Deep Harbor

by Fern Michaels

  Before Donna had the opportunity to say “good morning” CJ was blurting out her dilemma. “Derek knows it was me who rescued the dog. How he recognized me with my drowned-rat-looking hair, and the dog in front of my face is mind-boggling, but recognize me he did! What are we going to do?” She was almost frantic.

  “Calm down. Start again.” Donna was exercising her talent at being patient and composed, while Lucky jumped excitedly at CJ.

  CJ picked up the pooch and continued, “We were walking over to see the fireworks, and Derek glanced at the Dockside and asked me if I had heard about the dog rescue. Before I could mutter a word, he said, ‘It was you, wasn’t it?’ ”

  “What did you say?” Donna still remained composed.

  “I told him yes. Then he asked me why I bolted the scene, and I told him I really didn’t want to talk about it and kind of shrugged it off. I said it was ‘a long story’ and we’d discuss it another time.”

  “Was he okay with that? I mean did he press you for more information?”

  Now Donna was prodding.

  “No, I changed the subject to my petless childhood and selfish mother. It sounded like he had had some issues with his mom in the past, so we moved on from there.”

  “Yeah, Ellie went through a bit of a bad spell when Derek was a kid but regrouped when she decided to start a business making food. Are you sure nothing else was discussed?”

  “I’m sure. Nothing. Donna, it was such a great night, and I’m really torn. I like him, but I feel like I’m deceiving him. The guy already had one bitch in his life, and now I’m feeling like another one.” CJ looked utterly forlorn.

  “Did you tell Derek not to mention it to anyone?”

  “Damn. No, I didn’t. Damn. Damn. Damn it to hell.” CJ was almost spitting.

  “Okay, this is what we’re going to do. But wait! How was the date?”

  “Fantastic. But let’s get this anxiety over with. What are we going to do?”

  “You are going to go to the café and get him a cup of coffee and a croissant, and bring it to their little office as a token of your appreciation for a marvelous evening. Then you ask him if he can please keep quiet about the dog thing for now. You can tell him that you’re avoiding an old boyfriend. He should be able to relate to that.”

  “Good idea! Want to walk with me? Then I can tell you about my incredible night.” CJ regained her dreamy-eyed look.

  “I cannot wait to hear the details. Leave nothing out, Ms. Johnson.” Donna put on her authoritative voice.

  “You mean like the way he kissed me?” CJ started to blush.

  “Oh. My. God.” Donna’s delight was obvious.

  “Yes, indeed.” CJ checked herself in the mirror, dragged a brush through her blond locks, and swiped a dash of gloss on her lips. “Okay, Lucky, you mind the fort. We’ll be back in a bit.” She lifted the dog and gave her a hug and got a big lick on the cheek in return. “So much for blush.”

  “I think you have plenty of blush!” Donna could not resist.

  As they walked toward the village, CJ gave her account of the evening: dinner, fireworks—both on the water and on the blanket—the wine, and the walk home. “I swear, Donna, I feel like I’m in high school. Not that I ever had a real boyfriend in high school. Or ever, for that matter!”

  “Oh stop. You must have had a boyfriend in your life!”

  “Boys, yes. Even at age thirtysomething, they’re still boys. And, I haven’t had anything resembling a relationship in a very long time. There’s something about Derek that is so compelling—aside from those dreamy eyes and that magnificent body!”

  “Hold on, sister! You didn’t . . .”

  “No! But come on. He doesn’t wear sweatshirts and sweatpants. You can tell there’s something good going on under those clothes!”

  Donna stopped abruptly. “Are you sure you’re the same person I picked up in Harrisburg two weeks ago?”

  “Yeah. Funny, isn’t it? I mean how you can go from living in a horror show to a romantic date in what seems like five minutes!”

  “Kinda like the weather?” Donna said absentmindedly.

  “Kinda.” CJ gave a girlish giggle.

  They had reached the small office of Wellington and Sons Charter Boat Service when Donna asked, “Do you want me to go in with you?”

  “I think I can handle this one unless you want to stop in and say hello. You know, like you and I were on our way to the café, and I suggested we bring Derek a cup?”

  “Nah. I trust you. But do say hello for me,” Donna said, and patted CJ on the arm. “I’ll catch you for lunch, okay?”

  “Sounds good.” CJ nervously tapped on the door, and it swung open.

  Derek jumped out of his chair. “Carolyn! So nice to see you! What brings you here? A boat ride?” Before she had a chance to answer, he followed with, “Just kidding. Well, not entirely, but if or when, you let me know!”

  “Good morning.” CJ ignored the last remark. “I was in the café with Donna and thought you could use a cup of coffee after all the wine we had last night.” She handed him the cup. “I couldn’t remember how you took your coffee. I must confess, I wasn’t paying attention. Blame the wine! It’s got a little cream, and I brought some packets of sugar.” She reached into her pocket and presented two packets to him.

  “This is perfect. Very thoughtful. Thank you. Please have a seat.” He motioned to an old wooden chair next to his desk.

  “Thanks. Derek, listen, I wanted to talk to you about last night.”

  He interrupted with, “I apologize if I came on too strong. We can blame the wine for that, too!”

  “No. That’s not it. You were a perfect host and gentleman. It’s about the conversation we had about the dog and me. Could we keep my secret a secret for now?”

  “Absolutely! I got the impression you were trying to maintain a low profile, and I don’t want to blow your cover.” Derek had no idea how close to the truth what he had just said was.

  “Thank you. As I said, it’s a long story, and I don’t want to bore you with the details.”

  “I don’t think anything you could say would be boring.” He flashed that winning smile and took her hand. “You have been a delight to spend time with.” CJ was waiting for the “but,” but it didn’t come. Instead he continued with, “I know this seems sudden, but I hope you’ll consider coming back to visit in the fall.”

  “I would love that. Maggie has been singing the praises of Boothbay Harbor and how there’s always something exciting and fun going on. I bet it’s beautiful that time of year.”

  “Yes it is.” Derek stopped abruptly, not wanting to sound too pushy. What he really wanted to say was that he wished they could spend more time together.

  CJ was all atwitter and fought hard to keep herself from squirming. “Well, I should let you get to work. I have some papers to write. Thank you again for last night.” She stood and gave him a peck on the cheek.

  “Call you later?”

  “Please do!” CJ turned and headed out as Derek stood still for a few moments, watching her float through the doorway.

  Around noon, Donna returned to CJ’s with lunch in hand. “How did it go with Derek?”

  “Fine. I asked him to keep it between us for now, and he seemed totally fine with it. Didn’t ask any more questions. So I think we’re good.” CJ was sure Derek would not violate her confidence.

  “Excellent. I think you need to stay out of sight for at least one more day. There’s been no chatter about the pooch here, so I think that incident is a distant memory for the onlookers, especially since most of them were probably a bit tipsy. Vacationers have no respect for the time of day before they start drinking.” Donna was half serious, but then she became totally serious. “We need to discuss your deposition, the trial, the logistics, et cetera.”

  CJ knew the day was coming but was having a hard time thinking any further ahead than the next day. It was part of her new commitment to living in the present. She was also aw
are that giving a deposition and testifying at the trial was inevitable and that she needed to prepare. “Okay. Shoot. Bad choice of words.”

  “We’ll drive to Portland and take a flight to DC. You’ll probably be gone overnight.”

  “When is this fun excursion supposed to take place?” CJ’s anxiety was returning.

  “On Tuesday. Your deposition will be Wednesday.”

  “Oh. Wow. I didn’t realize it was going to be that soon.”

  “They’re trying to get the investigation over and done with before the upcoming election, and people will start campaigning by the end of the summer.” Donna was matter-of-fact.

  CJ looked at Lucky, who was sitting comfortably on the sofa. “What about her? Who’s going to take care of her while we’re gone?”

  “My brother can stop by and change the wee-wee pads and feed her. We don’t want the dog seen in public. At least not for another week or so. No one has called anywhere—sheriff, vet, groomer—so whoever left her in that ridiculous outfit obviously isn’t missing her. Still, we need to keep her out of sight for now. Meanwhile, you lay low today, too.”

  “Yeah, I told Derek and Steve I was working on a paper.”

  “Good thinking. So when are you and Derek getting together again?”

  “He said he’d call me later. I told him I would offer to cook for him, but I barely know how to use a microwave. And I wasn’t sure if having him here was off-limits.”

  “Tell him to bring some of Ellie’s home cooking and you’ll watch a movie. He already knows about the dog, so you don’t have to hide her.”

  “I dunno if I should be alone with him.” CJ was considering the possibilities.

  “Hmmmm . . . or maybe you should!” Donna cackled, and Lucky barked.

  “See! She agrees with me!”

  “It’s a conspiracy!” CJ was feeling more comfortable in spite of all the chaos. “But that just might be a good idea!”

  CJ fumbled through the local phone book, looking for Wellington and Sons Charter Boat Service. She put her finger on the number and dialed. Her heart was thumping so loud, she feared Derek would be able to hear it through the phone.

  “Wellington,” boomed his baritone, “this is Derek.”

  “Hey, Derek. CJ, I mean Carolyn here.” She wanted to kick herself for slipping.

  “Well, hello. What can I do for you, CJ?” he asked quizzically, emphasizing the CJ.

  “Yeah, that’s my nickname. Carolyn Johnson. CJ.” She was relieved she was able to quickly recover from her faux pas.

  “I like it!” Derek could not have been more charming, and CJ’s knees were buckling under her.

  “This may sound a little strange—and it’s not exactly an invitation—but what if you brought over some of Ellie’s fine cooking, I’ll set the table, and we can watch a movie?” She was cringing and making a “what-in-the-hell-am-I-doing?” face at Donna.

  “It is kind of a backward invitation, but I think I can wrap my head around it. When were you thinking?”

  “Almost any night is good for me.” CJ was shaking from nerves.

  “How about Saturday? We have a charter in the morning, and I promised Randy I’d go out with them. Big spenders. Big jerks. We should be back in time for me to scrape off the smell and take a shower.” She could see his winning smile as he spoke.

  “Sounds like a plan. Do you have any favorite movie genres?” CJ was regaining her composure.

  “A good thriller or mystery. No zombie apocalypse, please.”

  “No worries there. I’m not much of a horror freak, either.” CJ had enough of her own personal horror show, so there was no need to watch more of it on a screen.

  “Ellie will be fixing something for the charter, so I’ll have her make some extra for us. Sound good?” Derek was pleased that Carolyn, aka CJ, was beginning to relax more with him, and it would be a good opportunity for them to get to know each other better.

  “Sounds great! What time is good?”

  “Six?”

  “Excellent. See you then.” CJ hung up the phone and started jumping up and down, Lucky yapping at her heels.

  “Now just be careful.” Donna began to give her advice.

  “Oh, I will. I’m not ready for the . . . you know . . . the thing!

  “I didn’t mean that!” Donna laughed. “I meant, be careful what you talk about. Maybe you should have a big make-out session, so you can keep your mouth shut. Well, at least you won’t be talking!”

  CJ clasped her hand over her mouth. “Ha! Jeez, it’s been so long since I’ve been with a man, I’m not sure I’d know what to do!” She was half serious.

  “It’s like riding a bike,” Donna joked.

  “I haven’t done that in a long time, either, so let’s not use it as an example!”

  “You’ll be fine. Relax. Remember, we’re going to DC on Tuesday.”

  “What about my call with Colin?”

  “You can call him when we’re there.”

  “Would I be able to see him?” CJ was almost begging.

  “Not sure about that. Let’s take care of business first. Once you give your deposition, we’ll see how much time we have.”

  CJ took in a long, deep breath. “I can’t believe this is happening so fast.”

  “What? The date or the trial?”

  “Both, really. Time seems to go by faster and faster.”

  “It does, indeed.”

  On Friday, CJ spent the morning running a path that was much closer to the triplex. After lunch, she went to the gallery. It was the height of the season, and the artists were very active. She was happy to be busy, so she wouldn’t focus too much on her upcoming dinner with Derek and the dreaded deposition.

  On Saturday morning, she fussed about the apartment, trying to make it look a little homier. There wasn’t much to work with, so she walked into the village and bought several bunches of flowers at the florist’s shop and some toss pillows and candles at the general store. It was going to be her first night of entertaining a man in . . . she couldn’t remember when. Maybe five years? Probably more like ten. As the day wore on, she was becoming nervous and excited, checking the clock every ten minutes. It was still early afternoon. She thought she would jump out of her skin soon.

  She checked Netflix and found a couple of British mysteries; then she considered popcorn. Maybe not. It gets stuck in your teeth. She decided on cappuccino with some Baileys Irish Cream and cookies. Cookies! Damn. She had to go back out and get cookies. Checking her watch for the eighth or ninth time, she saw it was still only two o’clock. Plenty of time. Too much time.

  After her second trip into the village, she began arranging the flowers, pillows, and candles. She didn’t want it to look too much like a come-on, but at the very least, she wanted it to look cozy. The scented candles made it warm and inviting as she set the table. Mission accomplished.

  She took a long, hot bath to try to relax as her mind spun with possible scenarios, and she argued with herself. What if he wants to have sex? Nah. He’s too polite. Yeah, but he is a man. Men like sex. Men want sex. But he doesn’t seem the type that would push very hard. Hard. Now there’s something we might not be able to avoid.

  CJ actually giggled at that thought, and said aloud, “Girl, you may need to use some of that soap on your brain!” Lucky gave her a curious look, to which she responded, “You just never mind. You’re not old enough to know about that stuff.”

  The next few hours seemed to last a full decade until a knock on the door almost sent her through the ceiling. It was only five. Derek was early. But it wasn’t Derek. It was Donna.

  “What’s up?” CJ was curious.

  “Change of plans.” Donna looked serious.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “A little glitch in the schedule.”

  CJ was worried that it was going to interfere with her evening with Derek.

  “You know they brought Leonard Franklin into custody, right?”

  “Yes, and . . .
?” CJ was about to panic.

  “Well, somehow word got out in the prison that he was a pedophile.”

  “A pedophile? Is he really?” CJ was flabbergasted.

  “Yes, he had a prior criminal history. The guy had a lot of issues besides greed. Sex offenders are always targets within prisons. When they were moving him to a different cell, he got shanked.”

  “What are you talking about? Shanked?” CJ’s eyes grew bigger.

  “Yes. You do know what that means, right?”

  “Of course. Stabbed with a makeshift knife. But how? I don’t understand.”

  “No one seems to know all the details except that, as they were moving the prisoners down the hall, someone stumbled, causing a little scuffle, and one of the prisoners stabbed him in the neck. He bled out before the medics could get to him.”

  “You mean he’s dead?” CJ flopped down on a chair.

  “Yes,” Donna said matter-of-factly.

  “So what does that mean?” CJ was getting more apprehensive.

  “It means that you still do your deposition because they need to make the connection between Franklin and his accomplices, but afterward, you’ll be free to go.”

  “Are you sure? I mean, we don’t know if Franklin was the one who tried to kill me. What if he has others who do his dirty work?”

  “The FBI is pretty sure it was Franklin who tried to run you down on the bike, and there were some latent prints on your brake lines. Enough to get a partial match. And from what little I’ve been told, he was the bully-kingpin of the operation.”

  CJ’s head was spinning. She opened the bottle of the Flowers Pinot Noir she was saving for dinner and poured each of them a glass, her hands shaking.

  “I . . . I . . . don’t understand.” She was also stuttering.

  “The Bureau has enough to make the case on those it was investigating. Franklin was the link. Now he’s dead, but they still need verification that he was in the Rayburn Building on more than one occasion and was seen with the other suspects.”