Tangled Lies (5 page)

She pushed her sunglasses down and peered at him over the top, grinning. “This is not my first rodeo, Money-boy.”

“I can see that.”

Neither spoke for several minutes while she inched the throttle forward in smooth increments. They were far enough out in the Gulf now that they had several feet of water. No fear of running aground this far from shore.

He sank down on the padded bench seat. “Go ahead and open her up.”

She grinned, the sun glinting off her sunglasses. “You sure?”

He smiled back, enjoying the little-kid sparkle in her eyes. “Let’s see what you’ve got.”

She nodded once and took him at his word. She pushed the throttle wide open until they were flying over the water. This late in the day, most boats had already come back in, so it felt like they were alone in the world. She made big sweeping turns, learning how
The Painted Lady
handled, changing speed and direction like the pro she’d claimed to be.

Time and distance lost all meaning as he watched the pure joy in her face. She tilted her head to the wind, long hair flying behind her, and let out a whoop worthy of a Seminole warrior.

Watching her, Jesse forgot all his troubles. He simply took in the moment and admitted he’d never met anyone like her, never been so drawn to anyone. Then or now.

He mentally shook his head at his own foolishness. She’d followed the call of the sea since she left. He’d be kidding himself if he started hoping she’d stick around.

Without thinking, he reached over and brushed the back of his hand down her cheek.

Sasha looked over at him, and their eyes met. She gradually throttled back and slowed to a stop. Time seemed to stretch as the boat settled into the water, the only sound the gentle lapping of water against the hull.

Sasha looked into Jesse’s eyes, and her heart skipped a beat. Behind his easy smile and confidence, she caught a quick flash of . . . something before it disappeared. She felt a blush steal over her cheeks as she broke eye contact and eased away. She’d felt that same tug every time she looked at him. She always had, and it scared her silly. Time to get things back on an even course.

“That was incredible.” She patted the dash. “She handles like a dream. The engine runs a little rough, but I’m guessing you know that.” When he simply smiled, she said, “This baby is going to win you some races, Money-boy, and she won’t even break a sweat doing it.”

“That’s the plan. Provided I can get her in top shape in time.” He paused. “You ever drive in a race before?”

“You want me at the helm in the upcoming race?”

“Not a chance. But you’d be good at it. You have experience on the water and some serious natural skills. The rest is just practice.” He studied her face, but she didn’t know what he was thinking. “I could teach you, if you want to learn.”

She wanted to shout
Yes!
but she bit her lip as responsibility splashed her like a bucket of cold water. “Tempting, but no.”

“You have a job you need to get back to?”

“No, but I have obligations here. People depending on me. Sorry.”

They drifted into silence as Jesse guided them back to the marina and eased
The Painted Lady
into her slip. Did he have any idea how much she wanted to say yes? Then she thought of Mama, and the
no
became easier. She hopped off and secured the lines. By the time she straightened and he’d turned the engine off, Bella was prancing around like they’d been gone forever. Behind them, Eve marched down the dock, completely out of place in her heeled sandals and fancy white outfit.

Jesse stepped onto the dock to hear Eve demand, “Where have you been?”

Sasha stiffened, but before she could say anything, he held out a hand. “Hey, Eve. Good to see you again. I stole Sasha for a quick ride. Hope that’s all right.”

Eve stared at his hand but kept her own at her side. He lowered his arm, and Sasha stepped between them.

“Look, Eve—”

Eve poked one manicured finger into Sasha’s chest. “No, you look. You’re not here one day and already you’re blowing off the family to run off and play.”

Sasha stepped back and slapped her hands on her hips. “I went for a ride, Eve. How is that blowing off the family?”

“Mama went to the effort of cooking dinner. You didn’t show up to eat it.”

Sasha swallowed hard and closed her eyes for a moment. “How was I supposed to know that?”

Eve narrowed her eyes. “We waited for you for thirty minutes. By then the food was cold.” She leaned close and hissed, “You made Mama cry.”

Sasha spun toward the house. “I’ll go apologize, right now.” She looked over her shoulder. “Thanks for the ride, Jesse.”

“Don’t bother,” Eve called after her. “Mama already went to bed.” She blew out a breath. “Typical,” she muttered.

“Maybe you could cut her a bit of slack.” The moment the words left his mouth, he wanted to call them back.
Dumb move, Claybourne.

Eve spun to face him, sparks fairly shooting from her eyes. “When I need advice from a spoiled rich kid, I’ll be sure to let you know. Until then, butt out, Claybourne.”

Jesse exhaled a slow breath as she stomped off after her sister. He straightened when that itchy feeling started between his shoulder blades again. The only time he’d ever ignored that instinct, he’d gotten knifed in the jail yard for his stupidity. He wouldn’t make that mistake again. Casually he scanned the marina, the boats, the outbuildings, but he didn’t see anyone.

That didn’t mean he wasn’t being watched.

Sasha had one foot on the porch steps when the screen door slammed open and Cat marched out and started for the steps without a word.

“Where are you going?” Sasha asked.

Cat stopped as though surprised, and Sasha noticed a fine tremor in her hands.

“Home.”

Cat tried to step around her, so Sasha blocked her path while she scrambled to find the right words.

“What about Mama’s request that we find Tony?”

“It’s ridiculous. How is anyone supposed to find him after all these years? He’s probably been dead all this time. I’m not looking for a grave.”

Sasha watched her sister’s face, noticing the way her eyes darted around, the strained, tight look of her mouth, the much-too-skinny body. She hadn’t seen her in ten years, true, but something was very wrong.

“Are you OK, Cat?”

Cat’s head snapped up. “I will be as soon as I get away from here.”

“Will you stay? At least a couple days? It would mean a lot to Mama.”

Her eyes narrowed. “Are you going to be here?”

“Yes. I told Mama I’d try to figure out what happened to Tony. Maybe give Pop a hand with the marina, too.”

“Then there’s your answer. If you’re staying, I’m going.”

Sasha took her arm when Cat tried to brush past.

“I’m sorry about that day, Cat. I always have been. How can I make it up to you?”

Cat shook her off, eyes blazing. “You can’t. Don’t you get that? You ruined my chances for the career I wanted, the career I deserved, by being your usual selfish self. I never got the chance. Never got the life I wanted—that you knew I wanted more than anything. All because of you.” She shoved her sister so hard, Sasha almost lost her balance. “I never want to see you again.”

Sasha bit her lip as Cat climbed in an aging Honda and took off with a spin of gravel. She let the unfair accusations slide in the face of much bigger issues. Since she’d seen her last, Cat had gotten into trouble, bad trouble, and if Sasha had to guess, she’d put her money on serious drug use. The twitchy movements, darting eyes, and loss of weight were unfortunately things she’d seen in other users. Maybe she was wrong. She hoped so.

Did Eve know? She snorted. Eve knew everything. Maybe the two of them could figure out what was really going on with Cat, how to help.

Sasha held the door as Bella bounded up the steps and went inside to flop down by the sofa, but Sasha knew her own rest wouldn’t come anytime soon. Between Mama’s request and now this with Cat, every cell in her body screamed to grab her backpack, hop in the Jeep, and never look back.

But she wouldn’t. The time had come to stop running.

Chapter 3

After a night of tossing and turning, Sasha woke to Bella nudging her arm and whimpering. She sat up in the narrow twin bed and looked around the sloped-ceiling room, trying to get her bearings. Home. Right. Based on the angle of the sunlight spearing through the rusting metal blinds, she’d overslept. Another black mark in Eve’s ledger. That sister’s bed was already neatly made, of course, while Cat’s hadn’t been slept in. So much for hoping her estranged sister had changed her mind.

First, coffee and an impatient dog. She pulled on clean clothes, gave her hair a quick brush, then pulled it into a ponytail as she and Bella thumped down the steep stairs. She let Bella out, then turned toward the coffeepot, mumbling, “Morning,” to the shapes at the table. After adding lots of sugar and a dollop of cream, she swallowed half the cup before she felt her brain cells come to life again.

She turned and kissed Mama’s cheek before she slid into a chair. Eve stood at the old-fashioned gas stove, scrambling eggs. Mama and Pop sat at the table, mugs cradled in their hands. The scene was so different from her memories, it made her heart hurt. Mama had always reigned over the stove and Pop would be out greeting the fishermen before the first pink streaks painted the horizon. Eve had never wanted to cook.

Mama looked up from her tea with such a hopeful expression, Sasha couldn’t tell her what she’d decided during the night. She swallowed more coffee, hoping for the courage to get the words out, but they wouldn’t come. She couldn’t snuff out Mama’s tentative hope, couldn’t tell her what she asked was impossible. Instead, she lightly patted Mama’s hand. “I’m so sorry I missed dinner. I didn’t know—”

“Hush, Sasha. No apologies.” Mama maneuvered the tea to her mouth, and Sasha had to look away as some of it sloshed onto the table. Had the chemo worn her out that much?

Mama set the mug down. “Eve, honey, come sit. Where is Blaze?”

“Still asleep when I peeked in,” Eve said as she spooned the eggs into a large bowl and set it on the table beside a plate of bacon and basket of toast. She sent a quick, disapproving glance Sasha’s way, wiped her hands on a dish towel, and perched on the edge of her chair. “Eat, Mama. You need to keep your strength up.”

Mama smiled again, and this time, it reached all the way to her brown eyes. Then they filled with tears, but she wouldn’t let them fall. Sasha clenched her hands around her mug. It would be less painful if someone simply reached in and ripped her beating heart right out of her chest. She drank more coffee and rubbed the ache in her heart. Mama reached over and patted Eve’s hand.

“You’re a good girl, Eve.” She reached out to her other side and took Sasha’s hand, too. “And so are you. You will never know what it means to me that you two will do this for me. Maybe Cathy will also . . .” She let the thought drift off.

Desperate to change the subject, Sasha blurted out what had kept her up most of the night. “Mama, what if we can’t—”

Eve gave a sharp, negative shake of her head.

“What if you can’t find my Tony?” Mama asked.

“It’s been a long time,” Eve added gently.

Mama looked from one to the other. “Someday, if God blesses you both with children—and I hope and pray he does—you will understand why I need to know where he is. And why I know, I
know
, he’s still alive.” She patted her heart. “In here, a mother knows.”

“We’ll do whatever we can, Mama,” Sasha heard herself say.

Pop hadn’t said a word the whole time, and now he shoved his chair back from the table, kissed Mama on the top of her head, and left, the screen door slamming behind him.

Not sure what to say, Sasha choked down a piece of toast and noticed Eve doing the same.

“He is afraid I will get my hopes up again,” Mama said. “He does not want to see me disappointed.”

“Neither do we,” Eve said. They ate in silence for several minutes. Then she reached over to the sideboard and grabbed her iPad. “I’ve made a list of places to start.”

“Of course you have,” Sasha murmured.

Eve drummed her long, elegantly painted nails on the scarred wooden table. “Do you have a better idea? If so, I’m all ears.”

Sasha stood and started clearing the table. “I thought we’d start with the police station and ask to see the file.”

Eve’s eyes widened briefly, as though she was surprised her sister had an actual plan, then she gathered the rest of the dishes. “Do you want to wash or dry?”

Sasha grabbed the dish soap and metal wash pan, grinning. “What do you think?”

Eve smiled and said, “Guess I’ll dry then. Imagine that.”

For those few minutes, as they stood shoulder to shoulder, some of the awkwardness faded, and Sasha caught a glimpse of the sisters they’d been, the closeness they’d shared, and was glad she’d come home.

Eve insisted on driving, so they arrived downtown in the air-conditioned comfort of Mama’s aging but immaculate Buick. She parked on the street and Sasha paused a moment to glance around. Nothing had changed, as far as she could see. Main Street still boasted the same tired-looking storefronts: the Blue Dolphin Restaurant, Johnson’s Hardware, Annie’s Attic—which was part thrift store, part antiques—Ned’s Appliance Repair. She wondered if old Ned still smoked marijuana in the narrow alley out back. The library and Beatrice’s Hair Affair anchored one end of the downtown block, while at the other, Barry’s Quality Cars obviously still sold everything from barely running jalopies to shiny new pickups. Progress had not moved into Safe Harbor, and that suited the locals just fine, thank you very much.

The police station occupied the first floor of an 1890s boardinghouse a block off Main Street, just as it had for seventy-five years. A lawyer and several other businesses rented space on the second floor. The whole building listed slightly to port and needed a fresh coat of white paint, but the black shutters all hung straight, so it didn’t look too bad.

She’d been inside only once, just before high school graduation, the night Pop asked her to stay in Safe Harbor and eventually take over the marina. She’d freaked at the idea of being depended on, had gotten drunk, egged several downtown businesses—including the police station—and promptly got arrested. That was the same night she ruined Cat’s life, since the whole family took off searching for Sasha, worried something horrible had happened. Cat missed her vocal audition with a big-shot talent scout and had never been able to reschedule or get another opportunity like it—for which she’d never forgiven Sasha. Two days after graduation, Sasha left Safe Harbor.

“I wonder if they’ve painted the shutters since you had to after the egg incident,” Eve said, heading up the steps.

Sasha laughed. “Doubt it. I did a dang fine job the first time.” Their eyes met and the laughter died. Sasha knew they were both thinking of Cat. And Tony. But neither said anything. They would deal in facts. Let Mama deal with the emotions.

They walked into the lobby and waited a moment for their eyes to adjust. A late-twenties officer in a green Safe Harbor police uniform stood behind what had once been the boardinghouse reception desk. He looked up from his computer with a smile, and Sasha recognized Nick Stanton from Mama’s party. She figured the combination of dark hair cropped close and a tanned, toned body that came with puppy-dog brown eyes inspired the local ladies to search for reasons to call the police. She smiled back.

“Nice to see you ladies again. How can I help you?” he asked as he clicked the mouse and gave them his full attention.

Eve stepped forward, hand extended in what Sasha thought of as her diplomat persona.

After smiles and handshakes, Eve said, “We’d like to see the file on the disappearance of our brother, Tony Martinelli.”

Officer Stanton frowned as he tapped keys on the computer. “We haven’t had a disappearance here in Safe Harbor in a very long time. When did this happen?”

“March fifth, 1991,” Eve responded.

Since no one had mentioned the actual date until now, Sasha raised a brow at Eve, who shrugged. “Research. I couldn’t sleep.”

Officer Stanton nodded and kept clicking, scrolling, checking. After a moment, he looked up.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t see any case files with that name listed anywhere.”

“What? How is that possible?” Sasha asked.

He held up a hand. “That only means it’s not in the computer. We’re still in the process of digitally scanning all our archives. This far back, they are probably still in the storage building, awaiting their turn.” A form spit out of the printer, and he handed it over the counter along with a pen. “If you ladies don’t mind showing me some identification, you can fill out the form and I’ll get the process started.”

“We have a bit of time. What if we grab lunch and come back?” Sasha asked.

He shook his head. “I don’t think I made myself clear. I can put the request in right now, but getting the actual file will take a few days, at least.”

Eve’s eyebrows shot to her hairline, and Sasha bit back a smile. Eve worked in a high-tech office with lots of clout and instant access.

“I don’t have days. I have to catch a plane tomorrow.”

“I’m sorry. I’m guessing it will take until the middle of the week, minimum.”

Chief Monroe sauntered through the front door, and Sasha sighed inwardly. He removed his hat and extended a hand, his grin as fake as his teeth.

“Eve, Sasha, good to see you girls again. Heard you were in town for your mama’s big birthday bash. I would have been honored to offer my congratulations in person, but someone had to keep the citizens of our little corner of paradise safe.”

Sasha nearly rolled her eyes. He’d always been pompous and treated her like something he’d scraped off the bottom of his shoe, especially after what he termed her “crime spree” ten years ago. Still, they needed his help.

“We’ll be sure to pass your good wishes on to Mama,” Eve said.

The chief’s grin faded. “How is she, bless her heart?”

“She’s holding her own,” Sasha said. “She had a wonderful time at the party.”

“Good, good. Glad to hear it. So what brings you ladies downtown?”

“They want to see the file from their brother’s disappearance,” Officer Nick supplied.

The chief scratched his head. “Well, now, I remember my daddy talking about that case, God rest his soul. That was a long time ago. I’m sure those files are in the archives somewhere. Why would you want to see them now, after all this time?”

Eve and Sasha exchanged a quick glance.

“Call it family curiosity,” Sasha said, smiling. “That happened before our time, so we want to get a sense of the whole thing.”

“Well, the file won’t tell you much, I know that. It was a tragedy, pure and simple. Your mama went in the house, quick-like to get more wash, got distracted by a phone call, and when she came back out, the poor boy had drowned.”

“But they never found his body,” Sasha said.

“No, they sure didn’t. But it was the only thing that made sense. There were no strangers hanging around, never a trace of the boy found. He probably fell into the water and got washed out with the tide.”

“We appreciate the insight, Chief,” Eve said, “but we’d like to see the file just the same.”

“Sure, sure. Just fill out the—”

“Already done, Chief,” Officer Nick said.

“You told them it’ll take a while to get the file?”

“I did.”

The chief turned back to them. “So how long you girls staying in town?”

“Eve flies out tomorrow, but I’ll be here a while, helping out with the marina.”

The chief frowned. “I heard you’re a boat captain these days. Seems an odd job for a pretty gal like you.”

Sasha smiled through her teeth. “I enjoy it.”

“Well, good luck to both of you. Now if you’ll excuse me.” He didn’t wait for a response, just turned and headed down the hall.

“Miss Petrov, if you’ll give me a phone number where I can reach you, I’ll let you know when I get those files.”

Sasha ignored Eve as she said, “My cell phone died, so as soon as I get a new one, I’ll call you with the number. Until then, let me give you the number at my folks’ house.”

Then she mentally counted down as they walked out of the building and back to the car. Eve wouldn’t be able to resist.
Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five—

“What happened to your cell phone?”

Sasha thought of Pete and his hideous treatment of Bella and tried to shrug off her fury. “It went for an unplanned swim, and turns out it doesn’t like water.”

“Very funny. Why can’t you take care—”

“Don’t, Eve. I’ll get another phone, and yes, you’ll have the number. Stop harping, OK?”

Eve sighed. “Sorry. I just hate that you don’t think about your personal safety. What if something happens and you can’t call anyone? Wait a minute. Did you drive cross-country without a phone?” Her voice rose with every syllable.

“I did and look, I’m still alive and kicking. Stop, already. You’re making me crazy.”

“I’m sorry. But I worry. And with Mama sick and everything—”

“You need to back off. Seriously. You are not in charge of me—or anyone else, for that matter. And worrying is nothing but borrowing trouble. It will be what it will be.”