in
the front, in that bedroom?”
“ She only had the boat for a few days.
Did you say Nicole sort of won Snapdragon ?”
“ No, she obtained it as collateral for
an unpaid loan. If she’s lending money to others, you can hardly
claim she was unable to refund your expenses.”
“ Hey, if I loaned somebody big bucks,
I’d be broke too.”
Kaye did the big-sister snort. “Let’s get
busy. I’ll help you clean up.”
I couldn’t turn down that offer. I pulled
out two large trash bags and headed for the forward cabin. “I’ve
got to do something about my title. Hide it somewhere.”
Kaye took one of the bags. “Tomorrow, I’ll
pick you up early. Since it’s Saturday, the bank will only be open
until two. You need insurance and a safe-deposit box for the title.
And then you can help me.”
I plowed through a pile of crushed Pepsi
cans. “Nope. Wes will be here.”
“ Wes?”
“ You know. The marina manager. He told
us about Pop. He’s so eager to get rid of me, he put me on the top
of his list for repairs.”
Kaye picked up one can with two fingers,
stared at it from all sides. “Excuse me? The boat needs
repairs?”
I snatched the can, dumped it into my bag.
“A check-up, really. Like an auto tune-up. Wes is coming tomorrow,
six sharp. I’m the designated gofer.”
Kaye picked up another empty can. “I don’t
suppose you had a neat pile of crushed cans. Did the intruder bring
them?”
“ They were in a trash bag inside the
deck box, waiting for a few more discards before I hauled them up
to the recycling bin behind the office.”
“ Just a guess. Your intruder didn’t
find what he wanted, so he showed his displeasure by dumping the
cans inside,” Kaye said.
“ Gee thanks. Does that mean he’ll be
back?”
“ No. He’ll look elsewhere. Actually, I
need your help tomorrow. We’ll still have time. We’ll do the bank
and your insurance first. Will you be through by ten?”
Why was my sister so eager to help clear the
aftermath of the robbery? Simple. She had some secret agenda. But
she had offered a ride to the bank. And I really needed that
insurance. “Not sure. I’ll call you when Wes leaves. Might take all
morning. But the bank will still be open.”
“ Yes. And I want to discuss a
volunteer opportunity with you.”
“ Kaye, I need paying jobs, not a
freebie.”
“ No problem. I just need your opinion
on boats. Only a couple of hours all together. Surely you can do
that. Let’s say, an hour tomorrow.”
“ We’ll see.” I should have known who
she’d choose for a committee member.
At least Kaye pitched in to help. “You said
you had organized piles. What kind do you want?”
“ Trash, recyclable, and
usable.”
Kaye didn’t answer, just poked an armful of
cans into a bag.
After an hour, I called a halt. “I’m beat.
Call it a night?”
Kaye rolled her shoulders, then rubbed her
arms. “Definitely.”
“ And, you’re right, I’ve got to get
insurance. I hope the same company will take me on. They had to pay
out on Honey .” I pulled the
title out of my pocket and smoothed the folded paper. “I have to
store this somewhere. I mean, I can’t be carrying it around. And I
need copies.”
“ Definitely,” Kaye
repeated.
“ The former owner was named Chester
Foltz.”
“ Yes, we determined that already,”
Kaye said, then poked the paper. “But he got the boat from somebody
else.”
“ The gangster.”
“ Okay, what’s this gangster
story?”
“ You were here. You heard Wes. That’s
why he wants Snapdragon out of
here by the end of July.”
“ I just naturally figured Wes for a
crabby old man telling ridiculous stories.”
“ Nope.”
Kaye turned the title over, then over again,
like she’d find some secret that wasn’t there. “Arthur Estep is a
gangster?”
“ Guess so. He’s called Pop, according
to Wes.”
“ Oooh, let me think,” Kaye bit her lip
and closed her eyes. After a long moment, her eyes popped open. “I
remember
the front, in that bedroom?”
“ She only had the boat for a few days.
Did you say Nicole sort of won Snapdragon ?”
“ No, she obtained it as collateral for
an unpaid loan. If she’s lending money to others, you can hardly
claim she was unable to refund your expenses.”
“ Hey, if I loaned somebody big bucks,
I’d be broke too.”
Kaye did the big-sister snort. “Let’s get
busy. I’ll help you clean up.”
I couldn’t turn down that offer. I pulled
out two large trash bags and headed for the forward cabin. “I’ve
got to do something about my title. Hide it somewhere.”
Kaye took one of the bags. “Tomorrow, I’ll
pick you up early. Since it’s Saturday, the bank will only be open
until two. You need insurance and a safe-deposit box for the title.
And then you can help me.”
I plowed through a pile of crushed Pepsi
cans. “Nope. Wes will be here.”
“ Wes?”
“ You know. The marina manager. He told
us about Pop. He’s so eager to get rid of me, he put me on the top
of his list for repairs.”
Kaye picked up one can with two fingers,
stared at it from all sides. “Excuse me? The boat needs
repairs?”
I snatched the can, dumped it into my bag.
“A check-up, really. Like an auto tune-up. Wes is coming tomorrow,
six sharp. I’m the designated gofer.”
Kaye picked up another empty can. “I don’t
suppose you had a neat pile of crushed cans. Did the intruder bring
them?”
“ They were in a trash bag inside the
deck box, waiting for a few more discards before I hauled them up
to the recycling bin behind the office.”
“ Just a guess. Your intruder didn’t
find what he wanted, so he showed his displeasure by dumping the
cans inside,” Kaye said.
“ Gee thanks. Does that mean he’ll be
back?”
“ No. He’ll look elsewhere. Actually, I
need your help tomorrow. We’ll still have time. We’ll do the bank
and your insurance first. Will you be through by ten?”
Why was my sister so eager to help clear the
aftermath of the robbery? Simple. She had some secret agenda. But
she had offered a ride to the bank. And I really needed that
insurance. “Not sure. I’ll call you when Wes leaves. Might take all
morning. But the bank will still be open.”
“ Yes. And I want to discuss a
volunteer opportunity with you.”
“ Kaye, I need paying jobs, not a
freebie.”
“ No problem. I just need your opinion
on boats. Only a couple of hours all together. Surely you can do
that. Let’s say, an hour tomorrow.”
“ We’ll see.” I should have known who
she’d choose for a committee member.
At least Kaye pitched in to help. “You said
you had organized piles. What kind do you want?”
“ Trash, recyclable, and
usable.”
Kaye didn’t answer, just poked an armful of
cans into a bag.
After an hour, I called a halt. “I’m beat.
Call it a night?”
Kaye rolled her shoulders, then rubbed her
arms. “Definitely.”
“ And, you’re right, I’ve got to get
insurance. I hope the same company will take me on. They had to pay
out on Honey .” I pulled the
title out of my pocket and smoothed the folded paper. “I have to
store this somewhere. I mean, I can’t be carrying it around. And I
need copies.”
“ Definitely,” Kaye
repeated.
“ The former owner was named Chester
Foltz.”
“ Yes, we determined that already,”
Kaye said, then poked the paper. “But he got the boat from somebody
else.”
“ The gangster.”
“ Okay, what’s this gangster
story?”
“ You were here. You heard Wes. That’s
why he wants Snapdragon out of
here by the end of July.”
“ I just naturally figured Wes for a
crabby old man telling ridiculous stories.”
“ Nope.”
Kaye turned the title over, then over again,
like she’d find some secret that wasn’t there. “Arthur Estep is a
gangster?”
“ Guess so. He’s called Pop, according
to Wes.”
“ Oooh, let me think,” Kaye bit her lip
and closed her eyes. After a long moment, her eyes popped open. “I
remember
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