A Deadly Pair O'Docks

by Nicole Ellis

  “This house is gorgeous though.” I admired the chef’s kitchen, complete with a professional stove and yards and yards of marble countertops. “I wouldn’t mind staying here. Are you sure you can’t talk Tomàs into taking time off so you can stay out here and have a nice vacation? Maybe I could join you,” I teased.

  “It’s even nicer than I remembered from when we came out here in college. I bet Becca or her parents have remodeled since then.” Desi set her margarita glass on the counter and reached for the bowl of chips.

  Becca came back in to prepare several drinks, and we helped her carry everyone’s orders out to the deck.

  “Thanks, honey,” Bill said when she handed him a drink. He kissed the top of her head and she blushed. “Are you and Jill ready to discuss the wedding plans?”

  “I am,” Becca said, turning to Desi. “Desi, have you met my cousin Isabel before? She’s a restaurant owner too. You’d probably have a lot to chat about.”

  “I think we met briefly a long time ago. I’d love to compare notes with her.”

  I left Desi chatting with Isabel near the deck railing and Becca, Bill, and I went into a study off the kitchen to go over their wedding plans.

  2

  “Now,” Bill said. “I know we’ve talked with Beth about our wedding extensively, but there were a few things that we wanted to change.” He and Becca sat across from me on a small love seat in the study.

  I looked at him, trying to keep my eyes from bugging out. Their wedding was only a week away and, at this point, even a small change could put a wrench in things.

  “What were you thinking about changing?” I got my notebook out and held my pen over it expectantly.

  They looked at each other and Becca squirmed. “A few more relatives who I didn’t previously know were attending are coming into town for the wedding. Do you think you might be able to add them on to the catering order?”

  “How many is ‘a few more relatives’?” I forced a smile, although I was pretty sure I didn’t want to know the answer to my question.

  “About thirty more?” She didn’t sound too sure about it.

  Bill nudged her shoulder with his. “Becca, I told you that we needed to find out earlier if they were coming or not.”

  She scrunched up her face. “I know, but my mom didn’t tell me that she’d invited all of our relatives in New York. I never thought to invite them since they live so far away. And I certainly never expected them to accept the invitation.”

  I consulted the catering list and made some quick calculations in my head. There was still time to get an additional order in with our supplier if I did it by tomorrow afternoon. I made a note to call the supplier. Frank wouldn’t be happy with me, but he usually pulled through on my requests.

  “That should be fine. We have a little wiggle room for the entreé order.” Beth probably wouldn’t be thrilled about it, but we generally wanted to do everything we could to accommodate clients, even those with last-minute changes. The Boathouse’s business reputation was built on good customer service, and I didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize its public image.

  “There are a couple other things that I wanted to go over as well.” Becca walked over to the desk and pulled out a giant binder from the drawer, bringing it back to where we sat. It was color-coded with at least twenty different tabs. She flipped to one of them, revealing a diagram of the seating arrangements in the Boathouse’s main hall. She stabbed at one of the tables with her index finger.

  “I have this one cousin who I don’t want to be anywhere near my other cousin because they always get into fights, especially if there’s alcohol involved.”

  Next to her, Bill rolled his eyes. I scribbled furiously on my own notepad as she opened another page in her binder.

  “Also, we’ve decided that we want to have our Chihuahua, Tilly, walk down the aisle with our ring bearer and also be an additional ring bearer. Is there a place where we can keep her afterward while the reception is going on? My parents will be taking her home with them and watching her while we’re on our honeymoon.”

  Although it might sound unusual to use a pet as a ring bearer, it was actually pretty common and I had dealt with this issue in the past. As I often brought Goldie with me to the Boathouse, I knew that we could set up one of the spare storage rooms for their dog and she’d be quite happy for a few hours.

  “That’ll be fine. We have somewhere for you to put Tilly while you’re at the reception.”

  The tension evaporated from her shoulders and Bill wrapped his arm around her, squeezing her tight.

  “Thanks so much, Jill. I’m glad we got a chance to talk with you about this. You’ll make sure to let Beth know about our wishes for the wedding, right?” Some of Becca’s stress had reappeared.

  “Of course. I have everything in my notepad that we discussed, and I’ll be sure to get it into the computer as soon as I get back to work tomorrow.”

  Bill turned to Becca and said, “See, I told you it would be just fine.”

  She blushed and leaned into him. “I know. But sometimes I tend to be a control freak and I wanted to make sure this will all be perfect.”

  I stood. “Don’t worry about a thing. We do weddings all the time. Everything will be perfect for your special day.”

  Bill pushed himself up from the love seat and shook my hand. “Thanks so much. Will you be staying for the rest of the afternoon?”

  I cast a glance out the French doors leading to the deck. Everyone out there was laughing and having a good time as the sun shone down on them and the glittering blue water below. I hadn’t relaxed like that since my trip to Jamaica with Adam a couple of months ago. I had a minor flashback to how wonderful it had been to sit in the sun without a care in the world. But now I was back in the real world, and I had plenty of things to worry about.

  “I don’t know. I forgot to bring sunscreen and I burn easily. It’s probably not a good idea.”

  “No problem,” Becca said. “I’ve got sunscreen here you can use. It’s all-organic. You’ll love it.”

  “Oh.” I couldn’t think of any other reason why I couldn’t stay. What did I absolutely have to get done today? I mentally reviewed everything on my to-do list. I needed to check over the catering orders for all of the next week’s events, call a few clients back, and prepare a final invoice for an open-bar wedding we’d had last week. There was nothing that couldn’t be put off for a few hours, and Adam and I had already planned for him to watch the kids this afternoon. After weighing my responsibilities, I smiled at him and said, “Sure, I can stay. That way Tomàs won’t have to drive out here to pick up Desi before his shift at the police department, and she can still have a chance to visit with everyone.”

  “I’ll be back in a minute,” Becca said. She returned a few minutes later with a bottle of fancy sunscreen. After I slathered on a liberal amount of it on my pale skin, she linked her arm with mine and pushed open the French doors that led to the sun-filled deck.

  Declan had left, but another man had taken his place. When he saw us, he introduced himself as Orson, a friend of Bill’s from college.

  “Nice to meet you. Are you staying here too?” I asked.

  “I am. I couldn’t say no to a vacation like this. I’m a software developer in San Francisco, so it’s nice to get away from it all.”

  I nodded. “I’m sure.” Desi beckoned to me from where she stood near the railing. “Oh, my sister-in-law is calling me. It was nice to meet you.”

  He nodded, then went over to the seating arranged around a fire pit, and I made my way over to Desi. I noticed that Orson had sat down right next to Lindsay, and she was laughing and throwing her hair back in response to something he’d said. I didn’t know what that was all about, but it wasn’t my business.

  “Hey. Bill invited me to stay for the rest of the day, so I was thinking I could drive you home later. Then Tomàs doesn’t have to worry about it.”

  She smiled. “That would be great. Maybe we can
even get a ride in Declan’s boat.”

  “Boat?” I leaned over the railing and peered at the dock below. “Wow, that is a nice boat.”

  “Yes, apparently it’s his pride and joy. I had to listen to him describing its attributes to me for way too long while you were in there with Becca and Bill.”

  On the boat, Declan was painstakingly cleaning each seat and seat cushion with a cloth and a bucket of water.

  “Whoa. He does take that seriously. I’d be afraid to eat or drink on it.”

  “Me too. But I wouldn’t mind a ride.” She grinned impishly, fueled by that extra-strong margarita. “Let’s go ask him.”

  I allowed myself to be dragged down to the dock.

  “Hi,” she said to Declan. “After all that build-up, I wanted to see your boat close-up.”

  He looked it over with pride. “Here it is. Do you want a ride?”

  “Sure.” Desi turned to me and winked. “That would be great.”

  My phone beeped to alert me that I had a new e-mail. I held up my finger to Desi to signal her to wait. After all, I technically was supposed to be on duty at the Boathouse. However, when I saw who it was from, I turned my phone off. Anything from Nancy Davenport could wait. My nemesis at Mikey’s preschool was probably trying to guilt me into making cookies for a bake sale or something. I wasn’t going to let her disturb my rare moment of free time.

  Desi shot me a questioning look and I gave her a thumbs-up.

  “Ready?” Declan asked.

  We both nodded and he moved the bucket of cleaning supplies to the dock to allow us to climb aboard. With a twist of his hand, he started the motor and we were off. We zoomed straight across the still lake and then he made a fast turn, sending water spurting into the sky. Our boat was the only watercraft on the lake, and Declan made full use of our freedom.

  Desi’s laugh rang out over the roaring motor.“This is fun,” she shouted.

  Declan grinned at us. “One more time around the lake?”

  I looked at Desi and she nodded.

  When we returned to the dock, I felt as if some of my cares had drifted away in the boat’s wake.“Thanks so much,” I said as we disembarked.

  “Yes, that was awesome,” Desi said.

  “You’re very welcome. I’m going to moor my boat at the Boathouse next week in preparation for the wedding. Bill and Becca will use it as their getaway boat when they leave for their honeymoon. If you see me around, maybe we can take it out on the Sound.”

  “That would be great. Well, thank you again. We’ll let you get back to your maintenance.” I moved toward the grassy lawn.

  He picked up his cloth again and wiped a speck of algae off the side of the boat. “No problem.”

  Desi and I walked up the gentle slope, giggling like schoolgirls.

  “That was so much fun,” she said. “I haven’t been out on a speedboat like that since we came out here in college.

  “Me neither,” I admitted. “But now I’m wondering if I can talk Adam into getting a boat.” Lincoln had a small boat and used to take Adam and me out fishing once in a while, but to the best of my knowledge, neither Desi nor I had gone out on the water since our kids were born. Until now, I hadn’t realized how much I missed it. I added swim lessons for the kids to my mental to-do list.

  “Desi! Jill!” Becca shouted from the deck. “Come up here, we’re starting a game of charades and we need more people.”

  When we reached the upstairs deck, we found Lindsay, Jared, and Orson were on one team, with Becca, Bill, and Isabel on the other.

  “Desi, come join us,” Becca said. “I want my matron of honor on my team.”

  Lindsay tensed up when she heard Becca call Desi her matron of honor and said something under her breath that I couldn’t make out.

  Desi trotted over to them and I sat down near Lindsay, who rolled her eyes.

  “Three on a team was plenty,” she grumbled.

  I shifted closer to Jared. Orson was glued to Lindsay’s side throughout the game, but she kept making excuses to get up and look over the railing at Declan on the docks.

  When the game was over, we dispersed. Lindsay went in the house, complaining of a headache.

  “Do we have more beer?” Jared asked.

  Becca shook her head. “Sorry, I think we’re out. I’ll pick up more next time I go to the store. Unless someone wants to go now?” She glanced around at those of us who were left.

  Jared shrugged. “Don’t look at me; my car is in the shop. But I’ll be happy to tag along if someone else wants to drive.”

  “I’m beginning to wonder if you actually have a car,” Becca teased. “Maybe you just like to bum rides off everyone else.”

  He scowled at her. “Haha, very funny. The dealership is having trouble getting the part in that they need to fix it. It should be ready soon though.” His eyes turned to the lake. “Don’t worry about it. Next time you go to the store is fine.” He sighed dramatically. “I’ll have to make do with one of your famous margaritas.”

  “Excellent,” Becca said. “I’ll go make up a pitcher right now. Desi? Jill? Do you want one too?”

  The sun was getting lower, and I’d promised Adam I’d be home at my usual time.

  “Desi and I had better get going.”

  Desi nodded. “I’ve got to close up the café.”

  Becca’s lips turned down. “Oh, ok. Well, I’m glad you were able to stay. I’ll see you tomorrow at the rehearsal.”

  While Desi said goodbye to her other friends, I drifted away to gaze out at the water. The lake was still, although I knew it was breezy out on the water. Only our side of the lake had been developed. Across from us, tall trees grew thickly on the lakeside, almost to the water line. This was a far cry from my windowless office. With the sun shining down, I was glad I’d made the decision to stay, even if it meant I’d have to get some work done after the kids went to bed.

  3

  By the time I arrived home, my eyes stung from Becca’s sunscreen and were watering furiously. Priority one after checking on the kids was to wash my face so I could see without tears streaming down my face. Adam had been home with the kids all day, so I wasn’t sure what the house would look like.

  I prepared myself for the worst, but was pleasantly surprised to find Adam at the stove making dinner. Goldie bounded over to me to say hi, then retreated to his doggie bed, thumping his tail with happiness to have everyone home. Mikey was playing with his Legos in a corner of the living room, and Ella slept quietly in her swing. There weren’t even any stray Cheerios on the floor. I set my notebook and purse on my desk in the living room and walked into the kitchen.

  “Hi, honey. How was work?”

  “It was fine. Desi and I went out to a client’s place on Lake Elinor. An old friend of hers is getting married at the Boathouse, and she’s the matron of honor.” I dabbed my eyes with Kleenex. “It was a little stressful because two of her friends who are in the wedding party are getting a divorce and kept sniping at each other.”

  “Lake Elinor? Isn’t that out by Morrow?” He seemed to finally notice me rubbing my eyes. “Hey, what’s wrong with your eyes? Are you ok?”

  “Oh, it’s this sunscreen Desi’s friend Becca gave me. I hadn’t planned to stay at the lake long, but they convinced me to stay and play hooky from work. I don’t know if I’m allergic to the sunscreen or if I just sweated too much at the lake.” I stared at Adam, not surprised that my impaired vision made his face look blurry. “Would it be ok with you if I go take a shower?”

  “Sure, I’ve got everything set for dinner. Mikey’s been playing over there for hours.” He gestured to the corner. “I planned on letting Ella sleep until dinnertime.”

  “Thanks. I’ll try to hurry.” I trudged up the stairs, surprised at how exhausted I felt after what hadn’t been that tough of a work day. Being in the same place as a couple going through a nasty divorce had drained me. How two people who had once loved each other could now harbor such animosity toward each o
ther was baffling.

  Recently, Adam and I had made more of an effort to prioritize our marriage, and I hoped that divorce would never come up in our future. Then again, I’d never expected it to happen to my parents either. I pushed the negative thoughts out of my head and forced myself to live in the moment and enjoy my hot shower.

  After a nice long shower, I emerged from the water with my eyes pleasantly clear and free of the stinging sensation that had sent me there in the first place.

  I paused on the stair landing. No sounds came from the kitchen, and the only thing I heard from the living room was an odd ripping sound. Was Adam still cooking dinner?

  I turned the corner and peered into the living room. I didn’t see Adam, but what was Mikey playing with? My heart stopped and I prayed I was wrong. My gaze darted to the desk. The purse was still there, but the notebook I’d set next to it was missing. Oh please, not my notebook. Over by the fireplace, I heard the sound of paper being savagely torn. I rushed over to my son.

  “What are you doing?” I screamed frantically. He stopped, staring up at me wide-eyed.

  I grabbed the notebook from his hands and rifled through it. My worst fears had been realized. The notes that I had taken painstakingly at Becca’s lake house were missing. I frantically scanned the pages on the floor and died a little when I saw the pieces that had been shredded by little four-year-old fingers. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I’d already scared Mikey half to death by yelling at him, and there wasn’t much I could do now.

  But where had Adam been this whole time? Hadn’t he noticed Mikey tearing paper instead of playing with his Legos? I turned to my son and put my finger under his chin to tip his head up until his eyes met mine.

  “Honey, these were Mommy’s good papers. Please don’t ever touch anything on my desk, ok? It’s really important.”

  Mikey’s chin wobbled. “Sorry, Mommy. I won’t do it again.”