can a frustrated single mom and failed big city journalist save her family and salvage her career by returning to a town run by a gang of bungling thugs?


“The Resurrection of Puerto Cielo” is a novella published in serial form, 43 posts.




8


“This is the life, Pepe,” reveled Rodrigo Chavez, “this is the life.”

The driver nodded as the vintage white Cadillac, top down, meandered downhill to Puerto Cielo.

Arms stretched across the back of the red leather rear seat, Mayor Roddy, as he was known in town, loved riding in his Caddy, loved riding with the wind in his face. He snugged his Panama hat. Wouldn’t look good to have his toupee fly away, he thought.

Passing abandoned homes and grazing cattle, he marveled at all the green grass. It had been raining a lot.

Yes, the Caddy is almost an antique, like me, he laughed. But those little pills make me young enough to keep Angelita happy.

His schedule at the office said he was visiting his brother in the next town up the road. In truth, he did stop for one beer with Francisco, but he’d spent the afternoon with Angela.

Angelita, Roddy sighed, sweet Angelita. Sure, she was a bit demanding, stubborn, and she had a red hot temper. But, oh, she could do the most amazing things to him.

The car came around a curve.

Roddy gasped.

“Stop!”

The Caddy squealed to a standstill.

Across the road, Mayor Roddy’s larger than life face smiled down on Puerto Escondido. Plastered on a towering billboard, the image proclaimed,

“Vote for Mayor Roddy!”

But Roddy’s face was deformed. His smile was missing teeth. His mustache had a  sinister curl and a red devil’s tail waved above pointed horns on his head with a crimson goatee hanging from his chin.

A long haired boy with a can of spray paint turned, smiled, and jumped from the billboard platform.

“Hooligan!” yelled Roddy, springing up with raised fists. “I’ll get you!”

“Did you see that?” Roddy shouted at his driver, who was stuffing a grin. “That’s a crime. That billboard cost a fortune.”

He yelled at the vanished vandal, “You’re going to pay!”

Not likely, Pepe thought, Roddy had no clout in Puerto Cielo.

But Tibo did.

***

To be continued0

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