P. Parrish - An Unquiet Grave

The Christmas lights were already up. He had the top down on the Mustang and he could see them as he drove up, a cluster of small white lights that someone had strung on the coconut palm in his yard. A stiff breeze was blowing in from the gulf, moving the fronds and sending the lights bobbing and dancing like fireflies on a hot summer night.

Louis Kincaid turned off the engine and just sat there, looking at the lights.

Fireflies. July Fourth. Michigan.

But there were no fireflies here. It was November, not July. And he was in South Florida.

His mind was playing tricks on him.

He reached over and popped the glove box, pulling out his Glock. Grabbing his overnight bag, he got out and headed to the cottage.

Maybe he was just tired. The job up in Tampa had been dull and drawn out. Surveillance of a woman who was suing a big trucking company because a semi had clipped her Honda and left her permanently disabled and in extreme mental stress. He had spent four days tailing her with a video camera, finally getting a shot of her banging her car floor mats against the fender of her car-after she had come home from the beauty salon. The film was played in court. The woman got two grand for medical bills. He got five grand for his pay. Good money for a P.I., he supposed. At least it was enough to keep him in grouper sandwiches at Timmys Nook for the next few months.

The mailbox was stuffed. He dug out the fliers and envelopes and opened the door.

Honey, Im home, he said, throwing down his bag.

Issy came trotting out of the bedroom. The cat looked up at him, its tail swishing on the terrazzo.

Okay, okay, he said with a sigh.

He headed to the kitchen, tossing the stack of mail on the counter. He shook a bag of Tender Vittles into the bowl on the floor. The other bowl was filled with clean water. At least his weasel landlord Pierre had been taking care of things like he promised. He had half expected to come home and see a cat carcass lying on the floor.

He pulled open the fridge. One Heineken and a carton of Chinese takeout probably left over from the Ice Age. He stood there for a moment, letting the cold air wash over his sweaty face, then grabbed the beer and closed the fridge.

There was one lamp on in the living room, but the small cottage seemed dark and stale from being closed up. He went to the TV and punched the remote, unleashing a rainbow of light and sitcom laughter into the shadows. Finally, after a moment, he muted the sound and tossed the remote aside.

He cranked open the jalousie windows, and the warm gulf breeze wafted in. He stood there, breathing in the salt and night-blooming jasmine, holding the cold beer bottle against his forehead.

He still wasnt used to it-even after three years of living in Florida. September would come and he would be waiting for that cool kiss in the air, yet the temperature stayed in the nineties. October would come and he would be expecting the first frost on the windows, but there was nothing but the cloud of humidity. And then came November, when the trees should have been turning brown and gaunt. But here. . here in Florida, everything was green and lush and sultry.

He hated the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas. Back-to-back reasons to give in to that small but powerful part of him that wanted to slide into silence and solitude.

His eyes drifted to the answering machine on the counter. The red light was blinking. Ten messages. He rewound the tape.

The first one was a time-share come-on. Three hang-ups. A man wanting to hire him to spy on his whore wife. Two more hang-ups. Then a familiar voice with its unmistakable Mississippi drawl.

Oh! My. . a machine! I didnt know you finally got one. Oh dear. . how much time do I have? Louis, this is Margaret.

Louis took a drink of beer.

Im calling to invite you to Thanksgiving dinner. Were fixing to have a real feast this year-Im making my sweet potato pie-and I know you dont have any family to go to-

Louis could hear Sam Dodie yelling in the background, telling his wife what to say. She hung up, forgetting to leave a number. But Louis knew the Dodies number by heart; he had spent many an evening at their table, eating Margarets cooking, listening to Sams war stories. Now that his ex-boss had retired to Florida, Sam Dodies need to talk about his years spent as a Mississippi sheriff seemed to grow. It was either listen to it or go fishing.

The next voice came on, the thin soft voice of a boy.

Hi, Louis. Its me. I guess youre not home yet.

Louis leaned closer to the machine.

I wish you could come over for Thanksgiving, but Ma says we gotta go see Grandma Cockran up in St. Augustine. Chewbaca is getting real big, but Ma says he cant sleep with me cause I got allergies. A long pause. Okay, I gotta go. I love you. See ya!

Louis smiled. Chewbaca was one of Issys kittens, conceived last winter during Bens kidnapping. Ben had needed a lot of time to recover from his experience, and Louis believed the kitten somehow helped him do that. He still worried about the boy, worried about him being twelve and not having a father in his life, worried about his being able to ever trust people again. That was why he tried to see Ben as often as he could. But work had been demanding lately and there didnt seem to be enough time.

The last message. Another familiar voice. Female, deep, deeply familiar.

Hey there. Its me. Just wanted to let you know I pulled some strings and got Thanksgiving and Friday off. Ive got two Swansons turkey dinners and a good bottle of French Chablis on ice, so get your sweet ass over here as soon as you can. Call me as soon as you get in.

She hung up.

Louis just sat there, staring at the machine. He took a drink of the beer, then replayed her message just to hear her voice.

He hadnt seen Joe in weeks. She was a homicide detective for Miami PD. He had met her when she came over to help work the homicides connected with Bens kidnapping. They had started an intense affair, and for Louis, it was just what he needed.

Louis finished off the beer. Two invitations to Thanksgiving dinner. Not bad. But now he had to choose. A great feast at Margaret Dodies table. Or two days in bed with Joe. A slow smile came to his face. Well, maybe Margaret would save him some leftovers.

His eyes went to the pile of mail near his elbow. He began sifting through it. The blue envelope with the familiar Michigan address made him stop.

His birthday-he had forgotten again. But Frances never did.

He slit open the envelope and pulled out the birthday card from his foster mother. He opened it and a crisp twenty-dollar bill fluttered to the counter.

November 18, 1988

Dearest Louis.

Well, here you are at 29! How the years have flown by! Though you are far, far away, always know that our thoughts and love are with you on this special day. We hope you can find some use for our little gift!

Love and kisses,

Frances and Phillip

It was written in Francess frilly hand. The card came as regular as the sun every November 18, written by Frances, signed for them both, and always with a twenty tucked inside.

He picked up the twenty. It was only then that he noticed the piece of white paper that had fallen to the floor. He stooped to pick it up and unfolded it.