The Breeze

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Murder Mystery set at the beach.
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"I was sorry to hear 'bout Maude," Poppa John said.

"Thanks Poppa, Aunt Maude thought a lot of you." I said.

He shook his head, mumbled something in his native tongue. Exactly what tongue it was nobody really knew. Some said he was Greek, some Portuguese but nobody ever asked.

"So you gonna run the Breeze?" he asked in his heavy accent.

"It looks like it, at least until the county forecloses for back taxes," I said with a laugh. "I sure got no better offers at the moment."

"I heard about the leg. I'm sorry about that to." he said.

"Oh that's okay, I was tired of playin' cowboys and Indians anyway." I said with a smile I didn't really feel.

"At least you got a pension. When I had to quite shrimpin' all I got was a kick in the butt." he said.

"You seem to have done all right. I have never been in this place when it wasn't at least half full." I said.

"Full would be better," he complained.

"Poppa, you wouldn't be happy without something to be unhappy about." I said.

"You gonna' be just like me, now that you got the Breeze to run. You gonna' learn to hate the customers, the employees, and the government. Everybody wants to rob you when you the owner." he informed me.

"Now I know why you and Maude got along so well. You thought exactly alike. Maude hated everybody." I laughed.

"Everybody 'cept you. She thought the sun rose and set from your asshole," the swarthy little man said.

"You could have fooled me, I thought she just liked the slave labor." I replied.

"Probably a little of that too," he grinned. "Now finish your breakfast and get back to work. You got a lot to do, if you gonna' get that pile of rubble ready for the tourist."

It was my first day as a resident of Holden Beach. I had visited the beach almost every summer until I was eighteen, but I never lived there. I had come down to do maintenance on the Breeze for Aunt Maude. In the early years it had been no more than keeping the parking lot and the pool clean, but as I got older, I began working on the plumbing and even the electrical services. I had pretty much learned to run the place before I joined the Marines.

Even in the Marines, I took my leave with Aunt Maude. She always had a long list of things for me to do during my visits. Later when I was a cop, I took my vacations at the beach. I helped Maude during the day, but played hard during the nights. I had come to think of the Breeze as my second home.

I was surprised to find that Maude had left the Breeze to me. At the time of her death, I was in rehab for a gunshot wound to the knee. I was as surprised as anyone else when the lawyer called. Maude had left me the Breeze lock stock and tax debt.

Maude hated to pay taxes in the best of times, for some reason she had stopped all together a couple of years before her death. Her estate consisted of the Breeze, a jap Jeep type vehicle, and a twenty thousand dollar county tax bill. The county tax office had agreed to a time payment plan for me. I had no idea why, the Breeze was worth ten times the taxes. They could have tried to foreclose on it. I would have raised the money somehow, but the time payments made it easier for me to keep the Motel.

The Breeze is actually the 'Atlantic Breeze Motel'. All the natives just call it the Breeze. I guess I am enough of a native, I always thought of it as simply the Breeze as well. The building is a two story concrete block monstrosity, which could only be loved by me and Maude. If it weren't for all the doors, it would look like a prison.

The breeze had forty rooms, that were considered efficiency apartments at the beach. That simply meant there was a combination sink, stove, and refrigerator in every unit. The units sleep three comfortably and four if you used the foam pad stored under the bed. Half the rooms had a double bed, sofa, and a sleeping pad. The other half had twin beds, a sofa and the sleeping pad. Maude said it was because half the guests are families and half were fishermen.

"Fishermen don't really like to sleep two in a bed. If they do, they sure as hell ain't doing much fishin'." she explained.

The building was in need of a coat of paint, but everything else seemed to work. Earlier that morning, I had checked out the place. I returned from breakfast to empty Aunt Maude's apartment. Aunt Maude had two rooms in her unit. One was a combination living room, kitchen, the other was her bedroom. The large closet was filled with her clothes, which my mother had insisted I throw away. The order was explicit, I was not to give them to the good will or anything of the sort. Her Jewelry and family pictures were to be saved for mom. I didn't even try to explain that I was the one to make the decisions about what went to who. With my mother the only thing to get along was say, yes ma'am. It was also best if you did exactly as she said.

By noon, I had the apartment emptied as directed. I also had the moldy food in the trash. I managed to get all the windows open, hoping to clear the smells from the place. I was deep into looking out her kitchen window at the traffic on the beach road, when the door bell rang. I was startled by the sound, especially since I didn't have the sign turned on yet.

The apartment door opened to the rear of the front desk. When I opened it I saw an old black woman standing across the desk. "Lucy?' I asked.

"Now just who the hell were you expecting?" she said with a laugh.

"How the hell did you know I was here?" I asked.

"You know old Poppa called me as soon as you left the restaurant. It took me this long to get these old bones to move." she said.

"Lucy, I swear it is good to see you. How have you been?" I asked as I limped around the desk.

"I been just fine. Don't look like you been doin' too good." she said.

I looked down at my knee. "Yeah well don't ever try to stop a 9mm hollow point slug with your knee." I advised.

She nodded. "I reckon you gonna' be openin' up the Breeze agin."

"Yep, I don't suppose you are lookin' for a job?" I asked. It was too much to hope that Lucy would come out of retirement.

"Not me, I don't ever want to see the inside of them rooms again. I does have a niece who needs a job." she said. "She's got entirely too much time on her hands. Do her good to get away from the trash she's hangin' out with."

"I don't know Lucy," I said.

"You listen to me, you no account white trash. If I tells you I got a niece needs a job, you better hire her. You ain't gonna find no more honest girl on this beach. She got her troubles, but she's a hard worker and she don't steal. You can't say that about many people these days." she ranted with good humor..

"I see you still ain't got no respect for me." I said.

"How can I respect a man I seen laying in his own puke." she said with a laugh.

"That was just once in twenty years," I informed her.

"Your Aunt Maude woulda killed you, if'n I'd a told her. So you gonna hire my niece or not." she asked.

"She ain't doin' drugs is she?" I asked.

"Hell no, I'd kill her myself, she be messin' with that stuff. No she just a little mixed up the same as others. A little hard work will straighten her right out."

"Okay, if I can get some business, I sure will." I said. "You know Maud paid by the room."

"You gonna' get the business all right. Everybody around here wants to help you. Why don't you stop in to see some of the other motel owners. They be more than happy to send you their overflow." she said.

"You know Lucy, I am surprised. You can turn off that jive talk faster than anybody I know." I said.

"I just talk that trash, when I want to make damned sure you white folks listen to me," she laughed.

"Send your Niece by tomorrow, maybe I can use her on the weekends for now." I said not having much hope that I could.

"Don't worry Mister Johnny, you gonna need her." she said turning to leave. "If'n she don't do good you jest call me. I can still whoop her little tail."

"Take care of yourself Lucy," I said as she closed the door. Lucy had been with my Aunt when I first began coming to the Breeze.

I returned to my cleaning. I stopped around three to go through the rooms again. That time I made a list of which rooms had what furnishings. I tried to call Poppa John's to order takeout. That's when I realized, I hadn't had the phone reconnected. It was too late to do it that day, so I locked the door and drove to Poppa John's.

Poppa John sold breakfast, burgers and a hell of a fish sandwich. Poppa was about the only man I trusted to filet a fish. When he cut one, there were absolutely no bones. I loved his fish sandwiches because the fish actually came from the ocean, not the freezer. Poppa also made a cornbread roll which enclosed the fish. I had never even heard of one like it anywhere else. The fried fish was placed under a patch of shredded lettuce, then topped with his his secret wine vinegar dressing. People drove down from Wilmington regularly for the sandwiches. It was nothing to see a dozen white bags of take out sandwiches sitting on the counter. Poppa was making a killing on the restaurant and everyone knew it.

Even though there was a ton of money laying around in the beat up old cash register, there was never a robbery. It would have been a foolish thing for anyone to do. The Holden Beach Police Department practically had a permanent booth assigned to it. If there wasn't at least one car in the parking lot at any given time, there was surely a major crime somewhere on the strip.

Even without the Holden Beach PD, there were a dozen Wilmington Police detectives that hung out in Poppa Johns. Supposedly they were off duty, but I had my doubts. Poppa had sworn to take the cornbread roll and wine vinegar dressing recipes to the grave with him. The cops hung around to make sure it wouldn't be during their lifetimes. If anyone so much as raised his voice at Poppa, he was likely to be looking down the barrel of at least six police automatics. If a fire fight ever broke out in his restaurant, there were likely to be three cops shot by three other cops. This is how thick they were inside the fish house.

I ordered two of the fish sandwiches to go. I stood at the counter drinking a glass of iced tea while I waited. "Johnny, is that you?" a female voice asked.

"Yes ma'am" I said turning to see who was speaking to me. I saw the woman standing about four feet away.

"I heard you were coming back, but nobody said when." the skinny blonde woman said.

"Ruth?" I asked.

"That's right, don't tell me forgot me already?" she asked.

"Actually, I hardly recognized you without the uniform. God you are gorgeous in real clothes." I said.

"I know, everyone looks like a blimp in those polyester pants. So when did you get back?" she asked.

"I rolled in before sunrise this morning." I answered.

"Well bring your sorry ass over and meet my new partner," she ordered.

"Okay, but I'm waiting for a take out. I will say hello though."

When I arrived at the cop booth, Ruth introduced me to a man in plain clothes. I would have spotted him as a cop, even if she hadn't told me. His name was Eddie Lawson.

"Hi Eddie, good to meet you," I said extending my hand.

"So you are Johnny Sims, I have sure heard a lot about you." he said.

"How so, I'm not really from around here." I said.

"Ruth told me all about you. How did it go, hell raiser marine, hell raiser cop, so what's it going to be this time?' he asked.

"Well I'm not a cop any more, I sure as hell ain't a marine, and I'm not in shape to be a hell raiser of any kind. I guess I am going to be a crippled up old old man." I said with a laugh.

"Don't let him kid you Eddie, if Johnny is back, hell is bound to follow," she said with a grin. "They better lock up the booze and the virgins."

"You know that isn't true. I hardly drink at all and I hate virgins." I said with a grin.

"Are you kidding," Eddie said. "I heard you would do a snake if it held still."

"Ruth, what have you been telling these guys?" I asked.

"Honest Johnny I didn't tell them nothin'." she said with a chuckle.

I saw Poppa motion me to the counter. "Well, you guys keep it quiet. Us businessmen like a quiet town," I said as I limped to the counter.

As I paid the bill, I heard Ruth's version of how I got shot. "He was backing up a rookie cop on New Year's eve. He shouldn't have been there, homicide detectives don't back up bar fight calls. Anyway the rookie walked in on a drunk with a 9mil. The kid was about to shoot the drunk, when Johnny walks up and takes the gun away from the kid. The 9mil went off somehow and the slug caught him in the leg."

Her version was close enough to the truth, so I didn't correct her. Actually the drunk was trying to shoot the frozen rookie. I pulled the gun down but it went off. The rookie got a merit badge and I got retired. A pretty good trade, since I was burned out anyway.

I was in the parking lot when I heard her call my name again. "Ruth, I don't want to let this fish get cold." I said turning to her.

"Are you going to reopen Maude's game?" she asked.

"I don't know. Is it going to be a problem?' I asked.

"Are you kidding, this place has been dull as hell since Maude died. Just let me know if you are going to open it. I want to be invited. Hell, we can play even if you don't open the game."

"You know, I never would have gone out with you, if I had known you were one of those broads who kiss and tell." I said.

"Sure you would, like you said, 'I always wanted to screw a cop. After all, turn about is fair play.'."

"Ruth you are a real piece of work," I said.

"Hey, I call's em like I see's em," she said.

"If not that, at least like you want to see them," I said. I paused then added, "After tomorrow, I will at least have the coffee on. Stop by anytime."

"You can bet I will," she said turning back to the restaurant.

I returned to the Breeze. I ate alone, then sat listening to the radio. I didn't have the cable hooked up so TV was out of the question. I could have gotten Wilmington without cable, but I had no antenna. I added cable to my list of calls for the next day, that is if I got a phone by then.

The bell rang around eleven. It was strange to hear the bell, especially on a Monday night. I opened the apartment door, then looked through the safety glass window. Maude had it installed after her one and only robbery.

"Yes," I said into the small opening.

"You got a room for rent?" he asked.

"Sure, I have a Motel full of rooms. How many in your party?" I asked.

"Three, we're down for the fishing. How is it?" he asked.

"I got no idea, I just got down myself. Do you want a room with a double bed or one with twins?" I asked.

"Twins, where's Maude?" he asked.

"Maude passed away a few months ago. I'm her nephew Johnny. I kind of took over for her."

"Too bad about Maude, she was a pistol. So which room you puttin' us in?" he asked

"You got a preference?" I asked.

"Something on the back," he replied.

"Take twenty five then, it's in the middle on the back. The traffic noise shouldn't bother you there." I said.

I checked his registration card carefully, before I gave him the key. "How long you going to be staying?" I asked.

"Just till Friday, You still have that weekday discount don't you." he asked.

"Four hundred bucks for the week. If you are out by ten on Friday." I replied.

"That's the one. Here's my Visa," he said handing it to me.

"Shit another thing I need to do," I thought to myself. I took the card then made the impression. I knew I could take the receipt to the bank. If his card was good, I could get the money. Maude did enough business with the local bank, so that they would check the card for her on the phone. I supposed I could work out the same arrangement.

When I returned to the apartment, I made another entry on my things to do list. I got to bed around midnight. Nobody else rang my bell.

I ordered the phone from Poppa Johns pay phone. It was up and running by noon. I made all the calls on my list, plus a lot more. I called all the big time motels in the area. I simply informed them that the Breeze was open again. The implication was simple, Maude's arrangement held. Anyone they sent to me, got them a ten dollar bill, sent directly to the desk clerk.

The clerk would call me from a motel to make sure I had a vacancy. Actually he was giving me his name, so that I could send him his commission. If the people showed I called to confirm. If not, I called later that evening to tell him he had a no show. The system was based on trust. Since no one else gave them anything, winning their trust was simple.

During the week, I picked up two more fishing parties. I was a little surprised but it was a pleasant surprise. Friday night I got six couples from the referral system. I was glad to see Tisha, the niece, show up on Saturday. I put her right to work.

Shortly after noon, she finished changing the rooms. I got a chance to really talk to her. She promised to find me another girl for the days she didn't want to work. She was actually a student at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. She was in the school of nursing. She was also an athletic looking girl. I figured she might want to cut the grass and clean the parking lot now and then as well as make up rooms.

I had all but stopped going out for meals. I was needed at the motel to answer questions for the guest. I was sick of the motel business in just one week. Fortunately, I got a call on Sunday.

"Uncle Johnny," the voice said. "It's me Lori, you know Bill's daughter."

"Sure Lori," it took me a minute to place her. "So what can I do for you?"

"Mama said, you would be ready to hire some summer help by now." she informed me.

Her mother, my cousin, knew me pretty well. Everyone knew I would be bored with the motel before a week had passed. "Actually I was thinking about hiring someone. What do you have in mind?"

"School is out next week, I was hoping I could come work for you." she said.

"What did you have in mind? I mean pay wise." I asked.

"Daddy said to ask for a room and ten dollars an hour." she said hopefully.

"I can do that, as long as you understand it won't be a forty hour week. Before I agree how old are you?" I asked.

"The hours are fine, I can work as much or as little as you like." she said.

"How old are you honey?" I asked pointedly.

"Eighteen, I'm going to be a sophomore at the college in the fall. I'll be nineteen then." she said.

"This is okay with your dad?" I asked.

"It is now. Mama talked to him. I think he is a little worried about me being on my own, but he is okay with it." she said.

He was probably more worried about her being around me. I didn't have a real good reputation with women. I hoped that Bill knew I would never touch his daughter, but he likely also knew there were going to be women in and out of the place at anytime. "Put your dad on the phone," I ordered.

Bill and I talked for a few minutes. He asked that I keep an eye on his daughter. He assured me he wanted her back in the same condition as when she left. I promised I wouldn't let anybody near her. I explained the place would be like a convent. Bill actually laughed, something he seldom did.

During the next week, I made some repairs around the place and rented a few apartments to fishermen or families taking advantage of the off season rates. The big rate hike came toward the end of May only a couple of weeks away. I managed to slip away to Poppa Johns less frequently, as I began preparing the Breeze for the summer crowds I hoped would come.

On that Friday over breakfast, Poppa asked, "So Johnny, when you gonna' start the game?"

"I don't know Poppa, I'm pretty busy right now. I guess in a couple of weeks." I answered, not at all sure that I would start it again.