Summer in Eclipse Bay

counter. Jeremy appeared from the back room. He looked at Nick with a veiled expression.
    "That would be me," Jeremy said.
    Gail came to stand beside him. "Isn't he terrific?" She was bubbling with enthusiasm. "I've already got a client in mind."
    Of course it would be Jeremy,
Nick thought. What the hell was the matter with him? How could he have forgotten Jeremy and his
considerable commercial talent.
If he'd been paying attention instead of concentrating on how to get someone inside the beauty shop, he would have put it all together instantly as soon as he saw the pictures. Now he was stuck with doing the polite, civilized thing in front of Octavia and Gail.
    "Congratulations," he said to Jeremy, keeping his voice absolutely level. "Nice work."
    "Be even nicer work if it pays," Jeremy said. His tone was just as level as Nick's. "But I'm not going to quit my day job anytime soon. I mean, what are the odds of actually being able to make a living by painting? A million to one, maybe?"
    "I'm sure Nick knows exactly how you feel," Octavia commented. "He must have had the same doubts when he put his first manuscript in the mail. Isn't that right, Nick?"
    She had him neatly cornered, he thought.
    "Sure," he said. "And every time I've put a manuscript in the mail since that first one. It always feels a lot like jumping off a cliff."
    Obviously it had been a mistake to tell her what lay beneath the surface of this little feud he and Jeremy had going. What was it with her, anyway? Why couldn't she let the two of them conduct their private war without outside interference?
    Jeremy looked serious. "The jumping-off-the-cliff thing never goes away?"
    Nick shrugged. "Not that I've noticed. My advice is to get used to it. It'll give you an edge." He switched his gaze to Gail. "How would you like to play undercover agent?"
    "Do I get to wear a trench coat?" Gail asked.
    "Not unless you want to get the collar wet in the shampoo bowl."
    Octavia hopped off her stool. "Carla's Custom Cut amp; Curl? You want Gail to see what she can pick up in the way of gossip in the beauty shop?"
    "Yeah. Betty Stiles says that's where she first heard the rumors."
    "You're really serious about this detective thing, aren't you?" Jeremy asked Nick.
    "No, I just needed something interesting to put down in my journal under the subject of what I did on my summer vacation," Nick retorted.
    "Okay, okay, I get the point," Jeremy muttered. "You're serious." He glanced at Octavia. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
    "You'll have to ask Nick," she said smoothly. "He's in charge of the investigation."
    Jeremy did not look happy with that, but he dutifully turned back to Nick. "Let me know. My roots in this town run as deep as your own. I might be able to save you some time."
    "That's very kind of you, Jeremy," Octavia said. "What do you say, Nick?"
    She was not going to let up, Nick thought. She wouldn't be satisfied until he bit the bullet and invited Jeremy out for a beer. Maybe the easiest way out of this mess was to make the offer in front of her. Jeremy would turn it down and then they would both be off the hook.
    He glanced at his watch and then at Jeremy. "It's nearly five. I want to talk to Gail about what I need her to do at the beauty shop tomorrow. Then I'm going to have dinner with Octavia." Out of the corner of his eye he saw her raise her brows at that news. But she kept silent as he expected.
    She knew where he was going with this and she wasn't about to put up any roadblocks. "I figured I'd hit the Total Eclipse later this evening to pick up the latest gossip. You want to join me? I'll buy you a beer and we can play a little pool, keep our ears open, and see what we come up with."
    Jeremy's jaw went rigid. But to Nick's astonishment he moved slightly. It was a single, robotic inclination of the head, but it was a definite nod of acceptance.
    "Why not?" Jeremy said.
    Damn. Now they were both trapped, Nick thought.
    Octavia looked quietly pleased. She gave him a warm smile of approval.
    An electrifying jolt of awareness shot through him. It was as if the floor of the gallery had opened up beneath his feet and he had plummeted into the abyss.
    Oh, shit. He had been asking the wrong question all along, he thought. He had been wondering why Octavia insisted on meddling with his life. The really important question here was why was he allowing her to do so?
    They ate at the Crab Trap, surrounded by tourists, summer people, and a sprinkling of