Dead in the Dinghy by Ellen Jacobson

Author:Ellen Jacobson [Ellen Jacobson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ellen Jacobson
Published: 2021-01-30T00:00:00+00:00

* * *

After everyone had eaten their fill, beach volleyball bragging rights had been established, and everyone danced to Penny’s Fourth of July play list while waving sparklers, folks returned to their boats. A few of us had stayed behind, waiting for a dinghy to ferry us back. Ned and Scooter were making sure that the bonfire was completely out, Nancy was packing up a cooler, and Anabel and I were walking along the shore shell combing.

As I was picking up a piece of sea glass, I heard a voice boom out, “Round ʼem up.” I turned and saw Chief Tyler and his two goons standing on the beach near the trailhead. “Start with her,” he said, pointing at Nancy.

That was a mistake. Even if the older women didn’t have the strength to overpower the two goons, she’d give them a tongue-lashing they wouldn’t soon forget.

“What do you think you’re doing, young man?” she said, jabbing her long purple fingernails into the abdomen of the larger of the two men. “Does your mother know you’re harassing old ladies? Is this how she raised you? Wait until I tell her about your behavior.”

His brow furrowed as he took a step backwards. Clearly a mama’s boy.

When the other guy tried to grab Nancy’s hands and pull them behind her, she stepped on his foot, then whirled around. “And you,” she said. “I remember you from Sunday school. Constantly getting in trouble. Last time you misbehaved, your mother took away your bike. Do you want that to happen again?”

Goon number two’s shoulders slumped. I could picture what he must have looked like as a little boy. I kind of felt sorry for him. Having Nancy as your Sunday school teacher couldn’t have been easy. But at least he should have felt grateful he only had to see her once a week. Imagine if she had been his elementary school teacher. Five days a week of Nancy the schoolmarm would be too much for anyone.

Confused, the two goons looked at the chief for guidance. He shook his head, then approached Nancy. “You’re trespassing.”

“No, we’re not. This is public land.”

“No. Private,” he said.

“No. Public,” she retorted.

“Private.”

“Public.”

I kind of liked this one-word dialog of Nancy’s. Much better than her usual long diatribes full of citations of applicable rules and regulations.

Then she reverted to type. “This land is public as per section 714 of the land use code. It was designated as such in 1862 by Coconut Carl himself and ratified by the Kalverleifde Council in 1867. We have every right to be on this beach. Are we clear, dear?”

The chief was silent.

“I didn’t hear you,” she said.

He continued to stare at her impassively.

“Your mother was an Abbott, wasn’t she?”

He narrowed his eyes.

She narrowed hers right back. “The Abbott family was known for their charitable donations to organizations who protect public lands such as these.” She made a sweeping gesture at the beach. “They wanted the public to be able to enjoy beautiful nature spots like these, even people who aren’t residents of Destiny Key.

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