Page 59 of Troubles in Paradise
“We spent nine months traveling through Japan in the early aughts,” Sunny says. “And do you want to know where we found the best sushi?”
“Gate thirty-five at Narita Airport,” Phil says. “The tuna special. I dream about it.”
Baker is still trying to figure out who “Freddy and Michael” are. Friends of theirs? A gay couple? Then he remembers that Ayers is Freddy. But who’s Michael? “Who’s Michael?” he asks.
“Mick,” Phil says. “We’re taking out Ayers and Mick.”
“‘Mick’ makes him sound like an Irish hoodlum or a horny rock star,” Sunny says. “I prefer to call him by his given name.”
Ayers rubs Winnie’s head. Is she even listening to this conversation?
“You’re taking out Ayers and Mick?” Baker says.
“It’s been so long since we’ve seen him,” Sunny says.
Somehow, Baker makes it through the door, saying graciously,Enjoy the sushi, hope it’s decent, come see me in the morning, we’ll look at one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms, nice to meet you, all righty, will do, yep, yep, yep, bye-bye.And then, mercifully, Phil closes the door.
Taking out Ayers and Mick?
Baker heads across the street, limping like he has an old sports injury—Mick is the old sports injury, the one Baker can’t seem to recover from—until he’s at his front door and can safely disappear into what should now be known as the Heartbroken Hibiscus.
Huck
He calls Agent Vasco to tell her about the diaries.
“Have you read them?” she asks.
“Yes,” he says.
“Are they going to give me what I need?”
They better,Huck thinks.Because I sacrificed my relationship with Irene for them. “Only you would know,” Huck says. He’s on his deck, smoking. He’s been going through half a pack a day since Irene moved out. “Should I mail them to you or are you on the island?”
“We’re on the island today,” Vasco says. “Can I swing by around eleven?”
“I have a charter,” Huck says. “I’ll leave them on the mail table just inside my front door. You remember where I live? Up Jacob’s Ladder?”
“You don’t lock up?”
“I have nothing to steal,” Huck says.
“Fine, we’ll be by,” Vasco says. She pauses. “Thank you for calling me.”
“I want to cooperate,” Huck says. “Can you tell me what’s up with Douglas and Paulette Vickers?”
“In the vault?” Vasco says.
“Of course.”
“We offered them a deal if they gave us something tangible on Croft, but they refused, insisted he was no part of it, that it was only Steele and Thompson.”
“Wow,” Huck says.
“So the Vickerses will serve time for fraud and money laundering. They allowed Ascension to buy and sell land from one fictional entity to another using their real estate concern. Welcome to Paradise Real Estate was as dirty as they come.”
“They’ll both serve time?” Huck says. “What about their son?”
“Staying with Douglas’s sister on St. Croix.” Vasco sighs. “Those diaries are my last shot. Croft is a slippery bastard. I’d love to nail him.”
