A.G.E's Joint

  Port bound Makes me restless The crazy ship of fools Calls me  Play with dolphins Brave the sharks Bury my grief in the sea

  It's Thursday. I'm never looking back At the creak and moan Of the cleats Riding the tide Mermaids and dolphins Crossing oceans And my dreams Playing in my mind.

  Hey, Heidy, and Howdy! It’s your old pal Harry Handy here at internet wonder WOFT, The Old Fart, spinning tunes for you geritol guys and gals… Online radio is a wonder. Just music with only an occasional scream from the “talent”. Better than the on-air stations where its commercials 24/7. I always hated this part of I-75 when the fog would form in the fields on either side of the road. Lights flashed dimly in the distance, saying conditions were right for a complete whiteout. Singing along made for a good diversion as I drive the tree lined tunnel. “…next up is that novelty hit from Brooklyn-“The Lion Sleeps Tonight.”… A semi is ahead of me, trailer listing to the left. It doesn’t look like it would take much for it to go over. Bad spring or a bad load? I don’t want to find out. A glance in my sideview shows the lane is clear and I move on over. A State Trooper is doing a county fundraiser on the right shoulder. Some things never change on this road. The dealer in Cross Creek had...

On the surface, it was a normal client meeting at the Dockside Cafe, sitting on the patio making small talk. It wasn't. The Hazel eyes told a story. It was my job to find out what it was.  The server came with our drinks, beer for me, vodka and cranberry for her.  Over her shoulder,  a baseball game silently flickered over the bar. She might have been forty in a flowered sundress with a red carnation in her hair. The pink tints in her hair clashed. But who was I to judge? It was a possible job and the rent was due. The project was simple. Her estranged husband had hidden assets and she wanted me to find them. Usually, I was hired by an attorney for this kind of work, not directly by the client. When I told her, the excuse was she didn't trust the lawyer to do it. He was lazy. I'd heard this before. It made me wonder if was her stealing. I made a mental note to do an NCIC check if I took the job. An Aiding and Abetting charge would not make my day. As the sun sank close ...

A rough sketch of Haley’s Dry Dock lay face up on the table. The place was triangular, point ending at the shore. The gravel drive went west from McEver Rd and ended at the main building. From memory, Jerry said there was a large cargo door leading into the eight-slip dock extending over the water. Along the right side of the parking area sat a smaller tool shed and the office. The meeting would be between the shed and the dock. Why did she come back? The whole story about how she had lured Tom in, getting him to cook the marina books to keep her happy was one thing. But to come back knowing what everyone knew? She was a woman addicted to the con. It had to be. Her claim was the Miami gang was upping the pressure was either bogus or desperate. She said she needed cash or bad things would happen. If it was in small bills, she’d have something extra for him. Even in their intoxicated state, they knew what “extra” was. It was slipped into a small cardboard box and taped. To everyone ...

A dry dock isn’t the most romantic place to be dancing with the stars . But after hours nobody cares. He wasn’t due for another couple of hours. She shut off the engine and checked inside her purse. A pack of condoms and the .380 sat placidly next to each other. Protection and…protection. The gun was Biker Dude’s. So was the truck. He didn’t miss them. He won’t miss anything anymore. It was kind of brutal to see him seize like that. But that’s life. The slide made a satisfying click as she cleared the chamber. Corrine smiled and put it back in the pocket. This was the final play. The grift was always about Waterworld. The guys that owned it killed Harvey. He had found out about the money tango, shifting the drug money from Miami and replacing it with the rent from Georgia. Slick system as long as everyone played their part. The Goons had asked them to squeeze more money from the slip rentals to give them a little more room to launder money. Her first task was snagging Tom. He ...

The glare was maddening. Pulling the blind, Angela rubbed her eyes. It didn’t make the hangover go away, but she could at least see. And this missing woman case was driving her crazy. Cold coffee made her lips twist, sending the mug down to the desk. The audible clank echoed off the window and across the office. The tall metal cylinder had been Mark’s favorite. She stole it the day after she kicked him out. Did he miss it? Maybe she could write a ransom note? That was silly. He’s too much of a narcissist to care about anything but himself. The weekend guy had a death in the family, so she volunteered. It wasn’t like she had anything else to do. The other women in the office would joke how they spent their lazy days. Everything was about doing as little as possible in their onesies. Yeah, the butts showed it, too. If she wasn’t at work, she would be at the gym pumping the machines. It took effort to keep the 36 years at bay. Her Mama told her she was wasting her time. That she sho...

Ray and Angela exchanged glances and began taking notes. Nothing was inconceivable . Jarrett voice dropped to a whisper. “I stopped for a bite after work. Sat in the back cause I don’t like to get bothered.” He looked like he had seen a ghost. “I hadn’t got settled good when the Flapper Queen dances through the door. She had on this black lacy dress and a hat, but it was her.” Scribbling, Angela nodded and asked,“What gave her away?” “The necklace.” “Describe it, please.” “Some kind of a fly, with rounded wings.” Jarrett looked up at a picture on the far wall. “A dragonfly, I think. She’s modest in the bodice , but it drew your eyes in to paradise. ” The detectives grinned. Best left handed compliment they’d heard in a while. Angela made a quick sketch of a dragonfly from memory and showed it to him. Jarrett saud the piece looked something like it. Ray continued with the next question. “How about the face.” “She sat at the bar, so I didn’t get a good look. But I’m t...

Red and white wrappers lay on top of the coffee cups steaming in their holders. The morning sun beamed across the lake, reflection blinding the detectives as they ate breakfast. Angela’s broke apart, showering her with dry crumbs. Opening the doors, they stepped out into the cool November morning. “Dang it!” Brushing the leftover biscuit from her skirt. “I don’t understand why you think these things are so good?” “Got to have my chicken biscuits” Ray smiled, swallowing the last morsel. “It cures morning madness .” “ Rum’s better. ” Looking out over the rows of docks, she sighed. “Where do you want to start?” “Manager’s office. Maybe he’ll be able to tell us about the houseboat.” “What if Holden finds out we’re here?” Ray shrugged and started down the dirt road entrance. At the end was a nondescript building to the right of an empty dry dock. “Waterworld Enterprises Inc.” hung from the scarred door. Inside, There was an obese young woman behind the counter eating can...

Angela’s stomach was a giant knot as she rushed into the Ladies Room. One of the desk girls was at the counter and waved as she stepped into the stall. There wasn’t time to wave back. It was a race what would hit the floor first. The panties won, fortunately. Finishing quickly, she found the girl gone when she came out. Good. She wasn’t in the mood for chit-chat. Looking into the mirror, she undid the pony tail. The air conditioning was out again and she needed airing out. The cool air was refreshing as the curls fluffed out. It had been such a long day and it wasn’t over. As she gathered everything back into the band, she noticed a gray hair. Hmm...Maybe she should take a couple of days off. Do a spa trip. Yeah...Maybe when she retires. The meeting had been a waste. Lieutenant Nowhere and his “all inclusive” style made her want to scream. The case wasn’t hers and she needed to work on the missing girl. Six months of these nowhere plans and not once did it help a case. Just ...

One of the downsides of police work is waiting. Chasing crooks might be one percent of the job. The rest of it is split between paperwork,meetings and waiting. Like now. Ray and Angela sat shotgun in the black Crown Vic, staring at the monument basking in the autumn sun. Something dug against her back. A quick pull on the back band of her bra made it go away. The quiet became too much. "You sure the C.I. said the Chicken?" "Yeah." Ray was glancing at his phone, a ruse to keep anybody from realizing they were working. If nothing else, the statue was unique. A bronze chicken perched atop metamorphic limestone. The blue and black veins in the marble alternated, giving the stand a hypnotic look. Poultry Park was the official name, but ot the locals it was The Tomb of the Unknown Chicken. A fitting tribute to the industry keeping the place alive. She thought the thing was stupid. The money spent on the thing could have funded a reading class for immigrants or...