In the parking lot below were tiny cars (compared to the SUVs that I was used to seeing in New England) and rows of mopeds. Little motorcycles. Maybe I’d rent one and ride around the island.
“Have a wonderful day,” Judy said.
I waved to her, walked down the plank and stopped to look around. The air temperature was perfect. Somewhere in the seventies with a sea breeze, I guessed. A faint salty scent filled the air, horns honked on Front Street below and people chatted while sitting on the pink walls of the balcony ahead.
I turned to see how the mighty Golden Dolphin looked from this angle-and gasped.
Directly above my head hung the red-and-white lifeboats, all lined up in a nautical row-with one gaping hole.
From the one Remy had stolen to come to this island.
Nineteen
I could barely contain myself when I stepped onto the sidewalk in Bermuda. This was so much fun! Maybe being a cruise-ship nurse wasn’t such a bad gig after all.
Wait, what was I thinking?
Any nursing job was out of the question, and when I got back to the States-that sounded so cool in my head-I was going to tell Fabio not to give me any more nursing cases. I’d burned out of that career and couldn’t take the stress of the job any longer. Apparently, thirteen years of nursing was my lucky number. One day, when I found myself being attacked by a flying throat swab shot from a five-year-old’s mouth, I decided I’d had it. No more staffing problems. No more almost exclusively working with females, who could be catty and gossip until hoarse, and no more watching patients suffer and not being able to help.
I really wanted to help people.
I was putting my foot down.
Learning more and more about how to investigate, I was sure I could do other fraud cases and not have to take these damn jobs.
Let Goldie do the medical.
When I looked at the bustling traffic, on the wrong side of the street, the men in Bermuda shorts with suit jackets and ties, and the obvious tourists with arms loaded with shopping bags, I decided to forget my problems and just shop.
No one ever had to tell me twice to enjoy myself shopping.
“Ha!” I said as I passed a litter can. Even those were classy on this island. They were painted in delft blue and decorated with some emblems that looked very royal. As colorful as the buildings were, I noticed that many of the vehicles, like little versions of our vans, were mostly white. How Bermudan was that?
It seemed a bit confusing, crossing the street with the cars on the opposite side from what I was used to, but I made it to the “land side,” where all the shops were located in a long row along Front Street.
In the distance, I noticed a guy with short blond hair in a suit.
Tim?
I weaved in and out on the crowded sidewalk until I got close enough to see the guy’s legs. No way would Tim be the type to wear Bermuda shorts with a suit. Just didn’t seem like Bureau attire to have your legs showing-no matter how good they looked.
I laughed out loud and a few people turned to stare at me. Much like a kid in a candy shop, I bustled along, going in and out of different shops and wishing that I had a bigger budget to spend on myself.
My stomach was telling me it was getting close to lunchtime, if I hadn’t already missed it. Tempted to go back to the ship for a free crew’s meal, I started down the street toward the boat.
“Oooooooh! Marvelous!”
I stopped dead in front of Roxzy’s Fashions & Novelty Boutique-and started to laugh.
“Suga! Come see this smashing outfit,” Goldie called through the open door.
I shook my head. “I heard you all the way down the street, Gold.”
He stood there in his Marilyn Monroe short curly wig, a sparkly black-and-white top-the black in a spider-web sort of pattern-and a long black skirt.
Looked as if he should be accepting an Oscar.
“Gold, that is you.” I walked closer and looked at the price tag of a few items. A handbag was way out of my league and so was a silver necklace that I wouldn’t even put on my Christmas list, since no one in my family could afford it.
“This shop is you, Goldie. It really is. Where’s Miles?”
He chuckled. “We split up awhile back. We’re meeting for lunch at the Harborfront Restaurant down the street. Want to join us?”
I thought about how that crewmember Judy had said it was a good place to eat, but she hadn’t mentioned price. Really, I thought, I should treat myself.
Goldie leaned near and kissed me on the cheek. “You’ve been working way too much lately doing both jobs, Suga. Come to a nice lunch with us. My treat.”
I gave him a peck on the cheek. Two of the sales clerks glared at us. It was so easy for me to look past the exterior where Goldie was concerned and to see the real person inside. It hadn’t dawned on me that I looked as if I had just kissed Marilyn. “I’m there,” I said and laughed.
He said he’d only be a minute, paying for his purchase. I told him I would meet him there, since I needed to get some more sunblock. The bottle I had was expired and I’d read that it might not be as effective. After another quick peck, I went out and left Goldie fawning over a hat that he’d just discovered.
Laughing, I looked in various store windows to find a place with suntan lotion. Many of the shops were boutiques and clothing seemed the most popular item around here. I passed a shop called Wadson’s and thought it looked the most likely place to find sunblock.
There was a crowd inside, which made me conclude it was also one of the less expensive places to buy souvenirs. Some tie-dyed tee shirts caught my attention. They’d look great on my nieces and nephews, but I really couldn’t afford to buy something for everyone. I settled for a colorful mug for Adele. She was the best receptionist I’d ever known, and since we often had coffee together with Goldie, I thought it an appropriate gift.
I went to pay for it and ask the clerk where they might have sun block. The line nearly snaked out to the door. I only hoped Goldie and Miles wouldn’t get worried about my being a bit late. How I wished our cell phones worked over here. Man, how we really relied on them.
I kept looking around the shop while the clerk worked as fast as she could. The Bermudans’ British accents made me smile and think of Betty. Too bad she wasn’t able to come shopping with me. Finally a young man, pierced from head to toe and sporting blue hair, hurried to the other cash register and asked us to form two lines.
I kept looking at my watch. I hated to be late. It wasn’t in my nature. But I’m sure my roomies would understand, and thought maybe Goldie found more things to buy.
“Next,” the female clerk said.
I hurried forward and put my purchase on the counter. As I was about to ask for the sunblock, a man’s arm reached in front of me to get something off the counter. Apparently he’d forgotten one of his bags.
“Cash or charge?” the girl asked me.
“Oh-” I looked down to see the guy’s wrist. Suddenly I couldn’t speak.
The exact rope bracelet as Jackie’s!
Before I knew it, I was shouting for the clerk to call the police, while Remy-and now that I’d gotten a look at his face I had confirmed who he really was-hightailed it out the door.
I grabbed my shopping bag, knocked Adele’s mug to the floor in my haste and amid the crashing clatter of ceramic heard the clerk yell that I’d still have to pay for it. “I’ll be right back to pay!” I shouted.
“Yeah, right,” the pierced guy said and two customers tried to grab me.
I shrugged them away, yelled something about a murderer and then ran through the crowd. This time Remy had on a navy tee shirt and tan shorts. He had to have some connections on this island where he stayed and where he could change his clothes.