Seeking Felicity (A Katie Connell Caribbean Mystery) by Pamela Fagan Hutchins

Author:Pamela Fagan Hutchins [Hutchins, Pamela Fagan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781950637584
Publisher: SkipJack Publishing

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Taino, St. Marcos, USVI

October 5, 2014

Oso and I finished the lap around the fort after Walden left. Moving my feet helped me stop the racing thoughts in my head. When one lap wasn’t enough, I set off on a second. Halfway through, my phone rang. It was a request for a Facetime call with Nick.

I answered, and his angular face filled my little screen. He looked good. Really good. “Hi, Nick.”

His voice, though, sounded downtrodden. “Hey, honey. What’s that noise?”

“The wind. We’re at the harbor in Town. Just a second.” Oso and I trotted to the lee side of the fort. “Is this better? If you can’t hear me, I can run to the Montero and call you back in five minutes.”

“No, this is fine. How are you?”

“Alive. How is everything going there?”

“Dad is a Mainer. If it wasn’t going well, he’d never let on.”

I laughed. His father was the most stoic man I’d ever met. “Well, how are you and Julie, then?”

“Less good than him but hanging in there.”

There was a scuffling noise and blurry screen. Kurt came on. “This is ridiculous. Nick’s told us about what’s happening with you. He shouldn’t be here. I’m fine. He should be there with you.”

From your mouth to God’s ear.

“Dad,” Nick said.

Kurt harrumphed. “That’s all.”

My father-in-law’s face was replaced by my husband’s.

“I wish I were there with you guys, too,” I said. “I hope it goes well, Kurt.”

Nick looked uncomfortable. “I’d better let you go. I know you’re busy.”

“Don’t you want an update?” Nick was my partner. My collaborator. And this investigation was important. So much had happened and most of it not good.

A flicker of irritation crossed his face.

Anger erupted, hot, flowing, and lava-like inside me. “Oh, I’m sorry, is my freedom and safety too much trouble for you to deal with?”

“No.” In his eyes, I saw his anger rise to meet mine, then he looked away, hiding it and himself from me. “Let me take you off speaker and I’ll go where I’m not disruptive.”

More like go where his parents wouldn’t hear about my dire straits and make him feel as guilty as he should. “Fine.”

My screen went dark, and I put the phone to my ear. Nick’s breathing grew louder in my ear as he walked—stalked?—out of earshot of his parents. I stared out at the water. My emotion ebbed. I didn’t want to fight with Nick. Issues had a way of magnifying over the phone, from long distance. It would be far better for our relationship if we saved this to work out in person. Whenever that would be. I took a slow, deep, five-count inhale, held my breath for five, and exhaled for five. Did it again. Kept repeating the pattern until Nick spoke.

“Okay. What was so urgent that you needed to tell me?” He sounded short-tempered. Snide, even.

And that whole breathing exercise was a waste of time. “I didn’t need to tell you anything. You called me.”

“Then why did you . . . never mind.”

“I’ll let you get back to your parents.

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