It was the start of a glorious Florida day; the heat of the summer was over and the long, pleasant winter was approaching nicely and I was about to go on vacation with my love Millie.   But like always she just had one or two more things to do at the diner before we took off on our little trip down to the Florida Keys.  Millie had a friend with an Airbnb that we were getting gratis so it was even sweeter. It would be days of lounging by the pool or walking hand in hand on the beach or watching the sunset at Mallory Square and hitting a few drinking dens before heading to bed and doing it again for seven glorious days.

Millie’s convertible was gassed up, the oil changed, tires rotated and it was loaded with just the essentials for a slow and easy retreat from the world.

But that is when fate intervened.  I was not paying attention to the world around me as I was re-reading one of my favorite books, Packing for Mars by Mary Roach.

“Mickey how are you doing old chap, looking for a new career or maybe a new location to work.”

I sighed and put my thumb in the book before looking up and seeing the too perfectly white teeth. “Petey.”

His eyes gave just the slightest squint at the diminution of his name.

“Still seeing that luscious blonde, Michelle or was it, Mika.” Peter said looking around for her, as he knew very well this was her diner.

“Yes.”  I did not bother to correct him as I did not have the time or energy to waste on him.

“Well, it’s been fun catching up with you Mickey, but I am meeting a client, and here he is now.”

“Bye Pete.” I said as he turned his back before I even responded. I watched him greet a well-dressed couple entering the diner and sit in a booth on the other side of the diner.  My professional curiosity was piqued, wondering what kind of case Peter Piers was working on for this obviously rich couple.  But Peter had said client, not clients, so only one person of the couple had hired him.  I guessed it was the gentleman of the couple as he approached Peter first and the lady did not offer her hand in greeting, in fact she seemed a little put off by Peter, like she did not trust him, smart lady.

I dismissed it all, I was about to go on vacation, so it was really not any concern of mine.

Millie rapped on the table bringing me out of my book again but I greeted her with a smile as opposed to my last interruption. “Just let me get the bread order straightened out and then we are out of here.” She looked around the diner and caught sight of Pete Piers. “You know the last time he was here he argued with me about the bill, then he had the nerve to ask me for my phone number.”

“He is a pig, everyone knows that.”  I said.

“He even sent back a slice of Augustine’s pie; he said it was too tart.”

“The man obviously has the tastebuds of a garbage disposal.”

“And the way he treats his female staff, I swear the last girl he was in here was so uncomfortable she wanted to pour hot coffee in his lap to cool him off.”

“I stand by my earlier swine comment.”

“If he was not with strangers, I would be tempted to throw him out.”

“Let it go, him being himself is punishment enough and probably a future class action  lawsuit based on sexual harassment.”

Millie turned and smiled at me. “You are so Zen, let me get the bread order completed and then you can teach me some Zen on vacation.”

I laughed. “Take your time my love.” I said knowing if this was truly the last thing, she needed to take care of it would take her at least a half an hour.

Millie strode away, the supreme commander of her business which she was about to leave in her subordinates hands. She knew they were capable; they knew they were capable, but the diner was her whole life so I understood her trepidation.

It was Al who came over and filled my water glass which was unnecessary as it was still three quarters full and I had not touched it in fifteen minutes.

“You know that guy over there, the other Private Investigator?”

“Yeah,” I said shrugging. “I have crossed paths with him a couple of times on cases.”

“Well do you know what he just told that nice couple?”

I sighed Al was a terrible eavesdropper and gossip and the wait station was within easy hearing of Pete’s table. “I have no clue Al, what did he tell that nice couple.”

“He told them he could not find the guy’s friend, some old friend who he lost track of.”

“It happens.”  I said.

“I bet you could find the guy’s friend; Millie says you are probably the best Private Eye in the whole of Florida.”

I smiled that Millie talked me up to her workers but I did not want to encourage Al. “Actually, its Private Investigator Al, its only Private Eye in the movies.”

“Same difference. Opps sorry I guess the couple wants some more coffee with their bad news.”

And with that Al was off like a shot across the black and white tile floor.

I pointedly ignored the table across the way and tried to pick up from the last paragraph I had been interrupted from and was almost successful when another person came up to my table.  “I understand you are also a Private Eye?”

I looked up, it was the female half of the couple that was meeting with Pete, she was in her late fifties, dressed well but definitely a southerner with her slight drawl, I was guessing the Carolinas. “Yes, ma’am I am but I am not interested in taking any cases right now, I am sorry if Al bothered you.”

“Are you better then Mr. Pier’s agency?”

That was a loaded question, if I said yes, I would have to ‘put up or shut up’ if I said ‘no’ I might be cutting my own throat professionally. “Let me just say, I try to meet all my clients needs, sometimes in ways that the Piers Agency cannot, I am a one man show whereas he has several associates and different capabilities.”

She crossed her arms and looked at me, critically. She came to some sort of decision and asked me to follow her in a commanding tone.  And without waiting for me to answer she motioned for me to follow her.  I was glad the diner was practically empty for a weekday semi-late afternoon as I think there was trouble brewing.

We approached the booth and the woman slid in beside her husband who was unsure of what was going on.  Pete had turned and when he saw standing beside the booth rolled his eyes.

“Now then are you absolutely certain you cannot find David.” The lady said, staring at Peter.

“That is not what I said. I said we have run down all current leads but if you keep my firm on retainer, we can investigate anything else that presents itself in the future.”

The lady spoke again. “So, we keep paying you, even though you do not guarantee results and you have no direction at this time.”

I saw Peter grasping for an answer that is when Millie entered the conversation from somewhere behind me. “Miles here is ten times the investigator Pete is and if has anything to do with Disney there is no one better than the Mitchell Investigative Firm.”

With the mention of my company’s name the log jam in Pete’s head broke up as he saw future revenue not only not flowing to him, but also going to me. “Mickey here is a one man show, you are better off sticking with me and all of my resources.”

“Well, it does revolve a bit around Disney, at least it’s college program, do you know anything about it young man?”  He directed an intense set of blue eyes towards me.

This guy may be quiet but he had an intensity that he could turn on. So, I opened my mouth and started reciting what I knew. “The Disney College Program started in 1981, with about two hundred students from I think twenty schools, it continued to expand and finally made it to Disneyland in 2006. I think now it includes a culinary program.” I was stopped when the gentleman held up his hand.

There was a quick exchange of looks between the man and woman and the woman looked across the table at Pete who I could tell just wanted to speak up but the woman spoke up first. “I do not think your services will be needed any longer.”

Pete at least knew when he had been beat and nodded curtly toward the couple. “I will send you the final report and you will get my invoice.” He looked at me. “I bet old Mickey here won’t be able to find your friend either.”

Millie jumped into the conversation. “I will take that bet.”

Peter looked at Millie and laughed. “My company has about one hundred hours into this case, the Mousketeer couldn’t find this guy with two hundred hours of work.”

“Miles is better than all of your agency, I bet he can find this David in half that time.”

“Ah sweetheart can I talk to you about this.” I said, trying to catch Millie’s eye but she was staring daggers at Piers.  I had no idea I could progress this case any further, let alone find this mysterious David these people were looking for.

“Not now Miles, I am negotiating.”  Millie said. “I bet you one thousand dollars Miles can help these people more than you ever could.”

Pete smiled a reptilian smile. “Two to one odds, if he can’t find the subject, you give me a thousand-dollar tab here at the diner so I can come in here for a couple of months and eat for free, if Miles finds this guy in fifty hours you get two thousand dollars and I pay his standard rate for fifty hours of work.”

“Ah darling.”  I said.

Millie ignored me and before I could say another word she said. “Deal.”

Pete stuck out his hand to shake it and Millie looked at it with disdain but shook it anyways. Pete threw a couple bucks on the table and walked out.

I let out a long slow breath and looked around at the three people gathered around the table with Al leaning in from the nearby coffee machine, then turned to face Millie. “I sure hope I can practice what you are preaching babe.”

I moved the couple into the backroom where we would have privacy and no distractions from the overly attentive Al. Millie was only gone for a few minutes when she came back just as we were settling into the table. I formally introduced myself and handed out cards to the couple and then introduced Millie as well. They were Scott and Peg Tenants from South Carolina near Charleston.

Score one for me being right about where they were from. I hoped I would be batting a thousand on this case, Millie’s pride and a thousand dollars’ worth of food and services was riding on me.

“Can you tell me your story.” I said looking at the couple.

“Don’t you just want to start me to tell you the details, that is all Mr. Piers wanted, like Joe Friday. ‘Just the facts please sir.’ Was his attitude.” Said Mr. Tenants.

“I work a little bit different then him.” Was all I said. “So, you were in the Disney College Program?”

“Spring of 1985, just after Epcot opened.” Then he began his story. “An exciting time, for me, besides college it was my first time away from home and the college program was much more exciting then a college dorm.  I was assigned a trailer at Snow White Village Campground with David Martinez.  There were eight of us in that trailer and David was my roommate. He was a short, small guy and my first thought, well I won’t have to worry about him stealing my clothes.  Then when we went through training, we were assigned the same restaurant at Epcot, in Communicore East at the Stargate which was a fast-food place.”  Mr. Tenant paused and smiled. “I cleaned a lot of trays those days.”

Mrs. Tenant spoke up. “And you have been making them for the last thirty years.”

I did not want them to get sidetracked as I was on a countdown clock thanks to Millie and I had no idea how difficult this case was going to be. “So, you want to find David?”

Mr. Tenant realized that I wanted him to get to the point.  “Yes, David.” He got a little sad. “Not only did we work and live together we became good friends, young men, unfettered and carefree, David even had a car, he had to work on it all the time to keep it running, but we were not restricted to simply bus transportation.”  He smiled. “We drove everywhere in that 73 Volkswagen Beetle.  We even drove over to Cocoa Beach with a couple of girls just to watch the sunrise, and we got back in time to get to work by ten o’clock.”

I simply nodded as the man spoke. Mrs. Tenant looked at Millie and laughed. “Young fool that he was, he eventually learned that you take a girl to a sunset not a sunrise.”

Millie laughed. Mr. Tenant rolled his eyes but continued his narrative. “David and I were close, the kind of closeness that comes when you are young and spend practically every waking moment with someone.  Time in some stressful situations and times of fun, because the Disney College program even to this day is not a picnic. Long hours of work but long hours of playing in the parks as well, and Epcot was brand new so it was exciting times.”

“But you lost track of David?”  I said, trying to get to the heart of the matter.

“Worse.”  He said with sadness. “I drove him away because I was a mean hateful small  person.”

To finish the story, visit the full book at:

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1431900

The Miles Mitchell Mysteries in physical format is at :  https://bookstore.dorrancepublishing.com/the-miles-mitchell-mysteries-a-private-eye-at-a-magical-place/

Categories: A Miles Mitchell Story, Outrageous Lies and Tales

Tags: diner, Disney College Program, Millie Mauser, MMM, mystery, Peter Piers, The Miles Mitchell Mysteries, WDW