Wood is a wonderful material. It’s almost magical in the number of things you can do with it when you have the proper tools.
—HAMMER GIRL BLOG
The town in twilight was almost mystical with lights glowing from the cafés and small businesses that were still open. The old-fashioned streetlights added a fairy-tale touch to the scene. But Grayson knew the town wasn’t as idyllic as it seemed. As he walked to Harvey’s Pier to meet Ellie for dinner, he found himself staring sharply at every person he passed. Were they hiding their true identity behind a smile?
Laughing patrons spilled out of Harvey’s Pier, and he eyed all the diners as he walked in the door. He spotted Ellie sitting at a small corner booth by herself. She stared into her plate like it was a foreign object, and he knew she was lost in thought.
He let his gaze linger on the way the overhead light glimmered on her burnished hair. She took off her glasses and put them beside her plate before picking up her fork and eating a bite of salad. She sure was pretty.
He veered around another group exiting the place and stepped into the restaurant. A country tune he didn’t recognize blared from the jukebox and mingled with the laughter from the patrons. There didn’t seem to be anyone watching her. He threaded through the tables to where Ellie sat.
“You got here a little early.” He dropped into the chair opposite her.
She reached for her glasses and stuck them on her nose. “I didn’t get a chance to ask you this morning if you talked to the FBI agent who might be able to tell you what was going on.”
Great. Telling her wouldn’t be easy. Maybe he should hold back some of it. He signaled to the server and ordered iced tea and a hamburger with fries. “Yeah, I got him last night.”
Her gaze sharpened. “What’d he say?”
“They believe a major terrorist attack is coming this weekend, something joint between North Korea and ISIS.”
Her glass stopped on its way to her lips, and she set it back on the table. “And what about Mac?”
How did he tell her that her sister had decided to be a confidential informant for the FBI? “This isn’t easy to hear, honey.”
“Tell me.”
So he did. Her eyes got bigger when she heard the FBI had helped Mac steal the cocaine so she could infiltrate the terrorist cell. “They killed her, didn’t they?”
“They think so, but her body still hasn’t been recovered.”
Tears filled her eyes. “What’s next?”
“I’m trying to find some clue that will lead us to who is behind this attack and stop it in time. The bad thing is we don’t even know where it’s hitting. Here? Seattle? Yakima? No one really knows.”
“Did you find out anything about the tall ship organizer, Gun Moon?”
“I looked him up. He escaped North Korea ten years ago and has lived here ever since. He became a citizen last year. Nothing points to anything wonky with him.”
She drummed her fingers on the table. “When I was tossing and turning last night, I realized that if Mac was going to hide some kind of evidence, it might be on the ship. She spent so much time there.”
“That’s a great idea. We can start searching tonight.”
He fell silent as the server brought their food, then he bit into his burger. The spicy jalapeños on his burger hit his tongue in a perfect combo with avocado and cheese. This place was good, but he couldn’t wait to get to the ship and do a thorough search.
The clock was ticking down to Sunday.
Ellie’s glasses steamed so badly she had trouble seeing. She paused and wiped them on her sweaty T-shirt. “It’s hot down here without a breeze. Mac said the generator couldn’t handle air-conditioning. It’s going to be hot sleeping down here tonight.”
Gray looked up from his knees in front of the storage space under a bench seat lining the wall of the salon. “I’ll be on deck standing guard anyway. You could take a mattress to the deck and sleep up there if it gets too hot.”
“Okay.” She averted her gaze from the magnificent sight of him in gym shorts and a tank top. “Find anything?”
He dropped the bench seat back into place. “Not yet. A few specks of sand.”
“There’s a storage area in a bench in the smallest room in the bow. I’ll check there.” Ducking her head as the ceiling dropped, she squeezed into the tiny room that held only a single cot on one wall and a bench on the other. She lifted the lid and found a file folder. “Found something,” she called as she carried it under a dim light and opened the cover.
Gray’s bare feet slapped on the wooden boards as he rushed to join her. “What is it?”
“Looks like it’s a manifest of all the tall ships in the upcoming event.”
“Let’s take it to the salon where the lighting is better.” He held the door open for her.
She squeezed past him, and they pulled out chairs at the wooden table under the light. She slid the folder over to him. “Let’s look at what countries are represented.”
Gray slid his chair over close enough that his arm brushed hers. “I’m glad you found this. I wanted to request it, but I knew I’d be found out immediately. I don’t like having my hands tied.”
She ran her finger down the list of ships and countries, then paused at one. “Wait a minute. The Elyssa Marie is listed as an American ship on the brochure the committee gave me. This says it’s Korean.”
He frowned and studied the details. “I’ll find out for sure.”
“How can you do that when you’re locked out? Your FBI friend?”
“Yep.” He pulled out his phone and placed a call.
She walked around while he spoke to Lance. Gray put his phone away. “He looked it up while I was on the phone with him. It’s Korean.”
“Why is it wrong on the brochure?”
“Could be a typo or something else.”
“I can find out.” Kristy Gillings was the committee chairperson, so she called her. “Hey, Kristy, sorry to bother you in the evening like this.”
“You’re never a bother. What’s up?”
“I was looking at the list of ships and countries represented in the flotilla this weekend. Is it accurate? I was wondering where you got the ships’ countries of origin.”
“Isaac got the list from Gun Moon, the guy in California who put this together for us. I typed it up myself. Is there a problem?”
Ellie forced a lilt to her voice. “I was just wondering what we were going to see. There are several countries represented: America, England, China, even Korea.”
“I don’t think we have any from Korea, though they have several they sometimes display. It should be a packed festival. Mac was brilliant to come up with this. There’s no word about her, is there? I’m sure I would have heard.”
“No word. Thanks, Kristy. See you this weekend.”
Ellie ended the call. “She contradicted me about Korea, so their information is wrong. It came from Gun Moon.”
“Even though he looks clean, I’ll ask Lance to take a closer look at him.” Gray sent off a text to his friend.
What did it all mean? “Mac mentioned the danger of bringing the ships here. Is there a way to stop it? Does the FBI know she tried to stop the ships from coming?”
“I’ll make sure Lance knows.” He sent another text, and his phone dinged almost immediately. “Lance says I’ll have more info by morning. Maybe we’re getting somewhere.”
He draped his arm around her, and she leaned into his strength. “Let’s go up top to cool off.”
His warm breath whispered across her neck and cheek. How did he make her feel so accepted for who she was?