* * *

They went straight to the Inn where Kevin was still on his hands and knees doing penance with the lumber and the steel.

“Coffee time,” Earl said above the din.

Annie looked around. “Unless you have a few thermoses in the truck, we don’t have coffee here, do we?”

Neither man said, “No,” because they no doubt knew they didn’t.

“Doesn’t matter,” Earl said. “We’ll go down to the cottage.”

“We can’t,” Kevin said. “Donna’s there, remember?”

Earl nodded. “Yup. But she called the landline at the house half an hour ago. She was looking for you, Kevin. She said an awful lot of hammering was coming from the Inn, and she was worried about vandals. She wanted you to find out what the heck was going on. She also said she called your cell, but you didn’t answer.”

Kevin pulled the nail heads from his mouth again and said something that sounded a lot like, “Shit.”

“I suggested that she put the coffee on.” Earl turned to Annie. “You have cinnamon rolls?”

“In the freezer,” she replied, and the three of them journeyed down the short slope to the little cottage where who knew what awaited.

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

“This isn’t my business, so I shouldn’t be here,” Earl said once the four of them were seated at Annie’s kitchen table. “But I figure I’ll hear about it sooner or later, so I might as well save everyone the trouble.” He looked at Donna. “I’m sorry for your situation, Donna. What can we do to help?” They’d seen each other twice before when Donna had come to the island. Annie had been pleased that they’d seemed to get along.

Donna smiled. “I’m not sure I should have come, now that I’ve heard about the alarming new problem here.”

At least she hadn’t referred to it as Annie’s skull.

“Yup, well, it’s a wait-and-see game. As much as I hate to say it, we’re at the mercy of the folks in Boston now. But what about you? Are you going to stay here with us?”

“That’s up to the kids.”

The kids, of course, were fifty-two-year-old Annie and forty-three-year-old Kevin.

Annie cleared her throat. “Kevin and I think it’s best if none of us makes a decision for a week or two. We want you to settle in, Donna. See how you feel then. Who knows? Maybe you’ll hate recuperating here. But you’re the one who matters now. Not us.” There, she thought. Done. No further discussion needed.

“Sounds sensible,” Earl said.

“Sounds wonderful,” Donna said. “Thank you. Mostly I’m worn out from the treatments. But I’ll feel better soon. You’ll see.” She picked up half of a now-thawed cinnamon roll. “Now what are we going to do about your situation?”

“The ‘alarming’ one?” Kevin asked. At least his sense of humor had returned, albeit through sarcasm. “Like Earl said, it’s up in Boston. Out of the island’s jurisdiction. Or so the state cops told us.”