Smugglers 1: Nikki (9 page)

Nikki knew she had them where she wanted them, locked in a mind-numbing sex act where nothing existed but their bodies and the pleasure they could give one another.

“Where’re the handcuffs, Dave,” she breathed into his ear as he tugged on Mercedes’ breast.  He pointed to the living room and she said she’d get them and the plate.

When she came back into the room, Mercedes was riding Dave, her head thrown back as she pumped over his bucking hips. They never saw the shocking devise in Nikki’s hand. She put it to Mercedes’ head and pulled the trigger. Mercedes collapsed on top of Dave who had his eyes closed in the thralls of his climax, so he didn’t see Nikki’s hand. She put the device to Dave’s forehead and pulled the trigger; after a few convulsions, whether from the climax or the shock, he was out cold with Mercedes sprawled unconscious across his chest.

Nikki rolled Mercedes to one side of the bed, then she handcuffed Dave’s hands to the low bedpost, his head hanging face up over the edge of the bed. She moved Mercedes parallel to Dave with her head also hanging face up over the edge.

Nikki filled a syringe, the kind used on boats to repair wood rot, no needle, to the top with one hundred percent coke. She gave Dave two shots in the nose, and the same for Mercedes. She also gave Dave one full shot of pure coke in the condom he still wore, then went to the kitchen and got the straws and plate. She messed up the plate and put the straw up both of their noses, using both ends of the straw for DNA.

Nikki felt both of their necks for pulses. Dave was dead, but not Mercedes, so Nikki put more coke in the syringe and shot it up Mercedes nose. Then she un-cuffed Dave and put him in the middle of the bed. She felt Mercedes’ neck again, and this time there was no heartbeat.

She put a quarter gram of coke in a spray bottle with water and sprayed it around the bed and house in case the DEA brought a dog. This would make the dog hit on everything, everywhere, the dresser, the kitchen, and the rest. She took one more spin around the apartment and went home, taking all of her things with her.

Nikki went on the dock around 9:00 the next morning, going to work as usual. She didn’t start knocking on Mercedes’ door until around two that afternoon. She unlocked the door with her pass key and yelled out Mercedes’ name a few times. Then she went in and found them cold and dead with foam coming out of both of their mouths and noses. She took a look around to make sure the cops wouldn’t know she had been there. Next she went to Dave’s apartment to look around and found a 380 automatic in his apartment that he had as a clean back up. Then she called the cops, crying, and went to her office.

The cops and ambulance came in ten minutes and joined Nikki in her office. She pointed to Mercedes’ apartment; they walked with her and she let them in. They took a lot of pictures, and more cops came including the Chief of Police.

They questioned Nikki for about two hours, asking if she knew that Mercedes and Dave did coke and that they were lovers. She told them that everyone in the Keys did coke, and that Dave and Mercedes had been lovers for about a year. She explained that their relationship was probably been based on money and coke. After all, Mercedes was a titty bar dancer and maybe did sex for money; she didn’t know for sure. Nikki said she knew that Mercedes had drinks with a lot of men.

When the cops were done asking questions, Nikki went back to her office. Out of the corner of her eye she could see her ex-husband Bill sitting on his boat drinking and watching the goings on. Now she just had to be cool and wait for things to calm down so she could look for Mercedes’ money. She went to work on the dock and explained to everyone who stopped, what had happened to Dave and Mercedes.

At the end of the day she went to Mercedes’ apartment to look around. She was careful not to leave anything and left the door open. She just looked. Where would Mercedes hide two million dollars? After looking the apartment over and getting some ideas where she might start, she left.

CHAPTER 10

The next morning about 10:00, Nikki called the Chief of Police and asked if she could start cleaning the apartment. She told him that she needed the rent money. The Chief told her to go ahead, that they were done with their investigation. The deaths were ruled an accidental overdose.

Nikki felt like jumping for joy. She knew she would start on Dave’s apartment so it looked like she needed the rent; she would run an ad as soon as possible to confirm this, plus she could be in Mercedes’ apartment looking for her money longer.

She checked the dock and told Mark that she was going to start cleaning the two apartments and run the ad. She packed up all of Dave’s and Mercedes’ stuff with both doors open. A couple of people, including the boys from upstairs stopped by, and this was perfect. She could cry a lot. She tore Mercedes’ place apart, top to bottom, behind every picture and everywhere. About five or six o’clock she went home, had a drink or two with dinner and then went to bed.

During the night her eyes popped opened, and she said out loud, “She wouldn’t!” She got a flashlight then went across the dock to Mercedes’ apartment. She went straight to the bathroom and opened the medicine cabinet. But no luck; the paint on the screws was still on them; they had not been touched. She set the flashlight down in the sink and pulled on the medicine cabinet. It didn’t move and the paint had not been disturbed on the edge of the medicine cabinet.

She just stood there, then closed the cabinet door and in its reflection the flashlight hit and ricocheted off the mirror to the frosted plastic suspended ceiling above the shower. She could see the shadow of two bags in the ceiling above the stall. She turned with the light and as plain as day she saw the outline of two bags in the suspended ceiling.

Nikki ran to get a chair out of the living room, putting it under the ceiling so she could open it, reaching her hand inside to touch one bag. She pulled it out, then grabbed the other bag. Both were full of money. She put the ceiling back and waiting until it was dark, she took the bags home, careful to avoid anyone out for a stroll. She hid them under the dock, next to hers.

The next day on the dock she met her ex-husband. He said something about all the empty spaces and apartments, plus all the dead people who used to live on the dock. Nikki didn’t exchange any dialog with Bill; she just kept on walking.

She went aboard the Sea Cactus for coffee and waved at Don who was on the back of his boat having Cuban coffee with two friends. Jerry and Loretta were on the Sea Cactus having regular coffee. The three of them made small talk about the dock and Dave and Mercedes for about an hour. They invited Nikki to the boat for dinner that evening, and she accepted, explaining that she didn’t like being alone after all that had happened on the dock during the last month. She she’d see them around six.

Nikki went into town to get more cleaning supplies and patch for the walls. Both ceiling fans needed to be cleaned and painted as both Mercedes and Dave had been smokers. She got back and finished Dave’s apartment then went to work on Mercedes’ place. It needed a new mattress and box spring, too. She went next door to shower, have a drink, dress, and then go to the Sea Cactus for dinner. She made another drink and left. When she got on the boat they were already drinking. Most people in the Keys on a boat are on vacation and drink a lot. Jerry and Loretta were getting ready to burn three big steaks on the barbeque grill attached to the railing. They drank, smoked, laughed a lot, and drank some more.

As they drank, the conversation went to Mercedes and how long they had been friends and what she had done for a living. Nikki told them that Mercedes was a titty bar dancer and turned tricks once in a while when she needed the money and that Dave was a town cop. As they ate and drank some more, the talk turned to the boat trip and sex. Loretta asked if Nikki had ever partied with Mercedes. Nikki said, “Only when drunk and stoned.” Loretta said, “Me too,” and they both laughed and drank some more.

The next morning Nikki went to Mercedes’ apartment to finish painting. It was ready to rent. The ad would break on the weekend. Each apartment would rent furnished for nine hundred and fifty dollars.

The next day Nikki went to Don’s boat for coffee, but she brought her own in a foam cup so she wouldn’t have to drink that Cuban stuff. Later she saw Jerry and Loretta and went down to their boat to thank them for dinner and drinks plus the company. Then she made her way down the dock to check things out. Bill was sitting in a chair on the back of his boat, drinking his morning coffee. As she walked by, he spoke under his breath, “I saw what you did.”

Nikki didn’t turn or break her stride, but just kept on walking like she hadn’t hear a thing. Evan was on the dock re-tying his boat. She stopped to say hi. Even said he and Kathy just heard about Mercedes and Dave overdosing. Nikki thought to herself, ‘Evan is up on his slip rent for a change. Better keep him.’

Nikki asked where Kathy was, and Evan told her at work. “She serves lunch then gets off ʼtil three then back on at five until they are slow or close.”

Nikki made more small talk then went back to her office. She thought about what Bill had said, but he always had something bad to say to her anyhow.

She went into town for dinner with the folks from the Sea Cactus and got home around 11:00 p.m. or so, but didn’t have them in for a night cap. She said she had to get some sleep, gave them both a kiss and said good night. She was awakened by the phone ringing. It was the first call on her ad. It was too expensive for them. Next she made some coffee and got dressed for the day while it was brewing.

She had finished making some phone calls when the boys came in and told her the houseboat had a lean to the north. She thanked them and said she would take care of it with Mark first thing. When she went out on the dock, found Mark, and told him about the conversation with the boys. Mark said he would look into it right after coffee. Later, Mark came up through the hatch of the boat house and told Nikki that the problem was a water pipe that was leaking, and he had fixed it. He was all wet and dirty, but he had set up the fans and closed the hatch.

The phone was ringing when Nikki returned to her office. It was a call for the apartment. They were coming over to look at it. About an hour later, a tall, thin girl named Rita showed up to look at Mercedes’ apartment. She had been to the marina a couple of times with Mercedes when they worked together at the club. She took the apartment for the first of the month and gave Nikki a deposit. ‘Good,’ Nikki thought to herself. ‘In nine days she will move in and pay me first and last. Only one apartment to go.’

Nikki thought she had better leave the money where it was for now in case the cops showed up with a search warrant. She made a drink and walked down to the Sea Cactus. On the way, she ran into Evan and Kathy who lived together on the old forty-five foot wood Pacemaker. They both worked at bars and were late with the rent from time to time. They had tomorrow off, so they were drinking and Evan was stoned. Kathy would be that way soon as well. Nikki sat on their boat with them and drank and laughed. When she finished her drink she saw Jerry and Loretta come up and sit at their table with drinks. She told Evan and Kathy that she had a previous appointment on the Sea Cactus and left. When Nikki sat down on the Sea Cactus they made her a drink, and Jerry yelled over to Evan and Kathy to come over for a drink and then go to dinner with them. Evan and Kathy went over for drinks but begged off on dinner. They wanted to stay home. They spent six or seven days a week in a Bar/Restaurant dealing with demanding drunks at dinner. “Not you three,” Evan said, and they all laughed.

“No, no, not the three of us,” said Jerry. They went to dinner around 8:00 and saw Bill and Cynthia having dinner across the room. Nikki gave them a quick nod of the head and sat down with Jerry and Loretta. About two or three hours later Bill and Cynthia left. As they walked by they stopped, and Bill said, “I have these to remind me of Glenn.” He pointed at his new teeth. “I only wish I would have had the pleasure and time to kill him” Then he walked off with Cynthia. Over his shoulder he said to Nikki, “I saw what you did.”

After two or three moments of uncomfortable silence at the table, they continued eating and drinking, then they went to Nikki’s for a nightcap about midnight. Jerry set the CD player up, and Loretta and Nikki went into the kitchen to make some vodka for all.

In the kitchen while making drinks, there was a lot of kitchen-kidding going on between Nikki and Loretta. They came out with the drinks and started to dance fast to the music Jerry put on. They gyrated, twisted, and bumped, then kissed. Jerry joined in and started to dance with them. They danced and drank until they were spent; sitting and drinking with the music much, much lower. Then they went home, and Nikki went to bed.

CHAPTER 11

Nikki got up about 9:00 a.m. and went to work on the dock. That night she rented the other apartment to a couple for the first again. Jay and Sally gave her a five hundred dollar deposit. He worked for the phone company, and she was looking for work in the Keys. The next morning Nikki was awakened by a knock on the door. When she opened it, she found Bill on the other side.

“Nikki,” he said, pushing his way inside, “I know you have the money from Glenn, and maybe you killed him to keep it. I want five million dollars of the 20 million. Now! Today! Now!”

“Have you lost your mind? I don’t have any money, and I don’t believe that Glenn was in the dope running business with Jim. All he had was his income from the accident on Seven Mile Bridge!”

“Don’t give me that shit! He didn’t come back here from the Bahamas for old pussy. You hid his money for him, and when he got here you didn’t want to give it back. You got used to it and wanted to keep it all for yourself. You and Glenn got in one hell of a fight over it, and by some weird outcome, you won and he’s dead and you now have all twenty million dollars to yourself. Nikki, all I want is five million. You keep fifteen and I will leave for good,” exclaimed Bill.

“Have you lost your stinking mind? I’ve told you, I have no money, and he never, that’s never gave me any!” she shouted.

“I’ll give you three days to come up with the money, then I’m going to the cops,” he threatened.

“Three days or until hell freezes over! I have no money, and the cops have already been here, and that’s it! Get out, Bill. Get out now!” she shouted even louder.

“Screw you! Three days and don’t forget I saw what you did.” Bill left, slamming the door.

Nikki just sat there and thought about Bill and what he said about leaving for good if he got five million dollars. She decided to stick to her story with everybody, the cops, Bill and all the people on the dock.

After coffee she returned to work. From time to time during the day she thought about her conversation with Bill. Why did he keep saying, “I saw what you did.” He didn’t see Glenn come in or hear or see the fight or anything. So what did he mean? That night she stayed home and cooked and drank alone. By morning she had decided that she would stick to her story with Bill and let the chips fall where they may. She saw Bill on the dock that afternoon, and all he said was “two days left.” That night she went out with Jerry and Loretta again for dinner. When they got back, they had night caps on the Sea Cactus, and then she went home to bed.

The next day Nikki was working on the dock when she saw Bill. He was sitting on the back of Cynthia’s boat. He held up one finger to signal to her that she had one day left. Nikki held up one finger to Bill, but a different one!

The final day came and went, and Nikki stayed in to watch the local news to see about a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was on track to go over Cuba and into the Gulf, but the bottom Keys would get the shit kicked out of it with eighty mph winds and a possible storm surge of six to eight feet. That meant she had to get Mark and a day helper to tie down and spider web all the houseboats and boats. She would take down all the bimini tops and stow the deck furniture as well.

In the morning Bill went to talk to Nikki. “Have you got my five million dollars?”

“Bill, there is no money. So go to the cops or whatever, but get the hell out of my face. There’s a hurricane coming, and I’ve got a ton of shit to do. So do what you want, there is no money!” she said.

“Okay, Nikki. Have it your way,” and he walked off.

Nikki went back to work. She knocked on every door and talked to all the residents and left a note instructing them to tie down or leave because the hurricane was coming. Some people chose to leave for the Mangroves a day or two before the storm and cross tie up there in a small canal. She spent the next three days tying up boats, house boats and docks. They would be on the southeast side of the storm, so evacuation from the Keys was mandatory.

If Bill went to the cops they hadn’t shown up yet. Nikki knew they wouldn’t. They would have their hands full with the storm coming, and Bill had no evidence. All he had was talk.

Mark and a few of the dockers worked and a few boats left for the Mangroves to tie up to wait it out there. The Sea Cactus and the forty-five foot Pacemaker left, but the rest stayed and got ready.

Nikki was done for the day and went to her apartment. She made a drink and turned on the TV to watch the news about the storm. It was just rounding Key West and would be there the next night. Winds on the bad side were clocked at one hundred mph. Not good, she thought to herself. It was not going to be a direct hit but the storm surge was going to be 8 feet at her marina. She poured another drink and made some dinner, then settled down to watch TV.

Morning came like a fire cracker. Her eyes snapped open, and she bound out of bed and got dressed while the coffee was brewing. Out on the dock everyone was working on their boats. The sea water was real low. This was a sign that the storm was going to be bad. Nikki walked the half empty dock one last time. Everything was spider webbed as best they could. Even Bill helped when he got done with the 100 footer, and of course old Cynthia just sat on her yacht and got drunk on martinis as usual.

Night came and Nikki went home, had something to eat and drink and looked at the news about the storm. The storm would be here about 2:00 a.m. Nikki decided to get an underwater light, mask and fins and make sure the money was okay. She looked up and down the dock, then slipped into the water and dove under the dock to the money bags. What she saw made her air come out. The line that held the bags full of money had been cut and the two bags were gone! She dove down about five or six times with the light in the dark looking for the two bags filled with five million dollars in cash. They weren’t there! They had been taken! The rope had been cut.

Lots of fish came, small and big because fish are photo aggressive. They come to light like a moth to a flame. That’s okay unless it’s a big shark or thousand pound grouper. Then it was scary. She got out of the water carefully and went back to her apartment. She sat down and took off her shit, all the time thinking that Bill was the culprit. That’s why he had been quiet the last two days and what he meant by “I saw what you did.” Bill had her four million dollars!

At around one in the morning, the wind picked up significantly. Nikki guessed around seventy-five mph or so. “I’ll go down and confront him for half of the money,” she grumbled to herself. She got Dave’s 380 Auto, just in case. By 1:30, the wind had eased a bit, and it was raining, so she went down to Bill’s boat. When she got on board she didn’t take notice of the lean of the boat.

She went to the hatch which led downstairs and opened the door very quietly. When she was half way down the stairs, she saw a muzzle flash coming from downstairs. The bullet went through her hair and out the door behind her. The shock made her fall on the stairs to one knee. There was another flash, and the second bullet went over her head and through the door behind her. If she hadn’t slipped, she would have been hit in the face. She fired four times in the direction of the muzzle flash, and then it was dead silent except for her heart hammering in her chest. It was dark with no electricity, and silent except for the wind and rain. She just sat there for the longest time and listened to her heart. Finally she got up and carefully walked to that end of the boat. She found Bill in the hall. He was crumpled over with three holes in him from head to chest. He was dead.

Nikki walked to the stateroom. Cynthia was passed out on the bed and hadn’t heard a thing. ‘God, she must be deaf not to hear six shots!’ thought Nikki. She picked Cynthia up in a dead man carry and was careful not to step in Bill’s blood. She put her at the bottom of the steps, then took the 380 and rubbed it in both of Cynthia’s hands before putting it in her left hand and fired it once in Bill’s direction to get the powder on her hand. She knew that Cynthia was left handed, so she threw the empty cartridges more to that side and behind her.

The wind was picking up again, and now it was raining even harder. She spent the next two hours looking for the money in the engine room to no avail. She would dive beneath the boat and look after the cops and storm went by. The boat was going nowhere for a month or so. Nikki went back to her office, had a drink and went to bed but couldn’t sleep. She got up around 5:00 a.m., made coffee, showered, and dressed. The storm winds were beginning to die down; it was almost over. The other side of the storm hit around 2:30 that afternoon.

The boats that were left at the dock were scratched and the top parts were torn up, but the bimini tops were all tied up, so they survived. She ran into Mark and five others on the dock. The storm was over, so she started untying all the boats and moved them back in place. Everybody was working.