Deception Cove

“Don’t worry, you said the Foundation is picking up the tab.”

“I’m not concerned about the money, it’s the supply end of things that’s starting to worry me. We’re going through food like crazy. I’m telling you, we’ll have to start rationing.”

“Already on it, Boss.” Alice fit the narrow tip of the funnel into the first bottle. “Starting with the ketchup.”

Burt watched her use a spatula to push the thick ketchup into the bottle. When it was full, she removed the funnel, set it aside, and screwed the cap back on the bottle. She picked up the bottle and shook it vigorously until the water was thoroughly mixed with the ketchup. When she was finished, she held up the bottle for inspection.

“There you go, a nice full bottle of ketchup,” she said.

Burt took the bottle from her and examined it with an expression of deep admiration. “Good work. No one will know that you thinned it with water. You are a pro. Where’d you learn the trick?”

“I told you, I’ve worked in the food-and-beverage business off and on my whole life,” she said. “But I must admit that I picked up the ketchup-stretching trick in the orphanage.”

Burt’s forehead furrowed. “You were an orphan?”

“I know, we’re a rare breed.” Alice smiled ruefully. “We’re not supposed to exist. There is always supposed to be some family around to take in a kid who finds herself alone in the world. But once in a while you get someone like me, someone with no next of kin, at least no kin that the authorities can find.”

“But you’re Nicholas North’s great-granddaughter.”

“True, but I didn’t discover that until last year. And come to find out, I’m the last of the line.”

“Geez, that’s gotta be tough,” Burt said. He brightened. “But you’ve got a new family of your own now. You’re a Sebastian.”

“It’s just an MC,” she said lightly. “The family thing is temporary.”

“Yeah, but—”

“The ketchup will pour a little more easily now, but I doubt that anyone will notice the difference.” Alice eyed the row of bottles. “I estimate that with a couple of inches of water in each bottle we can make the ketchup supply last another few days. By that time, Drake will have sorted out the problems in the Preserve.”

At that moment Drake was in a meeting with Jasper, Fletcher, Charlotte, and Rachel. They were holed up in the Kane Gallery, going through the list of men in town, searching for a possible spy. Acutely aware that there was nothing she could do to help, she had returned to the tavern.

“Sure hope you’re right.” Burt put down the ketchup bottle. “Now if you could just do something about the hamburger supply. I’m using up the last of the meat from the freezer tonight. Tomorrow we start in on the canned goods.” He hesitated. “Sure as hell hope that nothing has happened to Harry Sebastian and the chief.”

“They’re okay,” Alice said.

“Yeah?” Burt cocked a bushy brow. “What makes you so sure of that?”

“Rachel told me she would know if something bad happened to Harry,” Alice said. “Charlotte said the same thing about the chief. I believe them.”

Because I would know if something bad happened to Drake, she thought.

The sudden certainty of that knowledge stopped her cold—literally. A true chill of deep awareness shifted through her, stirring all of her senses. For the first time she forced herself to face head-on the fact that she had been avoiding since she had met Drake in the alley behind the theater. There was a powerful, very vital, very intimate connection between them. It had been there from the start. The sex had simply intensified the bond, making it so much harder to ignore.

Until now she had tried to tell herself that the connection she felt was a product of her imagination. She had made up all sorts of plausible explanations, seeking logical answers—any answers—other than the obvious. But there was no longer any way to avoid the truth. She was in love with Drake Sebastian. He was the one man in the world who could break her heart.

Burt studied her with a worried expression. “You okay, Alice?”

She pulled herself together. “Yes, I’m fine.” She picked up two of the newly filled ketchup bottles and positioned them on nearby tables. “I was just thinking about the culinary possibilities of canned beans.”

Burt snorted. “Personally, I’m praying that Drake shuts down that damn fog machine before we have to start feeding beans to the entire population of Shadow Bay.”

She winced. “I take your point. I vote we move to canned soup and peanut butter crackers first. Keep the beans as a last resort.”

“That’ll work. The kids will eat anything with peanut butter on it.” He looked out at the bay again. “That fog isn’t just coming in earlier this afternoon, it’s darker, too. I swear you can feel the damn stuff.”

He’s right, Alice thought. She could sense the eerie whispers of energy that always preceded the incoming tide of fog. She went to stand beside Burt. Together they looked out the window. The seething mist that was crouched just a short distance offshore did seem closer and darker than it should have at that hour.

“This is not good,” she said quietly.

“No.” Burt turned away from the window. “But there’s nothing we can do except hope that Drake is making progress. Meanwhile, you and I had better get ready for an early dinner rush.”

“I’ll make up the peanut butter crackers,” she said.

She started to turn away from the window, but a flicker of movement at the edge of her vision made her pause for a closer look. As she watched, two young boys dashed across the street and ran toward the entrance of the marina warehouse. She recognized the youngsters.

“I thought all of the kids were down at the library this afternoon,” she said.

“Last I heard, that was the baby-sitting plan for today,” Burt said.

“Well, it looks like Billy Walters and Mark Snyder snuck away to play a game inside the warehouse. I’d better go get them.”

“Good idea. If they get caught in the fog, they’ll panic and so will their parents and everyone else.”

Alice hurried through the maze of tables to the door and let herself out onto the street. The amber lantern in front of the tavern burned steadily, but the glow could not stave off the disturbing currents of darkness that emanated from the fog. The water in the bay was eerily quiet.

Night was going to fall fast and hard this evening.

She went quickly along the empty sidewalk and crossed to the entrance of the warehouse. The boys had left the door ajar. She looked through a grimy window, but the interior was heavily shadowed. Egan was out somewhere, walking his lonely patrol on the outskirts of Shadow Bay.

A loud chortling stopped her just as she gripped the door handle. She turned to see Houdini rushing excitedly toward her. All four of his eyes were open. She scooped him up and tucked him under her arm.

“You’re still playing hide-and-seek with Billy and Mark, aren’t you?” She opened the door and stepped into the gloom. “I’m surprised you and the kids haven’t grown tired of that game.”

Houdini made encouraging noises and wriggled madly. She put him down on the floor. He took off and promptly disappeared into a canyon created by two rows of wooden crates.

“Billy, Mark, the game is over,” she called into the stillness. “The fog is coming in early today. Your parents will be worried.”

Houdini chortled madly somewhere in the shadows. Two small figures popped up.

“He found us,” Mark said. “I told you he could, even this far away.”

“We’re over here, Ms. North,” Billy said. “We were testing Houdini. We think the cops should use dust bunnies for tracking criminals.”

“Not a bad idea,” she said. She went toward the boys, her sense of anxiety intensifying. “You can talk about that with the chief when he returns.”

“If he returns,” Billy said.

There was a new note in his voice now. He was no longer a happy-go-lucky kid playing a game. He was a scared kid playing a game, hoping that game would distract him from his fears.

“Chief Attridge will return soon, and so will Mr. Sebastian,” she said firmly.

“I heard Dad talking to Mom last night,” Mark said. “Dad told her that if Drake Sebastian can’t stop whatever