Ron Base - Tree Callister 03 - Another Sanibel Sunset Detective by Ron Base Read Free Book Online

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7
    On his way down Captiva Drive the following morning, Tree again stopped by the Traven mansion. The gates remained locked tight. He tried Elizabeth’s cell phone. It rang a dozen times. No one answered. The call did not go into voice mail.
    When he got to the office, he sat for a few more minutes thinking about Cailie—kicking himself for not telling Freddie about her. He actually contemplated phoning her at work. But then what was he going to say? “Hi, honey. Incidentally, I forgot to tell you. The week we went to Paris to celebrate your birthday? I went out, met another woman, had dinner with her, and then went back to her hotel room where she bared her breasts and kissed me. I didn’t do anything, of course—except not tell you about it until now. And I’m only telling you now because I think she’s shown up on Sanibel.”
    No, he decided, that was not the phone call he was going to make this morning.
    His reverie was interrupted by the arrival of a tall, heavyset man with an impressive head of curly white hair. He leaned in the doorway and pointed a sausage-like finger at Tree. “You the detective?”
    Tree looked at him. “Who are you looking for?”
    “They said downstairs, you, the detective. Upstairs. Is that right?”
    “I’m Tree Callister, I run the Sanibel Sunset Detective Agency.”
    The man ventured further into the room. He wore a loose, collarless shirt that did little to hide the belly drooping over his khaki cargo shorts. His flip-flops barely contained feet the size of small boats. His toenails badly needed clipping, Tree noticed.
    “I am Javor Zoran,” he announced. As though that explained everything.
    “Mr. Zoran,” Tree said. “Take a seat, please. What can I do for you?”
    Instead, of moving to the visitors’ chair, Zoran placed thick fists on either hip, as if preparing to engage Tree in a fight to the death.
    “Tell me, how much you charge for this detecting?”
    “Look, first of all, why don’t you sit down? If I can help you, then we can discuss price.”
    Javor Zoran eased himself gingerly into the chair in front of Tree’s desk. Once settled, he looked carefully around him, concentrating on the doorway.
    “You are going to leave door open?”
    “Do you want me to close it?”
    “I do not want anyone overhearing us,” Zoran said.
    Tree got up to shut the door. “Is that better?”
    Zoran seemed to think it was. Tree reseated himself and looked expectantly at his visitor.
    “Okay,” pronounced Zoran. “Here is the thing. You are detective, I need detective to find missing person.”
    “What missing person is that?”
    “A friend is missing person.”
    “Have you contacted the police?”
    The idea appeared to horrify Zoran. “The police? Why would I talk to police?”
    “Because they are the people best equipped to find missing persons.”
    “I come to you to find missing person. And you tell me to go to the police? What kind of detective is that?”
    “I’m merely making you aware of your options, Mr. Zoran.”
    “No, no police. I want discretion. You can give me this, Mister Detective Callister? This discretion?”
    “I can certainly be discreet,” Tree said. “When did you last see your friend?”
    “One week ago.”
    “Where? Where did you last see this person? Here on Sanibel?”
    “No, no. Not Sanibel. Key West. We were in Key West. You must go to Key West and find her.”
    “Her—this is a woman I’m looking for?”
    “Yes, of course. Only a woman can give a man trouble like this.”
    “You think she’s still there? Still in Key West?”
    “No, I tell you to go to Key West because she is gone, and I pull a big joke on you.” He glowered across the desk. “You are not dumb detective, are you Mr. Callister?”
    “Whatever I am, I’m going to need more information than I currently have, Mr. Zoran. What makes you so certain this person is missing?”
    “Okay, we go to Key West one week ago. We have great time together. This is a