Redemption Key (A Dani Britton Thriller) (21 page)

“You ever get used to these gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, Randolph?” Bermingham climbed onto a barstool.

“I never take one for granted, if that’s what you’re asking.”

The Canadian grinned. At least his mouth did. His eyes did something hard that made Oren’s stomach clench. “That’s probably a good way to live. Never assume there’s going to be another one,
eh?” Then the frat boy face came fully back online. “I could get used to living like this. I could call this place home.”

“Let me get you a beer.” Oren bent down into the cooler, keeping the end of that sentence to himself.
And shove it up your Canadian ass.

12:40pm, 104° F

Dani came up the front steps by the bait shop to the kitchen door. She figured Bermingham would be on the premises somewhere and hoped she’d get a chance to see Mr. Randolph first.

Rolly wolf-whistled and Dani gave him a little bow. Choo-Choo suggested she wear something appropriately skimpy to keep Bermingham happy. The closest thing she had was a black cotton slip dress. The spaghetti straps showed off her shoulder scars but Choo-Choo assured her that the way the fabric clung to her ass, nobody would be looking at her shoulders. She remembered why she rarely wore the dress.

Mr. Randolph’s voice made her jump. “Don’t you look like a party waiting to happen?”

She hoped her tan hid most of her blush. And she really wished she’d worn a bra. Standing in the middle of Jinky’s kitchen, Dani suddenly felt obvious.

“Mr. Randolph.” She stepped closer, half expecting him to step away. She didn’t think Rolly would care about their conversation—and there really were no secrets in Jinky’s—but this felt like a confession. “I didn’t know who he was. Bermingham. I really didn’t. I wouldn’t . . .”

Mr. Randolph nodded, staring over her head out the door, not really looking at anything, it seemed. Just not looking at her. “Okay, Dani. It happens. But now you know who he is. You know what he is.” He finally looked at her, over her clothes with a look that made her want to grab a towel. “You do what you need to do. Maybe this
will work out for all of us. Maybe you’ll keep him happy enough that he won’t shoot any of us through the head.”

He started to pat her on the shoulder the way he always did but caught himself, cutting the gesture off early and moving past her to the door. Dani could see Rolly listening in, pointedly keeping his face down over the cutting board. So much for being discreet.

“I know you have plans tonight.” Mr. Randolph paused with the screen door open. “But I need you to get some rooms ready. Mr. Bermingham is going to be our guest until his business is finished and, surprises of surprises, we actually have a paying customer coming in tonight. See if you can find the time to get a room ready, all right? Oh, and get Bermingham another beer.”

He didn’t wait for her answer.

12:40pm, 104° F

Booker turned off the highway at the Walgreens. Marlene at the rental car desk in the airport at Key West couldn’t have been nicer, drawing him a little map on the back of the rental contract. She and her husband, Mitch, used to fish at Jinky’s, and she assured him that after the craziness of Key West, Redemption would feel like heaven. She recommended getting pizza at someplace called No Name Pub and advised him to keep a sharp eye out for Key deer.

“For an endangered species,” she’d whispered, “they are everywhere!”

Booker had listened and laughed, following her directions as she scribbled them. He smiled and nodded but he wasn’t really hearing her. His mind pulled him elsewhere. He wanted off this island. He didn’t like islands.

He didn’t mind the heat; he thought the houses and boats beautiful in their way. Traffic moved smoothly but Tom Booker had never
been able to relax anywhere that had only one way out. One road moved everyone into and out of the Keys. He could in theory take a boat, but he didn’t exactly have one handy. He had a rental car and only one road to drive it on.

When he drove through Big Pine, he realized he was heading to an island that didn’t even have a through road. Redemption Key was a dead end.

Booker pulled the little car under a sign for something called the
LADY OF SPAIN PARTY PONTOON
. A half-dozen cars were parked across the pitted lot. Nobody would notice one more.

Marlene had told him it was less than a mile from here to the bridge onto Redemption. Less than a mile wasn’t too far to walk, especially if it meant having an unblockable exit.

He turned the car around so it faced out of the lot toward the road, calculating the best angle for a quick departure if needed. He dropped his keys into the pocket behind the passenger’s seat and saw his bags.

He couldn’t check into a hotel—or fishing camp, whatever that was—without luggage. The bag didn’t weigh anything. Carrying it was no problem, and there was nothing in it to identify him if he had to leave it behind. But he didn’t know what to do with the yarn bag. He’d finished the afghan on the flight. The afghan he’d made for Dani.

What had he been thinking?

For one thing, it was hot, almost one hundred degrees. Who needed an afghan in this weather? For another thing, he’d been hired to kill Dani before, and she’d gotten away, damn near killing him in the process. Was a gift appropriate?

He wasn’t sure how he felt about any of this.

He could always come back and get it if things worked out.

That decided, Booker climbed from the car, oblivious to the heat that hammered down on him. He reached into the backseat, tucking the yarn bag down into the floor well and pulling his suitcase out.
He almost locked the door, catching it just before it shut. He laughed at his absentmindedness. He needed to get his act together.

He needed to remember where he left the car, to pay attention to how many steps and in what direction he’d need to make it back to this spot. No streetlights, he noted. It would be pitch-black at night, he’d bet.

And he needed to find a bait shop or hardware store. Booker felt naked without his knives.

12:50pm, 104° F

Dani brought Bermingham another Corona.

He shook his head and winked at her as he took the bottle. “You’ve really got to get better taste in beer. This is like water.”

“It’s a good beer in the heat.”

Bermingham’s face brightened at that. “Really? Never thought of that. Maybe I should work on getting a taste for it since it looks like I might be doing a little more business down here. Speaking of which, your boss is picking up the tab for my room. That’s really generous of him.”

“Mr. Randolph is a very generous man.”

“I’m looking forward to doing business with him.” Dani noticed that Bermingham had yet to look anywhere but her face, his gaze never checking out her body in the slight dress. She didn’t quite know what to make of that.

“Where’s your buddy?”

“Ned? He’s making some last-minute arrangements. This deal is taking longer than it should.” Bermingham didn’t look angry. He looked distracted, glancing at his phone.

She hopped up on the bar and swung her legs over the front, beside him. She wanted it to look flirtatious. She wanted a peek at his phone. “Is your room okay?”

“Yeah, it’s good.” He didn’t look up. “Hot though. This fucking heat.”

“You get used to it.” He made a sound of doubt. “Waiting for a call?”

“Picture from the Wheelers of the product.” He chewed on the inside of his mouth, ignoring her as she swung her feet near his side. When his phone beeped, he leaned back, keeping her from seeing it, and stared at the screen for several seconds, his expression dark.

“Bad news? Did it melt or something?”

“What? No.” He closed the picture and looked at her closely. “Melting isn’t really the thing we’ve got to worry about.”

“Oh.” She shrugged, knowing he was searching her face for something. She hopped off the bar and turned away from him. “Well, I have to go set up the other room. I guess I’ll—”

Bermingham was up and on her before she could finish, his hand gripping her arm tightly enough to get her on her toes and just shy enough of bruising.

“What other room?”

Dani didn’t have to feign fear. Tucker Bermingham had over a foot on her and his hand span covered most of her upper arm. Even bent down into her face the way he was, she had to struggle to stay on tiptoe to keep her shoulder from being wrenched.