“Send me the bill,” Fallon said, taking the tote. “I’ll pay by working a few swing shifts when you need help either here, at the marina, or at Everglades Overwatch.”
“Acceptable currency.” Baily kissed Kendra’s cheek. “Say hi to Buddy and Fallon, sweetie.”
Kendra considered Buddy with the solemn, negotiating stare toddlers saved for strangers who might be in charge of snacks. Then she lifted the spoon and declared, “Cookie. Want cookie.”
“So do I,” Buddy said. “We have a lot in common.”
Fletcher reached out to tap the spoon. “In a little bit, pumpkin.”
“Okay, DaDa.” Kendra rested her head on her mother’s shoulder.
Buddy sighed and grabbed another tub, and the room fell into a rhythm he liked—work that didn’t require talking—to toddlers. Not that he didn’t like kids, he did. But it brought up emotions he didn’t want to deal with.
“Come on, sweetie. You can help Mommy with that box over there.” Baily moved across the room.
Tape squeaked off a roll. A fan somewhere clicked every third rotation. Fallon crossed to the list she’d taped to the wall and drew a line through three items with the quick stroke of someone who understood momentum. Fletcher moved more boxes, and Buddy welcomed the silence.
The door swung again, and Keaton stepped in with his Fish and Wildlife hat in hand. He had the rested-unrested look of a man who got enough sleep to function and not a minute more.
“Looks like you all robbed a craft store,” he said.
“We left them a note.” Fletcher lifted another box and hauled it to one of the shelves.
“Hey, Keaton,” Baily said. “You hungry? I have some pre-made salads for anyone who dared to help with the glitter mess.”
“My wife would like me to say yes to that salad,” Keaton said, mouth tipping. “But I’d rather have a hush puppy.”
“Now you’re speaking my language,” Baily said, jumping to her feet, hiking Kendra to her hip.
Keaton stepped further inside and clocked the room the way a trained military man would.
Buddy went very still. He knew that stance. He practiced that stance a million times. Keaton had something serious to say.
“Dawson got a hit on that partial plate.” Keaton turned to Fallon and then Buddy. “Came back to an LLC out of Fort Lauderdale—Blue Heron Boat Tours. Mean anything to you?”
Buddy’s chest went tight around a breath. Blue again. He didn’t move because he’d trained that response out of himself, but the word crawled up the back of his skull and sat there anyway.
“Never heard of them.” Fallon shifted her gaze between Keaton and Buddy, as if she understood what the word Blue would do to him. “What kind of tours?”
“Waterway. Intercoastal. Looking at the big houses. A couple of Tiki party boats. Charter fishing boats. It’s a decent-sized operation from what I can tell.” Keaton pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Buddy. “Nothing appears strange about the company. But a muscle car under an LLC? That’s suspect.”
“If it were a four-door sedan, or an SUV, it might not concern me, but between that text and the girl, it’s got my hackles high,” Buddy said. He kept his voice as even as he could. “I think we should run tech on Fallon’s phone. I can get someone to do it.”
Fallon inched close to him. Her arm pressed tight against his. It was subtle and maybe no one noticed.
“Aegis tech? Or old FBI friend tech?” Keaton asked.
“Mia Sarich,” Buddy said. “Logan’s wife from the Orlando Aegis Network office. She’s good. I’ll reach out later. I’m sure she can look at the phone remotely. If she can’t, it’s only a two-hour drive.”
Fallon curled her fingers around his biceps and squeezed but said nothing.
“I think that’s a good idea. Dawson’s gonna want to see that report,” Keaton said.
Baily reappeared with a plate that would offend a nutritionist and a personal trainer. Hush puppies and some strawberries to make it legal. She handed it to Keaton and set a sippy cup on the low shelf where Kendra could find it. “I meant to ask earlier, is Trinity over the morning sickness yet?” she asked. “She’s been in the second trimester for a while, but I know that part lingers for her.”
“Oh, she’s past that and on to the stage of eating anything and everything at all hours of the night and complaining she’s getting fat, only she’s barely gained any weight. She never does.” Keaton ran his fingers through his dark, curly hair. “She’s also reminded me that this baby better come out as quick and painless as Petra.”
Fletcher burst out laughing.
