I swung my legs, the cherry-red roller skates gaining speed as I traveled down the main street of Golden Coast, my mind filled with endless, overlapping thoughts. I couldn’t stop returning to the idea that a shark had let me go, sparing my life while brutally hunting so many others, claiming at least three more souls since I last spoke to my father; two idiots, whose bodies were never found, but apparently someone walking their dog witnessed the whole gruesome attack, and a third fisherman who was out at sea, drunk, bragging about how he'd seen the shark responsible and was determined to bring it to justice. Of course, when he wobbled onto the now broken dock, he slipped, falling into the ocean never to be seen again. There was no proof the killer shark was responsible for his death, until his left arm washed up on shore this morning, the limb ripped clean from his body. Thecoroner found a shark tooth lodged into the bone, which made it pretty obvious that the shark was the one to blame. With the whole shark chaos brewing, the police and locals had been harassing my dad to take action, to do something. The town of Golden Coast had become an all-out clusterfuck.
I skated up to the steps that led to the double doors of the police station, carefully using the railing to pull myself up. I skated inside, weaving through the unusually large presence of civilians as I made my way to Cherri’s desk. She was buried in paperwork, typing away as if her life depended on it.
“What the hell is all this?” I asked, gently glancing over the stacks upon stacks of disheveled papers, picking one up.
Cherri snatched the page from my hand. “That,” she raised an eyebrow, “is G.C.P.D. property. Not for your eyes.”
“Jeez, who pissed in your cereal?” Cherri made a face, furiously typing away. “What, did someone die or something?” I joked, noticing the look she shot me. “Oh wait, someone really did? Who?” I pressed, crouching as I held onto the edge of her desk, now eye level with her.
She stopped, looking around before leaning forward. “Dale came barging in here earlier this morning, ranting about how some guys down at the docks found another body. Apparently it was another fisherman, partially eaten, missing limbs and all sorts of shit. He said the fishermen are pissed, feeling unsafe—targeted—and want the Chief to take action.”
I scoffed. “Ironic how when the men are targeted, it’s suddenly a safety issue.” I rolled my eyes.
“Mhm,” Cherri agreed, immediately returning to her typing. “With Deputy Danielson still missing, I’m stuck handling all the shark attack paperwork and typing up morgue reports while Dale and your dad sit in his office all day, scheming about how they plan to hunt this illusive killer shark. If you ask me, their time would be better spent going after a real killer,like that Angel of Death fellow, instead of playing Go Fish.” I smiled, impressed and smitten with how smart Cherri really was. Her intelligence and wit were always overlooked, heavily overshadowed by her beauty. I pitied the man who dared cross her.
The door to father’s office swung open as Dale and my dad both stepped out towards Cherri’s desk. I quickly rose, my balance off as I tried to steady my rollerskates. Dale grinned, amused by my presence as my dad sighed. “Thought I asked you to stop trampling around in those inside the police station.”
Shit. He did. “W-well, I wasn’t planning on stopping by, but I realized Cherri forgot her lunch at home, so I-I thought I’d bring it to her,” I lied.
He glanced from me to Cherri as she stopped typing, her eyes bouncing between us. “Well, give it to her then,” he ordered. I stopped, realizing I didn’t even have her lunch, and just stood there like a fucking idiot. “I—”
“She already did.” Cherri smiled, raising a brown paper bag from her desk drawer. “Just dropped it off and was saying goodbye when you two gentlemen appeared.” She looked at me, forcing her eyes to the door, signaling for me to leave. “Thank you so much for your kindness, Delilah.” Her fake demeanor made my face twist as I tried to fight back my laughter.
“Whatever. I don’t have time for you two right now.” My dad sighed, rubbing his temple. “Cherri.” He turned to face her as she lowered her arm. “I need you to take all my calls today. Write down any messages I get and just leave them on my desk now, will you?”
“Yes, Chief. Is there any particular reason you won’t be able to take your calls, or is that on a need-to-know basis?”
Dale groaned. “Oh, for fuck’s sake woman. Just do your job and don’t ask questions.”
Cherri’s face said exactly how she felt as I looked at him, biting my tongue. “Of course, Dale.” She spat his name. “I only ask, seeing as it is my job, in case someone more important calls, —say, the mayor?” She directed her next words to my father. “I would hope to give an appropriate response so that when the mayor inquires, and yes, I saywhen,because we both know, Chief, that our sweet old mayor does like to know everything happening in his town. But I ask, respectfully, so that I may know the correct answer to give our dear mayor, sparing you, Chief, any further complications or embarrassment.” She tilted her head, smiling as she watched him squirm beneath her well thought out response.
My father cleared his throat, taken back by her bold yet reasonable question. “Umm, yes, well, I’m going out with Dale and a few of the other fishermen in town to see what we can do about this shark. Call it…groundwork.” He waved her off as the two men began to walk away.
“You need some help out there?” she asked, stopping them in their tracks.
Dale snickered. “Why don’t you leave the men’s work to themen, sweetheart?” I watched, disgusted by his words as the two men quickly left.
“He wouldn’t know what a real man was if it fucked him in the ass with a big old cock,” Cherri snapped, returning to her work.
“It’s a real shame you don’t date women.” I crossed my arms, enamored by her attitude. “We’d made a killer couple, babe.”
Cherri grinned, sticking her tongue out. “The world isn’t ready for two women like us to be together. Besides, I thought you had that new man of yours. From what you were telling me, the things you two did the other night...” She peeked up at me. “I’m surprised you can even think about anyone else.”
I leaned against her desk, my hair falling over my shoulders. “No man could fuck me hard enough to make me forget about you.”
“Oh shush!” Cherri laughed, glancing around. “Now get your nasty mouth out of here before you get me fired! Damn flirt.” She smiled.
“Yes, ma’am,” I teased, rolling away. “I love it when you order me around!” I shouted, rushing away. It brought me joy to know I could make her smile, even with all the shit she was dealing with. Cherri was my best friend, and I’d always have a special place for her in my life. But right now, I was too focused on finding Reef.
Frustratedwith another day of failed attempts at finding Reef, I stumbled into my favorite bar, located just off the beach on the edge of town. It was old and eccentric, filled with people of all walks of life, the bar collecting them like they were its precious jewels in an ever-growing collection.
I skated to the wooden bar, plopping down on the stool as I rested my head on my hands. “Tough day?” the bartender asked, tossing a towel over her shoulder.
I lifted my head, blowing the overlapping curtain bangs from my face. “You have no idea, Birdie.”
The older woman nodded. “What can I get you, kid?”
I gleaned around, pondering on my drink of choice, when my eyes landed on a man across the bar, drinking a beer, a cowboy hat on his head, staring back at me. I smiled. “I’ll have whatever he’s having.” I pointed, unable to resist the urge to fill my time with someone else’s company.
