by Amie Denman
“I’ll take Marlena,” Balcheski said, and led her to his police car.
The rest of the morning was tense as I answered questions from concerned boaters, ran the daily business of the marina, waited for a call from Marlena and hoped for a glimpse of Kurt. I worried more about Sherman as the hours passed.
At noon, there was a knock on the back door of the office. Anxious for news, but leery about who it could be, I cautiously opened the door.
“Hi,” said Kurt. “Brought you lunch.”
“Man, am I glad to see you. What happened with Sherman?”
Kurt was looking fine in a dry uniform despite the bandage over his right eye and those covering the burns on his left hand. The rest of the package still looked terrific.
He walked in with two bags and drinks from the deli next to the Dairy Slide.
“Heart attack.”
“Is he okay?”
“They’re doing some tests to see how much damage there is, but he should be okay with some rest and treatment.”
“How’s Marlena?” I asked.
Kurt grinned. “Giving everyone hell at the hospital. Including Sherman.”
“She loves him.”
He nodded. “Thanks for your quick action today. Getting Sherman reeled in and keeping Marlena under control was a two-person job.”
“We make a good team.”
“Maybe we ought to work together more often,” he said, suddenly looking very serious. Was something brewing beneath the surface? I was starting to think that I wasn’t the only one on the case of the missing money and the mayor’s involvement. The Virgin Mary’s threats and Kurt’s mysterious phone call to his brother had me wondering.
I hadn’t had a chance to ask Marlena about Kurt’s brother yesterday and Sherman’s sudden heart attack had thrown everything out the window. Good thing Kurt happened to be there, or things might have been a lot worse.
Kurt always seemed to be in the marina, come to think of it. I wondered again why he was the only firefighter on the Bluegill force ever on the fireboat. Maybe he was stalking me. If all stalkers were as sweet and sexy as Kurt, it wouldn’t be a crime. More likely, there was another reason. Could he be part of the investigation too? If so, why wouldn’t the chief or the FBI have told me? Was there a chance he wasn’t on our side? I didn’t think so, but you never knew.
Kurt watched me closely and I was sure he could see my wheels turning. Even though pretty good at puzzling out mysteries and snooping out problems, I wasn’t good at hiding my own. Besides, I couldn’t exactly say, “Hey, Kurt, I’m guessing that you’re investigating the mayor’s embezzlement and the murder of Cerberus’s wife. Am I right?” Chief Balcheski and the FBI would not approve of that strategic move.
I reached up and ran my finger over the bandage above Kurt’s eye. “Are you okay?”
He closed his hand around mine.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to hurt you,” I said.
“You didn’t.” He turned my hand and kissed the palm.
The palm kissing was so outrageously stimulating that I needed a distraction or I would throw myself naked on the desk and ask for a helping of what I’d had for lunch a few days ago. This was not the time or place for that, so I said, “You’re kind of a wreck, Kurt. Maybe you need some time off.”
“Too busy,” he said with a shake of his head. His eyes did look tired and, although he seemed pretty durable, he’d taken a few hits lately. “The investigation of the mayor’s office is keeping us hopping.”
I drew in a quick breath. “The mayor’s office? So you…” I caught myself before saying something spectacularly stupid like “Gee, you’re on to him too,” and added lamely, “Oh, you mean the fire.”
Duh. Kurt gave me the puzzled look men use for lots of reasons. Like when they’re staring up at the colorful light-up menu over the registers at fast food restaurants or trying to decide between the quarter-or three-eighths-inch drill set in the tool department at Sears. I imagined they used the same puzzled look when trying to decide what the heck to buy their sweethearts on Valentine’s Day. Kurt was looking at me like I was either spicy chicken or a double cheeseburger and he just couldn’t decide.
“Hope you like turkey,” he said. “I got all the extras on the side just in case.”
“I do like turkey.” I gave him a flirtatious smile. He had, after all, let me off the hook by not asking me what I had been going to say. He’d also brought me lunch and relatively good news. He had also managed to increase my heart rate significantly and I was probably burning lots of extra calories without having to do anything strenuous. I owed him.
“Thanks for bringing lunch. I don’t think there’s much chance of me getting away for a while. Not until Sherman’s better and Marlena’s willing to leave him alone.”
“I hate to see you miss lunch. Especially when you use your lunch break to visit me.”
“Looks like you’re using your lunch break on me today.”
“I’m on duty,” he said softly, “but I couldn’t resist.”
Kurt put an arm around my waist and one hand on the back of my head, drawing me close. He leaned down and kissed my cheek then moved right to my lips. I put my arms around him, taking the opportunity to run my hand along his neck and feel the warm skin and close-cut hair there. Lunch was becoming my favorite meal of the day, and I enjoyed feasting on his fabulous set of lips.
The jingling of bells reminded us that we were both on duty.
I pulled back reluctantly. “Duty calls.”
Kurt ran his fingers down the side of my face without moving more than a few inches away. “I know how that is,” he said huskily.
“The marina office closes at six. Maybe I could come over to your house after that.”
He drew back a few more inches and looked pained. “You don’t know how bad I wish you could.”
We’d been standing close enough that I did actually know how bad he wished it.
“We’re working overtime and they’ve got us sleeping at the station even when we’re technically off duty. Until the arson question is resolved, we’re on defense mode.”
“How long do you think that’ll be?”
“Don’t know. Couple days probably. It’s…complicated.”
No surprise to me. “I guess I’ll be busy too, since I don’t know when Marlena will be back.”
Someone rang the bell by the cash register out in the store.
“I’ll see you around since I’m still in charge of the fireboat,” Kurt said, “and maybe we can get together Friday night?”
“I, um, have plans for Friday.” What I really meant was that I might be dead by then.
“You’re working for Cerberus?”
“It’s complicated.”
He shook his head at me and walked out the back door.
Chapter Twenty-six
The next few days were a blur. Marlena called a few times to let me know Sherman was progressing and would probably get out of the hospital over the weekend. As the next in command at the marina, I took charge of the office and store while also supervising the teenage summer dockhands. I had no problem handling it all and was glad for the distraction. I was so busy, I hardly had time to let panic race through my intestines at the thought of getting on Greenback Thursday night with Damien Cerberus.
Kurt was apparently busy too. I saw him sporadically on Tuesday, a few times on Wednesday and some on Thursday. I ran my ass off at the marina from eight to six while he manned the fireboat and slept at the fire station. If I survived and put away the mayor, there was going to be one hell of a reward at the end of the week. My planned adventure on Greenback could solve a few mysteries and put the firefighters at rest about who had tried to burn down the mayor’s office and, by default, the fire and police stations.
Kurt delivered lunch again on Wednesday and Thursday and raised my heart rate simultaneously. I needed the stimulation because being Marlena and Sherman rolled into one was wearing me out. Both times, though, he on
ly stayed a minute and we were never alone. Even if he’d known all the details of my case, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to try to talk me out of doing anything foolish, like going for a boat ride with a killer.
Kurt had a visitor on the fireboat Thursday afternoon. He sat in one of the vinyl seats facing my direction, the mystery person in the other. I glued myself to the front window, watching the boat. No way was I going to miss seeing who the visitor was when he or she finally left. My first thought was that another firefighter might be relieving Kurt from full time fireboat duty. Then I panicked and decided the Virgin Mary had come to kidnap him and haul him off to her underwater lair. I sighed. Her hair would probably be perfect there too.
Almost fifteen minutes had gone by when Wally Balcheski stepped off the boat. I waited, hoping the chief would come into the office. But he didn’t. Again I wondered how many people were involved in the investigation.
At six o’clock, I called Harry for a ride and locked up the marina store. He took me home and then began to work his magic. Ever since I’d blabbed the whole story to him, he’d taken a real interest in helping me out. He’d personally selected the right outfit for the occasion and had his arsenal of hair and makeup supplies lined up on the bathroom counter. Although I was throwing myself to the wolves on this mission, it was nice to know I had a beauty professional on my side.
My hand was shaking too much to put on eyeliner and mascara, and blinding myself wouldn’t make the evening a whole lot better. When Harry finished playing up my eyes and lining my lips, he dried my hair while brushing it smooth. I’d never seen it look so sexy.
“If you ever give up the flower business, you should start a salon,” I said. “I’m gorgeous.”
“Just improving on nature, honey.”
I smiled. If Cerberus kidnapped me and forced me into a life of sexual slavery on the high seas, I would miss Harry. If Cerberus murdered me in cold blood on his boat, Harry was going to miss me.
“Gotta wire you up and get you dressed now,” he said.
I slipped off my robe and Harry taped the wires to my chest, carefully skirting the edges of my bra. He handed me two hangers and a pair of shoes. Normally, I would have been afraid to let him pick out my clothes because his tastes tended toward the extravagant. But I could tell he’d thought about my well-being when selecting this outfit. The black sweater had enough detail and soft definition that it easily concealed anything under it not put there by nature. The red skirt was sexy but I could move in it. The sandals had low heels and a strap around the back so I could run in them if needed.
“I packed an outfit for tomorrow that is perfect for the well-dressed boat ho,” he said. “I also put my whip in your overnight bag. That way you have a weapon, but can claim it’s for something else in case Cerberus looks through your bag.”
“Way to think ahead, Harry.”
“Always on your side, Jazzy. I thought about throwing in some safety scissors too.”
“I’m hoping I won’t need the boat ho ensemble. If I’m really lucky, I’ll get what I need this evening and escape without spending the night anywhere near Damien Cerberus.”
“You’ve got my number on speed dial and Johnny in his boat. He took me for a ride last night after dark. Very smooth.”
“Johnny or the boat?”
“Use your imagination.”
I’d think about that some other time when I didn’t have quite so much on my mind.
Harry dropped me off at the marina and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Watch yourself, Jazzy. Don’t forget about the whip.”
I was nervous and about to chew my perfectly painted lips, and I knew Harry could see it. I got out of his truck.
“You show that bitch who means business,” he said.
That made me laugh, and I turned to face my fate. Greenback was docked in her usual place, right on time and waiting for me. It was a few minutes before eight o’clock and the light was quickly fading. It was easy to be brave during the day and speaking hypothetically. It was not so easy to stroll through a lonely marina at dusk dressed to the nines and walking straight into danger.
I heard the thump of rap music and glanced over at Bling. John Johnson sat on the back with a couple of other guys. I couldn’t identify them in the near darkness. They were dressed in T-shirts and shorts with drinks in their hands. A casual observer would see a group of guys kicking back and getting an early start on the weekend. I hoped they were good actors and not actually partying as I waltzed toward my death in strappy sandals, kind of like the orchestra playing on deck as the Titanic went down.
I started down the floating dock and then noticed something out of place. The fireboat was not at its usual slip. Instead, it was in the middle of the long dock that led to Greenback. I’d thought Kurt would be bedded down for the night, guarding the fire station, but I was wrong. When he saw me coming, he stepped off the fireboat onto the dock. He wore his usual navy pants and shirt with a radio on his hip, standing with his arms across his chest looking like an absolute obstacle.
At that moment Kurt was everything I wanted. Strong, sweet, honest, incredibly sexy. And standing in my way. I had to evade him without making a scene that would draw Cerberus’s attention and blow everything.
Kurt didn’t look happy at all as I approached.
“I wish you were coming for me looking that good,” he said.
“Thank you.” I tried to appear confident even though it was killing me to lie to Kurt and hurt his feelings. What did he think he was going to accomplish out here tonight? Did he plan to stop me? I didn’t trust myself to get too close. I might let him talk me out of my plan without saying a single word.
“What are you doing, Jazz?” His quiet voice practically spelled the word danger in smoke signals. He knew what I was doing just not what the hell I was thinking.
“I’m getting a ride to Damien Cerberus’s marina across the lake. I told you I was working as a boat hostess tomorrow.”
When in doubt, tell the truth. Maybe not the whole truth—sometimes a part sufficed. I didn’t think Kurt would let me pass if I explained that I was wearing a wire and acting as shark bait for the police and FBI. He wasn’t the kind of guy who’d wave me away and wish me luck.
“So you’re going. With him. Tonight.” The words were clipped off like gunshots.
“He offered a ride.”
“And you’re going alone? On his boat?”
“The job pays well, and I have to get there somehow.”
“What about this?” he asked, gesturing around the marina. “What about Marlena?”
“She told me to go ahead. I wouldn’t leave her in the lurch, but she said she needs to get away from the hospital for a day anyway. She’ll handle the marina tomorrow, and I’ll be back to work on Saturday morning.”
“Jazz, that thing I was going to tell you—”
“Don’t,” I cut him off. “I know what I need to know.”
Kurt didn’t move a muscle. He stood with his arms crossed and his jaw clenched, his blue eyes almost black in the semidarkness. He swept a look over me from perfect hair to polished toenails. I expected him to tie me to the fireboat any minute. And I had no plans to resist. I couldn’t overpower him, so I might as well enjoy it.
No. I had to keep my eyes on the ball.
“You look so beautiful,” he said. He relaxed his stance and took one step closer. “I don’t want you to go.” This tactic was more effective than hog-tying me. I’d deny myself doughnuts before I could resist Kurt Reynolds.
“I made a commitment,” I said. A really big commitment. Of course, Kurt couldn’t know all the details.
“There’s all kinds of commitment.”
“Have you seen my car lately?” I tried to sound flip and bold. “It’s in the graveyard. Hitching rides is getting old and being a boat hostess pays enough for a down payment on something a little more useful than my bike.”
“I’ll loan you my truck, Sunshine. I walk to work anyway.”
>
Damn. He was good. Calling me Sunshine was definitely cheating.
“I’m too short to drive it. Besides, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself.”
“No.”
“No, what?” I asked.
“No, you’re not getting on a boat with Damien Cerberus. He’s not a nice guy.”
“The mayor’s not nice either, and you manage to work for him.”
“You know damn well what I mean, Jazz. Get on my boat. I’ll take you over there myself.”
Kurt grabbed my hand and put one foot on the fireboat. The sudden movement threw me off balance and I caught my heel in one of the boards of the floating dock. I would have gone down hard, but he grabbed me around the waist and steadied me. Now I really didn’t want to go anywhere else, especially with Cerberus. Kurt’s muscular arms were too nice and smelled too good. They would be my undoing.
My bold front starting to crack, I had to get away from him before I abandoned the mission. I put my hands firmly on his broad shoulders.
“This isn’t your boat. It’s probably an hour to Cerberus’s marina. You’d be out of your territory and probably get fired.”
“I don’t care.”
“I do. I have to go.” I pushed past Kurt and started down the dock. I glanced over at Bling and saw John Johnson watching our little scene, probably relieved that I’d resisted temptation. Goody for me, I’d impressed the FBI. I just hoped I’d live to explain all this to Kurt.
I heard footsteps behind me.
“Jazz, stop. I’m not letting you go,” Kurt said. “Cerberus is a—”
“Murderer.”
I stopped cold at the familiar voice. Right in front of me, in a small boat, stood Old Lady Clark. What could she be doing here? Now. In this marina. I turned around and caught a glimpse of Kurt’s face. He looked as if he’d seen a ghost.
“And you are letting her go,” Clark continued.
