Deep Waters

upgrading Crazy Otis Landing. If he's brokering a deal for off-shore investors, which is what Leighton Pitt implies, we need to know that."
    Charity stared at her in growing amazement. "You want me to spy for you."
    Phyllis scowled, then turned red beneath her makeup. "You're overdramatizing this, Charity. We're just asking you to do your civic duty."
    "Hmm. Did you ever see an old Hitchcock film called Notorious? Forties' spy thriller with Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman? Ingrid has to seduce and marry the bad guy in order to keep tabs on him. Everyone tells her it's her duty."
    Phyllis's eyes narrowed. "I fail to see the relevance."
    "I guess you're right. I really don't look much like Ingrid Bergman, do I?" She broke off when she realized that Newlin was standing in the doorway behind Phyllis.
    Newlin hesitated, latte cup in hand. "Want me to wait outside, Charity?"
    "It's okay, Newlin." Charity smiled at him. "The mayor and I have finished our little chat."
    Phyllis frowned at Newlin. Then she turned back to Charity. "Think about what I said. This is important to all of us. The future of this town may very well depend on what you decide to do."
    "Just this town? Gee, I dunno, Phyllis. Anything less than the fate of the free world seems like a waste of my talents."
    "You're being extremely shortsighted." Phyllis whirled and strode out of the shop without another word.
    Newlin wandered back behind the counter. "Some-thin' wrong?"
    "Nothing more than usual. The mayor is concerned about the pier."
    "She ought to spend more time worryin' about having Hank Tybern arrest Gwendolyn Pitt."
    "Gwendolyn Pitt isn't doing anything illegal," Charity pointed out gently.
    "Well, it oughta be illegal." Newlin gulped down half of the iced latte. "The mayor sure worked hard enough to get rid of those Voyagers when they first moved into town. Remember how at the beginning of July she was always sendin' Tybern out to hassle 'em about health and safety violations?"
    "I remember."
    "Then she just backed off for some reason."
    "Very wise of her. Phyllis came to the obvious conclusion that there wasn't much she could do except wait it out. With any luck, the Voyagers will disband after the spaceships fail to show."
    "Maybe." Newlin's jaw tensed. "Maybe not. Folks can be real weird about stuff like that. Gwendolyn Pitt has a lot to answer for, if you ask me. Someone oughta do something about her. It ain't right. It just ain't right."
    Shortly before four o'clock, Elias hung up the new feather duster Charity had given him and looked at Crazy Otis.
    "I've had it with the housecleaning. I still say Charity's wrong. A little dust makes the place more interesting."
    Otis mumbled a response.
    "There isn't a customer in sight. I think we've had our rush for the day." Elias moved closer to the perch. "Want to go see how Yappy's doing on those repairs to the carousel?"
    Otis bobbed his head and stepped onto Elias's shoulder with regal dignity.
    Elias strolled out of the shop, turned right, and headed toward the far end of the pier. He was feeling good today. The ebullient sense of anticipation that had descended on him last night still held in spite of the fact that he had been right about Rick Swinton.
    Swinton had, indeed, paid a visit to the small back office of Charms & Virtues after making his late-night visit to the cottage. But other than scattering the contents of the trash can, which Swinton had apparently tripped over at some point, no damage had been done. Elias wondered what his midnight visitor had made of the mundane collection of invoices, catalogs, order forms, and sales receipts that filled the small file cabinet.
    Elias made a note to call Craig Thorgood and have him look into Swinton's background, as well as Gwendolyn Pitt's.
    The pier had been busy earlier in the day, but things had tapered off after four. Elias saw Newlin working at the counter of Whispers when he went past the shop. Newlin looked grim, as usual. There was no sign of Charity.
    Elias strolled past the three unrented shops and paused. It would be a good idea to get tenants into the empty spaces, he thought. He'd have to see about the matter.
    "How's it hangin', Winters?" Ted waved from the doorway of Ted's Instant Philosophy T-Shirts. He had a new paperback mystery novel in one hand. A bookmark bearing the Whispers logo stuck out from between the pages.
    As usual, Ted wore one of his own products. The T-shirt, which did not quite cover his belly, bore the advice,