Chapter 18
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Rose’s Bar—Pelican, AK
Fishermen packed Rose’s Bar, and a large group gathered on the boardwalk outside. The usual atmosphere of debauchery had given way to more of an Alaskan version of an Irish pub wake, and Anya was careful not to drink too much. She needed to maintain her composure. No slip-ups to cause suspicion.
Everyone was pretending. The fishermen were pretending they were grieving, but they had practically come to blows about who might get to take over Lady Melinda’s prime boat harbor slip.
Anya could see severe disappointment when she told them one by one that she had no intention of selling Lady Melinda, and that she planned to keep fishing her.
Anya moved through the crowd, letting friends engage her one at a time.
Ben, one of the first captains she’d met in Pelican, touched her arm. “Sad loss, honey. He was one of the best fish-finders in the fleet.”
Anya faced him. “Thanks, Ben. I still can’t really believe he’s gone. I’m gonna just keep going with the boat. It’s what he would have wanted.”
Lind, a fisherman who’d helped out on Lady Melinda a time or two, approached Anya cautiously, hands behind his back. “Who you gonna get to fish her with you? Or is it too soon to ask?”
Probably champing at the bit…
Anya tried to force an appreciative smile. “It’s okay. Haven’t given that any thought just yet. Don’t even know where to start getting his affairs in order. Honestly, I don’t know much about his affairs.”
Damn sure knew about a couple of them, cheating bastard…
Lind looked around the room. “Let me know if you need any help. Lewis knows a lawyer in Sitka.”
The jukebox blared.
Someone handed Anya a bottle of beer. The cold condensation drizzled past her wrist, down her forearm, and dripped off her elbow.
She looked around for a napkin. A hand lightly gripped her shoulder from behind.
Caroline was wearing a bright floral-print dress with giant purple irises.
“So sorry, Anastasia baby. We’re all gonna miss him. ”
Speaking of his affairs…
Anya moved the beer to her other hand, took Caroline’s arm with the wet one, and stepped forward toward the petite woman.
“I know you will, honey. He was always very fond of you.” She released her grip and let her damp forearm drag across the front of Caroline’s dress.
One of the irises darkened with the moisture.
Lewis provided an excuse for her to break off.
“Anya—so sorry for your loss. Lind said you wanted to know about my lawyer in Sitka? He’s the only one in town, but I’m sure he would take good care of you.
You planning to sell that fishing cabin?
I know a bunch of guys around here who would offer a pretty penny for it. ”
“Thanks, Lewis. I think I’m gonna hold on to it for now. I plan to keep fishing, and it’s nice to have that place to stay. Let me know if you think of anybody who would like to crew for me, though.”
Lewis stepped back and nodded his head. “Wow, you’re quite a lady indeed. He was a lucky man to have a woman like you.”
A waitress dropped an entire tray of drinks as she pulled it from the bar. Anya excused herself and went over to help clean up.
The party was getting drunker and drunker, and Anya was getting tired.
She tried to think of a way to make a graceful escape.
She walked casually down the hallway toward the bathroom, then slipped out the rear exit, pouring her full beer into the weeds and wildflowers.
She could still hear the jukebox rocking the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil” inside the bar.
Anya took the back path around the neighboring house and out to the main boardwalk. She walked toward home quickly, hoping none of the rowdy crowd outside Rose’s would notice her.
She climbed her front steps. More flowers had been set on the porch.
Irises in a purple vase. Pretty sure the only garden in town with irises was in front of Caroline’s place.
She wanted to kick them over, but carefully moved them aside instead, putting them in the back behind an arrangement that was mostly fern leaves and baby’s breath.
Once inside, she felt energized and got straight to work.
Time for a change.