Just over the horizon, Mara Philippi stood on the deck of a yacht, and caught her breath in surprise and pleasure. “Look, Owen.” She spoke toward the chair at the stern. “They’re welcoming us to Isla Paraíso! How unexpected—and charming.”

14

Olympia delivered her usual English country house breakfast to the dining room: bacon, sausages, eggs prepared two ways, wheat toast, white toast, French toast, a bowl of oranges from Jamie’s orchard. Kellen thought how lovely it felt to be waited on in such palatial splendor.

Unfortunately, after she placed the dishes on the table, Olympia didn’t leave. Instead she stood, stern and sour-faced, hands wrapped in her apron.

Max was reading his backlog of wine studies and paying no attention. Rae was eating a little of everything. Which left Kellen to ask, “What’s up, Olympia?”

“There are rodents in the kitchen.”

That got Max’s attention. He lifted his head and stared, transfixed, at their cook.

“Some large thing has been in the pantry, moving things around, polishing off the leftovers of yesterday’s cake.” Olympia looked sternly at Rae, who was still eating French toast and bacon with total concentration.

“You don’t think… You’re not saying that she…” Kellen was shocked.

“I’m not saying anything.” Olympia changed her attention to Max. “Men are notorious for thinking they can barge in and grab anything they want.”

Max’s expression didn’t change—which showed a lot of control on his part.

“I assure you, I sleep with Max and he does not get up in the middle of the night and disappear to eat cake.” Kellen’s tone was gentle; her expression was as forbidding as Olympia’s.

“Of course not. I meant that Dylan person. He has the keys to the house. He always smells as if he’s been smoking marijuana.” Olympia pronounced each syllable. “And the list of goods Mrs. Conkle compiles never matches what’s in the basket. I assume he’s been eating all the way up here. I wouldn’t be surprised to find a raw chicken gone someday.”

It was sort of funny, but not.

Rae was paying attention now, watching the scene with her brow furrowed.

Max said, “We’re not in any position to change locks out here.”

“Send to the mainland,” Olympia said.

“I told you when we came here we wouldn’t be making contact except in the matter of life and death.” Which was not strictly true, considering Max’s weekly radio call to get a report on Mara, but Olympia didn’t know that and Max sounded implacable. “I’ll look for a bicycle lock in the garage. If I find one, I’ll attach it to the pantry door. In the meantime, why don’t you secret anything attractive like cake or cookies in a cupboard known only to you?”

“Humph!” Olympia banged her way back into the kitchen.