just rambling

“Have you been to the island before?”

    “No, never. That’s why I needed a cab! I know my hotel is close, but I don’t really know how to find it, and I didn’t want to wander around looking.”

    Bobby smiled.  “I shouldn’t take your money. It’s fifteen dollars for a two-block ride. How about you pay me ten more and I take you for a little tour?”

      “That sounds grand. An orientation drive.”

     “Do you want to drop your bags off first?”

    “No, I can’t really check in until two o’clock anyway.”

    “All right. We’ll loop around and wind up there.”  He glanced in the rear view mirror. An older woman. Grey hair. She took off the large sunglasses that hid much of her face and leaned back against the seat, gazing out at the ferry, which was already loading up again. Startling silver eyes. She seemed somewhat familiar. He pulled out of the waiting line and turned right. “This is really almost all there is of town. Water Street. I think we now boast three ice cream shops.” He rounded the left hand turn. “That’s the National on the left, the Surf on the right.”

   The woman looked right. “That’s the Surf?”

  “Junk shop on right. Liquor store on left. Here’s where the old Post Office was. It’s now a bagel shop. Closes at noon. And this is the only grocery store on the island. Some people call it Dean and DeLuca’s because of the prices. Real estate agency, in case you want to buy a house and stay for a while. Hardware store. The old hardware store used to be called Tiffany’s, but this one is not as bad. Harbor Pond on the right.”

    “Where is the cemetery?”

    “The cemetery,” he asked?

    “Yes. I heard there was a very old one. I’m interested in genealogy.”

    “I’ll show you,” he said.

     By the time he’d looped back around Beach Avenue to town and the Manisses, where she was staying, he had grown suspicious. Familiar grey eyes, interest in the graveyard and the Surf. Taken together, he was pretty sure.

    “Have you got a card? I’ll can you for all my transportation needs.” 

   He gave her a card, when he dropped her at the Manissees. She looked at it and then at him again. He down the Neck to see Merry.