“Well there goes my swim,” Sabrina said. “Maybe I should just find a pool at an unoccupied villa like the skinny-dippers.”
“How about Maho?” Neil asked.
Sabrina agreed without hesitation. Although Maho Bay was at the far end of the North Shore beaches from Cruz Bay, it was conveniently located right next to the road. Their swim would be shorter, but she and Girlfriend would at least get one in.
“I was surprised to see Paul with Anneka. Holding hands. What’s with that?” Sabrina asked, her head throbbing from all the twists and turns in the Keating saga.
“I have no idea. We’ve learned all sorts of information, but none of it seems very helpful in finding out who killed Elena. I keep remembering what the homicide cops in LA used to say. Look for the motive because the why leads to the who. But I’m still not sure why anyone would want to kill Elena.”
“Tell me more about San Juan,” Sabrina said, thinking of David as Neil drove past the gate to Gibney Beach.
“There’s not much to tell. We didn’t find anything more than you can learn on the Internet, until you called with the information about Angelica Pagan after some great detective work. Once you passed that along, we were able to locate Carmen after talking to a few people. Well, after David talked to them.”
Neil slowed for the hairpin turn at the top of the hill before Peter Bay, much to Sabrina’s relief. Sometimes he drove a little too fast for her liking even though she’d been a crazy Boston driver once upon a time. He pulled into a parking spot in front of Maho Bay, where there were no other cars or people.
“Hallelujah, Girlfriend, we are good to go.” She slipped into her bathing suit behind a short seagrape shrub while Neil held Girlfriend. He finally released the panting dog from her leash and then took a seat at a picnic table. The sand still felt warm against her feet after a long day of full sunshine. The water was lukewarm and silky as she dove in and under to avoid the no-see-ums, which always seemed to prefer her to Neil. She felt Girlfriend splashing along next to her.
Sabrina began to swim toward Francis Bay, surprised to find herself crying as she pumped her arms and legs furiously, her chest heavy with grief. Salt from her tears stung her eyes, making her angry. The salt from the ocean had never hurt. Her ears pounded with the sound of her heart beat against the fury of splashes until she stopped, exhausted, and floated onto her back. Kicking her legs, she headed back to the beach, Girlfriend finally catching up to her as her speed slowed.
Sabrina emerged from the water, Girlfriend at her side, bending over at the waist. She placed her hands on her knees, trying to regulate her breathing and control her tears. She didn’t want Neil to see her so out of control. So emotional.
Neil approached her with a towel, placing it over her shoulders. Sabrina remained crouched over. He rubbed her back.
“Salty? Are you okay?” he asked gently as Girlfriend began to pace.
Could she tell him, no, she was not okay? That having your mother abandon you when you’re a toddler means you’ll never be okay, even if you spend your entire life trying to learn to be normal? That seeing Carmen and the pain she suffered at the hands of a daughter who had callously deserted and betrayed her had triggered yet another painful realization? That the grandmother Sabrina had spent her entire life resenting probably had been so mortally wounded by her own daughter, she couldn’t bear to get close to her granddaughter?
Neil reached for her arms and pulled her into a big hug, the kind that made her feel safe from the world.
“There’s some good news. Your phone rang while you were in the water and when I saw it was Lucy Detree, I answered. She said to tell you the skinny-dippers have turned themselves in and asked that you come to headquarters tomorrow morning at ten,” Neil said.
“Will Detective Hodge be there, Neil? I’m not anxious to be interviewed by him about the skinny-dippers or anything else without counsel,” Sabrina said, recovering from her emotional tailspin and reverting to survival mode.
“Not to worry, Salty. I was saving the good news for later, but I guess I can share it now.” He took her hand, leading her to the jeep. He reached into his backpack and pulled out a thick manila envelope. He started the car, turned on the heat, and pushed the overhead light on.
Sabrina thumbed through the raft of papers. A Petition for Admission, followed by an Affidavit in Support of Petition with attachments including copies of Neil’s bar card from California, his driver’s license with a bad photo of him, and his passport with an even worse photo. The very last paper was Order Allowing Admission Pro Hac Vice.
“What do all these papers mean?” Sabrina asked Neil, who was wearing a mischievous grin.
“They mean you just got yourself a lawyer. I have been qualified to represent you and Henry and Ten Villas in the investigation of the murder of Elena Consuela Soto Rodriguez. Because Sean is the technical owner of the villa you manage, he gets to be included as a party I represent,” Neil said, beaming.
“How did you manage this?” Sabrina asked. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that you’re reading a book about the Uniform Commercial Code?” She hadn’t mentioned the book earlier because she didn’t want to appear overly curious on her first visit to Neil’s home.
“Um, no, that’s something else. This is how a court authorizes a lawyer from a different jurisdiction to enter an appearance as counsel in a case pending in its jurisdiction. David made a stop in St. Thomas on the way back from Puerto Rico so I could get it at the court house. I should have told Henry and Sean about it, but that meeting with Carmen was so intense I forgot.”
“So you’ll come with me tomorrow?” Sabrina asked, suddenly overcome by a wave of exhaustion combined with relief and the need to get out of her wet bathing suit.
“It depends. Do you think you can you come up with the retainer, Salty?” He just loved teasing her.
“And what kind of retainer are you expecting, counselor?” Sabrina asked, playing along.
“How about a grilled cheese sandwich and a Guinness at your place?”