Final Departure by Steve Pickens

Author:Steve Pickens [Pickens, Steve]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781626395374
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2016-01-10T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

The main dining room of the Cliff House had been modeled loosely on the same room aboard the Queen Mary, though Sam could only see a bare resemblance. The walls had a similar highly polished mahogany veneer, and some authentic-looking art deco wall sconces looked the part, but very little else. The tables were completely modern, covered in crisp white linen, and the silverware was of a contemporary pattern. The ceiling was totally wrong, with four crystal chandeliers spaced out over the length of the room between a mural of the view outside the window, had it been light enough to see.

Light jazz piano drifted from the far corner of the room, a dozen couples dancing on the oak dance floor adjacent to the black grand Steinway. They all seemed to be enjoying the mellow tunes. The intoxicating aroma of spiced oranges, prime rib, and vanilla mixed in with expensive perfume and cologne, creating a wonderful aromatic pastiche. The low murmur of conversation mixed in with the notes of the piano.

Sam found himself thinking cynically for the third time that evening, what are you up to, Alex Blackburn?

Alex was engaged in very active conversation with Rachel, seeming to have been instantly taken with her elegant but approachable beauty. Sam had nearly laughed out loud when she had inadvertently spilled Alex’s smoked oysters into his lap.

Rachel was not letting Alex get away with anything, Sam was delighted to see. She shot his flirtations down at every turn, but in a polite way. Sam wondered what Rachel was like cross-examining someone.

The conversation had flowed pleasantly, from various areas of the maritime industry to the latest plans for the new class of ferries that Sam was currently working on, subjects so benign Sam started tracking what Alex wasn’t saying to see if he could place what was bothering him. And then, it dawned on Sam. Alex wasn’t the least bit nervous or upset in any way, taking all of Rachel’s deflections with good humor. Alex seemed keenly focused and not distracted at all. He was conducting the dinner like a business meeting, working very hard to control the tone and subject matter of the conversation. Jake seemed oblivious to what Alex was doing, because he kept saying things to derail the current thread. Sam was having an easier time of it once the food came, as Jake took a deep and abiding interest in his prime rib instead of the conversation.

“Huh?” Jake said, looking up from his plate.

“I said you’re leaving the ferry system,” Sam said.

“Oh,” Jake said. “Well, yes. Takes up too much of my time, and I haven’t been too zealous with the place given everything that has happened lately, and the stupid way Kulshan County has been handling things.”

“Kulshan County government has a lot of issues,” Alex said. “Their permitting process is entirely too cumbersome, and their time getting back to you is measured glacially, I think,” Alex replied.

That was somewhat artful, Sam thought, looking at Rachel.

“So tell me, Mr.

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