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I hadn’t realized Noah was in the shop this early until the sound of rollers started me as he slid out from underneath a car. He must’ve heard me come in, though I did my best to enter quietly.
“Morning, Sandy,” he uttered, his voice throwing a cold echo into the garage. I was never fond of that nickname he chose for me. “I must’ve missed you on your way out this morning. Early bird today, yeah?”
I shook my head. It would be difficult to get what I came for with him here. “Just here for some things.”
“Oh yeah?” He stood up, wiping his hands on a towel smudged with black hanging from his front pocket. “What are you working on?”
“It’s sort of personal.” I walked over to one of the toolboxes, rummaging through the parts bin for spark plugs, screwdrivers and sockets, and whatever else I could think we might need if something were to go wrong on that ancient engine.
“Well, you can’t just come in here taking all this stuff if you’re not gonna tell me. How am I supposed to explain to my uncle why all this crap’s missing when he gets back from his vacation?” He leaned over me, his elbow propped up on the toolbox.
“Tell him it was a bit of an emergency. Boat engine.”
“Pssshhh, what kind of boat emergency you got going on, Sandy?” He chuckled slyly.
“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you.”
“Bro I knew you were weird, but come on. This is a whole new level, even for you.”
“Katrina and I need to find something. Something far away.” I packed the tools and parts I’d gathered into my tool bag. Then headed to the oil shelves to find what I needed, despite the increasing difficulty to focus with Noah yapping in my ear.
“How far are we talking? You’re not planning on taking my grandpa’s old boat, are you?”
“Your grandpa?” I stopped with my hand just over the quart of oil I needed.
“Yeah, my grandpa sold her that boat. She told you about Russell, right?”
“Yes, but…” I tensed my brows as I made the connection. “Your Russell’s grandson?”
“Yeah, I am. So I know what an old shitbox that boat is. I don’t know how far you guys are going, but I wouldn’t be taking that if the word ‘far’ means what I think it means.”
“Trust me, I know,” I sighed. “But Katrina is determined. And honestly if we don’t make this trip, something bad could happen.”
“Believe me, I get it. I know these chicks can make a lot of bad things happen when we don’t do what they want.”
I couldn’t help but smirk. “I know it’s crazy, but we have to do this. I can’t exactly explain why. But trust me.”
“Okay well, I feel really guilty about turning a blind eye while you guys commit suicide.”
Just then I turned around, still chuckling at Noah’s typical uptight tone. A picture on the garage wall caught my eye, surrounded by other framed images I’d seen dozens of times now. But this was the moment an idea began to form. My eyes focused on the picture of Rob standing on his motorsailer with a massive swordfish in hand. “Is that your uncle’s boat?” I asked over my shoulder.
“The big sailboat? Oh yeah, he bought it just a couple of years back and—” He stopped as though he’d sucked his words down mid-sentence. “Why?”
“No reason.”
“I don’t like what you’re thinking.”
“How do you know what I’m thinking?” I turned around, heading toward the office of the shop with the tool bag slung over my shoulder.
“Because I’m not an idiot,” Noah snapped as he trailed behind me with nervous steps. “He doesn’t keep his keys in there.”
So that’s exactly where he keeps them.
I opened the door without looking back, but I could sense Noah’s presence behind me.
“Calm down,” I said, carefully scanning the office. If Rob was anything like Valdez, those keys would be in the back of a drawer locked in a box of some sort. “I’m only leaving a note of the things I’m taking. He can take whatever the cost is out of my pay.”
“Man, I don’t believe that. You’re freaking me out.” He crossed his arms as he stood in the doorway protectively. I quickly used my fingers to slide the pen on the desk up into my sleeve. Then I began rummaging through the drawers.
