High Tide Read Free

got to the other end, Ace was bent over the opposite end, peering inside, a frown of concentration on his face.
    â€œPsst,”
the deliveryman said to the kid in the uniform. The label on his pocket said, Tim, Kendrick Park. “Tim,” the deliveryman said, then handed him the remote control.
    â€œIs that what—”
    â€œQuiet,” the man ordered. “Don’t let him see it.”
    â€œYeah, sure,” Tim said, his eyes wide, looking like a kid with the world’s biggest Nintendo game in his hands.
    â€œJust don’t push the buttons,” the deliveryman said, “ because the thing will start moving and it’ll scare everybody.”
    â€œYeah?” Tim said, somehow managing to open his eyes even wider. But Tim could no more resist the temptation than Adam could. The minute the crate was opened enough to see inside the near end, Tim pushed the buttons—then was extremely satisfied when a woman behind him gave a yelp of fear.
    â€œIt’s all right,” Ace said to the crowd as he looked at the first of what was probably a planeload of travelers arriving in the baggage claim. “It’s not real. It’s just a fiberglass alligator sent here from California, and we’re checking it for damages.”
    At his words the fear left their faces, but they showed no signs of moving closer to the baggage carousel. What some of them had just seen was what looked to be the enormous head of an alligator lift out of a wooden crate and snap its jaws at the man who was fearlessly putting his hands into the long box.
    When no one so much as moved even an inch in the directionof the luggage, Ace shook his head in exasperation, then turned and snatched the remote from Tim. “Would you help rather than hinder?”
    â€œSorry, boss,” Tim said, but he didn’t look sorry. “I couldn’t resist it. That thing sure does look real.”
    â€œThat’s why it cost me every penny I had,” Ace muttered. “Now get on that end and check its tail. See if there’s so much as a scratch.”
    Now that Ace and Tim had taken over, the deliveryman was leaning against the back wall and using a pocket knife to trim his nails. “So how come you don’t have a real alligator?” he asked. “You runnin’ out of real ones down here?” He laughed at his own joke. “Too many handbags and shoes?”
    Ace had to nearly push a woman aside as she leaned so far over to see inside the crate that she was in the way. “Kendrick Park is a bird sanctuary,” he said, as if that explained everything.
    When the man looked puzzled, Tim said quietly, “He doesn’t like to put things in cages, but alligators draw crowds.”
    The man pondered that for a minute. “I see. So you thought that if you get a fake alligator you’ll get tourists, but ol’ Ivan here won’t cry crocodile tears of loneliness. Right?” He was grinning at his little witticism.
    When Ace didn’t bother to answer, Tim said, “Exactly.”
    â€œYou about through with your inspection, Mr. Birdman?” the deliveryman asked.
    â€œThe damage on the crate is on the bottom. To do a proper inspection, we’re going to have to take it out and look at its belly.”
    â€œJust what my wife says to me every night,” the man said under his breath to Tim, who turned red and choked on hislaughter. At the moment his boss didn’t look as though he was in the mood for jokes.
    â€œOkay, Tim, get the tail. Careful. I don’t want it hurt. Okay,” Ace said a moment later as he looked at the huge alligator replica stretched out full length on the floor. “It looks undamaged.”
    â€œSo you want to sign this now, so I can go get something to eat?”
    â€œAll right,” Ace said, stretching out his hand; then he took a deep breath before he signed the paper saying the terrifically expensive replica was now