Treasure Isla
“A crocodile. What the hell?” Jessica Sanderson quickly scanned the ground around her feet, as if she expected to see large gap-toothed reptile preparing to latch onto her well-toned and tanned leg. “Why doesn’t the municipality just get rid of him? Them? The whole damn bunch?”Thinking Jessica’s reaction excessive and humorous, Yasmin Medina slanted a teasing grin at her. It wasn’t often that her gutsy friend was nervous about anything. “Crocodiles are native to Mexico. The locals think it’s kind of cool to have a family of them on the island. It’s also a great way for parents to threaten misbehaving kids. Be good or the crocodile will get you.” Contorting her face she growled. “Muhuhuh.”
Scanning the pathway for wayward reptiles, or lurking pirates, Yasmin continued her story, and “Alfredo does escape from time to time. A few years ago he managed to find his way from the lake to the ocean on the eastern side of the island.
“Are you kidding me? Then what happened?” Theatrically shivering, Jessica peered towards the lake.
“The hunt was on. The police were notified. The municipality workers turned out in force. The Navy sent two guys with rifles. Everyone including a crowd of about fifty locals trailed along the eastern coastline trying to get pictures. He was fast. By the time I heard what was happening and caught a ride with a friend, the crocodile was already swimming past the backside of the Navy base at the northern end of the island.”
Yasmin pointed towards another pathway, “Let’s head up here and see where it goes.” She ran a hand over her face, trying to squeegee the sweat from her eyes, before continuing the story.
“Well, three fishermen managed to toss a net over the beast and haul him into their boat. After a ton of photos with the various policía, Navy and harbour guys pretending that they had caught him, Alfredo was put back in his lake here at the park.” Yasmin stopped for a minute to peer down an abandoned well. Nothing.
“Check my Facebook page. I posted an album labeled, The Great Crocodile Hunt.”
“Crocodiles, what next?” grumbled Jessica as she trudged along the gravel pathway. “And besides why call it Alfredo? If you are going to name the evil bastard, name him Carlos after our boss, or César after the guy that was lurking around the bar last month, but not Alfredo. Alfredo is a better name for an alligator.”
A smile quirked Yasmin’s lips, “There are no alligators in Mexico, they only live in the USA or China. I don’t know what the crocodile’s name is. I just named him Alfredo to tease one of my cousins.
Besides, I think Carlos Mendoza is hot.” Just the thought of him made her heart tap dance a little.
~
Murder and mayhem. Revenge and romance!
E-books and paperback copies are available from Amazon. If you are on the island buy a copy at Jenny Penny Beach Boutique. It's the perfect beach-read for your next vacation.
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