Fowl Prey (24 page)

“A De Rosario grandkid from around the corner. Clarence is fairly self-sufficient. He puts himself to bed at night, you know.”

“Very clever of him,” Judith allowed for the sake of peace while she maneuvered into a steady stream of northbound traffic.

The cousins both were silent until they reached the freeway. Judith had thought it best to allow time for Renie to regain complete consciousness. Otherwise, they might get into an argument that would set the trip off on a wrong note.

It was Renie who finally spoke while Judith maneuvered around heavy northbound traffic. “I'm not sure I understood the issue with the homeowners at Obsession Shores. Is it a vote on whether or not to put in a sewer system instead of septic tanks?”

“That sounds right to me,” Judith agreed. “Of course there are probably some personality clashes involved.”

“We've met some of the neighbors over the years,” Renie said. “Dick and Jane Sedgewick come to mind. Did Auntie Vance mention them?”

“No. Maybe they're part of the snow-bird group that goes to California or Arizona this time of year. Oh—the Friedmans. Sarah and Mel, right? They live close to the beach.”

“Yes, cute gabled cottage.” Renie didn't speak again until they'd passed the city limits. “I'm trying to remember the name of that couple Auntie Vance didn't like. They live across the road and always shoo the deer over to her garden to nibble on the rosebushes.”

Judith nodded. “The Leonettis. I don't know if I ever heard their first names. Auntie Vance always called them something unprintable.”

“She calls a lot of people names like that,” Renie said, “including most of us in the family. At least we know she loves us. In the Leonettis' case, venom is in her voice.”

“The Bennetts,” Judith blurted. “That name just came back to me. They started out as summer people, but moved to the island when he retired. I don't remember much about them except that they lived directly below Auntie Vance and Uncle Vince.”

Renie grew thoughtful. “He owned his own company. For some reason, I remember that. What was it ... ?” She finally shook her head. “Some kind of manufacturing, but I don't recall what they made.”

“Trouble?” Judith said.

“I hope not. Once we cast our votes tonight, I assume we
could
head home tomorrow.”

Judith glanced at Renie. “Do you really want to do that? I'd like to stay through the weekend. It's been three years since Joe and I took Mike and his family to the island. The grandkids loved it. Besides, I figure Auntie Vance will want a full report of reactions to the voting results and the meeting itself.”

“Probably,” Renie agreed. “If we do that, we should wait to go back Monday morning. Ferry traffic Sunday night can be ugly. It's a short crossing, but they don't have superferrys on the route.”

Judith signaled for the turn off the freeway that would lead them to the dock. “We might as well stay in the car,” she said.

“Not me. I'm going up to get popcorn. I'm hungry.”

“Fine.”

They lapsed into silence until they were in the lane that led to the terminal. They noticed a security officer with a sniffer dog going from car to car, a precaution that had begun after the tragic events of 9/11. Man and dog passed by them with only a glance. And presumably a sniff.

A ferry was heading into the dock. Judith surveyed the half-dozen lanes of vehicles waiting to go aboard. “We're lucky. We'll make this one.”

“It's not yet noon,” Renie remarked, checking her watch. “The rush will be on a little later. You sure you got the right senior fare for us?”

“How could I get the wrong one?”

“Just asking. If I'm getting old, I want my perks.”

“It isn't as if there are two different rates for seniors. You expect 'old' and 'really old'?”

“As a matter of fact,” Renie said, “I suspect that'll happen the way people are living so long. You do realize that there are now two generations of so-called seniors. Everybody fusses about the baby boomers gobbling up all the Social Security. They should work longer.”

“What about young people looking for jobs?” Judith asked in a reasonable voice.

“Most of them don't know what they want to major in, assuming they're going to college. Why not a one- or two-year public-service requirement for both sexes? Why doesn't anybody except me have good ideas?”

“May I remind you that both our husbands took advantage of retirement at sixty-two?” Judith pointed out.

“True—and it galled me. But they're still earning, with Joe doing PI work and Bill seeing a few of his nutty patients. The only glitch is he nods off more often while they're unloading their problems on him.”

The ferry had docked. The disembarking foot passengers came off first, followed by a long double line of vehicles that included a school bus, a moving van, and a cement mixer.

Ten minutes later the cousins were aboard and on their way across the Sound. Renie immediately got out to search for popcorn on the second deck. Luckily, Judith had been able to pull into an outside lane where she could get a porthole view of the water. She felt the engines kick into high gear after they cleared the docking area. The only other vessel she could see was some kind of freighter heading south toward the city. Seagulls swooped and squawked as they circled the water for food. Or, she thought, waiting for Renie to appear on deck with her popcorn. Her cousin tended to be a messy eater.

Judith's attention was diverted by a man getting out of his SUV a couple of cars ahead of her. He looked familiar, but she couldn't place him. He, too, headed toward the stairway that led to the upper deck.

Renie returned by the time the ferry had slowed as it approached the dock in the little town of Cliffton. “Wanthum?” she asked, thrusting the almost-empty paper bag at Judith.

“No thanks,” she replied, long ago having learned to understand her cousin when she talked with her mouth full. “Those six kernels might spoil my appetite for lunch.”

“Lun,” Renie said, emptying the bag. “Wheh?”

“At the Webers,” Judith said. “Didn't Auntie Vance tell you she had a ton of food waiting for us?”

Renie swallowed. “Yes, but I thought it might be fun to eat at the Chowder House up on the hill above the dock. It
is
twelve thirty.”

“We can go there for dinner if you really want to eat out.”

“No, we can't. The meeting's at seven. We'd be rushed.”

“Tomorrow night, maybe,” Judith offered.

“Okay. We could go into Langton instead. They have more restaurants. It's always fun to shop in their little stores and boutiques. I always like to go to the Sun Store, where they ... hey, I know that guy,” Renie said, nodding at the man Judith had seen get out of his SUV. “That's ... I forget.”

Judith nodded. “I thought I recognized him, but I don't remember his name.”

“Neither do I. It's Eddie or Edgar or something like that.”

“The only thing I remember about him is that he looked a little like my father,” Judith said. “Same height, same weight, glasses.”

Renie smiled. “Uncle Donald was better-looking.”

“True,” Judith agreed as the ferry bumped some of the pilings leading into the dock. “I suppose we should call on some of the people we actually know, like the Sedgewicks and the Friedmans. They should be able to tell us more about who's for and who's against this sewer line.”

“I can't figure out why anyone would be for it, especially if there are so many retirees living at Obsession Shores,” Renie said as the cars began to disembark. “Unless they're all rich, that's a pricey idea.”

“Well ...” Judith turned the ignition key. “We had a septic tank at one of our seedy rentals in the Thurlow district. They can cause problems. We had our share even though Dan and I lived there less than a year before we got evicted.”

“How many times were you kicked out during your ill-fated union with Dan? I forget, if only because he was such a jackass that he never let any of us visit while you spent nineteen years in exile from the rest of the family. The only house I saw was when Bill and I came out the night Dan died and listened to the rats partying inside the walls.”

Judith didn't answer right away, waiting her turn to get off of the ferry. Her marriage to Dan McMonigle wasn't her favorite topic of conversation. She'd met him while she was already engaged to Joe. As a rookie cop, his first encounter with OD'ed tenagers had led to his own overdosing on Scotch in a nearby bar. The woman known to Judith as Herself—Vivian—had promptly hijacked Joe to Vegas. When Joe sobered up, he discovered he was married to the wrong woman. In what seemed like a gallant effort at the time, Dan offered to marry Judith despite the fact that she was carrying Joe's baby. It didn't take her long to realize that his chivalry had been motivated by his quest for a meal ticket. Dan had a severe allergy to work.

“We were evicted only three times,” Judith said as they followed the other vehicles up the hill and away from the dock. “Of course we actually lost the first house that we'd bought while Dan was still running The Meat & Mingle Café. You may recall he forgot he had to make regular mortgage payments. Not to mention that he got into trouble with the IRS after the café went under.”

“It all comes back to me now,” Renie murmured. “I have trouble remembering because I've spent so much time trying to forget what you went through all those years. I could only talk to you on the phone late at night after Dan went to sleep—or passed out.”

“Just as well,” Judith said. “Joe's marriage to Herself was equally miserable. She drank as much as Dan did. Still does, as far as I can tell, but at least now she guzzles in her Florida condo on the Gulf.”

“Just as well.” Renie leaned forward in her seat. “Do you remember where we turn to get to Obsession Shores?”

Judith nodded. “I make a left and then another left. It's toward the south end of the island, but on the side with the western exposure.”

“That sounds right,” Renie agreed, rubbernecking along the winding road. “Wow. There's been a lot of building around here since I was on the island. Of course some people commute to the mainland.”

“We're on Worthless Bay Road,” Judith said. “I've never figured out why the native tribes called the bay worthless.”

“Maybe they were looking for gold,” Renie suggested. “Or couldn't get a permit for a floating casino.”

Judith darted an ironic glance at her cousin. “Good thing they didn't. You'd spend all your time gambling while we're up here.”

“I only go to a casino when Anne's in town and I can bond with my daughter. Or when Bill has a yen to play baccarat. Or when—”

“Stop,” Judith broke in. “I vividly recall your manic gambling mode when we all went to the Stillasnowamish Casino by the family cabins.”

“Oh, that.” Renie looked out the window. “I see the bay.”

Judith smiled. “I feel better already. It must be the saltwater air.”

“Oh? Interesting, given that you haven't rolled down the window or gotten out of the car since we left home. Or does the absence of rain improve your disposition?”

“You know the rain doesn't bother me. I'm a native, like you. Besides, the sky looks very gray and gloomy. I expect it'll rain before the day is out.”

“No doubt.” Renie leaned forward. “Slow down. There's the sign for Obsession Shores.”

“Got it.” Judith braked and hit her right-turn signal. “What the ...” She frowned as she saw a sheet of paper that had been attached to the sign. “Am I crazy or is that a skull and crossbones?”

Renie gaped at the crudely drawn artwork. “It sure is. Gee, coz, you may be back in business.”

“No!” Judith shrieked. “Did you forget I retired from sleuthing last fall? The only reason I got involved back then was because Joe wanted to solve it for Woody's sake. It was his partner's first unsolved homicide.”

“I know.” Renie scowled. “Why are you stopping?”

Judith smirked. “To read the small print under the skull and crossbones. 'Say Nay to the Naysayers.' It's politics about the sewer vote.”

Renie leaned over to read the sign for herself. “That's a gruesome way to win voters.”

Judith released the brake, heading down the gentle hill above the beach. “This isn't some ritzy enclave,” she said. “These people are mostly blue-collar types like Uncle Vince, with a few upscale folks who like the setting and the proximity to the ferry.” She nodded to her right, where an older gray three-story house sat on the edge of the forest. “There's a height restriction to prevent blocking the view. Whoever owns that place wanted a bigger house and had to build away from the beach.”

“The home on this side is much newer,” Renie said. “Don't look or you'll hit the mailboxes. It's octagonal with lots of glass and stonework. Nice, really, if you like that sort of thing.”

“I'll take your artist's word for it until I can see for myself.” Judith took a left into the paved driveway that led to the Webers' garage. “I suppose Uncle Vince's little boat is down on the beach.”

“It's been beached as long as I can remember,” Renie said, collecting her purse from the car floor. “If there's even the slightest hint of a big wave or a whitecap, he insists it's too choppy out there.”

Judith undid her seat belt and opened the car door. “In all the years they've been up here, I think I've only been out in that boat once.”

Renie waited to comment until she'd grabbed her overnight bag and had gotten out of the Subaru. “That sounds about right. I got seasick, which probably heightened Uncle Vince's fear of going far enough out that he was no longer scraping bottom.”