hour ago.”
“Oh?”
“Yep, Dave was taking her to greener pastures before bedtime. He may have held the leash, but it looked like Max was in the lead.”
“She takes her bathroom breaks seriously.”
“Hey, how about a beer? You look like you’ve had a rough day.”
“I can’t keep anything from you, Kimberly.”
“You’re the one with all that extrasensory stuff, I do believe. And that’s an unfair advantage when it comes to women. We’re supposed to be the ones that are hard for you guys to figure out.” She grinned and tilted her head. “I just know you well enough to see that it looks like this hasn’t been your best day. Want to talk about it? Split a beer with you?”
“Okay.” I told her about the tattoos and the discovery of the girl in the grave.
“Do you think they’ll find this guy, Soto?” she asked.
“Eventually, yes. But, it might be after he ventures out and kills someone else.”
“Sean, maybe you ought to let the cops take if from here.”
“I’ve given them everything I know. They’re doing surveillance at Molly’s apartment and her mother’s place down in Sanford.”
She reached out and touched my hand, her face filled with compassion. I could feel the pulse in her fingertips. Her heart picked up its pace as she said, “Be careful, please. You have a marina family that really cares about you, okay?”
“Thanks, Kim. And thanks for the beer.”
“Anytime.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek, started to say something else and stopped. Her bright eyes were now measured with trouble, and all she said was, “Goodnight, Sean.”
“Goodnight.” I walked down L doc to the sounds of breakers rolling in the distance and ropes stiffening and moaning in a tug-of-war with a rising tide. I could see light spilling through portholes on some of the cruisers, the glow dancing off the moving dark water in the bay.
St. Michael was far from being battened down and tucked in for the night. Inside the salon, I saw Nick laughing and talking with a blond in cut-off shorts. As I walked by the boat, I could hear his storytelling over the sound of Greek music, the smell of broiled fish and garlic and lemon coming from the small grill anchored on his cockpit.
I walked ahead toward Gibraltar . Dave’s lights were on, and I could see the bluish glow from the television screen flickering from his salon. The sliding glass doors were wide open, Max sleeping on one of Dave’s overstuffed leather chairs. He nursed a vodka and tonic and watched CNN.
“Anybody home?” I asked, stepping aboard. Max flew off the chair and circled me. Tail moving like a maestro’s baton. She stood on her hind legs as I bent down to pick her up before walking in the salon.
Dave grinned. “There’s no denying that Max believes you’re related to her. I’m only Uncle Dave. You’re definitely her papa, as Nick calls it.”
I smiled. “Looks like Nick's got company tonight.”
Dave nodded. “Don’t know where he gets the energy. I was about to freshen my drink. How about a nightcap?”
“I had half a beer with Kim—“
“Then finish the second half with me. After you called me when you left the crime scene, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you saw and where you saw it.”
When Dave said that, I knew he’d been doing some research while I drove back from the girl’s gravesite. I said, “Rather than a beer, a shot of Jameson over ice might get me to sleep tonight before Max starts her snoring.”
Dave grinned, got up from his chair, fixed himself a fresh vodka and tonic and poured a shot of Irish whiskey over ice for me. “To getting a grasp on this runaway train,” he said, lifting his glass to mine in a midnight toast. He returned to his chair, and I sat on the couch, Max in my lap as Dave began. “We both know that the Ocala National Forest is an extremely interesting environment, a place that
“Oh?”
“Yep, Dave was taking her to greener pastures before bedtime. He may have held the leash, but it looked like Max was in the lead.”
“She takes her bathroom breaks seriously.”
“Hey, how about a beer? You look like you’ve had a rough day.”
“I can’t keep anything from you, Kimberly.”
“You’re the one with all that extrasensory stuff, I do believe. And that’s an unfair advantage when it comes to women. We’re supposed to be the ones that are hard for you guys to figure out.” She grinned and tilted her head. “I just know you well enough to see that it looks like this hasn’t been your best day. Want to talk about it? Split a beer with you?”
“Okay.” I told her about the tattoos and the discovery of the girl in the grave.
“Do you think they’ll find this guy, Soto?” she asked.
“Eventually, yes. But, it might be after he ventures out and kills someone else.”
“Sean, maybe you ought to let the cops take if from here.”
“I’ve given them everything I know. They’re doing surveillance at Molly’s apartment and her mother’s place down in Sanford.”
She reached out and touched my hand, her face filled with compassion. I could feel the pulse in her fingertips. Her heart picked up its pace as she said, “Be careful, please. You have a marina family that really cares about you, okay?”
“Thanks, Kim. And thanks for the beer.”
“Anytime.” She leaned in and kissed my cheek, started to say something else and stopped. Her bright eyes were now measured with trouble, and all she said was, “Goodnight, Sean.”
“Goodnight.” I walked down L doc to the sounds of breakers rolling in the distance and ropes stiffening and moaning in a tug-of-war with a rising tide. I could see light spilling through portholes on some of the cruisers, the glow dancing off the moving dark water in the bay.
St. Michael was far from being battened down and tucked in for the night. Inside the salon, I saw Nick laughing and talking with a blond in cut-off shorts. As I walked by the boat, I could hear his storytelling over the sound of Greek music, the smell of broiled fish and garlic and lemon coming from the small grill anchored on his cockpit.
I walked ahead toward Gibraltar . Dave’s lights were on, and I could see the bluish glow from the television screen flickering from his salon. The sliding glass doors were wide open, Max sleeping on one of Dave’s overstuffed leather chairs. He nursed a vodka and tonic and watched CNN.
“Anybody home?” I asked, stepping aboard. Max flew off the chair and circled me. Tail moving like a maestro’s baton. She stood on her hind legs as I bent down to pick her up before walking in the salon.
Dave grinned. “There’s no denying that Max believes you’re related to her. I’m only Uncle Dave. You’re definitely her papa, as Nick calls it.”
I smiled. “Looks like Nick's got company tonight.”
Dave nodded. “Don’t know where he gets the energy. I was about to freshen my drink. How about a nightcap?”
“I had half a beer with Kim—“
“Then finish the second half with me. After you called me when you left the crime scene, I’ve been thinking a lot about what you saw and where you saw it.”
When Dave said that, I knew he’d been doing some research while I drove back from the girl’s gravesite. I said, “Rather than a beer, a shot of Jameson over ice might get me to sleep tonight before Max starts her snoring.”
Dave grinned, got up from his chair, fixed himself a fresh vodka and tonic and poured a shot of Irish whiskey over ice for me. “To getting a grasp on this runaway train,” he said, lifting his glass to mine in a midnight toast. He returned to his chair, and I sat on the couch, Max in my lap as Dave began. “We both know that the Ocala National Forest is an extremely interesting environment, a place that
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