41

what i know
is i never knew
nothing
so i know that
i need to learn
where to go?
,woe,woe,woe.

Vacuum Boots, Lyrics by The Brian Jonestown Massacre

Adam woke up to see his Dad passed out in his chair, which meant he'd pulled an all night bender. He shook his Dad's shoulders, "Wake up. Morning shift starts in twenty minutes."

Ethan's eyelids creaked open with an almost audible groan. "What happened?"

Adam pointed at the empty bottle of bourbon. "That did. Any questions?"

His father pressed one hand to his temple. "Nothing that coffee and aspirin won't solve."

Adam poured out some coffee and thrust it into Ethan's hands. "You know you're hopeless, right?"

Ethan nodded with a wince. "Knew that long ago, son."

Adam sat across from his father. "Are we done with self-flagellation?"

"Not yet. I need my hair shirt."

"And your crown of thorns?"

The religious reference made Ethan smile, for he'd always been an unrepentant pagan. "Karin has that one covered."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Did she stop by?"

Adam said, "Nope. And she won't, either."

"Because it's all on me."

His father was no dummy, but he wasn't exactly the sort to put it all on the line either. "Yup."

Ethan looked around their threadbare surroundings. "This is no place for kids."

"Probably not." Adam had always hated the fact that he lived behind a bar, but he'd never voiced a complaint.

"But neither is that mausoleum on the hill."

Adam sighed. "Dad, it's a beautiful house."

"Maybe it was once, but not anymore."

"What do you mean?"

His father cupped his chin in his steepled hands. "Christina Hanover died there, and nobody knows why."

"Was she a friend?"

Ethan nodded. "One of Amelia's closest friends, and she died up there on the night of the boatyard fire."

Adam was instantly creeped out. "Was Blackwell behind this?"

His Dad shrugged. "Maybe. All I know is, I could feel Christina even before I walked in."

Adam hadn't felt a thing, but he could only imagine how it would feel. "So tell Karin. Maybe she can cleanse the place."

"You think it's that simple, Adam? I'm the one who found Christina, and I'll never forget the sheer terror on her face."

OK, so this was a dilemma, but one that was easily solved. "Does Karin know about this?"

"It's possible, but I don't think she'd push her agenda so much if she knew."

Adam also doubted Karin would inflict that sort of cruelty on anyone. "Let me talk to her."

Ethan stood. "You'd do that for me?"

Sure, especially if it lit the fire under his Dad's butt. "Sure. Look, I better get moving, or I'll be late for school."

Karin was late getting to work and was waylaid by Dee in the parking lot. "You can't buy that house."

What, did the whole world know what she was up to? "I've already given them a deposit."

"Get it back. That house is cursed."

She set down her coffee. "How so?"

"By Christina Hanover."

Karin's head came up. "That was a long time ago, Dee."

"So was the boatyard fire, but nobody's forgotten that, have they?"

"Christina wasn't part of that."

"Maybe not, but it was Ethan who found her."

Now that she hadn't known. "Interesting. Were they close?"

"Very much so. There was one summer when Heather, Amelia, Ethan, and Christina were inseparable. I remember it so clearly, because they frequented my coffee shop."

She'd been away at college during those years, stopping back home only briefly to visit family and friends. "I see. I'll look for something else then."

Dee nodded. "You could always buy the place you're in now."

"The price is sky high, even for Chance Harbor."

"How about the cottage above the lake?"

Karin crinkled her eyes. "Do you mean Peggy Whitmore's place?"

"The very same. She's selling off her assets and moving to Vancouver."

Peggy's bright abode came to mind, and she remembered its dazzling views and gorgeous gardens winding down the hill to the lake. "I'll give her a call."

Dee handed her a card. "Let me know what she says."

Everything seemed to be in a holding pattern, and to Cassie, life still felt unresolved.

Like how could they really be sure the shade of John Blackwell was permanently put to rest? And what about Francis Balcoin? If his essence had been contained in the red crystal, then where had it gone when it exploded?

Nobody wanted to discuss it, but it had to be put on the table.

Things in their circle were still shaky, with tons of Fayana drama and simmering resentment. The subject of their murderous, conniving parents was the elephant in the room, and she so didn't want to go there.

Even Adam was cautious on this subject, telling her that no good deed went unpunished. If she insisted on bringing certain people to justice, they would never get through it, and the blame would fall on Cassie and Karin.

"So I'm supposed to forget this ever happened? I'm supposed to pretend my Mom's death was really an accident?" Cassie followed Adam around as he bussed tables, wiping each surface clean after he finished up.

"No, of course not." Adam spotted Karin parking her car, and the way his father instantly went to full attention. "Just give it some time."

Cassie followed the action as she stood to his left. "Good advice all around."

Ethan went outside and stopped Karin at the front door. He opened his arms and she hugged him tight. Her lips moved softly, and Cassie made out, "I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"I guess, yeah," Adam said, relief flooding his face as Ethan and Karin walked hand in hand toward the dock. "So, hey, I wanted to ask you something."

"What's that?" Cassie loved Adam's uncertain smile and the slight shyness evident in his expression.

"What are you doing Friday night? I thought we could go into town for dinner and catch a movie on campus."

Her smile widened. "I'd love that."

"I told you we'd get around to that date." Adam's eyes darkened and when the kiss came, her senses exploded as he deepened it almost immediately. His tongue darted between her lips and levered her mouth open under his. She was normally self conscious about PDA, but nobody was around to see him push her against the wall and grind his hips in a way that made his intentions clear.

Somebody coughed and they broke apart to see Ethan smiling at them. With an embarrassed smile, Cassie said, "I should probably go. See you tomorrow?"

His finger traced a path across the top of her hand. "Count on it," he said, his wine dark voice husky with passion.