Getaway Girlz (26 page)

One of The Ladies scoffed.

“No need.” Shorty held up his shot to toast, everyone followed suit. “To
de Loco
.”

They clinked glasses and drank.

“Woooooo!” Lucy yelled. “Now that’s what I’m talking about.”

Vivian, needing the lime, coughed a little and patted her chest.

“Smooth stuff,” Wendy managed.

His smile widened. “So why you in Cozumel?”

Vivian took a sip of her No-Name drink and answered, “We just wanted to get out of Playa for a while. Needed some fresh air, so to speak.”

“
Yo comprendo. Es
tense in Playa right now.” Shorty poured Vivian another drink. His arm grazed hers as he poured. “I am sorry Jon
es
dead. He
es
cool guy.”

Vivian was unnerved at his touch “Yes, he was,” was all she could think of for a response.

“So when did you meet Jon and Pierre?” Kate asked.

“Few weeks ago, at the Purple Peacock,” Shorty said. “We talk boats. I mention mine and he get excited. Said he going buy one like it,” he put his thumb and index finger close together to relate smaller, “
pero más pequeñas
. I take them out and we have a good time. Sometimes we go to Peacock, sometimes other places.”

Vivian’s head felt a little swimmy from the tequila. “I only really got to know him that one night. I hate this has happened. I hope they catch whoever did it.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Shorty’s broken English broke the silence.

“The last time I saw Jon I get angry. I have too much drink. I feel bad, you know?”

The four girls looked at each other.

Shorty held his glass so Eva, or was it Josephina, could pour him another. “So what happen to Jon? Last time I see him was Club Caliente.” Shorty picked up the tequila shot and pointed at Vivian with it. “He
es
with you.”

Vivian’s face got hot. “Well, uh, a bunch of us hung out at the club. Then he and I walked back to the hotel, and I went up to my room, leaving him on the beach,” she said and took another sip of her drink, her mouth suddenly dry. “Next thing I knew, the cops were banging on our door to take us down to the police station.”

“They took our passports,” Lucy said. “Which totally sucks.”

Shorty laughed and snorted, spilling some of his tequila shot. “They think you kill him?”

“Yeah,” Vivian sniffled. “I think they think I did it.”

“What about his
amigo
, Pierre?”

“He went with us to the market today.” Wendy blew out a big puff of air, like she’d been holding her breath during the entire conversation with Shorty. “That was a fiasco.”

“I hear some gringos run through the market in
ponchos y sombreros
. You?” Shorty asked, using his glass to gesture towards the four of them.

“Yeah,” Wendy said. “We were running after this crazy girl, Stella.”

“We thought we saw someone we knew from high school,” Vivian interrupted, not wanting to tell him the Stella details.

“Long way from home see someone you know.”

“We know a lot of people. I think we graduated with something like 800 people.”

The girls all knew Vivian was covering. Their graduating class had closer to 400.

Kate, trying to get off the Stella topic, asked him, “So what about you, have you talked to Pierre or seen him since Jon…you know,” she hesitated, “was killed?”

“I don’t get close to police investigation. I don’t go to hotel, see Pierre.” He changed topics. “How you get here?”

“We took the ferry over, and, actually, we should probably be heading back,” Wendy said.

“Stay. Hang out with me.” Shorty leaned back in his chair and put his arms around The Ladies. “I take you back on Outlaw. Drop you on the beach at hotel.”

Lucy gasped. She couldn’t help herself. “That’s okay, Julio. We appreciate the offer, but we don’t want to impose. We’ll just catch the ferry back.”

“No no. You no want to leave.
es
early. Party just get started.” He looked around the No Name, which had started to fill up.

“Besides,” he smirked, looking at Vivian. “You no look like a killer to me.”

KATE POPPED off her chair at the No Name Bar in Cozumel. “I need to use the restroom. Anyone else need to go?” She gave Vivian a look. “Buddy system.”

“Yeah, I need to go.” Vivian took the hint and got up.

Kate hurried Vivian into the tiny restroom. Shutting the door firmly, she whispered, “Viv, I don’t feel comfortable going back to Playa on Shorty’s boat. He’s still on our list of suspects.”

“Yeah, but he’s not at the top of the list. Since he’s still a suspect, though, that is exactly why we need to ride back with him. It’ll give us a chance to go inside the cabin and look around. See if there’s anything unusual. You know, a clue.”

Vivian could practically see the wheels turning in Kate’s head so she decided to press further.

“Plus, there is some kind of a connection with Al. I think for once Detective Vega is right, Shorty might not be a legitimate businessman, but I don’t think he’s a killer. I can’t explain it exactly, just my gut instinct from talking with him tonight.”

Kate wrung her hands, the internal debate still raging. “So you want me to risk my life, the life of my future unborn children with Shaun, on your gut instinct?”

“Boy you’re laying it on thick, but yeah, I do. You know I’m usually right about my gut instincts.”

“True, your gut has never steered us wrong before,” she paused, then finally agreed. “Okay, we’ll give it a shot. But you’d better be right!” She poked Vivian’s gut on her way out the door.

The mood at the table was a bit awkward after Vivian and Kate’s return. To break the tension, Kate asked The Ladies politely, “So, are y’all from Playa?”

Josephina, or was it Eva, answered, “Yes.”

Not the long-winded types
, Vivian thought.

Lucy laughed nervously. “It must be nice being by the beach all the time.”

“Playa has much to offer,” Shorty said. “Me, beaches, tourists.” He rubbed his thumb and first two fingers together, “
Y
tourists drink tequila, no?
es
good for me.”

Shorty gave Wendy a sideways glance. “How about you. How much of my tequila you drink since you here?”

“We’ve all had our fair share,” Wendy said, then took a sip of her No-Name drink.

“You dance?” Shorty asked as Daddy Yankee’s “Gasolina” came on.

Vivian felt like moving, not sitting and said, “I’m in.”

The seven of them almost took up the entire dance floor, it was so small. Vivian thought Shorty and The Ladies looked like they danced together frequently, as they had a rhythm all their own. They faced one direction, with Shorty sandwiched in the middle, and looked like they were spooning.

“Do you think they sleep in the same position?” Wendy said in a low voice in Vivian’s ear.

“Don’t make me hurl.”

“If we’re going to catch the ferry we need to leave right now,” Lucy reminded them. “It leaves in 10 minutes. We could make a run for it.”

Kate positioned herself in front of Lucy and Wendy. “Viv’s gut instinct tells her Shorty is not the killer, that Detective Vega may be right about that. She also thinks we need to look around the boat for anything suspicious, though, just in case.”

Vivian danced around the girls and glanced over at the spooning trio, who were too occupied with groping and grooving to notice their discussion. “I don’t think he’s the one. Shorty may be a shady businessman, but I don’t think he’s our murderer.”

“Okay, but if he turns out to be a murderer and kills us, I’m going to be pissed!” Lucy said.

“He’s not going to kill us.” Vivian raised her hands in the air as she danced, acting like they were having a casual conversation. “He just wants to have fun and impress us with his boat. Not bloody it up.”

Wendy smiled at Shorty and turned away from him as she danced. “Let’s let our waitress know he’s taking us back to Playa. She can come forward if our bodies are found.”

“Yeah, right, she works for his family,” Lucy said. “She’s not going to give him up.”

“You never know,” Wendy replied. “Her conscience might get the best of her.”

“Y’all are acting like we’re goners already. Shorty doesn’t have any reason to harm us,” Vivian said. “He just said he doesn’t like to get involved in police investigations. If the four of us turned up dead, the police would be swarming all over him and Playa. We did tell Detective Vega our suspicions, remember?”

She danced for a few beats, then continued, “And we told Pierre and Al and Adrienne. They’d get justice for us, and maybe even a little revenge.” She smiled on “revenge.”

“Ok, let’s make the best of our last night on Earth,” Lucy said, and went back to the table to take a long sip of her drink.

Shorty left The Ladies on the dance floor, and disappeared through a door behind the bar.

The Ladies, Kate, Wendy and Vivian went back to the table and joined Lucy.

“So how long have you known Julio?” Lucy asked them.

One of them answered, “Long time.” Then they both got up and went to the restroom.

“Guess they’re on the buddy system, too,” Lucy said.

“Yeah, even with their men,” Kate said.

Wendy looked around to see if Shorty was close by. “We need to have another code word tonight. Any ideas?”

“How about ‘pizza’?” Lucy offered. “We can say, ‘I sure would like a slice of pizza,’ and it won’t sound suspicious.”

“That works,” Vivian agreed. “Hell, a big pepperoni slice sounds good right now. I’m tipsy.”

Shorty came out of the door and walked back to the table. “You have good time?”

“That we are!” Vivian held up her No-Name drink in emphasis.

Lucy finished off her drink, slammed it down and looked around at all of them. “I want to get a tattoo.”

Shorty didn’t look phased by her announcement, but Vivian was shocked. Kate and Wendy looked it too.

“Excuse me?” Vivian did a mock cough. “Did you just say you want to get a tattoo?”

“I did. I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Why not get it now?”

“
Es
place down street,” Shorty said. “I know guy.
Es bueño
.”

“Well, there you have it. If Mr. Tiempo Loco Tequila Man said it’s good, it’s gotta be. Let’s go.” Lucy pushed back her chair abruptly, causing it to fall backward. She stood up, wobbling a bit. “And I’m doin’ it!”

“We can’t let her permanently mark herself under the influence.” Kate waved around Lucy’s empty glass and looked at Vivian and Wendy.

“You sure you want to get a tattoo now,
in Mexico
?” Wendy asked.

Lucy nodded, then poured herself a tequila shot, spilling some in the process. Liquid courage.

“Let’s just go.” Vivian stood up. “Maybe she’ll change her mind once she gets there and sees the needle.”

Since when does Lucy trust Shorty
? Vivian thought.
I guess somewhere in the middle of that last drink
.

“
Es
that way.” Shorty pointed to the left. “Maya Tattoo. Ask for Dragón.”

Dragón. Oh Lordy
.

THE MAYA Tattoo’s big neon sign flashed erratically and Vivian heard the buzz of electricity as she passed by it. The girls looked at the dozens of pictures boasting satisfied customers in the front window.

They went inside and were greeted with a silent stare from a hefty guy behind the counter. “I want a tattoo. Are you Dragón?” Lucy said.

“Si.”
He was covered in tattoos, at least the skin they could see. The silver looped nose ring was not sexy, nor were his giant, disgusting earlobe expanders. Vivian couldn’t believe Lucy was about to let this guy touch her.

“Wonder how he got his name,” Kate asked just loud enough for Vivian and Wendy to hear. “Do you think he breathes fire?”

“Shh!” Wendy looked at Dragón to see if he had overheard Kate. He had not, so Wendy said, “Let’s not find out.”

Dragón pointed to a notebook filled with pages and pages of artwork. Lucy began flipping.

“I can’t believe we are letting her do this,” Kate said a little louder and with more urgency.

“We aren’t ‘letting’ her do anything,” Vivian took up for their tipsy friend. “She’s an adult. She can make up her own mind.”

Lucy looked at them. “Hello! I can hear you. And besides, it’s no crazier than riding back to Playa on a boat, by ourselves, with someone who
might
have murdered Jon.”

Maybe she’s more sober than I thought
,
Vivian thought.

After looking for a while, Lucy picked out an ancient Mayan symbol that meant “survivor.”

Vivian looked over Lucy’s shoulder. “Interesting choice.”

“¿Dónde lo quieres?”
Dragón asked.

Lucy looked to Wendy for help.

“I think he wants to know where you want it,” Wendy translated.

“Put it here.” Lucy tapped the outside of her left ankle.

Dragón pointed Lucy into a reclining chair, then got out his equipment, needles and all, and carefully wiped down her ankle with alcohol.

“Have you sterilized those needles?” Lucy asked. “My life’s at stake here.”

Dragón nodded and Vivian, Kate and Wendy took a seat over by the windows as he got to work.

Lucy was pretty calm and didn’t seem to be bothered by the pain. Of course, she was probably numb from the yard-long hurricane, the tequila and the No-Name drinks. She was chatty, talking to Dragón about anything and everything. It was mostly a one-way conversation.

About halfway through her survivor symbol, Lucy got quiet. Vivian walked over to check on her. “How you doin’?”

Lucy’s face had turned pale. “It’s starting to hurt a little now. Maybe I could use another drink?”

Dragón gave a slight shake of his head and grunted.

Vivian thought a distraction was in order. “Remember the time I was going to color my hair and we decided you needed dramatic blonde highlights, like me?”