Death on a Vineyard Beach (35 page)

“How about the grab of your choice? The winner gets to grab the loser wherever he or she chooses. How about that?”

“You're on!”

“All right. You win, I lose. I admit defeat. I was lying about being brave. You're the bravest. Grab away.”

Zee looked up and down the street. “Right here?”

“Hey, you're the winner.”

“I'm not sure this is fair. You're wearing an awful lot of clothes…”

“I'll wait till we get home and I take some of them off,” I said. “And I guess I should warn you that I might grab back.”

“I think I've window-shopped enough for today,” said Zee, flexing her hands.

We headed for the Land Cruiser.

Early in January, Toni and Joe Begay arrived for supper. I was serving chowder, which I figured was just right for a cold winter's night.

While the women talked in the living room over mugs of mulled cider, Joe came into the kitchen, carrying a mug of his own.

“You know all that business about trading some Wampanoag land up on the Lobsterville side of Marcus's place for a cranberry bog and another little hunk of land Marcus owned down on the Squibnocket side?”

“Yeah. Luciano wouldn't have anything to do with it.”

“Well, it seems that Angela Marcus, who's gotten to be good friends with Bill, and maybe more, some say, what with Linda turning him down and all, has decided that she'll make the trade after all.”

I looked at Joe, and raised a brow. “No kidding. Well, that ought to make Linda Vanderbeck happy. Does this mean that someday you might not only have a shaman for a brother-in-law, but a mafioso widow for a sister-in-law?”

“These are exciting times,” said Begay. “Anything is possible.” He sipped his cider.

We could hear the women's voices in the living room. Suddenly Begay put up a hand.

“I do believe I just heard some mention of babies,” he said. “Do you think we should go in and get involved in the conversation?”

My heart made a little jump. “I think we should,” I said.

I took a quick taste of the chowder. Delish! Then Joe and I walked into the living room.