“He around?” Dar asked casually.
“Be back ’round sunset,” Bud replied. “Had to go over to the big island for something.” He leaned back, seemingly relaxed.
“Hey, listen. Charlie told me about what you offered. Thanks.” His eyes met hers. “I know I act like a jerk sometimes. Sorry.”
Dar eased into a more comfortable position. “Going to take me up on it?” she asked directly.
Bud shook his head. “We’re fine.” He dismissed the idea. “I worked something out.” His eyes roamed over the inside of the boat again. “So now what?”
“With DeSalliers?” Dar asked.
Bud nodded. “He took off out of the harbor. Headed east.”
Figures
. Dar leaned her head against the back of the chair. “I dunno,” she mused. “First thing’s first—Kerry needs to get well.”
She looked over at him. “Thanks for checking her out.”
Bud issued a rare smile. “She’s a nice kid,” he allowed.
“Sweet.”
Dar felt her own face relax into a return grin.
“Never figured you to get all wrapped up like that,” Bud drawled. “Thought you’d end up a lonely old salt and not ever been in the Navy for it.”
Dar’s nostrils flared slightly. “I thought I would too,” she admitted. “Life’s weird sometimes.”
Bud nodded, then set his cup down and stood up. “I gotta get the kitchen cranked up for Charlie,” he said. “Heard some weather’s brewing up east of here.”
“Great.” Dar sighed. “Next time, I swear I’m gonna go skiing.”
Bud snorted. “Holler if Kerry’s feelin any worse.” He put the cup down in the galley sink. “I’ll send Rufus down to let you know when Charlie gets here.”
“Thanks.” Dar stood and walked him to the door. They were about the same height, and his slight rolling swagger reminded her strongly of her father. She was glad Bud’s attitude had softened a little. Maybe he’d just needed a little while to think things through.
They emerged onto the stern deck to a wash of late afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees. The air bore the sweet scent of gardenias, and a sense of quiet peace pervaded the scene. In somber contrast to the chaos of the previous hours, now the sleepy spell of the tropical sea surrounded them as the tide lapped gently at the docks.
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Bud stepped off the boat and lifted a hand, then turned and walked back up toward the buildings without a word or backward glance.
Dar leaned against the cabin and watched him for a moment. A few more puzzle pieces seemed to have been delivered to her, and now she took them, juggling them mentally as she went back inside the cabin to collect a few more. “Now,” she eyed the spare bedroom, “let’s put two and two together and see if we get something other than zero.” With a determined look, she headed for Bob’s hiding place.
THE SUN WAS setting, slices of reddish gold light peeking through the hatches and splashing across the hardwood floor.
Kerry gazed fuzzily at them, then blinked her eyes open wider and stifled a yawn. Hearing low voices nearby, she cocked her head to listen, recognizing them after a moment as Dar’s and Bob’s.
Her head seemed clearer, and it hurt less. Kerry stretched, grateful for that. She could still feel a little chill and there was an ache in her bones, but she found her curiosity prodding her past the discomfort and urging her to get up and go find out what was going on.
Accordingly, she eased out of bed and padded over to the dresser, removing a sweatshirt from the bottom drawer and tugging it on over her head. She paused a moment, sniffing the distinctive smell of home in its folds, then pulled it down into place. She stopped by the dresser and peeked at her reflection. “Uck.” She picked up Dar’s brush and ran it through her hair, settling it into some kind of order. Then she eased out the door and into the main cabin. Dar was sitting in one of the easy chairs, facing Bob. Dar’s eyes lifted as Kerry entered and her face shifted into a warm smile, which Kerry returned. “Hey.”
Bob turned around. “Oh. Hi.”
“How’re you feeling?” Dar asked.
“Eh.” Kerry cleared her throat. “What’s going on out here?”
She went into the galley and retrieved a bottle of juice, pulling off the top as she trudged over to where Dar was seated and plopped into the chair next to her. She tucked her feet up under her and leaned on the arm, sipping her juice quietly.
“I was…um…just kind of getting into why I’m here,” Bob said.
“But first, I’d kinda like to apologize for getting you both mixed up in all this,” he went on. “When I came out here, I thought I could get in and get out, and no one would be the wiser.”
Dar reached over and scratched Kerry’s back lightly. “All right, let me get this straight,” she said. “Your grandfather was the captain of that fishing trawler that went down just west of here.”
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Bob nodded. “Right.”
“He left a fortune.”
“Right.”
“The fortune went to his eldest son, your uncle,” Dar continued.
“Right.”
“Nobody else got anything.”
Bob nodded. “My uncle is tighter than a ten-year-old girdle.”
“I knew money had to be at the root of this,” Kerry muttered in disgust, getting a startled look from Bob. “Let me guess—grandpa took a treasure chest with him, and you’re trying to find a few pieces of eight to raise a family on, right?”
“Um. No.” Bob exhaled. “Actually, I’m trying to prove my uncle killed my grandfather, and get him charged with murder.”
Two perfectly still faces with identical expressions of startlement faced him for a long beat, then Dar and Kerry looked at each other. “O…okay,” Dar said. “You have reason to think he did it?”
Bob nodded. “If I can prove it, the will’s broken and the rest of the family will take over the inheritance,” he said. “Oh, I won’t pretend to altruism. I’m due for about a tenth of it. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life behind a desk, and that’ll keep me in style.”
Kerry sipped on her juice to keep herself from commenting.
“What the hell are you looking for?” Dar asked.
Bob gave her a wary look. “I can’t say,” he said. “It’s very confidential.”
Kerry rolled her eyes.
“It’s something of my grandfather’s,” Bob said hastily. “We thought it had been destroyed in a fire at his house, but just recently we found out it hadn’t.” He ran a hand through his hair.
“So, I decided to try and find it. I figured the wreck was the only place left to look.”
“You weren’t the only one, I guess,” Kerry finally commented.
“And, I guess you won’t be needing those scuba lessons, huh?”
Having been caught in his earlier lie, the young man cleared his throat and looked away. “DeSalliers boasted he was the best in the business, and my uncle hired him to salvage every speck of the wreck. He’s paying him a king’s ransom,” Bob admitted. “And his reputation is at stake.”
“That’s what he meant,” Kerry murmured, “about being hoisted on his own reputation.”
Bob stared at her. “You talked to him?”
“Long story,” Dar cut him off. “Your plan sucks. He almost caught you today, and if he’s got a few more days to get a salvage barge in place, you’re sunk.”
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Bob blinked. “Um…well, yeah,” he confessed. “I thought I’d have more time. He surprised me.” He sighed. “I don’t know. It was probably a bad idea to begin with.”
Kerry scratched her jaw, her green eyes in wry agreement with him. “Even if you could find whatever this is, do you really think you can make a case against your uncle?” she asked skeptically.
“People with lots of power and money don’t give it up that easily.”
Bob sat up. “I’m sure the police will help us, once they see the evidence,” he told her. “That’s their job.”
Dar snorted. “Well,” she got up and walked to the door, “good luck.” Her eyes searched the dimming horizon, streaked with gentle orange light. “You’re gonna need it.”
Bob stood up and peered out the window toward the west. “I know I can do it,” he said. “I just need the time to look. If I could only get that bastard DeSalliers off my back for a few days.” He straightened up and turned. “Well, anyway, thanks again. I know you didn’t mean to rescue me for the second time, but boy, I appreciate it.”
Dar remained staring out at the sunset.
“I’m glad we were in the right place at the right time.” Kerry gracefully picked up the ball. “Where are you going now? You can’t try the wreck again. He’ll get you next time.”
Bob sighed. “Yeah,” he said. “I don’t know. Maybe I can check out the drift shops on the islands. Maybe what I’m looking for has already been picked up, and it’s there.”
“Hm.” Kerry made a noncommittal sound.
“Hey, maybe I’ll ask those buddies of yours. They’re pretty savvy,” Bob suddenly added. “Bet they’ve been around…a while, haven’t they?”
Kerry frowned. “Well, I guess. I just met them. They’re old friends of Dar’s, really. Probably they know where to start looking, though.”
“Yeah,” Bob answered briefly.
“Don’t you think DeSalliers has thought of that?” Dar asked from the doorway. “I bet his little gumshoes are looking right now.”
Bob smiled. “He would, if he knew what he was looking for.”
He eased past Dar, then turned with a faint, half-crooked smile.
“But he doesn’t.” He picked up his gear and stepped off the boat onto the dock. “Thanks again,” he said to Dar. “Hope Kerry feels better soon.”
He turned and started walking up the dock, slinging his gear over one shoulder as he carried his tanks in the other.
Dar turned and went back inside the cabin. She found Kerry waiting, one leg slung over the arm of her chair as she finished her juice. “He’ll never find it,” she said. “Whatever
it
is.”
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Kerry wiggled her toes. “Probably not,” she agreed. “You think there’s anything to his story?”
Dar sat down on the couch and extended a hand out to her.
“C’mere.” She wrapped her arms around Kerry when she complied, pulling her down into her lap and leaning back on the couch. “I don’t know,” she answered. “Right now, I don’t really care.”
Kerry put her arms around Dar’s neck and nuzzled her cheek.
“What a mess.” She found Dar’s ear invitingly close by, and despite the fact that she still felt like heck, she gently suckled the tasty looking earlobe. Dar’s arms tightened around her and she laughed softly.
“Mmm,” Dar hummed. “Feeling better?”
Kerry gave her a kiss on the cheek. “How could I not feel better?” Her lashes brushed Dar’s skin, tickling it and making the dark-haired woman smile. “How about you?” she whispered into Dar’s ear. “You sounded kinda torked before.”
Dar hesitated, then sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she said. “Just too much going on at once, I guess,” she admitted.
Kerry nuzzled her cheek again. “I think we’re due a vacation from our vacation, Dixiecup.”
“Mm.” Dar thought about the trials of the day, then decided dismissing them and simply immersing herself in Kerry’s presence was a much better idea. There was really no point in dwelling on it all anyway. It was over, and in the past. Things had worked out all right. Kerry was okay. She was okay. They knew what was going on. Now they could take off and leave it all behind. They were out of it. Kerry suckled on her earlobe again, blowing gently into her ear. Dar closed her eyes and smiled.
Yeah. Everything is all right.
DAR WOKE TO the soft clang of the buoy sea bell at the edge of the harbor. She blinked the sleep out of her eyes and looked around in slight confusion, taking a moment to recognize the dim interior of the boat around her. She and Kerry were lying together on the small couch, limbs entangled. Dar had no idea what time it was or how long they’d been sleeping, and she found herself quite willing to let her eyes close and drift back into peaceful oblivion.
Not that she could have gotten up even if she’d wanted to. Dar observed the slow, rhythmic rise and fall of Kerry’s chest up close and personal, since she was pinned under her lover’s sturdy form.
Luckily for her, it wasn’t nearly as uncomfortable as one might expect, and after she stretched her body out a little, she settled back down and amiably resigned herself to pillow duty. However, after a few quiet minutes, Kerry stirred and made a tiny grumbling sound.
Dar scratched the back of her neck gently. “Shh…go back to sleep.”
Kerry opened one eye and peeked at her. “Thirsty,” she muttered with a hoarse edge to her voice. “Damn pills.”
“I’d get up and get you some water, but, um…” Dar reviewed their tangled bodies.
“But I’m squashing you.” Kerry got her hands on the couch and pushed herself upward, awkwardly getting to her feet. “Ooof.” She wavered a minute, then sat down again, putting her hand to her head. “Whoa.”
Dar immediately sat up. “Hey.”
“Just a little dizzy,” Kerry muttered. “I got up too fast,” she added. “I think.”
“And you also haven’t eaten anything since that soup and crackers at lunch,” Dar realized.
“Neither have you.” Kerry got to her feet a little more cautiously, then she held a hand out to Dar. “C’mon. Let’s go raid the fridge together.” She looked around. “What time is it?”
Dar picked up her cell phone as she stood to join her partner.
“Eleven thirty.” Her eyes lifted to the cabin door. “Huh. Bud was
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supposed to send Charlie down when he got home. Guess he got caught up.” She tossed the cell to the table, then reached up to put her hand across Kerry’s forehead. “Ah.”
“No chills,” Kerry acknowledged. “Now I just feel like a dishrag.”
“Maybe we should call you terrycloth, then, instead of Kerry,”
Dar teased, relieved at feeling no fever in her partner. “C’mon.”
They walked together to the galley. Kerry slipped inside first and retrieved a water bottle from the fridge, popping it open and sucking several mouthfuls from it. She turned to find Dar rummaging the shelves, and put a hand on her partner’s shoulder.
“Nothing exotic, honey. Just some yogurt, if it’s there.”