would do with the money we'd make from selling the treasure.

Anna said she was going to move to Englewood and sell real estate. I had joked that I might buy a RV park.

Anna's dream had already come true. She was selling real estate. And it looked like mine might come true as well. I might end up owning Serenity Cove.

Or not.