Summer in Eclipse Bay

all the more irritating. She had known what she was getting into when she made the decision to take some chances with Hardhearted Harte.
    •
    It occurred to her that, in addition to feeling pissed off, she also felt strong and decisive this morning. Energetic. Bold. Powerful. Gutsy.
    She stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, struck by that realization.
    Everything seemed sharper and clearer today. She was intensely aware of the bright sun and the glare of the light on the bay. She was eager to open the gallery and frame the rest of the children's pictures.
    Yes, she was mad as hell at Nick Harte, but even the anger felt good-cleansing in some weird way that she could not explain.
    She was almost at the door of the gallery when she belatedly remembered Nick's flashlight. She had left it in the backseat.
    With a groan, she turned around and went back to the parking lot to retrieve it. This time she made herself close the car door very gently.
    Doing the mature thing.
    The power had not failed in the heart of Eclipse Bay, she noticed. The lights inside the gallery worked when she flipped the switch and the security system was still functional. She punched in the code to disarm it and went around the counter to open the door of the back room.
    The instant she stepped inside she knew that something was wrong.
    It took her a couple of seconds to focus on what it was that seemed different. Then it hit her.
    The Upsall was gone.

    * * * * *

    He could not figure out where things had gone wrong last night.
    He was still brooding over the disastrous ending to what had been a great evening when he pulled into the slot next to Octavia's little white compact the next morning and turned off the engine.
    "Hey, look," Carson said excitedly from the backseat. "A police car."
    Nick turned his head and frowned when he saw the familiar logo of Eclipse Bay's tiny police department emblazoned on the door of an SUV parked at the curb. "That's Chief Valentine's vehicle. Probably had some problems with the security systems in the shops because of the storm."
    "Here comes A.Z.," Carson added.
    Nick got out of the BMW and watched Arizona park her pickup while Carson scrambled out of the rear seat. When she climbed from the truck and started toward them, he raised a hand in greeting.
    "'Morning, A.Z.," Nick said.
    Carson waved. "Hi, A.Z."
    "'Morning, you two." Beneath the rakish tilt of her military beret, Arizona's expression was that of a battlefield commander readying herself for action. "Expect you already heard we got us some trouble here."
    "Problems with the storm last night?" Nick asked.
    "Reckon you could say that. Just got a call from Octavia. Looks like the gang up at the institute used the storm as cover to hit us last night."
    "Come again?"
    Arizona angled her head toward Sean's vehicle. "I see Valentine is on the job, but I doubt that he'll be able to accomplish much. The institute has him and every other official here in town completely bamboozled."
    Another car pulled into the lot. Virgil Nash got out and started toward them.
    "Good morning, Nick. Carson." Virgil looked at Arizona. "Is Photon here yet?"
    "Told him to stay at the bakery, and watch things there. The action here last night might be a calculated attempt to draw our attention away from Project Log Book so that they can get at the computer."
    Out of long habit, Nick automatically sorted through Arizona's customary conspiracy spin on the situation to get to the single grain of truth at the center.
    "What action?" he said abruptly. "Did something happen here last night?"
    Arizona angled her chin. "The institute crowd broke into the gallery and snatched our Upsall."
    Nick glanced at Virgil for clarification.
    Virgil did not look particularly reassuring. "I got a call, too. That's why I'm here. Looks like the Upsall's gone."
    "Octavia."
Nick grabbed Carson's hand and started toward the shop.
    "What's wrong, Dad?"
    "Don't worry," Virgil called after them. "Octavia's fine. The painting was gone when she arrived this morning."
    Nick paid no attention. He kept going toward the shop, moving so swiftly that Carson had to run to keep up with him.
    "Is Octavia okay, Dad?" Carson asked anxiously.
    They reached the open door of Bright Visions at that moment. Nick halted at the sight of Octavia inside. The first thing he noticed was that she wasn't wearing one of her usual icy-pale fairy queen dresses today. Instead she was dressed in a short jumper in a bright shade of purple.