Death by Haunting (16 page)
4
I
t took only a few hours to fly to Miami.
Eva stepped outside the airport and greedily soaked in the sub-tropical heat. She hailed a cab and got in.
The cab driver didn’t seem too happy after getting a good look.
Seeing that the cabbie was dubious, Eva threw a fifty-dollar bill at him.
“Take me to the Fontainebleau Hotel, please,” she requested. She had always wanted to stay at the Fontainebleau since it was the hotel used in the James Bond film,
Goldfinger
.
“Are you sure, lady? It costs a lot of money to stay there,” he said, eyeing her pajama outfit.
Thankful that she was wearing sunglasses so the driver couldn’t see how ridiculous she felt, Eva pulled her coat close about her. “Remember Howard Hughes wore pajamas during the day and he was the richest man in America.”
“Really? Never heard of him,” the driver replied as he pulled out into the traffic.
“Leonardo DiCaprio played him in a Martin Scorsese movie. You might have seen it.”
“Oh yeah. He was that guy who peed in jars and kept them in his room.” He glanced in the mirror at Eva.
“You don’t do that, do ya lady?”
“Not lately.”
“’Cause that is disgusting.”
“I would have to agree. You don’t have to keep looking back here. I’m not peeing on your seats.”
The cabbie shook his head and muttered, “I get all kinds.”
“What was that?”
“Nothing, ma’am. Be there soon. You’ve missed the rush hour.”
Eva settled into the back seat and stared out the window.
Unlike New York with its cold gray shadows and dark alleys, Miami was flooded with brilliant sunlight that danced off glass skyscrapers. New York was a concrete jungle, but Miami was the Emerald City. Everywhere were vast expanses of deep turquoise water, white sails, expensive cars zooming here and there and sun-drenched mansions.
Suddenly it was too much for Eva. She felt overpowered by the immense glass city, which resembled a mirror. It made her feel raw inside, too exposed.
“Listen,” she said throwing a hundred-dollar bill into the front seat. “I’ve changed my mind. Get me out of here.”
“Where you want to go?”
“I’m not sure. All this glass and sun. It’s too hectic. I need something calmer.”
“The Everglades?”
“God, no! The last thing I need is to encounter an alligator. I just got rid of one reptile in my life.”
“Depends on what you’re looking for. How about the Keys?”
That was a possibility. Things were slower in the Keys, weren’t they? And she didn’t know a soul in the Keys. Not a one.
“I just want to rest. Relax.”
“Then Key Largo.”
“Key Largo,” murmured Eva, thinking of the Lauren Bacall and Humphrey Bogart movie. “Yes, take me there.”
“Where in Key Largo?”
“Just a nice hotel.”
“How nice?”
“A hotel with a nice pool. I like to swim.”
“Motel okay?”
“No. I want a hotel. One that will have a concierge.”
“You got more money?”
“YES! Just get me to Key Largo.” Exhausted, Eva fell back against the seat. “Please, no more talk. Just drive.”
Sulking, the driver changed lanes and made his way to Highway 1 heading for the Keys.
Two hours later, the driver stopped in front of an expensive chain hotel. “This okay, lady?”
Eva looked out the car window and nodded. “It will do for now.” She paid the driver the exorbitant fare plus a two hundred dollar tip.
He no longer thought Eva was crazy but merely eccentric. Rich people were never crazy, just different. She would make a great story for his family over dinner.
Eva motioned for the hotel valet to open the cab door and help with various packages.
She had stopped at a mall on the way and had purchased some casual outfits. As soon as she stepped out of the cab, the silky breezes of the Keys enveloped her.
Eva took a deep breath.
The salty air smelled like home.
She felt the pain in her broken heart dull a little.
Eva no longer felt that she was going to die.
Perhaps with a little luck she just might recover . . . even flourish.
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About The Author
Hi. I’m Abigail Keam. I write the best-selling
Josiah Reynolds Mystery series.
I also write the
Princess Maura Tales
(Epic Fantasy).
Last Chance Motel
is my first romantic novel.
Born and bred in Kentucky, I began writing at an early age. My first short story written while still in grade school was
Bobby Bobo Got Baptized At The Big Bone Baptist Church
. Say that fast five times. I am also a professional beekeeper and have won sixteen awards from the Kentucky State Fair. That’s a big deal in the beekeeping world.
I live in a metal house with my husband and various critters on a cliff overlooking the Kentucky River.
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Other Books By Abigail Keam
Epic Fantasy
Josiah Reynolds Mysteries
