Evil's Root

Chapter 14

Heidi stood in the galley with just an apron covering her trim body as she stirred tiny cocktail shrimps into the pot of steaming chilli. The Beatles raved about Norwegian Wood from the stereo system in the lounge, and Barry dutifully, and somewhat robotically due to the session in the tulip room, went around lighting the lamps on the aft deck, and setting the table while occasionally sneaking peeks at her in the apron.

"Only a moment, Mr. Stein," she warbled from the galley. "Open the ice wine please, and pour two glasses."

"I don't think I could handle any wine just—"

"Two glasses, Mr. Stein." The warble hardened slightly.

"Two glasses," he muttered aloud to himself. Travelling with Heidi was either going to be the most fantastic journey a man could wish to take, or it would end any moment with an exploding heart or a deep, endless coma. "All ready, Heidi." He called, as expected.

"And so is Heidi's gourmet, seafood, barn-burning chilli." She climbed the few steps to the deck with a runway model's grace, bending to set the large china crock on the table and revealing a creamy expanse of flank to Barry, who although exhausted, was still stirred by the vision.

"Sit, sit. A toast first to our new adventure and then we eat." She raised her glass and downed the contents almost without tasting. Barry sipped after her, watching the heap of steaming, umber beans dotted with shy pink bits of shrimp, plop onto his plate. "Eat, Mr. Stein." She sat and he obeyed as his eyes dipped below the hem of the apron, filling to the brim with Heidi van Rugel's central heating.

The chilli was amazing and he ate hungrily, chewing in time with the Beatles, who seemed to be stuck on a loop of Norwegian Wood.

ööööö

"God, I wish they'd turn that down or change the record." Sandra sat up and strained to see down the dock to the source of the noise.

"I like the Beatles."

"Yeah but in variety, eh? Look down there, even the lights are too bright for eating on the deck."

"We'll be gone in less than an hour, don't sweat it." Gwen tapped her pencil on the notepad she was using to make her checklist. "You got water in the tanks?"

"The guy told me everything was looked after. Hey, the champagne was in the fridge, right?"

"Champagne wouldn't do us much good in the middle of the ocean without water or gas, Sandra. I just want to be certain."

"Here's the work list he gave me, I went around and checked it all before you arrived."

"Okay then. Sorry. It's just that I feel responsible since I'm the driver."

"Shouldn't that be, Captain?"

"Then that would make you, mate." Gwen said with a straight face.

Sandra lowered her drink. "This girl cannot be made to mate." There was a long pause. "But adrift in the middle of the ocean. Well."

"That's why I'm rechecking everything, partner, so there will be no such chance." They laughed together and suddenly stopped when car lights swept down from the highway and raked the line of moored boats.

"He's in one hell of a hurry." Sandra set her glass down and squinted to see who it was.

"Oh shit," Gwen whispered. "What if it's him?"

"It couldn't be. How would he know so soon?"

"You weren't waiting with the money, remember?" They scooped up the stuff from the table and hurried below decks. Gwen raced to the bridge and checked all the standby gauges.