Read Online Deep Waters by Jayne Ann Krentz - Free Book Online
Authors: Jayne Ann Krentz
Tags: Contemporary Romance
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"Wrong image, Davis. Try a life-is-like-water-but-if-the-water-is-muddy-you-don't-get-a-good-reflection kind of guy."
"That doesn't sound like much of an improvement."
"Actually, he's a little hard to explain." After ten days of having Elias in the vicinity, Charity found him more intriguing than ever. Her curiosity and her fasci nation were both growing daily. "Anyway, about the leases. As I told you, we're not in the clear yet. But you know me and my intuition. Something tells me that Winters isn't likely to change his mind next month."
"The new owner's name is Winters?" Davis asked sharply.
''That's right. Elias Winters."
"I'll be damned." Davis whistled softly. "There wouldn't be any connection to Elias Winters of Far Seas, Inc., would there?"
"Yes. You know him?"
"Not personally." Davis paused. "But I've heard about him. Very low-profile, very high-impact. Has important connections all over the Rim. Knows the right people."
"He said something about being a consultant."
"Word has it that if you need help establishing business relationships in certain quarters, he can open doors. For a price. He can also close them, if you get my drift."
"I see. How come I've never heard of him?"
"He's strictly Pacific Rim, and Truitt wasn't involved in Rim trade when you were at the helm. But lately Meredith and I have been thinking about expanding again. Winters's name came up when I started exploring certain possibilities."
"Hmm."
"Far Seas is apparently a one-man operation," Davis continued. "Winters seems to have carved out a unique niche for himself. He handles business negotiations in small, out-of-the-way places that others ignore. Speaks two or three obscure languages that no one else can be bothered to learn. His clients are usually very rich and very low-profile. The kind of big-money movers and shakers who avoid the spotlight. Are you sure you're dealing with that Elias Winters?"
"That's who he claims to be. What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure," Davis admitted. "But I can tell you that, from what I've heard about him, he sure as hell isn't the type to move to a small town and run a curio shop on a pier. Keep your eyes open, Charity. My guess is he knows something you don't."
"Such as?"
"Who can tell? Maybe one of his off-shore clients is preparing to move into Whispering Waters Cove."
"And Elias is here to pave the way?"
"It's about the only scenario I can think of that fits the situation. If that's the case, there's money involved. A lot of it."
"He said he inherited the pier from Hayden Stone, our former landlord."
"Maybe he did and maybe he didn't," Davis mused.
"Are you saying that Elias Winters may have bought the pier from Hayden Stone on behalf of his off-shore client?" It worried Charity that she had not thought of that possibility herself. She hoped that she hadn't been out of the corporate world for so long that she could no longer trust her instincts. "Maybe that's why Hayden was in Seattle when he had the heart attack. He was finalizing the deal. But why would Elias lie about it?"
"Use your head, Charity," Davis said. "The pier may be just the beginning. If Winters has been hired to pick up a lot of choice real estate for a foreign investor, the last thing he'll want to do is drive up property values around Whispering Waters Cove."
"True." Charity drummed her fingers on the stack of Elizabeth Lowell books. "If he's going to buy a lot of land here, he'll try to keep the purchases quiet as long as possible. Pretending that he inherited the pier and has no immediate plans for it would be one way of deflecting curiosity."
Davis chuckled. "You told me the town council wants to go boutique. But, believe me, they ain't seen nothin' yet. Not if Winters is a player. Some of his clients are into world-class resort developments. Waterfront is perfect for them."
Charity considered the situation. The town council was already salivating at the prospect of converting Crazy Otis Landing into an upscale tourist
"That doesn't sound like much of an improvement."
"Actually, he's a little hard to explain." After ten days of having Elias in the vicinity, Charity found him more intriguing than ever. Her curiosity and her fasci nation were both growing daily. "Anyway, about the leases. As I told you, we're not in the clear yet. But you know me and my intuition. Something tells me that Winters isn't likely to change his mind next month."
"The new owner's name is Winters?" Davis asked sharply.
''That's right. Elias Winters."
"I'll be damned." Davis whistled softly. "There wouldn't be any connection to Elias Winters of Far Seas, Inc., would there?"
"Yes. You know him?"
"Not personally." Davis paused. "But I've heard about him. Very low-profile, very high-impact. Has important connections all over the Rim. Knows the right people."
"He said something about being a consultant."
"Word has it that if you need help establishing business relationships in certain quarters, he can open doors. For a price. He can also close them, if you get my drift."
"I see. How come I've never heard of him?"
"He's strictly Pacific Rim, and Truitt wasn't involved in Rim trade when you were at the helm. But lately Meredith and I have been thinking about expanding again. Winters's name came up when I started exploring certain possibilities."
"Hmm."
"Far Seas is apparently a one-man operation," Davis continued. "Winters seems to have carved out a unique niche for himself. He handles business negotiations in small, out-of-the-way places that others ignore. Speaks two or three obscure languages that no one else can be bothered to learn. His clients are usually very rich and very low-profile. The kind of big-money movers and shakers who avoid the spotlight. Are you sure you're dealing with that Elias Winters?"
"That's who he claims to be. What's wrong?"
"I'm not sure," Davis admitted. "But I can tell you that, from what I've heard about him, he sure as hell isn't the type to move to a small town and run a curio shop on a pier. Keep your eyes open, Charity. My guess is he knows something you don't."
"Such as?"
"Who can tell? Maybe one of his off-shore clients is preparing to move into Whispering Waters Cove."
"And Elias is here to pave the way?"
"It's about the only scenario I can think of that fits the situation. If that's the case, there's money involved. A lot of it."
"He said he inherited the pier from Hayden Stone, our former landlord."
"Maybe he did and maybe he didn't," Davis mused.
"Are you saying that Elias Winters may have bought the pier from Hayden Stone on behalf of his off-shore client?" It worried Charity that she had not thought of that possibility herself. She hoped that she hadn't been out of the corporate world for so long that she could no longer trust her instincts. "Maybe that's why Hayden was in Seattle when he had the heart attack. He was finalizing the deal. But why would Elias lie about it?"
"Use your head, Charity," Davis said. "The pier may be just the beginning. If Winters has been hired to pick up a lot of choice real estate for a foreign investor, the last thing he'll want to do is drive up property values around Whispering Waters Cove."
"True." Charity drummed her fingers on the stack of Elizabeth Lowell books. "If he's going to buy a lot of land here, he'll try to keep the purchases quiet as long as possible. Pretending that he inherited the pier and has no immediate plans for it would be one way of deflecting curiosity."
Davis chuckled. "You told me the town council wants to go boutique. But, believe me, they ain't seen nothin' yet. Not if Winters is a player. Some of his clients are into world-class resort developments. Waterfront is perfect for them."
Charity considered the situation. The town council was already salivating at the prospect of converting Crazy Otis Landing into an upscale tourist
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