The Silver Lake Murder by Gregg Matthews (read novel full txt) 📗

what she needs to do as well. Megan stands up and takes off her T-shirt, showing a toned body, small white bra, with pale white skin. She has long straight red hair with blue eyes and a magazine cover worthy face. She is about five feet, eight inches tall. The buzzing sound of the tattoo needle begins. After one hour or so, the buzzing sound of the tattoo needle stops.

“Finished, Megan,” Blake says.

“Awesome,” Megan says in a little pain.

“Megan, what can you tell me about the Lakeview Lounge?”

“The guy you want to talk to is Lester. Ask him about the Starlight Trailer Park,” Megan says.

“The Starlight Trailer Park, I will. Thanks!”

After the completion of the tattoo work, Megan makes her way out the front door and back to the Lakeview Lounge.

“Hey?” Blake shouts.

“I heard!” Billy shouts back angrily.

CHAPTER 8

The bell over the door rings, and Lester steps inside. It’s 5:00 p.m. Blake knows what is next. He needs to close up the shop and get ready for the trip to Little Rock Island. He is relieved he was able to make some fast money from the three waitresses today. He replays everything they told him in his mind.

Walking over to the front door, he sees Lester standing there.

“Hey Lester,” Blake says.

“Hey, Blake,” Lester says, looking at the floor.

“Hey Billy, let’s go!” Blake shouts, not hearing any response from Billy.

Stepping out the back door into the alley, he sees Billy sitting on a milk crate. Both of the palms of his hands are in his face. He has known Billy his whole life and knows how emotional he can be.

“You OK, Billy?” Blake says.

“Yes,” Billy says through some tears.

“Lester is waiting for us.”

“OK, I need a minute,” Billy says.

“Billy, we are going to find out what happened to Cindy. We are going to do something about it. I need to know where you are emotionally. Are you ready to do this?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” Billy says, standing up quickly wiping the tears from his eyes.

“There you go. Come on, Lester is waiting for us.”

He and Billy come out of the back of the shop and catch up with Lester.

“Little Rock Island, boys!” Blake shouts.

“OK,” Billy shouts weekly.

“Yes!” Lester says.

He, Billy, and Lester walk across the parking lot down to the water’s edge. There is an old wooden ten-foot row boat Lester arranged to be here.

Blake can see the bonfire on Little Rock Island has already started. His smartphone shows 6:00 p.m. He, Billy, and Lester have time to get out to the island before it gets dark. He sits down and digs the oars into the water as deep as he can. With all his strength, he pulls with his arms and pushes the core of his body backward. This motion is enough to push the small wooden rowboat with three men and a Styrofoam cooler of beer along the top of the water. He is facing the back of the boat where Billy is sitting. Billy will not make eye contact with him. Lester is sitting in the front of the boat, looking out towards the island.

“Aim right for the fire Lester,” Blake says.

“Little to the left Blake,” Lester responds.

The bright sun hangs over the lake, causing him to sweat while he is rowing. He is wearing canvas sneakers, cutoff jeans, and a wife-beater T-shirt. Billy and Lester both have canvas sneakers, jeans, and T-shirts. Billy’s T-shirt is black, and Lester’s is red. After rowing steadily for thirty minutes, he stops and lets the boat glide over the water. Knowing the trip out to the island takes about one hour, he needs to pace himself. He knows Billy is not in any condition to row, but maybe Lester is. With the weight of three people in the boat, the trip to the island might take a little longer than one hour.

The rowing continues.

“Towards the fire Lester,” Blake says.

“Little to the right Blake.”

Knowing the water in the middle of the lake is fifty feet deep, he looks over the side and wishes the boat had life jackets. He doesn’t know if he could make it to shore or the island if something happened to the boat. The boat glides along the top of the water in the direction of the bonfire. He takes a minute to turn around and look at the island, off in the distance. Putting the two oars down and using his binoculars, he can see several people standing around the bonfire. He wonders if he will know any of them and hopes if he does, they are friends. He realizes if there is any trouble, he didn’t bring much help. If a fight breaks out, he is on his own with no back-up. Neither Billy nor Lester are in any condition to fight.

Turning his head and looking out over the water, he can see several other small rowboats on their way to the island. The shoreline is getting smaller and harder to see. The view of the island is getting bigger. The green tree-lined details of the island are coming into focus. Turning his head, he can see a small sandy shore where the other rowboats are beached. He aims for the same shore. He digs the oars into the water as deep as he can with all his strength; he pulls with his arms, and he pushes his core body backward again. The boat is moving closer to the island. He estimates he is more than halfway there. His cooler is packed with cans of beer, and a bottle of whiskey. Every local knows if you come to a bonfire on the island, you better not show up empty-handed. He reaches into the cooler for a fist full of ice. He puts the ice in his mouth, helping to soothe his dry throat.

“Anyone want to take a turn rowing?” Blake shouts.

“No,” Billy says, staring into the water.

“I will,” Lester says, changing positions with Blake.

“Thanks, Lester.”

From the front of the boat, he looks at the approaching island.