Chapter Twenty-Three

Thursday

DAY FOUR

  

The four a.m. call woke everyone up. Maybe it wasn’t everyone all at once, but within fifteen minutes of the first call to the last, they were all awake. It started with a call to Darcy Pelton from an old source who still fed her information even though she wasn’t in the business any more. The subject of the call was that the mayor had gone missing at sea. Radio contact with him had failed and the Coast Guard was looking for his boat.

More out of loyalty than anything else, Darcy called Patricia. Patricia in turn, and for reasons she really didn’t want to think too hard about, what with a two-wine-bottle hangover from her business dinner that ended badly, called Blu Carraway. Blu called Crome. Then he called Tess.

The call to Darcy started the chain reaction. It was the call Blu made to Crome and Crome’s response that triggered the gathering. And the panic.

They all agreed to meet at the Pelton home on Sullivan’s Island. It was the only place large enough to accommodate them easily and still be close to the action.

  

Blu Carraway arrived late. Most times living forty-five minutes south of Charleston was a blessing, what with the influx of new inhabitants and his penchant for peace and quiet. Forty-five minutes south of Charleston made it an hour and change to Sullivan’s Island.

The Peltons’ home was ocean front and, no doubt thanks to Darcy, well appointed. That wasn’t a shot at Brack’s wealth status sans his wife. Pelton had enough fundage coming in from his two restaurants to afford to purchase, and subsequently lose in a fiery explosion, a new Porsche 911 convertible covered only by liability insurance. He was well off in most anyone’s book.

Already parked on the artisan brick drive when Blu pulled in were Patrcia’s Mercedes and Tess’s convertible Beetle. Two of the four garage doors were open and exposed Pelton’s black Mustang and his wife’s new Grand Cherokee.

The first thing that came to Blu’s mind was this was a meeting of one percenters and he, Crome, and Tess were merely guests. Money, Blu had come to realize, didn’t buy happiness. But, as the country song by Chris Janson went, it could buy boats and nice trucks to pull them. And beach front homes and information.

He got out of his three-year-old Nissan Xterra, a truck he considered a luxury because it was still new to him and had working air conditioning and satellite radio tuned in to the eighties alternative station.

The home, elevated due to building codes established after Hurricane Hugo put Charleston under ten feet of water for a week, had two sets of stairs, one on each side, leading to the oversized front porch. The stairs and the porch were sanded and stained a light brown, bucking the Charleston trend of everything being pastel and trimmed in white.

Before he could get to the top of the stairs, Blu was greeted by Shelby. The dog had been instrumental in rescuing Hope from a nasty abductor. Blu had tried to reward Shelby with treats but he only ate food from Brack, Darcy, and a woman who watched him from time to time named Trish Connors. Considering the world today, Blu thought the dog wise beyond his years.

Pelton stood at the top of the stairs holding two cups of coffee. He had been a train wreck when Blu first met him. At the time, Darcy lived in Atlanta and was with another man and Pelton did not take it well. Now, with Darcy as Pelton’s wife, it was as if he had turned a corner in his life.

Pelton said, “It’s about time you got here. Ever thought of moving closer to civilization?”

From a stooped position on the stairs, Blu continued to give Shelby a good scratch behind the ears. “Why would I want to do that?”

“Good question. Coffee?”

“Please.” Blu stood and Shelby escorted him up the stairs.

The two men and Shelby stood on the front porch enjoying the coolness of the early morning. Blu caught more than a hint of bug spray emitting from Pelton. On the island and so close to the marsh, mosquitoes and no-see-ums were a staple.

Blu may have arrived late, but apparently he wasn’t last. The chugga chugga roar patented by Harley Davidson started as a low rumble and grew louder as it approached. He and Pelton watched Crome idle onto the drive, make a lazy loop behind the parked vehicles, and drop the kickstand beside Blu’s truck.

Apparently Blu would not have to take Josie up on her offer to track the biker by his phone. At least as long as he continued to show up upon request.

Shelby bounded down the steps again and greeted the biker.

Crome stooped to pet the dog.

“Got more coffee inside,” Pelton said. “Darcy made breakfast. Come on in.”

After Crome topped the stairs, with Shelby in the lead, they all went inside. Patricia, Tess, and Darcy stood around the center island in the kitchen. Sitting out, buffet style, were a mostly eaten quiche and a second whole one, a bowl of cut fruit, and a plate of scones.

Crome reached inside his vest, pulled out a small black device and handed it to Tess. “I think this might be yours.”

It was the tracker they’d installed on his motorcycle.

Tess gave him a weak smile. “If you hadn’t turned into such an ass, we wouldn’t have needed it.”

Pelton stepped between them and handed Crome a cup of coffee.

Crome said, “Harmony was with the mayor last night.”

Blu hadn’t mentioned to the group exactly why they should meet, just that they needed to. After the call from Blu, Tess had tried to contact Harmony and only got voicemail.

Patricia stammered, “How…when…it couldn’t be…”

Continuing, Crome said, “We’re all friends here, right?”

Not exactly an appropriate question from him at the moment, Blu thought, considering the exercise he’d just put them through.

Crome said, “I was following Harmony to make sure she was safe. It seemed to me she could be the next most likely one in trouble. She met the mayor at the marina and they went out on his boat.”

Tess said, “And now they’re both missing.”

Crome said, “I hope I’m not right about this.”

“Could be,” Pelton said, “that the Coast Guard will find them come first light.”

Tess said, “It doesn’t feel like it’s going to go that way to me.”

Darcy put an arm around Tess.

“Harmony must have kept this a secret.” Tess looked at Patricia. “I didn’t know, and I normally know everything she’s up to.”

“Well, she wasn’t the first woman he took out there on his boat,” Patricia said, no emotion in her voice.

Nobody in the room dared ask if she’d been one as well. Blu suspected she hadn’t.

Darcy said, “We’ve got two missing women. Might be connected. Might not. Either way, our work just doubled.”

Blu watched the group react to what she’d said. Patricia was probably contemplating the fact that it could have been her instead of Harmony. Tess showed real concern for her BFF. Darcy had already kicked into business mode. Blu was surprised Brack wasn’t cleaning his guns in preparation for a fight. Crome leaned against the doorway, actually sipping a cup of coffee, appearing to take in the scene.