The Briny Café by Susan Duncan

Fannie’s immaculate home. They gather round a candlelit table on the lawn, fill their wineglasses and spend the first half-hour gossiping. Midway, the talk turns to the man who’s moved into the house near Triangle Wharf.
    â€œHe lurks in that boatshed of his like a feral cat waiting to pounce every time a kid walks past,” Jenny says. “He’s either a paedophile or a drug-pusher. Or both. I’ve told my two kids to stay away. But I’m not sure if that didn’t make him sound more exciting than dangerous.”
    â€œHe’s bad news,” Ettie agrees. “I’ll keep an eye on what goes on in that boatshed …”
    â€œWe all will,” shout the women in unison.
    â€œIf that slippery-eyed stranger thinks he can rattle the balance of offshore life, he’s in for an almighty shock,” Jenny says, vehemently. “It’s been a while since we invoked some of those ‘fine old traditions’ Sam is always ranting about.”
    Ettie immediately leaps to the bargeman’s defence. “His heart’s in the right place.”
    â€œMore like all over the place,” Jane remarks, cynically.
    â€œYou know, I haven’t seen him take off on the barge with a woman and a picnic rug for quite a while.” Ettie is thoughtful as she sips her wine.
    â€œHe will. Leopards don’t change their spots.” Jane had taken a few barge rides before settling down and fails to keep the bitterness out of her voice.
    The talk finally turns to the book of the month, a worthy biography of Marcel Proust.
    â€œRight,” Fannie says, topping up the wineglasses and calling the meeting to order. “Ettie, why don’t you start? What did you think of this month’s book choice?”
    â€œBetter than sleeping pills,” Ettie replies without missing a beat.

    By the next morning the Cook’s Basin community is already buzzing with the news of Kate’s reckless behaviour and Sam’s heroic rescue. The general consensus is that she’s either a complete floozy or an arrogant fool, and that Sam isn’t far behind for risking his magnificent barge to save an ugly boat and its brainless owner. Jack the Bookie decides to offer appealing odds to anyone who reckons Kate will last longer than three months.
    When the first ferry commuters see Fast Freddy drop her at the Spit with her laptop and an overnight bag, they rush him like he’s a rock star to find out if he knows more than the sketchy grapevine has thus far provided.
    While he waits for The Briny to open Freddy, who is firmly against gossip, nevertheless indulges his interrogators in an effort to set the record straight.
    No, he says firmly, she has not been shamed into leaving. She is on her way to America – New York, if he remembers correctly – to interview somebody rich and famous. No, she didn’t mention a name. Yes, she does have a split lip but no other injuries as far as he could see. What did they talk about? Well, he asked if she would mind if he detoured slightly so he could knock on Artie’s hull and he was pleased when she agreed, even though she was rushing to catch an international flight. It showed good instincts. Although he adds, digressing in his usual way, he may have checked on Artie too early in the morning because he was greeted with an angry roar. He thought he’d be thrilled he was going to enjoy more of the day than usual since he’d roused him at the crack ’a, but well, everyone’s built differently, he supposes. As long as there’s kindness, compassion and patience in the world … He did,he admits, indulge in some similar philosophising to Kate about his long night shifts under a full winter moon, which she seemed to find interesting.
    He continues. As everyone knows, he says, he mostly keeps his thoughts to himself. But during the taxi ride, without quite understanding the impulse, he’d found himself telling