Dar drained her coffee cup. She didn’t mind bluffing, but bluffing was always easier when you had something to fall back on.

She stood and wiped her lips, then dropped her napkin on the table.

Her backpack stood mutely in the corner. She went over and lifted it, then slipped it over her shoulders. Kerry came out and joined her at the door and they left the room, heading off to find some facts.

Or some trouble. Or maybe both.

DAR HELD OPEN the door to the Chase Bank, waiting for Kerry to enter and then following her inside. The bank was on the way to the police station and courthouse, so they’d decided to stop there first. Dar pulled off her sunglasses and looked around, then walked across to a small desk with a receptionist behind it.

“Good morning.” The receptionist greeted them with a professional smile. “What can I do for you ladies today?”

“I have a wire transfer I need to pick up,” Dar explained. “It was generated last night.”

“Sure.” The woman glanced behind her to a single desk with a young man at it. “Mr. Steel? Are you free?”

The man looked up. “Yes, I am.”

Dar and Kerry walked over and sat down at the man’s desk.

Dar removed her driver’s license from her wallet and handed it to him. “I requested a wire transfer last night,” she repeated. “From Florida.”

Mr. Steel took the license and put it in the desk, then typed Dar’s name into his computer. He waited, then nodded. “Yes, Ms.

Roberts, we have it.” He leaned closer to the screen. “For… ten thousand American?”

“Yep.”

“Would you like that as a draft, ma’am?”

A draft. Dar considered her memory of Cheapside Guido and sighed inwardly. “Cash,” she replied. “Gimme it in hundreds.”


228 Melissa Good The bank officer frowned. “Ma’am, it’s not a good idea to carry that much currency on your person,” he objected. “Really.”

“I know,” Dar agreed. “But I won’t be carrying it long, hopefully.”

The man still didn’t like it, but he tapped in a request and hit enter. “Okay, let me just get that for you.” He stood and walked to a locked door, keying in a code and disappearing.

Kerry looked around at the empty bank with its one remaining teller. “Quiet.”

“Mm.” Dar leaned back. The bank’s outer door opened and two men came in, bypassing the receptionist and heading for the teller.

They were tall, and there was something vaguely familiar about one of them that set Dar’s mind to itching.

The man was dressed in typical island fashion—surfer-type shorts and a loose print shirt. He was wearing deck sandals and a red baseball cap, and carrying a worn bank deposit bag.

Dar frowned. A lot of people on the island looked just like this guy. So what was it? The walk? The attitude…

“Dar.” Kerry’s voice broke into her concentration.

“Yeah?”

Kerry lowered her voice to a whisper. “I think that’s one of the pirates that attacked us yesterday.”

Oh. Duh. “Guess that’s why he seemed familiar,” Dar whispered back.

They watched the man push several things across to the teller, seemingly relaxed and at ease. The teller took them and processed them, smiling at the man, apparently familiar with him.

“What are we going to do?” Kerry murmured. “If we recognized him, he’ll probably recognize us.”

Dar gauged the distance between them. “He didn’t on the way in,” she said. “Let’s just turn around and see what happens.”

Kerry shifted in her chair and looked at Dar. “Okay, but what are we going to do after that?”

“Maybe we can find out what his name is.”

“And report him to the police?” Kerry glanced quickly behind her, then back. “Dar, he’s obviously a known quantity here.”

“Uh huh.” Dar didn’t seem surprised.

The inner door opened and the bank officer reappeared. He was carrying a small box, and he looked around as he crossed back to his desk. His eyes fell on the two men. “Ah. Morning, Mr.

Chasiki.”

The man turned at his name and smiled, then his eyes slipped past the banker and focused on Dar’s face.

Uh oh. Dar thought fast, meeting his eyes briefly, then moving on, hoping she was projecting an air of profound disinterest. She’d seen the recognition as he looked at her.


Terrors of the High Seas 229

“Yeah, yeah,” the man answered the bank manager. “Great holiday, yeah?” His voice was tense.

“Very good, thanks.” The officer sat down and put the box in the center of his desk. He pulled over some paperwork and filled out a few forms. “All right, Ms. Roberts, let me just fill this out and you’ll be all set.”

“Thanks.” Dar rested her elbows on the desk and resisted the urge to turn and look at the pirate. Next to her, Kerry was leaning back with her arms folded, her back mostly toward the teller. The blonde woman looked tense, a furrow creasing her brow.

“Here you go. Please sign here” Mr. Steel indicated a space on the form. “I’ve made a copy of your driver’s license, and here’s that back.” He handed her the card.

Dar picked up the pen and studied the form, her ears cocked as she heard footsteps approaching them. They stopped just behind her, and she watched the officer’s eyes from the corner of her own, seeing them go up and over her shoulder curiously. She signed her name on the form.

“Something you need, sir?” the officer asked.

“Nah. Just thinking.” The pirate spoke from just behind them.

“Later.” The footsteps receded and the door opened, letting in the sound of wind and the street.

Dar pushed the paper back over to the officer. “There you go.”

She leaned back, feeling the tension relax from her shoulders.

“Always quiet like this here?”

Mr. Steel took the paper. “Oh, mostly,” he said. “Fridays, payday, it gets a little hectic.” He smiled, then looked curiously at Dar. “Beg your pardon, Ms. Roberts, but did you know Mr. Chasiki, the gentleman who was just here?”

Dar glanced Kerry’s way. Kerry’s eyes widened slightly and her pale brows lifted. “He seemed a little familiar,” she temporized.

“Why?”

“Oh, he was staring at you, and I was just wondering,” the officer said easily.

Dar turned and gazed at the closed door, then looked back at Mr. Steel. She shrugged. “Who is he?”

The banker shrugged back. “He’s known to be a ladies’ man,”

he said. “Bit of a rogue, but a generous one.” He handed over the box. “Here you go, Ms. Roberts. I hope you do take care and put this somewhere soon. It’s really not a good idea to be carrying it.”

Dar stood and lifted her backpack, then opened the box and transferred the bound stacks of bills to the pack. “Thanks for the warning.” She finished stashing the cash and zipped up the pack, handing him back the box. “Nice doing business with you.” She shouldered the knapsack, adjusting it around her shoulders and pulling the straps tight. “Ker?”


230 Melissa Good Kerry gave the officer a brief smile, rising and joining Dar as they headed for the door. She put a hand on her partner’s arm as they exited the bank, both of them looking left and right as the sunlight hit them. “Dar, that was creepy.”

“That was very creepy,” Dar acknowledged. “C’mon. I want to get hold of Bud and get rid of this cash before we do anything else.”

Her senses were jangling. “Last thing we need is for that Chasiki to follow us and hold us up.”

Kerry looked around nervously. “You really think he would?”

“I’d rather not find out.” Dar took out her cell phone and opened it. She dialed Bud’s number. After two rings, he picked up.

“Bud, it’s Dar.” Dar spoke into the receiver crisply. “Did you get hold of your friend?” She waited for the answer. “Good. We’re heading back to the hotel now.” She closed the phone and clipped it to her belt. “We’ll take care of that, then …”

“Seeing the pirate kinda throws a wrench into things, huh?”

Kerry asked. “At least we have his name now.”

“And he has mine,” Dar reminded her. “Kerry, I don’t know if going to the police here is a good idea.” She started walking back toward the hotel. “I just don’t know who we can trust. If we go to the cops and tell them, and they’re in on it, then what? They’re gonna want to protect him.”

Kerry sighed. “Yikes.”

Dar shook her head as they crossed the street and headed for the long climb up. They’d walked for just a few minutes when Dar heard footsteps behind them. She used an appreciative look around to glance behind her, and sure enough, two men were meandering up the slope after them. “Son of a bitch.”

Kerry looked. “Cripes,” she muttered. “Maybe they’re not following us, Dar. We could just be a little paranoid.”

True. Dar swerved, and the smell of coffee and hot dough hit her. She pulled Kerry into a shop they were passing and went over to the counter. “Two johnnycakes and two coffees, please.”

The man behind the counter handed both over readily, accepting Dar’s cash and giving her change. Dar picked up one of the cakes and handed Kerry the other, then took her coffee. She strolled casually to the entrance and leaned against it, waiting.

Kerry eased up behind her.

At first there was only silence. Then abruptly, the two men passed the shop, talking casually to each other and not giving Dar so much as a second glance.

Kerry released her held breath and took a bite of her cake.

“Mm,” she murmured.

“Good call,” Dar complimented quietly. “C’mon.”

They eased out of the shop and continued up the stepped street. “This would be a great morning workout,” Kerry Terrors of the High Seas 231