The Secret of Othello: A Fisher Key Adventure by Sam Cameron

Author:Sam Cameron [Cameron, Sam]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Mystery
ISBN: 9781602827424
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
Published: 2012-08-30T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

Steven heard footsteps on the deck above him. Denny appeared on the steps, wearing a Fisher Key police T-shirt and carrying his sandals.

“How was your date?” Steven asked. “And why do you smell so bad?”

“Because I’m a stupid Good Samaritan.” Denny surveyed the trash bags surrounding Steven, all of them stuffed with damp or ruined clothes from the house. “What are you doing?”

“Black belt test on Saturday, right?”

“Right.”

“And what are we going to wear during the black belt test?”

“We’re going to wear our…” Denny sat down on the galley bench. “Uniforms?”

“Start digging,” Steven said.

They found their white karate uniforms, or gis, in the bottom of one bag lumped with some muddy towels and ripped blue jeans. The mud had soaked into the white fabric and the result wasn’t pretty.

“I’m thinking a bottle or two of bleach,” Steven said.

Denny squinted skeptically. “Optimist.”

“Got any quarters?”

The marina had a small Laundromat, but the convenience store was closed. Steven resigned himself to driving into town. Then he saw that the Othello II was back in port. It must have come in while he was busy sorting through ruined clothes. Bud, the guy with the Red Sox hat, was hosing off the top deck. Steven asked if he could borrow any bleach.

“Yeah, I think we’ve got some,” Bud said, and went below.

He was gone for several minutes. Steven was about to give up when Claire emerged on deck. She was dressed up in a skirt and pretty green blouse, and had an industrial-sized plastic bottle in her hands.

“Laundry at this time of night?” she asked.

“Can’t wait another day,” Steven said. “Going out?”

“Hoping to,” Claire said. “The engine’s busted again. I won that bet, so Bud owes me a cheeseburger.”

“Bud?” Steven asked. “Not Harrison?”

She gave him a sunny smile. “Jamie’s got his own plans. Don’t be jealous. I’m too old to be your type.”

“You’re not old,” Steven protested, a flush blossoming on his face. If she let him take off her blouse he’d show her that he wasn’t some naïve kid. If she let him take off more, he’d happily forget all his plans of staying away from women all summer.

“You’re cute,” Claire said, and that was like a knife to the heart. Puppies were cute. Kittens were cute. Steven was not a puppy or kitten. Claire continued, “Any recommendation for burgers?”

He ducked his gaze. “The Li’l Conch Café. Can’t beat it.”

“Excellent,” she said. “Here’s the bleach. Have fun.”

Sitting in the Laundromat, watching the laundry machine spin and slosh water, he wondered how Tristan and her father had enjoyed their afternoon in Key West. Not that he cared what she was doing right now. He wasn’t even thinking about her. He pulled out his phone and debated calling Melissa Hardy, like he’d promised. Or Jen or Kelsey, who’d both sent new text messages. Or the recruiter in Miami, Master Chief King, who certainly wouldn’t be in the office right now, but how about that waiver, huh?

You’re cute, Claire had said.

Two thorough washings over the next hour didn’t get the stains out.

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