use it.”
Camaro nodded, but said nothing. She crouched down beside Parker’s tackle box and opened it, rummaging through the lures and hooks. Unlike the rod, most of these weren’t what he’d need, but if someone wasn’t paying much attention, it would seem like everything was in order. That would have to be good enough.
“You’re real thorough,” Parker said.
“I try to be.”
Parker tried to find a place out of the sun. He leaned against the slick white side of the cabin and played a finger along the darkened glass of the window. “Think we can go below?” he asked.
“It’s the wrong time to ask for that,” Camaro said.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just hot out here. I could use something cold if you’ve got it.”
“There are water bottles in the fridge.”
“Perfect.”
They went below, and Camaro fetched out a half-liter plastic bottle of water. Cracking the cap, Parker guzzled half of it all at once, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His forehead was speckled with sweat.
The couch beside the galley counter was open, and Parker took a spot. Camaro sat down with him, and they watched each other for a while, saying nothing. It was Camaro who spoke. “Are you worried about something in particular?” she asked.
“No, nothing in particular. Only everything,” Parker said, and he tried a smile that quickly died. “You know.”
“How’d you even get involved in this?” Camaro asked. “It’s not your thing.”
Parker shook his head slowly. He uncapped the water and pulled on the bottle. “I don’t know,” he said. “I kind of got sucked into it. Matt’s like that. He’s got gravity, like a black hole or something. You get in with him, and he carries you the rest of the way.”
“How much time did you serve together?”
He finished his bottle and crushed it in his hand. “We served a year and a half together in the South Bay Correctional Facility. He was in for armed robbery, and I was doing my stretch for the car theft. They put us in a cell together and, I don’t know, we got along. We kept in touch after we got out.”
“How many jobs have you pulled together?”
“That’s the funny thing,” Parker said. “This is the first time we’ve ever done it. Sandro, you met him, he’s Matt’s go-to guy. Jackson, too. They were all together on some stuff before I even came into the picture. Matt had to skip town a few years ago in front of some trouble, and they all scattered. But I guess you can’t stay gone forever.”
“Why bring you in at all?” Camaro asked.
“Because I’m the trustworthy one,” Parker said. “Sandro and Jackson might be tight with Matt, but he doesn’t trust them more than he has to. He knew I would hold the money and wouldn’t run with it. So he gave it to me, and I did what he said.”
“Sometimes the guy holding the money is the first one to get hurt,” Camaro said.
Camaro heard footsteps on the pier outside, and a glance through the window showed Matt, Sandro, and Jackson. They, too, came bearing rods for fishing they weren’t prepared to do, but they did not wait for permission to come aboard. She watched them mill around on the aft deck, putting away their rods. They’d brought a brilliant yellow cooler and set it down heavily.
Out on the deck, Camaro looked them over. They were dressed right, like Parker, and Matt wore a cap that kept his unruly hair in place. Their rods were brand new and cheap, the kind that could break if a hundred-pound swordfish got on the line.
“Captain,” Matt said, “your crew is here.”
“You’re my charter, not my crew,” Camaro said. “I’m the crew.”
“Whatever. We’re here. Anytime you want to cast off, we’re ready.”
She took time to examine each man in turn, and they looked back at her. Finally she nodded. “Okay. Let’s go. You know how to handle the lines?”
“I think I can figure it out.”
“Cast us off.”
On the flybridge she waited
Camaro nodded, but said nothing. She crouched down beside Parker’s tackle box and opened it, rummaging through the lures and hooks. Unlike the rod, most of these weren’t what he’d need, but if someone wasn’t paying much attention, it would seem like everything was in order. That would have to be good enough.
“You’re real thorough,” Parker said.
“I try to be.”
Parker tried to find a place out of the sun. He leaned against the slick white side of the cabin and played a finger along the darkened glass of the window. “Think we can go below?” he asked.
“It’s the wrong time to ask for that,” Camaro said.
“No, I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just hot out here. I could use something cold if you’ve got it.”
“There are water bottles in the fridge.”
“Perfect.”
They went below, and Camaro fetched out a half-liter plastic bottle of water. Cracking the cap, Parker guzzled half of it all at once, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. His forehead was speckled with sweat.
The couch beside the galley counter was open, and Parker took a spot. Camaro sat down with him, and they watched each other for a while, saying nothing. It was Camaro who spoke. “Are you worried about something in particular?” she asked.
“No, nothing in particular. Only everything,” Parker said, and he tried a smile that quickly died. “You know.”
“How’d you even get involved in this?” Camaro asked. “It’s not your thing.”
Parker shook his head slowly. He uncapped the water and pulled on the bottle. “I don’t know,” he said. “I kind of got sucked into it. Matt’s like that. He’s got gravity, like a black hole or something. You get in with him, and he carries you the rest of the way.”
“How much time did you serve together?”
He finished his bottle and crushed it in his hand. “We served a year and a half together in the South Bay Correctional Facility. He was in for armed robbery, and I was doing my stretch for the car theft. They put us in a cell together and, I don’t know, we got along. We kept in touch after we got out.”
“How many jobs have you pulled together?”
“That’s the funny thing,” Parker said. “This is the first time we’ve ever done it. Sandro, you met him, he’s Matt’s go-to guy. Jackson, too. They were all together on some stuff before I even came into the picture. Matt had to skip town a few years ago in front of some trouble, and they all scattered. But I guess you can’t stay gone forever.”
“Why bring you in at all?” Camaro asked.
“Because I’m the trustworthy one,” Parker said. “Sandro and Jackson might be tight with Matt, but he doesn’t trust them more than he has to. He knew I would hold the money and wouldn’t run with it. So he gave it to me, and I did what he said.”
“Sometimes the guy holding the money is the first one to get hurt,” Camaro said.
Camaro heard footsteps on the pier outside, and a glance through the window showed Matt, Sandro, and Jackson. They, too, came bearing rods for fishing they weren’t prepared to do, but they did not wait for permission to come aboard. She watched them mill around on the aft deck, putting away their rods. They’d brought a brilliant yellow cooler and set it down heavily.
Out on the deck, Camaro looked them over. They were dressed right, like Parker, and Matt wore a cap that kept his unruly hair in place. Their rods were brand new and cheap, the kind that could break if a hundred-pound swordfish got on the line.
“Captain,” Matt said, “your crew is here.”
“You’re my charter, not my crew,” Camaro said. “I’m the crew.”
“Whatever. We’re here. Anytime you want to cast off, we’re ready.”
She took time to examine each man in turn, and they looked back at her. Finally she nodded. “Okay. Let’s go. You know how to handle the lines?”
“I think I can figure it out.”
“Cast us off.”
On the flybridge she waited
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