Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

captured David's profile in her sight. He was staring out at the water as if looking for an explanation for all the destruction they had witnessed. Her finger twitched on the button before she realized she wanted a picture of him just like that.
    Once they returned to Key Largo, they tracked down every person in a position of any authority they could find. Sea and air rescues were being organized for the lower islands. A considerable amount of friendly conversation earned David and Holly an offer of two seats in a television news helicopter the next morning. David swore helicopters didn't bother him the way jets did but Holly thought he still looked a bit squeamish as he accepted.
    By late afternoon they returned to the mainland and drove north until they got a strong enough signal to make a few calls and send the photos and videos they'd collected. Holly's report to Philip only took a few minutes, but David was still finalizing his article for his editor, so she made one more call.
    "Hi, Mom. Sorry I didn't phone first thing this morning, but I have a good reason. Guess where I'm calling you from."
    "Unless it's Pittsburgh International Airport, I don't care."
    Holly heard the hint of depression and instantly tensed. "What's wrong?" She heard her mother's sigh and realized it was the same sound she had been making a lot lately. "What's Pop done now?"
    "I always try to be understanding, you know that. But every time there's a crisis, he acts like he's the only person in this house that's upset by it."
    Holly knew her mother was referring to the deaths of her brother and sister. Although her mother had been devastated by the losses and suffered severe bouts of depression to this day, her father's anger had consumed all his thoughts, blinding him to his wife's needs. Holly deduced that she had now brought more trouble down on them with her confession rather than clearing the air. "I didn't tell you about what happened to get either of you upset—"
    "I know that, baby, but he's completely irrational when it comes to protecting what's his. Right now, it's like a fresh wound and all he can think about is finding a way to get even. I'm sure he'll get over it sooner or later, but it might help if you came home for a whole weekend soon."
    "I'll try, I promise." She told her mother where she was and what she had seen that day, but she had the feeling her words went unheard.
    "Problem?" David asked behind her.
    She forced a bright smile. "Nothing important. But this heat is killing me. It must be over a hundred degrees out here. And I'm starving. Remind me to pack a lunch tomorrow."
    "Yeah. You'd think Brigitte would have had the decency to leave at least one McDonald's standing."
    They headed back to the motorhome, only to find the interior more stifling than the outdoors. After turning on the a/c unit, they both opted for cold showers in the public facilities with the mosquitoes while the camper cooled down.
    Clean and somewhat more comfortable, they combined their culinary talents to boil some spaghetti and heat up some bottled sauce. When David opened a bottle of white wine, she accepted a glass without hesitation. It had been one hell of a day.
    Their conversation flowed more easily over dinner, as if they had known each other much longer than a few days. Holly was again amazed at the very different extremes David had to his personality and wondered if he saw her the same way. At least it appeared that her plan for them to become friends was moving along just fine. She decided right then that, as soon as she returned to Washington, she would forward the notes on Jerry Frampton to him.
    Recalling her idea of doing some investigating on her own, she now firmly discarded it. Not only did her staying with David make it difficult, her decision meant it was no longer necessary for her to attempt something she had no experience with.
    Without discussing it, she cleared the small table and started washing dishes. He automatically picked up a towel to dry.
    "So what do you think about accenting the environmental impact of the hurricane?" she asked.
    "I think it'll work. Of course, I have to verify some of the information you gave me."
    "Of all the nerve. Are you insinuating you can't take my word for it?"
    He started to stammer out an explanation he caught the glint in her eye. In a flash, he twirled the damp dishtowel into a weapon and delivered a sting to her backside. "That was for leading me to believe you had no sense of