Stormy Waters: Book 10 in The Dar & Kerry Series

Chapter Nine

KERRY GUNNED THE engine of her bike, looking both ways before she eased out onto the still damp road and headed south. The sun had reluctantly made an appearance on its journey to the west, and she decided it was a good time to buzz off down to the market and get something for dinner.

The roads were still wet and she was careful to keep her speed down. Being dumped on her butt on the road wasn't something she was willing to experience, even if Dar had patiently taught her how to right the bike if she did get overturned.

It wasn't easy even though she was stronger than most women her size. Kerry shifted gears and headed through a green light--one of the few traffic stops in the general vicinity. The quiet nature of the town was one of the things she liked most about it and even now on the weekend, there was little traffic to impede her passage.

The market was just up on the right hand side, a low, wooden building with sun-faded paint and crushed shell pathways leading from the scrubby little parking lot to the door. Kerry pulled into a shady spot near the door and shut the bike's engine off, swinging her leg over the seat and removing her helmet.

She tucked the safety gear under its bungee and headed for the doors, the still damp breeze brushing over her bare shoulders. Pushing the left door open, she entered the pleasant chill of the air conditioned room and removed her sunglasses, tucking them by one earpiece into a belt loop. "Hi, Bill."

The man behind the meat counter looked up and waved. "Hi there, neighbor." He greeted Kerry amiably. "Didn't know you were down here this weekend. Thought the rain would keep folks up north."

"We came down on Friday night." Kerry picked up a basket and started browsing up and down the aisles. "But it looks like it's clearing up now. How's Martha?"

"Oh, she's doing fine." Bill said. "Hey listen, I just got in some fresh snapper. You want a couple pieces?"

Snapper. Kerry cocked her head slightly. Both she and Dar were quite fond of fresh fish, and a nice broiled filet sounded pretty good to her. "Sure." She agreed, detouring to the vegetable section and selecting a couple of Yukon gold potatoes, some green beans, and two ears of white corn.

She also added a quart of strawberries and carried the lot of it up to the counter. She could have gotten stuff for tomorrow also, but she preferred to let whimsy control what she picked rather than planning things out too far in advance. "Wow those do look nice." She commented on the fish.

"A cook would know that." He chuckled. "And I know you're the cook in that house."

Kerry accepted the brown wrapped bundle with a slight grin. "I guess Dar's habit of only buying ice cream, milk, chocolate bars and bananas sort of clues that in, huh?" She handed over her credit card. "But I like cooking. It's fun."

"Me too." Bill pushed the credit card receipt her way for signature. "I get kidded about it by the boys, though. You know how it is."

Kerry signed her name in a neat script hand and gave it back to him. "Well, not really." She admitted. "Usually girls are expected to know how, and to like cooking." Her face creased into a smile. "I've never had anyone look crosswise at me for that. For other things..." She waggled a hand.

"Like that pretty tattoo?" Bill asked, with a grin of his own. "It's new, yeah?"

"Yeah." Kerry glanced down at the half visible mark, peeking out from around her tank top strap. "I got it a few weeks back. Like it?"

Bill leaned closer, raising his glasses slightly to get a better look. "Nice work." He complimented her. "I've got a pair of dolphins, myself, but it'd take a pair of speedos that I'd die before wearing, to show 'em to the world."

Kerry chuckled. "That was my second choice of locations." She picked up her packages and the keys to the motorcycle. "But I think I really wanted people to be able to see it." Her eyes strayed, for a moment, to the mark and the letters of Dar's name visible, before she turned and headed back toward the doors. "Have a great day, Bill."

"You too, Kerry." Bill replied, sitting back down on his stool. "Drive careful now, it's wet out."

Kerry lifted a hand in acknowledgement as she slipped through the door, reaching hastily for her sunglasses as the glare outside made her blink.

"Excuse me...are you Kerry Stuart?"

Kerry pulled up short and turned, finding herself the focus of a well-dressed black woman, and a man with a camera. The woman didn't look unfriendly, but the light was on the camera, and Kerry hadn't grown up in a spotlight for nothing. "Yes." She answered slowly. "Can I ask why you want to know?"

"Great. We found you." The woman smiled. "We're doing filming as part of the special on the new American Cruise line project, and I'd like to ask you some questions."

Kerry squared her shoulders, shifting her packages carefully to one arm. "Our office is in Miami. Is there some reason you came looking for me here?" She kept her voice even, but there was little warmth in it.

The reporter looked warily at her. "Well, someone tipped me off you might be down here...so I thought I'd take a chance. Since the other teams are up at the port working, it seemed a little...unusual that you'd leave the city."

Anger started to bubble inside Kerry's stomach. "Well, I guess you just wasted a trip then. I've got nothing to say at the moment. It's my time off." She turned and headed for her bike, her ears catching the whine of the camera behind her.

"Wait..." The reporter came after her. "Ms. Roberts talked to us."

Kerry put her packages into the small storage area in the back of the bike and got on it, shifting it over its center of balance and putting up the kickstand. "In the office." She started the engine, and revved it, the low throaty roar making speech momentarily impossible.

"You don't think it says something about your company, to have you down here on vacation while everyone else is working?" The reporter queried. "Maybe my source was right after all."

Kerry put her helmet on. "The only thing it says about our company is that we trust our staff to do what we pay them to." She backed the bike and prepared to leave the lot. "Excuse me." She tried not to look directly at the camera, the blank gray eye following her every move.

"Is Ms. Roberts down here too? Maybe I can talk to her." The reporter persisted. "Maybe she can explain it to me since you're unwilling to."

Answering didn't seem wise. Kerry gunned her engine and headed out onto the road, shifting through first and into second gear as she glanced behind her to see if the woman was following. She was caught between outrage and worry, wondering briefly if she should have played the reporter's game and just talked to her for a few minutes.

Dar had, as she'd noted.

Ah well. Kerry shifted into third gear and picked up speed, anxious to get back to the cabin and get the bike under cover before the woman could find out where they lived. Would she knock on the door? The thought made her angry, and she felt somewhat invaded by the idea.

This was a haven for them. To have the reporter come here and shove herself into this part of her world bothered Kerry more than she liked to acknowledge, and she resented it hugely. She leaned into the turn that would take her toward home, and panicked for a moment as she felt the bike start to slide out from under her.

Her body reacted uncertainly, not used to the motion and she leaned back the other way out of pure instinct. For a second, it was riding the line, the tire skidding against the wet pavement for an eternity before the traction caught again and she brought the motorcycle back under control.

"Jesus." Kerry felt her heart pounding in her chest, as she slowed down, ready to make the turn into their driveway. To her surprise, Dar was out in the yard heading for the road, and she jumped the fence as Kerry pulled to a stop in the soft gravel. "Hey."

"Hey." Dar joined her, laying a hand on Kerry's arm. "What's up? You okay?"

"Yeah. Almost laid the bike down." Kerry admitted. "Let's get it in the shed. I had a very unpleasant encounter with your friend from the filming people at the market."

Dar blinked. "My friend?"

"The reporter?" Kerry got off the bike and started pushing it toward the shed.

"How'd she find you down here?" Dar helped, getting her hands between Kerry's. "What the hell did she want?" Her voice sharpened.

Kerry got the door to the shed open, and they pushed the motorcycle inside. She pulled the door closed, just as the sound of tires on the road sounded loud in their ears. They both stood together and listened as the car slowed down outside, then, after a long and still moment, drove on past. "Son of a bitch."

Dar's jaw tightened. "They get you on camera?" She asked, as Kerry moved to take the bags from the back of the bike.

"Yeah." Kerry turned, letting her sunglasses slide down a little and peeking at Dar over them. "Don't worry, though. There's no way anyone's going to believe Roger Stuart's kid with a tattoo on her chest is riding a bike down in the sticks. I'll just say someone was impersonating me."

Dar's lips tensed, then relaxed into a faint grin.

"What are we going to do if she shows up here?" Kerry went on, with a grimace. "It won't take much, Dar. We're in the local phone book. All she has to do is look and she'll have the address."

"Not to mention my car's outside." Dar remarked dryly. "Let's worry about it when it happens. Did she say what angle she was after?"

"Oh yeah." Kerry picked up the parcel, and nudged Dar toward the door. "ILS snooty sloths snuggle while minions slave away." She sighed. "And I joked about it, but I think I just sunk my image big time."

"Hell with 'em." Dar led her back toward the cabin. "If they show up here, I'll just toss them in the salt. Besides, we are working." She peeked inside a bag. "Mm...strawberries."

Kerry allowed herself to be distracted as they walked over to the cabin, and slipped inside. She had a distinct feeling, though, that the reporter wasn't going to give up that easily, or be dissuaded by even Dar's rejection.

Not to mention what it all would look like to anyone viewing the film.

Kerry sighed. Muskrats.

THEY WERE BOTH surprised when the rest of the afternoon proved peaceful and reporter-less. Kerry retreated into the kitchen to make dinner, while Dar huddled with her laptop, obsessing over the results of her program.

"Hey, with this filming stuff," Kerry positioned the snapper filets on the broiling pan, dusting them with her jealously guarded mixture of spices, "don't they have to get our approval to show any of it? I mean, it's not a news program, right?"

Dar stretched, lifting her arms over her head and popping her shoulder joints. "Good question," she said. "I should probably send a note to legal and ask, huh?"

"Might be a good idea." Kerry put a final swipe of herbed oil on the fish and prepared to put them in the broiler. She glanced up as Dar entered the kitchen, circling around her and settling her arms around Kerry's waist and observing as she put dinner up.

"Mm." Kerry leaned back a little, savoring the solid warmth of her partner's body. She felt Dar rest her chin on the top of her head and they simply stood together for a bit in silence, swaying lightly to some far off music only their souls could hear.

"Keeeeerrrrry." Dar warbled, in a high tone that mimicked her gopher's. "I lloooooooovvveee you."

Kerry felt like she was going to dissolve into a puddle of blond goo. Slowly, she turned within the circle of Dar's arms and looked up at her. "Can I tell you something?"

"Could I stop you?" Dar leaned forward a little to rub noses with her.

Kerry tilted her head and they kissed, as her arms slid up and clasped around Dar's neck. She caught Dar's lower lip between her teeth and then released her with a soft chuckle. "Well, Paladar, as a matter of fact, yes, you could." She drawled softly. "Just like that, in fact."

Dar chuckled along with her, lifting a hand up to brush Kerry's cheek. "You're so easy to distract sometimes."

Kerry leaned into the touch, pressing her body against her partner's. "Depends on the distraction." She smiled. "But what I was going to say before I was so pleasantly led off course was..." Her eyes gentled and warmed. "You're the best part of my life."

"I am?" A charmed look appeared on the Dar's face. "Even better than ice cream?"

"Much better."

"Aw." Dar hugged her, tucking Kerry's head against her shoulder and giving her a healthy squeeze. "Likewise, sweetheart."

Kerry closed her eyes, and exhaled, welcoming the sweet affection in Dar's tone. After all the chaos of work and the aggravation of meeting the reporter, she wanted this.

Needed it. She slid her arms around Dar's waist and returned the hug, and then ran her hands along her partner's spine giving her a light massage. "I looooooooovvve you too." She warbled softly. "My little gopher."

Dar snickered.

They walked into the living room with their arms wrapped around each other, and got halfway across it before they heard a knock on the door. After sharing a dour look, Dar removed her hold and dusted her hands together. "I'll go take care of this. Stay here."

Kerry debated briefly, and then uncharacteristically obeyed, flopping down on the couch and extending her legs along its length as she watched Dar stalk toward the back door.

She didn't envy the reporter, if that was who it was. Dar could, and often was, rude and nasty when she felt the need to be and being on the receiving end of that was really no fun. Not that Kerry herself knew that from personal knowledge, even when she and her beloved partner disagreed, Dar never went past blunt with her.

In fact, Kerry knew she herself had been by far the nastier of the two of them when they'd first met. She wiggled her toes reflectively, her ears cocked as Dar opened the door.

"Yes?" Dar peered out into the late afternoon sunshine, her body blocking the door open just to her shoulder width.

"Well, hello there, Ms. Roberts. Remember me?" The reporter smiled at her.

"Yes." Dar responded. "Anything else you need? No?" She started to close the door.

"Wait...wait...I really need to talk to you." The woman put her hand out to keep the door from shutting. "Please?"

Dar stared steadily at her. "I'm not on the clock." She let her eyes drift past the woman, but the camera and its operator were nowhere in sight. After a moment, she focused back on the intruder.

"Well, no, but I'm here, and you're here, so..." The reporter persisted. "It'll only take a minute, really."

It all sounded so reasonable. Unfortunately, Dar wasn't feeling very reasonable at the moment. "No." She stated. "I don't appreciate people who invade my private life. So I'd get my hand off the door if I were you, unless you want a broken wrist out of this."

The woman took a step back. "Now, I don't really think we're invading..."

"Did I give you my address here?" Dar asked pointedly.

"Well, no, but--"

"Did you ask if you could do an interview with me during off hours?"

"That's not the point, here--"

"It's exactly the point." Dar started closing the door again. "And damned unprofessional if you ask me. I think I need to make a call to your production office on Monday."

The reporter put her hand out again. "Whoa whoa...wait a minute, are you the same person I interviewed a few days ago? What happened?"

"You screwed up." Dar pulled her head in and pushed the door closed, getting her weight behind it just in case the reporter got any stupid ideas to stop her. "Jerk." She started to walk away, only to stop when a knock came at the door again.

She put her hands on her hips and looked at Kerry. Kerry shrugged sheepishly. Dar narrowed her eyes and turned, going back to the door and yanking it open. She drew back her other hand near her ear and curled her fingers into a fist, cocking it meaningfully. "I am not playing games with you."

The reporter stopped in mid speech and blinked at Dar in surprise. "Are you going to hit me?" She asked in an incredulous tone.

"Yes." Dar said.

"You're crazy."

"No, I've just had my privacy invaded and it's ticking me off." Dar narrowed her eyes. "And we have a law down here that lets me protect my property with pretty much any show of force I want."

"I don't get it. You were just the friendliest thing in your office. What's up with that?" The woman said.

"I'm not in my office."

Kerry got up and walked over, standing behind the door out of sight and pressing her back against it as she listened.

"Okay, so, how does it hurt to talk to me for a minute?" The reporter said. "What's the big deal? We had lunch, remember? C'mon."

"If you want to discuss something, call me during working hours." Dar kept her patience with great effort.

"Or is it that you're with your girlfriend now?"

Dar merely stepped away from the door, and allowed Kerry to slam it shut for her. She loudly threw the deadbolt, then turned her back, waiting for Kerry to join her before they made their way toward the couch again.

"If she knocks again, I'm going to go Republican on her." Kerry commented. "You actually had lunch with this person?"

"That's what happens when you leave me to my own devices for a meal." Dar paused, glancing over her shoulder. "Hell, now I better send legal a note. I can just picture how we'll come off in their little script."

Erg. Kerry trudged back into the kitchen. "Should we have been less rude?" She asked.

Dar picked up her laptop and brought it over to the counter, setting it down and seating herself on one of the wooden stools. She rested her head on one fist and studied the screen. "Screw it."

Kerry turned on a front burner and set a pan over it, putting a little peanut oil and butter in the bottom. As it heated, she removed a colander of green beans from the sink and set it down next to her, grabbing her wooden stirring spoon as she listened to Dar type.

"She was a lot nicer at lunch."

"Uh huh." The green beans were sacrificed into the pan, releasing the scent of spices and garlic as Kerry stirred them. "Like she was on your side?"

Pale blue eyes peeked over the laptop screen at her. "Yeah."

Kerry's lips quirked slightly.

"Did I get scammed?"

Kerry flipped the beans in the pan expertly, remembering the lectures of her childhood. The press, she'd been taught, were not ever, ever your friends and they never were on your side. "Well..." She hesitated, not wanting to insult her lover. "Dar, I'm sure she's very slick. Probably. She might have fooled me too."

Dar sighed. "I thought she was nice." She admitted. "She did say a lot of things...well, anyway, I guess I took her at face value." She saw an email arrive, and clicked on it.

Hey Boss --

Got the list, here it is, but everyone and their mamma ison it. You want me to pull their security scans? I sorted 'emby hire date, but there's no one in there less than threemonths. I don't know what the hell's going on.

Mark

"I don't know what's going on either." Dar admitted, with a sigh. "You know what, Ker? I really don't know what the hell's going on. I'm losing it."

Prudently, Kerry merely murmured in sympathy, as she finished the beans and turned off the fire. She got two plates ready, opening up the broiler and retrieving her snapper filets. "I'm not sure I know what's up either," she said, sliding a filet off onto one of the plates and adding some beans along with a baked potato and half a corn.

Dar sat there swinging her legs for a minute, and then she got up and came around into the kitchen, reaching around Kerry to take possession of the plates. "Mmm."

They walked into the living room and sat down next to each other on the couch as Dar set the plates on the burled mahogany coffee table.. "Oh, hang on." Kerry put hers down and got up again, walking back into the kitchen to get them both a drink.

Dar used her fork to separate a bit of fish and tasted it. "Mm." She waited for Kerry to return and sit down again. "Good stuff."

Kerry bumped shoulders with her. They ate quietly, both apparently lost in deep thought.

ANDREW SLUNG HIS tool belt over one broad shoulder and headed off the ship. The sun was blotted out by dark clouds, and there was a heavy smell of rain in the air. Even the usually calm waters of the cut picked up a little chop that washed against the hulls of the ships lined up against the pier.

He was halfway across the open space when the door to the guard hut opened and a man emerged heading in his direction with a distinct sense of purpose. Given the man's bad taste in suits, and the badge holder hanging from his belt Andrew reckoned he might be his guard friend's boss, but he waited until the man was obviously intersecting him before he turned his head and made eye contact.

"Hold up there." The man lifted a hand. "You Roberts?"

Andy slowed and halted as he came even with the man. "Yeap."

The man had thick, slicked back dark hair and a trimmed moustache, a bad complexion, and watery gray eyes. They now fastened on Andrew's face with a cold, stern glitter. "I understand from my man you caused some trouble today, mister."

Behind him, Andrew could see the punk guard, peeking out from behind the shutters in the little guard shack. He shifted his gaze to the man in front of him. "Do ah look like a feller who'd cause trouble?"

The security manager looked him up and down. "That's no answer."

"Young feller there was fixing to get hisself run over by a truck," Andrew said. "Ah just stopped him."

The other man looked down the pier to where Dar's ship was then he looked back at Andrew. "I had orders not to let any trucks through there. How do you want me to explain why one went through? I'm not taking the heat for it, buddy. I'll get your ass fired."

Andrew shrugged. "Ain't made no sense to me. What in hell's the difference if a truck goes on down there?" He figured if he was going to get fired, might as well get any information he could first.

"Doesn't have to make sense to you. I got my orders." The man turned as a yell sounded over the docks. "Shit. Now there's the one giving the orders. You stay here; let me see what they want done with you."

Andrew looked over the man's shoulder to see Shari approaching, an angry look on her face. "Wall." He exhaled. "Don't that figure. That there woman's more trouble than a hemorrhoid in a bucket."

The man swung around and gave Andrew a startled look, an almost smile twitching at his lips. Then he went to intercept his unwelcome visitor.

Andrew hesitated, then he ambled after him catching up as they met Shari halfway across the dock.

"I just got a call, saying you let a delivery go through. I told you no trucks! What's wrong with you, are you stupid?" Shari yelled at him.

"Wait a minute, lady..." The security chief held a hand up.

"I'm not waiting for anything. I gave a direct order." Shari overrode him. "I want your boss's name, right now. I'm not putting up with any more of this horse crap." She pulled out her cell phone. "Give me his number."

"Just hold on a minute..." The security chief looked around as Andrew shifted. "Roberts, I told you to stay back there." He said.

"Damn it!" He returned his attention to Shari. "Now look, lady. It wasn't my fault. This guy here got in the way of my guy doing his job and...lady?"

Shari had stopped in mid motion, and was looking at Andrew with a suddenly suspicious expression. She closed her phone. "Roberts?" She asked, gritting her teeth.

Ah well. Busted. Andrew produced a wicked grin.

The security chief looked from one to the other of them. "You know this guy?" He asked Shari. "He's the one who distracted my guy and let that truck through."

"I just bet he did." Shari's eyes narrowed.

"Sir!" The young guard was calling, from the gate. A group of men and women were standing there, looking impatient. "Sir, you need to come here, please, sir!"

If anything, the chief looked relieved. He edged past Shari and headed for the gate with a muttered apology leaving the two of them facing each other.

"Didn't realize Dar had a brother." Shari snorted, in a disgusted tone. "But now it all makes sense. Let me get that damn stupid supervisor on the phone and get you out of here first."

One of Andrew's grizzled eyebrows hiked up. "She don't," he rasped. "Save yer breath. I'm leaving." He shifted his work belt to his other shoulder and started to walk around Shari.

"Oh no, you're not just waltzing out of here. I'm calling the police." Shari reached out to take hold of his arm. "Have you arrest..." Shari stopped as a hand far larger than hers closed around her wrist and removed her grip. "Let go of me."

Andy stared steadily at her. "If you had any smarts, woman, you would count yerself lucky to just turn round and walk away from here." His voice was soft, but firm. "Mah daughter is real special to me and ah do not take kindly to folks who done messed with her."

"D..." Shari's eyes widened. "Oh shit."

Andrew grinned again, narrowing his eyes.

"Captain! Captain! Get over here!" Shari yelled out in panic. "Help!"

Andrew looked over her shoulder and saw the guards fully engaged with the new visitors, who were pushing their way onto the pier and forcing the two watchmen back. He released her arm, and wiped his fingers off on his jeans as Shari backed away from him.

She swung around, and spotted the guards busy with the gate, and then she headed for the guard shack, leaving Andrew behind without looking at him.

"Have a nice day." Andrew drawled, as he headed for the gates. As he got closer, he could hear the people arguing with the guards, and the word 'oil spill' echoed out of the babbling. "Uh oh." He edged carefully around the man in front, a tall, gray haired tower of indignation and escaped out into the front of the pier.

A pickup truck was waiting for him, conveniently enough. He opened the door and tossed his tool belt behind the seat, sliding in next to Ceci and shutting the door after him. "Just got me fired."

"Really?" His wife inquired.

"Yeap. That there woman fin'ly figgered out where she done knew me from. But ah think them folks right there are gonna be more trouble than me."

Ceci peered past him. "Ah. The EPA." She nodded solemnly.

"You figger?"

"I sent them." Cecilia gave the chaos a supremely satisfied look as she put the truck in gear. "C'mon, sailor boy. Now that we've caused this much trouble, let's go paint the town red. It's Saturday night."

Andrew stretched his arm across the seat and leaned back as they drove away from the port. He wasn't sure Dar would like the results of the day, but he also knew sometimes you just had to take what you got.

Life sometimes did give ya lemons. Smart fellers learned to take a shining to lemonade.

BY THE TIME the last rays of sunset were pouring through the windows, strawberries were at hand and problems set aside for another day. Kerry settled onto the two person bench swing with Dar and pushed gently against the porch support moving them back and forth.

The surface of the sea lapped invitingly in front of them, bringing a soft swishing roar and the faint tinkle of shells being moved under the waves. "Wanna swim with me tonight?"

Dar blew gently into her ear then leaned over to nibble the edge of it. "Sure." She breathed barely audible. "We can do that too."

Kerry gave a low, throaty chuckle.

The air was almost blue with twilight, warm and rich with moisture but lacking the oppressive heat of the day. Seagulls were circling lazily over the water, several landing on the dock which usually held the Dixieland Yankee when they came in by water.

It was quiet, and very peaceful. Kerry leaned against Dar, accepting the berry her partner was holding out before her lips. "It turned out pretty tonight."

"Mm hmm." Dar settled the bowl of fruit in her lap and extended her arm across Kerry's shoulders. There were still clouds across the horizon, but they only served to make the sunset glorious. It was pretty indeed, and now all the more so when she considered how their relationship had opened her eyes to the beauty of the world around her.

She'd always found the ocean pleasing, and enjoyed being at the shore in the salt breeze. But she'd never really just sat and watched a sunset until Kerry had come into her life.

The office was quiet, most of its inhabitants already gone home for the day. Dar packed up her laptop and got ready to leave herself, hesitating without really knowing why after she put her case on her desk.

Just another day, right? Nothing to really hang out here for.

Dar drummed her fingers on the desk, then she bowed to the inevitable and headed for the back corridor, intending on simply saying goodnight to her new assistant. It was only the polite thing to do, after all, and Kerry made a point of poking her head in every morning to say hello so...

She walked down the corridor and paused beside the door to Kerry's office, aware of the gentle tickle of anticipation in her stomach. It had been a long time since she'd felt that and the speeding up of her heartbeat as she thought about those kind, green eyes looking back at her.

She knocked, but there was no answer. Dar felt an immense bit of disappointment, surprised to find herself hurt that Kerry had left without saying goodnight.

Piqued, she opened the door anyway, her mood brightening when she spotted Kerry's briefcase on her chair. She entered the office and circled the desk, her sensitive nose picking up with ease the scent of Kerry?s perfume.

There was a cup on the desk, and as she brushed her fingers over the side of it. She found it still a quarter full with warm tea. So, Kerry couldn't be far off, could she? Dar headed for the front door and slipped out of it, looking both ways down the empty corridor.

Right? Left? Dar went left then turned left at the major intersection that went to the elevators, crossing past them to the other side of the building. Then she paused and pondered. To one side was marketing, to the other, accounting.

A cleaning woman pulled a garbage bin past her, giving Dar a polite smile as she stood there in the middle of the hallway. "Jefa."

Dar focused on her. "Did you just come up on this floor?" She asked, in Spanish.

"No." The woman shook her head. "I have just finished this side. Did you need something done for you?"

Dar looked around carefully, her voice lowering a little. "Did you see a blond woman, about this high?" She held her hand up at shoulder level. "Around in there?"

The woman also looked around before she answered. "Si, she is out on the patio over there, but she told me to say nothing!"

Ah. "Thanks." Dar headed off down the corridor arriving at the sturdy glass and steel doors that blocked off the west side viewing platform. Looking through them, she spotted Kerry at once, leaning against the railing and just looking out into space. "What on earth is she doing?"

She pressed her nose against the glass and watched as the breeze blew Kerry's pale hair back and fluttered her silk blouse tight against her body. The tickle in her guts became a burn, and she felt a little short of breath as she shoved the door open against the wind and emerged onto the patio. "Hi."

Kerry turned. Her expression altered from surprised to muted delight in an instant, and she smiled as Dar walked over to her. "Oh, hi."

"Whatcha doing?" Dar leaned on the railing next to her. Her eyes casually met Kerry's and held there, as the sunset gilded her profile.

"Um...not much." Kerry laughed softly. "Just watching the sun go down." She indicated the orange orb, which was painting the western sky every shade of bad sherbet imaginable. "It's so pretty from up here, isn't it?"

"Absolutely." Dar said, a moment before she took her eyes from Kerry's face, and glanced at the horizon. To her surprise, the view was more interesting than she'd imagined, and she stood there in silence as the shifting rays constantly changed the vista as they watched.

Kerry leaned against the rail next to her, their shoulders almost touching.

Dar wondered if she yelled loud enough, would the world stop turning so she could enjoy the moment just a little longer? It certainly beat the quiet, lonely drive home.

"Um...did you...need me for something?" Kerry asked suddenly, hesitating over the words. "I...I mean, were you looking, uh, or were you just..."

Uh oh. Dar felt totally at a loss. Make up a lie? Not answer? Glib answer? Jump over the railing? "I was just..." She finally got out, clamping her jaw shut after that with an audible click.

Kerry looked at her, a tentative grin appearing as she returned her gaze to the sun. She cleared her throat after a moment. "You know the pre-registration for the networking convention opens up tonight. I was thinking of heading down there early to get my paperwork done." Her eyes moved back to Dar's face. "Are you interested?"

A smile formed on Dar's face, as the sun slipped reluctantly under the horizon. "Absolutely."

Ah, sunsets. Dar smiled at the memory, wondering why it had taken her so long to appreciate them.

Possibly because the sun never set over the water where she'd been living. They'd deliberately picked the west side of the island when they'd bought the cabin to address just that subject. Kerry loved sunsets over the water and though it made it more difficult to reach the cabin since they had to go round the key, it was worth it.

The breeze carried a brief wisp of citronella coming from the candle burning near the post and for a brief moment Dar found herself wishing intensely that every day could end just like this.

Ludicrous, she knew. Dar sighed, and picked up another berry. Besides, if they were all like this, how could moments like now be special? She rested her head against Kerry's.

"You know something?" Kerry continued her gentle rocking. "When I was a kid, I used to go down to the lake near my house and just sit there, watching the sun go down. It wasn't nice like this is, but there always was that little peaceful time when it was happening where everything sort of stood still."

"Mm."

"I wondered for a long time if I would ever have anyone to share that time with." Kerry went on in a soft voice. "I was so completely alone surrounded by all those people and my family."

Unsure of what to say to that, Dar took a safe compromise, and reached out to clasp Kerry's hand, twining her fingers with her partner's.

Kerry exhaled, shaking her head slightly. "I am so blessed."

Dar absorbed the words, finding them even warmer than the residual sunlight. "We," she put in a slight correction, "are so blessed."

"Mm." Kerry selected a berry and bit into it. "That we are." She agreed.

They shared a few more berries, and Dar even threw one over to a gull bold enough to traverse the space between the dock and their porch. The bird picked up the offering suspiciously, then bolted it down with a raucous squawk. "Everyone's a critic." Dar commented.

"I don't think they usually eat strawberries, do they? I thought they eat like...dead fish and tormented baby turtles and things." Kerry split a huge berry in half and offered Dar a portion, smiling when it was taken from her fingers and the juice licked off them in the bargain. "Know what I want to do tonight?"

Ah. Easy question. Dar shifted and half turned, curling her arm around Kerry and kissing her on the lips, tasting the sweet tang of the strawberries as their tongues met. "Yes."

"Hmm...I could have meant Scrabble." Kerry whispered, her fingertips tracing the side of Dar's face with a light touch.

"Or Twister." Dar teased, kissing her again.

"We could combine the two and I could stick letters on you with peanut butter."

"Ooo...romance." Dar slid off the bench and rose to her feet, holding out a hand to Kerry. "Mix that with some fudge and we could infringe on Reese's patents."

"Oo." Kerry mimicked. "Now doesn't that sound sexy?" She got up and put her hand in Dar's, muffling a giggle as she was wrapped up in a pair of long arms and hustled toward the doors to the cabin. "Honey, you can infringe on my patent any time you want."

Dar held the door open and they eased past Chino, trading the languid warmth for the pleasant chill of the cabin. She put the bowl of berries down and concentrated on Kerry, running her thumbs down her collarbone before lacing her fingers behind her neck.

Kerry moved closer, slipping her hands under Dar's t-shirt and sliding it up to expose most of her torso. She angled her head and nibbled the curve of one breast, while she reached around to unhook her partner's bra.

Dar slowly moved them both in a rambling arc heading for the bedroom. She unbuttoned Kerry's shorts and they both laughed softly as the garment obligingly dropped around her ankles, nearly tripping her.

She stepped out of them as Dar eased her shirt up over her head and tossed it on top of the shorts then ducked her head as Kerry removed the t-shirt she was wearing and tossed it even further.

They went through the doorway into the bedroom in each other's arms, Kerry depending on Dar's navigation skills to keep them on course as she lost herself in a moment of passionate head rush. She concentrated on the warm skin under her lips and fingertips instead.

Dar did a good steering job, and a moment later they tumbled into the waterbed. She rolled over onto her back and felt Kerry's thigh slip between hers, their bodies pressing against each other. The surface flexed under them, as Dar ran her hands up Kerry's sides and eased her fingers between them to cup her partner's breasts.

"Grrrwow." Kerry responded, biting her earlobe gently. She nibbled Dar's pulse point then worked her way up over the curve of her jaw to her lips. She indulged in a leisurely kiss as she stroked her fingers lightly down Dar's torso, tracing the bumps and ripples of bone and muscle that shifted under her touch.

The best part, Dar always found, was the look in Kerry's eyes when they were being intimate. There was such a mixture of desire and joy there, passionate yet loving. It made making love the sweetest of confirmations. She let one hand drop down to Kerry's bare hip, her thumb running over the line of her pelvis before sliding lower to tickle the inside of her thigh.

The lips exploring hers parted slightly, a gust of air escaping as Kerry exhaled, then drew in a deeper, faster breath. Her body shifted as Dar tickled her again, and they rolled over onto their sides as they slid against each other.

Lying down, her height disadvantage didn't matter. Kerry felt her guts igniting as Dar teasingly explored her and she reciprocated, working her way down her lover's long body as Dar placed a series of tiny bites across the back of her neck.

Tingles went everywhere over her.

Her hands went everywhere over Dar.

As she felt warm breath heat the skin over her navel, the rest of the world could have separated and spun off into its own orbit and she wouldn't have given one little spit.

"SO, WHAT DO you think?" Kerry was glad the clouds had finally cleared out, exposing a half circle of brilliant stars for her appreciation. "Bear?"

"Hmm." Dar gazed up at the sky speculatively. "More like a pig."

"Pig? C'mon." A wave rippled under them, and they rode it atop the rugged canvas float tied off to the dock. It rested at water level and let the ocean wash over them, but prevented them from being tugged out to sea at night, which could ruin the day of even the most avid of ocean lovers.

The sea was warm and only lightly choppy, bucking them up and down every few minutes in a pleasant rhythm. Dar was lying on her back with her ankles crossed, and Kerry had chosen a spot at right angles to her, using Dar?s belly as an opportune pillow.

"How can that be a pig? It's standing up on its hind legs. Describe to me the last time you saw a pig do that."

Dar sighed. "Well, it's a really fat bear then. Look at its belly." She described an arc. "Must have eaten all the pigs."

"Hmm." Now it was Kerry's turn to ponder. "Maybe it's getting ready to hibernate."

"Eh." Dar pointed at a different set of stars. "I think that looks like a horse," she paused, "with a cart behind it."

Kerry looked. Then she rotated her head to look again. Then she turned and pressed her cheek against Dar's stomach, peering up at her partner. "When was that optometrist's appointment, again?"

Dar solemnly stuck her tongue out. She flexed her body, making the raft ripple and bringing a wash of seawater over them complete with a floating chunk of fragrant seaweed. Dar batted the weed overboard, and exhaled, closing her eyes for a moment.

It was extremely peaceful, Kerry acknowledged, if you could block out from your mind the knowledge that they were floating over thirty or forty feet of water filled with all kinds of critters. Most harmless, a few not, and the truth was she'd never grown to be as comfortable as Dar was at night in the sea.

But the raft helped a lot, and having Dar there made up the difference, so she was able to relax after their swim, and enjoy the pretty sky overhead. "I'm glad it rained today, but I'm even gladder it cleared up," Kerry said. "It's so pretty to look up at the sky like this."

Dar draped an arm over Kerry's body, the edge of her thumb rubbing gently across the fabric over her ribcage. "It is." She agreed. "I could do this every night."

Kerry's eyes flickered briefly closed, then opened again. "Me too."

But not in Miami, she silently added. While their condo was most certainly right on the water, the thought of floating in the sea that close to the port made her grimace.

Dar cleared her throat gently, and took a breath to speak, but then hesitated when the sound of an approaching boat engine caught their ears.

They lifted their heads and looked north, spotting running lights not that far offshore and heading in more or less their direction.

"Would it be outstandingly paranoid of me to wonder who's out there?" Kerry said.

"Mm."

Dar patted Kerry on the stomach and slid out from under her as she sat up. Shading her eyes, she studied the oncoming boat with a frown. It was small, about half the size of theirs, and appeared to be a low profile model without the flying bridge a fishing vessel would have.

Sport boat, at night, wandering around in the Florida Straits. Either he was lost, or...Dar rolled over and off the raft, entering the water without much noise and taking hold of the edge of the float. "Ker..."

"Yeah, yeah." Kerry slid over the side and joined her, peering at the boat over the pontoons that ringed the canvas surface. The water, though warm, was not as warm as the air, and after the long swim and the fact that she'd half dried out made her feel more than a little chilled. "It could just be a party boat."

"Sure." Dar agreed. "Even better reason for us not to be up their lounging in our swim suits." She remarked dryly. "I'm not in the mood to be yelling kiss my ass in three languages tonight."

Kerry edged closer to her, pressing her shoulder against her partner?s as they floated there side by side. The boat meandered around in a circle for a few minutes then approached the shore again, heading directly for their dock. They got close enough for her to see there were three people on board, but it was too dark to see any details beyond that.

Since that meant it was also too dark for the people on the boat to see them, it was a workable trade off. Kerry let her chin rest against the pontoon, the scent of seawater and plastic coming strongly to her nose. "Doesn't sound like a party." She murmured under her breath.

"Nu uh." Dar agreed sinking lower in the water until it just covered her mouth. She tugged Kerry down a little, her partner's pale head far more visible in the low light than her own. "Sure doesn't."

Kerry slid an arm around Dar's torso, glad of the warmth as she pressed against the taller woman. "What in the hell are they looking for?" She whispered into a now conveniently close ear.

"Trouble."

"You really think so?"

Kerry was answered when a bright spotlight erupted from the small boat, throwing a powerful beam of light to explore the dock and the approach up to their cabin. She drew in a breath in a mixture of shock and anger, releasing the air in a stream of bubbles as she ducked lower in the water.

Dar moved lower as well, only her pale blue eyes now showing above the surface, narrowed and glinting in the faint light. The boat moved closer, circling around the raft--its inhabitants paying the floating canvas little attention.

"Ahh, for a spear gun." Dar lifted her mouth clear of the water for a brief moment.

"Ahh, for a bazooka borrowed from your father with live rounds." Kerry uttered back. "Jesus Christ, Dar... who in the heck do these jerks think they are?"

"More to the point, do they realize they're about to trespass?"

They watched the boat approach the dock and pull alongside, one of the figures jumping out to tie a rope to one of the stanchions.

"C'mon." Dar released the raft and started toward them, using a stealthy breast stroke to move herself through the water.

"Wh..." Kerry looked around, then shook her head and followed trying to make as little noise as possible. She wasn't as efficient a swimmer as Dar was, but all the practice she'd gotten since moving to Florida stood her in good stead as she kept up in the mild surf.

A mask and snorkel would have made her life easier. Errant little waves tended to end up splashing her in the mouth, and she kept spitting out sea water, but after a few minutes they were approaching the dock. The other two people had gotten out, and all three were now creeping up the wooden gangway toward the cabin.

Bastards. Kerry felt a flush of anger sweep through her, taking the chill away and replacing it with a fierce heat. The outlines of the three didn't, though, look familiar to her, though she could see two were men, and one was a woman. "Think it's the reporters?" She caught up to Dar as they reached the outer edge of the dock and grabbed on.

"Dunno." Dar pulled herself along the dock until she was just across from the boat, craning her head to see where they intruders were. "Not sure I care."

The tone in her partner's voice alerted Kerry at once. "What are we going to do? Confront them?"

For an answer, Dar swam over to the boat and reached up to grasp the railing, pulling herself up and over the side in a brief moment of starlit muscularity.

"Uh oh." Kerry grabbed hold of the wooden ladder fastened to the side of the dock and got up on the bottom rung, peering over the edge of the boat to see what her partner was doing. "Dar!" She whispered urgently.

For a moment nothing happened, then a dark head appeared over the side, and Kerry saw the boat start to drift away from the dock. "Oh ho." She chuckled low in her throat. "Bad girl."

The craft bobbed closer to her, as the outgoing tide took it gently from its berth. As it passed, Dar stepped onto the side and then onto the ladder, holding something in her hand. She released the wood and dropped into the water next to Kerry, jerking her arm down as she fell.

The boat's engine suddenly roared to life and it veered crazily off, heading southeast at a rapid clip.

They heard a yell from the shore, and Dar swung to the inside of the ladder, grabbing Kerry and tugging her under the dock, a grin visible even in the dim light.

"You are so bad." Kerry snickered, watching the boat disappear into the surf. "God, Dar...what's going to happen to that thing? Someone could get hurt!"

"Nah." Dar nestled her jaw up next to Kerry's ear. "They were about to switch to the other tank. Not much gas left." They both looked up as footsteps pounded on the top of the pier, accompanied by curses. "Now." She uttered softly. "Do we rise up out of the sea and kick their asses, or what?"

Kerry listened to the voices over her head. "It's the reporter, isn't it?" She uttered back.

"I think so, yeah."

Strategy. It was tough to work that out while you were stuck under a dock in the presence of curious night fish nibbling your heels. If they remained quiet, then the culprits had no one to blame but themselves, and nothing to say about Dar or Kerry.

If they confronted the trio, then their complicity in the boat's startling disappearance would be clear, and they would have to deal with the publicity, not to mention calling the police.

It was late on a Saturday night, and Kerry didn't want to spend the rest of the night calling the Marathon County police and explaining the whole shebang.

On the other hand, she really wanted to kick that reporter in the shins. "I think we should go kick their asses." She finally said, hearing the nascent panic in the voices over her head.

Dar merely began swimming to the other side of the pier, tugging Kerry along with her to the ladder on the opposite side. She went first, climbing up to the top of the wooden platform and waiting for Kerry to join her as they stood behind the three intruders.

"Son of a bitch, that ain't stopping," one said. "We better go call the Coast Guard or something...what kinda idiot were you to leave the engine on, Virgil!"

"I didn't!" The other man replied in an exasperated tone. "I told you that ten times already!" He half turned. "Look, Ms. Cruicshank, why don't you just go over there and sit down while we figure out where we're going to go to get a phone and--"

"You could use ours." Dar interrupted this engaging drama, pitching her voice low and projecting it across the dock.

All three intruders jumped, and turned to find Dar?s tall form standing menacingly behind them with Kerry a shorter, more visibly irritated counterpoint to her right. The two swim suited figures were outlined in starlight and threw oddly large shadows across the dock to spill over them.

"Oh...uh...hi." The reporter summoned a weak smile from somewhere.

"You might as well use it before I call the cops." Dar went on. "And then you can explain to them why you're trespassing on private property."

Pat Cruicshank stepped forward. "Okay, okay, just hang on. I can explain this."

Kerry actually just laughed. "So can I," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "And you know, maybe we should call the local paper, too. I'd love to see this on the front page."

Dar glanced at her in some surprise.

"Now, hold on," Pat said. "Tell you what. Let's go up there and we can talk while these bozos figure out how to get their boat back."

"I'm going to call the police." Dar turned and headed for the cabin. "And trust me... I'll press charges." She called back over her shoulder.

"Shit." Virgil sounded panicky. "Man, I told you we shouldn't have done this."

The reporter turned to Kerry. "This isn't what it looks like."

Kerry looked at her, looked at the darkness around them, peered off at the rapidly disappearing boat then looked back at the reporter. Both her eyebrows hiked up. "Okay," she said. "I'm game. Explain to me how three people sneaking up in a boat to a private dock, then creeping toward our house is something other than what it looks like?" She spread her hands out in a questioning manner. "I'm waiting."

Cruicshank hesitated, looking at the two guys with her.

"Okay, never mind. I'm over it." Kerry went to the end of the dock and reached under a bit of rock, removing a small key and opening a locked, watertight box. She lifted the radio receiver inside and keyed it. "Coast Guard, Coast Guard, this is Dixieland Yankee portside, over."

"Wait." The reporter came over to her and lowered her voice. "Listen, I know you've got a right to be pissed off. But would you please just let me explain? This isn't against you. I'm just trying to get some information that will let me work in your favor."

Kerry merely eyed her. "Coast Guard, Coast Guard, come in." She repeated into the mic.

"Please?"

"Dixieland Yankee portside, go head." A man's voice erupted from the radio. "This is Cutter Avalon."

"Avalon, we have a pleasure craft underway without anyone aboard just southeast of us." Kerry unkeyed the radio. "You've got whatever time it takes for the cops to get here. Don't waste it," she said.

"Yankee, we copy, we see it. " The guard officer sounded exasperated. "Good gravy."

"We have the boat operators here." Kerry informed him. "Over."

"Thanks, Yankee. We'll get back with you." The radio fell silent. Kerry put the mic inside and locked the box then turned and headed for the cabin, without another word.

After an awkward moment of indecision, the reporter ran after her.

DAR ENTERED THE cabin shaking her head and muttering under her breath, slamming the door behind her as she evaded Chino's curious snuffling and headed for the phone. Then she hesitated and stopped, putting her hands on her hips. "Chino, if I call the cops, what do you bet it'll be two hours before they get here."

"Gruff." Chino seemed in total agreement.

After a moment's indecision, Dar headed for the bedroom instead, figuring putting on some kind of clothes was probably a good strategic idea before confronting their unwelcome guests. She pulled a shirt and shorts from the dresser and stripped out of her swimsuit on her way into the bathroom, grabbing a towel and drying herself off before she changed.

She glanced cursorily into the mirror. "Ugh." One hand reached up to remove a string of purple seaweed from her neck, and dropped it into the waste basket. "Can't believe I didn't feel that." Pulling on her clothes, she ran her fingers through her wet hair and turned, hearing footsteps on the porch outside.

A single set, and to Dar's ears, a distinctive pattern. She was not surprised when the back door opened and Kerry walked in, her face twitching a little and a stormy look in her eyes. Her hands were half balled into fists, but despite all that, she looked amazingly sexy and Dar couldn't help grinning at her.

"What?" Kerry caught the grin. "Did you call the cops already? I got the Coast Guard."

"Not yet." Dar bumped her toward the bedroom. "Go change. I assume our reporter friend is right behind you? I'll take care of her."

Kerry exhaled, but headed toward the inner door. She paused and turned as she reached it. "Was I doing something funny when I came in? You were grinning."

The door opened abruptly, preventing an answer. So Dar merely looked her partner up and down, and waggled her eyebrows, before she turned to face Pat Cruicshank.

Kerry sniffed. "Ah...hah." She entered the bedroom and shut the door behind her, ears straining as she heard Dar's low rumble start up. "Stupid idiotic son of..." she paused at her reflection in the mirror. Then she sighed. "Dar, you could have told me this damn thing was semi transparent when wet."

At least it had been comfortingly dark outside. Kerry quickly removed the unexpectedly risqué suit and replaced it with a pair of worn denim short overalls, tucking a sedate white t-shirt into them before she buckled one strap over her shoulder.

Impatiently, she flicked her fingers through her hair, and then she turned and marched back into the living room.

"LOOK, I KNOW you're pissed off and maybe you have a right to be." Pat was saying.

"Maybe?" Dar paused in mid motion. She was in the kitchen pouring a glass of milk.

"This isn't what it looks like." The reporter came over and faced her over the counter. "Look, Ms. Roberts, I thought we had an understanding."

Dar gave herself a moment's thought while she drank down her milk. She finally put her glass down just as her partner emerged and braced her arms on the counter. "My understanding is that I am a public officer of a public company, and I perform my public duties during working hours."

"Well, sure..."

"This is not a working hour." Dar cut her off. "I'm not sure why you don't understand that. I am off the clock, out of the office, on vacation, not answering my email. What other--" She slammed her hands down on the counter, with a smack, "way do I have to phrase that so it makes sense to you?"

"But this is not just a working hour's story!" The reporter shot back. "This is about people. It's about people who are in this situation, trying to make something happen. You think everyone else is just taking the weekend off?"

"I don't care." Dar replied evenly. "It's not my problem what anyone else does." She pointed at the reporter. "Why is it a problem to anyone else what I do?"

"Okay, look." The reporter eyed Kerry warily as the shorter woman strode past her into the kitchen, taking the milk jug from Dar's side and drinking directly from the opening. "It's my job to tell the story in this special. Now, I don't mind telling stories, and I don't mind making them up when they're not interesting enough for me." Her attitude was more direct now. "But I also don't like being fed a tale, and you know, I think I'm being fed a tale."

"Okay." Kerry put the milk jug down. "But that doesn't explain why you're here."

Pat looked at her. "Honey, it's you two who are feeding me the tale."

Dar looked at Kerry, Kerry looked back at Dar. They both looked across the counter at the reporter. "What?" Dar's brow creased. "I haven't told you anything." She glanced at Kerry. "Have you?"

"Um...no, I've only cursed at her so far." Kerry shook her head. "What are you talking about?" She asked the black woman.

"Oh, don't play that game with me." Cruicshank said. "You are two smart cookies, and it's way too late to pretend you don't know what's going on." She put her hands on her hips. "So let's drop the act, okay?"

Dar picked up her glass, poured more milk into it, and then wandered out of the kitchen shaking her head. She walked right past the reporter and went over to the couch, dropping into it and extending her legs out across its surface. "What do you think, Ker?"

"What do I think?" Kerry put the milk back into the refrigerator. "I think she got stung by a bunch of jelly fish. Want me to call 911? Hallucinations will be next." She leaned on the counter. "Lady, you're nuts.?"

"I'm nuts?" The reporter's eyes widened.

"We have no idea what the hell you're talking about." Kerry told her in a confidential tone.

Cruicshank looked from one to the other. She pointed at Dar. "You told me from your perspective this whole bid was just business. Right?"

"Right." Dar acknowledged.

"So, then tell me, Ms. Roberts, how professional it is that your father's been working at Telegenic's ship, causing trouble?"

Uh oh. Dar outwardly refused to react, not even to let her eyes flicker over to where Kerry was standing. "My father?" She mused. "My father's a retired naval officer who takes odd jobs on the waterfront to keep busy,? she said. "I find it hard to believe he was causing trouble."

Kerry had to strain not to smile, despite the shock of the words.

"And he just so happened to take one there?" The reporter asked sarcastically. "Just like your..." She turned and looked at Kerry, "assistant just happened to attack your competition at a restaurant?" A snort. "Give me a break," she said. "This is all about personal issues, and you've got as many as anyone else does."

"Actually." Kerry chose her words carefully. "Your friends at Telegenics were trying to get me to come out with them so they could attack my partner here." She circled the counter. "I got called out of town on business." Her smile was icy. "And my assistant was being courteous in letting them know I wasn't going to make it."

"With a chili bowl? I think an email would have been enough." Cruicshank shot back.

Kerry half shrugged. "Your friends were...very professional, sitting in a hamburger shack dissing us at the top of their voices. My assistant took exception to that. I don't blame her."

"Honey, that ain't how I heard it."

"My assistant is eighteen years old, and she was with her mother." Kerry sat down on one of the counter stools. "I believe what they told me." She shrugged slightly. "But for that matter, if Dar and I did react in any way, it was because they were pushing us to the wall."

The reporter looked around the cabin. "I just don't believe that. You know what I think? I think they're right. All those people are up there working their butts off to make this happen, and you two are here in your...love shack."

She turned and walked to the door. "Call the cops. See if I care." Her voice was now cutting. "But let me tell you, ladies, I know exactly how I'm going to play this story, and for you...it's not going to be pretty."

Cruicshank turned and left, slamming the door behind her.

There was a brief silence in the cabin, as the two partners regarded each other. Finally, Dar shifted her position, rolling onto her side and propping her head up on her hand. "Love shack." She mused. "I like it."

Kerry rubbed her eyes. "Dar, this is not funny."

"No." Dar agreed. "But what in the hell are you going to do, Ker? Dad was doing exactly what she claimed, and we're here." One shoulder shrugged. "And the battling burritos did what they did. It's all in the spin, and she's got the turntable."

"Nice." The blond woman trudged over and sat down on the couch next to Dar. She let her hands fall slackly between her knees and extended her bare feet across the carpet. "So, now what?"

Now what. Good question. Dar really had no idea now what. "I just don't get what the big deal is about us being up here. It's not like you and I are running the cables." She temporized. 'What's that all about?"

Kerry pondered. "They're control freaks, so they think everyone else should be too?" She thought a moment more. "And, well, you know hon...I can remember projects where you were a little like that too."

She peeked at Dar to gauge a reaction, but got a mildly bemused expression in return.

"I know." Her partner nodded agreeably. "But I got over it. You helped me, matter of fact. I sniffed around one of yours one time too many, and you told me what I was going to die of."

Kerry's head dropped forward a little. "I did no such thing."

Dar's lips quirked. "Well, not in those words, no." She admitted. "But you did."

"I did?" Kerry thought back, trying to recall the momentous occasion. Had she really told Dar to back off? Then the memory surfaced, and she exhaled, picturing a scene in Dar's office with her pushing a set of colored project folders across her boss's desk. One of us really needs to own these, Dar.

Dar had cocked her head to one side, she remembered, and then casually pushed them back across the desk with a smile.

No, not quite in those words. "Okay, you got me." Kerry admitted. "But I don't get why it matters to them. After all, if we're slacking off, isn't that better for their side?"

"Mm."

"And, she told me she had information that would be to our advantage." Kerry suddenly remembered. "Was that just to get inside this place and have her say? I don't get it, Dar. This isn't adding up."

"No." Dar curled her body around Kerry's and wrapped an arm around her for good measure. "I thought that woman had a more balanced viewpoint. Something happened," she said. "Either she bought into Michelle and Shari's pitch, or something else happened that made her turn around. I know she was probably playing me at lunch, but I really..."

"Hrm."

"Really. I didn't get that vibe." Dar shook her head. "I got the feeling she was trying to find the other half of the story."

Kerry sighed. "Wonder how dad got outed? Maybe in retrospect that wasn't the smartest thing we ever did, asking him to go in there."

"Eh." Dar turned her head as her cell phone rang. "That's probably him. I'll ask." She picked it up and answered it, surprised to see the office's caller ID instead. "Uh oh." She flipped it open. "Yes?"

"Oh, Ms. Roberts? Good...this is the security desk." The voice answered, sounding relieved. "Listen, I have the security guy at the pier on the line; he needs to speak to you." There was a click, then another line was connected.

"Hello?" Dar ventured.

"Uh...oh, hi. Is this Ms. Roberts?"

"Yes."

"This is Steven at the pier, ma'am. We've been trying to call Ms. Stuart, and there's no answer. ?

Dar looked inquiringly at Kerry, who sat up and peered around like a startled meerkat searching out her cell phone. "She's here. What's the problem? You need to talk to her?"

"No, well...it's not..." The guard seemed unsure. "It's the port, ma'am. They're going nuts here. There's television cameras and all kinds of stuff all over the place, and I think they're asking everyone to leave."

"Huh?" Kerry took the phone. "Steven, this is Kerry. What's happening? Was there an accident?"

"No, ma'am. But some kind of government people are here, and boy, they've got this place lit up like a Christmas tree for sure. I think they're looking at the ships. Something's wrong, I guess. They won't tell us anything."

Kerry held the phone out a little, and lifted her free hand in question.

Dar was at a loss. "Okay, well?" She rubbed her jaw.

"Did they make all the workers leave the ships, Steve?" Kerry asked. "Are our contractors still there?"

"No, oh, wait. Hang on." The sound became muffled then came back. "Ma'am, one of my guys just came in to relieve me and he said he heard it's an environmental thing."

"Environmental." Kerry repeated. "Okay, but are they asking you to leave the pier?"

"No, ma'am, apparently what some of these people want is for the boats to leave the pier." The guard now sounded much surer of himself. "It's not about us at all."

"Phew." Dar exhaled. "At last, something that has nothing to do with us, for a change."

"Yeah." Kerry agreed. "Okay, Steve, you guys just sit tight near the office, okay? If they make everyone get out, give me a call." She paused, "Wait, give Dar a call because my cell phone's AWOL at the moment."

"Okay, ma'am, will do." Steve replied. "Sorry to bother you."

Kerry hung up the cell phone. She got up and started roaming around the cabin, searching for her own. "Where in the dickens did I put that thing, Dar? I know I had it when we got here."

"Sounds like Quest's got a real problem on his hands." Dar put the phone down and rolled to her feet, joining in the search for the missing cell. "Something he can't blame us for."

"For a change." Kerry paused, then slapped herself on the head. "Damn it, I left it on the bike." She groaned in disgust. "Be right back." She disappeared through the front door with Chino chasing after her.

A knock came at the back door. Dar scrubbed the fingers of one hand through her hair and went to answer it, wondering if it would be their reporter's boatmen, the coast guard, the cops, or the National Enquirer. Nothing would have surprised her at this rate.

She opened the door. "Yes?"

"Okay, listen." Pat said. "Can we start over?"

Well, almost nothing.

PROBLEMS FOR THEM tended to be rated by the number of pots of coffee they required while solving them. Kerry pressed the button to start pot number two while she listened with half an ear to what Dar was saying in the living room.

"Let me get this straight." Dar rubbed her temples. "You came down here because Shari and Michelle convinced you that we were trying to screw up your filming project by deliberately making them look bad."

"Right."

"And we didn't do anything to change that idea."

"No."

Dar folded her hands and rested her chin on her clasped fingers. "So why are you here? Just write your story. They're struggling good guys; we're monolithic bad guys trying to squash them--makes for great television. Go for it."

Pat got up and paced. "You know, I really want to go for that." She used her hands when she talked, her fists clenching and unclenching. "It's a great story, you're right. Make great television. Just what my boss was looking for."

Dar's ears pricked. "Your boss."

Kerry brought the new pot of coffee in, setting it down on the tray quietly and taking a seat next to her partner.

"My boss, really wants this show." Pat agreed. "Something new, you know? Yeah, it's travel related, but it's also got a big human angle, and people like that."

"Mm." Dar nodded. "But?"

"But." The reporter repeated softly. "But you know..." She turned and faced them. "Sweet as this story is, the good guys in it aren't the people I want my boss to see." Hesitating, she finally shrugged and went to the seat across from the couch, sitting down on it. "You're not the only ones with a personal agenda here."

Kerry blinked, positive she was missing something. A quick glance at Dar's profile clued her in to the fact that her partner wasn't.

Dar's head lifted, the entire expression on it shifting from bewilderment to understanding from one breath to another. "You want your boss to see how we work." She indicated Kerry and herself.

Pat nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Because let me tell you, those other two have tried their damndest to convince me that you two are as dysfunctional as they are, and believe me, they're a pair of head cases."

"Dysfunctional?" Kerry frowned then turned her head to face Dar. "We never malfunction, do we?"

A wicked twinkle appeared in Dar's very blue eyes. "Not that you've ever mentioned to me, no." She drawled. "And I've got no complaints."

Kerry looked puzzled for an instant, then she reached over and tweaked Dar's nose. "Wench." She shook her head and faced Pat again. "I don't understand how they'd give you that impression."

Pat's lips twitched. "Whole lot of talk,especially that Shari. She's got a lot to say about you." She looked at Dar. "And it sure isn't complimentary."

"That's just because Dar keeps kicking her butt every time they square off." Kerry snorted. "Shari should learn better business tactics."

The reporter leaned forward and rested her elbows on her knees. "It's not business she's talking about."

"Ah." Dar chuckled shortly. "Let me guess--Shari's painting me as a half unstable megalomaniac with twisted personal issues stemming from my upbringing."

"What?" Kerry barked.

"Who beats her girlfriend," Pat added crisply.

Dar just snorted. Kerry gave an excellent impression of a boiling teakettle without stirring a muscle as Chino trotted over and pushed her head against her shorter mother?s knees. "Boy, does she have her lines crossed." Dar shook her head. "I'm not the Tasmanian devil in this relationship."

"I'm gonna cross her lines." Kerry got out from between clenched teeth. "Has she really been telling people that?"

"Well, she had me half buying it, and to be honest, that's the real reason I came down here." The reporter admitted. "You can act however you want in the office, but like you said, this is not your office, and it's off the clock." She looked around. "And this ain't no movie set."

Dar scratched her nose and produced a brief smile. "No, it's not."

"Dar, do you think that's where all that crap in the office came from?" Kerry turned and looked at her. "From Shari? Is that possible, that she fed all that BS to someone inside?"

"That would be the obvious choice." Dar sat forward and started pouring herself another cup of coffee. She very gently nudged Kerry's bare foot with her own. "But you never can tell. Could be the other way around."

"Ah. Yeah."

"Problems inside your office?" Pat asked alertly.

"Just more of the usual chatter." Kerry shrugged it off. "We had a good laugh about it."

Dar stirred her coffee around counterclockwise just hearing that characterization of her partner's reaction. "So." She set the spoon down and took a sip. "What are you going to do?" Her eyes lifted and met Pat's. "Now that you've achieved your goal and interviewed us today."

Dar's cell phone chose to ring at that moment. With a faint sigh, she leaned over and picked it up, then answered it. "Yeah?"

"Hey boss." Mark's voice sounded aggravated. "Listen, I traced down the IP we saw, and it was one of the Marketing bullpen machines. Could have been any of ten people using it."

"Okay. Get me full scans on those ten." Dar replied quietly. "And put traces on them."

A pause. "All the way?"

"Yes."

"You got it." Mark said. "Hey, you know what? It's been a lot cooler around here since you put that stuff on the big pipes. I haven't had nearly as many alerts."

Inwardly, Dar smirked. "And you're surprised?"

Mark chuckled. "Nah. I knew you hadn't lost your touch. We've only got one little bastard who keeps trying. I'm keeping an eye on it though."

"Good work. Keep me in the loop." Dar said, and then she hung up. "Well?" She turned her attention back to the avidly listening reporter. "Decided what your angle's going to be or what?" Leaning casually back, she stretched one arm across the back of the couch and sipped her coffee, watching Pat over the rim of the cup.

Kerry decided to settle back herself, ending up by design in the curl of Dar's arm, and with one hand resting lightly on her partner's thigh. She recognized Dar's fencing mode, and figured it would be better all-around for her to stay out of the match until she could get more fully clued in on what was going on.

"Well, not yet, no." Pat said. "It's kind of a tough situation, you know? I mean, if Telegenics wins that bid, it's going to be real hard for me to slant my story any way except for what everyone's expecting. We need to have our viewers happy about who comes out on top."

"Well." Kerry pursed her lips. "Y'know, with two sets of dykes in the mix, you probably need to recruit some heteros or you're going to be upsetting most of your viewers no matter what, if either of us come out on top."

That caused a bit of a silence. Dar prudently stuck her nose in her cup and slurped up some coffee, as the reporter merely goggled at Kerry briefly.

"It's true," she said, with a slight shrug.

"Maybe they should back a dark horse." Dar mused. "Knock those lousy lezzies off their pedestal. That'd make a good story, don'cha think, Ker?"

"Mm. I wouldn't watch it, but sure."

Pat shifted uncomfortably. "Are you making fun of me?" She asked, with a slight hesitation. "We don't practice discrimination in our telecasts." She got up. "So that part of your lifestyle never came into the picture."

Kerry got up also, neatly drawing her attention. "How can't it? She asked. "You've got Shari and Michelle, who are very out, and Dar and I, who are also very out. We're competing for the same prize, and we're in a dog fight with all the dirty tricks stops pulled out." She cocked her head to one side. "How do you intend on portraying that without mentioning our sexual orientation?"

"Well, of course we were going to mention it but..."

"Are you saying you weren't going to focus your storyline on that?" Kerry's voice rose a little in disbelief. "Really?"

"Look. This is the Travel Channel." Pat said. "Not E! or Spice. So yes, that would have been mentioned but no, we weren't going to name it the Gay Boat Show."

"Huh." Kerry grunted and shook her head.

"We could always arrange for a Jell-O wrestling match." Dar launched herself from the couch and prowled over to the back window, watching outside and bracing both hands on the window. "That'd get ratings."

"Wrestling." Kerry looked thoughtful. "I'd go for that."

"Wait a minute. This isn't supposed to be about you all fighting each other. Well, not like that," Pat protested. "I mean, yes. We want the personal angle, but it's got to be about the goal too."

Dar turned. "Either you go the personal route, or you don't." She leaned against the window. "If you take that path, you have to deal with the dirty parts. You want your boss to see how we mix living and working? Then you have to show how Shari and Michelle don't, and that means you have the Dueling Dykes show."

"But..."

"She's right." Kerry picked the ball up effortlessly. "Mention why you were here and you have to go over why Shari talks about Dar the way she does. It's not for business reasons."

Pat looked cornered. "Wait a minute..."

"Tell you what." Dar swiped the ball back. "Invite your boss to dinner with us. Save the drama, and stick with the business line on your program. You'll end up with happier sponsors for it."

Kerry chuckled. "At the least."

Pat looked at them both uncertainly. "But the people angle..."

"Find another people angle." Dar pressed her. "Think about it." She turned and opened the back door, gesturing toward it with one hand. "Your boat's ready. I think the Coasties even left your drivers intact."

Slowly, Pat walked toward the door, watching them both until she was in the doorway with her hand on the sill. She took a breath to say something, then she merely shook her head and walked out, without looking back.

Dar swung the door shut. She and Kerry regarded each other for a brief moment then both sighed at once. "This is gonna be a mess if she doesn't take that advice."

Kerry joined her. "You got that right," she agreed. "But, I think it's a mess anyway." She exhaled. "I think we really did mess this one up, Dar."

Dar put an arm around her shoulders. "I think you may be right, Ker." She admitted. "I think we made some bad choices. But we can't change that now, so let's just make the best of it that we can."

"Break out the mops?"

"Yeap."