On Borrowed Time

by Jenn McKinlay

  “You’re not,” he said. He glanced at her sideways before adding, “I even have those small sourdough loaves of bread from the bakery.”

  “Oh, well, that changes everything. You know I can’t turn down a bread bowl,” she said. It was ridiculous how relieved she felt that he wasn’t sending her away.

  “Yeah, I know,” he said. His voice was gruff with affection, and Lindsey wondered if maybe this wasn’t the best idea.

  She and Sully had been very careful around each other for the past few months as if neither of them wanted to lose the fragile friendship they had been able to rebuild.

  Sully gave her little time to reconsider, however, as he locked the door and led the way up the pier to Main Street, where he parked his truck. Heathcliff jumped in without hesitation and Lindsey followed.

  It was fully dark now and the streetlights had come on, illuminating patches of the street. Lindsey burrowed into her coat, nudging her nose under her scarf as she sat beside Sully. He didn’t wear gloves and his coat was unbuttoned. She wondered how he could not be frozen, but then, working out on the water driving passengers to and from the islands had probably thickened up his blood.

  He started up the truck and drove a half mile then he turned off Main Street to follow a narrow road that wound its way back out toward the water. This was an older neighborhood of small beach houses built in the fifties. They were the original vacation cabins that the wealthy residents of New Haven had used during the summer.

  Sully’s small three-bedroom house was halfway down the street. Weathered to a pearly shade of gray with a crisp white trim, it was boxy in shape but it sported floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a view of the bay, a thick stone fireplace, and was surrounded by hedges of summer roses on both sides, keeping it private from the neighbors. It had a small front yard enclosed by a white picket fence, with a side garden that was now dead cornstalks and pumpkin vines. Lindsey had always thought that Sully’s house was just perfect. She was surprised to find how much she had missed it.

  Sully parked in the drive and led the way to the house. Heathcliff followed with his nose to the ground. Sully unlocked the door and flicked on the lights. The tiled foyer led through the kitchen to the living room, which had two full-sized leather couches with the fireplace on one side, a big screen television on the wall beside it and windows that looked out over the water, completing the cozy room.

  The rich hearty smell of a thick homemade stew cooking perfumed the air. Lindsey felt her stomach cramp and realized that she’d had nothing to eat since tea with Robbie.

  Sully went over to the fireplace and switched on the gas, causing the fire to ignite in a bright burst of warm flames.

  “Make yourselves at home,” he said. “I’ll dish the food and be right back.”

  Heathcliff took that to mean that Sully needed an assist and he followed him into the kitchen. Lindsey heard the low rumble of Sully talking to the dog and she smiled. When she and Sully had been dating, they had spent a lot of time at Sully’s house, and Heathcliff had settled in like it was his second home.

  She stood by the fire to warm up, but the lure of the view caused her to wander over to the window. She had to look past her own reflection on the glass, but when she leaned close, she could see out into the darkness and pick out some of the Thumb Islands by the pinpricks of light that sat just above the water. Only a few of the islands had electricity, and those usually had year-round tenants, like Sully’s parents on Bell Island.

  She thought the idea of living on an island year-round was romantic, but she didn’t know if she could do it. Maybe if she had family or neighbors on the island with her, but by herself she was afraid she’d become a hermit who refused to leave her island and Sully would have to deliver all of her food and goods. She’d probably become feral and lose all of her social skills and start living off the land like a wild woman.

  It had a certain allure, like not shaving her armpits or legs, but then it had a dark side as well—no toilet paper. Yeah, she was out.

  Sully was back in a few moments with a loaded tray. Two plates heaped with stew inside a small hollowed loaf of round bread, a perfect defense against the December chill, and when paired with a bottle of Shiraz and two glasses, it almost felt like a date.

  Lindsey looked at Sully. Did he look like a man who considered this a date? He was clean shaven, he smelled good, and she was pretty sure he had just combed his hair. His unruly head of reddish brown curls always looked wonderfully wind tossed after a day of working on his boats. Yes, he had definitely paused to comb it. Hmm.

  “What?” he asked as he handed her a glass of wine.

  “What what?” she returned. She had to keep herself from smacking her forehead. Man, she sounded dumb.

  “You’re staring at me,” he said.

  “You combed your hair,” she said. She let out a pained sigh. Did she really just say that out loud? This was agony. She sounded dumber than dumb; she sounded like an idiot to the tenth power.

  “Mom always taught me to clean up before dinner,” he said. His tone was easy and light. “Thanks for noticing.”

  Lindsey felt her face get hot. This wasn’t working. Being here with him in his house like they had so many times when they were a couple, it was blurring the lines, and she wasn’t sure if she was Lindsey the friend or Lindsey the ex-girlfriend or Lindsey who wished they could get back together.

  The thought made her toss back a gulp of Shiraz, which was not the mellowest of wines to chug. She sputtered a little, and when she glanced at Sully, she was almost certain she saw him trying not to laugh.

  As was their old habit, they sat on the floor in front of the fire on big square cushions that gave them just the right elevation to eat at the large glass coffee table. Sully had even brought a bowl of stew for Heathcliff, which sat on the table until it was cool enough for him to eat.

  “I have an ulterior motive for mellowing you with food,” Sully said.

  “Oh?” Lindsey asked. She felt her pulse pound, but she strived to sound casual. “What’s that?”

  “It’s bad news,” he said.

  Lindsey felt her chest clutch. “How bad?”

  “The scorched wreck that we hauled in last night is gone,” he said.

  “What?” Lindsey asked. “When? How?”

  “It had to be last night after we docked,” he said. “I called a Navy buddy with some experience in forensics, but when he came out this morning and we went to check out the boat, we found the tie had been cut clear through. Someone didn’t want anyone looking at that boat. We searched for it but no luck. I don’t know if they hauled it away or sank it, but it’s gone. I’m sorry, Lindsey.”

  He looked genuinely regretful and Lindsey knew he thought he’d let her down, which was ridiculous.

  Lindsey shook her head. “It’s not your fault. There are more players than we realized in this little drama. I’m just beginning to understand how much trouble Jack is in.”

  Sully nodded. “Yeah, I got that feeling when the boat was gone. Now it’s your turn. What were you not sharing with me back at the office? And more importantly, does the British bit player know what’s going on?”

  Lindsey dipped the top of her bread into the stew. It was savory and seasoned to perfection. She took her time chewing while she considered what to tell him. As if there was really any option. Briar Creek was too small a town to keep secrets, at least not for long, which reminded her that any day Chief Plewicki was going to find out about her brother.

  “I received a phone call today from a man,” Lindsey said. She could tell by the way Sully had gone completely still that she had his full attention.

  “Go on,” he said. He took a sip from his glass as if to brace himself.

  Lindsey picked up her spoon and fiddled with her stew. “He didn’t or wouldn’t identify himself. He asked where my brother was, and when I said
I didn’t know, he sounded very irritated with me.”

  “Do you think it was the jealous husband?” Sully asked.

  “I don’t know,” Lindsey said. “On the one hand, that makes the most sense, but then again, he didn’t sound jealous. He sounded concerned right up until he told me he’d be in touch.”

  “What?” Sully asked. “And you’re just mentioning this now?”

  “I’m not sure he meant it like it sounded,” she said. “Robbie heard him, too. He could verify that it wasn’t like a threat.”

  “Oh, the mincing mime was in on the call, was he?” Sully asked.

  “He just happened to be there when the call came through,” she said. She took the opportunity to shove a spoonful of savory stew into her mouth. Delicious.

  “Fine, moving on,” Sully said. “If it wasn’t a threat, what did it sound like?”

  As if he could stand it no longer, Heathcliff gave a whimper from his spot on the floor then he barked and rolled over as if he would expire if he didn’t get to eat his stew right now.

  “Oh, sorry, boy,” Sully said. He checked the temperature of Heathcliff’s bowl. “The ice has melted. You’re good.”

  He put a placemat on the floor and put the bowl on top of it. Heathcliff leapt to his feet and slammed his muzzle into the bowl with absolutely no regard for manners of any kind. He wagged while he ate.

  “Compliments to the chef,” Lindsey said as she pointed at his tail.

  “The dog has good taste,” Sully said.

  “Yes, he does, the stew is excellent,” Lindsey said. She took a sip of wine before she answered his question. “I think the man on the phone was trying to warn me.”

  “About what?” Sully asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Maybe the jealous husband or it could be something else entirely. That’s why I want you to stop looking for any trace of the yacht. Whatever Jack is mixed up in, one man is already dead. I really don’t want you to make yourself a target as well.”

  “Given that I had no luck tracing the boat, I think I’m fine,” he said.

  “Except for the fact that you know everyone in the area, and if you start asking questions, it will draw the bad guys’ attention back to you and you could get hurt,” Lindsey said. “I really would feel much better if you didn’t look around or ask questions or anything.”

  “But what if someone saw something?” Sully said. “We might be able to find your brother.”

  “I know,” Lindsey said. “But Jack was very clear when he said that the fewer people who knew about him, the better. As it is, too many of you know, and I really couldn’t stand it if something happened to any of you.”

  “Who exactly is too many of us?” Sully asked.

  “You, Beth and Robbie.”

  “How does he know everything that is going on?” he asked.

  “After he heard the phone call, I had to tell him,” Lindsey said. “I couldn’t risk him asking the wrong person and getting everyone gossiping.”

  Sully grumbled something unintelligible and tucked into his stew. Lindsey did the same. Heathcliff obviously considered it a race and was the first one done, which he announced by standing on his hind legs and propping his front paws on the table as if looking for seconds.

  “No,” Lindsey said. He wagged. She shook her head. He pushed off the table with a grunt.

  “He’s mad at you,” Sully said.

  “He’ll get over it when I take him O-U-T,” she said. Heathcliff’s ears perked up at her words and Sully laughed.

  “I think he can spell,” he said.

  “He’s too smart for his own good,” she said. “More accurately, he’s too smart for my own good.”

  They finished eating and Lindsey helped Sully with the dishes. She could tell he was thinking, mulling over what she had told him about the phone call. She refused to feel guilty for including Robbie in the loop. His input had been very helpful, and she’d been pretty rattled to get the call and was grateful for his calming presence.

  A mournful cry sounded from the living room, and Sully and Lindsey exchanged amused looks.

  “Nice to know some things don’t change,” Sully said. “The boy still makes it clear when he needs to go out.”

  “Yes, he does,” Lindsey said.

  Together they shrugged on their coats, and Sully flipped on the outside spotlight that illuminated the small yard and the beach beyond. The minute Lindsey opened the door, Heathcliff shot out the door and rushed through the tall grass over the sandy hill to the water.

  Sully and Lindsey followed at a slower pace, and when they crested the hill, it was to find Heathcliff racing at the water, barking at the waves and running when they chased him back up the beach.

  The wind tugged at her hair, sending it swirling about her head. Lindsey pulled up the hood on her coat and shoved her hands in her pockets.

  “Want to walk a ways and wear him out?” Sully asked.

  Lindsey nodded.

  They set off on the firm dry sand, staying clear of the waves while Heathcliff sprinted down the beach and back. It wasn’t long before his tongue was hanging out but still he barked and chased the waves.

  Lindsey had thought Sully was going to take this time in the fresh air to talk, but to her surprise he didn’t say anything. She wondered what he was thinking but then she suspected he had a whole lot of unhappy going about her telling him not to look for the yacht. Sully was the original fixer. When he saw a problem, it was ingrained in his nature to fix it. She knew it chafed him for her to tell him to stop.

  Deep in thought, she yelped when Sully abruptly draped his arm about her shoulders and pulled her close. His mouth was next to her ear, giving her all sorts of shivers and not the kind that come from the cold, when he said, “Don’t panic, but someone is following us.”

  It took her a moment or two to get his scent out of her head and replace it with his words. Following them?

  Naturally, Lindsey’s first reaction was to look over her shoulder and see who it was. Sully anticipated her move, however, and pulled her in even closer, blocking her from turning around by pressing his mouth right below her ear.

  “No, don’t look,” he whispered. “We don’t want him to know we’re aware of him.”

  His voice was gravel rough and managed to turn Lindsey’s insides to hot mush even while she felt an adrenaline surge of fear pump through her. She closed her eyes, trying to focus, and asked, “Who is it?”

  Sully’s breath brushed across her cheek when he answered, “Don’t know. I don’t recognize him, but we can’t get back to the house the way we came without passing him. I’m thinking we need to hike into the tall grass and lose him at the old red shack.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she said.

  Sully took her hand in his, and within three steps they had disappeared into the marsh grass that separated his small neighborhood from the next. As if sensing their urgency, Heathcliff was right beside Lindsey as they picked their way through the phragmites.

  Before they disappeared over the small hill, she glanced back. She gasped when she saw the shadow of a large man backlit against the light coming from Sully’s house. He was making his way down the beach, headed straight for them.

  “He’s coming!” Lindsey whispered, because yeah, Sully might have missed that fact.

  He gave her hand a firm squeeze and then he bent down and scooped Heathcliff up into his arms. He shifted their speed into high gear, using his elbow to lead them through the spiky grass. Lindsey followed, hoping that in the darkness the man would have a hard time following Sully, who knew every inch of the terrain from his boyhood spent running wild.

  They broke out of the grass and found themselves beside an old shack that had stood on this unpopulated part of the bay for as long as anyone could remember. Up on stilts, it had been painted red over the yea
rs, but was still weatherworn and tired looking. In the dark, Lindsey couldn’t make out much more than the fact that it looked abandoned.

  “It’s the local hangout for high schoolers,” Sully said. “At least, it used to be.”

  “Are we going in?”

  “No, but we hope he thinks we are. Come on.” Sully pulled her past the shack and into a small copse of evergreens. He handed off Heathcliff to her and said, “Don’t move. I’ll be right back.”

  Lindsey clutched Heathcliff close, which was no mean feat, since he weighed a solid thirty-plus pounds. He struggled a bit as if he wanted to go after Sully, but Lindsey hushed him and talked softly to him.

  “It’s okay, boy,” she said. “Sully knows what he’s doing.”

  The wait was excruciating. Lindsey edged closer to the edge of the trees. She just wanted to peek and see that Sully was okay.

  In the darkness, she couldn’t make out anything. Just shadows layered against shadows. Her hair blew across her face and she tossed it back. Heathcliff whined and she shushed him. He was a solid bundle, and she shifted him in her arms as she leaned out from behind a long branch.

  She heard the noise of something slamming and then footsteps were fleeing toward her. She stiffened. She had no way of knowing in the dark if it was Sully or not. Heathcliff’s ears perked up but he didn’t bark so she assumed it must be him, but just to be on the safe side, she backed up into the tree, letting the branches cover her.

  “Lindsey,” a voice hissed. It was Sully and he sounded a little panicked. She stepped out from the tree and he took Heathcliff from her arms.

  “I wasn’t sure it was you,” she explained.

  “Good thinking,” he said. “I’ve bought us some time, but we’d better hurry.”

  “What did you do?” she asked.

  “Impeded his progress,” he said. “I hope.”

  He led the way onto a narrow path in the high grass that was mercifully hard-packed dirt and not marshland mud. In a few spots where it looked soggy, someone had put down narrow wooden planks. They hurried through the high grass. Lindsey looked behind them twice, but there was no sign of anyone following them.