The Wanderer

“So, what next?”

Cooper drank some beer. “I don’t know. I’m thinking. I pulled down part of a wall—I don’t know if there’s mold or rot. Maybe it needs to be leveled. I don’t know.”

“You’re still here,” Mac observed.

He took another swallow of beer and shook his head. “Feels like unfinished business around here. I find out something new every day, but half the time it leaves me with more questions.”

“About his death?”

“About his life,” Cooper said. “How’d he make ends meet? He bought deli food from the deli, but he didn’t mark it up....”

“I think Carrie gave him a break,” Mac said. “He bought all his supplies, including liquor, from big-box stores and I bet he made a decent profit on that. I mean, there was no rent, right?”

“He took care of things. Of people. I have Rawley working again, for now.”

Mac grew serious for a moment, then put a firm hand on his back, as if to say thanks.

“I ran into a kid on the beach today who was Ben’s friend, so he says,” Cooper went on. “Ben’s created a habitat for those birds on the point. I feel like I should find out what Rawley needs before I leave. Like I owe it to Ben. I wonder, though...he took care of people but everything is broken down to the point of falling apart. How’d he live?”

“I don’t think making money was ever a priority of Ben’s, but don’t quote me. You probably know more about his business than I do. Than any of us do.”

“Well, he didn’t have much money, for one thing. And didn’t worry about it, from what I can figure out. Why didn’t he give that place to someone else? Why didn’t he give it to the town?”

Mac laughed. He took a pull on his beer. “The town would’ve sold it. Like I said, there are people in town who like things the way they are—simple. Then there are people who think a big business on the bay would be good for the town.”

“What do you think?” Cooper asked.

He gave a lame shrug. “I think a big business, like a golf resort or something, would turn us into a town full of busboys, waiters, maids and valets. I think it would put Carrie’s deli, the Pizza Hut and the diner out of business. But it could help the chamber of commerce and commercial fishermen, especially if we ended up with a five-star restaurant at that resort. You want to know what I’m talking about? Drive up to Bandon Dunes. People come from all over the world to stay there, play golf there, hold events from business conferences to weddings there. It’s really something. Very high-class. There’s a lot good about it. And the help comes from Bandon.”

“It’s work....”

“And not to be taken lightly,” Mac admitted.

“It could help the local economy,” Cooper said. “Increase the value of your property.”

“It could,” Mac said. “You’ve been here about a week. Have you told anyone about Ben’s will?”

“I might’ve mentioned I was responsible for the bait shop, but you’re the only one with the details. You and Rawley.”

“Well, Rawley doesn’t talk. People are already assuming things that are probably true—like that you own it. And you could sell it.”

“There’s still a little legal wrangling to be done,” Cooper said. “I don’t have to hang around for that, though.”

“Why are you still here?”

“As near as I can explain, I want to understand Ben’s intentions, if I can. That doesn’t mean I’m planning to meet his expectations—maybe I just can’t. But I owe it to the guy to see if I can figure them out before I make a plan.”

Mac glanced over his shoulder, glanced back and said, “Well, get ready to make a plan, Cooper. Incoming...”

Almost before he finished his sentence, a woman appeared. She was at least fifty-five, but trying to look thirty-five. Her suit was some kind of satiny red material, low cut to reveal her cleavage. The miniskirt exposed legs that were short, and her pumps were high, very high. Hair bleached blond, of course. Nails, long and red. She wasn’t dressed for church; in fact, she’d look pretty at home with a pole to swing around.

“Well, Mac, how are you?” she said, leaning toward the deputy for a cheek press and kiss-kiss. “And who is your friend?”

“Ray Anne, meet Cooper. Cooper, this is Ray Anne. Cooper was a friend of Ben’s.”

Her face crumpled on cue. “Oh, Cooper, I’m so sorry for your loss. Ben will be greatly missed.”

“Thank you. Pleased to meet you,” he said. But he knew beyond a doubt that Ben didn’t have a relationship with this woman. In contrast, he had understood Ben’s relationship with Rawley almost immediately.

There were a few minutes of chat, Ray Anne asking after Lou and the kids, wondering if any progress had been made on that traffic light in town. Did Mac hear anything about a “domestic situation” involving Charlie and Donna? To which Mac replied, “No, was there a situation?”

Without answering, she turned to Cooper. “I heard a friend of Ben’s was in town. How is everything out at his place?”

“A wreck,” Cooper said. “I’m exploring ways to deal with it.”

“Well, if you need any help, feel free to call.”

A business card appeared; she was a Realtor. Apparently, the woman knew sleight of hand. That card must have been in her hand the whole time, yet had remained invisible until her strike. Cooper looked at it briefly, looked back at Ray Anne, smiled and said, “Thank you.”

“I know every good contractor in the area, no matter what you need—paint, flooring, structure damage, anything...”

She knew everything. “Mold removal?” he asked.

“Yes!” she said, beaming. She tapped the hand that held the card. “Just give me a call. That’s my cell. Anytime!”

“Appreciated,” he said. The grouper arrived.

“There’s your dinner,” she said. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around town. Take care. And let me know if there’s anything you need, Hank. Always more than happy to help a friend.”

Mac and Cooper turned to their identical dinners. Cooper took a bite. “This is good,” he said.

“Told ya,” Mac returned.

“So, she knows everything. She probably knows my social security number. You introduced me as Cooper, but she called me Hank. I’d bet she knows the acreage on Ben’s place.”

“That would be my guess,” Mac said.

Cooper ate a little more grouper. “And I bet I could get laid for a couple hundred acres.”

Mac turned toward him and, with the slightest smile, said, “You can get laid for just talking about it.”

Cooper tried not to laugh, as Ray Anne was still working the room, taking a run on the bar, then stopping off at tables. “This common with her?”

“I think so,” Mac said, eating more of his dinner. “You’re the first newcomer we’ve had around here in a while, however.”

“You ever, um, experienced that?”

“The attention? Or the payoff?” Mac asked.