“Hey, Len,” Izzy called.
As he joined them, Ashley wondered if he and Karen might not make a good match. Len was dedicated to his job, and so was Karen. They both believed in what they were doing. Karen had gone directly for her goal, once she had decided she wanted to teach young children. Len had told her he’d joined the academy after acquiring a business degree and spending a few years traveling for work. Business, he said, hadn’t suited him, despite the fact that he’d stuck out the four years for his degree. He was working now in a patrol car with a senior partner and loved it.
“Don’t look, it’s a real cop,” Gwyn teased. “What brings you here? Aren’t you supposed to be solving crime down in south Dade?”
He made a face. “Paperwork. I wonder if the public knows how much paperwork we have to do? A guy sneezes at the wrong time during an arrest and it turns into twenty pages of paperwork. No, no, don’t go quitting the academy. I’m exaggerating.”
Ashley laughed with the others. Len had never been one of the regulars at Nick’s, but that was where she had met him. He wasn’t actually a boater or fisherman. He’d been out with a friend for a day, and when they’d come into Nick’s after long hot hours on the boat, he’d noticed her studying the requirements for entry into the academy. They’d started talking, and then he’d come back a few weeks later, and that time, he’d asked her out.
By then she’d been scheduled to take the test for the academy, and she’d been able to tell him that she didn’t want to date anyone until she’d completed her training. He’d asked her if they could have a meal together now and then, and maybe take in a movie. They’d done so, and she’d valued the friendship. And now it would be great if he and Karen did hit it off.
“Hey, kid, how’s it going?” he asked her.
Arne Jacoby sniffed. “How’s it going? She’s a star student. Ever get a one-word answer out of this girl? Nope. No matter what the question, she’s done the research.”
“Actually, I wasn’t talking about the academy,” Len said. “Did she tell you about the body she passed on the highway the other week? There was an article in the paper about it. I kept it for you, Ashley, in case you hadn’t been able to get a hold of a copy.”
“I found the article, Len, and it’s worse than what I knew.”
“What are you talking about?” Arne demanded. “You’re losing us. Start from the beginning. There was an accident?”
“Yes, a kind of freaky—and sad—accident, as it turns out,” she added, looking at Len, then explaining to them all. “I went to Orlando with some friends for the weekend, and we passed an accident on I-95. A pedestrian had been struck. Apparently he’d been walking across the expressway. In his underwear. Turned out he was someone I know. Knew well, as a matter of fact, years ago.”
“You knew the guy?” Len said.
“I think I heard some mention of that accident on a traffic report,” Gwyn said, frowning. “There was an article in the paper the other morning, too.”
“Strange case. The guy was in his underwear, running across the highway. Well, it is Miami…. He wasn’t in a fraternity or anything, pulling off a stunt?” Len asked.
“No, not Stuart. He’s out of school, working. He was the kind who graduated with honors, more of a…well, more of a nerd than a fraternity type.”
“So…” Gwyn persisted. “What was he doing?”
“They’re saying he was all doped up,” Len explained quietly. “But that’s about all I’ve heard about the incident. It was probably handled by the North Miami guys, or maybe North Miami Beach. Or maybe County. I’m sure someone can find out. We can check with vehicular homicide—no, sorry, the guy wasn’t killed, right? He’s in a coma. From what I read, though, he was really doped up.”
“Was he a junkie when you knew him?” Izzy asked, his tone soft, consoling.
“No!” Ashley said indignantly. “And that’s the point. I don’t think he’s a junkie now.”
“When was the last time you saw him?” Arne asked quietly.
“A few years ago,” she admitted. She realized that everyone around the table was looking at her the same way. Sadly. As if they didn’t want to state the obvious. She hadn’t seen the guy in a long time. Human beings were fragile. There was nothing to say that he hadn’t become a dope addict in the years since she had seen him.
“I’d still like to find out more about the accident,” she said.