Clam Wake (4 page)

“May I remind you that both our husbands took advantage of retirement at sixty-two?” Judith pointed out.

“True—and it galled me. But they're still earning, with Joe doing PI work and Bill seeing a few of his nutty patients. The only glitch is he nods off more often while they're unloading their problems on him.”

The ferry had docked. The disembarking foot passengers came off first, followed by a long double line of vehicles that included a school bus, a moving van, and a cement mixer.

Ten minutes later the cousins were aboard and on their way across the Sound. Renie immediately got out to search for popcorn on the second deck. Luckily, Judith had been able to pull into an outside lane where she could get a porthole view of the water. She felt the engines kick into high gear after they cleared the docking area. The only other vessel she could see was some kind of freighter heading south toward the city. Seagulls swooped and squawked as they circled the water for food. Or, she thought, waiting for Renie to appear on deck with her popcorn. Her cousin tended to be a messy eater.

Judith's attention was diverted by a man getting out of his SUV a couple of cars ahead of her. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him. He, too, headed toward the stairway that led to the upper deck.

Renie returned by the time the ferry had slowed as it approached the dock in the little town of Cliffton. “Wanthum?” she asked, thrusting the almost-empty paper bag at Judith.

“No thanks,” she replied, long ago having learned to understand her cousin when she talked with her mouth full. “Those six kernels might spoil my appetite for lunch.”

“Lun,” Renie said, emptying the bag. “Wheh?”

“At the Webers,” Judith said. “Didn't Auntie Vance tell you she had a ton of food waiting for us?”

Renie swallowed. “Yes, but I thought it might be fun to eat at the Chowder House up on the hill above the dock. It
is
twelve thirty.”

“We can go there for dinner if you really want to eat out.”

“No, we can't. The meeting's at seven. We'd be rushed.”

“Tomorrow night, maybe,” Judith offered.

“Okay. We could go into Langton instead. They have more restaurants. It's always fun to shop in their little stores and boutiques. I always like to go to the Sun Store, where they . . . hey, I know that guy,” Renie said, nodding at the man Judith had seen get out of his SUV. “That's . . . I forget.”

Judith nodded. “I thought I recognized him, but I don't remember his name.”

“Neither do I. It's Eddie or Edgar or something like that.”

“The only thing I remember about him is that he looked a little like my father,” Judith said. “Same height, same weight, glasses.”

Renie smiled. “Uncle Donald was better-looking.”

“True,” Judith agreed as the ferry bumped some of the pilings leading into the dock. “I suppose we should call on some of the people we actually know, like the Sedgewicks and the Friedmans. They should be able to tell us more about who's for and who's against this sewer line.”

“I can't figure out why anyone would be for it, especially if there are so many retirees living at Obsession Shores,” Renie said as the cars began to disembark. “Unless they're all rich, that's a pricey idea.”

“Well . . .” Judith turned the ignition key. “We had a septic tank at one of our seedy rentals in the Thurlow district. They can cause problems. We had our share even though Dan and I lived there less than a year before we got evicted.”

“How many times were you kicked out during your ill-fated union with Dan? I forget, if only because he was such a jackass that he never let any of us visit while you spent nineteen years in exile from the rest of the family. The only house I saw was when Bill and I came out the night Dan died and listened to the rats partying inside the walls.”

Judith didn't answer right away, waiting her turn to get off of the ferry. Her marriage to Dan McMonigle wasn't her favorite topic of conversation. She'd met him while she was already engaged to Joe. As a rookie cop, his first encounter with OD'ed teenagers had led to his own overdosing on Scotch in a nearby bar. The woman known to Judith as Herself—Vivian—had promptly hijacked Joe to Vegas. When Joe sobered up, he discovered he was married to the wrong woman. In what seemed like a gallant effort at the time, Dan offered to marry Judith despite the fact that she was carrying Joe's baby. It didn't take her long to realize that his chivalry had been motivated by his quest for a meal ticket. Dan had a severe allergy to work.

“We were evicted only three times,” Judith said as they followed the other vehicles up the hill and away from the dock. “Of course we actually lost the first house that we'd bought while Dan was still running The Meat & Mingle Café. You may recall he forgot he had to make regular mortgage payments. Not to mention that he got into trouble with the IRS after the café went under.”

“It all comes back to me now,” Renie murmured. “I have trouble remembering because I've spent so much time trying to forget what you went through all those years. I could only talk to you on the phone late at night after Dan went to sleep—or passed out.”

“Just as well,” Judith said. “Joe's marriage to Herself was equally miserable. She drank as much as Dan did. Still does, as far as I can tell, but at least now she guzzles in her Florida condo on the Gulf.”

“That's a safe distance.” Renie leaned forward in her seat. “Do you remember where we turn to get to Obsession Shores?”

Judith nodded. “I make a left and then another left. It's toward the south end of the island, but on the side with the western exposure.”

“Sounds right,” Renie agreed, rubbernecking along the winding road. “Wow. There's been a lot of building around here since I was on the island. Of course some people commute to the mainland.”

“We're on Worthless Bay Road,” Judith said. “I've never figured out why the native tribes called the bay worthless.”

“Maybe they were looking for gold,” Renie suggested. “Or couldn't get a permit for a floating casino.”

Judith darted an ironic glance at her cousin. “Good thing they didn't. You'd spend all your time gambling while we're up here.”

“I only go to a casino when Anne's in town and I can bond with my daughter. Or when Bill has a yen to play baccarat. Or when—”

“Stop,” Judith broke in. “I vividly recall your manic gambling mode when we all went to the Stillasnowamish Casino by the family cabins.”

“Oh, that.” Renie looked out the window. “I see the bay.”

Judith smiled. “I feel better already. It must be the saltwater air.”

“Oh? Interesting, given that you haven't rolled down the window or gotten out of the car since we left home. Or does the absence of rain improve your disposition?”

“You know the rain doesn't bother me. I'm a native, like you. Besides, the sky looks very gray and gloomy. I expect it'll rain before the day is out.”

“No doubt.” Renie leaned forward. “Slow down. There's the sign for Obsession Shores.”

“Got it.” Judith braked and hit her right-turn signal. “What the . . .” She frowned as she saw a sheet of paper that had been attached to the sign. “Am I crazy or is that a skull and crossbones?”

Renie gaped at the crudely drawn artwork. “It sure is. Gee, coz, you may be back in business.”

N
o!” Judith shrieked. “Did you forget I retired from sleuthing last fall? The only reason I got involved back then was because Joe wanted to solve it for Woody Price's sake. It was his partner's first unsolved homicide.”

“I know.” Renie scowled. “Why are you stopping?”

Judith smirked. “To read the small print under the skull and crossbones. ‘Say Nay to the Naysayers.' It's politics about the sewer vote.”

Renie leaned over to read the sign for herself. “That's a gruesome way to win voters.”

Judith released the brake, heading down the gentle hill above the beach. “This isn't some ritzy enclave,” she said. “These people are mostly blue-collar types like Uncle Vince, with a few upscale folks who like the setting and the proximity to the ferry.” She nodded to her right, where an older gray three-story house sat on the edge of the forest. “There's a height restriction to prevent blocking the view. Whoever owns that place wanted a bigger house and had to build away from the beach.”

“The home on this side is much newer,” Renie said. “Don't look or you'll hit the mailboxes. It's octagonal with lots of glass and stonework. Nice, really, if you like that sort of thing.”

“I'll take your artist's word for it until I can see for myself.” Judith took a left into the paved driveway that led to the Webers' garage. “I suppose Uncle Vince's little boat is down on the beach.”

“It's been beached as long as I can remember,” Renie said, collecting her purse from the car floor. “If there's even the slightest hint of a big wave or a whitecap, he insists it's too choppy out there.”

Judith undid her seat belt and opened the car door. “In all the years they've been up here, I think I've only been out in that boat once.”

Renie waited to comment until she'd grabbed her overnight bag and had gotten out of the Subaru. “That sounds about right. I got seasick, which probably heightened Uncle Vince's fear of going far enough out that he was no longer scraping bottom.”

“Auntie Vance insists the boat's not seaworthy,” Judith said as they started up the stairs leading to the house's main floor. She paused to sniff the air. “It does feel different, doesn't it?”

Renie nodded. “There's a saltwater tang to it. Fresh and yet sort of pungent. You got the key?”

Judith stared at Renie. “No. I thought Auntie Vance gave it to you. She was at your place after she left Hillside Manor.”

“She never mentioned a key to me.”

“Damn!” Judith scrutinized the twenty-foot-long deck where Renie was already making a search. “Any luck?” she asked.

Renie shook her head as she peered into various seashells, under the doormat, and between pieces of driftwood. “You're stuck relying on the lockpicking skills you honed while married to Dan.”

“I'm rusty,” Judith admitted, digging in her purse for an item that would trip the lock. “I haven't done this in ages, unlike when I had to open Dan's safe every week to see if there was money for food.”

“I've got my trusty nail scissors,” Renie volunteered.

“I can't seem to find anything that will do the job. Give me the . . .”

Renie turned the knob. The door opened. “Voilà!” she exclaimed.

Judith stared. “How'd you know it was open?”

“I didn't. But it never hurts to try.”

The cousins entered the big paneled room that served as kitchen, dining room, and living room. The house plan was simple: the master bedroom off the living room section, a half bath, and a hallway with a guest room at one end and the laundry room at the other. The main bath was in the middle. There was also a partial basement that was entered from the garage, but had no access from the main floor. The furnishings were comfortable and solid. Auntie Vance wasn't one for flash and dash. Uncle Vince could go to sleep anywhere.

Judith espied a note on the kitchen counter.
Hi, Idiots
, their aunt had scrawled.
We took off this morning at five and figured nobody would bother robbing us because we don't have anything worth taking, so we left the door unlocked. If we gave you two boobs a key, you'd probably lose it. Have fun and stay out of trouble. XXX OOO, Auntie Vance
.

“Typical,” Judith said, laughing. “I don't think I've ever heard of a break-in around here.”

“It's a small community,” Renie noted, setting her overnight case, tote bag, and purse on the floor. “Maybe fifty houses, and some aren't occupied all year. I never heard of a neighborhood watch, but they probably don't need one. Obsession Shores is off the beaten track.”

Judith gazed through the big window that faced Worthless Bay, the Sound, and the mountains over on the Peninsula. “From what I can tell, the tide's either almost in or starting to go back out.”

“Check the bulletin board,” Renie said, opening the fridge. “There should be a tide table there some place. Oh, wow! Auntie Vance made us her clam chowder. A green salad to go with it. Let's eat.”

Judith found the table in plain sight while Renie put a kettle on the stove to heat the chowder. “Low tide is at ten to two.”

“We can walk the beach later on,” Renie suggested, finding a box of crackers in the cupboard by the stove. “The tide won't come all the way in again until this evening. Of course, you'll want to start meeting and greeting the suspects. I mean,
neighbors
.”

“Don't say things like that,” Judith said sharply. “Are you looking for trouble?”

Renie shrugged. “We do have a way of finding it. Sometimes.”

“For once, let's not,” Judith said in her normal voice. “The last thing I want is a dead body to spoil my improving mood.”

Renie was putting bowls and silverware on the table in the dining area. “You're rarely in a funk. What set you off besides the normal postholiday blues? Joe? Your mother? Do you feel okay otherwise, aside from your artificial hip sometimes bothering you?”

Judith sat down, but waited for Renie to take her own place at the big pine table. “Well . . . physically, I feel okay. The last few days getting Joe ready for the trip have been hectic. I admit I was kind of jealous of him going off without me. Did it bother you to have Bill take such a big vacation while you stayed home?”

Renie shook her head. “Heck no. It's good for him to get away from me once in a while. Sometimes I drive him nuts and vice versa. You and Joe haven't been married for almost forty years. We have. I miss Bill, and I'll be glad when he gets back. An occasional break does us both good.” She glanced at the stove. “Let me get the chowder.”