by Jean James
He wouldn’t let her drive the thirty miles back to Naples unescorted, so the green Jeep accompanied her all the way to her marina. And, of course, since he was already there, she couldn’t resist showing him her newly decorated cabin.
“It makes me think of you,” he commented after a careful examination of everything she had done.
“Me?”
“It’s soft,” he said and squeezed one of the new pillows, “and it’s neat. It smells good. It contains much more than meets the eye…it’s beautiful, it’s…” he rested his hands firmly on her shoulders, “warm.”
“It’s late,” she whispered and caught her breath.
10
It felt good to awake the next morning full of excitement and anticipation. No lingering doubts about Lee troubled her, and her fear of Buzzy and Johnny had diminished overnight. She had a friend now, and sometime soon, she would tell him about her situation.
When she arrived at the beach for her morning walk, she had to stifle her disappointment. Lee never showed up, and when Thursday morning rolled around with still no sign of Lee, her spirits took a nosedive. She had hoped their special outing in his boat would fall on one of her days off. Now she had Thursday and Friday free and no definite plans.
At length, she decided to take her boat out and practice for a while. Just as she prepared to leave the beach, her phone rang. Her heart leapt at the thought of Lee, and dropped as quickly when she heard Buzzy’s voice.
“Glad I caught you, Katherine. I need your help today if you can find it possible. You’ll be well compensated, and I’ll make the time up to you later.”
“Of course,” she said disappointedly. “Did you want me to work at the condos today?”
“Actually Katherine, I had something entirely different in mind. Remember those pictures you took for me the other day? The Golden Gate ones? Well, we have some new properties on Marco Island—a large condominium complex just completed. I need you to use the office camera and take some pictures for a brochure.”
“Of course. I’ll—
“I want a slightly different approach this time,” he interrupted. “You see, Johnny’s told me about your boat. If you’re agreeable, the office may need your boating services from time to time. I’d like some offshore pictures of the complex and of the gulf shoreline between Marco and Naples. Maybe get some bay shots, too. This condo complex will be popular with boaters since it will offer nearby, private boat dockage to occupants who own larger boats.”
“It sounds great, but I—”
“While you’re at the island itself, I want you to take a good selection of pictures, inside and outside shots. Also, photograph some of the nearby places that might interest buyers. You know what I mean—shopping, restaurants, that sort of thing.”
“Mr. Amano, I’m a beginner at boating. I haven’t gone out by myself except for a few times, and then, not far. I would love to do this job for you, but I don’t think I’m qualified—yet.”
“Don’t worry about a thing, Miss Katherine. It will be a calm day. I’ve made the same trip many times in my small boat, and I’ll give you detailed instructions. I’ll write down all the landmarks and show you exactly where to dock. You’ll receive double pay for the day, plus gas and expenses. I hope you can do this for us, Katherine, because I definitely see more need of your services in this line and more opportunities for you to earn some good bonuses. We plan to take many of our prospective buyers over to view this property by means of a boat trip. A fishing boat like yours would give the exact atmosphere we’d like to create, and it would hold more people and be more comfortable than a speed boat.”
Katherine agreed and made a quick stop at the office for the camera and the map he had drawn for her. Although the route looked clear and detailed, she still felt the need for more assurance. She stopped at Captain Dale’s house on the way home, but was disappointed to find him gone.
“I have to take some offshore pictures for my office,” she explained to Iris. “I came by for some more advice, but I guess I can handle it.”
“Surely ya can. It’s a real nice day. Where ya goin’?”
“Marco Island. And there may be more trips later,” she added elatedly.
“That’s right fine, but I wish ya had someone to go with ya. I know Dale would go if he was here.”
“I think I’ll be OK.”
“Call me when ya get there, and again when ya get back, ya hear me?”
“Yes, I’ll call. If you don’t hear from me for a day or two, call the Coast Guard,” she joked.
“Yes’m, I’ll call the Coast Guard if that happens—seein’ as it’s less’n fifteen miles to Marco,” she said with a droll smile.
Once underway, Katherine found everything exactly as Buzzy had noted it. She simply followed the shoreline and stayed out far enough to assure deep water. After passing Kewaydin Island, the spirit of adventure fully captured her. Alone on the open sea, she gloried in the incomparable feeling.
Shortly after passing Isles of Capri, she approached Marco. She hadn’t expected such a modern display, or such an overly developed island. With the aid of Buzzy’s map, she easily located the condos and the place where he instructed her to tie the Miss Iris. A narrow dock extended out into the bay behind the condo buildings.
She pulled near it, and a young man, shirtless and wearing cutoff jeans, came out on the dock towards her. At first, she feared he had come to say she couldn’t tie up there, but instead he waved to bring the boat in closer.
“I’m to gas it up for you,” he explained pleasantly. “Leave it running and get whatever you need.” He held it close to the dock while she climbed out with her purse and camera.
“Look for her right here when you finish your business.”
“Do I pay you for the gas now, or when I get back?”
“Your office already took care of that,” he said as he jumped aboard.
Katherine concluded that they had built the dock to service the condo. It didn’t look like a public docking facility. She saw no stores, gas pumps, or even a hose—only one electric light bulb hanging above it.
She wondered how the young man knew who she was when she hadn’t told him anything. Suddenly she laughed at her own naiveté. How many old fishing boats with the name Miss Iris painted on them pulled in there? Obviously, Buzzy had called and arranged everything.
With another glance at her instructions, she noted she would be on shore for about three or four hours. Buzzy had told her to take all her offshore pictures on the way back because he preferred sunset shots.
The walk to the complex took only a few minutes. She photographed everything that looked interesting, including the buildings themselves, which she shot from a number of angles. Inside the main building, she photographed the public areas, the interior of the penthouse model, and some of the other models. She thoroughly enjoyed looking at the exquisitely furnished models. She took a few pictures from the windows, which showed diverse outlooks from different sides of the buildings.
“The view must be fantastic at night,” she said enthusiastically to the older salesperson who accompanied her.
“Very impressive. I seldom come here at night, but when I do, I always enjoy looking out at the water and the city lights.”
“I’m supposed to go to the Captain’s Cabin for dinner and more pictures. Are you familiar with that restaurant? They didn’t give me its location.”
“It’s about two blocks from here. If you can wait five minutes, I’ll go with you.”
During her leisurely dinner with the semi-retired salesman, she learned much about the Marco area.
“You’ll be seeing more of me if Buzzy plans for you to bring clients here regularly. I live on the island and will be working at this complex four days a week. You say you came by boat? It must have been a pleasant trip on a day like this.”
“Yes, the Gulf was blue and friendly today. Hopefully, it continues that way until I get back. I have a few more places to photograph be
fore I’m through here.”
When Katherine returned to the dock, she found her boat moored exactly as the attendant had promised. She took some pictures from the dock before moving offshore to take shots of the buildings from that angle.
On the way back, she stopped often for pictures and felt satisfied with the collection by the time she reached her marina. She had some beautiful sunset shots and even a few pictures of the Miss Iris.
She backed into her slip on the first try and felt more than satisfied with the day when she called Buzzy.
“I have your pictures. Do you want me to bring the camera by the office now?”
“Wonderful, Katherine. I knew I could count on you. Would you hold on to it for now? I want you to have the pictures printed at one of those one-hour photo places. I’ll look them over then, and have the brochure made up.”
Relieved that she didn’t have to meet Buzzy after hours at the office, she downloaded copies of the pictures to her laptop so she could send copies to her mother and Laura and other friends she had neglected.
Finally, she went out to shop and ordered prints of all the photos at a place she found in the back of a department store.
Though elated with her successful boat trip, the threat of the Amanos asserted itself. A responsibility to expose them lay heavy on her mind. She couldn’t continue to work for them knowing what she knew, but she also had no solid proof of anything. No matter what direction she took, she must proceed cautiously. Any unusual move on her part might arouse their suspicions.
****
Six days passed with no trace of Lee. When Katherine left for her boating class on Tuesday evening, she began to feel piqued. How should she act when she attended class that night? Maybe she had taken too much for granted—read too much into a kiss. Maybe such a night represented a more common occurrence to him than it did to her.
Common? She couldn’t remember ever having a night quite like their date on the beach, but that didn’t mean it was an unusual experience with him. There could have been many nights, and many different girls.
By class time, she had built up a shield of reserve. She refused to make a fool of herself. She sat coolly on her cold metal chair, and her heart suddenly took another nosedive as a different instructor walked to the front of the room.
Where was Lee?
Class wasn’t the same, but she took notes and listened attentively. She went home disappointed, wondering if Lee had moved on.
Her cell phone interrupted sleep the next morning. With expectations of a call from Lee, she fumbled before managing to hit the correct button.
“Good morning, Miss Katherine—Captain Katherine I should say. Did I wake you?” Buzzy’s effusive voice echoed in her half-asleep ear. “We need your services as boat captain again today.”
“Certainly.”
“You won’t work at the condos at all today. You’ll take two couples and a sales associate, Bill Haines, to Marco. They’ll arrive at your boat about one o’clock this afternoon, and you’ll receive double pay for an entire day, no matter how quickly you consummate the trip. We’ll call it sales pay. Also, if Bill makes a sale because of this trip, you’ll receive a bonus. How does that sound to you, Miss Katherine?”
“That sounds fine. Do I take the same route and dock in the same place?”
“I want you to travel to Marco by way of the Intracoastal Waterway and come back by way of the Gulf. That way they’ll have a chance to see a little more and still view the sun setting on the water when you return.”
“I’ve never taken the Intracoastal that far before.”
“You’ll find it easy, safer than the ocean. I’ll make a map and have Bill bring it by to you. Gas up in Naples before you leave, and I’ll reimburse you.”
She couldn’t help but applaud Buzzy’s plan as she prepared for the day ahead. Who could resist buying one of those gorgeous units after a romantic boat trip through the Florida sunset? Considering what she’d overheard when she hid in the trash can, why did someone like Buzzy, who obviously possessed talent as a businessperson, resort to dishonesty and crime? It made her feel a little sad.
At a nearby marine supply store, she bought ice, bottled drinks, and three light folding chairs especially made for boats. They had pockets in the armrests for drink containers and had large, non-slip tips on the legs, constructed to grip the boat deck. At the checkout counter, she spied some white captain’s hats. They tempted her, but she hadn’t earned the right, yet. Maybe after she had her guide boat captain’s license, she would indulge.
When she dropped by Captain Dale’s house for some last minute guidance, he assured her she would have no trouble on the Intracoastal, and he showed her charts on it.
“Stay between the markers and expect slightly stronger current here…and here,” he said as he pointed to places on the chart.
When she finished with Dale, she went into the kitchen where Iris worked.
“I’ll probably be back in time for church tonight, but don’t wait on me if I’m not.”
“Come by here and have some dinner with me if you get back early enough. We can walk there together.”
The boat trip went well. At Marco, no attendant waited to assist her this time, but Bill moored the boat tightly to the posts and helped his clients disembark. When they started on their walk up to the condos, Katherine loosened the lines and hung her own instant-print camera around her neck. She planned to help Bill any way she could.
They followed somewhat the same schedule she used the day she took pictures. As a group, they toured the complex, and then stopped at the Captain’s Cabin for dessert and coffee.
Katherine took pictures of anything that might interest the two couples, and made sure to include the clients in as many shots as she could. She knew it would not only help Bill clinch a sale, but would also give the couples some lasting mementoes of the trip. Although it wasn’t a professional camera like the office one, the instant print camera had served well in the same capacity when she sold real estate in Chicago.
The breeze increased on the way back and the water became choppy. She began to understand how quickly conditions could change, and was relieved when she pulled into the slip.
Before everyone said goodbye, she presented the pictures, which the clients received with more enthusiasm than she had expected, she felt sure Bill would accomplish at least one sale from the day’s work.
After a quick cleanup of the boat, Katherine drove to a nearby antique shop and picked up a gift she purchased a few days earlier when she’d shopped for boat accessories. The china cabinet had caught her interest the minute she saw it. The cabinet’s unique design made it perfect for Iris’s seashell collection, and it would fit nicely in the corner where Iris stored her shell boxes.
When she carried it into Iris’s living room, the shining look in the woman’s eyes rewarded Katherine tenfold for her efforts.
Iris almost let dinner burn while she placed shells on the many shelves.
After dinner, they still had a few minutes until church time, so they worked on the shells again.
“I’m usin’ this spot for my special ones.” Iris opened a small box and began placing shells on the most prominent shelf.
“What’s this shell that you’ve given a place of honor?” Katherine picked it up and examined it. “It looks like only a piece of a shell, or is that the way it’s made?”
“That’s a junonia, and it is only a piece of a shell. I’ve never found a whole one. They’re sorta uncommon around here. Someday maybe I’ll run across a perfect one and replace this piece.”
“I’ll write down the name in case I ever see one.” Katherine brought out her pen and notebook. “Why don’t you give me the names of all the shells, and I’ll make labels on my computer.”
“Wouldn’t that be just fine. ‘Cept I don’t rightly know who all might see them.”
“Maybe you’ll invite one of the church ladies over some time.”
“I just might at that. The
preacher and his wife come by the other day. Dale—he leaves in his boat as soon as he sees them.” Iris stared thoughtfully down at her lap for a minute. “We had a real pleasant visit though,” she finally added.
“And you’ll probably have loads more—especially from me,” Katherine said impulsively.
“You’re becomin’ a regular boat captain, takin’ parties out and all. Ya need to get your charter license.”
“I know. I’ve been studying for it. Right now I’m only taking out guests of the office, but if I ever want to charge people for outings, I’ll need a license.”
“Don’t go to takin’ men guests out alone on your boat. I mean ones ya don’t know. There be some wild ones hereabouts.”
“I’m sure of that,” Katherine said with a lightness she didn’t feel.
“Do ya have a special man friend who can sorta look out for ya? I bet you left some broken hearts back in Chicago.”
“No special man anywhere, yet. I haven’t dated much recently. I used to date a lot, was even engaged once, but that didn’t work out. In that instance, I don’t think either of our hearts really broke, though I felt like it at the time.”
“Ya look pretty heart healthy to me. Real breaks don’t mend that quick or clean. I’m guessing God has saved someone special for ya.”
11
Iris’s words were still in her mind that evening when Buzzy called again.
“Katherine—more work for you. We’ve lined up parties for the next three afternoons, and again on Monday. You keep track if you miss any of your days off. Later you can take a vacation when the condo sales slow down. We’ve had a bigger response to this development than we expected.”
“I’m glad my boat helps.”
“Helps?” He laughed. “No one wants to drive to Marco anymore. We always give them a choice, but they all want a boat ride. Even my associates love the novelty. Both of those parties Bill took out bought condos. One of the ladies showed me the pictures you took for her. Excellent work, Katherine.”