The twin clapped a hand over his ear and backed toward the stairs slowly. “I’m going to take pleasure in making you regret that,” he said.

“Don’t walk, run!” she shouted at him. He turned and started down the stairs, looking back at her over his shoulder. Beyond him, the other twin was starting up the stairs. She kicked the nearest one hard in the ass; he lost his footing and tumbled down the stairs on top of his brother, the two of them ending up in a heap.

She took a step on the stairs. “I’m sorry I missed,” she said. “I’ll try to do better this time.” She fired another at the floor to one side of them. They were scrambling to get out of the house now.

She followed them down the stairs and to the door, her pistol held out in front of her. The two leapt into a pickup truck and reversed up the driveway, leaving a rosebush in distress.

Primmy slammed the door and ran upstairs, holstering the weapon. She went to the safe and got a box of ammunition and a spare magazine, tossed them into her suitcase with her underwear, grabbed the case, and pushed it down the stairs ahead of her. She let herself out, locked up the house, set the alarm system, tossed her bag into the trunk with the first, got into the car, and drove back to Stone’s house, doing her best not to drive faster than the speed limit. She didn’t want to have to explain all this to the single state trooper on the island.

Stone let her in. “You’re all flushed,” he said. “What happened?”

“I’ll tell you when my bags are safe inside,” she said, heading for the bar, everyone staring at her. By the time Stone got the cases upstairs she has halfway through a large Scotch, no ice.

“All right,” Stone said, pouring her another. “Tell me what happened.”

“I took a shot at a twin,” she said. “I don’t suppose it matters which one.”

“Did you hit him?”

“Sort of. I was aiming past him, but I guess I was in a hurry or, maybe, he moved. I nicked his ear.”

“How did he react to that?”

“He was displeased,” she said. “His brother tried to help, but I fired another round to discourage them, and they got out. So did I, as fast as I could.”

“Well done,” Stone said, and the others gave her a round of applause.

20

They were just finishing their drinks before dinner when they heard the rumble of the construction caravan pass, apparently on its way to the ferry.

Stone glanced at his watch. “They put in a long day,” he noted.

“I wonder why they didn’t leave the equipment and just take the bus onto the ferry,” Lance said.