The House on Mermaid Point (7 page)

“Tommy can show you the rest,” he said with a curt nod. Then he turned and headed back to the house, ripping the wrapper off the goddamn Tootsie Pop as he went.

Nicole and the others watched William Hightower stomp off. Afterward, his son herded them back onto the sandy, root-strewn path and led them in the opposite direction.

“I’m sorry,” Thomas said in apology. “He’s not used to doing anything he doesn’t want to.” The tone was disapproving. William Hightower’s son was apparently not a member of his father’s fan club.

“You mean he doesn’t want us to renovate?” Maddie, who probably actually had been a card-carrying member of said fan club, was clearly disappointed.

“I’d say about as much as a double root canal,” Nicole said. “Without anesthesia.”

“Well, he’s had plenty of Novocain in his day,” Thomas said. “It’s about time he had to deal with reality.”

“Not that reality TV comes anywhere close to that,” Avery pointed out.

“Amen to that,” Nicole agreed. Lord knew, they’d learned that lesson the hard way.

They came out at the dock area and he led them into the boathouse. Water lapped at the pilings that supported the structure, giving the space an echoey, cavelike feel. A sporting goods store’s worth of fishing rods, gear, and tackle was stacked against and hung on the back wall. A pile of wooden traps had been stacked in one corner. The hum of a chest-high freezer sounded disturbingly jarring in contrast to the lapping of the water against the dock and retaining wall.

“What’s in the freezer?” Avery asked.

“Bait and fish. It gets filleted out on the dock and stored in here.” Thomas opened the top to let them peer at what might be a lifetime supply of seafood.

Dustin reached a hand out toward the rods. “Ish,” he said.

“My starter rods might be around here somewhere,” Thomas said. “I was pretty young when I dropped a line for the first time.”

Maddie looked alarmed.

“No hooks,” Tom said. “Just a bobber and lead weight. I’m pretty sure I never actually caught anything—most likely it would have been a physical impossibility, but I didn’t know that ’til I was older.”

“That’s great that your dad taught you to fish,” Maddie said.

Thomas snorted. “He was way too busy partying for that. Hudson taught me. He was Will’s original fishing guide. They’ve been friends for a long time.”

On the surface the spare, soft-spoken Hudson and the larger-than-life rock star seemed an unlikely duo, but she and Avery and Maddie weren’t the likeliest of friends, either.

Thomas led them out of the boathouse and up the stairs to the stilt structure that perched over it. A narrow porch ran across the front of the rectangular building, which hung out over the dock.

“Wow, you could fish right from the porch.”

“Happens all the time,” Thomas said after showing them the interior, which was one huge rectangle of space. A storage closet ate up half of the room. The other had been furnished with a bed, nightstand, and small dresser. A door led to a utilitarian bathroom that no woman would willingly set foot in. The kitchen was even less enticing.

“Hudson uses this space when he wants to stay over,” Thomas said.

They walked back out onto the porch, where the view out over the dock was expansive. The boat that had brought them there bobbed slightly where they’d left it. The smaller boat the network crew had used was tied nearby. Nicole gazed westward, over the two houseboats and the Overseas Highway, where the sun was already slipping in the sky.

“Sunset’s not far off,” Thomas said as they watched the sun ease toward the water. The sky began to go pale as if all the color had been leached out of it and sucked into the sun. “The sunrise and sunset views from the island are equally amazing. The Lorelei over on the bay side has a sunset celebration every night with music and entertainment and tables on the beach. Morada Bay does the same, but it’s a little fancier crowd.”

“How would we get there?” Nicole asked, wishing they were there right now.

“We’ll have to work that out, I guess,” Thomas said.

Dustin stuck one thumb in his mouth and began to suck on it. Maddie yawned.

Troy and Anthony leaned back against the railing and shot it all. For the moment Kyra seemed to be more into shooting her surroundings than trying to shield Dustin from the network camera.

“I’m ready for a bed and something to eat,” Nicole said. “Not necessarily in that order.”

There was a general murmur of agreement.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Troy and Anthony move.

“You can see the whole island from up here.” Avery leaned out over the railing, which Nicole sincerely hoped was less rickety than it appeared.

“Can you show us to our rooms?” Nicole asked, more than ready to unpack and relax. “And tell us where we can find food?”

“Yeah, I didn’t notice any other structures on the island. Are we staying in the main house? Or are there guest cottages tucked away somewhere?” Maddie asked.

Troy began to pan his camera from out over the railing up to them. So far in Nicole’s experience this was never a good sign.

“I thought the network would have explained the sleeping arrangements,” Thomas said carefully. He looked so uncomfortable Nicole wouldn’t have been surprised to see him whip out a Tootsie Pop.

“The network prides itself on never explaining anything they might be able to surprise us with,” Deirdre said.

Nicole followed Thomas’s gaze and the network camera’s lens. Over the railing and down along the dock.

“Actually, you’ll be, um, staying on a houseboat,” Thomas Hightower said.

There was a silence as they processed this. Following the camera lens, Nicole spied Deirdre’s luggage piled on one of the houseboat’s decks.

“The crew is staying on the other one.”

“Holy crap!” Avery said.

“This is a joke, right?” Nicole studied Thomas’s chiseled face but saw no hint of humor in his dark eyes.

“The network crew is on the smaller one. You’ve got the bigger houseboat—it has multiple sleeping areas, a complete bathroom, and a kitchen/dining/living room combination. You’ll have it all to yourself.” His voice trailed off as they stared down at the houseboat in horror.

“All five of us and Dustin on that one boat?” Maddie asked.

“Yes.”

“And how many bathrooms did you say it has?” Deirdre asked.

“Why, um, just the one?” Thomas’s response turned into a question.

They stood frozen and silent as they all took it in.

“But there is a port-o-let, too,” Thomas was quick to assure them. He pointed beyond a grouping of bushes to a dented phone-booth-shaped object. “Plus the houseboat has a rooftop deck and air-conditioning units. And the galley kitchen has a refrigerator that’s stocked with groceries.”

Troy and Anthony didn’t bother to hide their smirks.

“Jesus.” It was the only completely formed word that sprang to Nicole’s mind.

“The network seemed to love the idea,” Thomas said, moving away from the railing—and them—as if in self-protection. “They thought it was perfect.”

“No doubt,” Nicole said. “Stuffing us on a houseboat tied to an island sitting in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean is absolutely perfect. Absolutely perfect for
them
.”

They stood wedged into the main cabin of the houseboat surrounded by closed doors and built-in cushion-covered ledges that were supposed to pass for furniture. Moving would have required orchestration or at least a game plan, neither of which any of them seemed able to muster.

Troy and Anthony were pressed against the bulkhead recording their first sight of their floating barracks. To say that it was a tight fit was like saying that the Atlantic Ocean, on which they bobbed, was just a little bit damp.

“Well, it’s compact. And kind of ingenious, really,” Maddie said, running a hand over the galley’s ancient Formica countertop.

“I feel like a sardine,” Nicole said. “And it smells kind of fishy here, too. Does your glass really always have to be so . . . half-full?”

“I can’t believe they think they’re going to get away with this.” Deirdre was pressed against a door that Nicole hoped led to a heretofore-unnoticed second bathroom. A cosmetics case was locked in Deirdre’s arms. The rest of her luggage was piled up on the deck.

“They already have. And last time I checked there was no ‘no houseboat or island makeover’ clauses in any of our contracts,” Avery said. She gave Deirdre a look. “Unless your
agent
managed to slip one into yours?”

Deirdre remained silent.

“Didn’t think so,” Avery said.

“Well, the kitchen is small but it seems to have pretty much everything,” Maddie said.

“Yeah,” Kyra said. “It kind of reminds me of that Barbie Dream Kitchen I had. Or wait, maybe that was the Easy-Bake Oven I’m thinking of.” She’d sat Dustin on the dining room table, a Formica rectangle surrounded on three sides by a vinyl-covered banquette. The space was so small that hiding him from the camera was pretty much out of the question.

“Well, at least there’s a blender.” Nicole eyed the small, if ancient, appliance on the counter. “And I have a bottle of rum in my bag. Did anybody bring anything to blend with it? Not that I wouldn’t consider drinking it straight from the bottle right now.”

“No, but I’ve got Diet Cokes in the cooler and some snacks,” Maddie said. “Let’s see what we’ve got and figure out the sleeping arrangements. Then we’ll take some food and drink upstairs and watch our first Keys sunset.”

In addition to the built-in dinette, a compact kitchen ran along the hull, forming an L in the corner. Shallow cabinets were arranged around a narrow rectangular window and beneath the counter. There was a built-in microwave, a cooktop, and a compact refrigerator. A very small, very ancient television sat in a cubicle.

“I’m pretty sure that the dinette and the couch convert into beds,” Maddie said as if this were a good thing.

“I’m going to hold out for something that resembles an actual bedroom,” Nicole said. She’d slept on the floor when they renovated Bella Flora and in far worse circumstances as a child; a bed and a door meant something to her.

“Okay,” Avery said. “Let’s see what lies behind door number one. Can you all move so I can get that door open?”

They inched to their left so that she could reach the door closest to the kitchen counter. Avery pulled it open as far as she could, given the wall of bodies in its way. “It’s a shower room.”

“By itself?” Deirdre asked. “Is that all that’s in there?”

“Well, there
are
two hooks on the wall.”

“Great.” Nicole groaned.

“And door number two?” Maddie asked.

“Sink, vanity with mirror, toilet.”

Maddie managed to peek over Avery’s shoulder. “Gosh, that’s small. I mean, compact. Or is that ‘efficient’?”

“Well, at least the shower and the toilet/vanity area are separate. That means more than one person at a time can be doing something,” Avery said.

“But there are five of us,” Kyra said. “I never thought I’d say this, but thank God Dustin is still in diapers and won’t need to get potty trained in here.”

“If there’s not another bathroom tucked away somewhere I may have to start wearing diapers myself,” Nicole said. “I will
not
be using that port-o-let.”

“It’s not like we’ve never shared a bathroom before,” Maddie said.

“Yeah,” Avery conceded. “I never thought I’d be nostalgic for the bathrooms at Bella Flora or the Millicent. They were a wreck, but they were real bathrooms.”

“And they were on land,” Nicole added. “A distinction I never fully appreciated before.”

They thought about this while Avery pulled open the remaining doors.

“That’s it for bathrooms,” Avery said. “But it looks like there are three sleeping spaces—I’m not sure they deserve to be called bedrooms.

“The first one has a set of bunk beds. And . . .” She peered in the opposite doorway. “This one has what looks like a full-sized platform bed. And a couple of built-in cubbies on the wall.”

The room that adjoined it had no door, just an angled opening. “This one has a double bed, too. But there’s pretty much no storage.”

“This place gives the term ‘bare bones’ a whole new meaning,” Deirdre muttered.

They shifted again so that Avery could climb up the small ladder that ran up the wall. She remained on the steps as she looked around. “Two platform beds divided by a low partition. Two small windows—one of them has an AC unit in it and there’s a door onto the upper deck.” She disappeared into the space. When she backed down the ladder she turned to face them. “It’s tight and the ceiling’s low. I can just stand upright.”

“Dibs on the ‘penthouse,’” Deirdre said, sounding pleased. “We’re compact. It’ll be perfect for us.”

“You might as well enjoy calling it that while you can,” Avery said, “because once you see it you’ll have to stop.”

“Shall I pass up my luggage?” Deirdre asked.

“No. It’s probably better to carry it up the outer stair, but you’re on your own with that,” Avery said to Deirdre. “There’s a couple of hooks and a built-in set of drawers. Other than that there’s no storage in the ‘penthouse.’ Every inch is pretty much spoken for.”

“But where am I supposed to put my things?” Deirdre asked.

Avery shrugged. “You can sleep with them, as far as I’m concerned. Anything that ends up on my bed or in my way will be sleeping with the fishes.”

Deirdre harrumphed.

“Why don’t I take the bunk room?” Kyra suggested. “I can put Dustin on the bottom bunk and put cushions on the floor. That way Mom and Nicole can have their own rooms.”

“That sounds good,” Maddie said. “And I don’t mind having the room without the door. That way I can keep a better ear out for Dustin.”

“Thanks,” Nicole said, relieved that no matter how cramped her space, it would belong only to her.

“Well, at least no one has to sleep on the dinette or couch,” Maddie pointed out.

This was true, Nicole thought as she stepped into the tiny fiberglass-walled space that would be hers for the foreseeable future. There was no privacy here and even less storage, but at least this time out everyone would have a bed of her own.

•   •   •

By the time they carried drinks and snacks and the deli sandwiches Maddie had found in the refrigerator to the upper deck, sunset was in full flame. They sat on the built-in bench seats that ran down both sides of the deck, resting the food and drinks beside them. “Dinner” had been laid out on two of Deirdre’s hard-sided suitcases. The drink of the night was rum and Diet Coke.

“I can’t believe you remembered to bring Cheez Doodles!” Avery said to Maddie as she took a handful from the industrial-sized bag.

“We wouldn’t want to see you in Doodle withdrawal,” Deirdre said drily. “I understand getting those artificial cheese cravings out of your system can be almost as difficult as getting the orange dye off of your skin.”

“All we need is a couple of tables and maybe a few folding chairs and we’re in business,” Maddie said.

“Yes. It’s a little disconcerting how ‘attached’ everything is,” Nicole said. She’d been on yachts that felt more like moving five-star hotels, back when Heart Inc. was thriving, and on Joe’s speedboat in Miami all fall and winter. This houseboat was a whole other animal.

They faced westward as they nibbled on their sandwiches, gazing across the Overseas Highway to the Florida Bay, where the sun was in the process of turning a deep bloodred. Stray bits of music floated on the breeze. The houseboat rocked gently beneath them.

“Just look at that sky,” Maddie said.

“It makes me wish I could paint.” Kyra’s video camera was aimed at the display.

They sat in silence, breathing in the salt-tinged air. Nearby a small fish jumped. Insects hummed quietly.

“It’s so peaceful here,” Avery said.

“It is beautiful,” Nicole agreed. “I’d think it was even more beautiful if we were staying in the main house. With actual bathrooms and solid ground under our feet.”

“Solid ground would be good,” Kyra agreed, offering Dustin a small piece of meat wrapped in cheese. He clutched a sippy cup of milk in his hands. “Bathrooms and closets would be even better.”

“I don’t really see why we can’t stay in the house. It’s certainly large enough that we wouldn’t be on top of him,” Deirdre said.

“Not that being on top of William Hightower would be such a horrible thing.” Nicole laughed. “The man looks good for his age. And he’s still got massive name recognition. I could fix him up with someone equally high profile and put Heart Inc. right back at the top of the matchmaking heap.”

“She’d have to be wealthy in her own right,” Deirdre said. “Given his reaction to our presence it’s pretty clear we wouldn’t be here if his bank account was as large as his name. And I’m pretty sure I read somewhere that he just came out of rehab for the fourth or fifth time.”

Maddie nodded her head. “His brother OD’d really young. And you don’t get a nickname like William the Wild for no reason.”

“Maybe we’re really here to get him back in the headlines so that he can stage a comeback,” Kyra said.

“I don’t think a padlocked studio is a sign of someone planning a comeback,” Maddie said. “And he doesn’t seem any more interested in attracting the press than we are.”

Nicole poured another round of drinks. The snap of the can and the hiss that followed sounded downright explosive against the surrounding quiet. She raised her glass. “To Mermaid Point. And camera-free sunsets.”

They clinked plastic cups and drank.

“Well, I vote that we defer our nightly ‘one good thing’ until we have a chance to get . . . acclimated,” Avery said. “I’m kind of afraid to commit until we see the inside of that house.”

“Good thinking,” Nicole said. “We don’t want to waste a good thing. I have a feeling they might be really hard to come by.”

They looked at Maddie, who claimed she wasn’t the “good enough” police but who absolutely was.

“I’m fine with that,” Maddie said with a yawn. “But I’m sure there’ll be plenty of good things to toast once we get situated.”

Dustin lay back in Kyra’s lap. One thumb went into his mouth. The sippy cup dangled from his other hand.

“I don’t see any sign of Troy and Anthony on the other houseboat and they don’t seem to be skulking in the bushes,” Kyra said.

“I bet they’re over on Islamorada,” Avery said.

“At a restaurant,” Deirdre added.

“Eating something that didn’t come wrapped in plastic,” Nicole said.

“It wouldn’t surprise me one bit,” Kyra said. “They’re not the ones who are supposed to look like shit on camera. That’s why I’m shooting everything, too—in case we ever need to show things the way they really are.”

“I almost feel sorry for Will . . .” Maddie said in a musing tone. “I mean . . . William. They’re going to use him the same way they use us.”

Kyra looked at her mother in surprise. Nicole wondered if she’d missed Maddie’s reaction to William Hightower. “He’s a grown man,” Kyra said. “I’d rather they focus on him than on Dustin, but I’m sure they have instructions from Lisa Hogan to shoot the hell out of both of them.” She looked down at the child in her lap. Dustin was asleep, his chest rising and falling with each breath.

“I think it’s time to put Dustin to bed.” Maddie yawned. “It’s been a long and surprising day.” She began to gather up the cups and trash. The rest of them followed suit.

“And it’s going to take a while for all of us to wash up and get ready for bed seeing as how we’ll be doing it one at a time,” Avery pointed out.

They glanced at each other then made a beeline for the steps that led down to the main cabin.

By the time Nicole had a turn in the too-small bathroom, made up her bed, and fell into it, she was far too tired to respond to Giraldi’s good-night text other than to feel relief that there appeared to be cell service on their tea-table-shaped island.

The foam mattress wasn’t particularly comfortable and the “walls” were definitely too thin, but the subtle rocking motion and the sound of water lapping against the hull weren’t bad. Her last thought as she finally drifted off to sleep was that it would take a nuclear blast to get her up in the morning.