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Willa’s first thought was that the girl must be roasting in this heat dressed like that. She had a bored, annoyed expression as she ignored Odell’s offer of a hand out and agilely stepped to the dock.
“You have got to be kidding,” the teenager said as she looked toward the villa with disdain.
Meanwhile, the redhead smiled up at Odell as she took his hand and awkwardly stepped from the boat. The redhead stumbled into Odell. He caught her, his arms coming around her waist to steady her.
Willa rolled her eyes. The woman couldn’t have been more obvious if she tried. And Odell… What a chivalrous guy, Willa thought, watching the little scene. First he’d rescued Willa last night. Or so he’d said. And now he was playing knight in armor to what appeared to be their new neighbor, if the three matching red suitcases were any indication.
The breeze picked up a few notes from an old classic song and Willa turned to glance back at the deteriorated Spanish villa. On the third floor, the elderly woman looked out, then the curtain fall back into place. Willa would bet the woman smelled of gardenias.
“Odell Grady,” she heard Mr. Chivalrous say to the redhead. “Welcome to Cape Diablo.”
The woman gave him a demure nod as she stepped out of his arms, but not far. “Henrietta LaFrance, but my friends all call me Henri.” She favored Willa with a glance.
“This is Cara,” Odell said. “Or do you prefer Willie?”
Henrietta cocked her head. “You look more like a Willie not a Cara.”
So she’d heard. “Willie is fine.” She knew she would never remember to answer to Cara anyway and now wished she hadn’t mentioned the other name.
Odell hurried to tie up the boat and help unload all of the supplies, including the three large red suitcases and two large army-green duffel bags that apparently belonged to Goth Girl.
Mother and daughter? Henri didn’t look like the mother type. Nor had Willa seen the two women exchange even a look, let alone a word. So did this mean that they had come out to rent the remaining two apartments?
It seemed odd that when Willa had called, all the apartments had been vacant and now were rented. Maybe that was normal. Still, it made her a little anxious. At least the two new renters were women, though Willa couldn’t imagine what had brought either of them to Cape Diablo. Henri looked like a woman who would have been happier at Club Med. And Goth Girl didn’t look like she’d be happy anywhere.
“I’ll get that,” Odell said when Willa reached for the box of supplies with her apartment number on it.
“I’ve got it.” She softened her words. “Thanks, but it’s not heavy. Anyway, Henrietta needs your help more than I do.”
“Henri,” the redhead corrected. “Thanks,” she said as Odell attempted to carry all three of her heavy suitcases. Henri took the smaller one from him and they started toward the villa.
Goth Girl made a face at their backs, slung a duffel bag strap over each shoulder and followed at a distance.
Bull was watching Henri walk away. He hadn’t said a word but what he was thinking was all too evident in his expression, especially the slack jaw.
“Is this customary?” she asked him.
He looked up at her as if seeing her for the first time. “What?”
“This many tenants.”
He frowned. “People come and go. Right now they’re all coming. Don’t understand the attraction, though,” he said, glancing toward the old villa. “That one won’t stay long,” he said, no doubt meaning the redhead. “Few do. Nothing to do here even if the place wasn’t cursed.”
“Cursed?” she asked, curious if he would tell her something different from what Odell had.
He didn’t bother to look at her. “You really don’t know? Ask Odell. He’s writing a book about the place.”
She frowned. That might explain then why he knew so much about Cape Diablo and the Santiago family.
Willa forced Bull to redirect his attention for a few minutes as she paid for her supplies and placed her order for the next week.
“How was your first night on the island?” Bull asked, shading his eyes to study her.
“Fine,” she said a little too quickly.
He chuckled and pocketed her money and her list for next week’s supplies. “I guess those dark circles under your eyes could be from staying up all night with Odell.” He chuckled at his own joke. “He doesn’t seem your type, though.”
What did that mean?
