A Superior Death

Her laughter came to an abrupt stop. Grapes. All at once she knew what it was that she’d missed in Molly’s conversation, what had plagued her all afternoon. It had nothing to do with her sister’s peace of mind. It was the dead gourmet’s braces, his yellow suspenders worn to mock his rival. Canary-yellow suspenders tying up a bunch of purple-black grapes. That was what had seemed so familiar about the wine label she’d seen in Patience’s apartment. A

Pacing the cluttered office, A

But the shipment must have been found, tracked down by a woman who worked in a California winery, who lived and breathed wine, who wanted money more than just about anything. Patience had tracked the missing vintage to the Kamloops. It wasn’t on the bill of lading because it was contraband being smuggled into Canada among the personal effects of the captain.

De

One hip on her desk, A

“One-two-one, three-oh-two,” A

“Damn,” A

The situation would keep better without interference, A

She put down the mike, stared out into the fog. The kits were gone.

“How the hell did she get into the captain’s cabin to bring the stuff up?” she demanded of the world at large.

TWENTY SIX

Before the coming night robbed the fog of the last light, A

But anyone out could be in trouble if they didn’t know the waters. A

The cha

These heavy deliberations were interrupted by the sudden coming to life of the Belle Isle’s marine radio.

Three or four crackling pops warned that someone was fiddling with their mike button, then a hesitant, childish voice: “Hello? Hello? SOS. Please. SOS.”

A

There was a silence that seemed long because A

“Carrie A

There was a confusion of clicks as the girl tried to talk at the same time A

“Yeah?”

“Are you at the Kamloops‘ dive buoy or Kamloops Island?”

“The buoy.”

“And your mom’s in trouble. What kind of trouble?” As she talked A

“Two-oh-two, three-oh-two, did you copy that?” A

“Ah… negative.”

A

Four hours into the wilderness and dark coming on, there was little Ralph or Lucas could do, but it was policy to keep them informed. And, A

I

There was a silence, then two clicks as if he was fingering his mike uncertainly. “ASAP,” he said after a moment. “Having some engine trouble on the Lorelei.”

“Fuck you,” A

“Negative.”

Loran took A

The cabin door opened slowly. A kid’s sleeping bag wrapped around her against the chill, Carrie A