Zoe heard the hurt in her voice, the fear, recognized that Christina wasn't being bitter or sarcastic but trying to put into perspective whatever had happened to her. Zoe didn't move, didn't touch her. " Shelton wasn't shooting at me, Chris. I'm fine. He shot over my head to drop me in my tracks and give himself a chance to escape. He'd stumbled on Kyle-"

"That's right. My sneak of a no-good boyfriend."

Christina whirled around, her apron dripping, her ruffled blouse soaked up to the elbows. Her face was raw and red from crying. But she didn't seem to notice. She was focused only on Zoe. "Why did you come back? Maybe the first break-in was nothing-just someone looking for silver."

"Chris, we don't know that Teddy Shelton has anything-"

She refused to listen. "Kyle-Kyle never would have sneaked into Aunt Olivia's attic if you'd shown any interest at all in what he's doing. Now-" She spun back around and gave her bucket a kick, more water splashing out on the floor. "Now his own father thinks he was involved somehow in Dad's death. That bastard."

"Is that what you believe?" Zoe asked quietly. "That Kyle was involved?"

"No! How could you suggest such a thing?"

"I'm not suggesting anything. I'm asking. Because if you don't believe it-"

Christina faced her sister again, her gray eyes dark with emotion. "I don't believe it."

"What about Kyle? Does he know his father thinks-"

"Of course. He must."

"Have you asked him?"

She shook her head. "The two of them are hard to figure out. I've quit trying." Her voice was hoarse but calmer, some of the fight gone out of her. "I wouldn't be surprised if he's afraid Luke had something to do with Dad's death, if the two of them aren't trying to protect-" But she didn't finish, squeezed back tears. "I can't-Zoe, can you understand? Can you understand that I just don't want to think about it anymore? I don't want it to be a part of me anymore. Dad's murder. Aunt Olivia. The whole mess."

Zoe nodded. "I can understand."

"I'm sorry." She spat it out, then softened. "I know it's not your fault."

"Where's Kyle now?"

"I don't know. I haven't seen him. I'm sure he's feeling stupid and inadequate over what happened with you and Teddy Shelton. I'll finish up here and go look for him." She cleared her throat, quickly stepped out of a puddle she'd made, apparently not realizing she'd been standing in it all along. "What about your car?"

"We found it," Zoe said without explanation.

"Well, that's good, isn't it? One thing, anyway."

Christina attempted a smile, but it faded quickly. "Maybe we're letting Shelton spin us around until we're all nuts, and none of this has anything to do with who killed Dad."

"That's possible. We'll just have to see."

J.B. stepped forward, steering clear of the wet spots on the floor. "Let us help you finish up here," he said quietly.

Christina looked at the mess she'd made and peeled off her dripping apron, dropping it in a puddle on the floor and swirling it around with her toe like a makeshift mop. She smiled at them through her tears. "Sure. Mops and sponges are out back."

Bruce Young materialized in the doorway. "This'll be fun. I want to see an FBI agent mop a floor." His natural good humor seemed to infuse the place with positive vibes, and he walked right in and tugged on Christina's long, messy braid. "You okay, kiddo? You look like shit."

"Now I feel great, Bruce. Thanks." She rolled her eyes at him, but smiled.

He turned to Zoe. "Crappy day?"

"You could say that."

Bruce acknowledged her words with a rare display of seriousness. "Teddy didn't kill your dad. I'd bet both my boats on that, Zoe. He's just your basic meat."

J.B. retreated to the back room, got a sponge mop and a bunch of rags, returned and shoved the rags at Bruce. "Swab up some of this water.You ought to be good at that."

"Aye-aye, Captain. Hell, you armed? Were you wearing that thing last night at Perry's? No way am I playing darts with you if you've got a goddamn gun. It's loaded?"

J.B. ignored him and started mopping the floor. Christina shivered in her wet blouse but seemed more cheerful. Bruce pulled off his Carhartt and slipped it over her shoulders, and she murmured her thanks.

Zoe noticed Betsy O'Keefe down on the docks by herself and decided to try to talk to her without the FBI standing next to her. Not that Luke's rudeness was J.B.'s fault-Luke was going to be difficult with or without J.B. there.She started backing toward the door, but J.B. pointed his mop at her. "Uh-uh. You're staying put." Bruce grinned. "Whoa, the FBI has spoken. Zoe? Were you intending to give Agent McGrath the slip?" "Bruce, I swear I don't know why your father didn't throw you overboard when you were six." "Because he knew you at six and figured you'd need someone to give you a hard time when you were thirty."

Zoe could have taken that answer and run with it, but she directed her attention at J.B. "Betsy's down on the docks. I want to talk to her. Two minutes."

He nodded. "Stay in sight."

It wasn't so much an order as a reminder to use common sense. She'd been shot at once today, Teddy Shelton was still on the loose and J.B. was armed. And Zoe had a lot on her mind. J.B. would see that.

Christina stepped back onto a dry section of floor. "She's just trying to get out of helping." But she sniffled at her sister, and the earlier tension between them might never have existed. "You want me to go with you?"

"If you think it'd help," Zoe said.

"It could."

Bruce dropped the rags into the puddle of water. "I meant what I said. Teddy's a meat. He's impulsive. He doesn't think things through. But he's not bright enough to get away with murder." Bruce sighed heavily, working at the rags with his toes. "Don't you wish you knew whose side he's on?"

J.B. squeezed out his mop. "I'm not sure it matters."

"Yeah. A friend kills you, you're just as dead." Zoe touched Christina's shoulder. "Let's go."

"Tell that little fuck son of yours to stay out of my way." Teddy, parked in an out-of-the-way corner of the salt marsh south of the lobster pound, spoke in as low and deadly a voice as he could manage. He wanted to scare the hell out of Luke Castellane. Enough was enough. "He sneaks up on me again, he'll be lucky to live."

Luke was remarkably calm. "My son is an artist. He doesn't think the way you do."

"No shit."

"I didn't call to ask you to defend your actions. Our work together is done. I've already told Zoe, the FBI agent and the Goose Harbor police that I've fired you."

"That right?"

"That's right." There was that cool, snot-nosed tone again.

Teddy didn't know how long he had before the cops picked up his trail, but he wasn't letting Luke get the upper hand, take control. "I suppose now you want me to get out of town."

Luke sniffed. "It makes no difference to me, but I imagine it would be the prudent thing for you to do."

" Gooseshit Harbor. Yeah, I'd love to clear out. Last night, I smack the hell out of your jackass kid. Today, I smack the hell out of your jackass kid. What's his problem? Why's he always in the wrong place at the wrong time?"

"You also shot at a former police officer."

"'Former' is a key word, don't you think?" Teddy stared out at the marsh, pretty even with the gray light and clouds. "What about maintaining the status quo? I thought that was worth a bonus-"

"Goodbye, Mr. Shelton. I'm sorry our association had to end this way. There will be no bonus."

Click.

Done. The ax had fallen.

Teddy had the Goose Harbor police, the Maine State Police, the Maine Marine Patrol, an FBI agent, an ex-cop and who knew else all out looking for him. And Luke, that rich puke, was in the clear. But he must have figured out another way to exercise control over events and make sure Patrick West's murder stayed unsolved.