“I guess I don’t understand what you’re insinuating,” Chris said as he stretched out his legs in an attempt to get comfortable on the couch. “What does Clark Savage have to do with Megalodons?”
I pressed the tip of my tongue to the back of my teeth and steadfastly ignored Jack’s annoyed gaze as I tried to refrain from laughing. Jack really was one bad shark joke from killing the next person who mentioned a Megalodon.
“I don’t think Clark has anything to do with a Megalodon, Chris,” Jack said, his tone chilly. “I don’t think a Megalodon was involved in Shayne’s death. In fact, I never thought a Megalodon was part of the equation. That was all you.”
Unruffled, Chris merely blinked. “You saw the marks on her body in the medical examiner’s office. The shark teeth were too big to belong to a regular shark.”
Jack was exasperated. “Chris, Megalodons are extinct. There is no way a sixty-foot shark had anything to do with what we’re dealing with here.”
“Then how do you explain the state of her body?” Chris persisted, refusing to back down. “She was clearly eaten.”
“By smaller sharks.”
“You don’t know that.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s a better possibility than a Megalodon. Bull sharks are prevalent in these waters. They go into feeding frenzies and are the most likely sharks to attack people. Tiger sharks are a close second. They’re in this area, too.”
“I hate to agree with Jack because ... well, I hate him right now, but it was never a Megalodon, Chris,” Laura noted. “The odds of there being a human factor were always greater than you wanted to admit.”
Chris’s face told me there was a mighty struggle internally tearing him asunder. “We don’t have proof of anything,” he pointed out, managing to keep his voice calm. “We can’t ignore the facts. There were huge teeth marks in Shayne’s body. They couldn’t have been made by a normal-sized shark. How do you explain that?”
“I don’t know.” Jack’s tone was icy enough that I felt uncomfortable sharing space with Chris and him. “Megalodons are extinct. You must be reasonable. There is no way a Megalodon is roaming the waters. People would’ve seen it.”
“The ocean is vast.”
“A sixty-foot shark that, by your own admission, would be nothing more than a mindless feeding machine? It would impact the local marine population,” Jack gritted out. “It would decimate dolphin and whale pods. There’s only the limited orca population in the Gulf. You heard the guy on the ship the other day. We would know if there was a super predator hunting the waters.”
Everything Jack said was rational. His theory made much more sense than the giant shark supposition. But Chris was a true believer. Until there was absolutely no reason for him to lose faith in the possibility of an ancient shark, he would cling to his ideals with jagged teeth.
“I guess we’ll have to agree to disagree,” Chris said finally. “I happen to believe it’s a Megalodon.”
Jack’s face flushed with fury. “What about you, Hannah?” he asked pointedly. “Do you think it’s a Megalodon?”
I understood what he was trying to do. Hannah was the pragmatic sort. Chris was totally devoted to Hannah. Jack needed Chris to see reason. She was his best shot.
He didn’t take into account that Hannah was as loyal to Chris as he was to her. As much as she preferred science to whimsy, she wasn’t about to crush the man she was sharing a rather intense relationship with.
“I think a Megalodon is possible,” Hannah replied evenly, causing Jack’s mouth to drop open.
“What?”
“You heard me.” Hannah’s hackles were up. “We have nothing that says it’s not a Megalodon. We have several points of reference on a body that says it very well could be. I understand you don’t want to believe it, Jack, but you don’t always get what you want.”
Jack’s fury had teeth — jagged shark teeth — and he lashed out. “This is ridiculous! I don’t understand how we can possibly be talking about a giant prehistoric shark as if it were normal. This is not the same thing as Bigfoot ... or the Chupacabra ... or werewolves. I didn’t believe in those either, but at least they were small enough to hide in plain sight. A Megalodon is an entirely different story.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s not real,” Chris pressed. “I’m not asking you to believe. Why are you insisting that I stop?”
The question was simple, heartfelt. The look on Jack’s face told me he registered what Chris was saying. He might not have liked the direction the conversation was heading, but he recognized the truth in Chris’s words.
Jack being Jack, though, couldn’t simply accept what his brain told him was impossible.
“Fine!” He threw his hands in the air and stalked toward the door. “Do what you want. You always do. When this blows up in your face, I don’t want to hear one second of complaint. Do you understand me?”
“I will ask the same of you when I’m proved right,” Chris replied.
“Ugh.” Jack threw open the door with enough force it bounced against the wall. “I can’t even deal with this. I just ... a freaking Megalodon! You people are nuts. Every single one of you.”
He stormed out the door. I knew better than to follow him. He needed time to cool down. Laura was another story.
“Jack, wait!” She raced after him, almost desperate to get his attention.
I watched her a moment, unsettled, and then got to my feet.
“You should leave him be for a bit,” Millie offered, solemn. “He’ll calm down. He always does. He just needs time.”
“I know. I’m not going after him.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Laura,” I explained. “She’s probably a pile of mush on the sidewalk if she managed to catch up with him. He’s already in a bad mood where she’s concerned. If she tried to stop him, he probably unloaded a week’s worth of annoyance on her. This Megalodon stuff has him firing on all cylinders.”
“Fair enough, but why do you care about Laura?” Millie asked. “She tried to ruin your career this morning. I very much doubt she’s going to apologize and make nice.”
“That might be true, but I want to make sure. Jack lashes out sometimes without realizing the damage he’s causing. I’m just going to check on her.”
“You’re nicer than I am.”
That wasn’t the word I would’ve used. Nice. I didn’t feel nice. I merely smiled and nodded. Now wasn’t the time for a lengthy talk on personality quirks. “I’m going to check on Laura and then head to the lobby. Maybe the other authors know where to look for Clark.”
“And I’m going to talk to the cutter folks about returning to the water,” Chris said. “I feel in my heart that we’re on the right track with the Megalodon.”
I almost felt sorry for him. He was as stubborn as Jack, just in a different way. “Well, be safe.” I dragged my hand through my hair as I moved toward the door. “I’ll text if I find anything that feels important.”
“Good luck,” Hannah called to my back.
“You’re going to need it,” Millie sang out.
I ignored them both.
I FOUND Laura and Jack on the sidewalk that led to the resort. They looked to be having an intense conversation, but it was one Jack clearly wasn’t enjoying.
“Are you trying to make me be mean to you?” he exploded, his voice deep and harsh. “I don’t want to talk to you, Laura. I don’t want to hear one thing you have to say. Not one.”
Instead of taking the hint, Laura pushed things to the point of no return. “I’m trying to help you. I agree with you. I want to make you feel better. I mean ... maybe we could get a coffee and sit down and talk. That sounds like a good idea, doesn’t it?”
The look Jack shot her was withering. “No, Laura. That doesn’t sound like a good idea. Why would I possibly want to talk to you?”
“Because we agree about the Megalodon. We’re the only sane ones in the group.”
“Don’t lump me in with
you.”
“That was a compliment!” Laura’s eyes filled with fire. “Why won’t you take my compliment and put all the other stuff behind us?”
“Because you tried to get me fired this morning,” Jack raged. “Why would I want to put up with you given that?”
“I wasn’t trying to get you fired. Charlie is the one who needs to go.”
I managed to bite back a hot retort, but just barely.
“Charlie does more work for this group than you ever have,” he shot back. “Charlie is a doer and a thinker.”
“Oh, right.” Laura rolled her eyes. “She thinks it might be a Megalodon. She didn’t say anything this morning, but you can tell she thinks it. It’s written all over her face. She’s a freaking genius.”
“She’s enthusiastic,” Jack corrected. “She wants to believe. She doesn’t really believe, at least not with this case. She understands what’s going on here. She realizes that we have a human murderer ... and he’s dangerous.”
Jack took a step closer to Laura, glowering so hard that she took an involuntary step in retreat. “You’re the problem, Laura,” he hissed. “You want things your way no matter who you hurt. You went after Charlie this morning even though she’s never done a thing to you. I won’t stand for it a second time. I will remove you from this team if you ever try anything of the sort again.”
“Oh, don’t worry,” Laura sneered, her real personality on full display. “It’s been made clear to me that if I make another complaint against Charlie I’m the one who will go. Apparently Myron got an earful from Chris and Millie.”
“Good.” Jack wasn’t so far gone he couldn’t embrace welcome news. “I’m glad you got in trouble. You’ve had it coming.”
“You see it as me being troublesome, but that’s not what I’m about.”
Jack snorted. “Oh, Laura, please tell me you don’t believe that. You’re not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but one of the few things I could always say about you was that you were a realist. If you’ve floated into La-La Land we really do have a problem.”
“I’m trying to help you.” Laura was adamant as she planted her hands on her hips. “Charlie will drag you down. She’s an idiot. She follows Chris’s ideas without giving a thought to rationality. She’s a complete and total moron ... and her goofy crush on you is suffocating.”
“You don’t get it.” He slowly shook his head before shifting his eyes to me. He didn’t appear surprised to find me watching them from twenty feet away. “Charlie is smart ... and strong ... and brave. She’s overenthusiastic and leaps before she looks, but I find that refreshing.”
His eyes never left me. “Does she occasionally drive me crazy? Yes.” He bobbed his head for emphasis. “She embraces things before thinking them through. She races headlong into danger. She puts others before herself, especially when it comes to safety.
“That’s not necessarily a good thing,” he said softly. “It’s not bad either. She’s an authentic person living an authentic life. That’s much more impressive than whatever you’re doing.”
“I’m better than her,” Laura persisted. “I’m prettier ... and smarter ... and I’m a better choice for you.”
“You’re none of those things.” Jack held my gaze a moment longer and then heaved out a sigh. “I need to take a walk. I can’t be around people right now. Don’t take it personally.” He was talking to me now, and I understood his desire for space.
I nodded. “I’m going to the lobby to see if any of the other writers know where to look for Clark. Don’t worry,” I added hurriedly. “I will not go anywhere alone or risk running into him without backup.”
He nodded. “Okay. Just ... be careful. I’m sure I will be calmer in an hour or so.”
“Take your time.” I flashed a smile. “Maybe get some ice cream or something. That always makes me feel better.”
“I’ll consider it.” Jack turned to leave, but Laura grabbed his arm before he could take more than a step.
“We’re not done talking,” she snapped.
Jack’s gaze was pointed as he stared at her fingers and then raised his eyes. “Let. Me. Go.”
It was very clear he meant it. Even Laura recognized she was in a no-win situation and quickly released him. Jack gave me another lingering look before turning on his heel and stalking toward the beach. I knew he would sit in the sand, stare at the water, and stay there until he was relaxed. I had no idea how long that would take, but Jack was a man who relied on emotional stability.
Laura was furious when she realized he had no intention of turning around. “You’re to blame for all of this. You know that, don’t you?”
I was weary when I snagged her gaze. “How is this my fault?”
“You’re ruining him.”
“How?”
“He won’t even talk to me.”
I wasn’t in the mood for a big fight, but I refused to be a doormat. It was time Laura and I got a few things straight, too. “He doesn’t like you, Laura. I know you can’t see that, but you’re usually competent when it comes time to take the temperature of a room.”
“Of course he likes me.”
“No, he was indifferent to you when I first joined the group,” I countered. “He didn’t care either way. That indifference turned to dislike when you started with your full-court press. The fact that he didn’t want to be with you wasn’t a conspiracy ... or a commentary, for that matter. You’re simply not his type.”
“And you are?”
I held my hands out and shrugged. “Maybe. We don’t know yet. This is new. We’re just ... feeling each other out. The thing is, I don’t try to turn him into something he’s not. I don’t try to make him bend to fit the mold of the perfect man I’ve created in my head. That’s what you’re trying to do, but he’ll never bend.
“What you did today was ... horrible,” I continued. “Jack expected it. He warned me. He knew what you would do and he was prepared to move when it happened. He had a plan, which I’m thankful for.
“You’re like the scorpion in that old story, Laura,” I said. “It needs to cross the water and it offers a deal to the turtle. It says it won’t sting the turtle if it gives him a ride. The turtle agrees and, of course, halfway across the lake the scorpion stings the turtle.
“As he’s dying, the turtle asks the obvious question. He wants to know why the scorpion did it. The scorpion only has one reply. It was in his nature to do it, and he couldn’t fight his nature. That’s you. You can’t fight your nature.”
Laura made a face that would’ve been funny under different circumstances. Unfortunately, I was deadly serious. “Are you saying I’m a bug?”
“I’m saying that you’re trying to create a world of your choosing that no one else wants to live in,” I clarified. “You want Jack, but it’s not the real him you crave. He’s a great man, but you can’t see that. All you see is that he’s handsome and protective. You want those things for yourself and you ignore what he needs. A relationship is not about one person.”
“You sound like a simpering moron,” Laura complained. “You’re feeling full of yourself because you believe you’ve snagged Jack. He’s quite the prize, so I don’t blame you. Your relationship won’t last, though, because he’s above you.”
“That might be true,” I said. “Er, well, not the part about him being above me. I don’t tend to believe one human being has more worth than another no matter their station. You’re right about the possibility of it not working. That’s why we’re dating, to see if it will work.
“You’ll never get to that point because you don’t see him as a real person,” I continued. “You see him as a prize, a thing to be possessed. No relationship will ever work under those conditions.”
“Says you.” Laura’s eyes filled with annoyance. “I think I understand a thing or two about men that you can’t even fathom. You’re not smart enough to compete on my playing field. If you’re smart, you’ll bow out of the game.”
“That won’t happen.”
“Then be prepared for Armageddon, because this is nowhere near over.”
That’s exactly what I was afraid of.
Twenty-Five
Jack was capable of taking care of himself, and I had no interest in smothering him. I was mildly worried, but I knew him well enough to realize his burst of temper would pass.
Chris and Hannah were heading out on the Gulf ... again. I thought it was probably a waste of time, but it wasn’t my place to order them around.
Millie and Bernard seemed fine entertaining themselves — which I was convinced would involve a trip to the tiki bar.
I didn’t care what Laura did to pass the time. I was fed up with her attitude.
That left only me, and there was nothing I could do except question the other writers about potential locations for Clark, so that’s what I did.
The courtyard was empty when I entered, except for J.D. and his wife, who appeared to be in a heated conversation close to the fountain. They didn’t so much as look in my direction as I slowed my pace when I heard J.D. raise his voice for the first time.
“I can’t believe you’re being this way,” he snapped. “This is a big deal for me, an important conference. This is about me!”
“Everything is about you,” Christine shot back, her face hot with fury. “Our whole lives have become about you.”
“I’m the one who got us out of that trailer park.”
“I know that.” Christine lowered her eyes and voice, stirring a waterfall of pity. “If you think I’m not happy about the change in our living situation, that I’m not proud of you ... .”
J.D. cut her off with an angry curse. “I don’t need you to be proud of me. I need you to be supportive. I’m finally making something of myself, Christine. I’m finally going somewhere. If you want to hitch a ride you need to suck it up and realize my career comes first.
“I mean ... we would still be in that trailer if you had your way,” he continued, his temper on full display. He either didn’t see me or didn’t care that I was listening. “You’d still be selling your potholders and afghans at flea markets so we could eat. Is that what you want?”
The Megalodon Mix-Up Page 23