Look the Other Way

by Kristina Stanley

  Shannon intertwined her fingers and pressed the tips onto her knuckles. She stood in front of Exuma Markets, waiting for Charlie. She chuckled at the store’s name. She’d thought markets implied more than one store. Apparently not. She’d tied the dinghy on the Lake Victoria side of the store amongst a hundred other dinghies, leaving the line long to give room for other boats. She left the motor down.

  They’d arrived in Elizabeth Harbor at four the previous afternoon and anchored on the east side of the harbor off of Sand Dollar beach. Shannon had driven the dinghy across to George Town to pick up Charlie.

  A Scotia Bank office filled the lot across from the store. Their employees dressed as if they were in a metropolitan city. Female employees wore black pants, long sleeve blouses, high heels, and hair swooped up and off the face. Men wore suits and ties.

  Cars sped by in one direction only, and she wondered why they had to drive so fast. A taxi pulled into the eight-car parking lot in front of the store. An elderly man got out and formally opened the door for Charlie. Shannon’s breath caught. She hadn’t seen her brother in a long time, and clearly, he hadn’t been taking care of himself.

  Charlie walked to the back of the shiny Suburban, accepted his duffle bag from the driver, and handed over bills. He turned and spotted Shannon.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi.” They stood, staring at one another. They’d said one word and already run out of things to talk about.

  “Where’s the boat?”

  No how are you? I’ve missed you. Only where’s the boat.

  “It’s anchored on the other side of the harbor.” Shannon pointed to the side wall of Exuma Markets. “The dinghy is out back.”

  “How come Debi hired a captain? I don’t get why you weren’t good enough.”

  Shannon didn’t miss that Charlie had said Debi and not Aunt Debi. From day one, that had been his way to keep her at a distance.

  “I can sail, but I’m not that good. Besides, I didn’t decide until the last moment to go with her.”

  The first smile appeared on Charlie’s face. “Oh yeah. I talked to Lance. Not a happy guy.”

  Shannon took in her brother as they walked around the corner to the dinghy dock. His paunch rolled over the belt of his shorts. His pudgy cheeks accentuated the paleness of someone new to the Bahamas but took focus away from his slightly bucked teeth. He’d been so skinny as a kid, and even through his twenties. Something had changed in Charlie’s life, and not for the better.

  She pointed out the dinghy to Charlie, which had swung behind several other dinghies.

  “How are we supposed to get into that?” Charlie asked.

  “We climb over the boats.” Without waiting for a response, Shannon hopped into the nearest dinghy, then the second and gracefully stepped into hers.

  Charlie placed his bag on the dock and sat. With his rump on the wooden platform, he put his feet in the nearest dinghy and shifted his butt onto the pontoon. He dragged his bag behind him.

  Although tempted to go back and get the bag, Shannon didn’t want to offend him with the ease she could move around on boats compared to him. His competitive nature, especially when it came to her, had caused many fights during their childhood.

  Charlie swung his legs from the first dinghy into the second one and slid successfully over. He tried the same method to get into Shannon’s dinghy and slipped.

  His bag fell overboard, and Shannon caught it before it sank. Salt water soaked the material but at least the bag wasn’t resting on the murky bottom of Lake Victoria. She grabbed his belt, too late to keep him dry, but quick enough to keep him from falling completely under water.

  Charlie pulled his wet shirt away from his skin. “Christ. I don’t swim well.”

  Great. Shannon should have brought a life jacket for him.

  “I’m sorry. That’s not a good way to start. We can rinse your stuff when we get to the boat, and you can have a shower.”

  To her surprise, he smiled at her. “It doesn’t matter. I shouldn’t be a grump. I’m tired from traveling, that’s all.”

  Shannon drove at idle speed through Lake Victoria. Before going under the bridge, she wrapped the emergency stop cord around her wrist.

  “Hold on to the hand grip. I need to speed up to get through the current under the bridge.” The wind blew against the incoming tide and steep waves slammed between the concrete sides of the bridge.

  Charlie swallowed hard. He crouched low and grabbed the rubber hand hold.

  The waves on the outside of the bridge didn’t look too bad, but once they rounded the peak of land that protected the entrance, a confused sea filled the bay. The dinghy slammed to port, then to starboard and back repeatedly until Shannon arrived at the stern of A Dog’s Cat.

  Debi waited on the back step with a big grin on her face. Shannon brought the dinghy close and grabbed a line hanging from the davits. Debi reached out to Charlie, and he accepted her hand. He stepped onboard without falling into the ocean. Shannon tied the dinghy and brought his bag with her.

  Peanut ran to Charlie and sniffed his shins. Charlie bent to pet her, but she ran away before his hand touched her head. She tucked behind Jake’s legs.

  * * *

  Later that afternoon, Jake drove the crowded dinghy toward Sand Dollar beach. Shannon sat on the rubber tube across from Jake, her toes inches from his.

  Debi and Charlie sat close to the bow. Jake tilted the engine and steered the dinghy until the bottom touched the sand. He hit the kill switch and the engine turned off.

  Peanut stood on the bow, waiting for her command.

  “Okay,” Debi said, and Peanut jumped to land, ran straight to a palm tree, and sat in what little shade it offered.

  Charlie wore a brimmed canvas hat, a long-sleeved t-shirt, and shorts that hung below his knees. White zinc covered his nose. His fair skin wouldn’t take long to burn. Shannon’s bikini barely covered any skin. Debi wore a more conservative one-piece bathing suit. And Jake… Hotness exuded from him with his board shorts snug against his ass, his chest hairs bleached blond from the sun, and his aviator sunglasses.

  They entered the path leading through the jungle from the leeward to windward side of the island. The beach on the windward side stretched a couple of kilometers along wild ocean. They walked in single file, twisting and turning with the path, for five minutes.

  Shannon paired up with Charlie as soon as they left the trail and reached the wide beach, leaving Jake, Debi, and Peanut to lag behind.

  “How come the beach is empty?” Charlie asked.

  “It’s always like this. I’m surprised if I see anyone else on this side of the island. I guess it’s because all the social life is on the other side.”

  “Is it safe to be alone over here?”

  Shannon squinted at Charlie, keeping out some of the sun’s rays. “This is the Bahamas. It’s safe everywhere.”

  “Speaking of a social life, tell me about Lance’s visit,” Charlie said.

  “It was short.”

  “What’d ya talk to him about?”

  Shannon heaved a sigh. “Not much. He wanted to explain why he slept with my boss, and I told him to get lost. There really wasn’t much to say. I’m surprised he cared enough to come down here. He even put me before his precious career.”

  “Maybe he deserves a second chance.”

  “No way. He told me you came to Kingston. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”

  “Did he say anything else?”

  “It’s all a blur. I was so angry with him all I could think about was getting him to leave. Jake was there, so Lance was at a disadvantage.”

  “Are we going all the way to the end?” Jake hollered from behind.

  “Sure.” They’d already walked a kilometer and only had another one and a half to the end. “We can go for a swim when we get there.”

  Charlie pointed to the surf pounding the beach. “Are you crazy?”

  “There’s a natural pool at the other end. Jake and I walk
ed here yesterday, and the water inside the pool was flat.”

  When they reached the end of the beach, Shannon pointed to the reef surrounding a pool of translucent blue water. The water between the reef and the shore swelled slightly but wasn’t raging.

  “See what I mean? The reef pokes through the surface, so unwanted creatures, like sharks, can’t get in, and we can’t get pushed out. It’s my favorite place to swim.” Shannon entered the water up to her knees. “Are you coming? The water’s shallow.”

  Charlie took a few steps toward her. “It’s warm.” He swam in her direction, but she could tell he wasn’t all that comfortable. Maybe she could work on that. It would give them something to do together. It might even help their relationship. Charlie swam with the awkward movements of a mediocre swimmer, but only for a few minutes, then retreated to the beach.

  Debi and Jake swam with Shannon. Peanut ran in a wide circle around Charlie to the rear of the beach and sat in the shade.

  CHAPTER THIRTY

  Jake

  Sand Dollar Beach, Bahamas

  Jake held up a half empty carafe of red wine. “Shannon, you want a refill?”

  “Sure.” Shannon got up from her seat at the wooden picnic table and lifted her empty glass toward Jake. Another cruiser immediately took her place on the bench.

  Forty-something people stood or sat near the bonfire, drinking, eating, and talking. The quality of the food impressed Jake. He’d thought happy hour on the beach meant chips and dip. Instead, he found lobster, fresh Mahi-Mahi, and pork loin along with salads and desserts. He’d had no idea cruisers ate so well, and even Miss Vegetarian, who wasn’t so vegetarian anymore, filled her stomach with tasty foods.

  While the early evening sky still provided Jake with enough light to see faces, the cop in him surveyed the crowd. He guessed the average age of the group was sixty-five, making Charlie, Shannon, and him sit at the beginning of the age bell curve.

  The breeze blew Shannon’s skirt, exposing her well-developed thighs, and he admired the view.

  Charlie sidled up to Shannon. “How long are you going to stay with Debi?”

  Shannon held a slice of aged salami between two fingers. “Until I’m ready to go home.” She popped the slice into her mouth, and Jake could see her enjoy the flavor. He applauded the step away from her life with Lance.

  Jake studied the siblings. A piece of lettuce stuck between the gap in Charlie’s front teeth. Although the same height, Shannon appeared taller than Charlie. She held her lanky frame erect while Charlie slouched and his beer belly hung over the top of his shorts. In comparison to her dark locks, Charlie’s blond hair appeared white. Jake would never have pegged them as siblings.

  From the other side of the bonfire, a young female floated through the smoke. She reached Jake and kissed his cheek, then darted her eyes in Shannon’s direction. Jake’s eyes mimicked the movement. Nicole wore a bikini top and a flowered skirt.

  “Well, hello,” Nicole said to Charlie.

  Charlie didn’t answer her.

  “You two know each other?” Jake asked.

  “No,” Charlie said.

  Jake introduced Nicole to Shannon and Charlie.

  “What boat are you on?” Charlie asked.

  “I’m crewing on Night Wind.”

  “Are you planning on going farther south?”

  “I think so. What about you?”

  Charlie shrugged.

  “I saw you running this morning,” Nicole said to Shannon. “I’ve been looking for a running partner.”

  “That sounds fun. Sometimes Jake is too busy to run with me. Something about listening to the weather every morning.”

  Nicole tapped on her cell. “Give me your number, and we can make a plan.”

  “Sure. I like to go sometime between six and seven before it gets hot.”

  They talked about the food and the island, and Jake had difficulty paying attention to the inane conversation. Shannon looked bored and headed back to the picnic table and flopped beside Debi.

  Jake picked up several palm fronds from the beach and tossed them on the fire. The dry leaves caught immediately, and flames rose two feet high. The fire sizzled and crackled.

  “What’s your sister like?” Nicole asked Charlie.

  Jake perked up. “How do you know Shannon’s his sister? I thought you hadn’t met before.”

  Nicole canted her head toward Charlie. “He told me.”

  “I didn’t hear him say anything about her,” Jake said.

  Nicole ignored Jake. “Wanna introduce me to your aunt?” She hooked her arm under Charlie’s and led him toward Debi.

  Debi stood and shook hands with her. Debi’s frozen smile told Jake all he needed to know about her feelings toward Nicole. If Charlie hadn’t been there and unaware of the relationship between Bobby and Nicole, Jake guessed Debi would have told her to take a hike.

  On the other side of Debi, Jake noticed a woman standing near their dinghy and running her fingers over the lettering that spelled Waterfall.

  Jake approached her. “Hi. I’m Jake.”

  “Ashlyn. Is this your dinghy?”

  “It is.”

  “Is your boat named Waterfall?”

  “No. I’m on A Dog’s Cat.” Jake pointed to the catamaran. “I’m captaining for Debi Hall. Her late husband’s boat was named Waterfall.”

  “I’m on Dreamer. She’s Bobby’s widow?”

  “She is. You knew Bobby.”

  “Everyone here did. He was such a nice man. I don’t know what he saw in her, though.” She nodded in the direction of Nicole. “Who’s the guy she’s talking to? He looks familiar.”

  “That’s Debi’s nephew, Charlie. Do you know him?”

  Ashlyn stared at him for a moment. “I don’t think so.”

  * * *

  Jake drove the dinghy to the stern of A Dog’s Cat. Debi and Shannon stepped off the pontoon and onto the back steps. He kept the engine running.

  “I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  “Where are you going?” Shannon asked.

  “Just to check out the anchorage a bit.”

  “Are you worried one of the other boats might drag into us?”

  “Something like that.” He put his hand underneath Piddles’ belly and hoisted her onto the stern.

  The anchorage was dark. Without the moon to light the way and with clouds covering the stars, he was going to have a hard time finding Charlie. He eased away from A Dog’s Cat and puttered through the anchorage. Even at a slow speed, the dinghy created a wake, and each boat swayed from the pressure of the wave as he drove by.

  Jake drove to the edge of Sand Dollar, reading the boat names on each boat. Orion was anchored at the edge of the spit, closer to Volleyball Beach than Sand Dollar. Did the guy follow them here? He seemed off, but not exactly dangerous. Jake had met his type before. All bluff and minor action.

  He wound his way past the stern of Night Wind. Charlie stepped from the cockpit through the companionway and out of sight. Of course, that’s where Charlie was. It didn’t take him long to hook up with Nicole.

  Finally, he spotted Dreamer. A forty-three-foot Africat. The power catamaran was made in Africa. Jake brought the dinghy to Dreamer’s side and knocked on the hull. He stood and grabbed the cleat on the side of the back stairs.

  “Hello,” Ashlyn said.

  “Hi. Jake.” He held out his hand. “We met at the beach.”

  She laughed. She had a full and genuine laugh that made Jake like her. “I think I can remember twenty minutes ago.”

  “Could we talk about Bobby?”

  She looked behind her, and a man entered the spacious cockpit. “This is my husband, Ed.”

  Ed came forward. “Come on board.”

  Jake tied the dinghy to the cleat, making sure the cleat hitch was secure. He wasn’t going to make that mistake again. If it had been a mistake and not something else. He hopped on board.

  Ed and Ashlyn sat at the cockpit table, and Ja
ke sat on the long seat on the opposite side of the cockpit.

  “Beer?” Ed asked.

  “Thanks, but I had enough wine at the beach.”

  “What do you want to know about Bobby?” Ashlyn asked. She wore a powder blue beach dress and had a flower stuck behind one ear. She had a tattoo of a Rose on her left calf.

  Ed was dressed in board shorts and a white t-shirt. His hair hung to the bottom of his neck in curls. Jake ran his hand over the stubble on his head. He just couldn’t get used to longer hair.

  “Ashlyn might have told you I’m traveling with Debi Hall, Bobby Hall’s widow, and their niece, Shannon.”

  “She did. She said you asked about him.”

  “Have you heard his boat was found in the Turks and Caicos?”

  Ed chuckled. “Of course. It’s the talk of the beach. We all love a good story.”

  Ashlyn gently slapped his arm and opened her eyes wide at him.

  “Sorry, that was insensitive. What do you want to know?”

  A dinghy buzzed toward A Dog’s Cat. Could be Charlie heading home? “We’re trying to trace his last days. Do you know if Nicole Dace was living aboard with him?”

  “They arrived at George Town together, but the day after they got here, she moved onto another boat,” Ed said.

  Ed seemed to be the talker, the one in the couple who liked to gossip. He’d gotten the impression at the beach that Ashlyn was more tight-lipped.

  “Any idea why?”

  “The rumor was Bobby kicked her off. I think she wanted more from him than he was interested in if you get my meaning.” Ed winked.

  “Where did she go?”

  Ed looked to Ashlyn. “Is that when she moved onto Orion?”

  Ashlyn pursed her lips. “I think so.”

  “So, she wasn’t traveling with Bobby when he left George Town?”

  “No. They didn’t take her with them.”

  Interesting. “They?”

  “The guy he was traveling with.”

  “What guy?”

  “I don’t know. He picked someone up in George Town the night before he left. We only saw a glimpse of him when he got on board that evening.”