Hour Game

They drew close to the sailboat that was little more than a Sunfish. Savannah had one hand on the tiller and the other on a can of Coke. She waved when she saw who it was.

"Great minds think alike," called out King.

Savannah had a long tank shirt on over her two-piece bathing suit. Her hair was wet and pulled back in a ponytail, and her shoulders and face had already started to redden from the sun.

"The water's amazing," she said.

"Sean won't go in until it hits bathwater status," said Michelle.

"Don't know what you're missing, Mr. King," said Savannah.

"Well, I could be tempted if you two were to join me."

They each took a minute to drop their anchors, and then first Savannah and then Michelle dove in. When they came up, King was still sitting on his boat's swim platform, his feet dangling in the water.

"What are you doing, Sean?" said Michelle.

"I said I could be tempted, not that I'd actually do it."

Michelle and Savannah looked at each other, a silent communication passing between the two women. They both went under the water. When they came back up next to where King sat, each had one of his feet in her hands.

"Oh, no, you-," began King. Whatever else he was about to say was lost as he was pulled into the lake and immediately went under. He came up spitting water and cursing loudly.

"These aren't swim trunks!" he shouted.

"They are now," replied Savannah smugly.

After a half hour in the water they navigated their boats to the dock and sat in the gazebo drinking beers that Savannah fetched from the bar fridge.

Michelle looked around at the mountain and water vistas. "Quite a view."

"This is really my favorite part of the whole place," said Savannah.

King eyed the Battles' collection of boats. "I've been out on the big Sea Ray cruiser, but I don't remember that Formula 353 FasTech. It's a beauty."

"Daddy had just bought it last winter. The marina folks came and prepped it for summer. We haven't even put any hours on the engine yet. Eddie's the real boater in the family. I just like to ride on them and catch some sun and drink beer. Eddie said he'd take it out soon and break it in. I understand it's really fast, got some monster engines."

King said, "I'll say, twin five-hundred-horsepower Merc EFIs; a top speed north of seventy and a cruising speed at right about double nickels. Tell Eddie I'd be glad to help him break it in."

"My, my," Savannah said in an exaggerated southern accent, "and here I was having such a dee-lightful time on my little old no-horsepower sailboat."

"It's clearly a guy thing, Savannah," commented Michelle, shooting her partner an amused glance. "I didn't know you were so into racing boats."

"It's easy to be when you can't afford them."

There was a bit of silence, and King slowly put down his beer and looked at the youngest Battle with a serious expression.

"You didn't come here just to admire me in my bikini and lust over our boats, did you?" she asked, returning his gaze with a hopeful look that held out the possibility that that indeed was all he was interested in.

"We do have some questions to ask you."

Savannah immediately looked away and her expression became pained. "Sally?"

"Among other things."

"That's one reason I came down here to go sailing, to get away from it." She shook her head. "I'll never get that out of my head. Never. It was so awful, Sean, so awful."

He put his hand over hers and squeezed for a moment before letting go. "But it only gets worse if we don't catch the person who did it."

"I told Todd and Agent Bailey everything I know. I didn't even know Sally was in the stables until…"

"And then you ran to your brother's home?" said Michelle. Savannah nodded. "Dorothea answered the door. How did she seem?"

"I don't really remember. I was hysterical. I remember her going to get Eddie, but then she couldn't wake him. Then all hell broke loose. I just stood over by the door the whole time. I was afraid to move. When they came and got Eddie, I ran back to my room and pulled the covers over my head." She put her drink down and went over and sat on the dock, her feet in the water.

King stared at her curiously. What the hell was gnawing at his brain, begging him to decipher it? He finally shook his head in frustration. It just wasn't coming.

"Is your mother home?" he asked.

"No, she went out. Something to do with the lawyers and probate."

"Would you mind if we took another look at the closets in your parents' bedrooms?"

She swiveled around on her bottom to look at him. "I thought you already did that."

"Never hurts to check a second time. It might help."

They climbed in the golf cart Savannah had ridden down in and headed up to the house. Savannah led them in through the rear entrance and up the stairs to the third level.

"I keep telling Mama that if she's going to stay here, she needs to have an elevator put in."

"Climbing stairs is good exercise," said Michelle.

"Don't listen to her," said King. "Get the elevator."