Deep Waters

might drop into Charms & Virtues, too. My nephew has a birthday coming up next week. He and his friends love the sort of things Winters carries in his shop."
    It seemed to take forever until Irene, who moved in slow motion for fear of marring her freshly done nails, finally exited. But eventually she pushed through the beaded curtain and disappeared.
    "What was it you wanted, Charity?" Radiance asked as she straightened her work surface with brisk professionalism.
    Charity reached into the pocket of her skirt and pulled out the twist of paper in which she had stored the clue she had found. "This is going to sound a little wild, but I want to know if you can identify the color of the polish on this chipped nail."
    Radiance gave her a quizzical look. "The color?"
    "I really like it." That sounded lame. Charity decided she'd better jazz it up. "I came across it when I was cleaning up the shop the other day, and it occurred to me that if I ever do decide to get my nails done, this is a color I could go for. I assume that it's one of your special blends."
    "Let me see it." Radiance set a bottle of polish neatly into a long rack. Then she turned in her chair and held out her hand.
    Charity dumped the chip into Radiance's palm. The sliver of blood red acrylic glinted in the light of the work table lamp.
    "Hmm." Radiance examined it intently. "I wonder why she didn't come in to see me the instant she chipped it. She's usually so particular about her nails."
    Charity held her breath. "Who is so particular?"
    Radiance glanced up. "Jennifer Pitt, of course. This chip is painted with Crimson Jennifer. It's Mrs. Pitt's special color."
    "I see." Charity retrieved the chip. Her mind began to spin with the implications. She had to talk to Elias immediately. "Thanks, Radiance. She probably didn't come in because of all the stress she's under at the moment."
    "It must be terrible for her." Radiance sighed. "Just think of what that poor woman's been through lately. She hasn't been happy in her marriage for months, and now she finds out Leighton's killed two people."
    "We don't know for certain that Leighton killed anyone."
    "Hank Tybern would never have arrested him if he hadn't been sure. You know Hank. He's real cautious."
    "That's true."
    "It's obvious when you think about it. Leighton lost everything because of his ex-wife and Rick Swinton. He had the perfect motive. It's probably all been just too much for Jennifer. No wonder she's decided to leave town."
    Charity froze halfway to the beaded curtain. "Jennifer's leaving Whispering Waters Cove?"
    "That's what Irene just told me. She said she saw her packing her car this morning when she drove past the Pitt house. Who can blame Jennifer for wanting to get away from this place? The town never really accepted her, you know. Most people blamed her for the breakup of Leighton's first marriage. But if you ask me, Leighton was just as guilty as Jennifer. He didn't have to start fooling around with her, did he?"
    "No," Charity said. "He did not."
    It occurred to her as she pushed her way back through the beaded curtain that she would never have to worry about Elias sneaking around with another woman. There was a solid, unshakable core in him that she might sometimes find maddening but that she could count on until the end.
    It was a good feeling. Another part of the sturdy foundation on which she intended to build her future with Elias. A man who could be faithful could learn to love.
    But first she had to make certain he did not get hauled off to jail for the murder of Rick Swinton. Resolutely, she turned and strode off down the pier toward Charms & Virtues.

    Elias stood in the darkest corner of Charms & Virtues and contemplated a counter heaped high with plastic hamburgers, fake ice cubes with bugs imbedded inside, and magic relighting candles. There was something different about this section of the shop. He couldn't put his finger on it, but he knew that the mountain of wares he was studying had altered in some indefinable manner.
    He decided he needed the flashlight that he kept under the cash register counter. Maybe Charity was right after all about the poor illumination in the shop, especially this section here at the rear. Ambience was one thing, but when it got to the point where a customer had to strain to read the labels on the packages, the atmosphere thing was a little too thick. He'd have to see about getting some lamps for this counter.
    In the meantime, he wondered why it