Paradise Harbour by Alexander Semenyuk

Author:Alexander Semenyuk
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: World Castle Publishing, LLC
Published: 2021-10-20T17:01:39+00:00

Chapter Ten

That night Cecilia and I went to the Ferry Cafe for the second time. We were anticipating the performance of the red-haired woman from the advertising poster. Her voice was smooth and beautiful, and she gracefully moved around the small stage. All the attention was on her.

“And the oceans have parted

For me and you,

Like a heavenly guidance

Just for us two.

“I see I was dreaming,

It was a beautiful dream,

“But now you are leaving.

I thought it was forever.

Why are you going?

My body can’t shake the fever.

“Is this a disease

Whose name is loneliness?

Forgetfulness

Who am I?

Who am I?”

The sad songs she sang constantly reminded me of the secrets I knew about Paradise Harbour and my own nightmares. The singer’s soothing voice and alluring movements, along with the lulling sounds of the instruments, did nothing to calm my mind.

Things only got worse after the performance was over. As we rose to leave, Mitch Stochild approached us. He introduced himself to me with a big smile. I managed to treat him cordially.

“You two look lovely together, and you obviously love the jazz here. Isn’t it amazing?” He turned to me. “And what do you do, Luc?”

“I’m a private investigator, and I love the jazz here; it’s absolutely wonderful.”

“Well, you certainly have come to the right town to ply your trade. Have you heard of the Night Hawk?”

“Yes, it’s, uh...very disturbing.” I understood why animals had a fight-or-flight instinct.

“Yes, and I recently got news about a friend of mine falling victim to this savage killer.” Mitch shook his head. “Hey, we should cheer up. There are a lot of wonderful things out there. Humans are the greatest creation in the universe.” Mitch proceeded to order a few drinks. “Sit down, sit down. We play by our own rules in this café, as you noticed,” he added.

“It seems that a lot of this town plays by its own rules,” I observed.

Mitch was unperturbed. “That’s what makes our town so special. A great mix of people and beliefs, all together. It’s a new age, true progress. We don’t discriminate...well, at least most of us here don’t.”

“The Night Hawk doesn’t either, I suppose.”

A scowl fleetingly crossed Mitch’s face, but he quickly turned all smiles and said he had to leave. “I hope we can talk sometime,” he said to me as he made a slight bow in Cecelia’s direction. She beamed at him.

That night I still did not ask Cecilia to come inside. Even though she had nothing to do with my investigation and it wasn’t immoral or illegal, I felt I shouldn’t.

I ended up going to Bill’s diner after parting ways with her. I sat down and ordered coffee. Then Jackson Thormund stormed in as if he had been watching for me. He approached quickly, his eyes shining as he pushed three hundred dollars into my hands.

“You really outdid yourself! I sure underestimated you!” he chortled. “Those bastards! You really did a number on them. I got an early look at the newspaper story. I love that touch with that moron’s eyes.

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