Iz?”
Izzy laughed. “You’ll have to ask Sam, Tommy.”
Tommy laughed, too, but when he looked away from the women and back to Justin, the
smile fell away and his voice was stern. “As for you, I suggest you listen to what
the man said. You’re becoming a major nuisance around here, and whether he’s overprotective
or not, he could have slapped a fine on you for trespassing. You were lucky this time.”
Without waiting for an answer, he climbed back into the squad car, made a sharp U-turn,
and drove back toward town.
“Close call, huh?” Justin said, catching up with Nell and Izzy as they headed down
the hill toward Paley’s Cove.
“Tommy’s right,” Nell said. “You need to do as Mr. Danvers says.”
“Yeah, sure.” He shrugged, as if he’d already forgotten the suggestion—or the incident.
He tucked the board beneath one arm and shifted his fanny pack, checking the clasp.
“But Tom was cool, right? Do you think he’ll tell Janie?”
Izzy picked up a slow run down the hill, and Nell kept pace, both women ignoring the
obvious answer to his question. Of course Tommy would tell Janie. In fact, he had
probably already called her on his cell.
Justin Dorsey is trouble,
he’d be telling her.
“Where are you headed, Justin? Do you need help getting that board somewhere?” Nell
asked.
“Hey, thanks, but no. I was running some errands for the clinic and used Janie’s car.
It’s down at Paley’s Cove.” He picked up a little speed to keep abreast of the two
women, his flip-flops slapping against the firm dirt path.
They rounded a curve in the road and began the gentle descent down to Paley’s Cove,
spread out below them like a glistening half-moon.
Nell knew Izzy liked running here along the smooth sand, even though she seemed distracted
today as they neared the curve of beach. Perhaps it was a result of the ruckus up
at the Danvers place.
Or, as Ben would be quick to say, perhaps it was simply Nell’s imagination. Worrying
without cause. She’d done too much of it lately.
“Guess I’ll leave you ladies here,” Justin said as they neared the water’s edge.
He looked around the beach for a minute, as if half expecting to see someone—perhaps
Franklin Danvers coming after him with a shotgun. Then he forced a smile back to his
face. “Gotta get back to the clinic. The printer doesn’t work again. I’m becoming
indispensable over there, but they’re going to have to figure out how to get along
without me soon.” He waved at old Horace Stevenson, sitting across the road on his
porch, and then called out with a jubilant smile, “Have a great day, ladies! I sure
am going to.”
And he was off, sprinting across the beach to the narrow park- ing lot.
“Great day?” Nell murmured. Justin seemed to be unaware that he’d almost gotten thrown
in jail. She watched him as he strapped his board to the top of Janie’s car, wondering
if Janie knew her car was running errands that included a trip to the beach—and a
visit to Franklin Danvers’ wife.
Justin reached into the front seat, then closed the car door and walked a few yards
to the steps, bending low over the granite wall, as if in thought. The tip of a cigarette
glowed in profile. Nell wondered if something was wrong. But before she could call
out, he crushed out the cigarette, climbed into the car, and was headed toward town
and the clinic.
What did he mean, he’d be leaving the clinic soon? Nell wondered if Martin Seltzer
was finally getting his way. But Justin seemed happy about the possibility, not sad.
Was he quitting? She turned toward Izzy, wondering if she had the same thoughts about
this unpredictable young man.
But Izzy’s thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. She had stopped running and was staring
across the beach at the parking lot, one hand cupped over her eyes, squinting.
“Izzy?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, Izzy turned and scanned the beach, her
Izzy laughed. “You’ll have to ask Sam, Tommy.”
Tommy laughed, too, but when he looked away from the women and back to Justin, the
smile fell away and his voice was stern. “As for you, I suggest you listen to what
the man said. You’re becoming a major nuisance around here, and whether he’s overprotective
or not, he could have slapped a fine on you for trespassing. You were lucky this time.”
Without waiting for an answer, he climbed back into the squad car, made a sharp U-turn,
and drove back toward town.
“Close call, huh?” Justin said, catching up with Nell and Izzy as they headed down
the hill toward Paley’s Cove.
“Tommy’s right,” Nell said. “You need to do as Mr. Danvers says.”
“Yeah, sure.” He shrugged, as if he’d already forgotten the suggestion—or the incident.
He tucked the board beneath one arm and shifted his fanny pack, checking the clasp.
“But Tom was cool, right? Do you think he’ll tell Janie?”
Izzy picked up a slow run down the hill, and Nell kept pace, both women ignoring the
obvious answer to his question. Of course Tommy would tell Janie. In fact, he had
probably already called her on his cell.
Justin Dorsey is trouble,
he’d be telling her.
“Where are you headed, Justin? Do you need help getting that board somewhere?” Nell
asked.
“Hey, thanks, but no. I was running some errands for the clinic and used Janie’s car.
It’s down at Paley’s Cove.” He picked up a little speed to keep abreast of the two
women, his flip-flops slapping against the firm dirt path.
They rounded a curve in the road and began the gentle descent down to Paley’s Cove,
spread out below them like a glistening half-moon.
Nell knew Izzy liked running here along the smooth sand, even though she seemed distracted
today as they neared the curve of beach. Perhaps it was a result of the ruckus up
at the Danvers place.
Or, as Ben would be quick to say, perhaps it was simply Nell’s imagination. Worrying
without cause. She’d done too much of it lately.
“Guess I’ll leave you ladies here,” Justin said as they neared the water’s edge.
He looked around the beach for a minute, as if half expecting to see someone—perhaps
Franklin Danvers coming after him with a shotgun. Then he forced a smile back to his
face. “Gotta get back to the clinic. The printer doesn’t work again. I’m becoming
indispensable over there, but they’re going to have to figure out how to get along
without me soon.” He waved at old Horace Stevenson, sitting across the road on his
porch, and then called out with a jubilant smile, “Have a great day, ladies! I sure
am going to.”
And he was off, sprinting across the beach to the narrow park- ing lot.
“Great day?” Nell murmured. Justin seemed to be unaware that he’d almost gotten thrown
in jail. She watched him as he strapped his board to the top of Janie’s car, wondering
if Janie knew her car was running errands that included a trip to the beach—and a
visit to Franklin Danvers’ wife.
Justin reached into the front seat, then closed the car door and walked a few yards
to the steps, bending low over the granite wall, as if in thought. The tip of a cigarette
glowed in profile. Nell wondered if something was wrong. But before she could call
out, he crushed out the cigarette, climbed into the car, and was headed toward town
and the clinic.
What did he mean, he’d be leaving the clinic soon? Nell wondered if Martin Seltzer
was finally getting his way. But Justin seemed happy about the possibility, not sad.
Was he quitting? She turned toward Izzy, wondering if she had the same thoughts about
this unpredictable young man.
But Izzy’s thoughts seemed to be elsewhere. She had stopped running and was staring
across the beach at the parking lot, one hand cupped over her eyes, squinting.
“Izzy?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, Izzy turned and scanned the beach, her
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