Skinny Dip: The Everglades Saga Based on Novels by Carl Hiaasen

by digitalbirth

Skinny Dip: The Everglades Saga based on the official novel by Carl Hiaasen. A tribute to a great visionary, The Everglades Saga follows some chronology from the Hiaasen novels from Bayous of Louisiana to the back alleys of Fort Lauderdale. It also covers some of the same themes and books such as Skin Tight and Skinny Dip, including famous ones like Mick Stranahan and Al Garcia.

~~~~~~~ SKINNY DIP: The Everglades Saga. A true sequel to the Crime-Thriller drama, based on key concepts by the world-famous satire Author Carl Hiaasen. All characters, concepts or ideas from "SKINNY DIP" are copyright to CW/Warner Brothers and Carl Hiaasen. All new ideas, concepts, characters and story line trees are copyright the original author to this fictional work. ~~~~~~~

Starring MICK STRANAHAN(MATT BARR), JOEY PERRONE,(SARA WRIGHT/BULLOCK) DETECTIVE AL GARCIA (ARMAND ASSANTE) & CHRIS "CJ JUAN CARLOS" ROJO of the ROJO SUGAR PANHANDLE PLANTATION. (BRENT SEXTON.) Guest roles by SHAD. (VING RHAMES) & miscellaneous characters. (DAVE DILBECK, ERIN GRANT, CHAZ PERRONE)

~~~~ Tribute to Carl Hiaasen, One of the Greatest Fiction Authors Ever Known. ~~~~

Chapter 1

FLASH FORWARD TO DOWNTOWN BATON ROUGE, NEAR THE GREAT BAY OF DEVIL'S SWAMP LAKE.*

Narrator: The lights flashed and bounced off the corners of the Cruise Ship, near the apex to the largest lake in Southern Louisiana. They reflected off like diamonds running along the sides of a slippery water slide, as though every light that went up and over in a wave would let off this ricochet of a glow spark. Joey Perrone situated herself in the cool autumn air, as the wind was thick with the scent of alcohol and older cigarettes which had been put out hours before. She was there on a Cruise Ship, with her so-called husband Chaz Perrone on what is supposed to be her best honeymoon of the season.

But something is wrong, something stirs in the air. The wind is thick with the residue of screaming hawks in the distance, and there is a sense of melancholy on board the cruise ship. It was just going to be a quick trip out, Chaz had claimed, and there was no reason to be alarmed about the lifeguards pulling into the harbor of Devil's Swamp Lake. This was just a routine visit, Joey and her friend Sarah told themselves. Yes, that was all that was going on here. Chaz and his friend had associates to meet, and a "special package" to deliver and this is what it requires…sitting in the middle of a swamp and waiting until those perky little glowing lights pop up out of nowhere over the horizon. Chaz said that Chris "CJ" Rojo would meet him here, and it was all for the benefit of the charity event as well as their honeymoon. Mr. Perrone's friend was outside on the main deck speaking to a sharp dressed man in a tuxedo, and surely there was nothing to worry about. The Lifeguard was nearby after all…it was only summer now.

JOEY: "Chaz….Chaz?! Is that you, babe? What's going on….I thought this meeting would surely not take us out this far, right?"

JOEY PERRONE: "It is getting late, dear….And my shorts are crawling up the sides of my latex…..Auugh, this chafes….I am itching like crazy in this bog!"

MONA: "I'm sure he will be just a minute, Joey….Ya see, your fiance is the type of guy to neva take any chances. I heard that's how he took care of Maurice….and some guy named Moldovsky, or Malcomis Moldovsky or something…I forget his name hon…but, if he brought us all out here it must've been supa important this time for his next gig, that's all I know…"

Mona says as she takes a drag off her cigarette, continuing to puff a few circles…right off the deck of the ship.*

JOEY PERRONE: "Oh yah, that's right! He said Mickael and him had a big surprise t'night…"

Narrator: But tonight, there's something….wrong. Something is off…something that doesn't quite sit well with the deck of this overblown Cruise Ship from Florida, to top it off. The air was thick with suspense, and strange sounds...as alligators quietly growled off the deck of starboard port. What the heck was taking so long? And why in the world, was Chaz Perrone not even giving so much as a reply. There was a thick, dense fog laying into the Bayou of Devil's Swamp Lake and it was getting so bad you couldn't see your own hand in front of your face. Why was it so important for Chaz to come all the way out here? And to be carrying a piece, for that matter…with a 22' shot put in the front side entrance that rains bullets.

CHAZ PERRONE: "Whatdy'a mean, you don't have enough money bags Chris!? That's what this is about? I bring you my best man, and I take care of the politics…and this is how you repay me?"

CHAZ PERRONE: "You tell ME, who runs the ship here…that I need to bring you MORE money…and get rid of my fiance's family to top it off…..or the deal is off?!"

Chaz grimaced with a menacing look as he stared with dead eyes at Chris Rojo as though he'd blown a fuse in his fuse box ten minutes ago.*

CHRIS 'CJ' ROJO: "I told you, you goddannm idiot….I can't do anything about the political situation. Congressman Dilbeck's in Jail in Tallahassee last I heard….Half my Sugar Shipment has been confiscated, since I barely escaped the penitentiary. Malcolm is dead, his brother's alive and wants his money back."

CHRIS ROJO: "This isn't all my fault, I tried to tell you….the Detective guy….Either Detective Stranahan or Garcia, forgot this snapper's name….He got in the way big time paco…Screwed everything up…"

CHRIS ROJO: "Hell, my brother's in jail…They're moving him to Leavenworth as we speak thanks to that f'kong hooker near Orlando…and I was lucky Chaz, lucky to get out of Florida in one piece…."

CHAZ PERRONE: "What the hell, man? I thought you weren't even the same ROJO brother who ran the Sugar plantation in Florida….Like I thought you figured this out, you had 2 cousins or something…"

CHRIS ROJO: "No, you moron….Que Hora es!? Of course I'm the same guy…That's how I knew to bring the drugs, and I knew about Stranahan's operation near Baton Rouge…Why do you think I told you to lose the bags, and ignore all the crackpot news about the Murdows in North Carolina…"

CHRIS JUAN CARLOS ROJO: "I had Congressman Fields and Dilbeck in my back pocket, you stupid gringo…That's the only reason we didn't want to move out of the Florida Everglades…..Of course, if you'll wipe out the Perrones for me and finish the deal we made….I may be able to make a clean slate for you with the East Coast mafia….As you know, Sugar makes the world go' round amigo…Bbb-ut I have a proposal first…"

CHAZ PERRONE: "What sort of proposal, mother fooker?"

CHRIS ROJO flashes his gold caps in his teeth…and smiles, staring at CHAZ with a sinister glare.*

CHRIS ROJO: "Get rid of yer stupid wife, Paco….Steven Marks doesn't like leaks…..Toss her overboard, and let the Gators finish their dinner early…..I need the Perrone state fortune Chaz….I need her dead."

CHAZ PERRONE: "Wh-t..what does that mean…You want me to kill my future wife, you mean?"

CHRIS ROJO: "No, no no….Don't shoot the broad you moron. I want her outta the picture, permanently….Just…you know, accidentally knock her overboard….Let the gators finish their dinner.."

CHRIS ROJO: "Guns are too..messy paco. Es'pecially after what happen with that one witch, dancer whatever her name was…..Aarone Grant something in Florida, they were spose'd to cap her too…"

CHAZ PERRONE: "Oh, is that right. Loose ends?"

CHRIS ROJO: "Hermano, more like Loose whooerrs…You moron…Loose lips, sink ships. I tell ya what you going to do. Get rid of her…now. I don't care how it looks, she was watching the starfish in the lake….getting carried away with the shiny spots in Devil's Lake…Looking for glitzy diamonds, right?"

CHRIS ROJO: "Then, she just happened to look too far out in the bay….And that's when you knock her overboard. She falls in, she dies, and we collect all her insurance money. This isn't hard, hermano.."

CHAZ PERRONE: "Oh, ok. Nah, that makes sense. I'll lose her….in the bottom of the drink. Never liked her that much anyway. Oh hey, Mona, how are you my mona lisa?"

Suddenly, CHAZ flashes his gun in the air and knocks MONA over the head with the rear of the barrel. He points menacingly towards the water….staring at her like a piece of meat ready to fillet.*

MONA: "Oh my goawd, Joey run….He's going to kill us…Planning on killing us all!"

CHAZ PERRONE: "Nice try, ! I never did like that sweater either, you sour kraut hoore…"

MONA: "AHHHHHHH" *Mona screams, as suddenly the revolver knocks her over the forehead several times. Until all you see is large bruises across the top of her auburn hair covered head.*

CHRIS ROJO: "Ha ha….Andale! Get rid of that cow, toss her into the bay…..Areba, reba…..Hear come the gators! Come on guys, it's dinner time!...Get moving la el stupido lizardos…"

JOEY PERRONE: "…..mona? …Is that you? I can't hear a thing…What's going on…hello?"

The still night air is suddenly shattered with the sound of several heavy thuds. CHAZ PERRONE is standing on the starboard pier of the Cruise Ship, with Mona's head locked in his arms…."Accidentally" tossing her overboard…overboard into the Devil's Swamp Lake which is now covered in a strange new group of visitors. Alligators, of all breeds are swarming the area. Mona screams in terror, as the alligators begin to slice her to literal pieces in the middle of Swamp Lake….All the while, Joey can't tell what is even going on as loud shrieks begin to be heard out in the water. All she is able to see in the distance, is a small trail of blood along the top of the water. The swirling lights of the Coast Guard/Lifeguards nearby begin to break her concentration. The screams in the night air sound as though some horrific animal kill is in progress, such as a hippopotamus or even a large elk. But it isn't, little does she know it's her friend…Mona. She can no longer think clear, it's all a blur now.*

MONA: "Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…*gurgle gurgle* *The terrifying screams of Mona shake the cool night air, which are soon replaced by the sounds of intense thrashing in the water…along with very low pitched growls….As the now distant alligators begin to tear her apart…Leaving nothing in the wake, as the coast guard begins to shine their lights towards the commotion to see if they can catch a glimpse of whatever animal was thrashing in the water. The detectives nearby however, know that was no normal animal….After all the place they took this vacation is called Devil's Swamp Lake for a reason. There is absolutely no way that whatever or whoever was in the water, is alive….at this point of night.*

JOEY PERRONE: "…..Mona? MONA? I thought you were grabbing me a wine, and was about to be right back….Did you find KAYLA, KYLE or CHAZ? MONA! …..Where are you?"

CHRIS ROJO: "Now, CHAZ….you moron! Get rid of her, before the Coast Guard catches on…Get rid of that dollhouse now!"

CHAZ PERRONE: "Oh JOEY? My dearest Joey….I found your margarita ritoni, baby….It's over here with me, near the middle deck. Come over here, come closer. They just saw a major fireworks show over by the starboard deck. Mona couldn't help but desire to see it up close, she told me this was the only time those older German Eels come to the surface of the lake at night…..They're very sensitive.."

JOEY PERRONE: "What? Oh…there's a fireworks show out there? Is that part of the reason for the noise? Oh CHAZ….That sounds really nice…I think I will take a raincheck though and sit over near the middle of the cabin veranda for now…"

Narrator: JOEY can't help but feel like there is something wrong. Yet she can't quite put her finger on it. She slowly makes her way up deck, to stare out into the lake. The late night air is stifling as the sun disappears over the mountain. Everything is perfectly still….but something is amiss. CHAZ, her fiance is bringing a glass of wine with her favorite margarita mix. Yet he's been acting strange….and MONA Is gone….And it just isn't like her friend to disappear for such long lengths of time, either..What is it?*

CHRIS ROJO: (((Chris Whispers))) "Now you moron…Kill her! Get rid of her, just bump her overboard…..And get this damm Cruise Ship out of here right away…Stop wasting our time."

CHAZ PERRONE: "I was just about to get to that…..Oh Joey! Joey, my dear…I have your drink….Get rid of your blouse…..And come join me in the moonlight, with your lush body….This is supposed to be our honeymoon after all Joey…. "

JOEY PERRONE: "I'll be right there, hon…." * JOEY suddenly strips off her clothes, and tosses her blouse on the corner of the deck. She's just about to join CHAZ for a midnight swim perhaps near the pier. They would go out near the south island, just like old times…to Skinny Dip and enjoy the night air. But this time…things felt different. A strange sensation crawled up her naked back in a chilling manner. MONA was nowhere to be found.*

Suddenly the deck's starboard light goes out, leaving everything dark and confusing. Her vision gets very blurry as the deck goes out of focus. Two large hands plunge outward from the shadows, accidentally shoving JOEY off the middle deck of the ship….and into the water, near the turbines on the underside of the Cruise Ship. Out of nowhere a flurry of screams can be heard, as JOEY plunges head first into the murky water's depths. She couldn't see anything in pitch black, and was just as mystified about the situation before her now as a few moments ago. It had all been a blur, and now she was frantically trying to swim. Mona was dead, she was certain of it. There's something in the lake…some kind of alligator or something…heck it could even be piranhas. Could that have been her husband? Was that CHAZ? Was she fated to die, after her mysterious visitor shoved her straight off the Cruise Ship into the icy Lake Water grave below?*

Narrator: Two Clicks North, a large Coast Guard ship lowers a dinghy speedboat into the water. A large, sharply dressed and gaunt man stares at the water with a lit lantern in one hand and a vape cigar in the other. His demeanor is perplexing as he darts his eyes back and forth over the Lake. He is none other than Detective Mick Stranahan, and he has seen all this countless times before. A so-called jungle cruise, a quiet honeymoon away from Vegas. A trip to the middle of the river during Monsoon season. And then, perhaps a ferry to the island or a Cruise Ship to Devil's Swamp lake just to put a cherry on top. But what was the occasion this time? Murder? Double homicide? Drug trafficking and child smuggling? Who really knows, at this point. Mick stares out at the cold voluminous water with only one thing on his mind. Tonight, that Cruise Ship is involved in something shady. And he was going to find out what. *

COAST GUARD PATROL: "Mick! I am telling you, that's where the lights came from. There's a Cruise Ship over there near the southern island. Now maybe it's covered well, but my ears do not mistake that engine sound…not for a new york minute. That's where the screams were coming from, so the scout is starting its search over there…."

COAST GUARD: "Wait a minute, Mick….Slow down! Slow down Stranahan, that's an order. I think over near the southern wave is where I hear that scream coming from. Sounds like a young woman, in her 30s or 40s…..Something doesn't make sense about all this…"

DETECTIVE MICK STRANAHAN: "I see it….That's not an Elk and it's certainly no animal, you were right on. Mother of pearls, and holy mary…What the hell is this woman doing here in Devil's Swamp Lake?!"

Suddenly, out of the corner of their eye they see a partly unclothed woman racing against the waves trying to keep her head above water. MICK strings together a small life preserver, leaving his mouth halfway open as he tosses it out into the middle of the icy cold lake. It lands just inches away from JOEY PERRONE, the now victim of an attempted homicide on her life….A homicide more than likely perpetrated by her future husband….But proving the allegations may prove to be tougher than originally thought or intended….As at least 2 or more victims aboard who witnessed this attempted murder were also dead. Witnesses including MONA, were also now dead.

And a lot of guests were on that cruise ship, specifically in the area that JOEY normally met her fiance at. It's possible any one of those people could have pushed her overboard to die, even though her husband invited her to come near the pier. It could escalate very quickly, especially since MICK STRANAHAN didn't have much to go on with the Sugar smuggling operations outside of his reach. They would need evidence, not just allegations…they would need hardcore proof. They would need DNA….they would need to find links to the homicides. Most importantly of all, they would need time…a luxury that none of them are afforded in the Louisiana underworld. That and they were outside the jurisdiction of normal jurisprudence…Devil's Swamp Lake didn't really belong to Baton Rouge which was highly concerning. MICK STRANAHAN was in between a rock and a hard place, and the worst part of all…..JOEY was frozen in terror, speaking like a wind-up doll….about all sorts of strange disturbances and images. He would need to calm her down first….If anyone would ever find out the truth about the Sugar smugglers….Let alone the ROJO family, MOLDOVSKY, or STEVEN MARKS and his drug-kingpin benefactors back east. Oh yeah, a bunch of lunatics with guns, a fortune teller in a one-piece bikini and Sugar thieves living out in the Bayou after winging it in Florida. Plus a hustler's club, an eager beaver joint and an Italian mafia boss from the land just south of Epcot Center in Tallahassee…Cue the advertisers, someone call Conan O'Brien. I'm sure they will have a field day with this one, once 60 minutes gets a hold of it!*

Chapter 2

MICK STRANAHAN continued to think over this in his mind, and stroke his chin. He couldn't let any of the other cops know about what he knew, this was just an absolute disaster. They wouldn't believe him, and plus parts of this crime scene were already more esoteric than a two-parter visualization seminar by Deepok Chopra. His greatest advantage was knowing the name of that Cruise Ship they were on…Which he could only get from JOEY, given she's the only survivor known for now and the Coast Guard wouldn't catch up to that Ship for at least 3 days….and if/when they did, there's still not enough evidence. He couldn't help but notice part of her disrobed body dangled off the edge of his speedboat, she wasn't saying a single word. Something about all of this stank to high heaven. Narrator: There was a sense of dread, timidity and trepidation in the air….it was too much for MICK to deal with at this point. Nothing made sense about this….if it was really linked to the Mafia…why didn't they leave a trail behind.*

MICK STRANAHAN: "Joey, I really need something tangible from you….A name, a face. You say the PERRONE fortune is worth about 2 million dollars. Who else sits on the board? And, is your fiance…your future husband, is he one of them?"

JOEY PERRONE: "I told you, I told all 3 of you cops. I don't know what he was into! He was about to….ttto…to….get…a deal done…..Get a deal done with Mikaeloa something…..He was about to get a deal done, I think….I think they tried to kill me….there was a sugar guy maybe there…I can't…remembr.."

JOEY gasps for air. She can't remember hardly anything now. The last thing she remembered was a pair of jaws nearly closing on her swollen up leg, as she jetted out over the top of the water. Hoping anything, anyone would see her….And get her out of the lake before she drowned and was eaten by the gators. By some stroke of luck, or fate….a big old floating life saver vest had fallen down over her head. As it roped her in, and fished her out of the drink right before she became Devil Swamp's next victim. But she was terrified, she hadn't eaten in hours and now she could only think of how awful the Louisiana air was. She had to get somewhere far away, far away from the harbor….to a safe location. A restaurant might even do, anywhere outside of Baton Rouge would do. She needed to get out of this town.*

DETECTIVE MICK STRANAHAN: "There was a mobster there? Really? Which one? What's his name? This have to do with Louisiana….or Georgia? Our boys down south tell us tales about that place…They say Crazy Leo does a lot of cocaine runs out there, near the Salem lakefront…Surely you are up to speed on this. Or does this deal somehow with the Everglades Project?"

JOEY PERRONE: "I told you! I'm not crazy! My future husband tried to kill me, and he's working with the mafia. I wanna lawyer now! And I want you to get me outta this town, please….For gods sake, I heard them talking politics…..Everglades is in Florida….I heard them talking politics and drugs…."

JOEY PERRONE: "Some fat albert like politician...Two of them, out of the Everglades! They said they were going to kill someone, someone part of the mayor's office….My husband was into some truly bad stuff…Came out of 2 hustler clubs and a Casino, he claimed that he owed a million dollars to the guy who runs it. I didn't know he was out that late at night, trust me….but something sinister was happening out there….Something I never got a handle on….I think it's when he went to the diner too.."

MICK calmly steps out on the stern of the speedboat, as they jet away from the area and head back towards town. Back towards the only civilization that the boys on the Bayou know about. Back towards the lights and grimy mysteries of the rotted black windows of Baton Rouge, the town on the lake.*

MICK STRANAHAN: "Nobody's saying you're crazy…you're not crazy joey. But you don't sound well right now, everyone including the Coast Guard says so…..You claim there's a pair of Cruise Ships out here, not just one on the weekend….That they are part of the mafia….frankly all we're saying here…."

COAST GUARD: "..All we're saying here misses, is we find all this a little hard to believe. We've never dealt with any kind of mafia out here before. All we get is the occasional cocaine trafficking….and that's not really anything the Lake front has control over out here."

JOEY PERRONE: "Trust me, it's the mafia...Get me my lawyer if you want the names! I want to speak to attorney mark springer, and want to do it yesterday….Get me outta here! My husband tried to kill me."

MICK STRANAHAN: "You need to start getting this through your head….What you are saying, about the mob….it doesn't make sense. *he puffs a smoke* It's very possible though, as long as it's linked to the same people we were tracking three months ago…..Some of the names had to do with a Congressman Dillweed or Dillbeck in Florida I think…and that's the only way I can think there might be more issues involved here. But we need the names, JOEY…You need to get us the names for god's sake."

JOEY PERRONE: "I told you, I don't remember the names right now of the Sugar guys…One of them was named Chris, that's all I know….I don't remember, don't know their last names. Don't know what Mikaelo wanted. Don't even know what the hell my husband had to do with…All I do know is, I gotta get out of here now…Get me FAR from here, NOW….Please…even a hotel near Salem. Just get me as far from this dump as possible. I'm….I'm ttt-errified! I have no idea what CHAZ was doing you shmuck, but whatever it was it had to be real bad….because I never seen so many suits on our cruise ship before….or at least I hadn't seen that many since mardi gras…I think….So, there's a lot of problems here…please.."

JOEY PERRONE: "Get me outta here….and I'll try to help where I can…that's all I can promise…He tried to kill me and you have to believe I can prove it."

DETECTIVE MICK STRANAHAN: " *puffs a circle of vape with his cigar* If he did try to kill you, by shoving you in the drink…I can think of one guy who might offer some tips. This Detective out of Orlando, I go to sometimes for this mob related stuff…..Detective Garcsha I think, or Detective Garcia…One or the other. He deals with advanced Homicides, drug trafficking and suicides. I'll give him a ring later. But you better start talking...if this is truly involving the mafia, it's time to bring in the big guns and I can't have any mistakes here. They already made more than enough of a disaster outta the Everglades mess and those 2 topless clubs near Fort Lauderdale, not to mention the Harrah's Casino."

DETECTIVE MICK STRANAHAN: "I need you to tell me absolutely everything you know…by the time we're done here. Am I clear here? Do you get me, now?"

JOEY PERRONE: "Crystal clear, detective…..Crystal clear."

Meanwhile, twenty miles away from the speedboat. *

CHRIS CJ ROJO: "Hurry it up, hermano….Get the da*n engine moving full speed! We have to get out of the Mississippi river as fast as we can you fool…..Move the Cruise Ship out of these waters, as I can tell you right now….my benefactor Mikael is going to be very upset with this outcome. He's not going to put up with this crap again…." *cue cameo by Michael Jackson*

Narrator: CHRIS ROJO slides his gun up in the air, and finishes tossing the last victim off the deck of the ship. They plunge into the water with a loud crash, tossing hair and blood across the chilly night air. He glares angrily at CHAZ PERRONE, threatening to blow his head off every few minutes. They are taking the ship out of the harbor and quite a distance away now. Multiple victims, perhaps up to ten have been tossed overboard. CHRIS also personally killed at least 3 people, which is nothing for the ROJO family. Their plan is to get rid of all the evidence and dump the drugs, before they meet up with STEVEN MARKS or MIKAEL. But first there is other loose ends to attend to. ROJO is currently firing his gun at a police boat that had detached itself from the Coast Guard to follow him. The one occupant aboard, DETECTIVE JORDAN, has basically lost a lot of blood. It is clear he will be dead soon and the evidence will sink with him into a watery grave. Things have not gone well for the Coast Guard, since they can't really chase a Ship which has gave no official indication they are a threat. This on top of the fact that only one or two people can officially go out there to try to board the Cruise Ship, does not bring much hope to their future fortunes. Police need evidence to do a raid, and most of that evidence just sunk with DETECTIVE JORDAN's mini jetski boat. So far, as the Cruise Ship disappears past the River….it appears that CHAZ PERRONE is winning. All the while, more victims pile up the further they move.*

* Narrator: At least 1000 miles from Louisiana's Devils Lake is the outskirts of the Orlando Police Department. Three homicides have just went down, most of them dealing with a couple of Casinos out of Tallahassee. Two of the Casinos were owned by Steven Marks, and one of them was a favorite visit for a Congressman David Dilbeck back in the day. Now more than eight months later, DETECTIVE AL GARCIA puffs his cigar and stares out the window. He doesn't know what to make of these homicides. The air is damp, thick with questions and little answers. The original Eager Beaver dancer's club is still open, but downsized to be only one stage where normally only 2 dancers perform now. ORLY has disappeared and moved on, and DAVID DILBECK is rotting in a Tallahassee prison right now. For all intents and purposes, AL GARCIA should feel smooth as a fresh pumpkin in mardi gras right now but he just feels a hint of dread. GARCIA stares at his blinking phone, than over across the room to SHAD with a cold and calculated glare. He's clearly not pleased at all, but can't come up with proper words yet to express his displeasure.*

AL GARCIA: "Don't you remember….Remember anything SHAD? I mean surely you must remember something, something about HARRAH'S CASINO and the SUGAR barons near Orlando. 'A couple of skimmers came by and busted open this whole money laundering operation about three months back. They say the late Congressman Fields had his fingers in all sorts of pies, I'm just tryin' to figure out why….Then maybe I can keep that promise I made to Angela and her cousin, Frankie…"

AL GARCIA: "This isn't easy for me SHAD, what….You think I get paid enough? You think any of this is easy!? After what happened in Boca Raton, I've never been the same….I don't even sleep anymore. Especially after what I saw there…"

SHAD: "What the hell does ANY OF THIS have to do with me!? I told you, I don't know! I DON'T KNOW! Erin took her kid Angela and vanished in the night. She didn't tell me 'nothin about the ROJOS or what they were up to, or where the hell they would move to, or a thing…she didn't tell me NOTHIN!"

SHAD: "Don't you think I'd say something if I knew!? Shhhhaot….I used'ta be on top. I used to work at the top Topless Clubs, I used to do it all…I used to be Erin's best friend out here. Now I don't know where the hell she is at, I don't know where Monique is at, I don't know where any of 'em are….

SHAD: "….And on top of all that, I dun't even know what the hell happened to my bet with JOHNNY CARSON over the top of Caesar's Palace! Shhhh..oot….I lost my wager, man! JOHNNY's not giving me jack sh-ioit, and he's the one who sai'd I'd be on the price is right finally…."

SHAD: "I was s'posed to be a STAR, MAN! And was going to have millions of dollars..and ERIN was going to be married by now, and I would've found that ROJO Sugar factory that owns The Big Sugar Cruise Ship near Orlando and shut them all down….I was gonna be on America's Most Wanted…I was even gonna meet Barbara Walthars, it was s'posed to be the perfect dream team…"

AL GARCIA: "I understand your frustrations, SHAD….But this isn't Wheel of Fortune…It's homicide."

SHAD: "Damm straight it's no Wheel of Fortune! Wheel of Fortune would given me 2 mansions, and had me somewhere 'tween Tahiti and Maui by now….I told you I don't know nothin' about the ROJOS.."

AL GARCIA: "…That's alright SHAD, lotta things have happened…I understand…."

SHAD: "….But ERIN might…Sure wish I knew even a first clue about what ERIN was doin', about right now I tell you…."

Chapter 3

Narrator: Meanwhile, Fifty miles north of Miami outside the Palm Trees and Jose Conseco Blvd….Some things have changed, but in all the wrong ways. And this is how the limelight goes in this place. This is how the world called Florida works. On the other side of Main Street and Panama Avenue, inside a dimly lit dance club known officially as the "Diamond Kitty Kat"….sits a large, voluminous 1000 foot stage with multiple dancers taking turns at the catwalk. A dancer named Sahara and Monique, had quietly just left the stage after throwing off their knickers and kicking their socks off into the crowd. And a huge, pulsing strobe light begins to glow as it lights up half the stage…..Coming up is the next routine. The deadbeats in the crowd shuffle in to the front of the stage, as dancers in the back get ready for showtime. There's a cold, damp sensation in this warmer and humid environment. The sirens in the back stir up as strings begin playing to the tunes of Billie Eilish and Zepplin. An announcer is heard over the loudspeaker, as the crowd begins to stir and get very riled up for one final performance."*

*The lights begin to fade in as the stereo kicks up in the background. "And now, have a round of applause and welcome back to the fold….The one, the only, the original…ERIN GRANT!" As the crowd begins to raise the roof of the club, causing the walls to tremble and the bass to spill out on the floor.*

* The lights dim and the stage becomes silent. The Crowd begins to shout. Suddenly, ERIN GRANT appears in the middle of the southern half of the stage. She wears a top hat, and Red Cowboy stiletto heels along with a burgundy pin-stripe suit and two sets of Police uniforms including cuffs. Beneath one side of her red skirt, you can just see a glimpse of a seahorse trim red G-string that is as small as a strand of licorice. Above that are a pair of pasties that leave little to the imagination. Clearly this particular establishment is no Eager Beaver, it shares almost nothing in common as the clientele here are far more obsessive and impulsive. On top of that they are more demanding. She had been doing routines here for about five months now, after ERIN and ANGELA moved to a high-rise apartment outside the greener tundra surrounding Epcot Center. She almost got no time to herself, as after quitting the original club she had to not only dance routines at this new joint….she had to be the hostess for a Restaurant as well which was fourteen blocks north. The Restaurant, which was a rendition of Columbian style seafood….was very particular about her always wearing that black thigh high miniskirt and to greet every new customer or family in the same manner. Grab a table for four, and try out stir fry. They insisted on it even, or they would not even bother to pay her a full salary that week. Which, as ERIN learned early, if that happened fairly often-this would mean her daughter's tuition for books at her new school would never be paid. Let alone the teachers she'd meet at the new Junior High school. She had discovered the cold realities of the world, even though Judge Fingerhut was now gone. A minimum of two jobs for her was a requirement to pay for all various luxuries she had to have for her daughter and their future together. She breathed a sigh of relief to see ANGELA was at last with her at least. She was just glad at this point to be out of Fort Lauderdale altogether, and far away from Miami. Instead this new Club she discovered was closer to the middle of Punta Gorda Florida…which was a tourist town.*

*The lights began to scan the stage as ERIN left her day dream and returned to the real world, outside her own thoughts. She felt the music blare in the background as the lights danced across her torso. Quietly, she began to disrobe and tore open her red-tan shirt….Tossing it into the crowd. A jaded fan caught it, shrieking back at her with howling sounds.*

AUDIENCE MEMBER: "Owww e on baby, yeah! Great work on that grind…Come 'ere and grind on me, baby…I'm ready for my close up Cruella Deville! Give mackie a big ol' hug…"

AUDIENCE MEMBER: "Oh, you're so stunning! *whistle whistle* Come, let me grab your leg…you know what they all like!" *He screamed, as the audience member attempted to grab ERIN's thigh and drag her over to him on the other side of dimly lit north stage. She could feel his cold fingers.*

Narrator: Suddenly, right then ERIN quietly chose to bob and weave out of the way. She had two guys hands ravishing part of her body, of which she obliged and twisted over towards them with her hips. She threw off her Dark Red mini-skirt and the tie, tossing it off stage. Next she peeled off her shorts and let her plump butt hang out over the audience. Soon enough, she was disrobing and throwing off her entire shirt and then G-string level bra until all that was left of clothing was her socks and thong. Then to the beat of Billie Eilish, ERIN began to gyrate a lot in a circular motion….and peel off her right sock. Followed slowly by her hands flowing over her body, pressing a member of the audience's hands into her butt and around the outside of her thighs back and forth in one motion. Then without warning, she stripped her red Seahorse thong off and touched her stomach on down trying to imagine herself in a garden alone. She then threw her hands in her hair, and pulled out the Sunglasses style braids tossing them off the stage into the crowd which erupted in loud whistles. In that moment, she was thousands of miles from there with no audience to speak of. ERIN rolled around on her back across the stage, pretending she was rolling around on the grass. She kept moving to and fro across her body until the music melted away and all that was left was the frozen air and a light cloth draped over the stage. As the song came to a close, ERIN had done it. She had finished her 30 minute routine for the night.*

AUDIENCE MEMBER: *Whistles whistles* Yeaah, yeah! Bring it on, come on down here…"

* Narrator: As the stage music drew to a close, ERIN quietly ran off the stage quickly in only her high heels to get as far away from the commotion as possible. A group of hands tried to endlessly grab at her thighs as she ran quickly out the back exit. She had learned the hard way that some customers are highly unruly, especially in the real world outside Orlando. Gone were the days of the Eager club, as she was now forced to parade around in a Diamond style cabaret center where the dancing was all nude all night. Even the table dances required dancers taking on unusual routines, and disrobing to the point of having no clothing at all, as well as respond to unusual requests. She knew this well after someone attempted to assault her and two other dancers last week which resulted in massive discomfort in her lower back. That was her last time ERIN said, that she would work any later than eight o'clock on the weekend shift. Not only did she have to put up with a lot of unruly customers, she also had to shuffle over to work the early morning restaurant shift more than fifteen miles from the Club. And worse still, if she was leered at/assaulted at her original work, she can't bring that baggage to the Diner because that new establishment is creating a family friendly image for themselves due to the arrival of Disney World next door supposedly. They want every customer who comes in to order the full course meal for 4 people, whether they have their current family with them or not. ERIN was tired of all this attention. She was making ten thousand dollars per week, and it was still barely enough to cover ANGELA'S school plus the rent/power and after school summer camp that had to be handled every ten days. And that as well as ANGELA's new music class which was an expensive ordeal, were stressing her out and driving her up a wall. In spite of this she made it work. Right at that time, there was no choice and she made another two thousand dollars tonight. She began to reflect on SHAD…and the first visit she had with that crazed Congressman Dilbeck. What had become of that nutcase? And more importantly than that, when could she get out of Florida. All ERIN could think about right then was finishing her novel as well as what SHAD was doing. She thought to herself, if she could get her novel published and get it on 20/20 she could make a million bucks and get out of here once and for all. Her novel was now 40% of the way done, and she felt that finally this could work out if only a journalist picked it up and syndicated her. And maybe SHAD could help her, if he was alive? What happened to him after The Big Sugar was shut down? It was the only thoughts on her mind during all of that month, aside from all the strange encounters she had at the club that is.*

Chapter 4

A thousand miles away from Florida, near the outside of a rundown Hotel plaza in the Boroughs of Shrevport Louisiana. JOEY PERRONE and MICK STRANAHAN are quietly having an intense conversation together. JOEY continues to repeat to MICK, she doesn't know anything about the Sugar mafia or the underground of Shrevport with their homicides near the Bayou. Yet DETECTIVE MICK STRANAHAN isn't buying it even for a minute. He thinks JOEY is hiding the truth, and continues to probe and prod her for official answers regarding the ten plus homicides that took place within the last few days.*

DETECTIVE MICK STRANAHAN: "Ok, sweetheart…Let's go over this again. You claim, you don't know what your husband to-be was into, whether that be late night Golf, Barbara Streisand or Mobsters in the midnight sun of the lake front…Yet you clearly know he's the culprit who tried to kill you?"

MICK STRANAHAN: "I'm not saying I don't follow here….I'm just saying something's not adding up."

MICK STRANAHAN: "You knew he was meeting with this CHRIS guy all the time….Tell me about this guy, and tell me about how the Sugar Mafia is tied to this guy….this isn't HBO you know, you got to spill the secrets since I can't read minds ya see…"

JOEY PERRONE: "I told you already! I only met him once, I don't know who the mafia is…All I know is this guy chris…CHRIS ROJO I think maybe…and this crony of his MIKAEL were dumping stiffs. They were dumping bodies off the back of my husband's cruise ship and I got no idea who any of them are!"

MICK STRANAHAN: "…Dumping bodies, you say? Alright I'm going to make a call….The name ROJO does ring a bell for me…I'm going to go call my lead tipster, 'name is GARCIA from what I recall here….He's working homicides near Boca Raton right now.."

MICK STRANAHAN: "….You stay right here, JOEY…Don't take the story to the papers yet." *Quietly, MICK then phones the Everglades office.*

MICK STRANAHAN: " *Dialing eight more numbers* "Operator…Yes…Connect me to Lieutenant AL GARCIA please, thank you…"

OPERATOR: "Patching through to GARCIA now, thank you Monsieur Stranahan."

AL GARCIA: "..GARCIA speaking."

MICK STRANAHAN: "…Detective GARCIA? I think we have a fly in the ointment like I first told you about. It has to do with ROJO….I think the Sugar Mafia in the Everglades is involved. I've come across ROJO here in Louisiana…Homicides all share the same M.O., this likely relates to your jurisdiction. At least 2 of these families are all linked to the ROJOs and Big Sugar industries in the Everglades…And the bodies are dropping GARCIA…I mean, a lot of bodies….These guys seem to have their fingers in the south…"

AL GARCIA: "I knew it Mick…Guessing this won't be on Late Night with Jay Leno. There's a file here 30 pages thick, on the ROJO Sugar mob as well as DON CORLEONES and CONGRESSMAN DAVID DILBECK. Deals with lots of sightings in Boca Raton. Looks like things just got a lot more hairy over here."

To Be Continued…