Pagodaville, page 14
Everyone nodded.
“So, one night while Gino was playing the horses at Saratoga and eating at his regular table in the clubhouse, someone poisoned his food and he died later that night.”
The Mexican crew gasped.
“There had been a vendetta out for not only him, but his first born who was my father. It wasn’t enough that Gino bit the dust. My father was next in line to pay for it.”
Doreen cleared her throat and continued. “See, I was there the night my father was gunned down. I too, have nightmares that never go away.” She looked at Marco.
Marco nodded in kind.
Doreen said, “I will never forget what my father told me right before it happened. We were all having dinner at our regular pizza joint on a Friday night. The goons came in the door and my father, like, he knew it was finally his time. He made them take him outside, but before he went out the door, he leaned down to me and told me I was to take over the business because we all knew that my brother wasn’t big in the brains department. Dad whispered in my ear that he loved me the most. I watched him walk out the door.”
She swallowed. “Then I ran outside in time to see the goons plug him with two bullets. One to his head, one to his heart. In the family, it was known that the last bullet goes into the heart. So, the victim doesn’t forget, even in death.”
Lorna felt her resolve soften. She couldn’t imagine watching her father getting gunned down. She had no words.
Doreen continued. “My family was quickly relocated to Miami to live with Vinnie and his boys. My father’s wishes were that Vinnie should take care of us and teach me everything I needed to know about running a business. I never wanted the responsibility. I thought the whole mob thing was awful. I just wanted to learn about engines and cars and how to fix things. I didn’t care about anything else. My life had changed so much.” Again, she looked over to Marco.
Lorna asked, “So, who ran the motels when Gino died?”
“His next in line. A real scumbag named Vito Carnatelli.”
“What year was this?”
“Oh, let’s see. I was seven years old when Gino died, then fifteen when my father died. I’m twenty-eight now, so…nineteen fifty-nine? Yeah, that sounds about right.”
“So, what made you want to find out what happened here?”
“Curiosity, mostly. Vinnie was trying to educate me on the family and who was who. All I knew was that Gino was very powerful. A powerful madman, I thought. I also wanted to know why my father had to go. It wasn’t fair. But, nothing in the mob was fair. I guess I wanted to put the past behind me, y’ know, just clear it all away once and for good. I had heard the stories about Gino, but I needed to know for sure. So, when I first came here, I was certain this was the place.”
Lorna thought about something for a moment then switched gears. She looked directly at Anya. “Anya, who owned the motel before I came along?”
Anya sat up a little straighter in her seat. She looked at Cheenah and Luis, who shrugged their shoulders and nodded in unison.
Milton whispered, “It’s okay, Anya. Tell her.”
“Me.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
Lorna did not see this coming, but it was all starting to make sense to her. She thought back quickly of all the times Anya just seemed to know where to go for repairs on the property.
She encouraged Anya to explain.
“You see, Miss. Diego and Tita went back to Mexico in the early part of nineteen and seventy. It was decided that Cheenah was to run The Palms because our parents wanted to go back to Mexico to be with Diego and Tita. I would take over at The Pagoda. Well, it was good for maybe ten years. Milton and I kept things up and we had many touristas in and out, some always came back.”
“But then something very awful happened in Mexico, just a few years ago. Did you hear about the hurricane named Idris?”
Lorna nodded, it was devastating, one of the worst storms in history. It took out a good portion of the northern Gulf coast of eastern Mexico.
“Diego, Tita, and our mother and father died. The storm, it washed away most of the town they lived in. It was very bad. We had lost our parents. It was a very, very bad time.”
There was a heaviness in the room. Cheenah reached for a tissue from the box on the end table, Luis and Anya grabbed each other’s hand.
“It is still so very hard to this day to know that our parents died in that way.”
Lorna shook her head slowly. Her resolve gone.
Anya composed herself and continued. “So, you see Miss Lorna, when this horrible thing happened, we all went down to Mexico with the money our parents had left for us and helped to rebuild the town. Also, Milton made the designs for a very big garden in honor of our parents in the center of the town. It is very beautiful. It is called the Alvarez-Puente Arbor.”
“Anya. I don’t even know what to say.” Lorna felt her heart become heavy. “I didn’t know. I am so very sorry about your parents. Your loss.” She looked towards Marco and Luis. “I am just, so very sorry for all of you.”
Anya continued, “So, when we arrived back here, Milton and I put the motel for sale. Unfortunately, it had gone downhill while we were away. Anita stayed back here to run the restaurant, and Cheenah came back and forth because she had to take care of The Palms. You see, Miss, we just wanted to be done with all of it.”
Lorna completely understood. Everything made perfect sense.
“We stayed with Luis and Anita and then after some months we took the job with Mister Johnston. I came to the motel once a week while it was on for sale just make sure things did not get too bad. We had the new windows installed, did some minor plumbing work.”
Lorna now understood now Jim Tate’s comment about solid foundation.
Silence. The overhead fan, a gentle breeze coming in through the windows, the clearing of a throat, a small cough, and sigh or two gave Lorna the time to collect herself. It was, in a sense, over.
The truths were out and on the table.
Lorna asked quietly, “Is there anything else anyone would like to say?”
When no one spoke up and everyone looked bedraggled and worn out, Lorna said, “Thank you, all of you, for clearing the air. I know that I am completely overwhelmed and exhausted and I imagine you all are too. Why don’t we stop here and get some food, sleep, and maybe tomorrow morning things will look very different.”
Anya agreed, “Yes, Miss. I think that would be good. Milton and I will go now to our cabin.”
Cheenah stood up. “Come Marco, you will stay with me.”
“Yes, I must get back to the restaurant and Anita.” Luis stretched his long limbs, his joints audibly cracking.
Avril had gone into the kitchen, leaving Lorna and Doreen alone in the lobby.
The look on Doreen’s face was one of defeat and sadness.
Lorna fought the urge to approach her, hold her. Instead she said, “I am so very sorry about your father, Doreen. I can’t even imagine.”
Doreen nodded her head. “Yeah.”
Lorna approached her. “Will you stay?”
“Where, here?”
“Well, maybe at The Palms?”
“Lorna, I don’t belong here.”
“But, you’re tired. You’ve been traveling a long time. You shouldn’t get back on the road tonight.”
“I’m used to it.”
Lorna felt her heart continue to soften. “Maybe… you might think about changing that?”
Doreen sighed then chuckled, “Honey, I’ve been on the road so long…it’s the only thing that keeps me moving forward. I haven’t stayed in one place long enough to get a change of address, know what I mean?”
Lorna moved closer to her. “Why don’t you just stay the night? Get some food, rest. Maybe you and I can talk tomorrow?”
“Well, I suppose I could do that.”
“Promise me you won’t take off in the middle of the night or something?”
“That’s a bit odd for you to say that. After all, wasn’t it you who sent me away in the first place?”
“That was different. I’d like the opportunity to explain some things.”
Doreen regarded Lorna. “Okay, maybe we can do that. I’d like that, actually.”
“Will you call here tomorrow after you’ve rested some?”
“I will. Can you write down the number for me?”
Lorna went to the desk and grabbed a piece of paper. Doreen approached the desk and gently laid the pen down on the counter top. “You might need this.”
Lorna looked at the pen then at Doreen. “You…my pen! How did you…what the…?”
“I nabbed it when I was here two weeks ago.”
Lorna shook her head and snorted. “You have this way of catching me at every turn. Why would you take my pen?”
“Because it’s you. It’s beautiful, all worn and soft on the barrel there. I wanted something to remember you by.”
Lorna had no words.
Doreen continued, “Look, I know it was stupid, childish even. But something happened that day in the water there. Something that I’d been careful to not let happen in my life. Kissing you, holding you, feeling you against me. It felt so…right.”
Lorna came around the desk. Doreen stepped back as if Lorna was going to strike her or something. “Okay it was just a pen. No need to—"
Lorna stood very close to Doreen, their breath intermingling.
“Oh, just shut up, will you?”
Lorna leaned in, took Doreen’s face gently in her hands and kissed her gently on the cheek. She stepped back and said, “Go get some rest. Don’t you dare leave in the middle of the night.”
Doreen reddened slightly but visibly relieved. She said, “I won’t. Now that everything is out in the open and I’ve returned your pen, I guess we can start over, right?”
Lorna chuckled lightly. “In this place? One never knows where something is going to go.”
TWENTY-NINE
Avril came out to the lobby only to hear the engine of the Harley recede. She had two wine glasses. “I’ve got some soup on the stove. You must be famished. I take it Doreen is riding off into the sunset?”
“No, she promised me she would stay the night at The Palms. I called Cheenah and reserved a room for her.” Lorna reached for the wine. “I feel like I’ve just been on an LSD trip.”
“Hah, who are you kidding? You’ve never done LSD!” She sipped her wine then asked seriously, “Have you?”
Lorna shook her head, “No.” She sighed and stretched her body this way and that. “This whole thing is so surreal, though.”
They both plopped down on opposite couches. Avril said, “What a story. My God. Meanwhile, in other news around the country…”
“Yeah.”
Lorna sipped her wine, “Oh, that’s good. I can feel it searing down through my bones. I’ve been such a wreck.”
“Well, at least this whole thing is out in the open. And you can move on. You still on the fence about selling the property?”
“Oh, Avril, a good night’s sleep might sway me one way or the other. You know, while I was so busy being pissed off at the betrayal, it seems as though the very betrayers did everything they could to keep it together in the throes of a twisted past. I have to respect them for that.”
Avril nodded. “True.”
“And I don’t think Doreen and I are done yet.”
Avril raised her eyebrows. “Uhm, hm. I saw the sparks between you two. She is pretty attractive. But her personality. She seems to have so much baggage.”
“Don’t we all?” Lorna regarded her friend. “I mean, none of us bring just a backpack through life, right? Sure, her life was, maybe still is, in turmoil. But she didn’t sign up for it, she was born into it.”
“True. But why should you have to walk her through it?”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I believe that helping others through things can help the helper to heal.”
“Unless the person you’re helping takes advantage of that.”
“It’s a risk.”
“Are you willing to take that risk after all that has happened here?”
“I think so. Who knows though…it’s her journey. It wouldn’t be that hard to let her go at this point. It’s our chemistry that seems to click right now.”
Avril said, “But I don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Lorna shrugged. “Well if I do, I do. If I went through life in protection mode all the time, I wouldn’t live. I was living that life in Cleveland. And it was killing me. Sure, it’s been a crazy ride here, but…I’m living!”
“So, you think Doreen might stick around?”
“I hope so. She has nothing to lose but time. And time seems to escape her.”
“So, you’ll take it slow with her?”
Lorna nodded, “Oh yeah. Painfully.”
“And what about the Mexican crew?”
Lorna set her wine glass down. “That’s part two of the story and I’m not ready to dissect that yet. At least not until I’ve had a good meal and a good nights’ sleep.”
Avril tossed back the rest of her wine. “Good because I’m starving and that can of soup on the stove looks pretty dismal.”
Lorna stood up. “I’m taking you to the Crab Shack. The food is unbelievable! It’s a little humble dump right on the pier. You’ll love it.”
“And you know how I love humble dumps.”
They left the lobby without cleaning things up and drove over the intracoastal towards St. Augustine. Lorna felt her strength of conviction return. She probably would not sell the property. Now that everything was unearthed, she could start fresh. And the media stir was quick, thanks to Steve for keeping things down to a mild roar.
“Maybe,” she reasoned with Avril as the evening air permeated the car, “the whole reason that the phone didn’t ring after placing the ad was because somewhere in the universe a sign was beaming out that The Pagoda Motel was not ready for business. Not just yet.”
Avril nodded, “Uhm hmm. You might be right at that.”
They drove in silence over the intracoastal.
Lorna thought, a few more repairs are still needed. And then it will be ready for new life.
THIRTY
Three Months Later
September, 1980
Doreen parked the bike in the lot. The dunes of Heatherton County were just a couple hundred feet away. They took off their riding boots and walked towards the surf barefoot.
“This is such a beautiful spot, Lorn.”
“I love it at sunset. The colors, the clouds. Might see some cloud to cloud lightening.”
They sat down in the sand close to each other, their legs touching at the knees. Doreen breathed in. “You ready for Thursday?”
“I’m very excited. You and Milton and the crew did an amazing job. The succulents are already growing faster than I can keep up with. I love the smell of the garden at night. It’s so peaceful, Doe.”
Doreen nodded. “It is a work of art, I’d say!”
Lorna looked at Doreen. “So are you.”
Doreen leaned in to kiss her. “Flattery…”
Lorna settled her head on Doreen’s shoulder after they kissed. Doreen sifted sand through her hand. “So, what’s my next project, boss?”
Lorna wasn’t sure how to answer this question. She wanted Doreen to stay on. They were starting a very comfortable—hot—romance, but Lorna also knew that Doreen wasn’t one to stay somewhere very long. Lorna tried to keep her feelings in check, doling out just what she felt safe with, but at times she could not hold her heart back, especially during their lovemaking. She was falling for Doreen.
Doreen broke the silence. “No jobs on the docket?”
Lorna turned to look at her. “Will there always have to be a job?”
“What’s that?”
“Will there always have to be a job to keep you interested, here, with me, us?”
Doreen continued to sift sand through her hand. “Are you worried I’m going to get bored and leave?”
“Yeah, of course I am.”
Doreen nodded and said nothing.
Lorna learned that Doreen kept her feelings close to the vest, allowing just a certain amount out at a time.
During a phone conversation with Avril one night when Doreen left to go back to The Palms where she was staying, Avril pointed out a hard truth to Lorna.
“You know, as far as longevity goes, Lorn, you haven’t had the staying power, either.”
“I know.”
“Ever since Jeanie, you’ve bounced around from person to person. And I’m not that I’m saying that to be cruel.”
“I know. I get it, Av. I’m just as new to this as she is. Only, she can get on her Harley and zip away. Never to be heard from again. I stay in one place and wallow.”
“Do you guys talk about this at all?”
“I’m a little nervous to bring it up, I don’t want to seem clingy. We are enjoying each other’s company right now. She’s working her butt off on the renovations. She and Milton are as thick as thieves. They are a lot alike in that they like the quiet, they don’t talk a whole lot, and they work hard.”
“Interesting.”
“She tolerates Anya. Anya thinks she is keeping her in line for me. Cheenah flirts with her to no avail. It’s working out pretty well, I’d say!”
Avril laughed, “So, where do you think this is going to go?”
“I want her to stay. I’ve offered her a cabin. She’s thinking about it.”
“You think that’s a good idea?”
“Well, she can’t stay at The Palms much longer. She’s paying a low room fee but she’s starting to feel closed in. I thought maybe if she had her own space, she would feel better about sticking around, and plus the fact, she spends most of her time with me at the motel. She maintains everyone’s vehicles. She’s even joked around about building me my own Harley.”
Avril laughed. “Hah! You would be so hot on one of those!”
