Deep Waters

by Jayne Ann Krentz

  Jennifer cried out and leaned back to avoid Charity’s stabbing fingers.

  Charity gulped air as Jennifer’s fingers loosened. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the flashlight that Elias had left on the shelf below the counter. She reached out, grabbed it, and slashed wildly at Jennifer’s head.

  Jennifer yelled and tried to duck the blow. The flashlight caught her on the cheek and sent her spinning away.

  Charity swung the flashlight again and connected with Jennifer’s skull. Jennifer lurched to the side. Charity rolled free and started to scramble to her feet. She was on her knees when she heard footsteps pounding toward her.

  “What the hell is going on back there?” Davis yelled.

  “Let me go, damn you.” Jennifer’s cry was a keening wail. “Let me go.”

  Charity blinked, trying to make sense of what was happening.

  “Are you all right?” Elias asked. Holding Jennifer with one hand, he looked down at Charity. His face was cold and savage.

  “Yes. Yes, I think so.” Charity rose cautiously. She was shaking so badly that she had to steady herself with one hand on the counter.

  Elias released Jennifer and reached for Charity.

  Jennifer collapsed, limp and defeated. She clutched her head and burst into great shuddering sobs.

  Charity stared at Elias. “I heard footsteps. Thought it was Davis.”

  “I’m right here.” Davis rounded the end of the counter. “Elias moves a little faster than I do.” He touched Charity’s face. “Jesus. I don’t believe this. Are you okay?”

  She nodded and gave him a weak smile. “Thanks to Otis and Elias. Oh, my God, that reminds me. Better check on Otis.”

  There was a disgruntled squawk from the vicinity of the office doorway. Everyone except Jennifer turned to look.

  Otis swaggered out of the shadows. His feathers were ruffled, but he was obviously unhurt. He came to a halt and waited imperiously for someone to offer him a lift up to his perch.

  Charity gazed at him with admiration. “It was the most incredible thing. Otis hurled himself straight at Jennifer. She was going to shoot me. He distracted her. Made her drop the gun. He gave me the chance I needed. Gentlemen, that bird saved my life.”

  Elias woke shortly before dawn. He lay quietly for a moment, intensely aware of the empty place beside him on the futon. Charity had gone home to her own cottage with Davis after Tybern had finished asking his endless questions. Elias had been obliged to go home alone with only Otis for companionship.

  At one time he would have been able to convince himself that Otis was all the company he needed. But this morning, as he watched the sky lighten to pale gray, he realized that was no longer true.

  A dam had broken somewhere inside him. The river of loneliness flowed freely. The surging current bore memories that he did not want to examine. He’d had the experience before. He knew how to stem the raging tide.

  But this time he did not go through the disciplined mental exercises designed to send the images downstream. Instead, he made himself look more closely at the reflections on the water.

  He saw his mother’s white, lifeless face just before the ambulance attendants covered her. His grieving grandparents floated past next. The figures were so consumed by their own sense of loss that they had little energy to spare for their grandson. He saw himself waiting for the letter that never came, the one that would tell him that his father wanted him to join him on the island of Nihili.

  He watched himself coax the money for the long flight to Nihili from his disinterested, angry grandfather. Saw himself as he got off the small plane on the island and eagerly search the tiny crowd for the face of his father. Then he saw the quiet man with the ancient eyes who walked toward him. Hayden Stone had been the one who had told him that his father was dead.

  Elias let the memories drift past. He watched until they were lost once more in the endless darkness. Then he rose from the futon and pulled on a pair of jeans and a shirt.

  He reached into the carved chest and picked up Hayden’s journal.

  Otis mumbled behind the cage cover as Elias padded barefoot across the small front room.

  “Go back to sleep,” Elias said softly. “You had a hard night.”

  Otis fell silent.

  Elias went out onto the porch, picked up a mat, and walked down the steps into the garden. The sky had grown markedly brighter, he noticed. No fog this morning.

  He settled down beside the reflecting pool and opened the journal to the last few pages.

  This morning I caught a glimpse of the final lesson that I must somehow convey to Elias. I do not know if I will have time to teach it. I felt the pain in my chest again during the night. Soon the river of my life will rejoin the sea.

  But Elias is young and strong, and unlike me, his soul has not yet been chilled by the icy cold of the deepest waters. He still has the capacity to hunger for life.

  When he has seen the folly of his desire for vengeance, he will be free. And when he is free, I hope he will be fortunate enough to find a woman who can help him learn this last and most important lesson. I want him to discover that his true self needs more than what the discipline of Tal Kek Chara can give him. I have taught him to be strong, but if he is ever to know real happiness, he must go beyond the Way of Water. He must learn to open himself to love.

  Elias closed the journal and looked down into the reflecting pond. The surface of the little pool was an opaque gray, mirroring the dawn sky. He contemplated the featureless water for a long time.

  The muffled whispers of the incoming tide down in the cove and the calls of the seabirds masked the sound of her footsteps, but Elias knew the precise moment when Charity arrived at the garden gate.

  He could feel the warmth of her presence, just as he had that first day when she had walked into Charms & Virtues with her clipboard and an invitation to form a united front with the shopkeepers of Crazy Otis Landing.

  He watched as she opened the gate and walked along the narrow path toward the front steps. In spite of the ordeal she had been through last night, she looked fresh and bright and clear as the sparkling waters of a tropical sea. He did not try to fight the hunger and the need that she triggered within him. There was no reason to struggle against his true self.

  “I’m over here, Charity.”

  She turned at the sound of his voice and frowned when she saw him sitting at the edge of the pool. “The sun isn’t even up yet. It’s a little early to be meditating on wet grass, isn’t it?”

  “It felt like the right time. What are you doing up so early?”

  She made a face as she walked toward him along the path. “I didn’t sleep very well. Thought I’d come over here and see how you and Otis were doing.”

  “We’re both fine. Otis is still asleep.”

  “So is Davis. I left him a note telling him that I was coming over here for breakfast.” She halted beside him. “What are you contemplating this morning? Trying to figure out how many Tal Kek Chara masters it takes to screw in a lightbulb?”

  “No.”

  “We’ve really got to work on your sense of humor, Elias.”

  “Some other time, maybe.”

  “Okay,” she agreed. ‘So what were you contemplating?”

  “How to go about asking you to marry me.”

  Her eyes widened. “Oh.”

  “There is no instruction on the subject in Tal Kek Chara.”

  “I told you that water philosophy of yours had a few leaks.” Charity’s smile was tremulous. “Why don’t you just try asking me?”

  Elias got slowly to his feet. He could feel the rising tide within him. If she rejected him, he would be carried out to the deepest waters of the coldest seas. He would never find his way back to shore.

  “I love you,” Elias said. “Marry me. Please.”

  Her eyes glowed. “Yes.” She threw herself into his arms. “Yes, of course I’ll marry you. I love you, Elias.”

  And then she started to la
ugh. It was a laugh as frothy as waves on a beach, as cheerful as a rushing brook, as sparkling as a waterfall.

  He put his arms around her and buried his face in her hair. “What’s so funny?”

  “I think we just got officially engaged, and guess what? I’m not having a panic attack.”

  “Does this means that I’m the right size?” Elias said.

  “Perfect. Just perfect.”

  Elias glanced down into the reflecting pool. The first rays of sunlight had struck the surface of the water. The little pond was no longer an opaque gray. It reflected the clear, vibrant image of Charity in his arms.

  Shortly before ten that morning, Elias aimed the beam of the flashlight at the heavily laden counter that had aroused his interest the previous day. “There’s something about this stuff that doesn’t look quite right.”

  “It would look a whole lot better if you got some decent lighting in here,” Charity said briskly.

  He glanced at her over his shoulder. She was sitting on top of the sales counter, a cup of tea in her hand. One leg swung impatiently beneath the hem of her long cotton skirt. Her eyes were brilliant with laughter and love. Davis lounged beside her, a latte from Bea’s café in his hand.

  The other shopkeepers, together with Newlin and Arlene, were clustered around the cash register stand. They all held latte cups, too. Otis was perched on his artificial tree, munching a piece of fruit.

  “You still don’t seem to grasp the importance of atmosphere in a shop like Charms & Virtues,” Elias said to Charity. He started to poke at the stacks of plastic hamburgers.

  “You’re just making excuses,” Charity said. “You know that if you ever do get around to upgrading the lighting in here, you’ll also have to start dusting regularly.”

  “The dim light does hide a lot of the dust,” Newlin offered helpfully.

  “Thank you, Newlin,” Elias said. “I’m glad that someone here has the genius to understand my marketing plan.”

  “Some marketing plan,” Davis muttered. “I still can’t believe what I’m seeing here, Winters. No one in Seattle is going to believe it. The head of Far Seas, Inc., running a curio shop on a pier in Whispering Waters Cove.”

  “It’s a calling,” Elias said.

  “Forget the plan.” Ted patted his stomach, which today was encased in a T-shirt embossed with the slogan I’m Having an Out-of-Body Experience. Back in Five Minutes. “Is that the whole story? Jennifer Pitt murdered Gwen during an argument and then killed Swinton because he tried to blackmail her with a tape of the murder?”

  “That’s it,” Charity said. “Then she set up Leighton by hiding the gun she had used in the trunk of his car. But the Pitts were a two-gun household. She used the second one last night.”

  Yappy swallowed the last of his latte. “Heard Leighton Pitt was released this morning. Bet he’s one relieved realtor. Bankruptcy’s going to look like a piece of cake compared to a murder charge.”

  Radiance shook her head mournfully. “I hate to say it, but I’m going to miss Jennifer. She really helped me get my business off the ground. If it hadn’t been for her, I don’t know how long it would have taken to get the women of Whispering Waters Cove into fine nails.”

  “Speaking of Jennifer Pitt,” Hank Tybern said from the front door. “I’ve got some information which might interest the members of this little gossip clutch.”

  Charity looked down her nose at him as he ambled toward them. “You are interrupting a meeting of the Crazy Otis Landing Shopkeepers Association, Chief Tybern.”

  “Is that a fact?” Hank grinned broadly as he came to a halt near the sales counter. “Sure looked like a gossip session to me. Want me to leave and come back some other time?”

  “As long as you’re here,” Bea said swiftly, “you might as well say what you came to say.”

  “Figured you’d see it that way,” Hank said complacently.

  Elias did not look up from his work. “What did you find out about Jennifer Pitt?”

  “For starters, her name isn’t Jennifer,” Hank said.

  Elias heard the gasp that went through the crowd gathered around the register. He smiled slightly and went on with his project.

  “So, what was her real name?” Arlene asked.

  “Janice Miller, AKA Jenny Martin, AKA Jessica Reed,” Hank said. “She’s wanted down in California in connection with fraud charges. Seems she’s been identified as the lady who fleeced a couple of middle-aged fools there out of a total of about a hundred grand.”

  Yappy whistled. “So she comes up here, tries to pull off another con with Leighton Pitt, and gets bamboozled, herself. No wonder she was pissed when she found out what Gwen had done.”

  Charity looked at Hank. “Did you charge her with murder?”

  “Not yet.” Hank said. “Right now, I’m holding her on assault charges and a few other miscellaneous goodies. The murder charge may be a little more difficult.”

  “But she told me herself that she killed both of them,” Charity said indignantly.

  “Well, she isn’t saying a damn thing now,” Hank replied. “Clammed up but good. Waiting for her lawyer, she says. In the meantime, I’m going to have another look-see around the sites of the two murders. With any luck I may be able to turn up some useful evidence.”

  “Hold on a minute, Hank.” Elias dug deeper beneath a mound of fake french fries. “I may be able to give you a jump start on that investigation.” The beam of the flashlight fell on a small, bulging envelope. “Ah-hah. I knew something was wrong back here.”

  Charity looked at him expectantly. “What did you find?”

  “Rick Swinton’s final attempt to prove that no one screws him over and gets away with it.” Elias tossed the envelope toward Hank. “I think this belongs to you.”

  Hank plucked the envelope out of midair. His brows rose as he felt the size and shape of the object inside. Without a word he tore open the small packet and pulled out the tape. “Well, I’ll be damned.”

  Charity’s eyes widened. “Do you think that’s the tape of Gwen Pitt’s murder?”

  “Swinton told Jennifer that he had hidden it here in Charms & Virtues,” Elias reminded her.

  “Yes, but how in the world did you know where to look?” Charity asked.

  Elias grinned. “I noticed yesterday that the dust on that pile of plastic food wasn’t as thick and even as it had been a few days ago. It had been disturbed.”

  “How the hell could you notice that amid all this clutter?” Davis demanded with a derisive glance at the interior of the shop.

  “A good shopkeeper knows his stock,” Elias said virtuously.

  “Very observant,” Hank said with genuine admiration.

  “Yeah,” Newlin agreed. “Real sharp of you, Elias.”

  “Thanks.” Elias carried the flashlight back to the counter.

  “Don’t get the idea,” Charity warned, “that this incident will provide you with an excuse not to dust in the future, Elias. I still say a clean and tidy shop is the hallmark of a well-run business.”

  Davis grinned. “Better listen to her, Winters. When it comes to running a business, Charity’s an expert.”

  “I’ve always admired professional expertise,” Elias said.

  “Heh, heh, heh,” Crazy Otis cackled.

  20

  It is true that the waters of the past and the future are forever joined. But those who are wise and determined can alter the course of the river.

  —“On the Way of Water,” from the journal of Hayden Stone

  In the end, the Crazy Otis Landing Shopkeepers Association voted unanimously not to close the pier to the public in order to hold the second wedding reception of the year. Instead, they invited the whole town to the festivities.

  To everyone’s astonishment, virtually the entire population of Whispering Waters Cove showed up to take part. The pier was thronged. Crisp October sunshine warmed the milling crowd and danced on the waters of the cove.

  Elias was amazed
at the turnout. “We’ve got a bigger crowd than the one that turned out for the spaceships back in August.”

  “What the hell did you expect, Winters?” Hank Tybern swallowed the last of a large sugar cookie decorated with mauve icing and surveyed the crowd gathered on the landing with evident amusement. “The town’s decided that you’re here to stay. The improvements you’re making to the pier are starting to show. Weekend tourist traffic is still strong even though we’re well into October. And you and your lovely bride solved the crime of the century here in the cove this summer. You’re celebrities.”

  “It was an exciting summer,” Charity agreed complacently.

  “What was that about spaceships?” Meredith asked as she wandered over to join the group in front of Charms & Virtues.

  “Long story,” Hank told her. “And best forgotten.”

  “Bottom line is that your sister and Elias here are local heroes.” Phyllis Dartmoor came to a halt and saluted Elias and Charity with a glass of punch. “By the way, I see that the shops are starting to fill up.” She nodded toward the three new signs that hung over nearby doors.

  Elias followed her gaze. In addition to the new card shop that Newlin and Arlene had opened with the aid of a small-business loan from Far Seas, Inc., there was also a bakery and an aromatherapy shop. He wasn’t certain how well the aromatherapy operation would work, but you could never tell on Crazy Otis Landing.

  “Now that Leighton isn’t fighting with us anymore about Crazy Otis Landing, it didn’t take him long to find these two new tenants.” Charity said.

  “It’s the least he could have done. He certainly owed you big time.” Phyllis downed a glass of punch and made a face at the taste. “If it hadn’t been for you and Elias, he’d be getting ready to stand trial for murder. Personally, I think he’s going to make a comeback. The man knows real estate.”

  Charity laughed. “You’ll never turn Crazy Otis Landing into a collection of boutiques and art galleries, but I think we can make the pier work. Right, Otis?”

  Otis, ensconced on his perch, which Elias had moved to the doorway of the shop, cackled malevolently. He sidled along the fake tree limb, beady eyes intent on Charity’s crystal-encrusted sleeve.