Deep Waters

companions. "That reminds me. I'm supposed to thank the rest of you for coming to my rescue this morning." He saluted them with his beer mug. "So, thanks."
    "No problem," Yappy said.
    Ted nodded. "Forget it. If the situation was reversed, you'd have done the same."
    "Yeah, we've all got to stick together down there at the pier," Newlin said.
    "Which reminds me." Yappy glanced at his watch. "Council meeting's due to start in a few minutes. We'd better hustle our butts on down to town hall. Can't leave Charity, Radiance, and Bea to face that crowd of barracudas alone."
    "Right." Ted heaved himself to his feet. "You coming, Elias?"
    "Hadn't planned on it," Elias said.
    Newlin cleared his throat. "Charity says it's kind of important. Word is, there's gonna be a resolution to use public funds to buy the pier from you."
    "I'm not selling."
    Yappy looked at him. "Maybe you should go to the meeting tonight and make that real clear, Winters."
    Phyllis Dartmoor, dressed in a pearl gray suit styled with an aggressive pair of shoulder pads, stood at the center of the long table. She banged the gavel with her customary authority.
    "This meeting will now come to order," she announced.
    Charity listened to the hum of conversation fade around her. She was seated in the third row. Radiance and Bea sat next to her on the left. There was no sign yet of Yappy, Ted, or Newlin. She had kept one seat vacant beside her, but she was not really expecting Elias to put in an appearance.
    "The secretary will please read the minutes of the last meeting," Phyllis ordered.
    Liz Roberts, a large woman who had served on the council for longer than anyone could recall, rose at the end of the table. She began to read in a strong voice that carried clearly to the last row of seats in the small auditorium. Charity tuned her out. Everyone knew that reading the minutes was the high point of Liz's month.
    While the secretary droned on through the summary of the July council session, Charity ruminated on the subject that had been plaguing her all day. She was becoming more and more concerned about Elias.
    It was bad enough that Rick Swinton had apparently escaped justice. But what worried her the most was the confrontation between Elias and Justin Key-worth that morning. Elias had been in a strange mood when she had patched him up in the women's room. "Mayor Dartmoor emphasized that the Voyagers would be gone by the fifteenth of August and suggested that no more council time or public funds be wasted on efforts to force the group to leave—" Liz broke off as a soft buzz of speculation rippled through the crowd. She glowered at the audience above the rims of her reading glasses, but no one noticed. Everyone was too busy staring at the doorway of the council chamber.
    Charity felt the hair on the back of her neck stir. She turned her head and saw Yappy, Ted, and Newlin saunter into the room and take seats in the last row. Newlin gave her a cheerful wave across the heads of the onlookers.
    Then she saw Elias. He didn't join the other three men in the back of the room. Instead, he came toward her down the aisle between the seats. His eyes never left hers."The issue of the renaming of Crazy Otis Landing was brought up again," Liz read very loudly. "A committee was established to look into the matter. Gabe Saunders put forth the idea of purchasing the pier from the new owner, whoever that proved to be. The committee assigned to investigate renaming of the pier was told to check into the possibility of an outright purchase."
    Elias sank into the empty seat next to Charity and gave his full attention to the council session in progress.
    Charity did not like the grimness of his expression. She frowned and leaned over to whisper in his ear. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "You know me, enigmatic, mysterious, and unpredictable."
    "You're still in a lousy mood, aren't you?"
    "Yes."
    People were beginning to stare. Charity gave up in disgust and straightened in her seat.
    Liz Roberts concluded the reading of the minutes and sat down. Phyllis rose. She gave Elias an approving look.
    "I'm pleased to see that we have the new owner of Crazy Otis Landing here with us tonight," she said. There was a murmur of interest from the crowd. "Given the importance of the pier to the future of this town, I think we should proceed directly to the committee report. Gabe?"
    Gabe Saunders, a wiry little man who looked as if he should wear a green eyeshade and who was, in fact, a