‘That is exactly what I want. And perhaps you could help me out with something else,’ she
looked up expectantly, ‘I was wondering if you can help me find a friend who may be staying here
on the island?’
I slid a photo across the counter along with the money for my items. Her eyes widened a bit as
she mindless grab the cash and completed my purchase.
‘She a friend of yours?’ she said as her hand swung out to me to give me my change.
‘Yeah, have you seen her here on the island?’
She looked up at me and her face was one of concerned concentration. I gave her my warmest
smile and leaned closer to her.
‘I know you probably don’t want to give away a secret, or to betray a trust. I can understand
that. But there are a few other folks here on the island now that want to find my friend before I do
and they are not nice men.’
‘How do I know you’re a nice man?’
‘Fair enough. You don’t, but I think you know I’m on the level. Look you don’t have to say a
thing, just circle a few places on the map you think I might want to visit. You could do that right?’
She nodded her head and took the map from me. Unfolding it she circled 3 places of interest.
None of them were the Chateau Godard, but that didn’t surprise me since the Chateau wasn’t a
functional hotel. I folded up the map and thanked her.
I picked up a shadow as soon as I left the shop. I gave no indication that I saw him and I
figured I could shake him somewhere along they way, maybe even lead him astray. I grabbed a
local cab from the small square just from the harbor and hired him for the day. For the next few
hours as I toured North Bay Island I made it a point to make my journey as aimless as possible
hoping to get my shadow to give up out of sheer boredom. It wasn’t working too well and he was
holding on tight, which seemed better than my luck as the first marked location proved a bust. I
was thinking the little shop girl might have played me the fool when the second location was
equally no good. I looked at my watch. If something didn’t happen soon I would have to spend the
night on the island.
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THE CONE - ISSUE #15 - 2018