1 Lowcountry Boil (16 page)

“No, she went to school with me at College of Charleston, but we weren’t close. After I bought my house, money was tight and I needed a roommate. I mentioned it on Facebook a couple times.  Eventually, Kristen called me. She’s a little odd. Hard to read, but she’s okay. She pays her rent on time and does her share of the housework. And she’s been very encouraging about my youth camp. I think she’s going to work there with me.”

I playfully bumped into her. “So you don’t want to move in with me?”

“Oh please. One of us would end up dead and Blake would have to put the other in jail.”

We had made our way back to the quilt. Merry grabbed one side, I grabbed the other, and together we spread it on the soft sand. “Seen any shooting stars lately?”

“I haven’t been star gazing in forever. I’m really glad you’re home.” I took Sig out of my capris and laid it on the quilt. We sprawled out and soaked in the night sky and the sounds of the surf.

Finally, Merry sighed and asked, “Do you think you’ll miss Greenville?”

“Some things I’ll miss.” Nate came to mind.

“How is that partner of yours?”

I almost laughed out loud at how she read my mind. “Nate’s good. He’s actually on his way here right now.”

“Do tell!” Merry’s tone bathed that information in intrigue. “Clearly, you married the wrong brother.”

“Marrying Scott was a mistake. But Nate and I are friends—he’s my best friend. We’re strictly platonic.”

“Damn waste. You’re still pining after Michael, aren’t you?”

“Afraid so.”

Merry made a disgusted noise, and we both fell silent and listened to the waves. I considered telling Merry about Colleen. I’d told my sister things I would never tell anyone else. But I wasn’t ready to talk about Colleen, even to Merry.

“So why don’t Dad and Blake like Kristen? You never said.”

“
Your
father doesn’t like her because she has two piercings in each ear. As for Blake, I don’t know. He’s never really said. Just that there’s something about her he doesn’t trust. I think it’s big-brother paranoia. We grew up in this safe little world where everybody knows everybody.”

“Maybe, but Blake has been off the island before. He has good instincts.” I shrugged. “But, he can be protective. He pitched a fit at me this morning for running before it was light out. Well, that and skinny dipping.”

“Oh man. I haven’t been skinny dipping since you and I went in September.”

“It was a new moon, pitch-black out,” I said, remembering.

“Not like tonight.”

I stood up. “It’s bright as broad daylight out here.”

Merry took off her sweatshirt as she scrambled to her feet. “Anybody would go skinny dipping when it’s pitch-dark out.”

“It would take a real exhibitionist to swim naked when it’s this bright.” Off came my shoes, followed by my jeans.

Merry threw her bra on top of her pile of clothes. “Yeah, or somebody completely crazy.”

“And her sister.” I darted towards the surf. “First one in gets the quilt on the way back.”

Together we splashed into the waves, laughing and whooping in wild abandon.

TWENTY

I slogged through the whole bedtime beauty routine, and then collapsed into the cloud of pillows and goose down that was my bed. And then I remembered I hadn’t put my phone on the charger  or changed the setting from silent. All those fancy surveillance alerts wouldn’t do any good if I couldn’t hear them.

I switched on the bedside lamp and leaned out of the bed to grab my purse from the floor. This maneuver nearly landed me headfirst beside the purse. In a gravity-defying move, I drug myself and the tote/purse back up onto the bed. I scrambled for my phone, which I typically keep in a side pocket. But not tonight. Tonight, I’d tossed my phone in my purse at Mamma’s house, while Merry and I sorted through the clothes we hadn’t put on standing on the beach.

I jammed my hand down in the tote, felt around, and came back with a familiar leather-cased iPhone. I slid it out of the case, pressed the home button, and let fly a string of curses.

The picture on the wallpaper was one of Merry, Blake, Mamma, Daddy, and me, from Thanksgiving. It was a great picture—I had a copy of it in a frame in a box somewhere. But it wasn’t the one I used for wallpaper on my phone.

The phone in my hand was Merry’s. As often happened, we had independently chosen the same phone and the same case. We must have mixed them up in the clothes jumble. Damnation. I threw back the covers and pulled on my clothes, cursing the whole way. I had to have my phone, and I had to have it back that night.

I tried dialing my phone from Merry’s, but, of course, it was on silent mode. Merry wouldn’t notice she had the wrong phone until she went to use it. I crawled into the Escape and headed, eyes half closed, to my sister’s house.

Two blocks from Merry’s house on Magnolia Lane, I squinted and leaned over the steering wheel. Was this another crazy-assed dream?

Colleen was perched on top of the bougainvillea-covered arbor in Merry’s front yard. She must have sensed me approaching. She jerked her head around, saw me, and popped into the passenger seat. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

“Back at you.”

“You’re not supposed to be here.”

I was still a block away. I pulled to the curb, under a big live oak and cut the engine. “Why not? What’s going on?”

Troy Causby leaned against the doorframe of Merry’s neat white cottage. It had been a while, but I recognized him. 

“What’s he doing here?” It registered then that Merry’s car wasn’t in the driveway. A white Ford Expedition was parked there beside a gray Honda. Where the hell was Merry?

“Merry’s in trouble. I’m here to help. You’ll get in the way.”

“Merry’s not here, Colleen. If she’s in trouble, where is she?” But I knew then, where she must be. Merry discovered the phone mix-up, and was likely ringing my doorbell at that very moment, wondering where the hell
I
was.

“Whatever happens, it happens here.” Colleen faded out.

I slipped Sig into the back of my jeans and Merry’s iPhone into my pocket. I eased out of the car and pressed the door closed. As fast as I could go while remaining quiet, I navigated the edge of neighboring yards in the direction of Merry’s house. Using trees, cars, and trellises as cover, I approached with caution. Two houses away, someone’s dog went to barking.

I slipped behind the big magnolia at the corner of Merry’s house. Behind me, someone shouted at the dog. He gave three more barks, then all was silent except for the voices on Merry’s front porch. Colleen appeared beside me.

Troy’s voice had a wheedling quality. “Come on, Kristen, let me in. She’s over at her folks’ house. They’ll be yappin’ all night.”

Where had I heard that voice?

Kristen—I only knew who she was because Troy called her that, and she was in my sister’s house—stood in the doorway, which was opened just far enough to see her.  “And  she might be home in any minute. We’re not going to blow this deal. We’re too close. Adam would be furious—”

Colleen and I looked at each other. Adam
.

“You’re really hot when you’re mad,” Troy said. “Actually, I think the boss would expect me to be here. That’s the idea, right? Keep an eye on the prima donna.”

“Wrong,” Kristen said. “I’m supposed to monitor the situation here, since you were dumb enough to get dumped. You’re supposed to be responding to problems, not creating them.”

“Not my fault she broke up with me. But if she shows up, I’ll just say I came by to beg her again to take me back. She wasn’t here, so I cried on your beautiful shoulder.”

“It was stupid—and unnecessary—for you to get involved with her to begin with.”

“Are you jealous, baby?” Troy traced one finger down the side of her neck and across her shoulder. “You and me been a team a long time. She’s just business. Quick as we get our money, you and me will be on a plane, and South Carolina will be nothing but a little redneck state on the other side of the country. Let me in, now.”

“I know what you have in mind, Troy, and there is no way we could talk our way out of getting caught. You’d better go. Come back and play the lovesick puppy when she gets home.” She tried to close the door, but he had slipped his foot over the threshold.

“It’s been a long time, darlin’. I know you want me. I can see it in your eyes.”

Kristen tilted her head. “Look, why don’t we just go somewhere else?”

“That wouldn’t be half as much fun. It’s kinda excitin’, thinking about gettin’ caught, doncha think?” This time, his finger moved across her chest, lightly stroking her.

Kristen moaned and closed her eyes. Troy continued to caress her while he pushed the door firmly with his free hand. He slipped inside and closed the door behind him.

I looked at Colleen. “Are you sure we need to see this?” Merry’s phone chimed.
Shit.
I pulled it out of my pocket. Battery life was at less than ten percent.

“You need to leave,” Colleen said.

“Like hell I will. You said Merry was in trouble. I don’t get it, seeing how she’s not here, but—”

“If you’re staying, let’s find a window.”

I was afraid to leave and afraid not to leave. Colleen was a ghost, and I was operating on the assumption she knew things I didn’t.

I crept past the high kitchen window, over to the den window, and raised my head just enough to see through the sheers. Luckily, the window was open, so I could hear.

I hadn’t missed much.

The lovers were locked in an embrace just inside the front door. Troy’s mouth clamped down on Kristen’s neck like he was a vampire. She arched her back, molded her pelvis to his, and clutched his shoulders, which was, I’m sure, the only way she kept her balance. In one motion, he lifted her and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His mouth never left her neck as he crossed the living room and pinned her to the wall. Thrusting, grinding, grunting, and groaning ensued.

Kristen left a trail of hungry kisses down his neck and chest as she released her legs. He stepped back, allowing her room to maneuver. She unbuckled his belt and slid down his jeans, and he returned the favor. Stepping out of her lacy panties, she kicked them out of the way.

Beside me, Colleen covered her eyes and peeked between her fingers. Maybe it was easier for me to watch because I’d tailed and photo’d so many cheating spouses.

Kristen hooked her arms around Troy’s neck. She hopped back up, wrapped herself around him like a squid, and reattached her mouth to his.

A car door slammed. Merry.

I turned towards the front of the house.

“Stay put,” Colleen said.

I hesitated. She sounded like she knew what she was doing. Would I make things worse by being there?

At the sound of a key in the lock, the lust-crazed pair froze mid-gyration.

I sucked in my breath as Merry blew through the door.

She had no doubt recognized Troy’s Expedition in the driveway, because she was already steamed. “Kristen, why did you—”

They both stared at her, still frozen in the incriminating, half-clothed position against the living room wall. For a moment, nobody spoke.

Merry regained her wits first. She slammed the door and shot death rays from her eyes at Kristen. “You have ten minutes to get everything that belongs to you and get out of my house.”

Then the Wrath of Merry rained down on Troy. “You, get out. Now. And if I ever see you again, you’d better not come within punching distance.”

“You tell ’em, baby sister.” I murmured. “Colleen, I need to get in there.”

“Not a chance,” said Colleen.

Troy shoved Kristen off of him and fumbled with his jeans. “Now Merry, this isn’t what it looks like…”

Getting caught was evidently more exciting in theory than reality.

Kristen stumbled, then scrambled for her clothes.

Merry fisted her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side. “Oh really? If you weren’t having sex with my roommate, exactly what were you doing, Troy?”

I could almost hear the poor little hamster panting as he ran for dear life in the wheel that no doubt powered Troy’s brain. “I came to see you, baby, but you weren’t here. I needed someone to talk to, and Kristen felt sorry for me and let me in out of the kindness of her heart. I…”

Merry’s eyes threatened to roll all the way back into her head. “Oh I can see how kind she was being.”

Troy whined, “That’s not how it was. I guess I got carried away…in my loneliness. Merry, you have no idea how hard these last few weeks have been on me.”

I thought I might gag—I purely hate a whiney man
.
So does my sister.

“Oh please,” Merry said.

“No, I mean it. I went a little crazy. Truth is, I was forcing myself on Kristen here just now. I guess if she wants to call the police, I’d understand.” He gave Kristen a look that said
Play along. Play alonnng.

Merry crossed the room and stood behind them, placing them between her and the door, as if to shoo them out. “I don’t know what kind of idiot you take me for, but that is the biggest crock of shit I’ve ever heard. Get out. Now.”

She turned that same look on Kristen. “You’ve already wasted two minutes. You now have eight. I recommend you start packing.”

Kristen gulped, and took a tentative step down the hall. She stopped and looked at Troy.

The Genius was evidently frantic to convince Merry that Kristen was the innocent victim of his grief-induced lust. “Now Merry, you don’t want to do that.” He turned and stepped towards her, grasped her arm, and looked at her with an odd combination of pleading and menace.

“Don’t you dare touch me.” Merry pulled away from him with such force that she stumbled backward.

The backs of her knees caught the edge of the coffee table. All four of us watched in horror. Merry seemed suspended in mid-air, then crashed to the floor, cracking the back of her head on the fireplace hearth. For the second time in five minutes, Troy and Kristen froze.

I pulled out Merry’s phone. Dead. Dammit. Dammit.
Dammit.
I unholstered my gun and took a step around the tree, towards the porch.

Colleen appeared in my path.

“What the hell? I’ve got to help her.”

“You can’t go in.”