He did not speak again. Nor did Jenna feel any need to press. There was a sense of comfortable release from her own tension, just hearing him admit to the prospect. Being willing to face the issues for which neither of them had answers.
At least, not yet.
She slipped over close enough to settle her hand upon his shoulder. “Your exit is coming up.”
* * *
Santa Barbara County had some of the country’s most restrictive zoning requirements. Several years back, torrential rains created a mudslide that tore down neighboring Montecito’s main street. The river of mud and rocks and trees and cars destroyed scores of businesses, homes, hotels, and lives. Afterward the county relaxed its building requirements for a while.
Their destination was one of those structures that slipped under the wire. Four stories, the maximum permitted in central Santa Barbara. Spanish-style construction, carved wooden balconies, peaked central doors, painted tiles adorning the central walk, red-tiled roof. Central courtyard with a full Olympic-size pool. Carefully sculpted gardens, underground parking. Noah estimated there were twenty apartments. Four penthouses that must have cost a bomb. One of which was owned by the man they had come to see.
The instant Dino’s grandson stepped through the front door, Noah had the guy pegged.
Auburn Raye reminded Noah of several wannabe directors he had worked for and disliked so much they made his teeth hurt. Flower-print aloha shirt, long hair professionally streaked, khaki shorts, Brazilian wish bands on both wrists, sunglasses dangling from a shell necklace. Eyes still puffy from whatever he had used the night before, expression set in what Noah assumed was a permanent scowl. He was probably aged in his early thirties, but sounded like a petulant teen when he demanded, “Who’s this guy?”
Sol Feinnes walked a half step behind the grandson. The San Lu attorney took his time, shook Jenna’s hand, then Noah’s, before saying, “Allow me to introduce Noah Hearst, owner of your grandfather’s boat. Ms. Greaves, of course, you already know. Noah, this is Auburn Raye.”
“I thought you bought Grandad’s boat.” Then he spotted the federal agent rising from his nondescript four-door, and smirked. “Great. Let’s get the party started.”
Agent Wright Manley Banks wore what appeared to be the same slate-gray suit he had worn to the farmhouse. Sol made a solemn process of greeting the agent and saying, “I believe you know everybody.”
With dark Ray-Bans masking his eyes, the agent’s face held all the animation of a mannequin. “Why am I here?”
“Because I invited you.” Sol turned to the grandson. “I sold your grandfather’s boat to Mr. Hearst.”
“Whatever.” Auburn waved a vague hand toward the pool complex. “Let’s get out of this heat.”
When they were seated at a poolside table, Auburn demanded, “So I’m here. What now?”
“First, a correction,” Jenna said. “Noah actually purchased your grandfather’s boat from a police auction.”
Auburn looked from Sol to Noah to Jenna. “This is interesting why?”
“Because,” Jenna replied. “The boat was wrecked. And sunk.”
Auburn laughed out loud. “Is this a joke?”
“No joke,” Sol replied. “The police think the attackers used a sawed-off shotgun.”
Auburn laughed a second time. “Good!”
Agent Banks asked, “You’re not concerned?”
“Concerned? Man, I’m beyond thrilled. Grandad loved that boat twice as much as he did any of us. Ten times more.” Auburn leaned back. Stretched out his legs. “I wish I had been there.”
Jenna said, “Actually, I thought you were.”
“That’s why we’re here? Because you thought I blew up Grandad’s stupid boat?” Auburn laughed once more.
“No, I wanted to let you know that a very bad man has shown up. Just as soon as your grandfather’s former identity became known.”
But the young man remained captured by news about the boat. “You ask me, Aunt Eloise was behind it. She’s always been the quietly vicious type.”
“Someone went through there with an ax,” Jenna pointed out. “Hard to do for a lady walking with a cane.”
“That was probably compliments of cousin Willifred. What a dear boy that one turned out to be.” He smirked at something unseen.
“What?”
