BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

Gradually she got accustomed to the Pathfinder’s pace, bending her knees to absorb the shocks of the teeth-jolting ride. The sun was starting to dip toward the horizon, and the late-winter sky was streaked with gradations of orange and purple and blue.

Joe nudged her in the side and pointed off to the boat’s port side. “Dolphins!”

A pair of the sleek curved-back creatures dove in and out of the waves beside them, seemingly racing to keep pace with the boat. Letty watched, entranced, wishing that Maya could have seen them, too.

He must have read her mind. He leaned in close to be heard over the din of the engine. “When this is all over, we’ll bring Maya out dolphin-watching. Okay?”

She nodded.

The boat thudded and rocked, the wind howled, and waves slapped at the bow. Finally, Joe pulled the throttle back and the Pathfinder slowed and then stopped.

“This is the ship channel,” he said. “It’s ninety feet deep here. Perfect place to bury a body.”

Letty turned and saw Vikki, leaning over the back of the boat, hurling her guts into the swirling green water.

“Aaaarggghhhh.” The FBI agent straightened and sank down onto the bench, wiping her mouth with the hem of her windbreaker.

“Are you okay?” Letty asked, sitting beside her.

“No,” Vikki said, closing her eyes. “I will never be okay until this voyage of the damned is over.”

Joe reached into the cooler at his feet and handed over a bottle of water. “Here. Take a sip. Slowly.” He pulled a small foil packet from a compartment in the console. “You want a Dramamine? You didn’t tell me you get seasick.”

“You didn’t tell me we were heading out to sea in gale-force winds,” Vikki shot back. “If I’d wanted a roller-coaster ride I’d have gone to the county fair and ordered a corn dog. Now give me the damned Dramamine and let’s get this done.”

He pointed to the sandy, tree-lined shoreline in the distance. “This ain’t out to sea. That’s Egmont Key right there. But whatever.”

He went to the Pathfinder’s stern and lowered one anchor, then climbed onto the bow and dropped a second.

When he returned to the two women he was carrying a lidded plastic five-gallon bucket and a third anchor attached to a long length of chain.

He lightly touched Letty’s arm. “Vikki’s right. Let’s get this over with. Ready?”

She swallowed hard and rose unsteadily to her feet. “Yeah. Just tell me what to do.”

“Come on up to the bow with me. I’ll get you posed, and then Hill, once you’re done tossing your cookies, you can play photographer.”

Joe hefted the lidded bucket onto the bow, alongside the third anchor, which was attached to a long length of chain.