Jack Beale 00 - Dangerous Shoals

was the same bartender that had been working the previous night and he recognized them at the same time they recognized him. “Still open?” asked Jack.
    “Sure. Come on in. I didn’t expect to see you two so soon again.”
    As Max took her seat at the bar, he asked, “Feeling better?”
    Max blushed slightly, remembering last night. “Yes, thanks for asking.”
    “Something to drink?”
    Jack spoke first. “A draft would be good.”
    “Sam?”
    “You remembered, yes, and menus, please.”
    The bartender looked toward Max and she said, “I’ll have the same.”
    Two menus followed by two drafts were placed in front of them.
    “You know,” said Jack, “I never really thanked you for helping us out last night.”
    “No problem.”
    “What’s your name?”
    “Stephen.”
    “I’m Jack and this is Max.”
    “Nice to meet both of you.”
    “Stephen, any chance we could have another room for the night?”
    “I’m sure there is. I’ll go check. Before I go, do you know what you would like?”
    Max said, “I’ll have a burger with fries and a salad, house dressing.”
    Jack had the same except for coleslaw instead of the salad.
    “Thanks,” Stephen said as he turned away. “I’ll get these going and then I’ll check on a room.”
    As soon as he left, Max turned to Jack, and in a low voice, asked, “Jack, are we going to be all right?”
    “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
    “That wasn’t the question … I asked about us.”
    “Yes. Yes, we will,” Jack said after a barely perceptible pause. But, somewhere deep in the back of his mind, he had doubts, not about them, but about what had happened to Daniel, and why.
    Stephen returned smiling, “Good news. A room is available, the same one you had last night, and your food is ready. I’ll be right back.”
    The burgers were perfect and the combined effect of the beers and full stomachs did wonders for their mood.
    Since the place was nearly empty, Stephen had time to chat. “Did you guys hear the news about the body someone found in the harbor?”
    As soon as he said that, Max and Jack both froze and stared at him. Jack recovered first and said, “We did.” He did not volunteer that the body had been caught in their propeller, or that the victim was actually someone they had planned to meet. Max reached over and squeezed Jack’s leg while continuing to stare at Stephen.
    Stephen didn’t seem to notice their reaction to his question as he had turned away to put some glasses back on the shelf behind the bar although he kept talking, “Absolutely shocking,” Then, he turned back and facing Max and Jack he added, “It was a really strange day around here too.”
    Something in his tone seemed to invite a question. Jack said, “Did something else happen today?”
    Stephen looked pleased that he had asked. “Well, compared to finding a dead body, it was nothing, really.”
    “No, tell us.” Jack pressed on. Hoping that maybe it would be a stupid customer story that they could all laugh at.
    “You know how sometimes you meet someone, and it just doesn’t feel right. Well, I had one of those guys in here today. Gave me the creeps.”
    “Really.” Now Stephen had Jack’s full attention, and Max turned her head.
    “Yeah, there was just something about him …” he paused as if looking for words.
    A chill washed over Jack and without thinking he asked, “What did he look like?”
    “He was tall, thin … wiry. But he had an air about him that just felt …” he paused again as if looking for the right word.
    “Evil?” Jack blurted out,
    Stephen looked at Jack, astonished, “Yes. Evil. How did you know?”
    “I didn’t,” said Jack trying to recover from his outburst.
    Max squeezed Jack’s leg harder and looking intently at Stephen asked, “When was he here?”
    “Early afternoon, I guess.”
    Max sucked in her breath and grabbed onto Jack’s arm, squeezing it hard.
    “Come to think of it, he was in here last night also. Sat back there in the corner, left just before you did.”
    “Jack …” Max exhaled.
    Abruptly, Jack said to the bartender, “I think we’ll go to the room now.”
    A pall fell over the nearly empty bar. “Sure,” Stephen said. He watched them slowly leave their seats and walk out of the bar. “I’ll transfer the check.” Then, softly under his breath, “What the hell?”

CHAPTER 48
    MORNING CAME ALL TOO SOON . Max and Jack had stayed up for what had seemed like most of the night,