“Well, this is Ocho Puertos,” Red said.
Felix slowed the truck at the side of the road. “This is it, all right. Where do you suppose the diner is?”
“Search me. Must be in there someplace.” He gestured with his head.
“The sign there says the road’s closed for repairs.”
“We can always walk in,” Red said.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“What do you say?”
“I don’t know.”
“You want to or not?”
“Leave the truck up here, you mean? On the highway?”
“Sure, what’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing. You want to?”
“What do you say?”
“If you want to, I’m game.”
“Okay, so let’s.”
They got out of the cab and were starting across the highway when they saw the police car approaching from the west.
“Cops,” Red said.
“Yeah,” Felix answered.
The two men crossed the road and stopped near the barricade, watching the patrol car as it approached. The car slowed, and then came to a stop beside them. The door closest to the edge of the road opened. A state trooper got out of the car.
“Afternoon,” he said.
“Afternoon,” Red answered.
“Afternoon,” Felix said.
“That your truck?” the trooper asked.
“Yes, sir.”
“What are you doing walking out here on the highway?”
“Going to the diner,” Red said. “The road’s closed for repairs, so we figured we’d walk in.”
“That right?” the trooper said, and he glanced at the FLORIDA STATE ROAD DEPARTMENT barricade and the ROAD CLOSED FOR REPAIRS sign. “Where you bound?”
“Key West.”
“Where in Key West?”
“A & L Furniture,” Red said. “We’ve got a truckload of outdoor stuff for them. Wrought-iron. You know.”
“You been to Big Pine today?”
“Where’s that?”
“Down the road a ways.”
“No, we just came from Miami. Never made this run before.”
“Who’s driving?” the trooper asked.
“I am,” Felix said.
“Let’s see your license.”
Felix handed it to him, and the trooper studied it carefully. “Looks okay,” he said, and handed it back. “You plan on leaving the truck right where it is?”
“I tried to get it as far off the road as I could. That’s a soft shoulder on the side there, isn’t it?”
“I just don’t want you blocking traffic,” the trooper said.
“You want me to move it over a bit?”
“Well, I guess it’s okay where it is,” the trooper said. “You smell smoke?” he asked, and sniffed the air.
“Yeah, there must’ve been a fire,” Red said.
“Maybe the road gang’s burning something,” the trooper said. He walked to the barricade and moved it aside. “Okay, Jim,” he called to the car, and the trooper behind the wheel turned in onto S-811. “You fellows want a lift to the diner,” the first trooper said, “we’ll be happy to drop you.”
“Thanks,” Red said, and all three men got into the car, the trooper up front with his buddy, and the truck drivers in back.
“What’s this back here?” Red asked conversationally.
“Oh, a riot gun,” one of the troopers said.
“Bet you don’t get many of those down this way.”
“Many of what?”
“Riots.”
“No, not too many.” The trooper paused. “There’s the diner, Jim. Why don’t you just pull up and I’ll step inside.”
“Okay,” the driver said.
“Looks like it’s closed,” Red said.
“Shouldn’t be,” the trooper behind the wheel answered.
“Yep, it’s closed all right,” Felix said. “Sign hanging right there on the door.”
“Truck parked in back, though,” the first trooper said. “Must be some body in there to take delivery.” He paused and said, “Jim, why don’t you drive up to the marina? Maybe Costigan knows why it’s closed.”
The patrol car moved slowly up the road toward the marina office. In the distance they could hear a telephone ringing, and then the sound stopped abruptly.
“Must be somebody at the marina, anyway,” the first trooper said.
“How come?”
“Just answered the phone, didn’t they?” The first trooper paused. “I don’t see any work gang on the road, do you?”
“Nope. Just ’cause they closed the road don’t mean they’re working. Not on a Sunday, leastways.”
“Lester usually opens that diner of his every day of the week, don’t he?”
“Yep.”
“Today a holiday or something?”
“Not that I know of. Maybe he kept closed ’cause of the hurricane.”
“Yeah, that’s a point.”
“You know any place we can get some coffee and pie before Key West?” Oscar asked.
“Lots of places on Big Pine.”
“How far’s that?”
“Oh, no more’n three, four miles.”
“That’s not so bad, Red.”
“No, that’s fine,” Red said.
“Lots of cars in town today,” the first trooper said. “Seems like almost every house on the beach has company.”
“Yeah.”
“You want to pull up here, Jim?”
The patrol car came to a stop before the marina office. The trooper opened the door on his side. “I won’t be long,” he said to his partner behind the wheel, and then went up the walk to the front door. He opened the door and stepped inside.
Bobby Colmore was sitting behind the desk. A stranger was sitting beside him. There was a jacket thrown over his lap.
“Hi, Bobby,” the trooper said. “Where’s Luke?”
“Out moving some boats.”
“Everything okay here?”
“Fine,” Bobby said.
The trooper kept looking at the stranger.
“Howdy,” the stranger said.
“Hi,” the trooper answered.
“This here’s a friend of Luke’s,” Bobby said.
“How do you do?” the stranger said, smiling. “My name’s Benny Prager.” He extended his hand, but he did not rise from his position next to Bobby.
“How are you?” the trooper said, and shook hands.
“Luke said I ever needed a boat, I should stop by,” Prager said. He grinned. “I finally took him up on it.”
“You picked a fine time,” the trooper said. “Hurricane’s supposed to be coming this way.”
“Well, maybe it won’t,” Prager said.
“Maybe not. Bobby, when’s Luke gonna be back, do you know?”
“Well, that’s hard to say. He’s moving boats.”
“Up the cove?”
“Yep.”
“Maybe I can catch him there,” the trooper said.
“Maybe,” Bobby answered.
“Couple of state policemen got killed on Big Pine,” the trooper said.
“What?” Bobby said.
“Yeah,” the trooper answered.
“Gee, that’s too bad,” Prager said.
“Yeah. You didn’t see anybody suspicious hanging around town, did you?”
“No,” Bobby said.
“Well, keep your eyes open, huh? You see or hear anything funny, just give us a ring. You’ve got the number?”
“Yeah, it’s stuck to the phone there.”
“Good,” the trooper said. “Nice meeting you, Mr. Jaeger.”
“Prager.”
“Right, Prager. Which way you gonna be heading?”
“Beg your pardon?”
“With the boat.”
“Oh. Key West. I’m supposed to pick up some friends there.”
“Watch out for Flora,” the trooper said, and laughed.
“I’m hoping she’ll blow out in the other direction.”