Page 106 of Fish Out of Water

“Well, she would know. I swear, that girl gets gossip faster than anyone else here.”

“Yeah, yeah, but what about Robbie? Is he still gonna go through with buying the house now that he’s out of a job again?”

“I imagine he will, unless he wants to leave.”

“He won’t leave. If he couldn’t do it before, nothing could make him now.”

Isabel glanced outside. The rain had started again. When she looked back at Jake, she was wearing a funny expression. “Mier,” she said simply.

“Huh?”

“What if it has to do with Mier?”

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it?” Isabel sighed and moved to the couch, patting the spot next to her. “I have a story I want to tell you about this place, Jake, and I want you to listen to the whole thing.”

Jake groaned, but he joined her without protest. If Isabel said it was time for a story, then he could damn well sit there and listen for a few minutes.

27

STORYTIME

“Back when Marcus and I were still new in town, right after we had moved in,” Isabel began, “we were invited to a party at the old Eaton Manor.”

“I know,” Jake said. “You told me about that.”

“Yes, but the reason Robert Sr. held the party and invited so many people was for a fundraiser—the Young Entrepreneurs Foundation, I believe it was called then. Yes, that was it. They raised money for scholarships that went to youth who wanted to start their own businesses.”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“Let me finish the story, Jake.”

“Sorry.”

“Well, these brothers from Eventide won the very first scholarship that we had all raised money for. They built a gas station in Eventide along with a convenience store. It was really quite nice, actually, until there was a large gas spill. After that, there was a week-long rain and windstorm that tore the gas station apart and, rather surprisingly, did not affect any other buildings permanently.”

“You mean Eaton Gas and Groceries?”

“Yes, dear, that’s exactly the place. Senior bought it out after the storm and renovated it to turn it into a proper grocery store. He took full advantage of those scholarship winners, and though he paid handsomely for their business, it was all in the name of furthering the Eaton legacy. Everyone knew it back then, and most people still believe that now.”

“That’s shitty of him.”

“That’s the Eaton family business. Anyway, several years later, once the YEF was well established—thanks to the townsfolk in large part—they gave out a handful of special scholarships for technologically minded young people. One of the receivers started up a business in the… something industry. I’m not really sure exactly what he did, but if I remember his name, you could look him up and figure it out.”

“Like a tech startup?”

“Exactly. It grew big fast, and its headquarters were in Grayland. They ran it into the ground about five years later, but it left a big mess to clean for Grayland, and it put many people’s water supply in jeopardy. The sea is more delicate than we give allowances for. When something endangers it, it lets us know.”

“Yeah, I know.” Jake sighed. “I spent enough time on the beach picking up candy wrappers and used condoms to figure that out.”

“Do you know why so much refuse continues to wash up on our shores to this day?”

“I’m guessing it has something to do with the Eatons.”

“We used to have a lumber mill here—before even the Eatons were established. When the first Robert was old enough, he got a job working there.”

“Were they not rich then?” Jake asked.