Mike Smith Is Dead—Pt. 4

They landed in St. Thomas, USVI, without any problems and taxied to the private terminal.

Marcos looked over his shoulder.

“I ordered a car to drive you to Al Cohen’s store. My driver is supposed to have something for you, but here’s the plan, buy a hat or visor, matching, and some junk, T-shirts and stuff. Put on some shorts and flip-flops. Get three or four bottles of Paradise Rum. Look like lovers and tourists, blend in at the airport and you should breeze through customs; merge with a group of tourists, you know, people just getting off a cruise.”

Kip leaned forward so Marcos could hear him.

“We have tickets to Atlanta, Rosa is going on to Nashville, and I’m going to Kansas City.”

“Whatever. Be at hanger 32R at Love Field by sunrise at the latest, ten days from today, if not sooner; that is, if you want a ride back. As soon as the aircraft clears legal and mechanical hurtles we’ll head south, ten days is just a guess. If you’re not there when we leave you’re on your own. Like I said, as soon as the bird is ready we’re gone. Oh,” he chuckled. “That road seems cleared a little since the former owner suddenly passed away, things like that happen. Like I said, soon as it’s air worthy, we leave. Otherwise some of the departed’s relatives might have second thoughts about the airplane despite the courts.” Marcos pressed a button and a door descended. “Have fun.”

Rosa and Kip carried their bags down the tarmac. Across a fence a green topless Jeep TJ honked and a tall dark skinned man waved.

“I guess that’s our ride.” A cursory immigration stop in which Kip used his French Passport and Rosa used an American Passport. Quickly they walked out into the sunshine.

Rosa smiled. “Warm and humid.”

The toothless older man standing by the Jeep smiled.

“I’m to take you to Cohen’s and the airport. Hundred bucks when I bring you back.”

Kip stacked the suitcases in the backseat. Then went around and helped Rosa into the raised Jeep. She put her hand on Kip’s shoulder and squeezed as she stepped up on the metal bar running on the side of the Jeep. Kip pulled himself up and flopped down with the suitcases.

“Our flight is in two hours, can we do all that and still get to the airport?”

“No problem man.” He swung into the seat and started the jeep. He turned to face Kip and Rosa. “Ronnie will take care of you.”

They raced through the streets of Charlotte Amalie, and slid to a stop in front of the large tourist store known as Al Cohen’s. It only took a few minutes to find t-shirts and trinkets. Plus they purchased two matching Hawaiian shirts and tan shorts and visors. They changed clothes in the restroom at Cohen’s, and then rushed back to the Jeep.

Rosa looked at the shopping bag with her clothes. “We need to put these clothes in our bags, do you have room for shoes?”

Ronnie held up his hand. “No problem, man. I take you to suitcase store. You buy a small suitcase. Check the big ones.”

“Okay, but we better hurry.”

The jeep raced through the streets and stopped at a luggage store. Kip believed he paid too much for a moderate sized carry-on and watched as Rosa folded clothes and shoes into the case.

“I need filler.” Rosa looked up.

“Put in the t-shirts and trinkets I bought.” Kip handed her the bag.

She folded the t-shirts and stuffed the trinkets on the sides. “Good.”

Ten minutes later they pulled up to the gates at the St. Thomas airport. Kip handed Ronnie a hundred dollar bill plus a twenty.

“Thanks man,” the driver said. He laughed “I have a little something for you too. He reached in the jeep glove box and produced two expired cruise ship lanyard ID’s covered in stickers. “Now you are official tourists.” As soon as he set the bags on the ground he jumped in the jeep and pulled away with a wave.

“Okay, we’re on our way.” Rosa picked up her paisley carry on. “You go ahead and check your bag all the way to Kansas City.”

Checking in was easy. Kip’s black bag checked all the way to MCI. There was nothing but clothes in it anyway he justified. He carried the carry on bag and Rosa had hers. They stood in line with a group of tourists all with similar cruise ship lanyards, laughing and chatting, and waiting their turn to go through US Customs.

Rosa pulled on Kips arm. “At least hold my hand or something. We are dressed alike and are supposed to be lovers,” she whispered.

They filled out the forms for declaration of purchases and both of them wrote t-shirts and postcards. The customs folks looked at the declarations, passports, and Costa Rican driver’s licenses and waved Kip and Rosa through to security. Minutes later they were seated with about a hundred other tourists awaiting for boarding time. Rosa leaned over to Kip. “Kiss me, we need to act like we have some romantic attachment.” She hugged his arm and he leaned over and kissed her. “See that wasn’t so hard.”

TSA guards came into the waiting area with dogs. Kip leaned to Rosa, “Oops.” But, the dogs sniffed the luggage then ran to their handlers.

Rosa hugged his arm again. “Looking for drugs.”

“I need to get us to Love field.” They walked to the service counter and spoke with a Delta representative. “We need to get to Dallas Love field, ten days, less a day from today. Can you arrange that?”

It only took a few minutes before the representative pulled up perspective schedules. Kip paid for the tickets with his Publica Bank Visa.

“You’re pretty good at this.” Rosa hugged his arm as they walked back to the seating area. “I guess running around being a spy has benefits.” She laughed. “Kip, you need to relax.” She hugged his arm. Rosa and Kip sat away from the crowd. “Nobody is looking but if they do, we have to look legit.” She put her hands on his cheeks and kissed him passionately. “See, that’s how.

“Oh, call my sister and tell her to pick me up using your name—pick you up at MCI at 10 PM. Delta flight. Just say, only me Rosa, Mary and the kids aren’t coming because Darla is sick.”

“Wow. Talk about a romantic let down. I’m not going to Kansas City. And what about kids?”

“No, but she expects a call. Mary and kids alerts her it’s me, and Darla is the second secure code which alerts her it’s hush hush. My cousin Darla was killed in a car accident when I was in grade school.”

Rosa hugged Kip’s arm, and then reached up and kissed him again. “Really, more spy stuff. What’s her name? And number.”

“Maggie.” Kip wrote her phone number on the back of Rosa’s ticket envelope.

Rosa called from her cell phone and delivered the message.

“What’d she say?”

“Only said, 'okay.' Kiss me again, we need to keep the ruse going.”

Kip kissed her again and she put her head on his shoulder and whispered. “We should do this more often,” she giggled.

“Does Paulo own a gun?”

“Paulo’s a teddy bear.”

“Around me he’s a grizzly.”

She basically held Kip’s arm and slept on his shoulder all the way to Atlanta. Once they deplaned and walked into the middle of the concourse. Kip said, “I’m in D, where are you?”

She looked at the illuminated screen overhead. “B5. Sounds like Bingo. Give me the carry on please. I see a ladies room and I’m not going to see my ex husband dressed like this.”

“I didn’t know he was picking you up.”

She laughed as she pulled the bag toward the ladies room. “See I have secrets too.” Ten minutes later she exited the ladies room looking like a runway model.

“Wow.” Kip exclaimed. “Your ex will take you back.” For a 36 year old woman she was stunning. She looked like a 21 year old Latina cover page.

“Hardly, he’s remarried. But, I get to spend several days with my daughter at Opry Land. Your turn to change clothes. Frankly, you look ridiculous. I’m going on to my gate. You have the carry on.” She pulled his head down to her and kissed him again. “Just so you’ll remember.” She tossed her lanyard to Kip, laughed and walked away.

Kip found a men’s room, trashed the lanyards and changed clothes. Minutes later he was seated at his gate.

Maggie was curbside when he landed in Kansas City and retrieved his bag.

“I told Bob I was going to Maryville and would call him tomorrow. Who was the Rosa I talked to?” She headed the car out of the airport.

“Rosa is a friend and actually my landlady. I rent a house from her. And, hello, good to see you too.”

“Listen, mother is very sick and the doctor told me it’s a matter of time as in days maybe hours. I called this evening and there had been no change. Last time I talked to her she was going on about receiving your death certificate. I told her you weren’t dead but she just kept crying.”

“I guess we see her tomorrow. Have arrangements been made? And, how did you know I wasn’t dead.”

“They mailed the death certificate to mother, can you believe that. I had to get a priest and go flying a hundred miles an hour to Maryville just to keep her from having a stroke. Oh, about the arrangements—you get to do that.” They drove two hours to Maryville and she pulled into the Holiday Inn Express. “I have a room. It has two beds unless you are uncomfortable sleeping in the same room as your sister.”

“I’ll see if they have a room for me.” Kip slipped out of the van. “You go ahead and check in, I’ll come in a couple minutes later.”

The next morning they went to the hospital. Kip sat with his mother for an hour. The once proud and elegant woman he knew was reduced to a skeleton with frayed gray hair and multiple tubes and devices.

Several nurses came in the room and began changing tubes and machines.

Maggie tapped him on the shoulder. “While they do some things why don’t we get the business completed; I have all the insurance papers and funeral policy. I picked them up at the house. We have to sell the house too. I contacted a real estate company and they are supposed to go look at it, I have the key.”

They met at the funeral home, picked out a casket, prepaid everything and left feeling totally depressed.

Maggie dropped Kip at the hospital to be with their mother while she ran errands and met the real estate agent. He sat next to her holding her hand for two hours.

While a nurse changed numerous bottles and tweaked machines the doctor came by and shook his hand, expressed his sympathy. “Her kidneys have failed and most of her organs have shut down. It shouldn’t be long now unfortunately, we are keeping her somewhat sedated to ease the pain, but she hasn’t responded in the last 24 hours.” Kip knew the end was near.

Maggie got back just in time to see their mother open her eyes and smile. She whispered, “You came back.”

To be continued ....