Raine stood up and dried her face. “If it isn’t too late I have to set things right.”
Before she could pull herself completely together, Anniston and Tessa walked in. The women exchanged looks. “Are you okay? We looked up and noticed you were gone.”
“There’s fresh coffee,” Raine said, still in a daze.
Tessa turned the lock on the kitchen door so no one else could enter the room. “Screw the coffee. Tell us what’s wrong?”
“Did Mitch do something?” Anniston wanted to know.
How could she answer that? “Give me some time to make things right with Mitch and I’ll tell you everything. But right now I have to go see my mom.”
Two streets over, Raine came to a stop in front of a Cape Cod with dormer windows on the roof. She walked up the flagstone pathway to the long front porch, past eclectic-painted rocking chairs, and looked into the entryway via the beveled glass on the door.
She found it strangely quiet and turned the handle without knocking.
Marla Manning was still dressed in her black dress, the one she’d worn to the memorial service. She’d kicked off her heels and left her feet bare and propped up on the coffee table. She leaned back into the cushions of her sofa, sipping on her glass of vodka on the rocks.
The small terrier in her lap, named Buffy, let out one yippy bark as soon as the pooch spotted someone entering the living room. Raine watched Buffy settle down the minute he saw the familiar face. The teacup-sized dog curled up beside Marla again without making a fuss.
“You’ve got some guard dog there, Mom,” Raine said as she plopped down on the other end of the couch.
“That was a lovely service you put together,” Marla said, her words slurring slightly from the alcohol. “Reminded me of Danny’s.”
Raine should’ve known her mom couldn’t let five seconds go by without mentioning her son’s name. “I know.”
“What are you doing here? Is something wrong at the restaurant?”
“If I said yes, would you go there now and help me out?” Knowing the answer before she asked the question, Raine patted the cushion and waited for Buffy to come say hi. The little dog gingerly waddled over.
“You know I can’t do that. Your grandmother’s taking a nap. I couldn’t leave her alone.”
Some things never changed, Raine thought as she brushed her fingers through the dog’s coat. “Then I guess there’s nothing wrong. As always, everything’s peachy. Lenore appreciated you and Grandma showing up to the service.”
“Lenore told me. I talked to her for a few minutes until everyone started crowding around. Told her if she needed anything to call.”
And what would you do if she did? Raine thought. She let out a deep breath. Maybe she did have too many issues with the past that she needed to get over. “At least you took food over to the Indigo house with me. I wish you’d get out more, Mom. You need to be around people.”
“I’m around your grandmother every day. You know I’m not that social any more. Why are you here? To make me feel bad? Don’t be mean to me today. I have a terrible headache.”
Raine stared at the cocktail glass wondering where her mother had hidden the bottle. She hadn’t left it out, but then she never did. “I just need to look for something in the attic.”
“What?”
“Just some old photos.”
“Well, there’s plenty up there. Don’t make a mess, though.”
“Sure, Mom.” She handed Buffy back to her mother and got to her feet. “Don’t worry. I’ll straighten everything up before I go.”
Chapter Twenty - Heat
Somehow they managed to get through the graveside service the following day. Burials on the Keys tended to be done above ground in mausoleums. They’d been doing it that way for two centuries or longer.
For the entombment, the crowd was small—only a few outside the family had been invited. They gathered at the Indigo family crypt on a warm October day to say goodbye.
It wasn’t Boone who led them in prayer but Daniel Shugart. The funeral director was a bear of a man, but soft-spoken. God had given him a deep tenor, a singing voice that rivaled Elvis Presley’s. Daniel could perform a hymn without music or accompaniment—his song list was extensive and varied. Maybe that’s why his vocals didn’t let anyone down today.
Tanner had picked an old gospel song called Lighthouse that he’d heard Daniel sing many times before. Lenore went with There Will Be a Day. For Ally and Blake, Garret pressed him for My Heart Will Go On, knowing it was from Livvy’s favorite movie of all time, Titanic.
In a final tribute, as family members filed past each casket, they placed a yellow trout lily on top—the flowers courtesy of Cozelle Dunfrey and her container garden.
The service was brief and over within an hour’s time. But Garret’s somber mood remained well after the last hymn. Added to the sadness was a rage building inside him that kept biting at the edge. It snapped and frayed and dangled there on a razor-thin tether.
A few hours after the final goodbyes, a group decision was made to end the stakeouts. The surveillance had only lasted four nights, but come Tuesday evening, no one could work up the energy or the right frame of mind to go near Baskin or Dandridge. They didn’t trust themselves to remain in the car. And since Garret had picked up their new weapons that afternoon from Michael Tang, it didn’t seem wise to tempt fate.
Anniston couldn’t stand to see Garret like this so she offered a solution. She talked him into burning off a mad fury at the gun range. In turn, he brought the gang along where Anniston and Sebastian could go over gun safety. They made sure everyone in the group knew how to load and unload their respective weapons. Even Lenore and Dominka took a turn at target practice.
Raine seemed uneasy handling Danny’s M9 so Mitch tried to help her feel more at ease. “It’s a powerful weapon that holds fifteen rounds with very little recoil.”
“I’m not much of a gun person,” Raine admitted, hoping Mitch would move on to someone else. She should’ve known better when he took even more of an interest.
“Where sand might jam other guns, this one is built to fire in desert conditions,” he went on. “It had its problems early with reliability but the army modified it to accept different sights, even a laser.”
“None of that helped Danny make it back home,” Raine said, her voice tinged with bitterness.
“No, I guess not,” Mitch said quietly. He showed her the safety lock, directed her to remove the slide and then showed her how to load and reload. He let her go through the same routine three times before announcing, “Let’s get you a pair of ear muffs.” He readied the gear, stuck it on her head, and brought the target within fifteen feet.
She looked around at everyone else’s firing station and frowned. “That’s really close. Garret’s target is way back there near the wall.”
“It’s at twenty-five yards because he’s used a firearm before.”
Raine wasn’t sure she bought that explanation. Even Dominka’s target was farther back. But she kept her mouth shut for once without popping off because she was nervous enough already. The last thing she needed was to provoke Mitch into an argument. Somewhere during all this, she had to suggest they find a place to talk.
Mitch noted how tense she looked. “Relax.” He showed her a comfortable firing stance and how best to grip the weapon to reduce needless tension. After letting her practice her hold, he turned her around toward the target and rubbed her shoulders. “Take a deep breath. Now pull the trigger.”
She let loose with a string of shots. “It’s pretty awesome firing the same pistol Danny used. How’d I do?”
Mitch scratched his chin. “You did very well. Are you sure this is the first time you’ve fired that particular weapon?”
“Absolutely. It’s the first time I’ve ever been to a gun range.”
“I’ll move the target back. Try it again.”
Even at twenty-five yards she was surprisingly accurate.
&nbs
p; “You have a knack.”
“Hmm, maybe I’ve found me a niche, other than slinging hash all day at the restaurant.”
Anniston sidled up to review Raine’s target. “Not bad. I’m impressed. Never underestimate the female eye when it comes to aiming and firing a weapon with such accuracy.”
Raine let out a laugh. “How’d Tessa do?”
Tessa heard her name mentioned and walked over. “Jackson says I need work.”
“You did fine with a target ten yards away,” Anniston assured her. “It’s not necessary to be that consistent at long range.”
“That’s what I like to hear,” Tessa exclaimed. “But with every shot I kept thinking of what cold-blooded tactics it must’ve taken for the killer to aim at Ryan’s head.”
“Same here,” Jackson added. “I wake up nights in a cold sweat knowing there’s someone out there, close by, who beat and tortured four people. Maybe the timing wasn’t the greatest to do this so soon after saying goodbye. But I have to tell you, with each shot I fired, I thought of getting justice.”
Garret began packing up his stuff, putting away the firearms in a duffel bag. “For me, the timing was perfect. I needed to vent and Anniston recognized it.” But out of the corner of his eye, he caught a blur of female wrath, or so he thought. Raine had left their little circle to go over to where Mitch stood. He braced himself for the fireworks that usually followed.
There was something Raine needed to get out of the way before she left for home. She tapped Mitch on the shoulder as he unloaded a steel Smith & Wesson 9-millimeter.
“I thought you were on your way out the door.”
“Thanks for helping me…earlier…with Danny’s gun. I appreciate it.”
“Any time you want to shoot, let me know, and I’m happy to meet you here.”
Raine fiddled nervously with the strap on her handbag. “Look, you know what happened yesterday after the memorial service was a reaction to grief. That’s all it was.”
Mitch sent her a confident grin. “Got it. You keep telling yourself that.”
She sighed, knowing full well he didn’t buy it. “We did have a long history together. That kiss in the kitchen was completely normal, something between two old friends.”
“Friends? We were more than that. Three years all through high school, fifteen to eighteen, were our formative years. You even taught me how to kiss.”
She found that funny. “Me? And here I thought you schooled me in that fine art.”
“Come to think of it, we probably learned together.”
She pivoted to look up into his dark eyes. Here, too, was power. No wonder she’d had trouble resisting him when she was so young. “We should talk.”
“Okay. But if this afternoon is still freaking you out…”
“It’s not.”
Mitch saw the serious face, read the body language. “How about I come by your place after I leave here?”
“All right. I’ll see you then. Text me when you’re on your way.”
“Sure thing. And Raine?”
She turned back. “What?”
“Be careful.” Mitch watched her leave and wondered if he’d hit some kind of nerve.
“What was that all about?” Garret asked.
“No idea. Women are mysterious creatures. But that one seems more so than anyone I know. Maybe it’s just me but it’s almost like she has something heavy hanging on her mind.”
“They don’t think like we do. That’s for sure. I thought she was coming over here to ream your ass,” Garret said flatly. “I watched you with her tonight. You’re still in love with her.”
He supposed there was no point in a fat denial. “I’d better get over it because she’s as prickly as a pear cactus around me. I’m not sure her attitude will ever change.”
“My advice is to use some of that Indigo charm you’re so famous for.” That was as far as Garret got with the advice when his cell phone rang. He stopped to take the call and watched the rest of the group head out to the parking lot.
By the time Garret caught up with them outside, Mitch had folded himself into the Nissan Titan and was about to pull away.
Garret waved him down. “That call was from Willie Desoto. He finally ran across someone who remembered the name of Hugo’s boat. Clay Don Bigelow swears the name is Schneewind. I even had him spell it out. I wrote it down.”
“Weird name. Although Clay Don would know, he owns the fueling station at the marina.”
“But it’s important because Clay Don backs up Willie’s claim. Clay Don says he filled up Hugo’s boat the day word got out they’d found Livvy and Ally. He’s sure of the date. That means Hugo clearly took off after the bodies were discovered. We need to jump on this, Mitch.”
Anniston had wandered over to ask Garret what was taking him so long. Her eyes widened at the news. “If we have the name of the boat that gives us something concrete to go on. Let’s see what I can find out on my phone. I just need a few minutes to search the name, maybe get into the boat database the state keeps.”
By then, Raine had pulled out of her space and spotted the others assembling around Mitch’s pickup. She slowed to a stop. “What’s up?”
Garret told her about the update on Hugo’s boat. “We’re headed back to the house now. Anniston’s trying do some research. Why don’t you follow us there?”
Raine shook her head. “Not tonight, Garret. I’m really beat. It’s been a rough two days for me. You guys go ahead.”
“Are you sure?”
“Positive. I’m heading home to get some sleep. Tell Mitch I’ll talk to him another time.”
They were still huddled around Mitch’s truck when Anniston held up her phone in triumph. “Found something. Searching the word Schneewind gets me several thousand hits. But the most interesting one of all is the name Fritz Schneewind. He was the captain of a German submarine, U-183.”
Garret peered over her shoulder, read what was on the screen. “183 went down in the Java Sea in April, 1945. Schneewind was eventually awarded the German Cross in Gold. That’s the highest award recognized by Hitler. He gave out gold for recurring acts of bravery or success in battle. I’d say Hugo naming his boat after this guy sounds to me like a case of definite hero worship left over from Nazi Germany, which fits with what we know so far about Reiner.”
Garret chewed the inside of his jaw and exchanged looks with his brothers. “I think we should take The Black Rum out tonight and start looking for this guy. Now. No more wasting time.”
Raine made it back home to her houseboat within a few minutes and jumped in the shower. She made herself an egg salad sandwich and settled down in front of the TV to watch late-night reruns of Frasier. She usually adored the show, but tonight she couldn’t focus on a single line. It wasn’t because she already knew most of them by heart.
Her eyes kept coming back to the leather-bound keepsake book on the coffee table that she’d retrieved from her mother’s attic. A low-level hum of regret ran through her as she picked it up. Almost reluctantly, she flipped inside to the first page.
What a naïve girl she’d once been, she thought, as she studied each photo. She’d kept every memento from high school in a scrapbook carefully preserved in between plastic sheets. It wasn’t her fault that most of the stuff consisted of pictures of her and Mitch. She chose one at random. The teenage couple smiled and mugged for the camera and by all accounts adored each other. It had been taken on a June trip to Disney World® when they’d been sixteen. She flicked to other pages that held silly birthday cards, banners, even little love notes sent between the two. She read a poem he’d written over that same summer, a little rhyme declaring his love.
But something about it caught her attention. She took out other poems, read other verses, and realized in each one he always mentioned his love for the sea, the ocean, the outdoors, how one day he’d go looking for treasure. Had she somehow mistaken his words of affection for how he felt about her?
Tired of thinking
about the past and Mitch Indigo, she snapped the book shut and shoved it off her lap to the other side of the sofa.
She picked up the remote, switched channels to the news. The weather service had already issued an alert about a tropical depression building in the Atlantic. Winds were expected to exceed fifty miles an hour.
She’d plugged in her phone to charge and left it on the counter. But when she heard the signal that she had a text message, she dragged herself off the couch and went over to check it out, hoping it wasn’t from Mitch. But of course it was.
Going out tonight on the Rum to find Hugo. Will talk when I get back.
She shook her head and typed in a response. Watching the weather now. You’re going out when there’s a storm moving in?
He sent a reply within seconds. I’m a good sailor with an excellent crew. It’ll be fine. Don’t worry.
That’s the trouble, she decided. She’d spent way too many years worrying about someone who would never change. What kind of life would she have had sitting home in her little world on Indigo Key running a taco stand while the man she loved spent his time at sea facing all kinds of harrowing weather conditions?
She came to one conclusion. The couple in those old photos no longer existed. And it was way past time she came to grips with that fact.
Chapter Twenty-One - Heat
Back at the Indigo house, Anniston spent an hour trying to talk Garret into waiting until morning to go look for the old sailor. But his mind was made up.
“You’re the most hard-headed, stubborn man I’ve ever tried to reason with. What possible harm could it do to wait until the storm passes?” Anniston shouted as she watched him throw clothes into the same bag where he’d stored all the weapons.
“Mitch knows what he’s doing and so does his crew. They’ve dealt with storms before. Besides, it’s the perfect time to go out and look for that old geezer. With the storm blowing in, he’ll have to anchor somewhere until it passes. This is the best time to catch him in port.”
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