Part 19 (1/2)

Wonder what that's all about?”

The bartender nudged one of the waitresses, who had just come to pick up a bar order. ”Another one?”

”Yeah.” The girl shook her head. ”Crazy pirates. Devils, I think.” She picked up her tray and walked off.

Kerry leaned forward, projecting her voice. ”Pirates?”

The bartender jumped a little, then turned. ”Oh, it's nothing, ma'am. We were just-”

”Just not wanting to scare us, yes, but what about the pirates?”

Kerry interrupted.

He looked like he'd been caught in headlights that rarely appeared on St. Johns. ”Ma'am...” His eyes s.h.i.+fted around, but most of the patrons were eating at tables; Dar and Kerry were the only ones on that side of the bar. With a second careful look, he sidled over. ”We're not supposed to talk about it,” he explained.

”Sure,” Dar said. ”You don't want to scare off the tourists.”

”Yeah.” The boy grinned. ”Glad you understand.”

116*

”We're not tourists,” Kerry smiled at him, ”so don't worry about it. Tell us about the pirates.”

Rea.s.sured, the bartender leaned on his elbow near them. ”Been six hijackings this month,” he told them. ”Boats comin' in, they get pulled over by these guys, and whap. No more boat, no credit cards, no cash; you name it.”

Dar and Kerry exchanged glances. ”Wow,” Kerry said finally.

”No wonder you don't want it to get out.”

”Big money, you know?” The boy shrugged. ”They just been lucky. n.o.body's got hurt so far.” He looked up as his name was called. ”S'cuse me.”

Kerry let her wrists rest on the bar. ”Good grief, Dar!”

Dar watched the group cross into the resort building, a concerned look on her face. ”How in the h.e.l.l can they not tell people?” she said in outrage. ”There should have been a G.o.dd.a.m.ned travel advisory at least!”

”Six hijackings in one month?” Kerry shook her head in disbelief. ”I know it's tough on the economy, but...Jesus!”

Dar interlaced her fingers and leaned her chin against them.

Her eyes flickered rapidly over the interior of the bar, a sudden intensity to her demeanor that had been absent moments before, yet very familiar to Kerry. ”Those people could have been us.” She frowned.

”Well,” Kerry took a bite of her burger, ”it almost was, Dar, except it was you they were chasing, and you don't put up with pirates, right?”

”Mmph,” Dar muttered. ”Doesn't make sense. That guy's too public to be a pirate, and Charlie said...” She stopped speaking for a moment. ”What was he trying to say?” she continued softly.

”Maybe he was wrong. Maybe this guy's really running the pirates.”

Kerry nibbled a fry. ”Why?” she asked. ”Dar, if that data is right, this guy's worth millions. Why run a bunch of boat hijackers in the Caribbean? I mean, yeah, okay-the boats are worth a lot, but can you imagine what it takes to do one over so you could sell it?

And how much cash or jewelry could these guys be carrying anyway? It doesn't add up.”

Dar scowled.

”Well, it doesn't,” Kerry murmured.

”I know, I know,” Dar said. ”But what are the odds that we get chased down by someone who isn't part of the lowlife sc.u.m chasing down other expensive boats in the area?”

”Hm.” Kerry sighed. ”Yeah, that is kind of a coincidence.” She lifted her mug and took a few swallows. ”Do you think we should tell the police about what happened, though? Especially since we know who did it?”*117 Dar took a few minutes to finish off her cheeseburger before she answered, which also gave her time to consider the question. ”I don't know,” she finally admitted. ”If the word's out not to tell anyone, how reliable are the police?”

”Maybe they're not the ones who are putting the lid on.”

”Maybe,” Dar murmured. ”If we do tell them, then what? We're not going to press charges, not out here at any rate.”

”He could buy them off anyway,” Kerry replied with a hard- earned skepticism. ”But at least if the police know, and if they are really trying to find these guys, they'll have the information.”

”Would it make you feel better?” Dar queried. ”Telling them?”

Kerry nodded, then her lips quirked a bit. ”Besides, while we're telling them what happened to us, maybe we can get them to tell us what's going on.”

Dar's eyebrows lifted and she gave Kerry an approving look.

”Good point,” she conceded.

Kerry blew on her nails, then buffed them on her bare shoulder.

”Besides, they have something else in common,” she added seriously, ”those guys and the pirates. According to our friend the bartender, no one got hurt in the hijackings.”

”Just like with us,” Dar mused. ”Once they had the boats, they could have just killed the owners.”

Kerry nodded. ”Not left any witnesses alive,” she said. ”Who knows, Dar, maybe this guy's got some angle on all this. Maybe he...” Her imagination kicked in. ”Maybe he's taking these boats, revamping them, and selling them for twice what they're worth to the same guys buying that art stuff from him.”

”Hm.” Dar sucked on her straw as she considered the possibility. ”It would be the right market,” she said. ”More money than brains.”

Kerry chuckled. ”You know, I've got relatives like that,” she said. ”In fact, you've met most of them.” A ripple traveled through her at the words, as she recognized a certain sense of distance on hearing them. She realized that the rawness she'd felt over her father's death and the ugliness she'd faced with her family afterward were easing.

”S'okay.” Dar gazed at her quietly. ”You've met my contributions to the four-bit gene pool, too.”

True. Impulsively, Kerry reached across the top of the bar and clasped Dar's hand, squeezing it briefly then letting it go. ”Our family doesn't have that problem. Even our dog is a genius.”

Dar chuckled. ”I'll remind you of that the next time she steals your socks.” She glanced around the bar. ”You done?”

Kerry nodded. ”Let's go find some trouble.” She slid off the stool and followed Dar out of the tiki bar, toward the main resort building.

118*

DAR UNLOCKED THE door to their room and pushed it open.

”Might as well get changed first,” she commented. ”I hate talking to cops in a sandy wetsuit.”

Kerry slipped past her and walked right out onto the porch, stripped completely out of her wetsuit, and left it on one of the chairs, inside out. ”Give me yours and I'll rinse it,” she called back over her shoulder.