Carla Neggers - The Harbor

"Chris," Bruce said gently. "What's wrong?"

She made eye contact with him, her face white. She choked back a sob. "Stick's got Zoe." She couldn't get her breath and thrust a sheet of paper at J.B. "He killed Dad. It's right here."

J.B. took the paper but stayed focused her. "Where are they now?"

"He took her in a Zodiac. Luke's, I think. I was on my way to the police-I saw Stick take her. I didn't know what to do." She was gulping in air. "I don't know who to trust anymore. I didn't want to do anything that would make her situation worse. So I came straight here."

"Stick doesn't know shit about boats," Bruce said. "He's out in this fog? Never mind on purpose, he'll kill Zoe by accident."

Christina, still in Bruce's grasp, seemed steadier. "They headed north."

Bruce dropped his arm. "Come on, McGrath. Let's go. We'll take my boat." He held Christina by the shoulders and gave her an encouraging shake. "You know what to do, right, Chris? Get in your car. Drive back to town. Raise hell."

J.B. thought Bruce did fine with his instructions. "Tell the police Stick took Zoe as a hostage. He's going after Kyle and Shelton.He'll kill them and frame Shelton if he can. He's had time to work out a plan. He'll keep Zoe as his hostage as long as he needs her-"

Bruce coughed, hiding his own shock and fear. "Got it, Chris?" She nodded. "I-I don't think Stick knows I saw him."

J.B. started to help her back into her car, but she told him she was okay. "Find my sister."

By the time J.B. charged down to the dock, she was backing out quickly and Bruce had his boat untied. J.B. was relieved it wasn't anchored in deep water-they didn't have to waste time with a dinghy. Unlike the heap he'd rented to J.B., it was a new boat with radar, GPS, a proper radio, good traps, fresh paint. The same old orange rain gear hung on a hook in the pilothouse.

Within seconds, they were on their way across the mouth of the harbor. Clouds, fog and mist had descended on the gray water, reducing visibility, keeping in the pleasure boats and even many of the working boats. Bruce was undeterred by the weather. He got on his radio and learned from a lobster boat heading back toward shore that he'd seen the Zodiac zip out to the islands off the Olivia West Nature Preserve.

He shouted to J.B. over the sounds of the boat's engine. "Marine patrol will send a boat out, but it's a big goddamn ocean. You going to get into trouble for doing this?"

"It'll take an hour for the tac unit to get here. They'll take over once they're in place. Meanwhile, we isolate the incident and wait for help, do what we can to keep Kyle and Zoe alive." And Teddy Shelton, he thought. Stick would kill him, too. Dead, he couldn't argue with Stick's version of events.

"I like my life as a lobsterman," Bruce said.

But his mouth was set in a grim line, and he cranked up the engine and set across the harbor.

Stick had too many balls in the air. Zoe could see it as he tried to steer the Zodiac and keep her from killing him. He had his Colt in one hand. One false move, one falter, and she'd be on him. "Your father almost had Luke convinced to tell him about Teddy Shelton. He really put the pressure on."

"What did you care?"

"Luke had already confessed to me."

The hush money. "You'd kill my father-your friend- because you didn't want it to get out that Luke paid you to keep quiet about an illegal gun sale? Come on, Stick. That doesn't make sense."

"Insufficient motive? I tried a murder where a man killed his own brother because he didn't like the way he was chewing his steak."

Zoe didn't let him divert her. "You didn't want your connection to Teddy Shelton to come out. That's why you didn't kill him this past year-you didn't want to draw any attention to him. You must have just prayed for the day he'd leave town."

They were among the small islands off the preserve, but the conditions were difficult-fog, low tide, more drizzle. Stick didn't like boats or the water. His control of the Zodiac was tentative at best. It was a small boat, fast and maneuverable, not as likely as a speedboat or lobster boat to get hung up on rocks or stuck in shallow water at the hands of someone with Stick's lack of experience.

"Teddy Shelton wants me dead," Stick said, almost blandly.

"Then why hasn't he killed you?"

"He had to toy with me first. Get under my skin. Play out his string with Luke and make some money. He had to be careful your father's murder wouldn't get pinned on him."

"If you knew," Zoe said, "why haven't you killed him?"

He grimaced. "Because I'm not a killer."

She could have jumped up and gone for his throat then. "That's not why. Teddy must have something on you. What?"

"I went to see him in prison. I offered to set him up with a new arsenal after he got out if he would keep something that he knew secret." Stick seemed unable to stop himself, as if it was cathartic to tell her-or he just wanted her to know why he was killing her before he pulled the trigger. "He came up here before his trial- he was out on bail. I should never have set bail for him. He snuck into my house and found a very small stash I had-not much, just a few pictures…" He didn't go on. Zoe felt her stomach lurch. "Child pornography?"

"I've never touched a minor. Never. "

"What did you do, tell Teddy it was for research purposes?"

"Yes. Exactly. That is what it was for."

"He tried to get you to let him off?"

Stick nodded. "It was too late. I'd only make both our situations worse. He's convinced I favored the prosecution and basically made sure he was convicted."

"Not true?"

"No, of course not. I looked for any legitimate way to get him off. He'd have fared even worse with another judge."

Zoe was sickened, stunned. "So you visited him in prison and offered to set him up with a new arsenal."

"That's why he came to Goose Harbor, but it wasn't enough-not enough guns, not enough to make up for seven years in prison. Teddy wants my hide, too." Stick's voice was matter-of-fact, as if he'd resigned himself to what he had to do.

"How much of this did my father figure out?"

"Most of it. Not all. He wanted Luke to come clean about selling the gun to Teddy and how I manipulated Luke into paying me."

"You scared Luke into keeping quiet, didn't you? What does he know?"

"Nothing. He's not as worried about selling the gun to Teddy as he is about Kyle. He thinks it's all been about saving his son."

The boat slowed, and they were within only a few yards of Stewart's Cove before its horseshoe-shaped beach came into view.

"Patrick was in uniform that morning because he planned to take me in. I stopped in to see Olivia. She couldn't hide it, Zoe. She knew everything." Stick took in a breath, but Zoe didn't detect even a flicker of regret. "He never saw it coming. That's how I've consoled myself this past year. Knowing he didn't suffer."

"Bastard."

He beached the bow of the boat on the sand and made her get out first. She sank up to her knees in the cold water but slogged to shore as he splashed behind her with the same gun he'd used to murder her father.

He gave her no opportunity to escape or wrestle the Colt from him. She had to be patient. Keep him talking.

He stepped out onto the beach, sand sticking to his bare calves. "Teddy! Come on out. Luke sent me. I've got your bonus money. Let's finish this up and all go home."

Teddy Shelton emerged from the pines with Kyle shielding him, a gun leveled at Kyle's head. Stick seemed unsurprised. "Put the gun down, Teddy. Luke wants his kid back in one piece. Come on. We're all on the same side now. I think a hundred grand will put a lot of things right, don't you?"

"What's Zoe doing here?" Teddy asked, keeping his gun where it was.