21. Chapter 21 – Rae
I figured I’d made a mistake as soon as I saw Gran’s RUN IF YOU THINK I’M SEXY sign. The kids might not be ready for Gran’s take on cheering on the runners.
One of her friends on Pear Point let us park at their house so we’d be close to the finish line. The annual half marathon brought a range of runners to the island, but plenty of locals participated. Lee and Zach had made it an annual tradition.
Gran smirked when she caught my gaze on her posterboard. “Don’t worry, dear. I made you one too.” She slipped another posterboard from her stack. “This one’s just for Zach.”
It read FINISH ME.
Traces of heat crept from my neck up to my cheeks. I’d gone much tamer with the signs the kids and I made. Not that this was the worst Gran could do. She probably considered hers subtle.
“Nice,” I murmured, glancing desperately at Violet, who smirked next to her grandmother. “What kind of sign did you make for Violet?”
“Oh, she’s got one for Lee. Show it to her, Vi.”
Reluctantly, Vi held up her sign. It read: CLUELESS MEN FINISH LAST .
Gran cackled. “Get it? Because he’s a mystery writer? He has all the clues.”
“Sure…” I drew the word out, arching my brows. Violet grimaced. That was one potential meaning. My money was on Vi “forgetting” that sign and using one of the others I’d brought.
“Can we go down on the beach?” Tae asked, glancing eagerly toward the other side of the house. Our host’s property had a private beach on one side and fronted the road on the other. I glanced at Gran.
“Dana and Bianca won’t mind. They’re off-island this weekend.”
“No going in the water,” I cautioned.
Tae and Hanna scampered off to explore. On this end of the island, the shore was protected, the sea calm.
Gran, Vi, and I set up lawn chairs near the road.
Zach had left the house early, heading for the race’s starting line.
I carted out the cooler I’d packed with drinks and snacks and called the kids to the front.
We tucked our signs behind our chairs and settled in to enjoy the gorgeous summer day.
The scents of salt and brine carried on a light breeze.
The sun beat down as the occasional big fluffy cloud passed overhead.
We clapped for the first runner, a wiry man in his fifties.
He cruised past us, focused on the road ahead.
A few minutes later, a mix of racers trickled by, all sinewy muscle and controlled breathing.
A few nodded and smiled at our signs. A handful chuckled at Gran’s RUN IF YOU THINK I’M SEXY gambit.
Gran kept calling, “Thank you! Thank you for the compliment,” after each one, which made the kids crack up.
Gran swapped signs for the next set of runners. I CHECKED. YOUR EX ISN’T CHASING YOU.
Every few minutes, she changed signs, adding THIS IS TOO FAR TO RUN FOR A BANANA, I RUN TOO! OUT OF PATIENCE, MONEY, they’re clearly after something in the house. Maybe if we search, find whatever it is, we can turn it over to the sheriff and be done with the whole damn thing.”
“Why would we give it to law enforcement?”
I patted his chin. “Fenwick, you’re so loyal.
I think you’ve been covering for Gran too long.
I can only assume that Jordan was up to some shady shit before he died.
I don’t want to think ill of him, but he was pretty flush for a guy running a whale-watching operation. I’m guessing he had a side gig.”
Zach arched a brow. “Like what? Smuggling?”
“Honestly? Yes. He had the perfect cover. A fast boat and a reason to be on the water all over the area. ”
Zach frowned. “If that’s the case, I doubt he was operating alone. Brandon Chen was his partner, right?”
I stilled. I’d mentioned the cameras when I ran into Brandon. Idiot. Not that I wanted to suspect my cousin’s business partner, but he was the most logical choice. And the one I’d told about the extra security. I dropped my forehead to Zach’s shoulder, groaning.
“I may have told Brandon about the new cameras.”
Zach rubbed my back in slow circles. “It might not be him.”
“Now I’m the one being na?ve. It’s probably Brandon. But what does he want?”
“I don’t know, Captain. But let’s take advantage of this time before the kids come home and conduct our own search.”