Luther had to get back to work, so the team left in the red SUV’s with Uncle Max up front as the tour guide and Luke driving. Sophia, Ava and David all sat on the middle bench. The good thing about the SUV is that it could seat up to 8 people, so it was no problem to get everyone in one vehicle to enjoy the tour.
“Take a right up here as you leave the resort Luke, and follow that road for a bit,” Max said as he started to give us some history about the island.
“You know this island has some dubious history involving sheltering pirates and rum smugglers!” Max announced proudly. “Blackbeard himself was supposedly living here at one time! But that was a long time ago. Now it’s mainly just a peaceful island community that caters to the tourists mostly.”
“Does it ever rain?” asked Ava. “It’s so beautiful here.”
“Almost never!” answered Max. “We have about 300 clear days a year! So make sure to always have your sunglasses, because it’s always sunny in paradise! And if you like to swim the average water temperature is eighty degrees.”
“Wow!” exclaimed Ava. “I like that.”
“Me too,” Sophia chimed in laughing. “Sounds divine.”
“Pull up right over here Luke and stop,” said Max.
“This is where one of the James Bond movies was filmed. Right over there,” he pointed. “There were four altogether, but this is the spot with the big explosion scene! It was quite the excitement for a while,” said Max humorlessly remembering the streets shut down and all the movie equipment everywhere.
“OK, keep going Luke,” Max said as he continued giving us lots of interesting information as we drove through the streets and around the different resorts.”
“That one there is the Harbour Club,” remarked Max. “It has some fabulous restaurants inside. Make a right here Luke and follow this around. This hotel here is The Ocean Club, folks. They have a first rate golf course if anyone is interested while you’re here.”
“Oh, really? I might have to check that out!” exclaimed David. “Fancy a round Luke?”
“Sure, I’ve got some clubs I keep at the resort we can use. I’m kind of rusty, so don’t beat me too bad, OK?” Luke chuckled.
“I’m not making any promises,” David snickered. “Maybe we can make it interesting with a little wager and the girls can keep score.”
“Sounds like fun,” said Ava.
“OK, it’s a date,” replied Luke as he looked in the rear view mirror and smiled at Sophia.
“That there is the Beach Tower,” said Max. “A very romantic spot” he winked. “You can see the whole island from up there.”
“Cool,” said Ava glancing at David and then quickly looking away before he saw her.
“If you’re looking for something to do in the evenings there are casinos, shopping, and plenty of night life,” Max stated. “But you must be careful. There are dangers also, and places you should not be. And now with these disappearances going on it’s just not safe. Smugglers Beach is a known spot for drug dealings and other disreputable activity. Steer clear of that place, you hear?” Max demanded looking concerned for all of us. “And its best if the ladies go out with an escort until we get this investigation closed,” he added with the look of worry and apprehension in his face as he makes them promise to heed his warning. It suddenly got very real.
“There have been 4 young women between the ages of 18 and 22 that have disappeared from two different locations on the island,” said Max grimly. “Two of them were here at this beach right here. Pull over Luke and let’s all get out.” Ava and Sophia looked at each other anxiously.
They all got out and walked over to retaining wall between the parking area and the beach. “This is Honeymoon Cove,” said Max. “It is a favorite spot for sweethearts, but also walkers and shell collectors. The seclusion and the tides make it an ideal location for solitude. See that rise over there? There are some small cliffs that conceal a series of caves. Supposedly there aren’t enough policemen on staff on the mainland to send someone out to take a look through them, even though they said they have opened an investigation. I’m sure there could be some valuable clues in there somewhere.”
“That’s a good place to start Uncle Max,” Luke said excitedly. ‘We’ll have to start a list of areas we want to check.”
“Well, the other spot is just down the road. Let’s get back in the car; it’ll be quicker to get there, even though the beaches are somewhat connected,” said Max.
Once they reached the next beach they could see where they were connected when the tide was out. “When the tide comes in it virtually closes off this section,” said Max. “It is Sunrise Beach and another two of the girls went missing from here. Look that way, The Palace is just right around that bend.” They all looked up and could see the top few floors of the resort over the cliff.
“It’s getting late, we should head back,” Max said as he started walking back to the car. “You all had better get an early start on this investigation. The sooner we can wrap this up the better.”
“Thanks for the tour,” David replied as they all followed him back to the car. “This gives us some good information to get started on. Hey Max? Can you tell me what all of the girls were doing on the island? Were they tourists?”
“No,” Max replied quietly. “They all worked at The Palace…”