Chapter 9

Laurie stormed down the spit, kicking rocks as she walked.

Fetch my bottle. Mind your own business. Keep your mouth shut. Listen in on the bootleggers. Spy on the G-man.

She grabbed a handful of rocks and flung them out into the water. The lapping of the waves against the rocks soothed her nerves, but did little for the ache in her heart. Remembering Big Jerry’s threats, she reached for more stones.

A nearby bench beckoned. Laurie dragged herself over and flopped down. Was it wrong to reach for a better future? A bootlegger’s sister? A drunk’s daughter? She stared out at the waves as the sun dropped low on the far horizon.

To keep Johnny safe, she needed to convince both Jerry and the agent she would cooperate.

She tugged at a long stem of beach grass, pulling it loose and rolling it between her fingers. A massive cargo ship inched past, far out in the channel, sending waves crashing against the rocks. Laurie’s fingers itched to sketch the scene. If only she could direct every aspect of her life the way she controlled a pencil.

She pushed up to her feet, turning back toward town before she lost the last of the evening’s light.

If I’m to convince Samuel Brown, I’ll need to meet with him away from the soda fountain. She stopped mid-stride. Big Jerry knew she had met with Samuel Brown. The information must have come from Mr. Shepherd.

An eye on the agent; an ear on the bootleggers. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Maybe I can do both.

Daniel finished cleaning the icebox and lined it with a fresh supply of sawdust. Blowing on his fingers to thaw them, he walked to the front of the store and checked that the closed sign was visible in the window. Glancing out the window, he caught sight of Laurie Burke walking through town, her face practically glowing in the setting sun. The tension in his shoulders eased. She had seemed quite disturbed after her meeting with Samuel Brown.

Something about that man raised the hairs on the back of Daniel’s neck. Brown’s attitude was smug, like everyone in this town was beneath him.

Now, as he watched Laurie walk down the street, Daniel noticed a spring in her step and a glow to her lovely face. A peculiar sensation ran along his arms, like ants crawling across his skin. He shook himself, irritated by the surge of protectiveness that flooded through him, all for a woman that he barely knew. And what he did know about her was troubling. She was obviously strong enough to take care of herself. In fact, she had told him that once already.

Daniel turned away, making a last visual survey of the drugstore before he locked up for the night. He caught his reflection in the soda fountain mirror. Remembering those blue eyes gazing up at him in the mirror made his heart pitch in his chest.

He couldn’t warn her about Brown. But, maybe he could look up an old high school friend.

Daniel walked down through the older part of town, pressing the back of his hand against his nose to block the reek of the mill. Dilapidated old shacks and boardinghouses clung to the bluff overlooking Hollywood Beach like the residents clung to their meager life. While so much of the country rode the soaring wave of stocks and bonds, the people in this neighborhood still scrambled to pull together enough pennies to feed their families.

Weeds grew knee high between the shacks, except where they were smothered by piles of refuse. A rat skittered through one of the piles, turning a bold eye toward Daniel as he passed.

Daniel pulled the scrap of paper from his pocket, double-checking the address he’d recorded. Johnny evidently lived on the edge of this morass. With a steady job and a lucrative rumrunning business, he should be able to afford better accommodations.

The address matched the last house on the street, its front walk littered with cigarette butts. Daniel shoved the paper in his pocket and took a deep breath before knocking.

Moments later, a short man yanked open the door about six inches and glared from the threshold, eyes red and watery. His sweat-stained shirt hung cockeyed on his thin frame, buttoned off-kilter. “Yeah?”

Daniel cleared his throat. “I’m looking for Johnny Burke.”

The door didn’t budge. “What do you want with him?” The rancid smell of his breath floated out onto the doorstep. “Who are you?”

Daniel took a step back, surveying the small man from the dooryard. Was this one of the rumrunners or just one of the recipients of their bounty? “My name is Shepherd. Johnny and I went to school together. I just thought I’d stop in and see him.”

The door opened a crack further, the man’s hand clamped along the edge. “He ain’t here. Try the docks.”

“Thank you.” Daniel tipped his hat, but the small man only grunted in reply, wiping the back of his hand under his bulging nose.

Daniel hurried away, convinced the defiant stare tracked him down the street. The air felt fresher and lighter by the water, though the smell of the pulp mill reached through every corner of town today—rich or poor. As he approached the boathouse, he noticed a long boat rowing into the bay. Daniel shoved his hands in his pockets and waited as the boat approached the dock, gliding in to a waiting slip.

Like everything else in this town, Johnny Burke appeared to be stuck in time, his lean, muscled frame changing little since high school, shoulders curved like a dog kicked once too often. As Daniel approached, Johnny tipped his head back, his light blue eyes missing the mischievous glint that had made their female classmates swoon and the teachers hot under the collar. “Help you?”

“Johnny—it’s Daniel. Daniel Shepherd.”

His friend cupped a hand over his brow to block the sun’s glare. “Daniel?” It took a moment for a smile to spread across his face—as if the muscles lacked practice.

Johnny sprang out onto the dock, his long legs unfolding. He tied the boat before grabbing Daniel’s hand and shaking it with vigor. “What are you doing in Port Angeles? You couldn’t wait to shake off the dust of this town.” He shook his head, his brows pulling down. “No one ever comes back.”

“Yes, well, my granddad is getting older and he needed some help with the store.” Daniel’s throat tickled as he watched the years tumble back down onto his friend’s shoulders.

“That place has been hopping for months—ever since Mr. Larson added the soda fountain. It sure brought some new life to this little town.” He retrieved his things from the boat and the pair made their way up the dock toward the shore. “My girl likes to spend every minute she can there.”

Daniel grinned. “I think I met your girl. Amelia White?”

The corners of Johnny’s lips lifted. “Yep. Don’t go getting any ideas.” He jabbed a finger at Daniel’s chest. “She’s mine.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Besides, you were always the one stealing girls from me back in school.”

“Yeah, well. I was the big man back then and you were the book worm.” He shrugged. “Now I’m just another mill rat and you’re the druggist with the celluloid collar.”

Daniel shifted uncomfortably. “She was in the drugstore just the other day, with your sister.”

Johnny hefted the bag over his arm. “Those two are thick as thieves, always have been.” He smiled again, reaching his hand out for Daniel’s shoulder. “It is good to see you. We should go fishing or something. You can catch me up on all the news of Seattle. I bet the parties are wild down there. You got a girl in the city?”

Daniel’s chest tightened. He didn’t want to think about Seattle. “No girl,” he said. “But fishing sounds great. I haven’t been since I left town.”

“We can fix that. I work late tonight, but I’m off tomorrow. Sound good?”

Daniel ran a hand through his hair. “You’re working a shift at the mill tonight?”

A shadow crossed his friend’s face. “Not exactly. I’m just helping some friends with a little job they got. You know, making some extra dough on the side.”

Just as I thought. “Tomorrow would be fine.” He eyed Johnny’s longboat. “I’m not too handy with the oars. How about we take my granddad’s boat?”

Johnny’s eyes brightened as he glanced down the row to where the larger boats were moored. “He wouldn’t mind?”

Daniel shook his head. “He told me he rarely takes it out anymore. I can’t wait to hear all the Port Angeles news.”

Johnny laughed. “Well, that would take all of two minutes. You know nothing ever happens here.”

Daniel smiled. “Yeah, sure. Nothing.”