Read Online Daiquiri Dock Murder by Dorothy Francis - Free Book Online
Authors: Dorothy Francis
Tags: Mystery
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queries. Any idea who will replace Diego on the board?”
“Haven’t the slightest. Don’t even know who decides stuff like that. Some political bigwig probably appoints a capable person to fill out the board until the next election. Maybe the mayor. Maybe the county administrator. Maybe someone in the state department. I’ve never been into city, county, or state politics. Until the ‘working waters’ issue came up, I had no personal reason to be interested. Don’t go poking around for clues, Rafa.”
“If I do any—poking around—as you put it, I’ll keep my actions covert. You’ll never notice.”
“Be real. I’ve already noticed. You’re asking me pointed questions. Are you thinking that being in line to be selected as Diego’s replacement on the board might have motivated some guy to bring out the duct tape and rope?”
“Guy? Are council members always men? I don’t think so! Murder’s an equal opportunity employer. Maybe a woman will replace Diego on the board. But whether the killer’s male or female, there’s one important thing to consider in this case. The culprit had to be strong enough to lift a body—a body attached to a concrete block. All that grunt work may not have been a woman’s sort of thing. I’m guessing the killer was a man.”
“Although you say you have no plans to investigate this case, seems to me you’re getting deeply into it. Right?”
“Wrong. Well, maybe not totally wrong. I’ve read that many killers are sociopaths—men without a conscience who like to murder women for the fun and pleasure it brings them. I can’t imagine Diego’s killer being a fun-and-games guy. I think he knew exactly who he wanted to kill and why. I think he had strong motive for his actions—probably financial.”
“Are you ready to go now, Rafa? Want me to drive you back to the hotel?”
I knew I’d already said enough, perhaps more than enough, about finding Diego’s killer. Maybe Kane knew best. Maybe I should stay out of it—except for being a prime suspect. It looked like I couldn’t avoid that.
“I’d be glad to have your company, Kane. I’m going to have to talk to people sooner or later. I’ll try to start gradually.” I glanced at my watch. “Mother has hired the multi-talented Mama Gomez away from that soft drink bar on Caroline Street. She’ll now be making sandwiches at The Frangi as well as taking charge of the combo.”
“You’re not telling me anything new, Rafa. Mama G’s a hard taskmaster. Loves her little bit of authority. She have a key to The Frangi?”
“No. But the desk clerk would let her in. Guess I should be getting over there before long. She sometimes wants someone to taste her sandwich fillings and offer an opinion.”
Kane sighed. “As I remember it, Mama G only wants opinions if they are favorable. Very favorable. I think she’d like to see her name in lights on The Blue Mermaid marquee as Sandwich Queen of Key West.”
“Isn’t that the way with most people? We all like praise and applause. Most of the sandwich fillings I’ve tasted are really good—maybe both delicious as well as different.”
“Different. That’s for sure. Not many tourists come in asking for a chopped escargot sandwich on rye. Or Cuban pita bread with a conch and capers filling. I think she makes the crazy recipes up herself.”
“Who knows! But she loves telling the tourists about smuggling her Tia Louisa’s sandwich recipes to America stitched into the hem of her skirt back in 1960. And the tourists love hearing about her parents sobbing as they abandoned her to the hush-hush Pan Am flight that brought children from Havana to a Catholic Charities orphanage in Miami to escape the Castro regime.”
“Are you stalling, Rafa? If you aren’t ready to face going to the hotel yet , we can hide out here a while longer. I can walk to the Raw Bar and bring us back a picnic lunch to eat here in privacy.”
“That might be a good idea, but I think it’s
“Haven’t the slightest. Don’t even know who decides stuff like that. Some political bigwig probably appoints a capable person to fill out the board until the next election. Maybe the mayor. Maybe the county administrator. Maybe someone in the state department. I’ve never been into city, county, or state politics. Until the ‘working waters’ issue came up, I had no personal reason to be interested. Don’t go poking around for clues, Rafa.”
“If I do any—poking around—as you put it, I’ll keep my actions covert. You’ll never notice.”
“Be real. I’ve already noticed. You’re asking me pointed questions. Are you thinking that being in line to be selected as Diego’s replacement on the board might have motivated some guy to bring out the duct tape and rope?”
“Guy? Are council members always men? I don’t think so! Murder’s an equal opportunity employer. Maybe a woman will replace Diego on the board. But whether the killer’s male or female, there’s one important thing to consider in this case. The culprit had to be strong enough to lift a body—a body attached to a concrete block. All that grunt work may not have been a woman’s sort of thing. I’m guessing the killer was a man.”
“Although you say you have no plans to investigate this case, seems to me you’re getting deeply into it. Right?”
“Wrong. Well, maybe not totally wrong. I’ve read that many killers are sociopaths—men without a conscience who like to murder women for the fun and pleasure it brings them. I can’t imagine Diego’s killer being a fun-and-games guy. I think he knew exactly who he wanted to kill and why. I think he had strong motive for his actions—probably financial.”
“Are you ready to go now, Rafa? Want me to drive you back to the hotel?”
I knew I’d already said enough, perhaps more than enough, about finding Diego’s killer. Maybe Kane knew best. Maybe I should stay out of it—except for being a prime suspect. It looked like I couldn’t avoid that.
“I’d be glad to have your company, Kane. I’m going to have to talk to people sooner or later. I’ll try to start gradually.” I glanced at my watch. “Mother has hired the multi-talented Mama Gomez away from that soft drink bar on Caroline Street. She’ll now be making sandwiches at The Frangi as well as taking charge of the combo.”
“You’re not telling me anything new, Rafa. Mama G’s a hard taskmaster. Loves her little bit of authority. She have a key to The Frangi?”
“No. But the desk clerk would let her in. Guess I should be getting over there before long. She sometimes wants someone to taste her sandwich fillings and offer an opinion.”
Kane sighed. “As I remember it, Mama G only wants opinions if they are favorable. Very favorable. I think she’d like to see her name in lights on The Blue Mermaid marquee as Sandwich Queen of Key West.”
“Isn’t that the way with most people? We all like praise and applause. Most of the sandwich fillings I’ve tasted are really good—maybe both delicious as well as different.”
“Different. That’s for sure. Not many tourists come in asking for a chopped escargot sandwich on rye. Or Cuban pita bread with a conch and capers filling. I think she makes the crazy recipes up herself.”
“Who knows! But she loves telling the tourists about smuggling her Tia Louisa’s sandwich recipes to America stitched into the hem of her skirt back in 1960. And the tourists love hearing about her parents sobbing as they abandoned her to the hush-hush Pan Am flight that brought children from Havana to a Catholic Charities orphanage in Miami to escape the Castro regime.”
“Are you stalling, Rafa? If you aren’t ready to face going to the hotel yet , we can hide out here a while longer. I can walk to the Raw Bar and bring us back a picnic lunch to eat here in privacy.”
“That might be a good idea, but I think it’s
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