I turned to look and saw it was Donnie Havens, who had at least stopped his sobbing and was now leaning up against the railing, not a hair on his toupee out of place despite his recent blubbering, and smoking a cigar.
“Donnie Havens. He’s the head of shipping for Edge. Works out of the Bohemia office. He has a house three doors down.”
Zoe nodded, her eyes speculative. “Is that right? He seemed pretty broken up about Maggie’s death a little while ago. I thought maybe he was a relative or something.”
I smiled. “He’s probably sad that Maggie won’t be sharing any more hot tubs with him this summer. He’s a bit of a lech, that one.”
“Hot tubs?”
I narrowed my eyes at her. As much as I didn’t like Donnie, I knew he was harmless. Of course, these days everyone was suspect in Zoe’s mind. “Don’t get any ideas. He has hot tub parties all the time. Tom goes, too.”
“Well, just so you know, I’m not the only one with ideas.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It seems I’m not the only one who thinks Maggie’s drowning was a bit unusual. Apparently, some of the guests thought it very convenient that Maggie died. You see that woman over there?” she asked, gesturing with her chin. “Dolores Vecchio. She’s the broker who worked with Tom and Maggie on the house. According to her, Tom was a smart cookie for taking out the mortgage insurance on Maggie’s Dream. Do you know that the entire mortgage on this place gets paid off when one of the mortgage holders dies?”
“She told you that?”
“Well, not me. I was just checking out the view. But if you don’t believe me, I probably have it here on tape. You’d be amazed what this mic picks up from a distance.”
I shook my head in disbelief. Then, lowering my voice, I said, “Zoe, I know Tom. He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
“Really? Would you swear to that in a court of law?” she asked, picking up the camera once more and pointing it directly at me.
“Zoe—”
“Hey, guys,” Nick interrupted. “Someone’s shooting off fireworks on the beach. Come down and check it out!” Then, without even waiting for us, he followed the flood of partygoers out the sliding glass door.
A smile tugged at Zoe’s lips—the first one I’d seen all day.“Good thing I have my camera,” she said, heading for the door.“Come on.”
Of course I followed. And within moments, we had staked out a spot a short distance from the crowd, and I found myself seated on the beach between my two best friends, gazing up at a sky scattered with more stars than I’d seen in a long time.
“Look at that sky,” I said, thinking wistfully of Vince, who I knew was standing somewhere in that crowd to the right of us and who I wished was right here beside me.
Apparently, Zoe was on a totally other wavelength. “You know that guy Tom’s talking to?”
I bit back a sigh, following her gaze. Or rather, her camera, which she had pointed right at Tom and a tall, portly-looking fellow who was yucking it up with my boss. “I have no idea.”
Zoe put the camera down. “That’s the chief of security at Saltaire. Tom’s alibi for the night of Maggie’s death. Apparently Tom went over there for drinks that night. Or so he says.”
“Alibi? Zoe—”
Nick laughed uneasily. “Zoe, c’mon man. I gotta sleep in the same room with the guy.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t listen to her, Nick.”
She must have heard the sheer exhaustion in my voice. Either that or she knew better than to try my patience. Because Zoe did quiet down, turning her attention—and her camera, for that matter—to the fireworks that had begun to crackle across the sky.
“Ooohhh,” Nick said, mimicking the crowd as a roman candle opened up in a burst of light above us.“Ahhhhhh,” he mimicked again, as it showered down on the beach before us.
I looked at him, a smile pulling at my lips.
“What?” he said. “You gotta make the right noises. It’s a tradition!”
“Ooohhh,” Zoe said, peering at the next spiral of color through her camera.
“Ahhh,” I chimed in, leaning playfully into Nick as I did.
I laughed, realizing that, for the first time since the party began, I was really enjoying myself. In fact, I could have ooohed and ahhhed all night—because it seemed like the fireworks were going to go on that long. Except I was startled out of my sky-gazmg by a sound that wasn’t so pleasant. Shouting, I realized, turning my head to discover it was Tom who was the cause of all the ruckus. He was on his back on the beach, waving away the small crowd that had begun to gather around him. I jumped up, Zoe and Nick following in my wake as I beelined for Tom, who was attempting to get up.
“I’m fine!” he insisted. But his face was mottled and his eyes fuzzy, I noticed once I got close.
“Ah, Sage,”he said when he saw me.“Could you tell these people I’m all right?”
“He passed out cold,” a short, squat blonde said.
“Daddy, let us help you,” Francesca said, though she didn’t move any closer, as if she was afraid of being puked on or something.
Janis Joplin started to howl, yanking on the post where her leash had been tied.
“Damn dog,” Tom said, twisting in an attempt to see where Janis was.
“Let me help you up, Tom,” I said, reaching out a hand.
He took it, pulling heavily on it as he eased to his feet.
“Here let me help.”
I looked up to find Vince beside me, angling his shoulder under one of Tom’s arms to support him. I smiled at him, then slid under Tom’s other arm. Good thing, too, as Tom must have been walking on rubber legs, judging by the
