Letty stood on the dock next to Salt & Steel. They got there later in the morning than she had planned. The boathouse didnot look like a security headquarters from the outside. It still resembled what it had once been, a renovated shrimp cannery with weathered wood, wide dock access, and the kind of plain working exterior that discouraged curiosity.
Cal stepped out. “You and Rhea are a good team. She got the ownership records for the boat.” He lifted his chin. “You didn’t get a tour yesterday. Let me give you a quick one while we talk.” He pushed open the door to the offices. “There’s a boat bay to the left with two rigid-hull inflatable boats on lifts.” He made a turn. “Here is a tactical gym: heavy bags, steel racks, rope climbs. Feel free to come in here anytime.” His gaze rose as he took her up the stairs. “We moved your stuff to the small conference room.” They stepped inside where Rhea sat, fingers flying across the keyboard looking at multiple screens.
She removed her headset. “Welcome.”
Wyatt strolled in, and Rhea smirked. “You’re late.”
He rolled his eyes. “Good morning, Rhea.”
She turned her eyes to Letty. “I hope you don’t mind that we moved everything up here. It’s better than a table.” Her gaze flicked to Cal, who snorted.
“I appreciate it.”
Rhea swiveled her chair and stood, walking to the board. “Your notes are thorough. I guess disaster science makes you see things others might miss.”
Letty nodded. “I try.”
She used the clicker in her hand and brought the large smart screen to life. “Here are the ownership records for the last fifteen years for the Palmetto Royale Casino.” She cocked her head as Letty moved forward. “Registered under Palmetto Leisure Holdings, LLC shell. Traced it back three layers, and it lands in Charleston. Majority investor: Thomas Hargrove.”
Wyatt made eye contact with Cal, who shrugged. “Don’t know the name.”
Rhea replied. “Real estate mogul, specifically coastal redevelopment. He’s been buying up marina-adjacent properties for two years.”
Letty crossed her arms. “Insurance payout on the boat?”
“Possibly.” Rhea hedged. “But here’s where it gets interesting.” She brought up a second screen. “Hargrove’s had three financial audits in the past eighteen months. Nothing criminal, just messy.”
Wyatt leaned forward. “Money laundering messy?”
Rhea rested against the desk. “Can’t prove it, but the timing’s convenient.”
Letty pursed her lips. “If the boat burns, they get a quick influx of cash from the insurance company… but that only works if the fire is ruled accidental.”
Silence settled as eyes drifted to Letty.
Rhea pulled up a different slide on the screen. “The guest list was interesting, lots of movers and shakers.”
Letty’s forehead wrinkled. “How’d you get that?”
Rhea didn’t miss a beat. “I’ve got an in with the town council. Someone slipped it to me.”
Letty blinked.
“One of the council aides owes me a favor. She runs the event company that did the gala,” Rhea said casually. “Small-town politics are convenient that way.”
Letty scanned the names. Rhea had included their employment and connections to others on the slide. “If someone wanted to silence people and intimidate officials, this list would certainly make that easier.”
Wyatt nodded. “And make it look like a tragic accident.”
Cal scoffed. “Whoever it was didn’t count on our team. No fatalities and only three serious injuries.”
Letty stepped back from the screen and looked at the names again, her mind moving faster now that the pattern had shifted.“What if it wasn’t about the boat itself? What if it was about who was on it, who could have been killed, and who would understand the message if they survived?”
Wyatt caught Cal’s attention. “Who on that list stands out to you?”
Cal shrugged. “That’s a who’s who of money and trouble.”
Rhea stepped back to her computer and typed. “Maybe someone who RSVP’d but didn’t attend.” She clicked her tongue. “Here, Councilman Jared Pike didn’t attend.”
