Octopus Alibi by Tom Corcoran Page B

estate tabloids. The vinyl chairs in the small lounge were taken. I walked outside to sit on a park-style bench, but the Lower Keys Smoke-Out Squad had picked the zone for a bull session. I went back in, stood near baggage claim, and found the editorial that Marnie had mentioned.
    IN MEMORY OF A WORKER AND A GIVER
    The death of Steve Gomez touches everyone on this island. The man brought goodness when he arrived here twelve years ago. He passed it around freely. The man did not have a selfish bone in his body. He did things for Key West and its residents that most of us never noticed, many of us will never know about.
    Key Westers will remember Steve’s quick smile and laugh, and his sense of fairness. He made a difference in local politics, and never allowed his campaigns to lean to the negative. His votes in commission meetings showed no favorites and took into account the welfare of longtime, less fortunate residents. We have many lessons to learn from examples he set. We suggest a short prayer, an expression of thanks, a moment to reflect on the life of Steve Gomez.
    A generous tribute. I guessed that Marnie had written the piece. I also guessed that someone had edited it. Under it was another eulogy.
    IN MEMORY OF A GIVER AND A WORKER
    Key West suffered a double loss yesterday. It makes sense that more of us knew Mayor Gomez, but those who had come to know Naomi Douglas will miss her smile and energy. A “freshwater” Conch, she, too, gave freely of her time and resources for the betterment of this island. Naomi had an eye for spotting the needs of the town and a talent for recruiting citizens who could cure problems and obviate challenges before they became our problems. She set examples for us all to believe in the arts, trust our best instincts, and honor our culture.
    Naomi Douglas helped many individuals and causes, sought no recognition, made friends and no enemies. The later years of her life were a fine celebration of the best aspects of Key West.
    A bit generic, I thought, but a great gesture. Another Marnie Dunwoody touch. I flipped to the Crime Report but got sidetracked by the obituaries.
    STEVEN WEBB GOMEZ
    Steven Webb Gomez, 46, beloved husband of Yvonne, passed away on April 19, in Key West. Steve had been mayor of Key West for the past six years. Born in Iowa, Gomez moved to the Keys in the late 1980s to “leave the snow shovel behind and reinvent my life.” A former Peace Corps volunteer, an avid sailor, and a master electrician, Steve worked with Exotic and Wild Bird Rescue of the Florida Keys, the Habitat for Humanity, the American Red Cross, and other charities.
    In addition to his wife of ten years, Steve is survived by a sister, Elizabeth Ann Hamper, and a brother, Dennis Gomez, both of Akron, Iowa.
    A service in celebration of Steve Gomez’s life will be …
    Both of Akron, Iowa?
    Outside, at a pay box, it took thirty-five cents to screw up my plans for the day. I dialed Marnie Dunwoody’s cell phone. On the third ring she said, “Yes?”
    Cagey woman. Her caller ID had come up blank. I said, “Hey.”
    “Alex, I thought you’d be gone by now.”
    “Do you know of any link between Naomi Douglas and Steve Gomez?”
    She was quiet a moment. “I don’t think they were friends. In all the time I’ve known Steve, I’ve never seen him with Mrs. Douglas.”
    “Today’s obituary says his brother and sister live in Akron, Iowa. Naomi’s brother’s last address is that same town. It’s not like it’s Miami or Chicago. Two people from a small town in the Midwest die the same day on a Florida island? I think date of death takes on new meaning.”
    A long silence at the other end. “Oh, crap.”
    “I don’t suppose anyone at the paper suggested he might have been…”
    “Murdered? I haven’t heard a thing like that.”
    “Do your research like a true sleuth, Marnie. You admired the man. He deserves a fair shake after the fact.”
    “He deserved that ahead of time.”
    We promised