Page 83 of Trick of Light
The water taxi bumped against the float, narrowly missing another craft tied up right behind it. Fiona laughed from the deck and prepared to step off. “Hard to forget.”
The water taxi captain helped her off the boat as if she were a queen. She granted him a smile in thanks.
“So nice of you to meet me, Gabby. And so close to where we last met.” She gestured at the bullet-ridden lobster boat tied on the opposite side of the float. “I’m dying to know what I did to deserve this honor. Am I a ‘dirty rotten bastard’ now because of everything that happened? I suppose I deserve that.”
That didn’t sound like accountability to Gabby. That sound like flippancy.
“No, no.” Gabby laughed that off. “That’s not why I’m here. It’s something else, something from many many years ago.”
The captain handed Fiona her bags, a set of Louis Vuitton matching luggage that looked brand new. She must have gone shopping as soon as she left the jail. After plopping the suitcases onto the float, she handed the pilot a twenty-dollar bill for a tip. “This is quite possibly my last cash unless I can find a wealthy man to marry me,” she quipped to him. “At least if my family has its way, and the State of Maine, of course.”
“I don’t think anyone wants you out on the street,” Gabby murmured as she bent to pick up one of the bags, a rolling suitcase with a long handle.
The water taxi pulled away from the float and motored away.
“No one could handle that, especially the other people on the street.”
At least Fiona hadn’t lost her nihilistic sense of humor. Her gaze drifted to the dock above them and the people still milling around. “Oh lordy. I need a minute before I face those gossip ghouls up there.”
Perfect chance to spring an interrogation on her. “I get it. Don’t worry, I can run interference for you.”
“So kind. Until I remember that you had questions for me, which I do. Go ahead, since I’m trapped here until everyone clears out.”
“Well, I’m wondering about a boy you used to hang out with when you were fourteen or so.”
“Oh, Keith? What about him?”
Gabby paused, startled to get such a quick answer.
“Well, I guess, I mean, have you been in touch with him?”
“God no. I never heard from him again after—” She snapped her mouth shut.
“After what?”
“You know what, it turns out, I’d rather face the hordes than answer questions about the abortion I had when I was fourteen. Bye, Gabby. Thanks for the meet and greet.”
Picking up the other bag, she yanked the rolling suitcase from Gabby’s grip and stalked toward the ramp.
Openmouthed, Gabby watched her go. That sure was a twist she hadn’t seen coming.
A sound came from one of the boats tied to the float—the one just past the water taxi. Gabby ignored it, still focused on Fiona and the bombshell she’d just dropped. She watched Fiona stride on to the dock, everyone’s attention glued to her as she headed toward the freight shed.
Which was why she never saw it coming when a hand covered her mouth and a muscular arm squeezed her against a pudgy body. Before she knew what was happening, she was being hauled onto a boat. A chemical scent hit her nostrils and everything went hazy. The last thing she saw before the fog closed in was Fiona turning around just before stepping into the shed, her mouth falling open in pure shock.
35
Three texts to Gabby had now gone unanswered. Same with two phone calls.
That was definitely not like the constantly online Gabby. Something had gone wrong. Barnaby knew it. And once again, the damn Lightkeeper Inn was involved.
He floored the accelerator and raced across the sandbar road that led to the eastern end of the island. Normally, the sight of its rugged bluffs and the stately sprawling inn brought him a sense of awe. Today, all he wanted was to get there and find Gabby.
Instead, the first person he spotted was Fiona, who was climbing the slope from the dock—on foot, of all things, dragging her expensive suitcases across the lawn. The wind plastered her fluttery dress to her slim form. Maybe those suitcases were anchoring her to the ground, and she’d flit away like a butterfly without them.
She dropped her bags and waved her arms to flag him down. He jumped out of the truck and ran to her side. Resting her hands on her knees, she panted, “Keith. I saw him. He … took Gabby… somewhere.”
“What are you talking about?”
