It was getting late in the day by the time Michael arrived at Panama City Beach. So far, he’d stopped at eight marinas, making inquiries at each to find out more about Karina’s strip trip. Unfortunately, he was still looking for answers.
At five o’clock, there were still plenty of people milling about Captain Randy’s Marina. Sunset cruises were setting out, and tourists were settling into the perfect dining spot to look out upon St. Andrew’s Bay. At the dock, a fish market was tending to the day’s catch, where many sunburned fishermen were getting their redfish and grouper filleted.
Michael went to the marina’s office, hoping to talk to someone about boat charters or tours, but found the office had just closed for the day. A sign on the window listed the private charter boats, dive boats, and tour vessels operating out of the marina. No one was advertising booze cruises, or the availability of strippers for hire, but he did see a handful of listings for party fishing boats.
The party boats were identified with a captain and a contact number. Michael called the first number and clicked off when a message came on. The same thing happened with the second number. The third time proved to be a charm. Captain Ernesto “Moss” Macias, who operated the Easy Way Out, answered.
Michael tried to be folksy. “Glad to hear a human voice. My name’s Michael, and I’m standing at the marina charter office, but it’s closed up tight. I came by hoping to get some information on a party boat rental.”
“I might be able to help you if you can hang tight for five minutes,” he said.
“Much appreciated,” Michael said.
* * *
The Captain was good with his time frame. “Michael?”
The man coming toward him was tall and heavyset with a short white beard. On his T-shirt was a picture of a fisherman casting a line and the words, I CAN’T WORK TODAY BECAUSE MY HAND IS IN A CAST! Work jeans and mesh-lined fishing shoes completed his outfit.
“Moss,” said the man, and they shook.
His hand was callused from years of angling and working the sea. Michael said, “Thanks for stopping by. You have a good day out on the water?”
“Pretty fair. Nobody got skunked. And right about now they’re telling anyone who will listen how they had a whale on the end of their line, but it got away.”
“I once caught a fish this big.” Michael stretched his arms out wide, before bringing his hands almost together.
“I have a T-shirt with those words written on it. My kids say I’m impossible to shop for, so they always get me one fishing shirt or another. Some of them my wife doesn’t let me wear.”
Michael didn’t reference his own wife. As he had done during his visit to the Emerald Hideaway, he’d put away his wedding ring in order to better work his story.
“The reason I stopped by was to get some information about hosting a party on your boat.”
“A fishing party?”
“The fishing wouldn’t be as much the priority, as would the partying. You see, my brother is getting married, and I’ve been put in charge of his bachelor party. There will be about twenty-five of us. We’ll want a booze cruise with some extras.”
“Extras?”
“The guys want me to get some strippers.”
Moss began shaking his head. “I won’t be able to help you there, son. I know this area has the reputation for being a crazy spring break hot spot, but that’s not the kind of business me and my crew cater to.”
“Is that just your boat, or is it all the party boats in this marina?”
“I’m pretty sure you’re not going to find that kind of a charter here.”
“Any suggestions on where I could find it?”
The captain’s formerly accommodating attitude turned dismissive. “I’d try one of the other marinas in town.”
As Moss walked by him, Michael said, “I’m sorry to have bothered you, sir, and I certainly didn’t mean to insult you. If I had a choice in the matter, I’d be all for pole fishing instead of pole dancing, but a couple of the guys are insisting on strippers.”
The apology was enough to make Moss pause. “No offense taken. And it’s not as if that kind of business doesn’t go on around here. In fact, I just had a fishing charter where I overheard some of the guys talking about a sunset party cruise that was in the works with girls from a local strip club.”
“You happen to remember which strip club it was? I know Panama City doesn’t have a shortage of nudie bars.”
“Sorry.”
Michael tried to keep him talking. “Was this a recent charter?”
“Four, five days ago.”
“Out-of-towners, I bet?”
The captain nodded. “They were in this area doing some kind of military recruiting.”
“Different kind of fishing,” Michael said.
“A much more lucrative kind. I got paid in cash. Rock said they were celebrating a very successful recruiting trip.”
“Rock?”
“That’s what the others called him. That, and General.”
Michael did his best not to react. The name was likely just a coincidence, he thought. Still, hearing the name “Rock” had him curious, as did the man’s being addressed with a military title.
“Not to be pushy, but I’m wondering if you could provide me with the contact information from that charter. I’d be curious about their experience with that party boat.”
“No can do,” said Moss, his answer abrupt and suspicious.
Michael held up his hands in a posture of surrender. “Completely understood. I’m just trying to navigate this whole bachelor party thing.”
“Like I said, I can’t help you with that. But I will give you my opinion on the matter, son. I’d be thinking more about your brother’s future wife than his friends. You don’t want to do anything that might cause trouble between your brother and his bride-to-be. I’m speaking from the experience of having been married for almost forty years.”
“That sounds like good advice.”
“Don’t mean to sermonize, but my wife is always telling me I shouldn’t only be a fisherman, but a fisher of men, like it says in the Good Book.”
“You won’t get an argument from me,” Michael said.
“Not that I’m what you’d call a regular churchgoer. I always tell my wife that it’s better to sit in a boat thinking about God, than sit in a church thinking about fishing.”
“I like that.”
“It’s on one of my T-shirts,” the man confessed.
Then he made one more confession. “If you’re still inclined to find entertainment, you might ask around the Suncoast Marina. Seems to me a friend once mentioned a special kind of trawling takes place on a yacht that he called the ‘melon boat.’”
“Much obliged,” Michael said.