The trip back to the Pig was quiet. So was the empty marina. Though there was a light in the Harbour Master’s office, Gus wouldn’t be there. He might breathe Port and eat Company, but he didn’t live on the job. Some caretaker was dozing in his chair, letting the machinery run the Port.
It wasn’t late and I wasn’t tired. I thought of the party I’d left and decided I had to share it with someone. I’d tell Byron later that the sabotage had been so lo-tech he’d never had a hope of solving it. Tonight I wanted to talk to a friend. Daisy would still be awake. As long as I’d known her she’d never needed more than a few hours’ sleep in a night. Sheba grumbled about it. I keyed in their home number.
No reply. I was puzzled. She’d not been in work earlier either. But if she’d been called out of town, Sheba should be in. Sheba never travelled. I let the phone ring on for another minute, then decided Daisy must be away and Sheba asleep with some knockout. I was reaching for the cut-off when I got an answer.
“Yes?”
The screen stayed blanked. Perhaps she’d answered by remote and forgotten to open the screen. It wasn’t Sheba’s voice and it didn’t sound like Daisy’s. But it was.
“Daisy? Humility. What’s wrong?”
Dragging silence. Still no face on the screen. She was going to cut me off, I felt it.
“Daisy? Do you want me to come over?”
More silence. A sound like a breath taken with massive effort.
“Yes. Come over.”
“Now?”
“Yes. Humility, please.”
The connection died. I didn’t try again.