Blood of the Albatross by Pearson Ridley

Author:Pearson, Ridley [Pearson, Ridley]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9780795340031
Publisher: RosettaBooks
Published: 2014-04-13T16:00:00+00:00

25

The late afternoon sun, hidden behind hazy clouds, glowed like a cat’s eye caught in a headlight’s glare. Holst, a cup of coffee in hand, watched Marlene move restlessly around the galley. “I will try and arrange a meeting for tomorrow night. Will that work for you?”

“That is fine. The sooner we get this over with the better.”

“Is it Becker?”

She snapped her head around. Since Jay had left the boat, Marlene had been a nervous wreck. “What?”

“You are romantic with Becker, are you not?”

“No.”

“You have a hard time avoiding men, Marlene.”

“Have I had a hard time avoiding you?”

Holst looked away, pretending to have missed her comment. “He is a good worker. I will say that much.”

“And a fine sailor.”

He looked at his watch. “Where is he? Did you let him off early?”

“No, he did not show up today.”

Holst shrugged; for him, all the better. “Are you prepared for the next few weeks?”

“Why do you keep asking me that? I act professional, make him an offer, and verify what he gives us. What is so difficult about that? It is why you wanted me along, is it not? Listen, the sooner the better.”

“And you are certain you can verify what he offers us.”

“If it is a circuit board, I can tell you what it does. That is why I am here, is it not?”

“Kepella may be hard to handle. He is unpredictable.”

“I will be fine. It is a business arrangement. I am very accustomed to making business arrangements. I do it for a living.”

“I just wanted to warn you. Be delicate. We do not want him figuring this out. It would dry him up. He may be difficult. It may take several meetings.”

Marlene, who had been watching through a porthole as a woman hosed down an adjacent boat, nodded. “You checked into him?”

Holst sipped his coffee. “Becker?”

“Yes.”

“We have been over that. I would be remiss if I had not.”

“I thought so.”

“Why?”

“Because you seem different, like a man playing with a snake he knows is no longer venomous.”

“A strange comparison.”

“That is how it seems.”

Holst shrugged and watched out a different porthole as a Coast Guard launch rounded the jetty and disappeared.

“And what did you find out?”

“He is perfect for us. He has virtually no credit rating. He has lived here, in Seattle, for a few years, playing music. It was good you noticed him. He travels with his band frequently and is basically a nomad. If anything should go wrong, I doubt that—”

“No.”

“—anyone would miss him.”

“No!” She crossed her arms tightly.

“Be careful, Marlene. What you do and do not tolerate is of no concern to me. Remember that. Besides, all I meant is that if we have to leave him somewhere for a while, no one will miss him. Relax. I am not going to harm anyone. I abhor violence.” He looked at her and sighed.

She did not believe a word he said.

***

They drank their coffees in silence, he at the table, she standing by the small, stainless steel sink. She feared

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