A gust of wind pressed against me as I climbed into the speedboat. An afternoon without obsessing over the Dupree case would be a welcome break.
The owner of the speedboat had left a spare key in a tackle box. I checked the oil, familiarized myself with the dashboard, and fired up the grumbling outboard motors. Next, I untied the ropes from the cleats, backed the boat out of the slip, and crossed the no-wake zone to a pier with a gas pump. After filling the tank, I left the harbor to learn the quirks of the wheel and throttle. There would be nothing more embarrassing than fumbling with the controls while a beautiful woman was onboard. After a brief jaunt onto the Chesapeake Bay, I turned back and docked at Slip 27. I had time to purchase bottled water and snacks at the bait shop. Chips and pretzels were at least something, but I regretted not planning our afternoon together a little better.
Jennifer strolled down the pier and smiled at me. Her blonde hair swung freely in the light breeze. She wore a white sweater, sleek trousers, and dock shoes. She looked just as good dressed casually as she did last night in a cocktail dress.
She paused at the railing. “Request to come aboard, Admiral.”
“Permission granted,” I chuckled, taking Jennifer’s warm hand to steady her as she stepped onto the boat.
“This is pretty awesome,” she observed.
“Yeah, but it’s not mine. Wish it were. A client liked a plea bargain I negotiated for him, and he offered me his boat for the day. He’s taking it out of the water next week now that the season is almost over. I didn’t want to miss this opportunity.”
“Nice of him.”
“Yeah, sure was. How about we go to the center of the bay for a while, visit a cove or two, and just have a look around? If there’s something in particular you want to see, let me know. We’ve got all afternoon.”
“I’m up for anything,” Jennifer replied.
“All right. You’re the first mate. Let’s head out and explore the seven seas.”
I started the ignition and took the boat to the middle of the Chesapeake Bay. The water was calm, the air warm from bright sunlight. I pressed the throttle forward to see how fast the dual outboard motors could go. Gripping the wheel, I zipped past sailboats and buoys. Jennifer stood next to me and seemed to enjoy the velocity. Her hair tossed about and whipped around her face.
She sat down and grabbed her blue-and-white striped handbag. “I need a hair tie.”
Standing above her, I could see inside her bag as she rummaged through it. Red lipstick, notebooks, pens, make-up, mosquito spray, and sunblock were organized in rows of clear plastic compartments. Jennifer found a band at the bottom of the bag and tied her hair into a ponytail.
Turning back toward the Bay Bridge, I slowed the boat down to cruising speed. We had enjoyed maximum velocity for a while, but the loud motors prevented us from having any kind of conversation without shouting. Now we could talk as we skimmed along at a slower pace.
Jennifer leaned toward me. “So how often do you go out on the water like this?”
“Whenever I can. Mostly I kayak on the weekends. That’s fun.”
“Sounds like it. Tell me more about the area.”
I described the Maryland Eastern Shore to her, knowing that I was both making conversation and giving her ideas for stories she might develop. Her eyes remained focused on me and she seemed genuinely interested as I discussed the local history and popular tourist sites. I offered her a bottle of water, which she took. I held up bags of potato chips and pretzels.
Jennifer wrinkled her nose in an adorable way and waved off the snacks. “No, thanks. I brought us a little something to eat, when you like.”
“Excellent. Let’s find a cove.”
Opossum Creek was nearby, but that was where the sheriff had found the body of Richard Kostas. I continued down the coast for about twenty minutes until I located an isolated inlet. With the motors idling, I dropped anchor and held the bristly rope with both hands. The wind pushed the boat across the water until the line grew taut. I wound the rope around a cleat to hold us in place.
Turning to Jennifer, I said, “A good place to hang for a while.”
“Yeah, not bad. How about some food?”
“Great idea and a nice surprise. Whatcha got?”
“Oh, not much,” she said as she removed three plastic containers from her oversized handbag. “Sliced cantaloupe I bought from a farmers market. Some cheese and crackers.”
“You’ve made my chips and pretzels look pretty sad, you know.”
“You can have them if you like.” She handed me a fork and pulled the lids off the containers.
“No way. Not when you were nice enough to bring all that.”
The cantaloupe was cool, sweet, and succulent. After a few chunks, we put our forks aside and ate sharp cheddar cheese on rye crackers.
I said, “I really should’ve brought some wine.”
“Water is good.”
“Yeah, it’s an excellent vintage,” I said, holding up the bottle and swirling the water like a fine Chardonnay. “So what brought you way out to the Eastern Shore, Jennifer?”
“Work, mostly. Always looking for a good travel story. Plus the weather is warmer here than in Canada, so I jumped at the chance to visit the States. It’s temporary, though.”
“How long will you be around?”
“Not sure,” she said. “A few more weeks, maybe. Then I return home. My main base has been Washington, D.C., but I’ve already covered a lot of that area over the past few months. Before I go back, I wanted to get away from the city and explore the surrounding countryside.”
“Found anything worth filming around here?”
“Yeah, maybe,” she replied, her eyes turning toward the swaying grasses and the muddy banks of the shoreline. “Still thinking about it, though.”
We ate more cantaloupe and listened to the quiet of the bay.
Jennifer asked, “So, Bryce
