Look the Other Way

by Kristina Stanley

  “You know, for Shannon and Debi, you and I should make an attempt to get along. If not, it’s going to be pretty uncomfortable for everyone with four people on the boat.”

  “Plus the stupid dog.”

  “I’m a cat person, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be nice to the dog,” Jake said. “Do you like anyone or anything?”

  “You have no idea what I’ve had to deal with so don’t judge. I don’t like dogs. Who cares?”

  “You’re right. I don’t know what your life’s been like. I do know Debi is doing everything possible to make you happy. You could try for her sake.”

  “Debi is always trying to make everyone happy. It has nothing to do with me. It’s her nature.”

  “I don’t care what you actually think about me,” Jake said. “Could we pretend to get along?”

  “Whatever.”

  Jake didn’t think he’d get more of an agreement than that. Talking to Charlie was like talking to a teenager. If he hadn’t developed mentally into an adult by now, he was never going to.

  They reached Sand Dollar beach. Jake’s dinghy floated just offshore. The tide had risen, and he hadn’t dragged his dinghy far enough up on the sand. He’d have to swim to it. Charlie’s dinghy floated closer to the shoreline.

  “Loser,” Charlie said. “Thought you knew how to captain a boat.” Charlie stepped into his dinghy, pulled the cord, and puttered toward A Dog’s Cat, leaving Jake to swim.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  Shannon

  George Town Area, Bahamas

  Peanut pressed her head into Shannon’s leg, and Shannon rubbed her ear. Peanut coughed for the third time.

  Jake drove to the stern of A Dog’s Cat and tied off. He entered the cockpit and sat beside her.

  “I just had a weird encounter with Nicole and Charlie. Something is going on between them.”

  “Like what?”

  Peanut coughed again.

  “Not sure. What’s with the dog?” Jake asked.

  “I don’t know. It sounds like she has a hairball stuck in her throat. She’s been like that since last night. Debi gave her antibiotics and a cough suppressant, but she’s not getting better.” Shannon lifted Peanut’s lip and pressed her finger into Peanut’s gums. The skin turned white and then pink again.

  “Do you think she needs a vet?”

  “I’m not sure. I read in the chart book there’s one in George Town. Let’s wait and see how she is by tomorrow.”

  Debi entered the galley from her cabin below, opened the fridge, and removed cheese and roast beef. “What do you think about Darren being on board yesterday?”

  The aroma of fresh baked bread filled the interior of the boat and made its way to the cockpit. Shannon’s mouth watered. Debi placed lunch on the cockpit table.

  Shannon glanced at Jake, and he nodded.

  “He said some things about you that weren’t very nice.” Shannon cut a slice of bread and buttered it, keeping her eyes on her food.

  “And?”

  “He said Bobby didn’t care about the watch you gave him because you weren’t coming to meet him as planned.”

  “Did you believe him?”

  “I told him he was full of crap.”

  Debi laughed. “Good for you. Where’s Charlie?”

  Shannon wondered at the change of subject but let it go. “He took off in his new dinghy a couple of hours ago.”

  They finished lunch without another mention of Darren. Jake began to clear the table, but before he’d gathered the plates, Peanut gasped for air, making a hoarse sound she’d never heard from her.

  Jake set the plates back on the table and kneeled beside Peanut. “Time for a vet. Let’s not wait.”

  They left the dishes in place. With money in hand, Debi reached the dinghy first. As the group traveled across the bay, she held Peanut and whispered to her.

  When they reached the far side of the harbor, they landed the dinghy on a beach within walking distance from the vet’s.

  Debi grabbed Jake’s bicep. “I can barely hear her breathing.”

  Jake gently took Peanut, held her tight against his chest, and started running. “I’ll meet you there.”

  Debi took off after him but was no match for his speed. Shannon anchored the dinghy and followed at a full run.

  By the time she joined them at the vet’s office, Peanut was on oxygen. The fear in Debi’s eyes was almost too much to look at. Shannon grabbed her aunt’s hand.

  “I’m not sure what’s wrong with her, but she’s not in good shape. We’ll have to work fast.” The vet gave Peanut a blood transfusion and put her on IV fluids. He x-rayed her and took a blood sample.

  Time could not have passed slower for Shannon. Her heart ached for Debi and Peanut. Even Jake seemed shaken. He tried to pretend he didn’t care about Peanut, he called her Piddles all the time as if she could stop herself from peeing, but he’d already saved her life once. The three of them sat in the outdoor waiting room, watching the plants grow. Jake jiggled his knees, Debi massaged her hands, and Shannon sat still.

  The vet joined them with a prognosis. “Peanut’s eaten rat poison. She’s bleeding into her lungs, leaving little room for oxygen. You’ll need to prepare yourselves. I’m not sure I can save her.”

  “You have to try,” Debi said. “Money’s not an issue.”

  “It’s not about payment. The poison has taken hold. I’ve given her a shot of the antidote. Now we wait. She’ll have to remain here overnight, but you’re welcome to stay into the evening if you’d like to be with her. Sometimes that calms an animal.”

  Without hesitating, Jake said, “We’ll stay.”

  Shannon’s throat tightened, and she nodded in agreement.

  “Do you have any idea where she got it from?” the vet asked.

  Debi shook her head and looked to Jake and Shannon.

  Jake fingered a leaf of a nearby fat plant that was ubiquitous to the Bahamas. “When would she have to have eaten it to be this sick?”

  “It depends on how much poison she ate, but I’d say in the last day or two.”

  “She hasn’t been out of our sight, at least not when we’re off the boat.”

  “The restaurants on Stocking Island put poison underneath the huts. Could she have been under one of them?”

  “We ate at one the other day for lunch.” Of the three restaurants, two were mere beach shacks, and Shannon didn’t remember letting Peanut off the leash.

  “What’s the poison look like?” Jake asked.

  “Beige dog kibble.”

  “I haven’t seen anything like that around,” Jake said.

  “Well, think about it. Maybe we can figure it out,” the vet said.

  Just before dark, they left Peanut on life support and headed back to A Dog’s Cat.

  * * *

  Shannon, Jake and Debi reached their boat and sat in silence in the cockpit. Leaving Peanut hadn’t been Shannon’s wish, but they could hardly stay in the vet’s office overnight.

  Looking around the empty cockpit, Debi asked, “Any idea where Charlie is?”

  “He could be anywhere. Maybe he’s made some new friends,” Shannon said.

  “That would be nice,” Debi said in a dull voice. She buried her head in her hands. “I don’t want her to die.”

  Shannon put her palms on her aunt’s back and massaged her shoulders. “She’s got too strong a heart for that. She’ll come back to us.”

  Jake entered the salon and opened the fridge. He grabbed lettuce, peppers, cheese, and an apple. “I’ll make us a salad.”

  He stood in the galley, facing the cockpit, and sliced a red pepper. Shannon felt his eyes on her and silently thanked him for taking care of them.

  Jake stooped and opened the kitchen cabinet. “Fuck. That bastard.”

  Shannon hadn’t heard him swear before. Debi stiffened, and Shannon stopped rubbing her shoulders.

  Jake entered the cockpit and placed Peanut’s dog food container on the table.
<
br />   “What? You’re freaking me out,” Shannon said.

  Jake poured kibble onto the mahogany surface. Even under the soft cockpit lights, Shannon saw two types of kibble. One, about the size of an M&M and dark brown, the other, a little bigger than a grain of rice and light in color.

  Shannon poked a beige nugget with her finger. “Do you think it’s poison?”

  Debi grabbed her hand. “Don’t touch it.”

  “How could poison get in her food?” Shannon asked. “We don’t carry any on board.”

  Jake was silent for a moment. “Someone put it there on purpose.”

  “Who would do that?” Debi asked.

  Jake stared at Shannon, as if waiting for her to figure it out.

  “You think Darren did this,” she said.

  “Darren? The guy who stole Bobby’s watch. Why would he poison Peanut?” Debi whipped her eyes to Jake and then to Shannon. “I don’t understand.”

  “He’s angry because I took the watch back. This is my fault.” Jake reached for Debi’s hand. He explained how they’d found Darren on A Dog’s Cat. “I’m sorry. I should have realized he was up to something.”

  “It’s not your fault,” Shannon said.

  “Yes, it is. I saw him kick the cabinet door closed, and I never thought to see why he’d opened it. Bad police work on my part. I’m losing my edge.”

  “Even if you’d looked, you wouldn’t have opened Peanut’s dog food. Did you even know what her food is supposed to look like?”

  “I still should have checked. Peanut might not be sick if I’d been more careful.”

  * * *

  “What are you doing in the dinghy?” Shannon asked.

  Debi perched on a rubber tube, dressed in an above-the-knee skirt, a billowy blouse, and holding Peanut’s leash. “I’m waiting to go to the vet.”

  If she hadn’t looked so forlorn, Shannon would have laughed at her. “It’s only eight. The vet said to come anytime after nine. Come back on board and eat some breakfast.”

  “I want to go to her. She doesn’t like to be alone.”

  “I know, but there’s no point in standing outside the office, waiting to be let in.” Shannon pulled the line and drew the dinghy to the side of A Dog’s Cat’s hull. She held out her hand. “Come on. Let’s eat. Then we can go. We’ll make sure we’re there by quarter to.”

  “She’s right.” Jake wore a button-down t-shirt and brown shorts. His captain’s uniform. He’d traded his casual flip flops for dress sandals.

  Debi relented and returned to the cockpit. Shannon handed her a mug of steaming coffee. She filled two bowls with yogurt and granola, placed one in front of Debi and sat.

  “You need to eat. Who knows when we’ll get lunch.”

  Debi lifted a spoonful to her mouth, then placed it back in the bowl. “I can’t. I’m too worried.”

  “She’ll be okay,” Shannon said.

  “You don’t know that. Bobby bought her for me. I can’t lose her, too.”

  Shannon pushed the bowl an inch closer to Debi.

  “Eat a little, then we’ll go. Peanut won’t get worse just because you have breakfast.”

  “You’re right. I’m just being a baby.”

  “No, you’re not. You love Peanut. Of course you’re worried.”

  When they were done, Jake washed the bowls, stored them in the cupboard beside the stove, and ushered them into the dinghy.

  As promised, they reached the vet well before nine and waited for fifteen minutes in the shade of a palm tree. The vet’s office was inside a one-story house. The tranquil setting didn’t match the panic of their visit the day before. A minute before nine, the vet opened the front door and motioned for them to come in.

  When they entered the clinic, the aroma of coffee mixed with bacon wafted in from a room to the side of the clinic. They found Peanut lying on her side on a waist-high table.

  Shannon’s heart pounded as she took in the helpless form.

  Peanut lifted her tail once at the sight of Debi.

  Debi buried her nose in her furry neck. She gently placed her hand on Peanut’s belly and looked at the vet. If she’d dropped to her knees and begged, her desperation couldn’t have been more apparent.

  The vet answered Debi’s unspoken question. “I’m still not sure. She needs to remain here today, and I’ll watch her progress.”

  “Can the ladies stay, too?” Jake asked.

  “Of course. It’ll be good for Peanut.”

  The vet left them alone. Debi slid a chair to the side of the table Peanut lay on and gently rubbed her stomach.

  “Why did you say the ladies?” Shannon asked. “Aren’t you staying with us?”

  “I’ve got something I want to do,” Jake said.

  “Let me take a wild guess. You’re going to find Darren.”

  Jake gave a curt nod.

  “Don’t do anything dumb,” Shannon said.

  “I won’t, but he needs to understand he has to stay away from us.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  Jake

  Sand Dollar Anchorage, George Town Area

  Jake drove the dinghy at full throttle across the open harbor. He spotted Darren’s boat, Orion, at the south end of the Sand Dollar anchorage.

  “Damn,” he said to himself. He couldn’t get over being so stupid. How could he have ignored Darren kicking the cabinet door closed? He didn’t get Darren’s motivation, other than he was a slimy bastard. The weasel was the type to always blame someone else for his problems.

  Maybe Bobby had actually given Darren the watch, or maybe Darren’s delusional mind believed that to be true. But who poisons a dog over a watch? Something else about the interaction with Darren bothered him, but he couldn’t figure out what. Jake knew he was missing something, but also knew the way his mind worked. Eventually, the important bit of information would brew itself to the surface.

  Jake didn’t know if he felt worse for Debi, Shannon, or Piddles. As their captain, he should take care of things. He hadn’t taken care of Becky, and now he’d failed again.

  He motored past the first buoy marking a reef near the anchorage. Three boats away from Orion, he cut the engine. He floated for a few minutes, getting his temper under control.

  He undid the Velcro straps that held the oars to the inside of the pontoons and rowed the rest of the way to Orion. The sea was glass, and the only sound was the slight slapping of the oars against the water.

  Jake stopped rowing when he reached the port side of the hull. He heard voices in the cockpit. He listened until he recognized Nicole Dace as one of the speakers. The other was Darren.

  “The guy on Night Wind is way too old for you,” Darren said.

  “So? He’s nice to me,” Nicole said.

  Jake kept his head low, allowing only his fingertips to show over the topsides.

  “Like Bobby was?” Darren asked.

  “Don’t be an ass.”

  “You never should have left me for him. I would have taken better care of you.”

  “I don’t need taking care of. I only got on your boat in the first place because there wasn’t anyone else around yet.”

  “That’s not true. You came back to me after he kicked you off his boat.”

  “He didn’t kick me off. I left ‘cause I wanted to. Bobby was a nicer man than you’ll ever be.”

  Jake could imagine Nicole’s posture while she argued with Darren. She’d be sticking out her chin and chest. The first to defy him, and the second to distract him.

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Darren asked.

  “He knew you stole his watch.”

  “That’s crap.”

  “No, it’s not. He saw you take it and said he felt sorry for you. He said he’d figure out a way to get the watch back without involving the cops.”

  “That just means he was weak.”

  “He wasn’t. He was a good guy, and I don’t like weak men.”

  “That’s pretty obvious. Bad boy Charlie has s
ure piqued your interest. What’s he offering you? He doesn’t have a boat for you to move on to.”

  “Shut up. He’s fun.”

  “We used to have fun together.” Darren’s voice was almost a whisper, and Jake had to lean in to hear him. He didn’t catch what Nicole said.

  “Why don’t you move back on Orion? Get rid of the jerk on Night Wind.”

  Nicole cackled. “You’re an idiot. I wouldn’t get back on board even if I was stranded on a deserted island and you were the only guy to rescue me. I’d rather die than put up with your confused version of our relationship.”

  “You can’t treat me like that. Get off my boat.”

  “I’ll treat you any way I want. You’re not man enough to stand up to me.”

  Jake heard a slap and jumped from the dinghy to the deck in one motion. The red mark forming on Nicole’s cheek told him who had slapped whom.

  “Don’t touch her again.”

  Nicole stepped out of the cockpit and walked toward the dinghy tied to the stern.

  Jake fisted his hand but didn’t swing.

  “You get off my boat, too,” Darren said.

  Jake stepped closer to the cockpit. “What the hell did you poison the dog for?”

  Nicole was in the middle of stepping off the boat and into her dinghy but stopped. “You poisoned their cute little dog?”

  “What are you talking about? I didn’t poison anyone’s dog.”

  “You were on our boat. I saw you kick the cabinet closed where we keep the dog’s food.”

  “That’s sick. I like dogs.”

  Jake pointed at Nicole’s cheek. “As much as you like women?”

  “Fuck off.”

  “We found rat poison in her food.”

  Nicole gasped. “Is she okay?”

  “I don’t know. The vet isn’t sure yet if she’ll live.”

  “You pig. How could you do that?” Nicole stared at Darren with a look of astonishment. “She’s a harmless animal. I don’t ever want to speak to you again.”

  Jake had met women like Nicole before. Being hit by a man wasn’t enough to make her leave, but apparently animal cruelty crossed the line of acceptable behavior.