Jonathan Kellerman - The Web

Big cast-iron frypan.

One of the Slim's crowd said something.

She cut him off: "Shut up, you moron ! What do you think you're doing ?"

The four young men were close enough for me to hear their panting.

I whipped around.

The one with the club came forward, making small circles with the weapon. He had a feather beard and long hair. Some of his shirt buttons were missing, exposing a hairless chest.

Jacqui was at my side. "Ignacio!"

She grabbed for the club. Ignacio held on. She tugged.

Someone laughed.

She curled her lip. " Big shots. Big heroes. Ganging up on an innocent guy."

"Who says he's innocent?" said one of the Slim's crowd. "He lives up there. "

"Yeah."

"Yeah, motherfu-"

"So?" said Jacqui. "So what ?"

"So he's…"

"What?"

"A-"

" What, Henry? So he's a guest up at the castle? So what does that mean? That we act like animals?"

" Someone's been acting like an animal," said Skip, "and it ain't-"

"You shut up- look who's talking. "

Skip's nostrils opened. "Hey-"

"Hey, yourself. Shut up and listen. You're an animal- and that animal's a pig. "

Skip moved forward. Haygood held him back, thick arms taut.

"Come on, big man," said Jacqui, jerking the club. "You going to attack me? A woman with a frypan ? That how you get your jollies? Or is peeing at women your only thing?"

Skip's chinless face paled and he struggled in Haygood's grip.

Haygood said something and Skip made the sound of a hungry kid refused supper.

" Big shot," said Jacqui. "Big shot with your bladder. Every time a woman goes on the beach you follow her and pee near her blanket. Like a dog marking. Very brave."

Skip lunged. Haygood restrained him, and some of the other men joined in holding him back.

"Easy, man," said one of them.

"Come on," said Jacqui, suddenly wresting the billy from Ignacio's grip and waving it along with the skillet. "Go at me, Skip. You like to get tough with women, right? Maybe you had something to do with Betty, tough guy."

Skip snarled and Haygood did something to his shoulder that made his face go limp.

"Like a dog," said Jacqui. "Following every new woman around, peeing- you think that's funny?"

She ran her eyes over the other men: "Any of you think that's funny? Peeing on the beach near a woman's blanket? Did it happen to any of your sisters? Or your mamas? 'Cause he did it to me when he first came over- remember that, Skip?"

Back to the others: "That your idea of brave, boys? Peeing on women and beating up on innocent men?"

Silence.

" Big tough macho-men. Gang up on a guest- what's his crime? Visiting? How do you think this island will ever get anywhere, you treat people like this?"

The men avoided her eyes.

Skip was rubbing his shoulder. Haygood turned him around and tried to move him away. Skip shoved Haygood's arm away but walked.

Jacqui stared at the Slim's crowd until it began to fall apart. Soon no one was left but the four youths who'd stalked me. The one named Ignacio stared at the billy in Jacqui's hand. She pointed the frypan at them.

"You should be ashamed of yourself. I have a good mind to tell your mothers."

One of the youths started to smirk.

"Think that's funny, Duane? I'll tell your mama first. "

"Go ahea-"

"Want me to? Really, Duane? First I'll tell her about what I saw on North Beach."

Duane's mouth slammed shut. The other boys stared at him.

"Yeah, so?" he said.

"Yeah, so." Jacqui tapped a firm thigh with the skillet. "You really want me to do that, Duane?"

"Whu-?" said one of the other boys, giggling. "Whud you do, Duane?"

"Nuthin'."

"Sure was nothing," said Jacqui, and Duane's nose twitched.

"Ah, fuck," he said. "Let's get the fuck out of here."

"Good idea," said Jacqui. "All of you- scoot."

They slunk away, the other boys surrounding Duane as he cursed them. When they were well past the center, Jacqui faced me.

"What did you think you were doing?"

"Walking home."

"It's not a good time to play tourist."

"I see that."

She inspected the billy, frowned, and put it in her pocket. "Walking all the way back to the castle?"

"My ride didn't come through."

She gave me a puzzled look.

I told her about Creedman.

"What'd you want with him ?"

"He invited me."

Her expression said I was a cretin.

"Come on, I'll get Dennis or a deputy to drive you."

"Dennis already offered," I said. "I turned him down, so I doubt he'll want to."

She scraped something off the bottom of the frypan. Hefted the utensil as if considering braining me.

"Men," she said. "Why does everything have to be a contest? Come on, we'll go ask him again. He'll do it. He's been raised on the Fifth Commandment."

Her fingers prodded the small of my back. Strong. Her skin was creamy and unlined, her body big and strong. She'd been eighteen when she'd given birth to Dennis, but even up close she could pass for his sister.

"Come on," she said, "I can't be here forever."

She walked very fast, swinging the pan in a semicircle, big breasts heaving, mouth slightly parted.

I said, "What did you see that boy Duane do on North Beach?"

She grinned.

"Never really saw him. Heard him." Chuckle. "Fooling around with his girlfriend."

"Is that unusual?"

"Not for North Beach. Kids go there all the time."

Avoiding South Beach because of the murder?

"So what was the big threat?" I pressed.

She laughed, high and girlish. It relaxed her face and made her seem even younger. Shifting closer to me, she said, "The big threat, Dr. Delaware, was that the boy was no good at it. His girlfriend was not very happy with him."

More laughter as her hip nudged mine. "You know, wham bam, thank you ma'am?"

"Ah," I said.

"Ah." She smiled, tightening the arc of the pan and scraping her flank. Her dress blew up, revealing brown leg. "Ah."

She went into the center first. I stuck my head in, saw Dennis huddled with Betty's family, and backed out quickly.

I waited next to the police car, keeping my eyes on the street. Quiet had settled over the waterfront. The rain clouds seemed to sag.

Deputy Ed Ruiz came out a few minutes later and said, "Let's go."

The ride to the estate was silent. He stopped in front of the big gates. "This far enough?"

"Thanks." I got out.

"When you leaving Aruk?"

"Soon as the boats come in."

He stuck his head out of the car. "Listen, I've got nothing against Dr. Bill. He helped my daughter out of a real bad situation a few years ago. Scraped herself on some coral, got this infection, we thought she'd lose the leg till he saved it."

His toothless mouth folded inward.

"I'll forward your regards," I said.

"But things change, you know? Not everyone's down on him. Some people know him better than others."

"The ones he's helped directly?"

"Yeah. But others, they don't know." He let the wheel spin back. "Ben did those girls and you know it."

"Let's say he did. What does Dr. Bill have to do with it?"

Silence.

"You think he's somehow involved?"

He didn't answer.

"But people are saying he is?"

"People talk."

"Maybe," I said, "someone wants Dr. Bill to leave, and this is a golden chance to get rid of him."

"Why?"

"Because he owns too much of the island."

"That's the point, " he said angrily. "He owns too damn much. Nothing much to go around and each year it's less. People get tired of wanting. Those that want, start thinking about those that got."