Till Death by William X. Kienzle

Author:William X. Kienzle [Kienzle, William X.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Crime, Fiction, Mystery, Suspense, Thriller
Amazon: B00BGHGQAY
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing, LLC
Published: 2013-03-12T00:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

The boat was impressive. It was a Regal Commodore 322. Length 32 feet, dry weight 11,800 pounds, and fuel capacity 172 gallons. Tom Becker insisted that the tank be refilled after each use.

There were three keys. Tom had one. His wife had none. One of the maintenance men had one. Tom had given the third to Rick Casserly.

It was one indication of the trust and friendship Tom had for Rick. The craft cost in excess of one hundred thousand dollars. Although it was fully insured, one did not give carte blanche access to one’s dream boat—literally—unless the trust was complete.

Throughout the morning of this first Wednesday in June, the maintenance man and his crew had given the boat a thorough checkup. They didn’t leave until all was well. But they left in plenty of time for Rick Casserly and Lil Niedermier to board for a leisurely afternoon cruising the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair.

Rick was at the helm, letting the craft virtually idle. He was content just to know the cruiser was capable of better than 50 mph.

Lil was in the galley whipping up a snack that would serve as lunch and hold them over until dinner. She shook her head when she recalled that the word “galley” was often associated with the word “slave.” She certainly didn’t consider herself a galley slave. How could you when culinary facilities on board this boat were better than what she had in her own kitchen?

She looked about her as the hot dogs sizzled in the microwave. Stainless sink, two-burner electric stove, coffeemaker, concealed refrigerator, and Corian countertop set off the open salon. In all, not an inch of space was wasted. It was a happy blend of luxury, utility, and efficiency.

Lil brought the hot dogs on deck. Two for Rick, one for herself. “There’s more,” she announced.

“Lemme get these down and we’ll see.”

The river was so calm and the boat was moving so slowly that Lil climbed upon the forward deck and sat at the tip of the prow like the figurehead on a sailing ship of yore. Or the heroine of the movie Titanic.

She was directly in front of Rick, who sat at the helm and steered with one finger. She did not block his view. On the contrary, he loved to look at her. Now in her mid-thirties, she probably would always look young.

She finished her hot dog and crumpled the paper napkin in her fist. She did not toss it into the water. The river appeared too pristine to defile.

Why was she depressed?

The weather was picture-perfect. For this afternoon at least she could pretend they were wealthy enough to actually afford a cabin cruiser this grand. She and Rick had their health, and each other. She was more or less looking forward to this evening’s party. She wasn’t overjoyed with the entire cast of characters. But it was a singular occasion when she and Rick could be together with others legitimately. Both of them qualified as members of that exclusive club—people who had served time at St.

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