Dirk splashed on an ample supply of after shave. “Ouch!” he grumbled. For the first time since he could remember, he had shaven his face clean, no obligatory stubble was left today. He had a quizzical look on his face as the perused his naked mug in the mirror trying to decide if he liked his new look or not-he didn’t. “Not good,” he mumbled. He stepped into the nearby bedroom and slipped on his only white golf shirt that he had left on the dresser the night before. He carefully buttoned the bottom two buttons on the collar and then slid his only pair of Bermuda shorts off the same dresser and pulled them on, carefully tucking in the shirttail. He returned to the bathroom and combed his hair back on both sides and straightened his collar. Anxious to look as neat and well-groomed as possible, he grabbed a seldom used can of hair spray from the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and gave his swept-back locks a good spray. He stuffed the spray can back in the crowded cabinet, pushed the mirror shut and reached above to click off the light.
Dirk felt his way back into the bedroom. It was only five in the morning and visibility was minimal in the poorly lighted room. He sat down on the corner of his small bed and reached underneath. He lifted out a pair of bright white tennis shoes and tossed them on the bed next to him. Then, without getting off the bed, he reached over and pulled open the top drawer on his dresser and lifted out a white pair of socks and slipped them on. He put on the rarely used tennis shoes and departed the room, slapping the wall switch off on the way out.
The smell of stale pizza filled the air as he made his way through his cluttered kitchen toward the garage. He stepped into the crowded garage and made his way cautiously around his prized Harley Hog toward a bicycle on the other side of the Harley. In preparation for today, he had cleaned and test ridden the seldom used bike the night before. He walked over and grabbed the frame of the bike and carried it to the back of his vehicle. He laid it in the back of the SUV and closed the rear hatch.
* * * * * *
Vinnie yawned mightily as he turned into the expansive parking lot at Sweetbay Supermarket. He was working an extra half shift this morning. A good buddy of his on the Villages security force had been called out of town suddenly for a family emergency. Vinnie was asked to help out and, as usual, he said yes. He, along with another officer, had agreed to take his friend’s “graveyard shift” from midnight to eight in the morning. Vinnie had the second half of the shift which was from four to eight in the morning.
Vinnie shined his spot on several bakery staff’s vehicles tucked neatly in the corner of the large lot at Sweetbay. The bakery crew arrived early each morning to make sure the store would have fresh goodies to sell later that day. Vinnie cruised around the lot, occasionally flashing his side-mounted spot on the far areas of the lot. As he expected, nothing looked out of order at Sweetbay. He killed the spot, radioed his position to headquarters and headed for the next shopping area.
A short time later, he was cruising past a cluster of seaside style buildings surrounded by tall palm trees swaying gently in the morning breeze. He shone his spot on the front of the buildings and around the large parking area and once again he saw nothing suspicious. After checking out several other similar shopping areas, Vinnie exited the last shopping enclave and drove onto Buena Vista Boulevard for a short trip to the Arnold Palmer golf complex.