They sat on the cushioned bench in the open deck of the speedboat. She found it pleasant to be surrounded by light glancing off the flat calm water. If she only spent time in boats when they were tied up in harbors, maybe she’d grow to like them.
“I wish we had some clue about what this guy’s motivation was. Some kind of grudge against the Bloody Eyeball? Sally? It certainly wasn’t random.”
“Definitely not. I made a list of everyone who was there, and I’m methodically going through it to see if anyone jumps out as a target.”
“My first thought was Benny Clyde. He left pretty quickly.”
Luke cocked his head, contemplating. “A while ago, I would have said yes to that. But he’s calmed down a lot. As far as I know, there are no lobster wars going on right now.”
“Lobster wars?”
“Territory disputes. They can get ugly. But gunfire ugly? Nah. And no lobsterman would ever endanger a bystander. They cut trap lines, that sort of thing.”
“Could he be involved in something else?”
“Well, sure, of course. Think I should talk to him? I have a better chance than you. The Clydes don’t like outsiders.”
She nodded, although it seemed like a stretch. All the guy had done was leave the scene in an expeditious manner.
“Could this incident be related to the Sea Smoke Island Fund? That’s a big island controversy.”
The Carmichael family had committed to offering restitution to the families who had been dispossessed back in 1912. The other islanders weren’t all onboard with that concept.
“Maybe, but that’s been going on for a while now. Nothing’s changed recently.”
“Right.” Tina sighed. “Also, why would they target the café instead of the inn? The shooter was right here, grabbing the boat. I think we can eliminate that possibility.”
Luke made a note on his list. “Agreed. By the way, did you know that your friend Jack is Jack Finnegan, the actor?”
“Yes.” She felt heat in her face, for some reason. “Should I have mentioned that?”
“Maybe. He was the most famous person in the building that day. It’s possible he was the target. What’s he doing here? I haven’t been able to interview him yet.”
“I’ll set it up.” Tina gazed up at the inn, perched like a palace on the clifftops about a hundred yards up. “He should tell you himself.”
“Sounds cryptic. What do you think? Could he have been the target?”
Tina had already considered that possibility, and had been unable to rule it out. “The shooting did start right after he arrived at the Bloodshot Eyeball. But why wait until he was inside? If they wanted to hit him, they could have fired when he was on the steps, or the deck. Spraying bullets into a crowded coffee shop isn’t the best way to assassinate someone.”
“Maybe it was more about sending a message. I have to ask,” he gave her a delicate sidelong glance, “what’s your relationship with him?”
“Nothing. We don’t have a relationship. We’re just…I’m helping him with something. Rather, we’re helping each other. Our paths have converged.”
“Your paths have converged? Is that what they’re calling it now?” Luke’s deep blue eyes flashed with amusement.
“Step off, Carmichael, you’re out of line and way off base.”
“All due respect, no, I’m not. As far as I can tell, you and Jack Finnegan were the only two anomalies at the Bloodshot Eyeball that day. Everyone else is more or less a regular. Maybe you were the target, have you thought of that?”
She had; it was on her list of possibilities.
“In my professional opinion, it’s much more likely that one of the regulars was a target because they would be expected to be there.”
His expression shifted as he considered that point. “You have a point. Shit. Heather.”
That was another line of thought she’d been pursuing. Heather had not only been there that day, but she was often at the Bloodshot Eyeball helping her mother—and recording her podcast. During the renovations, Sally had built a small soundproof studio for that purpose. “Maybe her podcast ruffled some feathers.”
Luke pulled out his phone and punched a button. “Hi sweetheart. You’re on speaker phone with me and Officer Chen. Serious question for you, think carefully before you answer. Do you think any stories you’ve been working on recently could have pissed off someone enough for them to?—”
