Free Just Needs Killin by Jinx Schwartz Page A

equipment and engines on Raymond Johnson .
    Computer still here, thank God.
    That last notation in the GOOD column sent me to my open laptop, which sprang to life when I jiggled the mouse. If I sent an email to Jan, how would they know? I had to warn her, and also get her to call my mother and tell her some story to keep her from coming down for Lillian. The last thing I wanted was for Mom to get snatched, as well.
    I was about to chance an email to Jan when I noticed my webcam port was open. I always close the little slider to block it when I finish talking on Skype, mainly because I didn't want Jenks calling and catching me looking natural.
    Was someone watching me on my own webcam? Paranoia runs right thick in these veins, and when I see one of those computer hacker warnings on Facebook, I read them. I mean, if it's on Facebook, it must be true, right?
    I remembered the alert said you could be hacked if you inadvertently clicked on a shortened URL on Twitter or the like. Had I done that? Nah. But someone was on my boat, and who knows what they did. If they were using my own webcam to keep tabs on me, how could I find out, and then use it to my advantage? If I closed the port, they might figure I was on to them, and besides, me knowing they were watching gave me an edge.
    I decided to leave the port open, and assume it was their way of keeping tabs on me. Let them think I'm fat, dumb, and scared, instead of fat, on to them, and royally pissed off.
    The Sturm und Drang of the day—hell, several days—finally took their toll, and exhaustion washed through me like a shot of moonshine. I made it to the settee, just out of webcam range, fell onto it, and the next thing I knew, the VHF crackled to life and woke me with a start. Even with the blinds closed I could tell it was daylight out, and my ship's clock confirmed it was eight in the morning.
    The call came again. " Raymond Johnson , Raymond Johnson , Watchfire ." I considered not answering Denny's call, then decided this was a stellar chance, if someone was watching and listening to me on my own webcam, to let them think I was playing by their rules. Well, actually, I was, but I'd most certainly do something really nasty to them later.
    "Denny, RJ here, switch Zero Five." I like channel five because most boaters don't have it pre-programmed in their radios and they have to take the time to change manually. No use in everyone easily knowing my business.
    "So, Hetta, I saw Robert. Any news from your Aunt Lillian yet?"
    "Nope. My guess is she hitched a ride out of town, unless she found a spare broom."
    "Ha! Maybe, but I still think you might want the local cops to be on the alert. You know, just in case."
    "No! Uh, I mean, uh, not yet, okay? She's only been missing for one day, and I'm sure if she got picked up I'd hear from my new best friends with the siren and flashing lights."
    "Yeah, I guess. Oh, well, let me know if I can help. You gonna come ashore and take Po Thang for his walk?"
    "Ummm, not today. I'm dead on my feet. Not enough sleep."
    "Okay. If you change your mind, stop by. Or if you like, I'll bring you out that stack of books I've read, and you can pay me with coffee."
    "Can I take a rain check? I think I'll crawl back in bed, and besides I already have a whole TBR list on my Kindle. Thanks, anyway."
    We signed off. It was true that I had a backlist of To Be Reads loaded into my Kindle, but I wondered how long I could put him off before he got suspicious that something wasn't right in my end of the harbor.
    I reached for my Kindle, not that I could concentrate on a novel, but my conversation with Denny triggered a memory. Something I knew about, I guess, but never utilized. My old Kindle, which I meant to replace soon, was not only loaded with books, it had email capabilities. Yee haw.

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
     
    So, now I had a way to send an email, sort of.
    I had never used the keyboard on this Kindle, and had no idea how. Normally I'd go online and read the how,