Eye of the Storm

Chapter

Forty-nine

KERRY WAS CURLED in the passenger seat of the Lexus, watching both Dar’s profile and the city lights flash by as they headed over the causeway towards home. Dar kept smirking to herself, a little tensing motion of her lips, and Kerry suspected she was remembering the high points of her party.

That was okay. Kerry was too. It had lasted longer than she’d thought it would. “Hey, Dar?”

“Hmm?” Dar glanced at her, then returned her eyes to the road.

“Did you really not know anything about the party?”

Dar’s nose twitched. “Well,” she chuckled softly, “I got this phone call two weeks back asking me what your favorite foods were. Figuring there wasn’t a Kerrison Stuart Cooks! videotape in the works, I pinned the caller to the wall and tortured the details out of them.”

Kerry muffled a laugh. “That explains the Snowballs. I was wondering about that, because I’m damn sure I never told anyone but you that I liked them.” There had also been chafing dishes full of Thai foods and a conspicuous presence of chocolate scattered around. “God, I’m stuffed.”

“Did you have fun?”

“Yeah. It was really nice. I was surprised at how many people were there.” Kerry mused. “I can’t believe they brought gifts and stuff.”

Dar turned into the ferry terminal and pulled onto the boat. “Why?

Kerry, people really like you, for one thing, and for another, they’re damn grateful they have you to deal with and not me.”

“Dar, that’s not true,” Kerry protested, but her partner didn’t look distressed at her statement.

“Would they hate to lose me? Sure,” Dar agreed readily. “Everybody knows the company is better off with me doing what I do. But they’d rather work with you. Which is fine, Kerry. That’s exactly what I intended when I made you my assistant. In fact, I commented to Mari at the time that it might reduce her personnel complaints.”

“Just so I could generate other kinds of personnel complaints,” Kerry remarked wryly.

“No one complains about you.” Dar shook her head.

“Well, not many people complain about you anymore, either,” Kerry shot back. “So there.”

456 Melissa Good Dar was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. “Yeah,” she finally said, sounding surprised. “You’re right. They haven’t been.”

Kerry settled back in her seat, satisfied. She was quiet for a minute, then looked at Dar. “I don’t have any other surprises waiting for me, do I?”

“At home?” Dar smiled. “No…well…” She chuckled. “I don’t know.

Maybe a box or two.” She squeezed Kerry’s knee. “I saved mine for tomorrow, but I think my folks might have dropped by something.”

Kerry wrinkled up her nose in a smile. “This is so cool,” she admitted. “At home, after about…age eight or so, I guess, we got gift certificates to various department stores, which my mother took and used to get things she thought we needed.”

“That’s no fun.”

“No,” Kerry agreed. “I used to save up my allowance and go out and get myself one thing, a toy or whatever, that I wanted.” She considered.

“I remember the year I got myself an Erector Set. My mother was so pissed off at me. She took it away and gave it to Mike, who turned around and gave it back to me, of course. I kept it under my bed and played with it when she was out shopping.”

“An Erector Set? What problem did she have with that?” Dar asked in a puzzled tone.

“It was a boy toy.”

“Your mother needs an injection of the late twentieth century.” Dar snorted. “I don’t want to tell you how many expansion sets I had for mine.”

Kerry smiled. “Did you make anything significant?”

Dar pulled into her parking spot and turned the Lexus off. “A mechanical system to turn off and on the lights, the stereo, and adjust the sound in my room.” She got out and popped the back hatch to retrieve Kerry’s gifts. “And a car that got my sneakers from my closet.”

Kerry giggled so hard she had to lean against the Lexus’ door.

“I did one that unloaded my mother’s acrylic paint tubes and moved them into the garage, but that didn’t last long.”

Kerry slid down to the ground, holding her sides.

“Then there was the dog,” Dar went on. “I gave up trying to get its tail to wag, though. The little motors just wouldn’t start and stop when I wanted them to.” She lifted the box out of the back, then paused, as her abused muscles protested. “Ow.”

“God, sorry.” Kerry hauled herself up off the ground and hurried over to help. “Sorry, sorry. I keep forgetting your back.”

“Me too,” Dar admitted, wincing.

“Well, the most extensive thing I made with mine was an amusement park,” Kerry told her, as they edged up the stairs with their burden. “A Ferris wheel and a merry go round. I even found little plastic horses for the carousel.” She keyed in her code, then grabbed the knob and pulled the door open. “Whoa, whoa. Easy, Chino.”

“Rooo!” The Labrador hurtled out, nearly knocking her owners over.

Eye of the Storm 457

“Easy, easy.” Dar laughed, as she maneuvered past the excited dog and got into the condo. They put the presents down on the dining room table, and Dar continued on into the kitchen. “I’m going to put some coffee up. Turn the TV on, willya?”

“Sure.” Kerry trotted to the TV and did just that, then sat down on the loveseat to pet Chino. “Hey, honey. How are you?”

“Agurff.” Chino mouthed Kerry’s hand enthusiastically.

“Here.” Dar returned from the kitchen, with a handful of mail.

“Looks like you got some cards.” She handed over five or six envelopes, then dropped down onto the couch to leaf through the remainder. Idly, she reached a hand out to scratch Kerry’s back, and the blonde woman leaned back, settling into the curve of her arm.

“Dar?”

“Yes?” Dar opened a letter one handed, scanning its contents. “Oh.

More stock options. Great.”

“Thanks.”

“For what?” Puzzled blue eyes gazed at her. “Getting you your mail?”

“Just thanks.” Kerry gave her a one armed hug, then stayed curled up where she was to open her cards. “Oh look. Baby pictures.” She showed one of Angie and the new baby. “He’s a lot less wrinkled now, huh?” She turned the picture over and drew in a surprised breath. “Oh, Dar. Look.”

“Hmm?” Dar inclined her head to read the black penned inscription.

“She named him Andrew?” Her voice rose.

“Yeah.” Kerry laughed in delighted. “Wow. That is so cool.” She put the picture down and opened the next one, a funny card from Michael.

“He’s so strange sometimes.” She lifted out a golden red leaf. “He sent this because we don’t have season changes.”

Dar snickered.

“What else? Oh, this must be from Aunt Penny.” Kerry smiled, seeing the creamy white, heavy paper. She opened the top and pulled out a card. “I sent her a picture of us, by the way.” She opened the card. “Oh, hey, she’s going to be here in Miami and she wants to come see us.”

“Huh.” Dar cocked her head. “Interesting handwriting.”

“She wants to meet you.” Kerry gave her a gentle elbow.

“Uh oh.” Dar stifled a yawn.

“Nah. She’s really nice. You’ll like her.” Kerry tucked the card away, then opened the last envelope, pulled the sedate, gold foil card out and opened it.

“I’m sure she is,” Dar answered absently. “You want to take her out on the boat?”

There was no answer.

“Ker?” Dar peered at her partner.

Kerry swallowed and tilted the card in shaking fingers so that Dar could see it. “It’s…it’s from my parents.”

Dar blinked. It was a simple card, with only “Happy Birthday” in 458 Melissa Good ornate script in the center, and “mom and dad” written in. “Huh. How d’you like that?” She smiled and gave Kerry a hug. “Does that make you feel better?”

Kerry just stared at the card, turning it over in her fingers and shaking her head. “I don’t know what I feel,” she answered softly. “Bewildered. Amazed.” She paused. “Relieved, maybe.” Kerry thought about that. “Yeah, relieved.”

Dar felt her partner’s body relax and she did as well. “I’m glad.” She nuzzled Kerry’s hair.

“Me too,” Kerry replied, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. She tipped her head back and caught Dar’s lips. “Now I can start to leave that behind. Who knows? Maybe one day we can all sit down and talk.” She regarded Dar’s face thoughtfully. “Maybe meeting your folks and seeing how accepting they were helped.”

Dar’s eyebrow lifted. “Could be.” She glanced at the television screen as she caught a familiar scene. “Hey.” She nudged Kerry, who turned the volume up.

“And this late breaking news bulletin. The FBI announced, just a few moments ago that it had concluded its investigation into the explosion at District Memorial Hospital. Here’s the announcement as it happened.”

“Oh. That’s the FBI guy Dad spoke to in the back there,” Kerry whispered, pointing.

“Hmm.” Dar nodded.

An older FBI agent stepped up to the podium and cleared his throat.

Behind him, an easel was set up with a diagram of the hospital on it. “Our investigators have searched thoroughly, and what they have determined was this.” He picked up a pointer. “The explosion started at this point, in the hospital kitchen. We’ve determined that the natural gas storage tanks ignited, and sent a firestorm through the pipes up the utility stack here.”

“Huh.” Dar blinked.

“Then, because these pipes run concurrently with the oxygen pipes, when the gas pipes overheated and blew, the oxygen lines went also. That sent off multiple explosions here.” He pointed. “Here, and here.”

Another tap. “Ending up igniting the gas storage areas right around the operating theatres.”

“Wow.” Kerry drew in a breath. “So it wasn’t a bomb.”

“The FBI is satisfied that, pending further investigation into what ignited the gas tank in the kitchen, that it appears to us that no criminal act has taken place here, beside the design flaw that allows the two types of gas pipes to exist in the same space.”

“How do you like that?” Dar murmured.

“Yeah.” Kerry exhaled. “I’m glad.”

“Mmm.” Dar studied the screen pensively, unable to disagree.

BUZZ.

Dar opened a sleep fogged blue eye and peered at the clock in out-Eye of the Storm 459

rage. “Who in the hell is calling here at three a.m.?”

Buzz.

Slap. “Hello?” Dar growled sleepily.

“Hey there, Dardar.”

The other eye opened, then both blinked. “Daddy. It’s a damn lucky thing this is you.”

Her father chuckled. “Wake yer butt up and c’mon down here to the docks. We just got our new quarters.”

Dar closed both eyes. “Wouldn’t it be better to see them in day-light?” she inquired hopefully, as Kerry stirred, then crawled up and rested her chin on Dar’s breastbone.

“Aw. C’mon now. First time we got something brand spanking new,” Andrew rasped. “Get your butt down here.”

“Can we come as we are or do we have to get dressed?” Kerry warbled.

There was a momentary pause. “’Sperience tells me I should tell you to put yer clothes on,” Andrew finally decided. “’Sides, it’s a little chilly down here.”

“Okay. We’ll be right there.” Dar yawned and rubbed her eyes as the line disconnected. “Wait a minute. How could they have just gotten that at three a.m.?”

Kerry had rolled over and carefully levered herself out of the waterbed and padded naked across the floor towards the bathroom. “Light.”

Dar closed her eyes.

“They had to pick it up in Palm Beach, remember?” Kerry reminded her, as she splashed water over her face. “Probably took their time coming down the coast.”

“Mmm. Wonder if they had a waterbed put in,” Dar joked faintly.

“They loved ours.”

Kerry jerked upright, green eyes popping wide open as she stared at herself in the mirror. Slowly she turned, leaned in the doorway, and glared at the light splashed naked form tangled in the sheets. “What?”

“Well,” Dar crossed her ankles, “it was either down here, or up in your room. That single in the guest room’s a little too short for Daddy.”

Kerry covered her eyes with one hand. “Ohh. Back, back, back.” She groaned, trudging towards the dresser. “I tell you what, honey. I’m going to flush that image right out of my cache. Okay?”

“Okay,” Dar agreed amiably.

“Don’t you dare hit reload.”

“Okay.” The taller woman rolled up out of bed and stretched, producing a satisfying pop as her shoulders seated themselves. She pulled a shirt and a pair of shorts from her drawer and tugged them on as Kerry settled for one of her longer shirts. “C’mon, Chino, let’s go see grandpa’s new toy.”

They walked down the front stairs and, moments later, Dar was steering the golf cart down the completely empty, moonlit road towards the marina. “Pretty night,” she commented.

460 Melissa Good

“Mmm.” Kerry ducked to one side and peered up at the cloudless sky, speckled with stars faded from the city lights nearby. “Yeah, it is.”

The tires crunched on the gravel, sounding loud in the darkness, and she pulled her head back in and settled in her padded seat. Chino sat in the back and had her head resting on the brace between them, sniffing with interest.

They rounded the turn and proceeded into the marina, the sound of the waves merged with the soft clinking of ships’ riggings. “Good grief,”

Kerry murmured. “That thing is huge.”

“Yeah. Don’t all guys love to hear that?” Dar muttered back, as she muffled a chuckle. “Well, it is their house now, so…”

The Bertram was tucked up in a guest slip on the edge of the Marina, shiny fiberglass glistening in the moonlight. All of sixty feet long, it featured a flying bridge like Dar’s and a long foredeck she gauged would be excellent for her mother to set up an easel on. “Nice.”

She parked the cart and they got out, then they walked up to the back of the vessel as her parents came out to meet them. “Morning.” Dar lifted a hand towards them.

“Hello, you two.” Cecilia gave her husband an exasperated look. “I tried to make him wait. Honestly.”

Kerry chuckled as she hopped on board. “That’s okay. Wow. This is nice.” She peeked up at the bridge console, which glowed with green LED’s.

“Mmm. Yeah, it is,” Ceci agreed cheerfully. “Happy birthday, by the way.” She hesitantly offered Kerry a hug, which was accepted with enthusiasm. “Were you surprised at your party?”

“Was she.” Dar laughed, as Kerry received another hug from her father. “She was shocked speechless.”

“Now that, ah would have paid to see,” Andrew drawled. “Ah, ah.

None of that, young lady, or I’ll be grabbing that tongue and keeping it.”

“That cake was gorgeous. Thank you so much.” Kerry turned sea green eyes on Ceci. “I was very, very surprised at everything. Did you know what Dar pulled on me?”

“About your promotion? Yes, we knew,” the silver blonde woman answered. “I wish we could have been there, but Andy was very anxious to take possession of this little boat.”

The ex-sailor in question was bouncing on the balls of his feet. “Y’all want a nickel tour?” he asked, hopefully. “And ah got to tell you, I have spent a good bit more on the gov’ment’s behalf than what this here boat costs, hell, my naval training cost more. But sitting down in that man’s office and writing him out a check for this thing was about the weirdest thing I have ever done.”

“He was impressed,” Ceci commented, “and May would have definitely approved.” She smiled. “C’mon. I put some coffee up to inaugurate the machine.”

They moved into the cabin, which was laid out not too differently from Dar’s. There was a living room area in front, with a comfortable Eye of the Storm 461

looking couch and a table with clamp downs and a set of built-in book-shelves. Across from that was an area with cabinets and a drafting table, custom made for her mother, Dar suspected.

Behind the living area was a compact galley, with a built in micro-wave and stove, and a fair sized refrigerator, and next to it a cozy table and wraparound booth to eat in.

Stairs descended behind that to the bedroom, with its built in drawers and recessed lighting, its bed larger than the one in their boat, and longer by several inches. Next to it was the head, which had a nice sized shower in it. There were storage areas built into all the bulkheads, and the living space was all lined in warm, rich honey toned wood with recessed brass hardware. “This is so nice.” Kerry breathed. The colors were blue and maroon, with the odd exception of the toilet seat, which was an interesting shade of pink.

Dar decided not to ask about that. “Definitely comfortable.” She clapped her father on the back. “Better than an eighteen inch wide bunk, huh?”

“Lord.” Andrew laughed. “I hate to see some of my buddy’s faces when they see this thing. They’re gonna keel right over.” But he looked very pleased with his new home. “I do like this, though. I really do.”

Ceci leaned against him and exhaled. “Me too.” She gave his arm a squeeze, then moved over to the galley and poured cups of steaming, nutty smelling coffee. “Oh, I almost forgot.” She set the tray on the table, and nudged them towards it. “I have something for the two of you. Just a little picture I finished a few days ago.”

“Heh.” Andrew doctored his coffee and sucked down a mouthful from the navy blue mug. Dar and Kerry joined him, while Dar peered past his shoulder curiously as her mother pulled something out of a veneered closet nearby.

“Kerry got a birthday card from her folks,” she informed her parents.

“Yeah?” Andrew was surprised. “Hell, I guess he does have a conscience after all that.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” Ceci said quietly, as she brought forward a canvas, then turned it for them to see and propped it up against the table. “I thought your living room could use a little color.”

Dar and Kerry gazed at the painting, then at each other, then back at the painting. “Wow,” Kerry murmured. “It’s gorgeous.”

Dar blinked. “It’s…” She leaned closer. “How did you do that?”

“I’m an artist,” Ceci remarked dryly. “It’s what I do.” But she seemed pleased with the reaction.

The painting was a jungle scene, deep greens and blues of the grass surrounding its two subjects, a large black panther, reclining regally on the mossy ground, its paws outstretched. Between them sat a russet and gold fox, peering coyly out at the watchers, its fluffy tail neatly tucked around its small feet. A cheerful red apple rested nearby.

It was the eyes that got them. Ceci had somehow captured, in the panther’s clear blue gaze, her daughter’s wild spirit, and the fox’s pale 462 Melissa Good green eyes reflected Kerry’s sweet intelligence.

A chord rang, deep and somewhat wistful in Dar’s memory as she studied the images, a whisper of a past she didn’t remember, the ghost of a gentle clasp on her shoulder that almost made her turn around.

“It’s amazing.” Kerry’s laugh bubbled up. “Thank you so much.”

Dar smiled. “Thanks, Mom.”

“You’re welcome,” Ceci remarked briskly. “Now, since I have the three of you together and where is that dog?”

Chino, curled up near the door where Dar had ordered her to stay, looked up. “Gruff.”

“Excellent. I need a picture of you all.” Ceci shooed them all together. “C’mon now. It’ll take a second.”

“Dressed like this?” Dar questioned, plucking her shirt. “For what?’

“Shh.” Her mother waited for Chino to get into the picture, then snapped it. “You think only you computer people can manipulate images? I can dress you however I want once I paint the picture.”

“Picture?”

“Paint?” Kerry chimed in. “You’re doing one of us?”

“Gruff!”

Andrew chuckled. “You wanna go for a ride? I had them tuck a few extra ponies in this here thing and we got enough chow on board for a sunrise gig.”

Oh boy. Work would be hell after that. “Sure.” Dar grinned. “Let her rip, Dad.”

“Dar.”

“Uh.”

“Heh.”

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