Chapter Thirty-Five

Jamie waited two full days before contacting Marissa to ask for a meeting. She wanted one more favor and wasn’t sure Marissa would oblige. When Marissa replied, she directed Jamie to an old pier down by the ferry landing. Jamie wasn’t sure she was ready to travel in the direction of Drake’s Den, but this time, she would stay on Port Alene’s shores.

She arrived a few minutes early and followed the sidewalk path running parallel to the ferry line, noting how many trucks with fishing racks, coolers, and other related tools patiently waited to travel to Arlington Pass. While she loved taking the ferry, she knew it would be some time before she did it again, especially with the knowledge of that small pocket of darkness nestled on the other side.

She walked slowly but with purpose, observing the people around her. The park by the ferry was busy, even though it was barely noon. The sun, normally unforgiving, had hidden behind a wide stretch of clouds, causing the temperature to decline from burning to merely roasting. It was downright brisk by South Texas standards.

Three little girls swung from monkey bars at a children’s park on the other side. A man in his thirties held his arms up in case they needed to be caught. Jamie smiled at his gesture. He was there even if they didn’t need him at the moment. More little girls should have that.

Jamie continued on, the breeze blowing the hair sticking out of her Corpus Christi Hooks baseball cap. She’d pulled it low, to the point of almost grazing her sunglasses. Looking around, she noticed things she’d somehow missed in previous trips to the ferry landing—the formations of decorative rocks around the edge of the park, how many benches were available for visitors to sit and enjoy the water, the little things that made the area a haven to visitors and locals alike.

Jamie came upon the pier and traveled to the far side. The weathered wood creaked underneath her feet, each step making itself known. She was alone on the pier with no one else to share the space or overhear any conversation. It was solitary in the way Jamie loved. Once at the end, she rested her forearms on the pier’s ledge, letting tiny wooden fragments poke her skin.

She waited.

Jamie checked her watch. Marissa was almost a half hour late. She reached inside her bag to retrieve her phone, when she heard the creak of footsteps. Turning around, she spotted Marissa walking toward her with the same confidence that had carried her at Drake’s Den. She didn’t smile exactly, but her lips considered it, offering a small hint of a grin.

“How are you doing?” Marissa asked, moving next to Jamie to take in the view from the pier’s edge. She slipped a small sling pack from her shoulder and placed it on the ground next to her.

“I’m alive, Erin’s alive, Cookie’s alive, so it’s good,” Jamie replied. “How are you?”

Marissa avoided eye contact. “I’m fine. I don’t particularly enjoy every part of my… work, but it’s necessary. The family is strong. My abuela says hello, by the way.”

Jamie smiled. “I really like your abuela.”

“She has that effect on people.”

“I can tell.” Jamie leaned a bit more toward the water, her body over the pier’s ledge, letting the breeze blow stronger on her face. “So, how much should I know about what happened after we left?”

Marissa turned to look at Jamie. “The less, the better. Better for you, better for me.”

Jamie held Marissa’s gaze. “Is Brian alive?”

Marissa stared into Jamie’s eyes for several seconds, expressionless. “Yes, he’s alive, but getting around will be difficult for some time. And I have a feeling he’s going to be picked up on a big bust in the near future. Definite jail time, no question. He won’t see it coming.”

Jamie grinned at the idea of Brian finally paying for some of his sins. “I shouldn’t be smiling. That’s awful.”

Marissa held her hands up, and there was definitely a small smile on her lips. “Not judging.” She then reached for her sling pack and placed it on the top of the ledge. She pulled open the drawstring top and reached inside. Jamie watched as Marissa pulled out the contents of the bag.

“You wanted this?” she asked, handing Jamie the travel book Kristen had used as part of her coding system.

Jamie reached for it carefully, then ran her hand over the cover, admiring its battered beauty and the memories it held for her. “Thank you.”

“I took the liberty of pulling a few pages out,” Marissa explained. “Safety concerns.”

“The books are only valuable when used together, but I see your point.”

Marissa shrugged. “Call me paranoid.”

Jamie slid the book into her shoulder bag, the weight of it now a comfort rather than a burden. She was grateful to have some small reminder of her niece.

“Do I want to know about Boxer?” Jamie asked.

Marissa made a clicking sound with her tongue. “You definitely don’t want to know anything about Boxer. You can tell Erin he will no longer be a problem for her and we are now square on my debt to her.” She brushed her hands together as though she were wiping away the debt. “We’re even.”

Jamie extended her hand to Marissa. “So this is it? I guess I’ll see you around.”

“I hope not,” Marissa said. “You’re all too much trouble.” Her smile returned.

Jamie smiled back. “Say hello to your abuela for me.”

Marissa pushed her body from the pier’s ledge. “Say hello to Cookie for me.”

Jamie nodded and watched Marissa walk across the pier. The sound of her steps grew faint as she made it back to the sidewalk, and her long black hair blew to one side, revealing the silhouette of her face. She never looked back.

Another thing the two women had in common.