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'Nuthin'.'

'Sure was nothing,' said Jacqui, and Duane's nose twitched.

'Ah, fuck,' he said. 'Let's get the fuck out of here.'

'Good idea,' said Jacqui. 'All of you- scoot.'

They slunk away, the other boys surrounding Duane as he cursed them. When they were well past the center, Jacqui faced me.

'What did you think you were doing?'

'Walking home.'

'It's not a good time to play tourist.'

'I see that.'

She inspected the billy, frowned, and put it in her pocket. 'Walking all the way back to the castle?'

'My ride didn't come through.'

She gave me a puzzled look.

I told her about Creedman.

'What'd you want with him?'

'He invited me.'

Her expression said I was a cretin.

'Come on, I'll get Dennis or a deputy to drive you.'

'Dennis already offered,' I said. 'I turned him down, so I doubt he'll want to.'

She scraped something off the bottom of the frypan. Hefted the utensil as if considering braining me.

'Men,' she said. 'Why does everything have to be a contest? Come on, we'll go ask him again. He'll do it. He's been raised on the Fifth Commandment.'

Her fingers prodded the small of my back. Strong. Her skin was creamy and unlined, her body big and strong. She'd been eighteen when she'd given birth to Dennis, but even up close she could pass for his sister.

'Come on,' she said, 'I can't be here forever.'

She walked very fast, swinging the pan in a semicircle, big breasts heaving, mouth slightly parted.

I said, 'What did you see that boy Duane do on North Beach?'

She grinned.

'Never really saw him. Heard him.' Chuckle. 'Fooling around with his girlfriend.'

'Is that unusual?'

'Not for North Beach. Kids go there all the time.'

Avoiding South Beach because of the murder?

'So what was the big threat?' I pressed.

She laughed, high and girlish. It relaxed her face and made her seem even younger. Shifting closer to me, she said, 'The big threat, Dr. Delaware, was that the boy was no good at it. His girlfriend was not very happy with him.'

More laughter as her hip nudged mine. 'You know, wham bam, thank you ma'am?'

'Ah,' I said.

'Ah.' She smiled, tightening the arc of the pan and scraping her flank. Her dress blew up, revealing brown leg. 'Ah.'

30

She went into the center first. I stuck my head in, saw Dennis huddled with Betty's family, and backed out quickly.

I waited next to the police car, keeping my eyes on the street. Quiet had settled over the waterfront. The rain clouds seemed to sag.

Deputy Ed Ruiz came out a few minutes later and said, 'Let's go.'

The ride to the estate was silent. He stopped in front of the big gates. 'This far enough?'

'Thanks.' I got out.

'When you leaving Aruk?'

'Soon as the boats come in.'

He stuck his head out of the car. 'Listen, I've got nothing against Dr. Bill. He helped my daughter out of a real bad situation a few years ago. Scraped herself on some coral, got this infection, we thought she'd lose the leg till he saved it.'

His toothless mouth folded inward.

'I'll forward your regards,' I said.

'But things change, you know? Not everyone's down on him. Some people know him better than others.'

'The ones he's helped directly?'

'Yeah. But others, they don't know.' He let the wheel spin back. 'Ben did those girls and you know it.'

'Let's say he did. What does Dr. Bill have to do with it?'

Silence.

'You think he's somehow involved?'

He didn't answer.

'But people are saying he is?'

'People talk.'

'Maybe,' I said, 'someone wants Dr. Bill to leave, and this is a golden chance to get rid of him.'

'Why?'

'Because he owns too much of the island.'

'That's the point,' he said angrily. 'He owns too damn much. Nothing much to go around and each year it's less. People get tired of wanting. Those that want, start thinking about those that got.'

***

Gladys was running a manual carpet sweeper over the second-floor landing, looking tired but moving quickly. As I approached the door to my suite, she put a finger to her lips.

'Robin's napping,' she whispered. 'That's why I'm using this instead of the Hoover.'

'Thanks for telling me,' I whispered back.

'Can I fix you some lunch?'

'No, thanks. Is Dr. Bill around?'

'Somewhere. Claire came by to see him, brought KiKo for us to take care of. I've got him in a cage in the laundry room. Claire had the children with her- poor little things, so scared. Robin let them play with Spike.'

She looked ready to cry. 'Dennis promised to have someone watch them. So who does he send? Elijah Moon, everyone calls him Moojah. He's supposed to be a police deputy, but he's my age, got a belly out to here. What good can a fat old man do?'

I started down the stairs, then stopped.

'Gladys?'

'Yes, doctor?'

'You cooked for Senator Hoffman when he was the base commander.'

'I was head cook, sailors working under me.' She frowned.

'Tough job?'

'He liked his food fancy. All sauced up, always had to be something new. We used to send over for that really expensive beef from Japan- cows that do nothing all day but sit around and eat rice.'

'Kobe beef.'

'Right. And vegetables you never heard of and oysters and all kinds of expensive seafood. Nothing local, mind