“I’m not obsessed.”
He wiggled a beer at her. “Want one?”
She didn’t but thought it would be better to have one than to decline his offer. She popped the top and took a sip. “I want to ask you something, but don’t get mad. Okay?”
Charlie drank half his can in one swallow. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. “Then don’t ask if you think it’ll piss me off.”
His cranky answer pushed her to throw her question out there. “Did you visit Uncle Bobby last winter?”
Charlie’s hand stopped mid-air, his can frozen in front of his face, and his eyes widened.
“Well, did you?”
“What a stupid question.”
Shannon twisted sideways in the cockpit seat, so she could see Charlie face on. She rested her elbows on the counter between the cockpit and the galley.
“I found your t-shirt in Uncle Bobby’s suitcase. You saw it, too. I think you turned pale at that moment because of the shirt and not because we were talking about Uncle Bobby. How did it get on his boat if you weren’t there?”
“Why do you think the shirt’s mine?”
“I saw a photo of you on Facebook wearing it.”
“Maybe Bobby had a similar one.”
“It’s kinda unique and not exactly Uncle Bobby’s style.”
“Fine. I can see you’re not going to let this drop. I did visit him but only for a couple of days.”
Shannon squished the beer can and beer spilled over the top. She leaned through the open window between the cockpit and galley and rinsed her hand in the sink. “When?”
“Right before he left George Town to sail south.”
“Why didn’t you tell us?”
“Because I didn’t want to hurt Debi’s feelings or yours.”
“I wouldn’t be hurt by you visiting him.”
“Not by that. You adored Bobby, and I didn’t want to be the one to tell you he was a shit. I had every intention of telling Debi last year, but then when Bobby died, it didn’t seem right, hurting her more than she already was. Seemed kinda pointless.”
“What aren’t you telling me?”
“You already suspect it, but I caught Bobby cheating with Nicole.”
Shannon tried to swallow but found her throat wouldn’t cooperate. “So you had met her before. Why did you pretend not to know her?”
“Duh. Sometimes you’re dense. For the same reason. Then I would’ve had to explain where I’d met her. Don’t you think Debi has been through enough?”
“But how did you hook up with Uncle Bobby if he wasn’t able to communicate with Debi?”
“How hard do you think he was trying? He was busy with Nicole.”
“I can’t believe it. I never thought Uncle Bobby would do something like that.”
“Anyway, I took a chance and flew here. I knew his general itinerary and wanted to surprise him. I was between assignments and thought it would be fun to sail with him for a while.”
“I think you should tell Debi.”
“No way. There’s no point. She gains nothing by knowing. Don’t make her feel worse. She’s already losing it.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I think she’s been acting odd, especially since Nicole died.”
“We’re all tense. Too many people in a small space. She’s fine.”
“Man, it’s just like you to take her side. Anyone’s but mine. Maybe your precious aunt figured out her loving husband had an affair. Maybe she lost it and killed Nicole. Ever think of that?”
“Don’t be an idiot.”
“You and Jake better drop the snooping around you’re doing. You might find something you don’t like. What then?”
* * *
With the mid-afternoon sun warming the water, Shannon swam to the beach. She trundled out of the water and pulled her wet board shorts off her thighs. In hopes of finding Debi, she hiked up the trail that led to the monument.
The cement obelisk dominated the highest peak on Stocking Island, overlooking both the east and west sides of the island. It used to function as an indication to passing sailors that the community had goods to sell. Now, it looked good in tourist photos. Repairs covering the structure in patches led the eye to an osprey nest hunkered on the top.
Before turning the final corner on the trail, Shannon heard crying. She hesitated. It sounded like Debi, but what if it wasn’t her? She could always keep walking and pretend she hadn’t heard the person weeping. The wind whipped her hair around her face, stinging her eyes. She pulled an elastic off her wrist and wrapped her hair in a ponytail. Before leaving her hiding spot behind the trees, she cleared her throat, giving the person a chance to compose themselves.
She stepped into the open sandy area in front of the monument. Debi sat on a bench with her back to the ocean and sobbed.
Peanut sprung from her spot under the bench and ran toward Shannon, wagging her tail. After a quick pet, Shannon pushed her aside. She approached the bench and gently put her hand on her aunt’s shoulder.
“Aunt D?”
“Please call me Debi.”
“I’m trying, but it’s a lifetime of habit to break.”
Debi rested her cheek on the back of Shannon’s hand.
“What’s wrong?”
“I miss Bobby.”
Shannon sat beside her, and the two women leaned their heads against one another. “Me, too,” Shannon said.
Debi surprised Shannon by saying, “I’m so mad at him.”
“Because he died. I think that’s part of the grieving process. It’s okay to be mad.”
“It’s not just that. I don’t know if he cheated on me. The evidence says he did, but in my heart, I just can’t believe it.”
Shannon reached below the bench and petted Peanut. An internal argument raged. Should she tell Debi about Charlie and confirm Uncle Bobby cheated? Or should she let her keep wondering? She could convince her that Uncle Bobby didn’t have an affair and let her live with the lie. She didn’t know what would hurt her less. She rubbed sand off Peanut’s nostrils, and Peanut sneezed.
Darren appeared through the path entrance coming from the south.
“Ladies.”
Shannon stopped fussing over Peanut and lifted her onto her lap.
Darren sat beside Shannon, and she shifted toward Debi. Peanut wrestled to get closer to him. They had no proof Darren killed Nicole, but Jake thought that if she was murdered, Darren was a good suspect. A chill passed over Shannon’s sun warmed skin and goose bumps dotted her arms.
“Not very talkative,” Darren said.
Shannon shoved Peanut to the other side of Debi, and Peanut jumped off the bench and ran to Darren. Darren rubbed her head, and she wagged her tail. He removed his ball cap and picked at the embroidery with a fingernail.
“I never hurt your dog.”
“I didn’t say you did,” Shannon said.
“Your buddy Jake accused me of poisoning her. I wouldn’t do that. I like dogs.” He pointed at Peanut leaning against his legs. “And she likes me.”
“Is there something you want?” Debi asked.
Darren cleared his throat. “Have you heard anything from the cops about Bobby or his boat?”
Shannon shook her head but didn’t answer.
“Everyone is gossiping about his boat being found. Is there an investigation?”
Debi opened her mouth to speak, and Shannon tightened her hand on her aunt’s wrist. “We don’t know anything.”
“What does Charlie think?” Darren asked.
“About what?”
“Bobby’s boat being found.”
“I don’t know how that’s relevant,” Debi said.
“He seemed close to Bobby, that’s all.”
Debi straightened her back and leaned around Shannon to look at Darren. “How would you know that?”
Shannon held her breath.
“Just by what he told me,” Darren said.
Shannon relaxed.
“Charlie said you think someone murdered Nicole and that you keep talking about me. I didn’t hurt her, and I didn’t hurt your dog.”
“What do you want from us?” Shannon asked.
“I want you to stay out of my life and stop spreading rumors.”
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Jake
Monument Beach, Stocking Island
Jake didn’t like to leave A Dog’s Cat unattended immediately after dropping the hook. He remained on the boat after they’d sailed it from the Sand Dollar anchorage to the anchorage just off Hamburger Beach and below the monument.
Debi had taken the dinghy ashore and a few minutes later, Shannon swam to the beach. The marine forecast predicted a wind shift to the south and a wind increase to twenty knots sometime during the night. If the weather predictions held true, the anchorage at Sand Dollar would become too lumpy for comfort.
He stood on the bow and surveyed the anchorage. He’d anchored A Dog’s Cat between two other catamarans not far from shore. The monohulls, with their deeper drafts, anchored farther out to sea. He half expected Orion to appear. He hadn’t seen Darren in a while, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t around.
Jake tidied the cockpit, put the covers on the depth sounder, GPS, and wind displays, and stored the windlass controller. Typically, Charlie became invisible when there was work to be done. He treated Jake like hired help, which he was, but Charlie hadn’t even gotten out of bed when they’d changed anchorages. Jake didn’t buy Charlie’s reasons for not telling them he was aboard Waterfall with Bobby last year. Shannon had made Jake promise not to tell Debi and not to confront Charlie. She’d made Charlie promise to tell Debi, but Jake didn’t think he’d get around to it.
To hell with it. He hadn’t promised Shannon he wouldn’t check out Charlie. He opened his computer but found no Internet access. He’d send his cousin an email later and ask her to perform a criminal record check.
Jake stood at the top of the stairs leading to the port side. He hit a switch and turned on the generator. The diesel powered engine roared to life. Maybe that would wake the lazy jerk. The water maker controls were installed in a forward locker. He stomped to the bow, making sure his steps were heavy as he passed over Charlie’s bunk, opened the forward locker, and lowered himself inside. He hit the on button for both pumps.
In the galley, he ran water for a few minutes, tested its quality, and turned the water flow to the port tank. He made as much noise as he could, and still Charlie didn’t wake. He wanted to talk to the guy.
He debated but only for a minute. He hopped down to the port side in one go and then swore under his breath. The stitches on his calf, courtesy of Charlie, pulled.
He entered Charlie’s berth and found an unmade, empty bed. Charlie must have left the boat when Jake was in the forward locker. Sneaky bastard. Well, Jake could be sneaky, too.
He searched the bed first. He removed the blankets, sheets, and pillows. He didn’t find anything and placed the bed back the way Charlie had left it. He pulled Charlie’s duffle bag from the side cabinet and searched the main compartment and pockets.
Charlie had folded his clothes in a neat pile, and Jake searched those, too. Underneath the bottom t-shirt, he found a photo of a couple. The man looked like an older version of Charlie. They must be Charlie and Shannon’s parents. Shannon didn’t look like either of the people. He checked the back for writing but found it blank.
He turned back to the unmade bed. Bells were ringing in his head. The photos Debi had taken of Waterfall had shown two unmade beds. Why two if Bobby was traveling alone? Ashlyn and Ed had told him they saw someone getting on Waterfall, but he hadn’t really believed them.
“What the hell are you doing?” Charlie shouted.
Jake hadn’t expected him to come back so soon and hadn’t heard the dinghy engine over the generator.
Charlie grabbed the back of Jake’s shirt and yanked him out of the cabin. The hallway was barely big enough to hold the two of them, and Jake smelled stale beer from the night before on Charlie’s breath.
Charlie stuck his chin close to Jake’s face.
Jake tried to step around him and head up the stairs, but Charlie shoved him backward.
“Answer me.”
“Just looking around.” What could Jake say, really? He’d been caught and had no answer.
“For what?”
Jake shrugged.
“You’re fired.”
Jake contained his smile. “Debi hired me, and only she can fire me.”
Charlie swung his arm, and Jake caught his fist in his palm.
“Don’t,” Jake said. “I’m trained in combat, and I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Who is going to hurt who?” Debi stood at the top of the stairs with wide eyes and an angry face.
While she distracted Jake, Charlie kicked his shin, just inches above where he’d shot Jake with the spear.
“Charlie! Stop it!” Debi rushed down the stairs and grabbed Charlie’s t-shirt. “What’s gotten into you?”
Charlie pointed at Jake, missing his eye by a centimeter. “Ask him that.”
“I asked you.”
“That’s so like you. Don’t find out what’s going on, just decide I’m in the wrong. You’ve done that since the day I moved in with you.” Charlie pushed Debi aside and disappeared.
“Are you alright?” Jake asked Debi.
“Me? I’m fine. Did he hurt you?”
Jake laughed. “He can’t hurt me. He may think he can, but it’s not likely.”
They went to the cockpit and watched Charlie dinghy to shore.
Jake told Debi what he’d done as accurately as he could.
“Why?” she asked.
“I don’t know. I’ve no excuse really. If you want to fire me, I’ll understand.”
“Charlie has a way of getting under people’s skin. He pushes until he gets a reaction. He never got over his parents’ death. Shannon adapted well, but Charlie…he became angry. He keeps us at a distance by being mean. I think it’s his way of not getting hurt again.”
“I get the impression he thinks you favored Shannon.”
“I don’t know why. We tried hard to treat them the same. But Charlie was so difficult. He got worse every year. When he finally moved out, we were barely speaking. I could never reach him like I could Shannon.”
Jake noticed she hadn’t taken him up on his offer to fire him, and he hoped it was because she didn’t want to. The thought of leaving her and Shannon when he was sure a murderer was around terrified him.
“I shouldn’t have searched his room.”
“Did you find anything?”
“Only a photo. I’m guessing it’s a picture of his parents.”
“Where is it?”
Jake described where he’d found the photo.
“I’ll be right back.” Debi returned with the photo. “This was taken a week before his parents died. I had no idea he carried this around with him. After he moved in with us, he stopped talking about them. It’s so hard to know what he’s thinking.”
“How old was he when they died?”
“Eight.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Shannon
Sand Dollar Anchorage, George Town Area
“Hey, Debi. Let’s get dressed up and go for drinks at the hotel in George Town.” Shannon entered A Dog’s Cat salon. “Tonight’s band night.”
Jake followed Shannon. “That sounds fun.”
Debi glanced at her watch. “It’s late. You two go.”
“Come on. Jake can dance with you. We need to get off this boat for a while and have some fun.”
Debi rubbed Peanut’s back. “I don’t know.”
“Peanut will be fine. We need to think about something other than Uncle Bobby or Nicole for a while. It’ll be good for us.”
Debi closed her e-reader case and disappeared below.
“What are you doing?” Jake whispered to Shannon.
“N
othing. She needs to get out. It’ll make her feel better. You in or not?”
Jake shrugged. “Sure. Except I need a few beers before I can dance.”
Shannon laughed. “Not confident enough?” She followed her aunt below.
Debi chose a loose fitting sundress and showed Shannon flat shoes. “Good enough for dancing?”
“Yes. Why don’t you wear your pearl earrings? They’re pretty.”
Debi sighed. “I lost one.”
“When?”
“I’m not sure. I think one fell off the day we came across the harbor and the water was rough.”
A pressure formed beneath Shannon’s ribs, and she had trouble taking a breath.
“What’s wrong?” Debi asked.
“Indigestion. I’m fine.”
“Charlie told me you were going through Bobby’s suitcase,” Debi said. “Is there something you want to tell me?”
“I didn’t mean to snoop. I was looking for something else. I got curious. I should have told you. What did Charlie say?”
“He said you were snooping behind my back.”
“Nice. I don’t get what’s with him. If he doesn’t like us, why did he come here?” Shannon shook a dress and held it at arm’s length, checking for wrinkles. She sprayed it with wrinkle release spray and waved it around. Much smoother and no boat smell.
“Shannon, cut him some slack. He misses Bobby, too, and I think he liked Nicole. That can’t be easy.”
“I know, but he shouldn’t tell on me. I would have mentioned it if I thought it was important.” Shannon shook her head. “Jeez, I sound like a teenager. Somehow Charlie brings that out in me. I’m sorry.”
Debi turned her back and flipped her hair into a loose fitting bun. “Did you find anything interesting?”
“Did you notice it looked like his log book had pages cut out of it?” Shannon stepped in front of the mirror in the head and applied pink lip-gloss. She smacked her lips, making sure the coverage was even.
“You went through his log? I guess that means you know he had Nicole with him?”
Shannon suspected her aunt hadn’t really believed Nicole had been on board with Uncle Bobby until she saw it written in his handwriting in the log.
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