Randall crashed over to the leeward side, adding more displacement to the beleaguered yacht.

Kate jumped down into the water-filled cabin and grabbed his arm. “Are you okay?”

“I hit my head…” He pushed against the window and got himself to his feet. “We’ve got to get out of here before she turtles.” Kate didn’t know what that meant, but she understood the urgency of his tone.

They raced up the companionway. To their right, the container ship had pulled forward and eastward, leaving a safe distance between them and the wake.

“Go back on the stern, Kate.” The yacht listed leeward, the bow pitching down at a concerning angle. Randall pulled her up onto the transom. They balanced on the very back of the cockpit, holding onto the lifeline. Randall put his arm around Kate.

Ahead, the tug nudged the ship’s stern. More crew members climbed into it, followed by the captain. She was about to hit the rocky shore of Eastern Passage. A helicopter kept a discreet distance overhead, watching the ship’s progress.

And if the UF6 containers breached, or the oil spilled, or any other maritime disaster occurred, Kate and Randall were within range of it.

Kate studied the choppy waters surrounding them. Her hand found Randall’s. “On the count of three!”

Randall pointed across the water. “Sorry to ruin your fun, but I can see the police.”

A police boat raced toward them, spray flying around its bow. Detective Ellis raised a hand in greeting. The boat slowed as it neared their yacht. Within minutes, Kate and Randall had transferred from the Ex Parte into the police boat. It quickly did a 180 and went into full throttle, away from the container ship.

Kate and Randall sat in the cockpit of the police boat. They were wet. The wind was surprisingly chilly, maybe because the harbor water was so cold. Randall put his arm around her.

“Would you like a blanket?” Detective Ellis held out a reflective blanket.

“Thank you.” Randall unfolded the blanket and wrapped it around Kate.

“We can share this, you know.” She unwrapped one end and tucked it around him. Two peas in a pod.

“How’s Matt doing?” she asked Detective Ellis. She felt Randall’s solid breadth next to her.

“He’s in surgery. Critical but stable condition.”

“And what about Joey?”

“He’s at the police station. We are holding him there until his arraignment.”

“You wouldn’t consider dropping the charges? He did surrender the laptop.”

Regret gleamed in Detective Ellis’s eyes. “You know I can’t do that, Ms. Lange. But I can provide a statement to the Crown when you negotiate his plea. It will be favorable.”

Kate nodded. The detective seemed like a reasonable guy. “And what about Leah Roberts? She was instrumental in averting a massive, national disaster.” She knew she had plied a little hyperbole, but she wanted to use whatever she could to help her client.