He agreed that they didn’t look like a couple of guys enjoying the sunshine. He glanced at Di, who watched them closely as well. Soon, though, they were out of sight. She elbowed him in the side a moment later. “The boat is slowing and edging closer to the shoreline. Turn around, we need to see where they’re going ashore.”
“Okay. Give me a sec.” He slowed his speed, waiting for another boat loaded with teenagers zoom past. “I don’t want to make it too obvious.”
“I don’t want to lose them,” Di countered. She’d turned all the way around to watch the bow of the boat. Then she grabbed his arm. “I think they’re pulling up to the same pier.”
He swung the boat around in an arc to head back the way they’d come. He could see what she meant. “It would be funny to see the looks on their faces when they see the cops on the street.”
“We should have stayed back.” Di’s grip on his arm tightened. “Wait. They’re leaving! They didn’t even get off the boat! How much do you want to bet that one of their buddies put them on alert about the cops being camped out nearby?”
“I’m not taking that bet. I’m sure you’re right.” He pulled back on the throttle to slow down as the larger boat backed away from the pier. If he passed it again too soon, they might notice. After a moment the boat turned to head south.
He idled for a long moment, then glanced at her. “I don’t think following them is smart. They might recognize you and start shooting. Andrews might have a heart attack if he’s forced to show up to another crime scene.”
“He’s an idiot.” She sighed and nodded. “I think you’re right, though. We don’t want to tip our hand just yet. It’s enough to know that pier is the likely staging point for drugs coming into the city.”
She was making yet another assumption, but considering the way the men on the boat had bailed on going ashore, one he was inclined to agree with. “We’ll come back later tonight. Once it’s dark to watch without being seen.”
“I was hoping you’d say that.” Di’s smile lit up her face. “I’m sure one of those warehouses is the key to blowing this case wide open. All we need is a little proof. We’re close to uncovering the truth, Jarek. I can feel it.”
Only she would be excited about closing in on a drug bust. Even more so than the narcotics officers had appeared to be. Maybe she was right about Bond and Schnor being involved. That would explain a lot. “You have great instincts, Di. You noticed that boat before I did. You really should consider becoming a cop.”
Instantly, her smile vanished. “Nah, I like working for Grayson.” She turned to scan the shoreline. “It’s too bad the sun won’t set until late. We’ll have to kill a few hours before we can come back.”
He frowned, wondering what bothered her about becoming a cop. “A misdemeanor shoplifting record wouldn’t prevent you from joining the force. Just like it didn’t hold you back from joining the army. Especially not if the upper brass knew you were living on the streets at the time.”
“Not interested.” There was a definite edge to her tone. “Drop it, Jarhead. The only reason I understand how cops think is because of the way I was forced to avoid them while living on the streets. Besides, why do you care what I do with the rest of my life? As soon as we have Pedro Hernandez in custody, we’ll be free to go our separate ways.”
Jarhead? She hadn’t used his old nickname since their first unexpected meeting. He’d obviously hit a nerve. Too bad he didn’t understand her deep animosity toward his chosen career.
Had the cops she’d encountered while living on the streets given her a hard time? She’d indicated she’d done okay on her own, but there was obviously something holding her back. Or something that had caused her to intensely dislike law enforcement.
What bothered him the most, though, was the casual way she’d mentioned going their separate ways once they’d found the source of the danger.
Their brief kiss still burned in his memory. Unfortunately, it seemed as if Di had no intention of repeating their kiss.
Not now, not ever.
11
Di knew she’d overreacted to Jarek’s innocent comment about how she should become a cop. She needed to dial it back, or he’d suspect she’d done more than misdemeanor shoplifting. The urge to blurt out the truth was strong, and she wasn’t sure why her past was haunting her so much now when she’d successfully blocked it out for years.
Maybe it was partially because of Jarek’s belief that God sent His only Son to forgive their sins. She still didn’t know if really big sins—like breaking the Ten Commandments sins—were included. She caught herself eyeing the sky as Jarek turned around and headed back down the river to the boat rental shack. If there was a heavenly Father watching over them, she hoped He would protect Jarek’s career if this case didn’t go well. From a professional perspective, she didn’t have as much to lose as he did.
Personally? She was afraid she already cared about Jarek more than was healthy for her peace of mind. He’d gotten into her head, and maybe even into her heart, despite her efforts to keep him at arm’s length. She never should have acted on that impulse to kiss him. She could blame it on the forced proximity or the nonstop danger, but she hadn’t done anything that crazy while being deployed overseas. The danger had been far more intense in Afghanistan than it was here in Newburgh.
Enough already. She pushed the useless thoughts away and forced herself to search the faces of the boaters around them. Other than the vessel with the two Hispanic men they’d followed for a bit down the river, she didn’t notice anything suspicious.
Until she spotted a boat with the Liquid Gold Coffee and Tea logo. “Jarek, check that out.”
“I see it.” He turned the boat around to follow the vessel south. She held her breath, expecting the boat to pull ashore at the pier they’d spotted Cargo Shorts, but the boat simply kept going. Jarek must have read her thoughts because he added, “Commercial boats are required to offload their supplies on the port authority dock where the office is located. Not saying they couldn’t, but it would be against the law.”
“That would be a sign of illegal activity if they did,” she said, eyeing the boat.
But it soon became clear that wasn’t going to happen. When the boat sailed beyond the City of Newburgh, Jarek pulled back on the throttle on their rental. “We can’t follow it all the way to New York.”
“No, I guess not.” Especially not when their six-o’clock deadline was looming. She frowned. “Do you think the guys on the earlier boat will meet up with this one? Maybe long enough to transfer product from one boat to the next? If they did that, they could avoid the port authority, right?”
“Yeah, they could. Anything is possible.” He didn’t look convinced. “Or we’re making a big deal about the company owning a warehouse over nothing. They could be innocent.”
