Charon's Crossing

"Well, you can give Mr. Nash a gold medal, Amos. He's got his facts straight. Would you like the name of Jason's hotel, just so your records are complete?"

The two men fell in on either side of her.

"Kathryn," Amos said, "please understand. We're not trying to interfere in your life."

"You could have fooled me."

"We're simply concerned for your welfare. Elvira said..."

Kathryn came to a dead stop and swung towards him. "Don't stop now, not when this is just getting interesting. What did Elvira say?"

The lawyer cleared his throat. "Well, she happened to talk to Ada Truman, and Ada mentioned—"

"Ada said you'd bought a mighty strange bathin' costume and a bunch of men's clothin' and so far as anybody can tell, there's no man out here with you to sashay in front of in that costume or to dress up in any of that clothin'," Hiram said in one long, triumphant breath.

Kathryn looked from one man to the other, her face pale except for two crimson splashes high across her cheeks.

"That's one of the things I really love about this island," she said coldly. "There's such marvelous privacy."

"Ada's only lookin' out for you, Kathryn. It's what we all do for each other."

"Well, I don't need looking after. Please tell that to your wife, and to Ada, and to anybody else who decides I need to be spied on."

Hiram bristled with indignation. "It isn't spyin'!"

"No? What would you call it, then? I make some purchases and the next thing I know, I'm a topic of discussion."

"You listen here, Miz Russell. Just 'cause my Elvira has your well-bein' at heart—"

"I didn't ask her to have anything of mine at heart!"

"Now, now," Amos said hastily. "Hiram, Kathryn... there's no reason to quarrel." The attorney slid one arm around Kathryn's stiff shoulders and the other around Hiram's. "We didn't come out here to argue, did we, Hiram?"

The old man didn't answer. Then, slowly, he nodded his grizzled head.

"I s'pose not."

Kathryn pulled free of Amos's arm. "Why did you come here, then?"

"We came in a professional capacity, Kathryn. I wanted you to know that I had returned to the island. And Hiram, here, thought he'd best make arrangements to begin work on your house."

"To begin...?" She stared at Amos blankly, and then she remembered. He was talking about the repairs that had brought her to the Caribbean in the first place. The rotting moldings, the creaky outside steps, the walls, the antiquated heating and plumbing, everything that had once seemed so urgent. "Oh," she said, "of course. The repairs." She forced a smile to her lips. "Well, in that case, why don't we go into the house? You gentlemen can have some iced tea while I change out of this wet bathing suit."

"Heard you might have some ale on hand," Hiram said.

Kathryn looked up in time to see Amos elbow Hiram in the ribs.

"You heard right," she said coldly. "Would you like some?"

The old man met her gaze unflinchingly. "Ale doesn't strike me as a woman's drink."

"All right, what is this?" Kathryn glared from one elderly face to the other. "I want to know what's going on."

"I'll tell you what's goin' on," Hiram said. "It isn't healthy, young woman like you out here all this time by yourself, buyin' things that don't make sense, talkin' to somebody nobody else can see."

"Hiram," Amos said sharply, putting his hand on the other man's arm, but Hiram shook it off.

"I'm only speakin' the truth and she knows it. Elvira said—"