Red Tide: The Flavel House Horror / Vampires of the Morgue (The Ian McDermott, Ph.D., Paranormal Investigator Series Book 2) (16 page)

As Joe started to turn to go back to behind the bar, he paused to speak to Zoey. “Say, um, if you like my service and all, and if it wouldn’t be too much trouble, maybe you could fill out that little card there and well … give me a good score.” He pointed to a card that was placed next to the small, basic condiment caddy on their table.

Joe continued, “Anyway, the manager, Jill … She’s really into reading those. She gives people more hours if they get lots of good scores. They’re like a score card about service, friendliness, and knowledge of what we have on our menu. Stuff like that. If you give me a good score, maybe they’ll let me work this side tomorrow. Halloween. Even if the weather stays bad, it should be real busy. Lots of tips.”

Ian smiled and nodded while Zoey replied, “Of course. We’d be happy to, Joe.”

Joe smiled as he replied, “Awesome! I’ll get your drinks and come back and take your food order. You do want food too, right?” Both Ian and Zoey smiled and nodded. As Joe turned and walked away, Zoey grinned and rolled her eyes slightly as she looked at Ian. Ian returned her smile with a big one of his own. He then winked and nodded once, indicating to her that this was a good, laid-back choice.

Ian leaned over the table slightly towards Zoey before he said, “The young man, our bartender, Joe. I like him. He’s trying his best. That’s all that should be asked of anyone.” It was more than apparent to Zoey that Ian truly meant what he was saying, and that touched Zoey’s heart.

Ian relaxed back into his seat and began glancing over his menu, but then looked up from it for a moment as he said, “Well, I’m finally more dry than wet. How about you?”

Zoey grinned as she replied, “Yeah, finally. I’m good!”

Ian began looking once again at his menu as he spoke. “Okay, since you’ve been here before probably lots of times, what’s good?”

Zoey replied, “Well, it’s all good. But if seafood’s your thing, I’ve been told their fried oysters and razor clams are real good.”

Ian smiled. “The razor clams. Now that sounds perfect! I had oysters recently, but I haven’t had a mess of razor clams in … seems like ages. How ‘bout you? What’ll you be having?”

“I’m gonna have their soup and salad. Clam chowder ... in a bread bowl.”

Ian smiled and gazed outside for a moment at the weather before speaking. “Hot chowder on a cold, wet night. That sounds good too. Maybe I’ll have a cup of chowder with …” Ian looked over his shoulder. Joe was back with their drinks.

“Here ya are, guys,” Joe said while he placed their drinks on the table. “Ah heck. I forgot the little napkins for these to sit on.”

Zoey immediately spoke up. “No, Joe, we don’t need ‘em. This is just fine.”

Joe smiled. “Okay, then. Can I take your food order?”

Ian smiled as he spoke. “Yes, Joe. That’d be great. Zoey’s going to have a bread bowl of your clam chowder and a salad.”

Joe looked from Ian over at Zoey, then asked, “What kind of salad? I’ve got this one … We have um … Caesar … or … our house garden salad. And if you want like … like a fancy seafood salad, we’ve got crab or shrimp Louie’s. I hear they’re real good.”

Zoey smiled as she glanced at Ian then up at Joe before speaking. “I’ll just have a garden salad with bleu cheese dressing on the side.” Joe smiled and nodded his head as he made his notes.

He then looked back over at Ian. “Okay, uh … For you, sir. What will you be having then?” Ian couldn’t help but nearly laugh at the way Joe would slide back and forth from sounding like a kid talking on the street to trying to sound like a professional waiter.

“Well, Joe, I’m going to try your fried clams, and a baked potato with everything ... which I might add has come highly recommended.” Ian flashed a grin at Zoey before returning his attention to Joe. “And I’ll also have a cup of your clam chowder.”

Joe was slowly jotting their orders down, making certain he didn’t forget anything before he spoke. “Okay, I’ll get your orders turned into the kitchen and … Oh, I know. Can I get you some waters?”

Ian looked over at Zoey, who shook her head before replying, “No, Joe. I think we’re great here.” Joe smiled, turned, and began walking away off towards the restaurant side of the establishment.

Ian picked up his drink. He then looked over at Zoey. “Here’s looking at you, kid.” he said in his best Bogart impersonation, trying to be both funny and flirtatious.

Zoey smiled and giggled as she lifted her glass. “Cheers.” she said as she posed her glass towards Ian’s.

They both took sips of their drinks before Ian cleared his throat and continued speaking. “Zoey, I don’t know. I mean, I really don’t know exactly how to say what I’m about to.”

Zoey, a little confused and now slightly uneasy, replied, “It’s been my experience to try and not overthink things. Just say what’s on your mind.”

Ian smiled and nodded, then took a deep breath before he continued, “All right. Here goes. Tomorrow night, we very well may be facing some really dangerous people. It’s not too late for you to back out. The fact is, you probably should. I mean today was … well … we were lucky to have not gotten killed. And it would have been hands down totally my fault.”

Zoey reached across the table with her right hand and took Ian’s left. She remained silent for a moment just holding Ian’s hand, then she spoke. “Ian, I’m in this all the way with you. I mean … you know … tomorrow night.”

Ian, with a dry, I’m-not-bluffing poker-look on his face, continued, “Well, I want you to listen to me. And after you’ve heard me out … That is, if you don’t think that I’m completely crazy … You may want to change your mind. But first …” Ian reached into his wallet. He pulled out six one-hundred dollar bills. He folded them up and handed them to Zoey.

Zoey looked at the money in her hand. “Ian, this is too much.”

Ian fired back, “Like hell it is. This is half of what Ned gave me today. This is really dangerous stuff. Besides, you’ve missed work, and anyway, I’ll hear no more of it.” Zoey sat back in her chair, smiled, and respected Ian’s wishes. She said no more on the subject of money.

Ian continued, “Okay now that that’s settled, I, like the Astoria Police, am convinced that the killings across the river are absolutely directly connected to that guy Salizzar and his nightclub cronies. You already know that.” Ian paused for a second. Zoey, with a blank look on her face, looked directly into Ian’s eyes as she nodded.

Ian continued, “But what you don’t know is … That is, what I and your Uncle Clayton suspect about Salizzar himself is …” Just then, Ian was interrupted. Joe was back with Zoey’s salad and Ian’s cup of soup.

“Here you are.” Joe said with a particularly pleasant tone to his voice. Ian suddenly remembered his promise to Scout. “Say, Joe, would you please put in an order to go for your four-piece chicken strips and fries? I have a hungry partner waiting for us.”

Joe smiled back. “Sure, you bet.” Ian speculated that Joe was happily anticipating that now an even larger tip might be coming his way.

CHAPTER 17

Warning

Ian never found the right moment again at the bar to tell Zoey just exactly who, or what, he suspected that Salizzar might actually be. The mood was too good, and they were enjoying relaxing in each other’s company too much for Ian to potentially spoil such a good time with any more bleak or crazy sounding talk. By the time Ian and Zoey were ready to leave the restaurant lounge, their clothes were dry, but they were neither dry, nor feeling any pain.

Just before leaving the restaurant lounge, Zoey told Ian in no uncertain terms that she’d like to go to his place, that they couldn’t be alone at hers because her roommate Todd would be there and the walls were thin. Ian was happy to oblige. Once they’d climbed into Ian’s Jeep, he fired up the engine, then turned halfway around in his seat to face Scout, who was very excited to see him. “Scout, I’ve got something I think you’re really gonna like, boy. Oh, and is it okay if Zoey sleeps over tonight?” Scout barked twice and began wagging his tail.

Ian opened the Styrofoam to-go carton that he’d carried with him from the restaurant and set it on the armrest between the two front seats. “Here, boy, this is for you.”

Zoey laughed and gave Ian a bad time regarding his choice of dog food to feed Scout. “Uh, Ian. That’s pretty expensive dog food you’re giving Scout, don’t ya think? Spoil him much? Ha!”

Ian replied, “Yeah, nothing so pedestrian as AttaBoy
or Alpo
for my fella.” Ian petted Scout on the head while Scout munched away on his dinner.

Once Scout had wolfed down his meal, Ian put the Jeep in drive and began heading towards the main street of Long Beach. Just as Ian was turning left onto the main street of downtown Long Beach, he and Zoey spotted a fire truck that sped on past them, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Ian drove his Jeep over to the side of the road and came to a stop. The speeding fire truck was followed seconds later by two police cars that also had their lights flashing and sirens screaming. One behind the other, the fire truck and the two police cars sped as fast as they dared through downtown, heading north up the peninsula, the same general direction that Ian and Zoey were headed.

Zoey looked at Ian. “Wow, there must be some sort of emergency on ahead.” Ian nodded. Once the last police car in the small emergency caravan had passed them, Ian pulled his Jeep away from the curb and started driving, heading north on the main street through town.

Within minutes, the fire truck and police cars were so far ahead of Ian and Zoey that they soon disappeared from their view. Just moments after that, they could no longer hear their sirens.

Ian continued driving north on the peninsula’s main road for several miles. It was Zoey who first spotted even in the dark, rainy gloom of night a massive plume of smoke that was billowing up from an area not far ahead of them. Minutes later, it became apparent that the smoke and fire glow was coming from Oscar’s on the Ocean.

Once they pulled into the RV park’s office parking lot, Ian could see clearly what was burning, making him nearly physically ill. The RV park owner, Oscar, seemed nearly beside himself as he spoke with the police.

Ian looked at Zoey, who had a slightly confused look on her face as he began to speak with a shaky voice, “The fire ... that’s my … that was my trailer. Looks to me like probably someone’s trying to send a message, don’t ya think?”

Zoey couldn’t even answer. She just sat with tears in her eyes, staring across the park at the burning trailer.

All of the other campers and many onlookers were gathered as close to the fire as the police would let them. They watched the firefighters as they fought to keep the fire from spreading. It was obvious there was nothing that could be done to try to save Ian’s trailer or any of his belongings inside.

Ian climbed out of his Jeep and walked around to the passenger-side of his rig. Zoey rolled her window down.

Ian cleared his throat before speaking. “Well, it wasn’t much, but the trailer and its contents were all I’ve got … had.” Ian thought about all of the money he’d stashed inside the trailer.

Just then, Ian’s cell phone began chiming. Ian reluctantly answered. “Yeah.”

“Ian, this is Clayton. I just heard about your trailer from one of my … people. Are you and Zoey … Is everyone all right?”

Ian took a deep breath. “Yeah, thankfully, none of us were there when …”

Clayton interrupted,
“Okay. Forget about that old trailer and whatever clothes and personal belongings you’ve lost. I take care of my friends. I’ve already booked you a room at the Ebb Tide Condominiums just up the road a little ways from where you are. In your room on the nightstand, you will find an envelope with enough cash in it to replace your losses and any cash you may have lost as well. Of that, I’m confident.”

Before Ian could say a word, Clayton hung up. Ian thought,
Who is this guy? Clayton reminds me of some sort of a mafia godfather. What in the hell’s really going on?

A police officer walked away from the crowd and approached Ian.

“Hey, your name McDermott? Are you Ian McDermott?” the officer asked. Ian remembered that before Clayton suggested he use ‘McBride’ as an alias, he’d already registered at the RV park under his real name.

Ian replied, “Yeah. Yeah, that’s me.”

The police officer continued, “Oscar, the owner of this park, tells me that’s your trailer on fire over there.” The police officer pointed with his chin towards the trailer inferno. Ian didn’t reply. He just nodded slightly. “Okay. Anyway, Mister McDermott, we caught the two scumbags that did this to yer trailer. Neither of ‘em from around here.” The officer pointed over at his car, in the back of which were two men who appeared to be in their mid-twenties.

“We’ve got at least five eyewitnesses seen ‘em do it. Hell, they didn’t even try to run once me and my partner got here. They just stood their ground, empty gas cans in hand with spaced-out looks on their faces. Every time my partner’d ask them why’d they do it? Why’d they torch ‘yer trailer, they just mumble, ‘he commands it.’ Doper freaks. Meth-heads, more likely ‘un not. We’ll get them over to the hospital in Ilwaco, have ‘em piss checked and tox-screened for illegal substances. Didn’t find anything more than a little grass on either of ‘em. But trust me, it ain’t a little pot that’s gotten ‘em that loopy. They’re both fly’n higher’n kites. Both look like they’ve got injection marks on the sides of their necks. Weird place to be shooting up, but anyway … I hope your trailer was insured.”

Ian thought,
Insured? Uh … NO! Other than liability, who insures an old piece of shit trailer?

Zoey got out of the Jeep and stood next to Ian. The officer tipped the brim of his baseball-style uniform hat. “Hey Zoey.”

Zoey somberly replied, “Hi Dan.”

The police officer continued, “Well, I’ll need you to stop by the station or call us, and we can mail you some forms you’ll need to fill out primarily for your insurance company’s requirements. And of course so we can formally bring charges against those scumbags. Assuming, of course, that you’re gonna press charges. Hell, truth is, once we ran ‘em ... we found that those two losers both have a laundry list of petty crime convictions. If you choose to press charges, they ain’t going nowhere but a short stint in jail then straight to prison. Hell, we’ve got enough even without you pressing charges to put ‘em away. Vandalism, reckless endangerment, arson, destruction of property … On and on. Not much of anything that any lawyer can do for those two. We caught ‘em red handed. We’ve got plenty of eye witnesses. Trust me, you ain’t gonna have to testify. That’s pretty much a guarantee. I mean, what would anyone need or want you to say or prove? Other than that you were the owner of the trailer. And you can do that by phone-interview and faxing in whatever license, title and registration documentation we’ll be need’n.”

Ian spoke. “Sure. Yeah, I’ll press charges. Of course. I’ll either drop by your station or …”

The police officer continued, “This is where I’d like to say good night to ya, but I know that’d be a cruel joke. So I’ll just say take care.”

Ian couldn’t help but smile at the officer, who had been very nice. Once again, Ian thought,
Small town cops sure could teach their big city counterparts a thing or two about manners.

Ian looked into the Jeep at Scout, who was noticeably upset. He smiled at Scout in a wordless gesture intended to hopefully ease his furry friend’s stress. Ian then looked directly into Zoey’s jade-green eyes. With all the intestinal fortitude that he could muster, almost jovially, he asked, “Well, Zoey, tell me about the Ebb Tide Condominiums. Is it a nice place? Knowing what I know of your uncle, I expect it is. Clayton booked me a place there. How he knew about all this that quick is beyond me.”

Zoey didn’t even looked surprised as she replied, “My uncle knows pretty much everyone on the peninsula. Not much gets by him. Well that, and he’s pretty addicted to listening in on his police band radio, which he says he does for research.” Ian smiled at Zoey’s statement while nodding his head in agreement.

Ian replied, “Yeah, I don’t suspect much at all around here gets past Clayton. Anyway, when we get there and settle in, I’ve got some things I want … that I need … to tell you. Very important things that, well, that you, more than most, might even believe. That is, if first you don’t come to the conclusion that I’m certifiably insane.”

Zoey smiled widely at Ian as she spoke. “Don’t worry, Ian. I already think you’re crazy!”