“We’ve had lots of big names here. When the hotel reopened in 2008, Usher and Mariah Carey performed.”
“Wow,” said White. “That’s some firepower.”
“Right?” said Lawrence, smiling. “I mean, I was only eight back then, and I don’t really follow their music, but I’m sure it was pretty cool.”
“Now you’re really making me feel geriatric,” quipped White.
“But a president, now that’sreallycool,” said Decker in a prompting manner. “So, do you have an archive or something we could look at?”
“We do actually, but I helped put it together, so I know it doesn’t include this speech by President Reagan. I’m sorry. Maybe I should go and research that.”
“I suppose there’s no one working now that was here at that time?”
Lawrence went on her computer and checked. “Our longest-serving employee started in 2010.” She glanced up. “Hospitality has a high turnover rate, even in a place like this.”
“I’m sure it has nothing to do with the attitude and behavior of the guests,” said Decker.
“Isn’t the customer always right?” said Lawrence brightly.
“Ask yourself that in two years.”
They left. White drove while Decker checked his phone.
“Okay, Google was no help, maybe we need to do it the old-fashioned way.”
“Meaning?”
“The local newspaper. Reagan’s in town to give a speech? It might be in their news morgue.”
“Nowyou’rereally showing your age.”
“And there’s something else.”
“What?”
“Arthur Dykes said that Reagan was there to give a fund-raising speech.”
“Right, so what? Politicians do those all the time.”
“Dykes also said it was eight months after John Hinckley shot Reagan. Well, Reagan was shot in March, so eight months later was November of 1981.”
“Which was beforeIwas born!”
“The point is, why would Reagan be doing a fund-raiser not even a year into his term? I know how politics has gotten nowadays, but back then you didn’t need a billion bucks to run for president.”
“I guess thatisodd.”
“But he might have been doing a fund-raiser for someoneelse.”
Chapter71
THEY SAT IN THE PARKINGlot while Decker accessed the digital archives of theMiami Herald. To do the searches necessary Decker had to activate a free membership. He plugged in Reagan’s name and the year and hit the search key.
A story came up about Reagan’s speech. Decker read that it was well received, but he didn’t really care about that. What he did care about was the fact that the fund-raiser was being held for the benefit of Mason Tanner, who was seeking the seat of a retiring U.S. senator in Florida.
Decker looked at a picture of Reagan and Tanner shaking hands. Tanner was tall, in his midforties, with thick dark hair and an easy smile. However, Decker didn’t like the look of the man. He seemed fake and smarmy. Then again he didn’t care for most politicians, so that might just have been his own bias.
He held up his phone so White could see the image. “Mason Tanner. Candidate for the U.S. Senate.”