Caught Read-Handed (17 page)

Before I got a chance to take my phone out of my pocket, Miguel came out of the kitchen, looking for the teens.

“I should have known they were gone. It is so quiet. I'm sorry I missed them. Holly and her two friends volunteer at the temporary animal shelter and I was hoping to recruit some of the others. Dr. Mays could use the help.”

I thought Jenna wouldn't be a problem, but I suggested that if he wanted to invite the boys, he might get a better response if the girls weren't around when he asked.

Miguel laughed as he headed for the front door. “Ah, having been a teenaged boy, I well remember the fear instilled by teenaged girls.
Mañana, chica
.” And he was gone.

I called and got George's voice mail. I left what I hoped was a cheerful message and then began wiping down the tables and chairs. A few minutes later my phone rang. When
I punched “Talk,” it was Maggie. Holly hadn't wasted any time in confessing her escapade.

“Thanks so much for ending the girls' detective careers before they got into serious trouble. I can't image what they were thinking. Otto Ertz has a very short fuse. Why don't you and Bridgy come over later? I can show you the lay of the land and you can see for yourself how close the girls came to getting into real trouble.”

I told her I was waiting to hear from George but Bridgy and I could probably stop by. No point in mentioning that I'd already scoped out Moon Shell Drive not once, but twice, with very little in the way of results. If the residents had secrets, the street wasn't giving them up.

While we were doing the final spit-and-polish cleaning for the day, once again, Bridgy brought up the dreaded ice machine. I pulled the paper from my pocket and looked at the numbers with the hope that the cost was less than I remembered. It wasn't. “This will absolutely break the bank, but if you and Miguel are sure we need to replace ours, this is a great buy compared to the prices we saw the other day. Order it, but make sure delivery is late afternoon so we don't have the mess of installing when we have customers.”

Bridgy gave me her “How stupid do you think I am?” look, but at least there were no hands-on-hips poses involved.

We were putting the cleaning supplies in the cabinet when I mentioned that Maggie had invited us to take another look at Moon Shell Drive. I was surprised the usually sociable Bridgy was reluctant.

She was vague about her plans. “I have chores and I need you to go with me.”

“Okay, but can't we stop by Maggie's first?”

Bridgy went outside to make a phone call. When she came back she said we could stretch half an hour but no more. As I turned out the lights she said, “I mean it, Sassy. I'm on a schedule.”

When we turned onto Moon Shell Drive, I said it was beginning to be as familiar as our own street. Bridgy didn't find me to be amusing. I hoped once we got her “chores” done, she'd be in a better mood. Bridgy parked her fire engine red Escort ZX2 right in front of Maggie's house. I panicked for a moment, fearing that Barry Lipscome would see it and our cover would be blown, but then I realized that, a) the last time we were here I was driving the Heap-a-Jeep, and b) who cares?

Holly came running out to greet us. “My mom and Aunt Karen are on the patio. Come on in.”

I looked at Bridgy, who tapped her imaginary wristwatch but followed along behind Holly.

The patio ran along the side of the house that faced Estero Bay. I took in the wide expanse of scrub pines and sea grape bushes. I pointed to a couple of small trees that were dwarfed by palms. “Those are unusual trees.”

“Not so unusual along the edge of the bay. Called devilwood—they're from the olive family. They bloom tiny white flowers for about a minute near the end of spring.” Maggie gestured us to seats around a table covered with a cheerful cloth decorated with waves and seagulls. “I thought you might want a drink before we explore.”

I didn't even have to look at Bridgy. “We're short on time. Chores, you know.” I thought Karen was looking well and said so.

“Oh, I feel great. Running at a hundred percent. I'm sort of stalling, hanging out with my sis for a while longer before
I have to go back to the real world. You know—the home, work, home, work cycle.”

We all laughed. We knew the feeling.

Maggie stood. “Well, let's take a look around.”

When Holly started to rise from her chair, Maggie ordered, “Sit.”

Maggie opened the patio door facing the bay, and we stepped out into a small clearing with flowerpots scattered around. Most were filled with greens. I pointed to one that was overflowing with gray-green leaves and golden yellow flowers. “Those are pretty.”

Maggie smiled. “I keep them for color. Clustered rockrose blooms year-round in south Florida. No matter what stage the other flowering plants are in—I always have sunshiny blossoms.” She motioned to the road. “The first house you pass coming into the street is Cordy Ramer's. Next to it is Otto's. You can't see the Lipscomes' walled-in property from either of their houses or yards. Can't see it from here, either. Only the wall. So no one on this block could have witnessed anything. Unless the killer parked a car outside the Lipscomes' driveway gate. That we would notice.”

I nodded. A parked car on this block would definitely stand out. Maggie walked about two feet past the turn in the road and stopped abruptly. “This is my property line. The rest of the waterfront land belongs to the Lipscomes. This is where they want to build the pool and block everyone's view of the bay. Well, Cordy and Otto's view. I'd still have a straight view from the house and a full expanse to the north, but my view to the south would be nonexistent.”

We walked a few more steps. I stared at the wall ahead
of us. “So anything could happen behind that wall and no one could see a thing.”

“Well, unless you were in the house, or, say, in a helicopter hovering above.” Bridgy thought she was funny but I was totally perplexed by the lack of any way to even see the scene of the crime. Somehow, I thought if I could see it, something would trigger a clue of some sort. Too many mystery books, I guess.

Maggie walked us back to the car. We asked her to say good-bye to Karen and Holly. Sotto voce I asked, “How much trouble is Holly in?”

“Just enough to keep her from pulling any stupid trick like that again.”

I'd barely fastened my seat belt when Bridgy tore away from the curb. She kept looking at the clock on the dash. When she came very close to running a red light for the second time, I complained. “Whatever it is, we can be a little late.”

She shook her head. “No can do. I made an appointment and then I rescheduled it for half an hour later. I don't want to miss it.”

She was heading north. I thought we were going over the San Carlos Bridge but we zipped right past it. Bridgy didn't stop until we were in Bowditch Point Park, and she slid into a parking spot outside of Tony's marina.

She looked at the clock and banged her hand on the steering wheel. “Yes. We made it.”

I looked at her and shook my head emphatically. “I am not going kayaking. Much as I love it, today is not the day.”

“I promise there will be no kayaks used in this investigation.” Bridgy's impish grin led me to suspect that kayaks might be the least of my worries.

“Investigation? Investigation of what?”

“Just get out of the car and follow my lead. For goodness' sake don't contradict anything I say. Oh, and if anyone wishes you a happy birthday, say thank you.”

I pushed my sunglasses up on my forehead so I could stare her down, but she dismissed me by saying, “Put on your sunglasses. You're going to need them.”

We got out of the car and she led the way to the dock. Tony, the proprietor, a large, jovial man with a more-gray-every-day Poirot-type mustache, clapped when he saw us. “Right on time. That's how I like my customers. And where . . . Oh there she is, the birthday girl. Happy birthday, missy. You are in for quite an adventure.” He pushed his straw porkpie hat a little farther down his forehead. “You must be really super friends for Bridgy here to arrange such a whoo-hoo birthday present.”

Bridgy gave him a beatific smile. “Friends since childhood. There's nothing I wouldn't do for Sassy.”

My smile was not nearly as beatific. It was more like grinning through a clenched jaw. What on earth was going on? Then I saw it. A snazzy green and yellow powerboat was sitting dockside. It had a cage and rigging up top that I would have recognized even if the boat didn't have the word “PARASAIL” printed on the hull. It was followed by a phone number. An extremely tan boater about forty or so jumped off the deck. He was wearing surfer shorts and a tank top that matched the yellow and green of the boat exactly.

“Hey, Cousin Tony, these must be our girls, right?” He made it sound like we were blind dates for the Saturday night movie. “And which one a yous is the birthday beauty?”

Timidly, I raised my hand. But there was nothing timid about the birthday smooch he gave me.

Tony growled. “Darrin, these
ladies
are my friends.”

That was enough to make Darrin drop his hands from my waist but it didn't stop his banter. “Okay, Cos, but they're gonna have to go up in tandem. There's no way either of these fine ladies weighs a buck and a quarter.” He turned to us. “That's the minimum weight for a single rider.” And suddenly he was all business. “Okay, birthday princess, I know this is a surprise present for you, so let me explain the drill. First off, we usually don't run in the bay because of the San Carlos Bridge. That's why my dock is on the Gulf side of the island. No bridge.” He looked at us, apparently expecting some acknowledgment of the wisdom of his location.

I did the “smile through the clenched jaw” thing again and muttered. “Smart.”

He beamed like a three-year-old who'd wangled an extra cookie out of Mom. “But Bridgy here insisted that you always talk about how you long to see Matanzas Pass Preserve from above and she thought . . .” Here he puffed out his chest. “She thought parasailing would be the most exciting, close-to-nature way to give you a spectacular view for your birthday.”

My jaw was aching from all the smiling my role as “birthday princess” required. Still I managed to catch Bridgy's eye and shoot daggers at her. She responded with a wide-eyed “what's your problem” look; all the while we both pretended to listen to the annoying Darrin drone on.

My attention swiveled back to Darrin when I heard him say that his deck hand was on vacation. No way we were getting on that boat alone with him. Tony gave us a wide grin. “I'm going to be the fill-in. And that means I'll watch out for your safety and take your pictures when you are five hundred feet above the boat.”

I gasped audibly. Five hundred feet? In the air?

Bridgy gave me a quick elbow to the ribs and I put my “birthday princess” smile back into play.

Tony handed us each a lifejacket and surprised me by putting one on himself. Darrin said, “Hey, no Mae West for me?”

Tony chided him by suggesting that Darrin had any number of vests on board and should wear one of his own. Then Tony held out a hand to help Bridgy and me climb onto the boat. It was gorgeous and extremely pristine. No matter how haphazardly Darrin treated people, he treated his boat with loving care.

As if to prove my thoughts, Darrin got a glow in his eye telling us that she was the love of his life, an Ocean Pro 31. “And she's a winchboat—I can launch and retrieve parasailers by a winch system,” he pointed aft. “See, there it is. Safe as a cradle.”

But all I kept thinking about was being five hundred feet in the air with Darrin at the controls. If we didn't die during this caper, I decided I would kill Bridgy as soon as we were back on dry land.

With our lifejackets firmly secure, we sat on the deck as the boat glided into the bay. Darrin had named her
Flyin' High
. And soon Bridgy and I would be testing out the name. The water was smooth as glass. Darrin kept telling us how lucky we were there was no breeze at all. “One good gust is all it takes—give you a right tumble.”

Awk! “You mean we could fall if there is a sudden burst of wind?”

Bridgy rolled her eyes at me. “Honestly, Sassy.”

Darrin tried not to laugh but it was an effort. He did guffaw a time or two before answering. “You don't have to worry, birthday princess, the wind would only give you a jiggle or two. I know my ROPES.”

That was comforting. I supposed he meant that he'd examined his towline before coming to pick us up. Still I asked,
“Exactly which ropes did you check? Are you sure nothing is frayed?”

That sent Darrin and Tony into gales of laughter. When Darrin was able to speak coherently, he explained. “Not to worry, honey, ROPES is the acronym for the Coast Guard safety alert for parasail operators. Remember, Observe, Prepare, Ensure and Safety. I check the boat, the chute, harness and rigging, even the weather under those guidelines before every trip.”

My nerves were still edgy but being on the water always had a calming effect on me, and this ride was no different. The few clouds in the sky were white and puffy like cotton balls that had tumbled out of their plastic bag.

A flock of blue herons flew across the bay from San Carlos Island and disappeared behind the trees on Estero Island. Somewhere a red-shouldered hawk was screeching
kee yarr
,
kee yarr.
I couldn't identify the fish swimming a few yards out from the boat, but I'd bet Tony and Darrin could. I was about to ask when Darrin began explaining our adventure.

“I'm going to secure your harnesses now while Tony steers the boat. Then I'll steer until we pass under the San Carlos Bridge. Once we have gone a ways on the far side, Tony will take over the boat and I'll clip your harnesses to the chute. Like I said, you two can go up in tandem. Once you are secure, I'll operate the winch. You'll rise in the sky smooth as silk, swaying like you're rocking in my granny's old chair.”

Bridgy tilted toward me. “Nothing to do now but enjoy the ride.”

I mumbled in agreement. Since we were heading south in Estero Bay, I was getting a glimmer of Bridgy's reason for us to parasail along the shore. Knowing her, it wasn't for
the sake of adventure. I decided to play along. “I can't imagine what we'll see when we're up so high.”

Bridgy started ticking off on her fingers. “Well, there's Matanzas Pass Preserve. I know you do love it. And I'm sure we'll be able to see the library, Pastor John's church, Dr. Mays's clinic.” Then she added with an extra touch of innocence in her voice. “Probably be able to see our yoga instructor Maggie's house. Isn't it right on the edge of the bay?”

Bingo. Bridgy had figured out a way for us to see inside the walls surrounding the Lipscome house with nobody being the wiser. I gave her a kiss on the cheek. “You're the best friend ever. What a fabulous birthday present.”

Tony beamed. “Ah, finally getting into the spirit of things. Happy to see it. Okay, we've passed under the bridge. I'm going to take over so Darrin can get you safely launched.”

Darrin checked our harnesses. As we sat side by side, Bridgy teased Darrin. “Double-check everything, please. I don't want this to be the last birthday present I give Sassy.”

“You'll be fine, and I suggest you let me give you a quick dip, sort of drag your toes in the water. Calm enough day for it.” By the looks on our faces, Darrin decided he might have gone a bit too far. “Tell you what, when you feel yourselves dropping slowly and safely, yell ‘boat' and I'll bring you back onto the boat. If you don't yell, I'll give you a dip, raise you up again and then bring you back on the boat. Good enough?” I nodded with far less enthusiasm than I felt a few minutes before. Darrin wasn't finished. “Okay, kick off your shoes. Good. Now give me your phones.”

Bridgy started to protest but Darrin persuaded her by saying that not a week went by when some parasailer or another lost a phone because it rang and “The darn fool tried
to answer it, way up there.” And he flung a hand skyward for good measure.

We surrendered our phones and soon felt ourselves begin to rise. In a few minutes we were high above the boat and could see everything for miles around.

I didn't know how far our voices would carry so I whispered to Bridgy, “You're brilliant. We'll see every inch of the Lipscome property. This is like a close-up on Google Earth.”

She agreed. “All true but now ‘ohh' and ‘aah' and smile like a good birthday princess. Tony has the camera out and he is snapping away.”

So we smiled and waved. Tony pointed to our right and shouted up to us. “The preserve. See the oak hammock ecosystem.”

I gave him my broadest smile and yelled, “Awesome.”

Finally we traveled past the preserve. I could see the parking lot of Pastor John's church filled with cars. A lot of people were milling about. I elbowed Bridgy. “Was there an event scheduled at the church today?”

But if she answered, I never heard her. From high in the air I could see the bay front of the church and the bay front of the Lipscome property seemingly only a few feet apart. More startling, I could see that the wall that enclosed the compound had two breaks on the bay side. A wide opening by the Lipscome dock and a narrow one by the hot tub. There weren't even gates. If I wasn't in a parachute harness, I would have jumped up and down in my seat. But as it was, I didn't actually have a seat.

I smiled and waved to Tony while talking to Bridgy through my teeth. “Look. There are openings in the back wall.”

“I see. Do you see the path a few feet in from the waterline?
It goes north past John's church and south to . . . wherever. Anyone could walk into the property and murder Tanya without having to park a car on the street.”

I was trying to memorize the entire layout when Tony told us to prepare for Darrin to turn the boat around. Prepare? I guess he meant hang on tight.

We made a slow, wide swing in the bay, which gave me time to memorize the entire shoreline for the span of a couple of football fields on either side of the Lipscome house. I couldn't help but notice the crowd in the church parking lot getting larger by the minute. I wondered if I could talk Bridgy into taking a ride to find out what was going on. Then maybe we could follow the path to the Lipscome house. Lost in thought, it took me some time to realize that we were going lower and lower. Darrin was using the winch to bring us back to the boat. Without warning our feet splashed into the water. I screamed more from the shock than anything else. I'd forgotten that Darrin promised us a dip. Bridgy was laughing and clapping. Her joy was so contagious, I joined in.

Then Darrin raised us up and landed us safely on the deck, unhooked us from the bar connected to the chute and asked how we liked it.

We both rushed to overdo our quotient of “most fabulous ride ever.” But apparently no amount of praise was too over the top for Darrin. He was basking in the glow and could easily have listened to us go on for hours.

Before our voices gave out, Tony saved us by asking, “Did you happen to notice the big doings down at the church?”

“I did.” I was sliding my feet into my sandals. “We were wondering if there was a party and we weren't invited.”

“Maybe it's a surprise for your birthday,” Darrin chimed in.

I blushed. I'd forgotten my cover story.

Tony saw my pink cheeks and gave Darrin a sharp look. “Don't be teasing the girl on her birthday.” He turned to me and Bridgy. “Those vets meet at the church all the time for this and that. Well, they did this whole town a right solid. They captured the green anaconda that's been swimming around here for weeks.”

My eyes popped. “They caught the snake? Are you sure?”

“Sure I'm sure. Couple of fellas come by and borrowed some equipment from me yesterday. When I heard what they were fixing to do, I was happy to lend it. Mine ain't the only business in town suffering 'cause folks are afraid of the snake.”

“Not to mention the pets,” Bridgy contributed helpfully.

“Did they kill it or capture it?” Either way there could be some more confrontations around town.

“Heard just a bit ago that they brought the snake in. Couldn't find out more 'cause I was helping with your birthday surprise.”

“Well I thank you for that, I really do.” I shook hands with Tony and Darrin, then I turned to Bridgy, who already had her purse open. “I'll let you settle up and meet you by the car.”

As soon as I was off the dock, I whipped out my iPhone. Hit speed dial for Miguel. He answered in half a ring. “
Hola chica
. Bow is safe. The snake is captured and leaving Florida forever.”

I didn't realize how much stress I was feeling about the anaconda until I heard Miguel, and my entire body flooded with relief. “Wonderful. Are you at the church?”

“
Sì
, everyone is here. Come. Celebrate.”

Bridgy found me by the car. She raised one eyebrow.

“All is well. Miguel is at the church and invited us to come over.”

“Hop in.”

A few minutes later we pulled up in the side street next to the church. Maybe two dozen cars were parked haphazardly around the church lot, but most of the space was taken up by people laughing, joking and clinking glasses. Cordelia Ramer and her Guy Bradley contingent were walking through the crowd, passing out snacks and napkins. It reminded me of a miniature version of the annual Shrimp Festival.

We were still getting out of the car when Ophie was on top of us. Gone was her oversized tee emblazoned with the anaconda. She was feminine as can be in a light blue eyelet A-line dress with a navy blue sash and strappy navy super-high heels. “Did y'all hear? That Mark Clamenta is quite a hero, leading the team to capture the anaconda. And Dr. Mays found him a home, out of state. She's a wonder.”

I was tempted to ask if Cynthia had found a home for Mark or the snake, but didn't want to risk a well-mannered ladies lecture. I was more interested in finding Miguel. Ophie did that “spin on her heels” turn that constantly amazed me, and trotted into the crowd.

I looked at Bridgy. “How does she do that without breaking her leg?”

“I don't know, but if she falls, perhaps her big strong hero Mark Clamenta will pick her up and carry her in his arms all the way to the medical center on the mainland.” And Bridgy began batting her eyelashes fast and furious.

We fell out laughing until a familiar voice behind us said, “You're a little late to the party, ladies, but at least you're having fun.”

Lieutenant Frank Anthony stood with his hands resting on the wide heavy belt that held his equipment. Ryan Mantoni gave us a quick wave.

I decided to take control immediately. “How is Alan Mersky doing? George is hoping to bring him home.”

Frank turned his eyes heavenward as if looking for guidance as to how much he could tell, then looked directly at me. “Healthwise he is getting his balance back. Legalwise, he's in a pile of trouble.”

“He's not the only person who could have killed Tanya Lipscome, you know. Plenty of people have motive. And anyone could have gotten into her property by walking along the bay path and stepping in by the dock.” I settled my hands firmly on my hips, arms akimbo a la Bridgy when she's mad.

He sighed and shook his head. “I don't even want to know how you know that.” And he waded into the crowded parking lot with Ryan at his heels.

Bridgy marveled. “He didn't even give you a dressing-down.”

“I know. He must be very sure that the killer is not at large but safely tucked away in the hospital psych ward.” That was a depressing thought, so I moved to cheerful. “C'mon, let's find Miguel.”