The Reef

by Lois Kay

  “It better, Billy boy, or my friend here will teach you a few valuable lessons about missing deadlines. With the emphasis on ‘dead’. I assume you don’t want to end up as shark food.”

  William shook his head. He wiped his forehead. Perspiration caused his hair to stick to his skin.

  “I’ll pay you, Joe. I promise.”

  “Good.”

  Joe Michaels stood up. He dusted off his slacks and strolled to his car. Halfway there he stopped and turned around. “Wednesday, Billy. Not a day later. That’s the best I can do for you.”

  Chapter 4

  Jody put down her fork and picked up her wine glass, sipping the chilled white wine, studying Sam’s face. The sun had set and the restaurant was dimly lit by candles. One of them painted Sam’s face a golden tan, highlighting the color of her hair. Jody could tell she was thoroughly enjoying her food and didn’t seem to be bothered by the silence between them.

  “What are you thinking?” There was a smile in Sam’s voice.

  “I’m counting my lucky stars, actually,” Jody said. Over the dancing flame of the candle her gaze met Sam’s. “I feel like I have to pinch myself to make sure this isn’t a dream.” She took another sip of wine. “The last time we shared a meal it—”

  “It was in the back of Uncle Joe’s truck and we were having pizza,” Sam interrupted with a laugh. “The ‘Apocalypse’, if I remember correctly. It had everything on it but the kitchen sink.”

  Jody laughed. “It’s amazing it didn’t make us sick. I don’t think I’d be able to eat something like that ever again.”

  “I’ve got to admit this meal is a tad more refined.” Sam chuckled and took another bite of her food.

  “How’s the Mooloolaba Prawn stir fry?” Jody asked.

  “Much better than pizza ‘Apocalypse’,” Sam answered with a grin. “How’s your salmon?”

  “Divine.” Jody smiled. She was amazed by the lack of tension between them. Things could have been so different, especially after their initial meeting when they had literally crashed into each other. But here they were, interacting like they had always done. “You still haven’t told me what it is you do, exactly, at your family’s company.”

  “Well, usually I’m involved in marketing. You know, research, planning, strategy and all that stuff. My brother, Tom, he’s our financial wizard, so he usually sticks to his specialty. I haven’t found my niche yet. I like doing marketing, but I’m not sure if that’s what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Sam smiled wryly and made a face. “Hearing myself say those words, I just know I don’t want to.”

  “How come you were sent down here and not your wizard brother?”

  “I volunteered,” Sam answered. “You know my dad lived in this area while growing up. Owning a resort like The Reef was his dream. He always imagined spending a few months a year here after he retired. So, when the opportunity presented itself, he bought it. He loves this place. But last year he had a heart attack and he had to cut down on the stress. He’s not really working anymore, just some consulting. I didn’t think it would be good for him to come all the way down here, not knowing what to expect. So, here I am.”

  Jody nodded in understanding and played with her knife, until Sam extended her arm and covered the fidgeting fingers with her own.

  “Are you alright?” she asked with concern.

  Jody nodded. “Yes, I am. I’m trying to come up with the right words to tell you…about my father.”

  Sam’s thumb stroked the smooth skin underneath her fingers to calm Jody’s nerves.

  “Why don’t you start at the beginning? I know you were planning to leave when,” Sam paused and realized it was still hard to say it aloud. “When I was supposed to pick you up. What happened after…that day?”

  Jody took courage from Sam’s warm, strong hand and she let their fingers entwine. She had not forgotten how nice it was when Sam held her hand. She’d just thought it would be something she’d never experience again. The sensation of their warm skin touching chased away some of the heaviness that, once more, had settled in her chest. The familiar feeling of Sam’s hand made her spirits soar and she swallowed away a lump in her throat.

  “The day before you came to pick me up, Dad, sort of guessed that…I…we—” Jody paused, but then decided to be completely honest. “He guessed that I was in love with you and I couldn’t deny it.” She rushed out the words.

  The grip on her hand tightened and when Jody looked up she saw warmth in Sam’s eyes, which gave her the courage to continue. “He grounded me. I wasn’t even allowed to walk as far as the shed. And then, the next morning the accident happened. One of the neighbors had heard the noise and warned the police. I don’t know what happened at the scene, but when Dad came home he told us Matthew had broken his leg, because you tried to run him off the road and he crashed his bike. He said you wrecked your truck and supposedly came off cheap with some cuts and bruises, but that you were fine and would leave the country soon.” Jody swallowed and had to take a deep breath. “Dad couldn’t let it go. He kept telling me what a bad influence you’d been on me, what an immoral person you were, how dishonest and cruel and dangerous you were and how happy he was you’d gone back to The Netherlands. I was hurt so badly, Sam.” Jody’s voice caught and she fought back the tears. “I thought you’d left me, but still, I couldn’t stand Dad talking about you like that. He never missed an opportunity to talk down on you and it…tore me to pieces, because I knew the person he was talking about wasn’t the Sam I’d known. So, one day I decided I had enough. I packed a bag, took my personal things and in the middle of the night I walked out of the door. I walked all the way to town and jumped on the first early-morning bus that stopped. I ended up in Currumbin. For the first month or so, I slept on the beach, until I met a very nice lady who was looking for someone to help her around the house. She owned a bookstore and ever since her husband had died she’d been busy and she needed someone to help her. She offered me room and board if I’d would look after the house.” Jody smiled. “Mrs. Patterson has been really good to me. She gave me the chance to look for a proper job and when I found one, she didn’t even want me to leave. I stayed with her for a few more months, but left when her daughter came back from a trip to Europe. I didn’t want to intrude. We still see each other regularly, though. She’s a sweetheart.” Jody looked at their entwined hands that were resting on the table, taking comfort in the way Sam’s thumb was rubbing her skin. “I haven’t seen my dad ever since I left home. I do see my mom every couple of weeks. She lets me know when she does her shopping, and on those days, I usually go to Tweed Heads and we have lunch together. She often brings Fiona and Michael, so at least I get to see them as well. Fiona’s so much like Lucy, it’s incredible. They don’t just look alike, they share the same attitude. Poor Mom. She’s a handful.” Jody took a sip of water. All the talking had made her thirsty. “So, now you know my story. At least, part of it. There’s more, but I prefer to talk about that later.”

  “Of course, whenever you want to,” Sam said. She squeezed Jody’s hand. “Are you ready for some stargazing?”

  Jody smiled. “Absolutely.”

  * * *

  The office was dark. Only the silvery light of the moon, peeking in through one of the windows, outlined the couple of desks and file cabinets in the small space. The door squeaked when it was opened and a dark-clad figure stepped inside. With purposeful strides the distance to the computer on the desk was covered. There was a soft click and within a few seconds the monitor came to life. For a moment, the only sound was the humming of the computer, followed by a rapid rattling of keys. It only lasted a few minutes, before the machine was turned off and the screen went black.

  The shadow moved to another corner of the room and headed to the paper recycle bin. There was a rustling sound and a sudden flicker of a match. A cigarette was lit and carefully placed on top of the recycle bin. The figure turned around and quickly left the room, carefully closing the door.r />
  For a few more minutes, there was only darkness, until a tiny little flame was born from the smoldering, softly glowing tip.

  * * *

  “What are your plans for tomorrow?” Jody asked, suppressing a yawn. She and Sam had spent a few hours on the beach. They had found a quiet, secluded spot and had made themselves comfortable in the soft sand. With their eyes focused on the star-filled sky they had talked as if there hadn’t been an eight-year long separation.

  “Nothing earthshattering.” Sam stretched and winced when she felt an old, sore spot in her back. “I’ll have a look at those files and see in which direction that leads me.”

  “I’ll get them for you. First thing in the morning.” Jody glanced at her watch and nearly jumped.

  “Speaking of which. I’m not sure if you’re aware of it, Sam, but it’s way past midnight.”

  Sam smiled a lazy smile and turned her head. “So?”

  “I don’t know about you, but I need at least four hours of sleep if I want to make it through another day.”

  Sam got up from her supine position and brushed the sand off her shoulders. “It’s a little after twelve, so—”

  Jody laughed. “It’s way past that. It’s nearly one-thirty and I’m really tired.”

  “That doesn’t say much about the quality of my company.” Sam grumbled in response.

  Jody playfully backslapped her in the stomach and jumped to her feet. “Don’t start with the pity party. I had a wonderful night.” She extended her hand and felt Sam’s firm grasp when she hauled the taller woman to her feet. “Thank you.”

  “The pleasure was all mine,” Sam replied. She slowly released Jody’s hand. “Come on. I’ll walk you home.”

  Jody frowned and looked up. “You don’t even know … wait, Lucy told you.”

  “It’s so helpful to talk to sisters,” Sam teased. “She told me you live across The Reef, so, my guess is it’s in one of the apartments on the corner.”

  “You guessed right.”

  In companionable silence, they walked across the beach toward the hotel and the apartment across the street. Every now and then, Sam had to grab Jody’s elbow to prevent her from stumbling. “You’re falling over your own feet. I’m sorry I kept you up that late.”

  “I’m not,” Jody said. “I’ve…I haven’t had such a wonderful evening in a very, very long time. I’m so glad that we’re still able to be friends.” She looked up at Sam. “I mean, I don’t want to be presumptuous, but—”

  “Yes, we’re still friends,” Sam interrupted. Her voice was filled with warmth and Jody’s heart fluttered. “And I couldn’t be happier.”

  Jody smiled and continued her walk. She was so tired she relied on Sam to steer her around obstacles. She had to resist pinching herself, afraid that if she would, she’d wake up and find that the past day had only been a dream.

  “Jody.” There was amusement in Sam’s voice. “Jody, you’re home. What are you doing? Sleepwalking?”

  Startled, Jody looked up. “I guess I am.” She pulled out her key and turned to Sam. “Sam, I…Thank you. For your willingness to talk to me. For everything.” She paused. “It’s a little overwhelming and I’m not sure—”

  “I’m very grateful that we were able to clear up a lot of misunderstandings and I feel a little insecure, too, right now. But why don’t we take it one day at the time and see what happens?”

  Jody grasped Sam’s hand and squeezed tight. Tears were stinging her eyes. “How do you do that?”

  “Do what?” Sam asked curious.

  “How do you know what I’m thinking?” Jody answered.

  Sam’s grasp on Jody’s hand tightened. “I’m not sure. I do have a theory about that and one day I’ll share that with you. Just not right now.” She smiled. “You’re half asleep.” She leaned in and kissed Jody’s cheek. “Will I see you later? I know you’re not working, because it’s Saturday.”

  “Absolutely. Call me when you’re awake. We can have breakfast together and I’ll give you that flash drive.”

  Sam nodded and released the hand she was still holding. “I’ll see you later. Make sure you’ll get at least five hours of sleep.”

  “I don’t think that will be a problem. Good night, Sam.”

  * * *

  With her eyes firmly closed Sam let the lukewarm water cascade down her body, caressing her skin with a soft, liquid touch and loosening stiff muscles. Her intention had been to jump in and out of the shower, but the water simply felt too good. Sam couldn’t help returning her thoughts to Jody; to the sparkling of the warm green eyes, the smile that made the skin around her eyes slightly wrinkle, the way she tilted her head when she was intently listening.

  “Get a grip, Stevens. Focus on the reason you’re here.” Sam turned off the flow of water. She grabbed a cream-colored, fluffy towel that was conveniently placed within reach and started to dry herself off, still mumbling to herself. “Just find out what the hell the problem is, solve it, have a little vacation and—” Sam stopped in mid-motion and stared at her blurry image in the fogged-up mirror. “And then what? Go back home?” Sam’s stomach tightened and she turned away from the mirror. She pressed her warm forehead against the cool tiles of the bathroom wall. The damp towel was draped around her shoulders. “I can’t do that,” she realized. Her heart was pounding. “It would be like leaving her all over again.”

  A high-pitched noise broke the silence and made Sam jump, efficiently changing the directions her thoughts had been going. “What the heck?”

  As soon as she entered the bedroom, Sam realized the sound was a fire alarm. The fire alarm strobe light above the door was flashing and the piercing sound was so loud it made her ears hurt. She quickly grabbed a pair of sweatpants and slipped on a t-shirt. She didn’t bother with shoes as she closed the distance to the door. She was about to yank it open when she remembered the countless fire drills she had gone through. With the back of her hand she touched the smooth surface of the door. The wooden panel was still cool to the touch and Sam released a breath of relief. Kneeling on one leg she grabbed hold of the door handle and slowly opened the door, ready to drop to the floor if necessary. She didn’t see any flames in the corridor, but it was filled with a thick, acrid smoke that was so dense she had trouble seeing the exit sign she knew was halfway down the hallway. Through the billowing clouds, Sam could see flames erupt behind the window of one of the offices. Quickly she closed the door. Her brain was rushing through the options she had, trying to determine what to do. The emergency exit was halfway down the hallway. Running through that much smoke wasn’t an option. But she knew she had to do something. She was in a corner of the building and her access to an emergency exit was blocked.

  Sam grabbed the damp towel she had left on the bed and walked back to the door. She dropped it on the carpet and stuffed the fabric in between the floor and the underside of the door. At least that would keep the smoke out. For the time being anyway.

  “Stay calm, Sam,” she muttered to herself. “You need to focus. Get out of here.”

  She grabbed her leather backpack, shoved in her laptop, wallet and passport and opened the sliding door to the balcony. She looked to her right and saw flames behind the windows of one of the offices. Her eyes scanned the second floor below her and fourth floor above and she realized that, so far, the fire was contained to the third floor only.

  A quick glance down wasn’t very encouraging. She was on the third floor, but there were no hotel rooms below on her side of the building. Just offices, without balconies. She vaguely remembered the part of the building underneath her feet was home to a large conference room. Sam took a deep breath. “Okay, what can’t go down, must go up.” She craned her neck to see what was above her. Overhead, she saw the railing of a balcony and made a quick decision. It was risky, but she felt she didn’t have many options to choose from. She cast a look over her shoulder and saw smoke entering her room. Thin wisps of gray already were pushing past the barrier she had constru
cted.

  “Please, don’t let me slip.” Without giving it a second thought, Sam flung one long leg over the railing. Straddling the balcony’s railing, she took a deep breath and slowly, but very carefully placed her feet on the top of the railing. She inched her way up, until she was standing at her full height, balancing like a tightrope walker. Very slowly she tilted her head, straining the muscles in her legs to remain balanced, while her eyes searched the balcony she was going to reach for.

  Sam bent her knees and, knowing she had only one chance, jumped. She stretched her arms and gasped in relief when she felt the cold iron bars her hands had been aiming for. With her legs dangling in the air Sam pulled herself up, grateful for all the time spent in the gym. Within a minute, she was on the fourth floor, panting and sweating, but safe.

  ***

  Jody had drifted off into a peaceful slumber when the ringing of her phone interrupted an image of a blue eyed, blond woman, smiling at her, bending her head close to whisper something in her ear.

  “Come on. It can't be morning yet.” She hid her head underneath her pillow to block out the intrusive sound. “Lord, have mercy.” It took Jody a few moments to realize that what she was hearing was not her alarm clock, but her cell phone. “This better be good,” she grunted, reaching for the phone on her night stand. “Hello?” Her voice croaked.

  “Miss McDonnell? I'm sorry to interrupt you in the middle of the night. I am Inspector Carol Wong and I'm with the Broadbeach police-department. I'm afraid there's a situation at The Reef.

  That statement had the same effect on Jody as a bucket of cold water would have had. She nearly jumped out of bed, all traces of sleep disappeared. “What kind of a situation?”

  “The manager, William Jenkins can't be reached, so I was told you—”

  “What kind of situation?” Jody sounded sharper than she intended.

  “There's been a fire. A small one. The fire-department has everything under control right now, and there doesn’t seem to be too much damage. The fire was contained to an office on the third floor, but we’d like to speak to someone in charge. Quite a few guests are upset, so—”