“But I thought you guys are supposed to be working. Are you allowed to have dates?”

“Technically? No. But when Skip happens to know who’s giving the party, he makes sure people like you and Donna get invited. Don’t worry. We’ll just tell everyone you’re part of the Beach Patrol.”

“Sounds like a bad sitcom,” Kelsey laughed. She loved hearing Justin laugh, too—loved the easy way it came out, bringing new lights to his blue eyes. Hearing him laugh like that, she could almost believe that everything was all right…

“By the way, Dad and your mom took off for the mainland.” Justin’s eyes scanned the ocean as they walked. “She said she forgot to tell you.” He put his hands on her shoulders and smiled down at her. “Well, this is where I get off. You coming to the beach later?”

Kelsey answered evasively. “I don’t know. I may stop in the village for a while…do some shopping.”

“I give free lessons,” Justin reminded her. There was teasing behind his innocent expression, and Kelsey punched him lightly on the chest.

“In what?”

“Why, swimming, of course!” Justin looked askance. “What were you thinking of?”

Kelsey could still feel him—the gentle pressure of his hands upon her shoulders, his chin softly brushing her forehead—all the way up the beach she could still feel him, and it warmed her all over. She kept walking, thinking of his smile, his soft-spoken voice, his laugh, until she suddenly realized she had reached the end of the beach.

For one disoriented moment Kelsey stood there. Off to her right lay the ocean, to her left a clutter of bars and shops. In the distance she could see the mainland, and straight ahead of her the ferry landing. Kelsey dropped her eyes to the boats docked just below where she was standing. She smiled, sniffing the air—the salt and fish and old, wet wood—and felt her smile freeze upon her lips;

Isaac was coming out of a houseboat.

He didn’t see her standing just above him, gazing down with a look of fear. He limped across the pier and gestured to another old man who seemed to be waiting for him, and together they climbed into an open boat, and putted away

Without thinking, Kelsey went down the first flight of steps she came to, walking out onto a narrow wooden ramp that paralleled the larger pier up above. She went slowly, keeping her eyes on that boat pulling away, watching as it went around the curve of the beach and disappeared. Her heart was pounding.

She was standing right beside Isaac’s houseboat.

There didn’t seem to be anyone else around—not anyone or anything—save for the bad smell that hung in the air. A graveyard, Kelsey thought suddenly, a graveyard for stinking, forgotten, old, old things… Swallowing hard, she swung herself up onto Isaac’s deck, then ducked down again quickly, through the hatch, praying that nobody had stayed behind to wait for him.

The place was a pigsty. Kelsey pressed her sleeve against her nose, holding her breath. Moldy food lay everywhere. There was a rumpled cot with a filthy sheet that looked like it had never been changed. Empty liquor bottles covered the greasy floor, the lingering odor of whiskey mingling with the stink of stale urine and sweat. You must be crazy, coming here…you must be out of your mind…suppose he comes back…suppose he saw you and right now he’s creeping up on deck…