Текст книги "Cards on the Table"

Автор книги: Josh lanyon

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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 13 страниц)

«A tangerine! There hasn't been fresh citrus fruit in the store since Christmas!»

«It's spring, big guy. There was a crate of California tangerines coming across with me on the ferry.»

Peter looked at him, felt his heart squeeze a little in his chest from love. Love warm and deep and forever. Sebastian was wondering if he'd had enough. Like he'd had enough of sunshine and stars. Like he would ever get tired of looking at the moon in the night sky. «Yes, thank you, Sebastian. That would be lovely. I can't remember the last time we went for a walk together.» Peter heard his voice become very formal, the way it did when his

emotions threatened to overtake him. Sebastian heard it, too. He reached across and took Peter into his arms.

«His face was transparent, and what did you see when you looked at him? I don't think you can read my feelings when you look in my face, Peter. I don't even know if you want to. But that doesn't mean that what I feel for you isn't strong. What's between us is like a tree that's been growing a long time, with deep roots. I didn't hurt your boy, Peter. I promise you, I would never hurt some kid just because he fell in love with you. How can I blame him for that? I did it. I do it all the time.»

«Sebastian!» Peter was stuttering in shock, his arms reaching around Sebastian's waist. «I know you didn't do anything to Jacob. You couldn't hurt someone. Don't be ridiculous.»

«It's not ridiculous, Peter. It's the most logical explanation.» His arms tightened, and he bent over Peter, spoke softly into his hair. «I don't want to be arrested for young Jacob's murder, Peter. Because they'll haul me off, and you'll be left alone here. With a murderer.»

Chapter Five

When Sebastian was younger, just making a name for himself in the competitive world of Alaskan sled dog racing, a photographer had taken pictures of him camped out with his dogs on the third night of the Yukon Quest. The camp fire had turned his face to gold, and the camera caught him playing with them after a long day on the trail. The dogs were leaping, tongues out, trying to lick his face, and he was cuddling them in his arms.

Alaskans loved their sled dogs, and the hint of Native blood in his dark hair and eyes made Sebastian the favored hometown son across much of Alaska. He only took sponsorship offers from the local businesses that he knew, the sno-go repair guys, the kayak rental places, the village knitting co-op run by his Auntie Ty. He missed out on the big money, going for love instead. And Alaska loved him for it. Peter always forgot how big a star Sebastian was until they went out in public together.

Two black-haired boys with freckles on their noses came running out of the general store when they saw him, shrieking, «Uncle Sebastian! Uncle Sebastian!»

Susan's twin boys were just finishing an exciting first year of school, and it was rumored that the kindergarten teacher was requesting early retirement.

Sebastian held his arms out, and each boy hung on to a forearm. He lifted them off the ground by his arms, swung them around and around until they went flying off, tumbling over each other in the grass.

«Be careful!» Peter warned, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe off muddy hands and faces.

Sebastian grinned at him. «Want me to toss you around, too?» He rubbed a shoulder as the boys scrambled up again and flung themselves at him, hugging him ferociously around the waist. «Actually, I probably won't be able to do that much longer.» He addressed the boys, his big hands stroking their black hair. «I think you two are gonna be bigger than me when you grow up! When's your birthday again?»

«It's June first, Uncle Sebastian.» Sam had lost his front teeth, and Peter bent over for a closer look. James gave a jack-o'-lantern grin; his teeth were gone, too. «Why do you want to know about our birthday, Uncle Sebastian?» «Oh, no reason. None at all.»

The boys giggled behind their hands. «Uncle Sebastian, did mom say anything to you? About Super Mario Brothers for Nintendo DS?»

«Never heard of it. But I might have something else that will be just about old enough by June the first. We'll see. Where are you two supposed to be?»

James was carrying a plastic grocery bag with a can of evaporated milk. He held it up. «Better get home, then. Dad's cooking for you, huh?» «Hamburger Helper! Double Cheeseburger Macaroni!»

In the store Peter went over to the tangerines. They were glowing like a basket of bright orange jewels against the weathered gray boards. Everyone in the store stopped what they were doing to talk to Sebastian and shake his hand. A younger man Peter didn't know pulled Sebastian aside, asked him about his dogs.

«Man, I couldn't believe it when I heard you were retiring! Sampson said he got a couple of your yearlings, and I heard Douglas got some, too. What have you got left? Any puppies? You still gonna train some young ones?»

Sebastian shook his head, glancing briefly at Peter, who stood frozen, a tangerine in each hand. «Sorry, man. You're too late.» He reached for the waistband of Peter's corduroy trousers, tugged him over until he could wrap an arm around Peter's waist and pull him in close to his chest. «You know Peter Moon? Peter, this is Stone Macalister.»

«Hello.» Peter didn't offer a hand, hearing something in Sebastian's voice. Stone appeared frozen in shock, then he jerked like an electrical wire had just touched his ass. «Right! Well, okay, good to see you, man.»

They watched him scramble out the door. Sebastian kept his arm around Peter's waist, kept him pinned against his chest. «I hate that prick. I know somebody who saw him spank one of his dogs with a trail marker.»

«Retired?» Peter asked quietly. «You've dispersed your stables? Were you going to share your plans with me, Sebastian?»

Sebastian turned him around, put a rough hand to his cheek. «You are my plans, Peter. But you've been kind of busy the last couple of days. I came because Susan called me, told me some kid was sleeping in my bed. But I've been coming back to you for my whole life. This time I was getting ready to come back for good. Do not fucking tell me I'm too late.» «Sebastian…»

Sebastian jerked him closer, kissed him on the mouth, and Peter could feel something simmering, taste passion and anger and a whole stew of emotions on Sebastian's mouth.

Peter heard giggles behind him, turned around to see a couple of teenaged girls watching them. Their hair was elaborately braided and curled, and they were wearing enough eye makeup for Las Vegas. Were they young Elvis tribute artists in training, or just teenaged girls after school?

«Forget it, he's mine!» Sebastian glowered at them, and the girls laughed out loud at this piece of nonsense. * * * * *

«What's the matter with you? I've never known you to not want to talk. In fact, most of the time I can't shut you up.» Sebastian spit a tangerine seed toward some of the Sitka spruce trees that stood tall and dark as Masai warriors, lining the road home. They had just had a short-lived argument over the question: was it littering to toss tangerine seeds and peel into the woods? Peter carefully placed his seeds into his handkerchief.

«Nothing's wrong.» Too many shocks, that's what it was. Peter's legs felt numb, like he was tottering home on peg legs. The EMS radio clipped to his belt kept bumping into his thigh and emitting high-pitched squeaks, and Peter finally reached down and clicked the off button. He had weekend duty with the volunteer fire department. «Susan says we have a problem with rape. We do? Who knew about it? I look around town, and I wonder which of these men could be rapists. I've known them for years. If they could be rapists, they could be killers. I just… It's so ugly, Sebastian. It's ugly and I hate it and I feel like closing and locking the doors of the hotel, not letting anyone in who might be a killer. Or who might be killed. I even feel mad at Jacob. He couldn't just enjoy himself and then get on a plane to Montreal and go have a wonderful life? No, he had to be killed here, and I don't want his ghost roaming around the hotel forever, looking for revenge or something. I mean, I just had a night. A night and a day, and it was lovely and precious and I don't want it ruined…»

«You don't have to explain yourself, Peter. I never asked you to… Well. I never asked you. It never occurred to me that I needed to, so that just goes to show me, doesn't it? I guess I'm kind of glad you had someone. Someone sweet and gentle is the way Jacob sounds, someone more like you. I wonder sometimes how mad you get when I show up with six months' worth of dirty laundry and a bunch of sled dogs, mess up your pretty house, mess up your pretty life. Make you put your books down and come to bed.»

«Ha. That's how much you know. I can prop a book up on your shoulder, never miss a page. I don't mind your dogs or your laundry or any of that, Sebastian. I never have. But I do mind you being gone. This time seemed…long. Too long, like more than I could bear. A couple of times this winter I thought, this is what it would feel like if he was gone for good. Like you were gone for good and I didn't have anything to look forward to. You know what I'm talking about?»

Sebastian shook his head. «Tell me some more. I like this little peek into your head.» «Did you mean it, what you said back at the store? About coming to stay?» «Yeah, I meant it.» «You're not still mad at me?» «Maybe a little. I'll deal with it.»

«I guess what I want to know is why this time is any different from the other times you've come to stay?»

«I sold all my dogs, Peter.» Sebastian was starting to sound pissed, raked both his hands back through his black hair. «And correct me if I'm wrong, Peter, but have I ever told you I was retiring from racing? Have I ever said before…» «All right. I get your point.»

«No, I don't think you do. Because I don't break my word, I've never broken my word to you, ever, so I don't see where you get off acting like you don't trust me all of a sudden.» «I trust you.»

«You've been having an argument with me the entire winter, and I wasn't even here! That's what it sounds like to me. If you're gonna yell at me, Peter, you're gonna have to do it to my face, give us a chance to kiss and make up. You asked me if I'm mad at you. Maybe the better question is why are you so mad at me.»

They walked on quietly, the road soft underfoot, the woods around them lush with grass and ferns and tiny wild strawberries, and the trilling sounds of spring birds. Peter took his hand. «I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings, Sebastian.»

Sebastian glanced at him out of dark eyes. The new, ice blue fleece pullover made his eyes and hair look silky black. «Okay, let's just put you and me aside for the time being. We need to think. We should be able to figure out who killed Jacob with a little brainpower, and we need to do it quick, before the state cops come down here and start reading me my rights. Let's just think it through. It doesn't matter about motive. It's like Casper said. When we know the killer, the motive will make sense. Of course, out of all of us, Casper is the one I actually suspect has probably killed someone before. In the line of duty, isn't that what they call it? You can see it in his eyes, like toughness or something. Travis has it, too, but his just looks like pain. Most of you were at Tiny's place for the contest, right? Only Mike and Travis stayed behind.»

«Nelson was in his cabin, I think. I guess he was around, because he was going to drive the van to the airport for Jacob's flight. But it could have been anyone who waited until we left, then went up to the hotel. Anyone, Sebastian, could have seen the van, or even waited until we got to Tiny's, seen who was there. Knew who was left back at the hotel. Anyone at Tiny's could have run back to the hotel in fifteen minutes, if they were in good shape.»

Sebastian shook his head. «For now, let's just consider that those of you who were at Tiny's for the Elvis contest could not have done it. Otherwise we have to consider the entire island. So are you thinking someone saw that the hotel was nearly empty and took the opportunity? That might be it. Here you go, little squirrels! Yummy! Fresh from California!» He tossed a curl of tangerine peel into the woods. Peter ignored him. «What about the phones? Somebody called the guest line, right? That upstairs phone?»

«Everybody's got cell phones. And I've got the numbers for the hotel posted around town. Anyone could have it.»

«Are we sure Mike was in his room when Jacob got the phone call on the guest line?»

Peter thought. What had Travis said? He'd heard the phone ring, maybe? No, Travis had said Jacob went down into the kitchen and talked to someone. It was Mike who said he'd heard Jacob on the phone. «If Mike is telling the truth…» «But why would we assume that, Peter? He uses drugs. He's a lawyer.»

«He is? Oh, fuck me, a lawyer got knocked on the head in my upstairs hallway? He's probably one of those personal injury lawyers. How do you know? Did you hear him threatening to sue?»

«He asked me and I asked him. He said, 'So you ride around in a sled pulled by dogs? For a living?' And I said yes and that I was also a studio potter, and what did he do for money? He said he was a tax attorney, and I said I didn't let my dogs bite my ass…» «Sebastian!»

«He's got the hots for you, Peter. It might have been him. I've seen the way he looks at you. He wanted you, and he was jealous of Jacob.» «Don't be ridiculous. Somebody bashed him in the head this morning, Sebastian,» «Maybe he did it to himself, to throw our suspicions off.»

«Oh, brilliant. Thank you, Mr. Holmes. He nearly bit his tongue in two when you came running out of the bedroom naked, holding a shotgun.»

«Hey, that reminds me. Jesse and Phillip asked me if they could take my picture.» «Naked and holding a shotgun?»

«Yep. I believe those young entrepreneurs are planning a calendar of Alaskan men. Something rugged and hairy and half wild. Wild men holding sled dog puppies to show our soft side. I'm not sure I want the puppies exploited like that. Some sick bastard could be staring at the pictures, pulling his…»

«You don't want the puppies exploited? God. I may have to retire, too, Sebastian. I'm feeling a bit overwhelmed.» Sebastian flung an arm around his shoulder. «How about a nap when we get home?»

«Fine, whatever. Anything for a peaceful life. So how long have you been planning to retire from racing?»

«I started making arrangements this season. It was hard and long and cold, and I missed you like…like I always miss you, only more. I kept turning around to tell you something, and you weren't there. I didn't sleep good up at the cabin, and I think it was because I would reach out to pull you close, so I could keep us warm, and you weren't there, and then I'd wake up and…and miss you again. At first I was mad at you because you weren't with me. I thought the hotel couldn't be so busy all the time, not the whole frigging winter, that you couldn't get on a sno-go and make your way upriver to see me. Then I didn't care anymore if you were supposed to be with me, or I was supposed to be with you. There is no such thing as neutral ground, Peter.» «Neutral ground? What do you mean?»

«I don't know. I think it used to matter to me, how long we spent in your place, how long we spent in mine. Now I think I was acting like a fucking child, stomping off to the Yukon alone. I guess I was happy there, Peter, living that life, but that happiness wasn't enough to make it worth giving you up. Being alone is only good for me when I'm alone with you, and a bunch of dogs and books.» «Uh-huh.»

«What, you don't believe me? I would rather have you than the dogs.» Sebastian's voice was wheedling, and he was grinning out of the corner of his mouth.

«Would I buy a used car from this man? I guess I believe you, but let's not put your sled and snowshoes in the long-term storage, either.»

«That reminds me, I got you some new snowshoes. This Inuit guy I met upriver made them the old way, bent willow and moose sinew. So we can go camping or something, some slow weekend next winter. I've been ready to get out of racing for a couple of seasons now. There're so many new kids coming into racing, most of them are not even from Alaska.

They're in it for the money, not the dogs. Not the fun.» Sebastian's face was indignant. «Can you believe that shit?» Peter sighed. «Yes, Sebastian, of course I believe it.»

«I'm the one out of step. That's what you've been saying to me, isn't it? The only thing I never considered, Peter, was that you wouldn't be waiting for me. That you would decide to move on without me. Never crossed my mind.»

Peter looked up at him, and Sebastian slipped his last piece of tangerine into Peter's mouth. «You could break my heart without trying too hard, Peter, looking at me like that. You eat the last piece. Listen, I've been thinking. Maybe Susan was on to something, what she was talking about. Lots of people do that.»

Peter was having trouble keeping up with these life-altering changes in topic. His head still felt like it was stuffed with cotton wool, his heart beating a desperate tattoo against his ribs. «Do what?»

«People come to Alaska and hide out. It doesn't have to be Miriam's rapist. It could be something else. Maybe his cop lover arrested somebody who skipped, and he thought Jacob would recognize him. Maybe the killer made a mistake, got him mixed up with some Athabascan guy.» «Sebastian…»

«Maybe the killer decided not to wait for Jacob to remember whatever he was going to remember, and tell you about it. We only have Mike's word that someone was in Jacob's room. Mike was sitting in the living room when Travis said something about Jacob having a journal, and he's from California. He could have known Jacob before. We're depending on his word too much, Peter.» Sebastian's arm tightened around Peter's shoulder. «Maybe the bastard thinks Jacob said something to you. And he's just waiting for you to remember. Waiting to get you alone. You could be in danger.»

Chapter Six

Tiny was gone from the living room when they got back from town. Elsie Seward, the housekeeper who claimed a family tie with the famous explorer from the wrong side of the blanket, was running the vacuum under the sofas. Most of the teenaged girls in town worked for her cleaning company at some point, making college money. Her face was settled into its usual calm and sorrowful lines until she caught sight of Sebastian. She switched off the vacuum and hugged him, her tiny, work-roughened hands patting him gently on the back. «Sebastian, I knew you would come!» «You did?»

«This boy has been in such trouble, so lonely for you.» She nodded toward Peter. «And now keeping time with young California boys who play cellos! Goodness. Where were you at Christmas? We were expecting you. You need to stay close for awhile, Sebastian.»

«I intend to, Elsie.» He glanced briefly at Peter, his eyes shadowed. «Listen, about those puppies in the kitchen. I'm gonna build them a pen out back later today, I promise.» «Either of them look like leaders?»

«Maybe,» he said. «They're Queenie's pups. But I brought them for Sam and James. It's time for them to get started with dogs.» Elsie's A-1 Cleaning had been one of Sebastian's earliest sponsors.

«It's too much to suppose I'll ever have any privacy, living in this town,» Peter said, climbing the stairs ahead of Sebastian. «I wonder if Elsie knows anyone who might be a rapist.»

«Privacy?» Sebastian said the word as if he was speaking in a foreign tongue. «I don't think you're going to have any privacy from the woman who changes your sheets.» His voice was wooden, and Peter watched him carefully.

He didn't really understand the way Sebastian was acting. It wasn't like him. Normally when they had a fight, Sebastian would take a chain saw and cut down a few trees, chop a couple of cords of firewood, stack it, and by the time he was done, he'd be over it. He seemed to be doing a lot of thinking over the last couple of days. «We need to put Elsie on Susan's fingerprint list of people Jacob met.»

Sebastian snorted. «Elsie didn't kill Jacob. She was at Tiny's, wearing her blue suede shoes, when some bastard killed him.»

«I know she didn't do anything, but that's a good example of how easy it could be to miss someone. And have you asked Susan if you can give the twins puppies? I mean, she has plenty on her plate already, Sebastian.»

«I don't want to talk about this right now, Peter.» Sebastian took him by the wrist, pulled him into the bedroom and closed and locked the door. A gentle shove against his chest, and Peter found himself with the door at his back. Sebastian loomed over him, a hand on either side of his head, pinning him in place. He felt a flutter of nerves, but he melted into a warm puddle when Sebastian smiled into his eyes and said, «Holy heart attack, Batman.»

Sebastian picked up Peter's right hand, pressed a kiss into the palm, and Peter felt the strange tickle of erotic feeling zipping around in his chest, down into his knees, and he had

to reach behind him and put his other hand flat on the wall when Sebastian took his fingers into his mouth, sucked on them one after the other, the tip of his tongue circling. His teeth nipped down on Peter's forefinger, and they stared into each other's eyes. «Your fingers taste like you've been peeling a tangerine.»

Sebastian looked curiously intent, concentrating on Peter's face, and Peter lowered his eyes, feeling heat stain his cheeks. Why did he feel so shy all of the sudden? This was Sebastian, after all. They'd been lovers forever. What…

Sebastian was tracing the lines of his face now, two fingers trailing across Peter's forehead, down his cheek, across his jaw and chin. They dropped to his throat, then Sebastian slid his hand inside the collar of Peter's shirt, moved the back of his fingers along the collarbone. «What are you doing?» Peter whispered.

Sebastian put his free hand back against the door, beside Peter's head. «I'm going to seduce you.»

Peter laughed in surprise and Sebastian leaned in and took his mouth, used his big body to press Peter back against the door. His tongue moved into Peter's mouth with that combination of urgency and arrogant need that had always found its way past any meager resistance Peter might have felt. He had never been able to refuse Sebastian anything. A knee between his legs, and Sebastian's hard thigh pressed into his groin.

But Sebastian didn't reach for his belt buckle, didn't reach for his cock, straining against the velvet-soft corduroy trousers. He just tugged Peter into his arms, held him closer and closer, kissing him like they had days to spend kissing, like warm, wet winds and Hawaiian sunshine were filling their rooms with the smells of tropical flowers, and when Sebastian lifted his head, Peter clung to him, his knees wobbly.

«So what are you doing?» he asked again, resting his forehead against Sebastian's big chest.

Sebastian took him under the chin and lifted his head until they could look at each other. «I want you to fall in love with me again, Peter.» «Sebastian, I've always loved you. Don't be silly.» «Then I don't understand.»

And Peter realized Sebastian was asking him about Jacob. He was asking for the truth about Jacob. «I was lonely,» Peter whispered.

Sebastian nodded. «This is all my fault. I was out chasing my dreams, and I just…took for granted that you would be here. Give me a chance, Peter. Please. A chance for us. I want you to love me again.» And Sebastian reached for his mouth, kissed him as sweetly as if it were their first time.

Sebastian tugged the shirttails out of Peter's trousers, unbuttoned his shirt from the bottom up, stopping to run his hands against Peter's stomach, laughing when Peter tried to suck it in. «Oh, please. I already know what you look like.» He leaned closer and whispered, «And I like it like that.»

When Sebastian had the shirt unbuttoned he pushed it off Peter's shoulders, down his arms, held his wrists captive with the shirt sleeves. Then he lowered his head, traced a circle around Peter's nipple with his tongue. Rough heat, then the velvet of his lips. Sebastian sucked a nipple into his mouth, and the throb between Peter's legs was so intense it was almost painful. Sebastian moved his hands to Peter's bare back and held their bodies together.

Peter tugged the shirt off his wrists, turned it right side out and laid it neatly on the stool at the end of the bed. Sebastian grinned at him, pulled his fleece over his head, tossed it on the stool. Peter resisted the urge to straighten it up. His need to tidy up wasn't quite so strong when his cock was throbbing and chiseled out of granite.

Sebastian tugged him closer by the waistband of his pants, let his fingers slide against Peter's belly. He undid the zip, slid his fingers down under the waistband. Sebastian's butterfly touch against the head of Peter's cock made Peter lurch against his hand, reach for Sebastian, and pull him close. The heat was moving through him now, and he felt a hunger that was fierce, wild, like he'd not felt in… He thought back. A long time. Sebastian's mouth was moving down his neck, a trail of heat. Since a long time ago, and only with Sebastian.

«Okay, I'm in love with you again.» Sebastian laughed, slipped his hands down into Peter's boxers, wrapped his fingers around the cock straining to escape. «One part of you is, anyway. Why don't we just let this…» Bam! Bam! Bam!

Peter nearly leapt out of his skin at the knock on the door. Sebastian didn't move.

«Uh, Peter?» It was Travis. «Peter, I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's just that there's this really pregnant girl here asking about Sebastian, and Susan says can you come downstairs?» * * * * *

Travis had clattered back down the stairs by the time Peter had moaned and cursed and buttoned his shirt, tucked it back in, smoothed his hair down, brushed his teeth, and washed his hands and face, the minimum necessary grooming before greeting guests. Sebastian watched him go through his routine with a little half grin on his face, joined him at the sink to wash his hands, dried them on the heated towels. Oh, God, it was so unfair; he had been about to get fucked, a long hard rocking fuck, like only Sebastian could do it. Peter was ready to howl like a dog in frustration. Sebastian's jaw was like a rock.

Peter watched him in the bathroom mirror. He could tell that Sebastian was enjoying the new heated towel racks. More than once over the years Peter had watched Sebastian heat water in a battered enamel pan on a wood stove, strip off in the cold and scrub down, wash his hair by pouring the water over his head into the sink in the corner of the cabin. It wouldn't hurt for him to have this small luxury. Sebastian would never take it for granted,

that was the thing. Every time he put his face into a soft, warm towel, he would remember it as Peter's small gift to him.

Downstairs Travis was hovering over a young girl who was, indeed, very pregnant. She had a numb, exhausted look, kept one hand on the side of her belly. Sebastian moved to her side. «Charlie, what's wrong? Is the baby moving?»

She nodded, but looked so done in Peter thought she couldn't speak if she wanted to.

«Sweetie, have you eaten?» She shook her head. She had long, straight dark hair and a heart-shaped face with a pointed chin. «Well, it's time for tea. We have a good recliner over here, Charlie. You just lean back and put your feet up, and I'll get something for you to drink.»

Travis started to help her to her feet, but Peter gestured for him to follow. «Travis, I need you in the kitchen.»

«She only knows Sebastian,» Peter told him after the kitchen door had closed behind them. «Charlie was looking a little overwhelmed. Let's give them some breathing room.»

Overwhelmed was a good word to describe Travis, too, Peter thought, watching him sink into a kitchen chair. He'd showered and put on clean clothes, but the bourbon fumes were still hanging on, and he wasn't all that steady on his feet.

«Peter, listen. I'm sorry about last night. I wasn't on duty, and something happened. Mike got hurt. This morning, I mean.» He shook his head. «Casper and Tiny, they were talking to me about what I should do. You know, just in case. And I just felt… Well, I guess it got away from me.»

«What you should do about what?» Peter pulled the smoked salmon and the sour cream out of the refrigerator.

«If I'm arrested.» Peter turned around, stared in shock. «Casper said that military men, we're all presumed to be a little more violent than the rest of the world. And law enforcement looks at us first. And Tiny, did you know he was in the brig for two years, down

in San Diego? He beat up an officer, and the Navy threw him in jail and gave him a dishonorable. He said he was drinking more back then. Anyway, they were telling me what we needed to do just in case, and the whole thing, Peter, it was just too much. I'm not making excuses, but…»

«But it sounds like you are making excuses, Travis.» Peter's voice was gentle. «I can't believe they would arrest you, but even so, I think we need to make a change. I'm pulling you off nights, and I want you on the day shift. Not the front desk, either. Sebastian tells me the boats need work before the summer. I need them fixed up.» Peter waved a vague hand. «Whatever you need to do to boats. Maintenance on the engines. Scrape and paint the bottoms. Whatever. Get them ready for fishing and maybe tours of the bay. Can you do that?»

Travis sat up, looking interested. «Yeah, good. That would be good. I like repairing outboard motors. And the boats do need some maintenance. I noticed that when I went out with Casper. Sebastian was telling Jesse and Phillip he would take them out in a boat, go around Glacier Bay if they wanted to get pictures. That might be good, you know, something to do for the guys who don't fish.» His fingers curled into fists. «Peter, do you think they might arrest me for killing Jacob?»