Free The Alligator Man by James Sheehan Page A

asked.
    Tom looked at Ray Blackwell and winked. “And these guys think they are the gods.”
    The judge roared at the remark. So did Alex and Kate. Kevin was still the odd man out.
    “And who is this young man?” Tom finally asked, looking at Kevin.
    Kate brought Kevin around to the side of his father’s bed. She knew what was coming.
    “Tom,” she said, “this is your son, Kevin.”
    It was Tom’s turn to be surprised. The older man’s eyes welled up and he began to shake slightly. His voice left him. He took Kevin’s right hand in his and held it. His hands were huge, just as Kevin remembered, and they were gentle, and he suddenly remembered that too. The tears began to fall from Tom’s eyes now as he continued to just look at his son, a smile on his face, unable to do or say anything else.
    Once again, Kevin didn’t know how to react. Part of him wanted to hug his father; part of him wanted to strangle him. He decided to simply return the smile.
    Seeing Tom’s emotions start to strain, Alex gave the two men a moment and then ushered everybody out of the room. In the hallway, he pulled Kate aside.
    “Go in and say good-bye to him now because I want him to sleep for the rest of the day. He needs to be strong for tomorrow.”
    Kate gave him a worried look.
    “Don’t worry, Kate. I’ll look in on him all day.”
    In the elevator, Kate invited the judge to spend the night out at the ranch.
    “I’d love to, Kate,” he replied. “But my Aunt Birdie already has my promise to spend the night.”
    She turned to Kevin next. “How about you, Kevin? The ranch is very relaxing and you’ve had a long day.”
    Kevin knew it had to take a lot to make the offer after the way he had treated her. Still, he was emotionally in knots. Things were happening way too fast.
    “Thanks, but I’ve already got a room for the night. Maybe tomorrow.”

Chapter Eighteen
    O nly about five square miles in area, St. Albans’s Old City was more like a small town. Because its origins extended all the way back to the early eighteenth century when the Spanish ruled Florida, it was a modern-day tourist attraction. All of the buildings were Spanish Colonial in style. The original structures—and there were still quite a few—were made of shale, a combination of shell and sand. The more modern ones were composed of concrete and stucco, and since they had to conform in every way to the original architecture, no building in town exceeded two stories.
    Kevin chose to stay in the Old City because it had been his home as a young boy. He found a bed-and-breakfast close to the parking garage, checked in, deposited his bags in the room, splashed a little water on his face, and went out for a walk—stopping at the front desk to ask the charming woman who had signed him in if there was a locals’ bar close by.
    “Chico’s on La Plaza, two blocks down on the right. Everybody goes there,” she told him.
    There was a cool wind blowing as Kevin walked the narrow, winding streets. It was dusk and he saw several couples snuggling close to each other as they walked. He wished that Susan was with him at that moment and that for once they could simply enjoy the romantic setting and forget about their troubles.
    Although he looked for the better part of an hour, he couldn’t find his father’s house, the house where he had grown up. Nor could he retrieve that sense of belonging. It was a beautiful place, but it didn’t feel like home. He was tired and ready for a drink when he finally arrived at Chico’s.
    Chico’s was a dark, comfortable little joint and it was fairly busy although not full. Music was playing in the background at a level that allowed the customers to have a conversation with one another. Kevin found a spot at the bar and sat and ordered a bourbon and soda. It had been a tough day emotionally and he needed a good stiff drink. As he took his first sip, his eyes scanned the bar. That’s when he noticed Billy sitting three seats