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“Don’t worry, there’s a key in there somewhere, and if not, Zach will open the door. Mrs. Conroy, you could really help me out here. Did Seth know the name of the ship he wanted to find?”
“The name of the ship…” she repeated.
“The name.”
“Oh…yes! The Anne Marie, I think he said.” Her eyes brightened, and she smiled, forgetting her quest for her key for a moment. “He was very excited about it. He said there was more fantasy written about her than fact. That the legend had it all wrong. No, history was wrong, legend was right.” She shook her head and gave her attention back to her purse. “Where is that damned key?”
The door opened. Zach looked at them anxiously.
“I thought I should walk your mom to your cottage,” David said.
Zach looked amazingly world-weary, understanding and tolerant. “Thanks, Mr. Denham.”
“No problem, and call me David.”
The kid nodded, taking his mother’s arm.
“I’m okay,” Ally said, steadying herself. She cupped Zach’s face, then gave him a kiss on the forehead. “I guess we have to take care of each other, huh? I’m sorry, hon.”
“It’s okay, Mom.”
“I’m going to lie down,” Ally said.
“Good idea,” Zach told her.
Ally paused, looking at David. “I…thank you,” she said.
“Not at all.”
“I’ll try to remember anything else I can,” she told him. “After an aspirin and a night’s sleep,” she added dryly.
“Thanks again.”
Ally walked inside. Zach looked at David. “She liked Mr. Granger,” he said with a shrug. “I was sorry, but…I didn’t want her getting all tied up with him. I know she was thinking it would be great for me to have a dad, but he was a loudmouth. And rude. I didn’t want my mom with him. I didn’t make him fall in the water, though.”
“I never thought you did, Zach,” David said.
“Thanks,” Zach said. As David started to walk away, he called him back. “Hey, Mr. Denham? David?”
“Yes?”
“Maybe sometime, if you’re not too busy, you could show me the Icarus?”
“I’d be glad to,” David said. “Maybe tomorrow. Ask your Mom. Maybe we can have coffee together, or breakfast, and I’ll take you both out on her.”
In all honesty, he liked the kid. Especially after tonight.
And he damn sure wanted to talk to Ally Conroy when she was sober.
Before anyone else did.
Chapter Seven
Len Creighton was off work, and he considered his free time as totally his own. He sat nursing a double stinger at the Tiki Hut. He needed it.
He’d been behind the desk when a news brief had interrupted the television program in the lobby with the stunning information that millionaire tycoon Seth Granger was dead, apparently by drowning. There was little other information at the time, but he’d heard more about it once the boats had returned to Moon Bay. It had been pretty much the only topic of conversation in the Tiki Hut.
He was still hearing the buzz about it from other tables when Hank Adamson sat down in front of him.
“Long day, huh?” Adamson said, indicating Len’s drink.
“Longer for you, I imagine, Mr. Adamson.”
“You can call me Hank, please. Yeah, we were there a long time. The sheriff asked everyone if anyone had seen Seth go out or fall in the water. No one had.”
“No one saw him? How sad,” Len said.
Hank lifted a hand to order a drink. After giving his order, he told Len, “Sad thing is, I don’t think anyone cared.”
“I care,” Len said in protest. He shrugged sheepishly. “He always tipped well.”
“He was rude as hell to the waitress today. You don’t think she pushed him into the drink, do you?”
Len smiled, but knew he had to be careful with Hank Adamson. “I’m sure he was just tipsy and fell in himself.”
“That old sheriff…he’s something, though. Ever had a homicide in this area?”
“Not since I’ve been here.”
“Well, there you go. A local-yokel sheriff just trying to make a name for himself.”
“Nigel’s a good guy,” Len defended.
“So you think he really thinks there was foul play?” Hank asked, smiling at the waitress and accepting a beer from her.
“He’s no yokel,” Len said.
Adamson leaned toward him. “Why would someone murder Granger? They aren’t going to be blaming it on any ex-wife. If he was killed, it had to be someone who was with us at that bar. Someone on the staff at Moon Bay?”
“No way!” Len protested.
“Your boss admits he wants in on a lot of action,” Hank said. “He’d love to get into the salvage operations business.”
Len stood up. Writer or no, Hank Adamson had crossed the line.
“Jay is as honest as the day is long,” Len said firmly.
“Hey, an honest man can be driven to murder,” Hank said, smiling as he took another sip of beer straight from the bottle. “Sit down. I like your boss. In my opinion, the jerk just fell off the pier. Finish your drink, and I’ll buy you another.”
Len hesitated. Then, looking across the dance floor, he noticed Jay, who saw him, and motioned that he’d be over momentarily.
Len smiled. “Jay will be joining us in just a minute,” he told Hank. He sipped his drink, then was embarrassed to experience a huge yawn before he could suppress it. “Sorry. It’s been a long day.”
“Way too long. I don’t guess many of us will be hanging around here too late tonight,” Hank said.
A few minutes later, when Jay came over, Len rose, stifling another yawn, and bade the two good-night.
There was no sign of Laurie Smith at the lagoons, but she wasn’t required to be there—it was her day off, for one thing. Still, Alex was surprised. Laurie really loved the dolphins and tried to spend time with them every day.
She hesitated, then pulled out her cell phone and tried Laurie’s room. There was no answer. She dialed Laurie’s cell-phone number next, but got voice mail.
Strange.
Mandy and Gil were both there, though. They’d already heard what had happened but she gave them the full story of how she’d found him.
“Man, imagine that. A guy can have everything in the world, and still…” Gil said, shaking his head. “Just last night, he was flirting and drinking half the beer in the place. He had one hell of a capacity for liquor.”
“I guess so. That seems to be what everyone says,” Alex said.
“Tragic when anyone dies like that,” Mandy said, shaking his dark head. “He was coming on to that Ally woman last night, and she was eating it up. He was boasting about something really big he was into. I thought the guy was a jerk, myself.”
“Hank Adamson was there when it happened, right?” Gil said, rolling his eyes.
“He was there. One of the last to see him alive,” Alex said.
“Bet he’ll love telling that story,” Gil said. “Anyway, I know you want to hear about these guys,” he told her, indicating the dolphins.
Mandy showed her the log book for the day. “We were bringing them their good-night snack,” Gil said. “Didn’t know when you’d be back. But you can take over.”
“That’s all right,” she said.
Mandy laughed. “No, it’s not. We know you like to tuck them in.”
She smiled. “You two do fine without me,” Alex said.
“Hell, the swim was a piece of cake next to your day,” Mandy said. “Seth Granger dead. Go figure.” He made a face. “And you found him floating. I’m glad it wasn’t me.”
“You look all done in. We’ll take off and leave you to your babies,” Gil said. “I’m sure you don’t want to replay the afternoon anymore.”
“It’s okay, but you’re right. Truthfully, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Not now, anyway,” she agreed.
“Good night, then,” Gil said.
“Hey, wait!” she called. They stopped, looking at her expectantly. “Has either of you seen Laurie today?” she asked.
“I haven’t,” Gil said, looking at Mandy.
“I haven’t either. But it is her day off,” Mandy said.
“I haven’t seen her since last night. She left the Tiki Hut kind of late. She’d been talking to Hank Adamson. She was holding her own against him, too, and the guy can be a real pain,” Gil said.
“Yeah, he can. Did he grill either of you?” Alex asked.
“Nope,” Gil said. “I was at the Tiki Hut after she left, but…I don’t remember seeing Adamson after that, either, actually. But hey, I’m a bald guy with a gold earring, and Laurie is a cute girl. I’d grill her, too, if I were Adamson.” He frowned suddenly. “Are you worried about her?”
“No. Not really. It’s her day off. She’s free to come and go as she pleases,” Alex said.
“Actually, come to think of it, Len was looking for her earlier, too,” Mandy said.
“Why?”
“I think he had mail for her. Or maybe he just knew that she’d been talking to Hank Adamson, and wanted to make sure she hadn’t said anything she shouldn’t.” He shrugged.
Gil let out a snort. “Adamson is going to write what he wants, no matter what any of us say. Only thing is, now he’s going to have an awful lot more to write about, having been there when Seth Granger bit the big one.”
“Gil…” Alex said with a groan.
“I’ll take a walk by Laurie’s room and knock,” Gil said. “But maybe she just doesn’t want to be disturbed.”
“Yeah. She could have a hot date,” Mandy agreed.
“You think?” Alex said. She shook her head. “She would have told me. She hated that Date Tournament thing she went on.”
“Yeah, but…she sure was impressed by your ex-husband,” Mandy said.
“And the blond guy chasing you around the last few days,” Gil commented.
“Well, they were both there today when Seth—as you so gently put it—bit the big one,” Alex said.
“I’m sure she’s fine,” Gil said. “I’m sure she’ll turn up by morning. Maybe she’s somewhere right now, hearing all about Seth Granger. Jay must be having fits. That kind of publicity, connected to his precious Moon Bay.”
“Haven’t you heard? There’s no such thing as bad publicity. We’ll probably get more people hanging around. In another year, Warren will be advertising that he has a ghost,” Mandy said.
“Hey, the guy is barely cold!” Alex protested.
“Sorry,” Mandy told her.
“Let’s get out of here and let the boss have her private time,” Gil said to him. “Night, Alex.”
The two walked off. Alex suddenly felt very alone.
For a moment she felt a chill, but then realized that the Tiki Hut was blazing with light and music, and she was just across the lagoon from it. She didn’t need to feel alone or afraid, she assured herself. And she wouldn’t.
The time was now. And there wouldn’t be much of it.
Using the pass key he’d obtained, he slipped it into the front door of the cottage, quickly closing it behind him, then locking it again.
If someone should arrive, there was always the back door.
