Last Chance Harvey-Part 4 (Blogophilia 25.11)

"Beer?"

Nodding, Jim took the bottle. Jerry''s boat was nice, but he'd rather have gone back to his trailer. The bong looked lonely on the table next to him. and Should he? Hell, yes. The whole dive kept rolling like a endless looped movie. Mere alcohol wasn't going to be enough. Even weed may not be enough, but at least the view will change.

The bag was in his jacket pocket. Looking intently, he could still see sticky sap on the leaves. And more than enough for now. Loaded and fired, smoke filled the short glass tube. Rings curled as communion was passed. Burning his fingers with the lighter, Jim drew like there was no tomorrow. The quicker conscious thought is obliterated, the better. Almost imperceptibly, the edges of the day-mare blurred and time began to drag.

He looked over the stern rail into the moonless sky. Cabin lights looked like eyes peeping at them. No words had been said on the way back to the dock. Even stowing gear didn't draw a sound. Only thoughts themselves repeating over and over. What had they seen? Harvey had his kinks, but did he really...

"Do we call the cops?"

The suddeness of the question caused the acrid smoke to catch in his throat. The reply came out in a series of coughs.

"Are we sure it was a hand? It could have been a branch. And besides, if there is anything of value, they'll take it."

Silence filled the room again. Suddenly, he was hungry. They hadn't eaten since this morning He picked up a stray peanut off the floor of the boat and munched.

"Want a pizza?"

"Yeah, I'll call it in." Jerry stood and staggered as the houseboat rolled. "Delivery. Ain't no way either one of us is driving."

He stepped into the main cabin to make the call. When he was finished, Jerry brought out two more beers.

"Good thing I got an extra case yesterday." Sitting on side bench, "We're going to need it."

After a long slug, he asked.

"Think it's her?"

The answer was slow.

"It would make sense." Jim finished his beer and set it down. "Corrine disappeared about that time."

"I thought it was Colleen?"

For some reason, that irritated Jim.

"Hell, I can't remember. Forgettable name for a forgettable girl, right?" He stopped for a moment and thought. "Especially for fake one."

Jerry nodded.

"You took her out?"

A slow smile came as Jim reloaded the pipe.

"Yeah. Harvey was out chasing boats and she wanted some company."

"Get anywhere?"

That brought a laugh as the bud glowed.

"Hell, no." He took a quick toke. "Harvey wasn't all that jealous. But given some of his friends, I knew better."

After the laughter died down, time traveling in his mind, the dive movie was replaced with the date.

"We had dinner over at the Frog. I remember she was wearing a Pele World Cup shirt, her dragonfly pendant perched on the side of the head like a black Bride of Frankenstein or something. Her hair was pinned up and matched it. She wore some fancy perfume, Chanel or something. Totally mismatched for a boat bunny and quite interesting. If I had been a little drunker, I might have made a move."

Jim passed the bong over and walked over to the cooler for another beer.

Said she was from Brooklyn. Dad was a drunk and Mom beat her. Or was it the other way around? Really doesn't matter"

"Her esacpe was a older guy, a mechanic on the docks. She said he was a big lug, but sweet. Let her live on one of the tugs he worked on in Sheepshead Bay. After they broke up, she drifted up and down the east coast, working around boats. She said she'd worked on some freighters, but I doubt it. I never saw her work any lines around here."

Jerry took a hit and closed his eyes. "How did she end up here?"

"They met at a party in Fort Lauderdale about six months before he came up here. She said next to the mechanic, he was the best lay she'd ever had. So good she would risk anything to keep him in the swim of things. She started doing favors to close deals. He brought her up after he scored that big deal and put her up in a house over near Gainesville."

They sat quietly drinking and wondering. Another question seemed to come from the deck.

"How long was this date before the boat sunk?"

Jim paused a minute. "A week. Maybe two."

"Did she say anything about Harvey?"

Again, the answer was slow in coming. Like it had to be pried out of a rock.

"Kind of paranoid and looking around when they were together. He kept talking about disappearing. It wasn't just the Feds. There was somebody else. He never would say who and she knew better than to pry. "

Jerry grinned.

"So, the boat going away wasn't a surprise."

A slow shake of the head.

"Not to me. Or anyone else in the marina."

The answer became obvious.

"Looks like we need to go back."

"Yeah."

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Topic- David Schrader

Pic-Jay Sole

Pic guesses: Bride of Frankenstein (in blog), bad date, spooky, electric, movie, silver streak.