Footprints in the Sand (17 page)
Read Footprints in the Sand Online
Authors: Mary Jane Clark
T
he Gulf of Mexico beckoned invitingly as Piper stood with her parents on the Whispering Sands patio. It had been a long day, what with getting up early to bake the cake, spending the afternoon in the heat at Jungle Gardens, and, most of all, hearing about Levi’s suicide and the murder of the waitress who seemed to be somehow tied to Shelley’s death.
“Want to go for a little swim with me?” Piper asked her parents.
“I don’t think so, sweetheart,” said Terri. “I just want to go to our room and relax for a while.”
“Me, too,” said Vin. “But you really shouldn’t go into the water now, Piper. It’s feeding time, and you have that cut on your leg. Sharks are attracted to blood.”
“Dad. Seriously. Sharks?”
“They’re out there, Piper.”
“I haven’t heard of any shark attacks on Siesta Beach.”
“You can’t be too careful.”
“Really? I didn’t know that,” Piper quipped. When she saw her father’s brow furrow, she softened. “I’ll be careful, Dad. I promise.”
She walked them to their room and then traveled on to the end of the long hallway. When she got to her door, Piper opened her purse. Reaching in for the room’s key card, she felt something cool and slimy. She immediately pulled out her hand.
“What the . . . ?”
Piper yanked the sides of the bag apart and stared in at the contents. Two beady little eyes stared up at her. Instantly she dropped the purse on the floor and retreated several steps. Her heart pounded as she waited to see if whatever was in there came out.
She detected no movement. Piper inched forward and finally got up the courage to reach down and pick up the purse. She held it out from her body as she turned it upside down and emptied its contents on the floor. Her wallet, brush, tissues, lip gloss, and key card came tumbling out. Some dark reptilian creature with a long notched tail plopped down on top of the pile.
“Ugh!” She grimaced, drawing back again. “What
is
that?”
She peered long and hard, eventually realizing that not only was the creature not moving, it was not alive at all. It was a rubber alligator, a toy.
Piper shook her head, wondering who would think that this was funny and trying to figure out when the alligator could have been put in her purse.
Hilarious.
She picked up the toy, marveling at how lifelike it looked. The skin even felt similar to that of the little alligator she’d held at Jungle Gardens that afternoon. But unlike the living reptile, which had had its snout taped shut, the replica’s mouth could be opened.
There was something at the back of its throat!
Piper reached in and pulled it out. A piece of paper had been wadded into a little ball and stuffed in the alligator’s jaws.
Withdrawing the crumpled ball, Piper flattened out the paper and stared at the word written in jagged, angry-looking script.
PIPER.
T
he server placed a gin and tonic on the table in front of Kathy and a beer in front of Dan. The couple held hands as they sat in the outdoor seating area at Marina Jack’s and gazed at the red-tinged sky.
“It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful sunset tonight,” said Dan. “And we’re supposed to have great days tomorrow and Saturday. Our wedding day is going to be perfect, Kath.”
“I’m glad Piper got a ride back to Whispering Sands with her parents,” said Kathy. “It gives us a chance to talk.”
He looked at her, sensing by her tone that she was about to discuss something serious. Dan took a swallow of beer and waited.
“Dan, do you think we should go ahead with the wedding right now?”
Dan leaned forward, his dark eyes opened wide. “What do you mean? Everything is all set. People have traveled from miles away to get here. We’ve been planning it for months.”
“That was before Shelley.” Kathy took a sip of her drink. “And before Levi and Roz.”
“Oh, yeah, and let’s not forget the waitress at Alligator Alley,” Dan said sarcastically. “Hold on a minute, let me call the sheriff and see if there’s any new development that could make us cancel the most important day in our lives.”
“Don’t be angry.”
Dan dropped her hand and hit the table with his fist. “Damn it, Kathy. I
am
angry. I’m furious that all this is going on just as our wedding is about to happen. But I was thinking, in spite of it all, that you’d still want to get married.”
Kathy flinched. “I do,” she said softly. “It’s just not the way I wanted it to happen.”
“So now what? We call it off because a few things haven’t gone our way?”
“A
few
things, Dan?”
Dan took a deep breath and tried to compose himself. “Look, sweetheart,” he said, clasping her hand again and looking into her brown eyes. “Sometimes the tragic and unexpected will happen. The most important thing is that we love each other, Kathy. I feel pretty confident that we’ll have lots of happiness along the road, but our love can see us through the worst times. I guess this is our first test.”
T
he air was cooling down, and a gentle breeze was flowing in from the Gulf. Piper spread her towel on the sand and adjusted the top of her bikini. As she stuck her foot in the water, she wondered if she really wanted to take a swim after all.
Then she thought of that Katharine Hepburn bio she’d read. Apparently Hepburn really enjoyed swimming in frigid temperatures almost daily. She also took cold baths at night.
If Kate could take the Long Island Sound in March, I can do the Gulf of Mexico in February,
Piper thought.
Bracing herself, she made her way into the surf. She inhaled deeply and dove beneath an incoming wave.
The initial shock was jolting. She winced as the salt water hit the cut on her leg. But as her body quickly adjusted to the water temperature, Piper felt better. An invigorating swim was what she needed to melt away the stress of the day.
She took long strokes, swimming parallel to the beach. When she began to feel uneasy at how far she was from Whispering Sands and the possibility of anyone’s seeing her if she got into trouble, she turned around and swam back toward the inn. She kicked harder, knowing that she hadn’t exercised all week and had been eating way too much sugar.
Thoughts raced in her mind, one after another.
The Amish pies.
Levi.
Shelley.
The waitress.
Three people dead.
And an elderly woman attacked. Why? Because she knew too much?
Flipping over, Piper floated on her back, staring up at the darkening sky. Who had stuck the alligator into her bag? She tried to remember. The only time she’d been parted from the purse was at the bird show when she went down to take pictures. If the creepy toy had been placed in it then, it meant that someone with them in the park this afternoon had done it. Had someone felt that Piper needed to be scared off? Could that person be Shelley Hart’s killer?
If the alligator was supposed to be a warning of some kind, the threat was accomplishing just the opposite of what was intended. Piper got out of the water feeling emboldened and defiant. She was going to go to the Alligator Alley Bar & Grill and see what she could find out.
There was a problem, though. She needed a car but didn’t dare tell her parents her destination. They would go out of their minds.
Piper dried off, knowing exactly which person she was going to call. It surprised her.
W
hat’s the matter?” asked Terri. “Don’t you like your shrimp?”
“It’s fine,” said Piper.
“Then why aren’t you eating it?” asked Vin as he reached over to Piper’s plate, speared a shrimp with his fork and popped it into his mouth.
“Vin, your cholesterol,” Terri warned.
“Yeah, but it’s low in fat and a good source of omega-3s.” Vin smiled with satisfaction.
Piper couldn’t wait for dinner to be over. She appeared to be listening to her parents’ chatter about Jungle Gardens, but her mind was elsewhere. There was no way she was going to tell them about the warning she’d found in her purse.
When the conversation turned to the wedding, her father mentioned, once again, how wrong it was that Kathy and Dan were getting married by a justice of the peace.
Piper finally spoke. “They asked the priest,” she said. “But he wouldn’t perform the ceremony on the beach.”
“So what’s more important?” asked Vin. “Getting married on the beach or getting married in God’s house by God’s minister on earth?”
“I think God will be fine with it either way,” said Piper.
“Yeah? Then why is all this crap happening?” asked Vin. “Ever think God is trying to register his disapproval?”
“Um . . . am I on camera?” she asked. “That’s completely ridiculous, Dad.”
“Is it? I wonder.”
“What happened to your ‘totally random’ theory?” asked Piper. “Just the other night, you were saying that Kathy and Dan’s meeting on the turtle-nesting beach was a totally random event. When I said it was fated, you scoffed.”
“That was different.”
“Why?”
Vin paused and then shrugged as he answered. “Because I said so.”
W
hat are we going to do now?” asked Terri as they left the restaurant. “Want to catch a movie?”
“You guys go,” said Piper. “I’m really tired. Would you just drop me off at the inn?”
When she returned to her room, she hurriedly changed into jeans and a striped sweater. While she waited for the call signaling that her ride had arrived, she studied the crumpled piece of paper with her name on it. She was speculating on the writer’s identity when her cell phone sounded. She rolled up the paper, stuck it back in the alligator’s mouth, tossed the toy reptile on the bed, and hurried out the door.
B
rad O’Hara’s car was the same dark, dirty mess it had been when he drove Piper to the doctor’s office the day before. There were fast-food wrappers strewn about. Empty water bottles and used paper coffee cups were scattered on the floor. The windshield was streaked with dirt, save for the crescents cleared by the wipers.
“Sorry,” said Brad, as if sensing Piper’s reaction when she got in. “I didn’t have a chance to get it washed.”
“Don’t worry about it,” said Piper. “You’re doing me a favor.”
“My pleasure,” said Brad. “But to tell you the truth, I was really surprised that you asked me. I haven’t exactly been getting the friendliest vibe from you.”
“I know. Look: You seemed to be familiar with the Alligator Alley Bar & Grill. And since Kathy and Dan like you, I figured I’d be safe with you. And then you were so considerate when you carried me to the car and took me to the doctor. I thought maybe I should give you another chance.”
“You liked being swept off your feet, huh?”
Piper, looking straight ahead, rolled her eyes and wondered if she was making a mistake.
A
s they drove home from the Hollywood 20 multiplex, Terri went on about George Clooney.
“He’s not just a pretty face. He’s a wonderful actor. I was reading about him, and he had lots of lean years before he made it. I hope that same thing happens to Piper.”
Vin grunted. “Well, she’s had the lean years already, that’s for sure. Want to stop at Big Olaf’s for ice cream?”
“Not unless you want to,” said Terri. “I’d rather go back to the hotel and check on Piper. I didn’t think she seemed well at dinner.”
“Why don’t you just call her?” asked Vin.
“That’s a good idea.”
But as the phone rang and rang, Piper didn’t pick up.
T
he bartender put out a fresh bowl of beer nuts. “Another round?” he asked.
Brad looked at Piper. “What do you say?”
“I guess so,” Piper shouted to be heard over the din. “I’ll have another Ketel and tonic, please.”
“Nothing from the well for this one, Tom,” said Brad, winking at the bartender. “Another Bud for me.”
Piper was disappointed. None of her efforts to talk with bar staff or patrons had led to any helpful information on Shelley Hart or Jo-Jo Williams. Everyone she approached had either been unwilling to talk or claimed they had nothing to share. Piper admitted to herself that she’d been a tad naive and stupidly confident in thinking that she could succeed where professional law enforcement had failed.
Feeling the buzz of alcohol, Piper blurted out her question. “So what’s prison like anyway?”
Brad seemed unfazed. “Rough in some ways, surprisingly simple in others. Once you get the lay of the land and understand how the system works, one day just follows another, all kinda blending in. You get into a routine. You don’t have to worry about making a living or buying food or paying your bills. In those ways doing time is all right.”
“What about the other ways?” asked Piper. “The unpleasant ones.”
“You always have to pay attention, and you can never relax.”
“Because of the other inmates?”
Brad nodded. “There are some mean bastards in there.” He took a swig of beer. “The worst part is, even after you get out, it follows you. It always comes up when you try to get a job. It’s hard to rebuild your life, even if you want to go straight.”
“Is that why you went into business for yourself?” asked Piper.
“Partially. I’m also better working alone. But the temptations are always there. Just yesterday a guy I knew from inside talked to me about teaming up with him.”
“Was it that well-dressed guy in front of the doctor’s office?” asked Piper, surprising even herself as she said it.
“How did you know that?” Brad asked, his eyebrows arching. “I didn’t even talk to him in front of you. I waited until you went into the treatment room.”
“I just had a feeling,” said Piper. “I saw you two exchange glances. It felt like you knew each other.” She paused before continuing. “What did you tell him?”
“You don’t hold back from getting into other people’s business, do you?”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “It just seems like a natural question.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve got nothing to hide. I told the guy no, of course.” Brad turned away and looked around the bar. “Well, do you have anybody else you want to grill?”
As Piper shook her head, she realized that everything Brad had just said could be a lie.
