Florida Keys’ Watercolor Kapers
by Bob Kranich
Robert’s Best, (Part 19, Excerpt 104)
This is a new story. Robert’s Best is a sail boat. Grandfather Roberts has sailed it on the Intercostal waterway from Texas to Key West, Florida. His grandchildren and their parents have come to Key West on a visit. There will be a lot of funny happenings until the criminals from a previous story get into action. A side note is that a 1935 antique Chris-Craft Model 557 Cabin Cruiser is going to play an important part in the rest of the story. Grandfather Roberts has met Honest Dave and had a tour of his Chris-Craft. Honest Dave is going back to Homestead to check on his businesses. He will come back. Grandfather Roberts has moved into his new house on the Atlantic and we will get introduced to the A. M. Adams Turtle Schooner. The criminals are now up to their mischief.
Harold scuffed his shoes a couple of times and slowed down, “Who are you? I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”
“Harold, I’m not a stranger. I’m Frank. Remember, I put this swing up for you.”
“Ring! Ring!” The phone rang, exactly according to plan.
“Oh, now I remember.”
“Harold, the reason I came by is I know where a pirate ship is.”
“Really! Where is it?”
“Just a little ways over there. If we hurry we can see it, and get their flag and swords. But we got to hurry!”
“I could go and tell my grandfather.”
“No, we don’t have much time. See my truck just pulled up. If we hurry we can go over there, get the swords and pirate flag and be right back.”
He then took Harold’s hand, and they hurried out and got in the truck.
“Harold, this is Sam. He knows how to get to the pirate ship real fast.”
“I sure do, Sonny.” He eased out slowly and headed down Whitehead Street towards the Turtle Crawls.
The turtle schooner looked dark and kind of eerie anchored against the dock. Sam had given the captain and crew some money to rent it for the entire evening till the next day. A private party he had said, and don’t bother to clean up.
Sam pulled the pickup up to the curb. Frank and Harold got out, “Look, Harold, none of the pirates are here. We’ll be able to get in real fast, and get their swords.”
“Sure looks spooky,” Harold Junior exclaimed.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not worried,” Frank said.
Frank took Harold’s hand. They went out on the dock and crossed over the gang plank onto the turtle schooner. Just then, on the other side of Sam’s pickup a carriage pulled by an old sway-back horse driven by Franklin went clopping by.
“Harold, the pirates’ flag is down. I bet it’s in the captain’s cabin with their swords. They must be at the pirate’s house.”
“That’s right. I remember seeing the house with my mom and dad.”
“Here, I’ve got a flashlight. Let’s go down to the captain’s cabin. There it is. The door right there,” Frank said as he shined his flashlight around.
Frank opened the door, and they went in. He saw an old light hanging in the center of the room. Frank pulled the cord.
“There, Harold, let’s look around.”
“I don’t see any flag or swords,” Harold said. “Hey, what are you doing?” Frank grabbed Harold. It was all he could do to tie Harold’s hands and feet together. Harold got in two kicks to the shins and a punch in the stomach before he was subdued.
Frank said ouch two times and ugh once. He dragged Harold onto a bunk. Be quiet kid, or you will walk the plank, and the sharks will get you.” He pulled the cord to put out the light. He hurriedly went out to the waiting pickup truck, slightly limping and holding his stomach.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sam asked. “Kid slug you?”
“Shut up, and get out of here, to a phone booth.”
They drove about four blocks. “There’s one. It’s kind of out of the way Boss.”
“Keep the motor running.”
Dial, Click...Click...Click, Dial, Click...Click...Click.
He put in a coin...Ding!
Ring! Ring!
I had been looking for Harold Junior all over the house and then around the yard. I was about to go next door.
Ring! Ring!
“Hello.”
A muffled voice said, “Tom Roberts.”
“Yes, who is this?”
“Don’t worry. Just listen, we’ve borrowed your grandson. Nothing will happen to him. We just need a little dough, I mean cash. Now get ten thousand dollars in hundreds and put it in an old shoe. Leave it outside, on one side of the door to the lighthouse on Truman. Drop-off time is seven PM tonight. No later! You’ve got plenty of time to get the cash. We’re not charging you very much. Now listen up, do not go to the authorities! We’ll be watching.”
I looked at my watch. It was four o’clock. I ran upstairs and rummaged through my sock drawer where I hid my cash. I counted it out. I had a couple of thousand dollars in hundreds. I stuffed it in my pants pocket and went over to the phone.
Then I heard it, Clop Da...Clop Da...Clop. It’s Franklin, I realized, passing by to see his sweetie. I ran downstairs, out the front door, and into the street.
“Franklin! Franklin!”
“Yes, Mister Tom. Whooo Bessie!” He said as he pulled on the reins.
“Can you get me to Dave’s boat. Right away? It’s an emergency!”
“Yes, Sir! Jump in. Let’s go, Bessie! Gitty Up!” Bessie hadn’t heard that command for some time, and she perked right up and proceeded to move out.
“I’m going to cut over to Simonton. It’s a straight shot,” Franklin said.
We pulled up. “Wait here, Franklin.” I jumped down and ran out onto the dock.
When I got to Dave’s boat, there was Dave and the realtor lady, Miss Betty Thomas sitting on the backseat of Dave’s boat.
“Dave! Oh hi, Miss Thomas. Dave, I’ve got an emergency!”
Dave got up, “What’s wrong, Tom?”
“They kidnapped Harold Junior. They want money. I’ve got some. What should I do?”
Robert’s Best, (Part 19, Excerpt 104)
This is a new story. Robert’s Best is a sail boat. Grandfather Roberts has sailed it on the Intercostal waterway from Texas to Key West, Florida. His grandchildren and their parents have come to Key West on a visit. There will be a lot of funny happenings until the criminals from a previous story get into action. A side note is that a 1935 antique Chris-Craft Model 557 Cabin Cruiser is going to play an important part in the rest of the story. Grandfather Roberts has met Honest Dave and had a tour of his Chris-Craft. Honest Dave is going back to Homestead to check on his businesses. He will come back. Grandfather Roberts has moved into his new house on the Atlantic and we will get introduced to the A. M. Adams Turtle Schooner. The criminals are now up to their mischief.
Harold scuffed his shoes a couple of times and slowed down, “Who are you? I’m not supposed to talk to strangers.”
“Harold, I’m not a stranger. I’m Frank. Remember, I put this swing up for you.”
“Ring! Ring!” The phone rang, exactly according to plan.
“Oh, now I remember.”
“Harold, the reason I came by is I know where a pirate ship is.”
“Really! Where is it?”
“Just a little ways over there. If we hurry we can see it, and get their flag and swords. But we got to hurry!”
“I could go and tell my grandfather.”
“No, we don’t have much time. See my truck just pulled up. If we hurry we can go over there, get the swords and pirate flag and be right back.”
He then took Harold’s hand, and they hurried out and got in the truck.
“Harold, this is Sam. He knows how to get to the pirate ship real fast.”
“I sure do, Sonny.” He eased out slowly and headed down Whitehead Street towards the Turtle Crawls.
The turtle schooner looked dark and kind of eerie anchored against the dock. Sam had given the captain and crew some money to rent it for the entire evening till the next day. A private party he had said, and don’t bother to clean up.
Sam pulled the pickup up to the curb. Frank and Harold got out, “Look, Harold, none of the pirates are here. We’ll be able to get in real fast, and get their swords.”
“Sure looks spooky,” Harold Junior exclaimed.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m not worried,” Frank said.
Frank took Harold’s hand. They went out on the dock and crossed over the gang plank onto the turtle schooner. Just then, on the other side of Sam’s pickup a carriage pulled by an old sway-back horse driven by Franklin went clopping by.
“Harold, the pirates’ flag is down. I bet it’s in the captain’s cabin with their swords. They must be at the pirate’s house.”
“That’s right. I remember seeing the house with my mom and dad.”
“Here, I’ve got a flashlight. Let’s go down to the captain’s cabin. There it is. The door right there,” Frank said as he shined his flashlight around.
Frank opened the door, and they went in. He saw an old light hanging in the center of the room. Frank pulled the cord.
“There, Harold, let’s look around.”
“I don’t see any flag or swords,” Harold said. “Hey, what are you doing?” Frank grabbed Harold. It was all he could do to tie Harold’s hands and feet together. Harold got in two kicks to the shins and a punch in the stomach before he was subdued.
Frank said ouch two times and ugh once. He dragged Harold onto a bunk. Be quiet kid, or you will walk the plank, and the sharks will get you.” He pulled the cord to put out the light. He hurriedly went out to the waiting pickup truck, slightly limping and holding his stomach.
“What’s wrong with you?” Sam asked. “Kid slug you?”
“Shut up, and get out of here, to a phone booth.”
They drove about four blocks. “There’s one. It’s kind of out of the way Boss.”
“Keep the motor running.”
Dial, Click...Click...Click, Dial, Click...Click...Click.
He put in a coin...Ding!
Ring! Ring!
I had been looking for Harold Junior all over the house and then around the yard. I was about to go next door.
Ring! Ring!
“Hello.”
A muffled voice said, “Tom Roberts.”
“Yes, who is this?”
“Don’t worry. Just listen, we’ve borrowed your grandson. Nothing will happen to him. We just need a little dough, I mean cash. Now get ten thousand dollars in hundreds and put it in an old shoe. Leave it outside, on one side of the door to the lighthouse on Truman. Drop-off time is seven PM tonight. No later! You’ve got plenty of time to get the cash. We’re not charging you very much. Now listen up, do not go to the authorities! We’ll be watching.”
I looked at my watch. It was four o’clock. I ran upstairs and rummaged through my sock drawer where I hid my cash. I counted it out. I had a couple of thousand dollars in hundreds. I stuffed it in my pants pocket and went over to the phone.
Then I heard it, Clop Da...Clop Da...Clop. It’s Franklin, I realized, passing by to see his sweetie. I ran downstairs, out the front door, and into the street.
“Franklin! Franklin!”
“Yes, Mister Tom. Whooo Bessie!” He said as he pulled on the reins.
“Can you get me to Dave’s boat. Right away? It’s an emergency!”
“Yes, Sir! Jump in. Let’s go, Bessie! Gitty Up!” Bessie hadn’t heard that command for some time, and she perked right up and proceeded to move out.
“I’m going to cut over to Simonton. It’s a straight shot,” Franklin said.
We pulled up. “Wait here, Franklin.” I jumped down and ran out onto the dock.
When I got to Dave’s boat, there was Dave and the realtor lady, Miss Betty Thomas sitting on the backseat of Dave’s boat.
“Dave! Oh hi, Miss Thomas. Dave, I’ve got an emergency!”
Dave got up, “What’s wrong, Tom?”
“They kidnapped Harold Junior. They want money. I’ve got some. What should I do?”
From the Author:
My second full-length book , Florida Keys’ Watercolor Kapers is composed of 336 pages. There are 12 stories running from 6 pages to as many as 72 pages. It is fully illustrated with 88 watercolors and sketches. The watercolors I made roaming around Key West after I finished my 750 mile hike from Georgia to Key West. (See book or Don Browne’s South West Florida Online News records, A Walk Across Florida.) As you read these stories you will experience Key West, the Keys, and the Caribbean. These stories span the time of the early 1800’s to 1969. bkranich.wixsite.com/bobkranich
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