Free Just Before Sunrise by Carla Neggers Page B

reason to doubt Annie Payne's story. But he saw no reason, at this point, to inform Ethan or the Linwoods of what he knew and suspected. "Sorry, I can't help you. If and when I can, I'll let you know."
    Ethan's dark eyes narrowed on him. "You're pursuing this thing?"
    Garvin tucked a toe between cracks in the weather-grayed boards of the dock and peered back at his friend. "I don't know yet. I'll put in a full day's work here, then decide."
    Ethan grinned irreverently, handsomely. "Never thought I'd see Garvin MacCrae gassing up boats for a living. Well, it's not like you'll starve."
    That was true. Although he had refused to take one penny of Linwood money when his wife had died, Garvin had made enough money from his previous work to keep him going for as long as he needed.
    "Take care, Ethan," he said.
    "Yeah, I'll keep you posted on any developments. We should go out on the water sometime."
    Garvin smiled. "We should."
    But he suspected they both knew it wouldn't happen. They hadn't been sailing together in five years, since a merchant marine named Vic Denardo had wormed his way into their trust and betrayed it in the worst manner possible.
    After Ethan had left, Michael Yuma joined Garvin out on the dock. He was about five seven, all sinewy muscle and black eyes and black hair, a smart, driven mix of Chinese, Mexican, Irish, and probably a few other things. Garvin had taught him to sail in a program for troubled inner-city kids and agreed to take him on at his marina. True to his word, Yuma was a twenty-four-year-old workhorse.
    "Hey, MacCrae, you look like you're ready to pitch someone into the drink. Maybe I shouldn't stand too close, huh?" Yuma laughed. He had on jeans, a ratty gray sweatshirt and boat shoes he'd adopted after a year in lost-and-found, a contrast to the very correct gear of most of the marina's clients. "I remember the first time you dunked me. I thought I was seal meat for sure. Water was so cold—man, I'd rather jump into a tub of ice cubes."
    He could have used more colorful language. Michael Yuma knew every raunchy metaphor and crude word there was. But in cleaning himself up, he'd cleaned up his language. Garvin had never met anyone with more grit and determination.
    He thought of Annie Payne, wondered at what measure of grit and determination had brought her across the country.
    Garvin clamped his jaw shut. "Hell."
    His young partner was still grinning. "Woman trouble, Mac-Crae?"
    "Yuma—"
    "I read about the auction in the paper. I know you don't like to show it now that you're mellowing out under my supervision, but, man, you do hate to lose. You check out this lady who beat you?"
    Garvin's gaze fell on him. "Don't you have any work to do?"
    He flashed a cheeky smile. "Lots. So do you."
    "Then let's get to it."
    "Yep, I'm right," Yuma muttered as they started up to the supply store, where there'd be coffee, sailing talk, work. "Woman trouble."
    Annie felt as if she were trapped in an old rerun of The Streets of San Francisco as she drove up to Sarah's pretty, out-of-the-way neighborhood. She kept checking in her rcarvicw mirror ior any sign she was being followed. She hadn't formed any strong opinions about the man in her workroom, but she figured Garvin MacCrae for one relentless man. He would stoop to following her. No doubt in her mind.
    She had to hunt for a parking space, found one two blocks up from the stone steps, but it was a glorious sunny afternoon. Her shop was closed on Mondays, and she had spent most of the day cleaning her apartment and thinking. She had on black leggings, her oversize Mt. Desert Island sweatshirt, and sneakers.
    As tempted as she was to take Otto with her on such a beautiful day, she didn't think that would be a smart idea. Visions of bulls in china shops came to mind, not to mention Sarah's disability.
    "I won't be long," she told him. "You be a good boy."
    Her good boy was flopped on his back, paws in the air, before she'd gotten the doors locked.
    She enjoyed