Deep Waters

invisible ink."
    "Cool." The boy grabbed the paper sack that contained his new pen and the little vial and raced toward the door.
    He had to dash around Charity, who had obviously been watching the transaction. She waited until Elias's young customer had vanished, and then she walked toward the counter. Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
    "You look pleased with yourself," she said.
    Elias gazed thoughtfully at the empty doorway. "I think that kid is going to enjoy that pen."
    "I believe you're right. I told you, it's a calling."
    "What is?"
    "Running a shop like this. Not everyone is cut out for it. My sister or someone like Phyllis Dartmoor, for example, wouldn't be happy operating something this small. Give either of them Charms & Virtues and neither would rest until she had turned it into a coast-to-coast chain. I would have done the same thing, myself, until last summer."
    Elias smiled. "Maybe I would have, too."
    "Some people," Charity said deliberately, "have to keep pushing and expanding until they've got a universe to control. They don't know how to be content with just one small, complete world."
    Elias picked up a sack of bird feed and began to refill Otis's cup. "Is that a not very subtle way of asking me if I'm going to be able to settle down here in a small place like Whispering Waters Cove and find satisfaction with a shop such as Charms & Virtues?"
    Charity frowned. "I thought I was being extremely subtle."
    "If that's your idea of subtlety, you've forgotten everything you must have once known about the subject."
    "Dang. Are you sure it wasn't subtle?"
    "Afraid not." Elias refolded the bag and stashed it under the perch.
    "Well, shoot. I guess this means I'm not going to be able to do my civic duty and sacrifice myself for the good of Whispering Waters Cove, after all."
    Elias paused. "What sort of duty and sacrifice did you have in mind?"
    "It was recently suggested to me by Her Honor, the Mayor, that I use my amazing powers of seduction to persuade you to tell me the nature of your secret plans. I have been instructed to use my womanly wiles to find out exactly what you're up to here in Whispering Waters Cove."
    "In the words of my last customer: cool."
    "Naturally, my first thought was of Ingrid Bergman in Notorious."
    "Sounds like we're on the same wavelength here."
    She frowned. "Things were going great until you said I lacked subtlety. What good is an unsubtle spy?"
    "Maybe you just need a little experience," Elias said. "I might be willing to let you practice on me."
    "Really?"
    The phone rang in the small office. Elias held up a hand. "Hold that thought. I'll be right back."
    "Yeah, sure. That's what they all say. Sorry, I can't hang around. Got to go close up for the day." Charity started to turn away. "Six-thirty Monday night okay for dinner?"
    "I'll bring the wine this time."
    "See you." She waved as she hurried out through the front door.
    Elias grinned as he scooped up the phone. He had never had much inclination to play the flirtation game in the past, but he thought he might be able to get into the spirit of the thing with Charity.
    "Charms & Virtues. Winters here."
    "Elias? This is Craig. Got a minute?"
    "Sure." Elias leaned out of the doorway of his office and watched Charity stride past the shop window. Her long yellow cotton dress flitted with the breeze, revealing the sweet hollows at the back of her knees. "Get anything on Gwen Pitt?"
    "As a matter of fact, I did. She's been a busy woman during the past year."
    "Doing what?"
    "What she does best, apparently. Buying and selling Northwest real estate. The interesting part is that she's been doing it very quietly in the name of a company called Voyager Properties."
    "Using money she took from her Voyagers, I assume?"
    "Probably. But there's nothing illegal about her firm as far as we can tell. She's the president. Only one employee on the payroll."
    "Let me guess. Rick Swinton?"
    "Actually, his full name is Richard Swinton. Sounds like you've made his acquaintance."
    "He paid me a visit last night. Uninvited."
    "I see," Craig said. "Want me to dig deeper into his background?"
    "I'll probably ask for more information after I repay Swinton's visit."
    "Sounds like the two of you are getting friendly."
    "You know how it is in a small town. Everyone tries to be neighborly."
    "Better pay your return visit before this Swinton character leaves on a spaceship," Craig said.
    "I'll do that."
    "By the way, I have some unrelated news that may be of