Get Charlie Noah

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER THREE

Ben caught a taxi from the Sheraton Mirage Port Douglas, Far North Queensland, to Davidson Street in the centre of town. The heat was oppressive even at 10 am. The sign above the door of the shop read "Rick's Dive Shop and Boutique". It was a familiar sign and brought back some vivid memories for Ben. A bell tinkled as he entered the shop. Tropical themed designer clothing lined a wall on the right hand side and wetsuits hung on racks at the left. Aqualung cylinders stood against the front of a huge counter at the left and glass cabinets were filled with the latest regulators, dive computers and a variety of equipment that even Ben couldn't identify and he had been a SCUBA diver since the early 1980's. Then again, that was obviously the problem with him being unable to identify the latest diving gadget. He was "old school" and was still trying to get his head around dive computers.

'Holy shit! I can't believe my eyes!' A very large man in his early 30's and almost 6 feet tall came out of a back room and stood facing Ben with his hands on his hips. He had short frizzy blond hair and a red chubby face. 'Ben Hood. You haven't changed one bit and here I am getting old and grey and wasting away to nothing.'

'You're not old and grey,' said Ben, 'and you're definitely not wasting away to nothing.'

Rick Turner strode towards him with his arms outstretched. 'Just one hug for old time's sake.'

Ben took a step backwards. 'No hugging Rick. What if a customer walks in?'

'Bugger them! I hug everybody.' He wrapped his arms around Ben's shoulders. Ben patted Rick's back with one hand and then pushed him away. 'I won't bite you! God Ben you are as jumpy as a cat in a dog yard.'

'Why can't we just shake hands like men?' asked Ben.

'Fiddlesticks,' said Rick. 'I'm telling Joy that you are carrying on like an old male tart. Are you going up the coast to see them by the way?'

'Maybe later,' said Ben. 'I'm looking for a place to hide away for a while. You know everything about Port Douglas. Where can I hide where no one will find me?'

'Five star or are you going bush again. I have no idea how you can live like that Ben.'

'I'll go five star this time. I stayed at the Sheraton Mirage last night. It's full of people. I've got to get well away from people.'

'Five star and no people,' said Rick. 'Tall order but you've come to the right gay.'

'Are you gay?'

Rick slapped him across the chest. 'Funny brute as always. God I've missed all the excitement that you create. I get like jelly inside when I think of what you did up here the last time.'

'No excitement this time,' said Ben. 'Time out with some swimming and perhaps diving and running on the beach.'

'You need a new shirt. That rag you are wearing is just so 80's and it's boring.'

'I happen to like this rag,' said Ben.

'You need something bright like the last time.'

'You sold me something that made people point and laugh,' said Ben.

'Rubbish!

'Point me to a hideaway,' said Ben.

'I suppose you want self contained?'

'Yes please.'

'There are some wonderful restaurants around here.'

'Big kitchen and right on the beach,' said Ben. 'No restaurants. I ate in a restaurant last night and it was jammed full of people and many of them had screaming brats with them.'