“Hey, Del. Can I catch you later? I need to run out quick before my next class.”
“Sure. Go. I’ll tell you about it later.”
“About what?”
He grinned. “I thought you didn’t have time.”
“I do if you spit it out. Not the sandwich. The good news.”
“How do you know it’s good?”
“Because you’re lit up like the beach in July.”
He laughed. “I got my loan.”
“Really? You can open your restaurant?”
“The new guy at the bank pushed it through. We’re closing next week.”
She high-fived him. “That’s awesome, Del. Congrats.”
“I hope you’ll be one of my first customers.”
“You know I will.” If she was still living in Florida. “I can’t wait. But now I gotta go. I’m sorry.”
“No problem. But I’m going to be using you for a guinea pig as I get my menu ready!”
Casey gave him the thumbs up and continued out the front door to the sidewalk.
“You know what this means, don’t you?” Death now wore tight baby blue shorts, a tank top, and running shoes, and was having no trouble keeping up with Casey while running backward in front of her.
“Rich food?”
“No, dummy. Are you forgetting something?”
“If I am, I’m sure you’ll tell me.”
“Del said the new officer pushed the loan through. Apparently Andrea wasn’t making it happen for him. Otherwise, why could it happen this quickly after she’s gone?”
Casey stuttered to a stop. “Oh, crap.”
“Or something more profane.”
Casey let out a breath, then started running again. She didn’t want it to be Del. She didn’t.
The masts of the boats in the marina poked up behind the buildings, and as she turned the corner she was again swept breathless with the wealth spread out before her. Dock upon dock lay lined with boats, some small, others loaded with everything a sailor could want. Deeply tanned, shirtless men, young and old, were dotted here and there on the decks, with fewer women alongside them. The smaller boats bobbed gently in the water, while the larger ones sat unmoving, the water lapping against the smooth white hulls.
Casey searched for Tamille. “Where do you think we’ll find her?”
“Wrangling some huge boat into submission. Or carrying one on her shoulders.”
Casey headed toward the front door of the main building. “I bet she runs the whole place. Can you imagine anyone actually being her boss?” She pushed open the front door, and a bell jangled.
A young man at a desk acknowledged her. Like the ones outside, he was tanned, and his hair had been bleached a white blond. “Help you?”
“I’m looking for Tamille.”
He jerked his head toward a door at the back. “Out in the garage.”
“Thanks.” Casey followed his directions to the huge building. Gigantic roll-up doors revealed two boats on skids, in various stages of repair. A couple of men in gray coveralls were hunkered down beside the first one, in a heavy discussion about something they kept jabbing their fingers at. Another coveralled man stood to the side, talking with a couple in clean, non-boating and non-mechanic clothes. The couple kept shooting anxious glances toward the boat being discussed by the two mechanics, so Casey figured they were the owners.
Casey didn’t see Tamille.
Casey walked past the first boat toward the second. She could see booted feet on the other side, and when she got there, she saw they belonged to Tamille. Casey didn’t know why she was surprised Tamille wasn’t in a suit and heels. Tamille in coveralls, with grease on her face, just made sense.
“Hey,” Tamille said. “What are you doing here?”
“Checking to see if you’re coming to class.”
Tamille barked a laugh. “Not today. Got to get this baby finished and back on the water.” She put down the putty knife she was holding. “But somehow I don’t think that’s why you’re really here.”
Casey looked over her shoulder at the other people in the garage, and took a step closer to Tamille. “I need to ask you something.”
“Uh-oh. Sounds serious.”
“It is. It’s about Andrea.” Casey didn’t expect trouble from Tamille, but still she took a cleansing breath and balanced herself as unobtrusively as she could. “You know that kid you met in the weight room this morning?”
“The cutie? Sure. He was terrified.”
“Do you know why?”
“Because I’m terrifying?”
Casey couldn’t stop her grin. “Well, that’s true. But…do you remember a few weeks ago when there was a guy visiting? His name was Curtis, Dylan said. He was hanging out with Andrea in the bar.”
Tamille’s face cleared. “I knew I recognized that kid. He was with them, wasn’t he? When I gave them