A Time to Swill

by Sherry Harris

  “Which way, oh fair one?” Rhett’s voice was playful, but his look was serious.

  Don’t blush. Don’t blush. “We came back to the harbor from the south, but I wasn’t tracking how far east or west we were.” I sighed. “The Gulf’s a big place. I’m not sure we’ll have any luck finding her.”

  “The Coast Guard haven’t had any luck yet. They have the same coordinates I do from your Mayday call,” Rhett said.

  Odd to think of Rhett and other boaters hearing my call. My desperation. It was a private moment heard all too widely.

  “The time between your call and hearing you were at the Sea Glass seemed like a thousand days.”

  “I’m sure you’ve had a lot of moments like that as a firefighter.” Why did he make me so uncomfortable? In a good way, but still uncomfortable.

  Rhett gave a brief nod. “I have, but this time it was different.”

  Last summer, before Rhett had left on his trip, a mutual friend of ours had told me that Rhett liked me. I knew I was interested, but at the time I hadn’t planned to move down here permanently. When I said I was leaving, Rhett hadn’t said a word. Part of me had been hoping he’d ask me to stay, but that thought had been ridiculous because we hadn’t known each other very long.

  “You said in your call that the boat was on fire.” Rhett glanced over at me. “It may have sunk.”

  “It’s possible. It’s also possible the storm doused the flames and the boat’s still drifting around out in the Gulf.” We hit the open water, and as soon as it was safe, Rhett opened the throttle. The bow lifted and the wind tossed my hair. If I wouldn’t have looked like an idiot, I would have spread out my arms like Kate Winslet did in Titanic. With the calm seas, it was like we were flying. I refrained and instead opened a weather app on my phone. I found a radar view of the storm track. “The storm went from the southwest to the northeast. Peak winds were sixty miles an hour.” I kept my voice calm. I shuddered a little, thinking of what would have happened to Pippi and me if we hadn’t been found before the storm hit.

  “You’re safe,” Rhett said. He typed some figures into a computer near the steering wheel. A few moments later he frowned at the screen. “We’ll head northeast of where you radioed from.” He glanced over at me again. “We might as well sit. It will take us about thirty minutes to get to the spot.”

  The chair was like a luxury recliner—lots of padding, wide arms. After I sat I pulled two water bottles out of my tote and handed one to Rhett. I heard the jet engine of a Coast Guard helicopter. Over the summer I’d learned to tell the different sounds of the Coast Guard, Air Force, and tourist helicopters. I shaded my eyes and looked up. The helicopter flew over us heading west, back toward Destin.

  “Do you think they’re giving up the search?” I asked.

  “I doubt it. Might be something more pressing going on, or they found her. I’ll flip on the radio and see if we can hear any chatter.” Rhett switched from channel to channel but didn’t find out anything.

  My eyes started drooping. I curled up on the chair and gave up fighting the need to sleep.

  * * *

  “Chloe?”

  A warm hand touched my arm and I bolted up, face-to-face with Rhett. His green eyes sparkled against his deep tan.

  “Didn’t mean to scare you.”

  “Did I snore?”

  “You sounded just like Chewbacca. It was cute.”

  Thank heavens he thought Chewbacca noises were cute, because I’d dated a few guys that made all kinds of suggestions on how to cure snoring. One guy actually taped a rock to my back so if I rolled over on it, I’d wake up. That was the end of that relationship.

  He took my hands and pulled me up. “Look, is that her?”

  Fifty yards in front of us the boat drifted along, listing a bit to one side.

  “That is. That’s her. You found her. How long was I out?” Now, all of the sudden, I was calling the boat her too.

  “Thirty minutes.”

  “How did the Coast Guard not find her?”

  “It was a gamble. I didn’t think we’d have any luck.”

  “So you just came out here to humor me?”

  Rhett glanced down at his brown deck shoes. “Pretty much.”

  “Thank you.”

  He raised his eyebrows in an expression that made me think my answer wasn’t the one he was expecting. I meant it. I was grateful for his company and his expertise.

  “I need to radio the Coast Guard that we found her.”

  “Absolutely.” I waited while he made the call. “Any sign of a red boat?” Red boats were unusual down here. White reflected light and heat away. White also stood out more against the water if a boat was disabled or the passengers needed help.

  My uncle taught me as much about boats as he could after I’d nearly drowned, so I’d feel safe out on the water. Combine that with my natural curiosity and I’d learned a lot. It’s one of the reasons I’d become a librarian—I was always asking questions. Librarians had access to databases not everyone did.

  “None. I haven’t seen many boats out here.”

  “Can we get any closer?”

  “Yes,” he said as he pulled back the throttle.

  In a few minutes we were just feet away from the boat. Rhett cut the engine and all we could hear was the gentle slap of the waves and the creaks from the other boat. I don’t think Rhett’s boat would dare to creak. The cabin windows were blackened—probably from the smoke—but the rain must have extinguished the fire.

  “I wish we could get back on and take another look around. But it’s apparently a crime scene, so I guess we shouldn’t.”

  “Definitely not.”

  Part of me was hoping he’d have a different answer. I know if I’d come out here by myself, I would have climbed aboard. Rhett started up the engine and drove a circle around the boat. We heard the whine of a high-speed engine. I looked over my shoulder.

  “Rhett, it’s the red boat I told you about.” They were a couple of football fields away. “What’s it doing out here?”

  “Its timing is strange.”

  “Do you think they were following us?”

  “I didn’t see them if they were. They might have heard my call to the Coast Guard.”

  Crack. The sound was followed by a thud and fiberglass splintering from the boat. Someone on the red boat had shot at us.

  CHAPTER 9

  Rhett started the engine and tossed me the radio. “Call the Coast Guard.”

  It took a second for my brain to catch up to what I’d heard and seen. As Rhett pulled back the throttle, I called the Coast Guard and explained the situation. The boat surged forward and I was thrown back in the chair. No other shots sounded, but Rhett didn’t let up.

  The red boat chased us. Speeding closer. “It’s chasing us,” I shouted, as if Rhett wouldn’t hear me.

  He glanced over his shoulder. “We can’t go any faster.” His face was grim. “There’s a flare gun in the compartment between the seats. Use it if you have to.”

  A flare gun against what had sounded like a high-powered rifle. But I opened the compartment, grabbed the gun, and steadied it over the back of the seat. “They’ve peeled off and are circling back to the boat.” If they monitored channel 16 on their radio, they would know I’d called the Coast Guard.

  Rhett slowed and turned so we were facing them.

  “Do you have any binoculars?” I asked.

  Rhett reached back into the compartment between the seats, dug out binoculars, and handed them to me. I looked at the boat.

  “They’ve boarded. It looks like two people are on the deck. They’re carrying something, but it’s too small to see what.”

  I handed Rhett the binoculars. He stood, feet braced. “It might be a duffel bag. Did you see one when you were on the boat?”

  “No, but I didn’t do a thorough search of the whole boat. There were closets and compartments I didn’t look in.”

  Rhett continued to watch. “They’re back
on the red boat.” He handed me the binoculars. “Keep an eye on them.” He stood with his hand on the throttle.

  “They’re heading south.” Thank heavens. “I wonder why they aren’t coming after us. We must be witnesses to something.”

  Rhett was back on the radio with the Coast Guard, updating them on what had just taken place. I could hear the Coast Guard telling Rhett that the helicopter had headed back to its home base in New Orleans for a rescue mission there, but they had a boat in the area. We were to wait for its arrival.

  “That’s probably why they took off,” Rhett said. “They knew the Coast Guard was coming.”

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later we’d been dismissed. We showed them the bullet hole and told them what we knew. They didn’t allow us on to the boat, so we headed back to Emerald Cove.

  “The Coast Guard certainly doesn’t like to share,” I said.

  Rhett smiled. “Most law enforcement types don’t. It doesn’t matter if they’re military or civilian.”

  “Why in the world would bad people use a red boat? Don’t you think that makes them stand out in a world of mostly white boats?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe they stole it at the last minute and will ditch it somewhere.”

  That made sense. “Have you heard anything about the man who rescued me? I didn’t find out his name and I’d like to thank him.” I was determined to find him. Who had he radioed if it wasn’t the Coast Guard? Could he have something to do with the people in the red boat? Something about him felt off to me because of the way he took off so quickly. Also, after I’d mentioned Vivi, he changed directions for some reason.

  “I haven’t.”

  Another strike-out. “Lots of people were milling around behind the Sea Glass, but I haven’t had time to ask anyone else. And, actually, I didn’t pay that much attention to who was there.” I thought about the reporter from the TV station. She might have caught something on film.

  “What’d he look like?”

  I described him, but I could have been describing a lot of older boaters. “However, he had a cigarette boat.” I hadn’t seen many of them in this area.

  “You should check with Ann Williams. She knows a lot of people too.”

  Ah, the enigmatic Ann. I’d thought she had a thing for Rhett, but she was the one who said he was interested in me. It was a good idea to talk to her. Plus, I’d ask her about the red boat. Ann lived on the edge of society and was known to “fix things” for people. I’d originally misinterpreted that to mean she was a handywoman, but I’d finally realized she fixed—or tried to fix—problems for people. She looked into bigger issues, like people smuggling liquor. Not that she was a private investigator. More like she was someone with special skills who anyone would want on their side.

  “Great idea.”

  “Want to drive?” Rhett asked.

  “It’s not like I haven’t driven a boat before.”

  “You might enjoy something with more thrust.”

  I didn’t dare look at him for fear of turning redder than the mysterious speedboat. I could never tell if he was making innuendos or not. I was being ridiculous. How often did I get a chance to pilot a boat like this? Never; that’s how often. I finally managed to look at him and grinned. “Sure.”

  Rhett gave me a quick lesson on the control panel and then stepped aside so I could take over. I slowly pulled back the throttle until we were flying. I loved the feeling of power it gave me. Rhett stood close by. Aside from getting swept out to sea and getting shot at, I liked living down here. I glanced at Rhett. I liked the people too. All too soon we were at the no-wake zone that led to the harbor.

  I turned it back over to Rhett to let him dock her. He drove me home and walked me to my door. I’d barely managed to keep my eyes open on the ten-minute drive over.

  After I unlocked my door I turned to him. “You sure do know how to show a girl a good time. It’s not every day I get shot at.”

  He looked bemused. “I’d like to show you a better time.”

  I couldn’t hold back the blush that seemed to start in my chest and headed upward as I thought about his earlier comment about thrust. “Today would be hard to top.” I turned to go in, but Rhett caught my hand.

  “Would you like to go out to dinner?”

  “Dinner?”

  “Yes. It’s something most people do in the evening. You have food at home or a restaurant. You eat.”

  “I know what dinner is.” I didn’t know how to handle the emotions that swirled through me. I was definitely attracted to Rhett, but I had to sort out my feelings about Boone and my failed engagement before I jumped into anything new.

  “Not tonight,” Rhett said. “You’ve had a long day. But sometime soon?”

  His face was hard to read. It was set to neutral, with a hint of interest. “Sure. It would be my pleasure.”

  A slow smile spread across his face. One that made me want to grasp him by the collar and pull him to me.

  “I hope so, Chloe Jackson.” He brushed a kiss across my knuckles, dropped my hand, and strolled back to his car.

  He waited until I went inside. I closed and locked the door. Then I leaned against it. “It would be my pleasure?” I muttered. Why the hell had I said that? I could only chalk it up to being almost asleep on my feet.

  * * *

  I jerked awake and looked around, unable to figure out where I was. Boone’s. The memories of my day washed over me like a rogue wave. I was still in the clothes I’d worn out on the boat with Rhett. My stomach rumbled—the burritos a distant memory. I found my phone. Nine p.m. I needed food and didn’t have any in the house. I wasn’t about to go grocery shopping and then fix a meal now even though I liked to cook. A trip to The Diner appeared to be in order.

  I took another quick shower, threw on some clean clothes, and drove into Emerald Cove. I’d come to love this little town. It was an oasis from the bigger crowds and bigger buildings of Destin. In the middle of town was a circle of grass with a gazebo for concerts, picnic tables, and a tot lot. It was lined by palm trees and magnolias. Various businesses surrounded it, including the kiosk for Ralph’s trolley, aka the Redneck Rollercoaster, a coffee shop, a nail salon, a beauty parlor, and The Diner.

  A van with the logo of the local TV station pulled away from the curb in front of The Diner as I came around the circle. I got a glimpse of blond hair in the passenger seat. Was the reporter here eating or was she bothering Ralph and Delores? I immediately got huffy at that thought. I parked a few spaces down from The Diner. It was easy to find parking this time of night.

  Delores looked surprised when she saw me walk in. Ralph sat near the back in a corner booth. Delores pointed to it, so I went and sat down across from him. Only one other family was still eating.

  Ralph’s face was drawn with worry lines, but he smiled when I sat down across from him. Delores brought over a glass of water and a plastic-coated menu.

  “Are you waitressing and running the place tonight?” I asked.

  “I let the other waitress go because it’s so slow, and the cook is still here. You want anything else to drink?”

  “Water’s fine,” I said.

  “So I’ll bring you a chocolate shake,” Delores said. She didn’t wait for me to answer. Delores had told me once she thought I was too skinny, which made me laugh because no one had ever said that to me before. I was short, sturdy, and my lanky brothers had teased me growing up. People were always surprised when they found out I liked to run.

  “Was that blond reporter in here?” I asked.

  “She tried to come in, but Delores told her she was trespassing on private property and to get out. It didn’t stop her from filming in front, though. I’m sure it will be on the ten o’clock news.”

  “What did she want?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure.” Ralph shook his head. “Maybe Raquel’s family has been dredging up dirt again.”

  I reached across the table and patted Ralph’s arm. “It’s bee
n a day.”

  “It’s just such a shock after all this time. What could she have been doing on that boat?” His anguish was palpable. “I heard you and Rhett went out searching this afternoon. That you found the boat. Did you learn anything new?”

  “I didn’t.” I decided not to say anything about the red boat and getting shot at.

  Delores came back with the chocolate shake in a tall, clear pedestal glass with a scalloped edge. “What do you want, hon?”

  “One of everything,” I said. My stomach rumbled, as if it approved. Delores and Ralph laughed as I said, “Excuse me.”

  “How about a shrimp po’boy with a side of fries?” Delores said.

  “Sounds good. Thank you.” I was too tired to make a decision right now. I spooned in some of the icy goodness of the milkshake. I knew by now that Delores’s shakes were way too thick to try using a straw.

  “Do you want that dressed?”

  I’d learned since I’d moved down here that “dressed” meant it came with lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, and mayonnaise. Lettuce and tomatoes were almost a salad, so I wouldn’t feel so guilty about the fried shrimp. “Yes, please.”

  “I’ll get the cook right on it,” Delores said.

  “You look tired,” I said to Ralph.

  “Back at you. My mother would have said you look droopier than a wilted magnolia blossom.”

  I knew he was right. I’d brushed my hair and teeth before I came over. My brown eyes had looked glazed. “I feel pretty droopy too. I took a long nap. When I woke up I realized I was hungry, and I hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet. That’s what I was supposed to do today. Get organized. Settled in and, tomorrow, start my new life.”

  “The universe has a way of laughing at our plans.”

  “It does.” I ate some more of my shake while I pondered that. I’d never thought I’d move away from Chicago. It was where I’d gone to college, worked, and my brothers lived there. My parents lived there when they weren’t out touring the United States in their RV. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy traveling, it was just that Chicago always drew me back.