“What are you two doing here?” he demanded.
“Saving the day,” Tori said wearily.
And so they had.
CHAPTER 16
Tori watched as Herb traced the confines of the small ER cubicle for at least the hundredth time. There was no mistaking the depth of his anger.
“How could you do something so stupid?” Herb bellowed for at least the tenth time.
Dressed in only a hospital gown, Tori sat on the edge of the ER bed, swinging her one good leg. The other one was bruised and badly swollen, and the thought of putting weight on her knee filled her with dread. She hadn’t caught sight of her face in the mirror yet, but she’d been told she had the beginnings of a spectacular shiner.
Kathy sat in one of the hard plastic chairs, the bed remote in her hand. She’d been hogging the thing for the past two hours, watching HGTV reruns. They’d traveled to Bora Bora and probably Timbuktu, and then segued into two home renovations in Toronto. Meanwhile, Tori had come and gone for x-rays, a CAT scan, and had been poked and prodded by a series of doctors and nurses. She was sore—very sore—but grateful her best friend had engineered her rescue.
“Gramps, they were little kids. They were dirty, they were hungry, and they were scared. I couldn’t not do something.”
“Yeah, well, don’t ever do anything that stupid ever again.” He moved his angry glare toward Kathy. “And do we have to watch another episode of drivel on that stupid channel?” Herb grumped.
“Kath!” Tori implored.
Kathy shrugged and tuned to the Rochester all-news channel, where the on-air weatherman blathered about temps for the upcoming week. “There are a few things I don’t understand,” she said, turning her attention to Tori. “Where did the smugglers get the spikes that they stuffed into poor Mr. Jackson’s mouth?”
“From our shop,” Tori said. “We saw for ourselves that the big guy picked the lock on your house.” Kathy smiled at the reference. “He must have locked up when he left, and because Gramps was so preoccupied with losing grandma, he never noticed.”
Herb nodded.
“And what about you, Mr. Cannon? I heard you talk to that fisherman, Larry. You warned him not to talk to the cops. Why?”
“That blowhard?” Herb asked. “I don’t believe a word he says. If you’d heard the fish stories that guy has to tell, you wouldn’t either. I figured he’d only mess up the investigation by confusing the issue. Biggie Taylor looks tough and talks tough, but I happen to know he’s an old softie. He may have bugged Jackson for some of his worms, which is annoying, I’ll grant you, but I’ve seen him get all panicky when there’s a hurt bird or duck out on the water.”
“Anissa sure had him cowed when she confronted him on the bay bridge,” Kathy agreed.
“There’s something I don’t understand. Anissa and I looked at her father’s journals and found pages missing from the last page. I wonder if we’ll ever find out what happened to them.”
“I’ve got a theory,” Kathy said. “When I went to The Bay Bar to get help to rescue you, the Homeland Security guy nearly had a fit. He seemed prepared to let those guys get away with another murder—yours—in order to build a better case against them. I wasn’t going to let that happen.
“And I’m damned thankful you stood up to him,” Herb said.
A man with a blue bandana poked around the curtain. “Are you Tori?” he asked.
“What’s it to you?” Herb asked.
“Mr. Cannon,” Kathy admonished. “This is the man who saved Tori!”
“Oh. Sorry,” Herb said. He offered Bandana-Guy his hand. “I’m Herb Cannon, Tori’s grandfather.”
“Nice to meet you. Dave Albright.” They shook.
Kathy moved to stand beside the man. “Sorry I didn’t have a chance to introduce myself earlier. I’m Kathy Grant, and this is Tori.”
“Nice to meet you,” Dave said, nodding to Tori.
“Mr. Cannon and I followed the ambulance here with Tori, so we don’t know what happened back at the house. Are the kids okay?” The last time they’d seen them they were in the back of two police cruisers eating ice cream that Noreen had provided.
Dave nodded. “A social worker came and picked them up. They’re somewhere here in the hospital getting checked out. They’re from Indonesia and were probably stolen from their parents.”
“They must be out of their minds with worry,” Tori said, shaking her head.
“They’ve already found an interpreter. I think they’ll be in good hands until they can get them all home, but God only knows what they’ve been through.”
“Are we going to be arrested?” Kathy asked.
“Arrested?” Tori asked, aghast.
Kathy nodded. “That guy with the crew-cut was from Homeland Security. He forbad us to go and rescue you, but I’d hate to think what would have happened to you and those kids if we hadn’t.”
“My brother’s a lawyer. I already talked to him,” Dave said. “We may have disrupted an investigation, but we saved seven innocent lives. That’s gotta trump any charges they can throw against us.”
“Any?” Kathy asked.
“Well, most of them,” he said and gave her a comforting smile.
Kathy smiled back.
Tori knew that look.
The cubicle’s curtain was pulled aside and the resident, Dr. Patel, stepped into the small enclosure. “Sorry to interrupt,” she said.
“I was just leaving,” Dave said.
“Maybe I’ll see you at the bar sometime,” Kathy said.
He gave her an even bigger smile. “Maybe.” He stepped away, and Herb cleared his throat, indicating they should listen to the doctor.”
“Ms. Cannon, I’m pleased to tell you that although you have a strained ligament in your knee and an abundance of contusions and lacerations, you will make a full recovery. I suggest a number of hot baths and inflammatories, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, and a little tender loving care from your family. In a couple of weeks you shall be feeling on top of the world once again.”
“Thank you, doctor. It’s a big relief,” Herb said.
“I’ll second that,” Tori said and laughed.
“If you’ll wait here, I’ll get the paperwork started for your discharge.” The doctor gave them a smile and they watched her leave.
“You’re still not out of the woods with me, young lady. If you were just a few years younger, I’d ground you for a month,” Herb said sternly.
“How about I paint the house instead?”
“With that bum knee, it’s going to be weeks before you can climb a ladder.”
“Maybe Kathy will help me?” Tori said, looking at her best friend.
“Sure. I’ll paint, and you can stand around and criticize my work.”
Tori laughed, but Herb suddenly looked up at the TV. “Shhh! They’re going to announce the winning Powerball number.” He grabbed the ticket stubs from his shirt pocket.
“But I didn’t buy you a Powerball ticket,” Tori said.
“No, but I did,” Herb said.
They listened as the announcer called out the numbers. “Ten; nineteen; thirty-seven; thirty-eight; fifty. And the Powerball number is twenty-eight.”
“Damn,” Herb cursed.
“Sorry, Gramps,” Tori said.
“There’s still Mega Millions,” Herb said and fished out three different ticket stubs.
Tori shook her head, while Kathy attempted to stifle a smile.
“And the Mega Millions numbers are: two; thirty-two; thirty-five; fifty; fifty-nine, and three.”
“Oh my God! I’ve got it!” Herb shouted.
Tori’s mouth dropped, and Kathy looked just as shocked.
A nurse stuck her head around the curtain. “Sir, this is a hospital. I must ask you to keep your voice down.” She disappeared.
“I won! I won!” Herb said in a harsh whisper. “Oh, my God, I won!”
“How much did you win? How many numbers did you get?”
> “All of them!”
“All of them?” Kathy repeated.
“Oh, my God,” Herb said once again. “I can pay my taxes.”
“I think your tax bill just went through the roof,” Kathy corrected him and laughed.
“Do you know what this means, Tori?” Herb asked, smiling.
“You’re moving to Florida?”
CHAPTER 17
Never had Tori and Kathy had such an eventful summer—although they weren’t sure they ever wanted to repeat it. The Lotus Lodge had not reopened. No matter what arguments Tori and Kathy had used, Herb refused to entertain the thought. He was too busy making other arrangements. Like buying a condo in St. Pete, Florida. He’d flown—first class—there on a number of occasions to seal the deal so he could begin his new life. Meanwhile, he’d made good on his threat and put the Cannon Bait & Tackle up for sale. He’d hinted that he’d spoken to a buyer, but hadn’t yet settled on a final price.
Heartbroken, Tori had followed through with her promise to help spruce up the property. The house and boathouse had been cleared and painted. They’d sold off or ditched the last of her grandmother's treasures, and Tori had submitted resumes to every school district in a three-county area but had heard nothing. Her life was effectively on hold.
Not so for Kathy. The sale of the house had gone through, but it had taken almost ten weeks for it to happen. She’d spent that time bumming bed space from either the Cannons or Anissa, who’d found just enough handywoman jobs to stay afloat.
The lotus leaves were beginning to disintegrate into the bay, looking mushy and unsightly, but they’d be back next spring. The cygnets were just about the same size as their stately parents, and swam and ate near the marsh at the edge of the Cannon compound. On Labor Day, Dan Fisher made a mint from his launch when a glut of boaters hauled their craft out of the water for the last time that season.
Now, on the balmy first day of fall, Kathy finally closed on her house. Tori had accompanied her to the attorney’s office, and they found Herb waiting for them upon their return to the Cannon compound.
“So, you’re a homeowner,” he said, giving Kathy a wide grin.
“Looks like it. Want to come over and see the wreck in person?”
“Why not?”
“When is the Dumpster due to arrive?” Tori asked as they waited for a car to pass before they crossed the road.
“Any minute now,” Kathy said. “I’ve been itching to clear that place out and start working on it.”
“I thought you weren’t getting your inheritance for another two months,” Herb said.
“What’s sixty days? I’m broke for now, but I couldn’t be happier,” Kathy said. “Anissa and I have drawn up a list of projects I can start in the meantime. First on the list is clearing out the trash and calling an exterminator.”
They stopped in front of the shabby old house. “Hey, someone cut the grass,” Kathy said, delighted.
“That was Anissa. She came by right after you girls left for the closing. She borrowed my mower and went to town.”
“Oh, that was so sweet of her.”
“That’s the last time she’ll need to borrow it. Since I’m moving, I gave it to her,” Herb said.
“But Gramps, how will I cut the grass in the meantime?”
“Oh, don’t worry, honey. I wouldn’t leave you stranded.”
Did that mean he’d made arrangements for the grass to be cut until the property was sold? “Thanks,” she said, but without much enthusiasm.
They walked up to the derelict house and climbed the steps.
“Boy, this really is a dump. Are you sure you can turn it around?” Herb asked.
“I’d better,” Kathy said. She pulled the key from her pocket and inserted it into the lock. “Before the end of the day, I’m buying new locks for all the doors. I don’t want squatters to ever show up again.”
“Have you heard any news about those kids?” Herb asked.
Kathy nodded. “Dave called me just yesterday. He said they’d all made it home okay and are back in school and doing well. As well as can be expected, anyway.”
“I thought you and that fella might be getting sweet on each other—although he’s a little old for you,” Herb said with what sounded like consternation.
Kathy shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not.”
Tori knew the truth; Dave was only a part-time biker, but a full-time married man.
Oh, well.
“Shall we go in?” Kathy asked.
“Wait,” Herb said. “He reached for his back jeans pocket and pulled out an envelope.”
“Oh, Mr. Cannon, you shouldn’t have,” Kathy began.
Herb looked confused. “Shouldn’t have what?”
Kathy looked at Tori for guidance. “Oh, I thought maybe you were going to …” she let the sentence trail off.
“Give you a present? Gee, I hadn’t thought of that. But you’re right. I’m going to give you a housewarming present. Let me think on it for a couple of days and I’ll get back to you.”
“Oh, no, I didn’t mean—”
“No, no,” he insisted. “The work you did on the shop, the house, and the boathouse, you made them not only look presentable, but darn pretty. Made it look so much nicer for the new owner.”
“Then you’ve sold the place?” Tori asked, panicked.
Herb nodded. “I’m just waiting for the new owner to sign the paperwork.”
“And when’s that going to happen?” Kathy asked.
“Any minute now.” He handed the envelope to Tori. “I’ve decided to sell the place to Tori.”
“Gramps!” Tori nearly shouted, and threw her arms around him. “I don’t know what to say?”
“Just don’t bad mouth me in the future when you come to regret it,” Herb said.
“But, Gramps, I don’t have any money. I don’t have a job. How can I—?”
“Why don’t you look at the sale agreement?” he suggested.
With trembling hands, Tori removed the paper from the envelope. She scanned the page, her mouth dropping open in shock. “But it says—” She couldn’t go on, and passed the paperwork to Kathy.
“Oh, my God. You’re selling it to Tori for the sum of one dollar?”
Herb nodded, grinning. “The lawyer said it was better if you bought it outright, instead of me giving it to you; that it would solve all kinds of problems in the future.”
“I don’t know what to say!” Tori exclaimed, breathless.
“How about thanks?” Herb suggested.
Again, Tori threw her arms around her grandfather, hugging him fiercely.
“We’ll get this all registered in time for me to leave next week. Once I’m out of the picture, you can do what you damn well please with the place. Truth be told, I’m glad to get this monkey off my back once and for all.”
Happy tears ran down Tori’s cheeks. “Thanks, Gramps. Thank you so much. But what made you change your mind?”
Before Herb could answer, a car drove slowly past and honked. Irene Timmons waved. Once it passed, the car turned into Resort Road and then into the Cannon compound.
“Let’s just say I had a little help coming to that decision,” he said sheepishly. He cleared his throat. “I gotta get back to the shop,” Herb said. “Another week and my next fishing will be in the Gulf of Mexico.”
“I thought you wanted to trade fishing for golf?” Tori asked.
“Not until I get me a marlin,” Herb said. He turned, and headed down the stairs and off across the yard.
Tori wiped her eyes. “Well, this is a day neither of us will soon forget.”
“Right,” Kathy said, smiling.
“I’m sorry Gramps stole your thunder about your own sale.”
“Not at all. I’m just so happy for you, because best of all, we’ll be neighbors. It’s something I never thought would happen. It’s the best thing that ever could have happened.”
“Happy closing day,” came a voice from the edge of the stil
l-unruly hedges. It was Anissa, and bringing up the rear, holding a tray with four tall paper cups with plastic lids and straws, was Noreen.
“What are you guys doing here?” Kathy asked.
“We came to help you celebrate,” Noreen said. She and Anissa climbed the steps and Noreen pushed the tray close to them. “We thought we should make a toast to you guys and your new businesses.”
“Did Gramps tell you he’s selling me the business?” Tori asked.
Anissa nodded. “Among other things.” She nodded toward the road. Across it, they saw Herb and Irene walking hand-in-hand toward the bait shop.
“Would you look at that,” Kathy said, surprised. She turned to Tori. “Did you know they were hooking up?”
“No, but I suspected they might.”
“How do you feel about it?” Noreen asked.
“Irene was my grandma’s best friend. I think she’d probably be happy for both of them.”
“Then it looks like we have something else to drink to,” Anissa said. She took one of the cups. “I propose a toast: to business.”
“Business?” Noreen asked.
“Yeah. Here we are, four smart women, and each of us has, or will have,” she said, looking at Kathy, “a business of our own.”
“I’m only part owner of The Bay Bar,” Noreen said.
Anissa leveled a hard stare at the short-order cook. “Don’t quibble. Now, where was I?”
“To business,” Tori said, taking another of the cups.
“To our successful businesses,” Kathy agreed, taking another of the cups.
Noreen picked up the last one, raising it in salute. “To us.”
In unison, they touched cups and drank. Tori swallowed and coughed. “Wow! That’s one powerful gin and tonic!”
“Glad you like it,” Noreen said and smiled.
Just then, a big flatbed truck rumbled to a halt in front of the house. It backed into the yard to unload its cargo: a twenty-yard Dumpster.
“Drink up, ladies,” Noreen said. “Kathy needs to start work today if she’s going to have her business up and running in time for next summer’s tourist season.”
“Oh, I will,” Kathy promised. “Lord willing and the creek don’t rise.”
With Baited Breath Page 19