Loose - Part 14
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She had just checked the fuel line, unattached it and then put it back on. Nothing seemed to be wrong, no kink, no blockage. The gas and oil wasn’t old. Hands on her hips, Carla stared at the old motor and frowned. She’d let it sit for a minute and give it another try and told herself this was nothing new. The old bitch would run eventually.
Looking at her watch, she knew that there was plenty of time, plenty of darkness left. Still…get the fucking motor started. Her inner voice was serious but calm, impatient but not nervous. Carla Diller didn’t get nervous.
She sighed and took a quick glance back at Tate Diller lying motionless on his back. In the shadowy semi dark, lit only by the dock lights, her eyes followed the smeared trail of dark red that she’d left while dragging him from below, up the short steps and onto the deck.
There would be some cleaning up to do when this was all over, but she’d seen his eyes get a little wider when she had forced and waggled her two fingers into the open knife wound. And that, that had made a little extra blood to clean up, well worth it.
Carla started to make her way back up front but out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, two figures. Clearly a man and woman. They were walking down the dock towards June, maybe 30 yards away.
She moved instinctively then, without even thinking, to the side of the boat. Stepping up onto the dock, Carla walked away from the boat and instead of avoiding the approaching couple she headed straight for them.
As the two walked under one of the nearby pole lights on the dock, Carla recognized them. She cursed under her breath and then waved, putting on the best fake smile she had. “Shirley! Bob! Hey, how are you two?”
Bob returned the wave, slowing his walk as Carla got closer. Shirley Knight smiled back at Carla but it held no warmth. The two had always been cordial but never really friends, just acquaintances. She had always thought something was just a little off about Carla but couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Pure intuition.
Bob was another story, never met a stranger type of guy and as they all met on the dock, he gave Carla a brief hug. “We’re good. Yeah, yeah. How have you been, stranger?” He grinned at both women, back and forth, then looked at his wife. “Gosh, we haven’t seen Carla since…when Shirl?”
Shirley continued to stare at Carla with a slight frown while answering her husband. “Oh, I don’t know for sure but yes, it’s definitely been a while.” She nodded with a curt smile.
“Yes, it sure has. Too long. I was just - ”
Cutting off Carla, Shirley’s voice was flat and emotionless. “Are you alright?”
It was Carla’s turn to frown but only for a second, before it was quickly replaced with a small grin. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be?”
Shirley pointed down. “Almost looks like blood on your hands? Looks like there’s some on your t-shirt too.”
“Oh brother. Sorry about that.” Carla rolled her eyes and shook her head, chuckling. “It’s actually blood and grease. I must look a sight. Been working on June’s cantankerous old motor and I cut myself in the process. It’s nothing.”
“The old Evinrude giving you some trouble, eh?” The two women kept up the eye contact with each other as Bob was talking and Carla started thinking this could be a real problem. “I thought I heard you over here and decided to check if maybe you might need a hand?”
He took a step towards June, then another. “C’mon, I’ll give you a hand.”
“Oh no, no. That’s so nice of you but I’m good, almost done. Had to work a little late tonight and I apologize about the racket I’m making this time of night.”
“You sure?” He grinned at Carla. “Four hands are better than two.”
Shirley looked less than thrilled at that and shuffled her feet. “Bob, we really need to get back, it’s getting late.”
“Yeah I’m sure, Bob.” Carla smiled and still facing them took a step backward. She gave a little wave. “Thanks for checking on me, have a good night you two.”
“Well, okay, but the offer stands. C’mon over if you need something.” Bob waved, Shirley showed Carla that stiff smile of hers and then finally, the older couple turned to head back to their boat.
Just…fucking…GO. Carla’s ice cold and edgy thought was full of rage but she steadied herself and watched them go. Only for a moment though and as she turned to head back to June, her smile melted in an instant. She took a glance at her watch and her steps quickened.
For what she had planned for that bastard, Carla didn’t want him too juiced up. She wanted to watch and hear him struggle out there in the water, fight it, before he lost the battle. She was no fool though and would boost him again, if needed.
From the next pier over, and peering through another row of boats, Dunbar and Newcastle knelt watching the three people. They could hear casual conversation, which drew their initial attention, but not all the words. The faces were not entirely clear in the darkness, but the lone female definitely resembled Carla Diller from their earlier observations of her.
With a wave goodbye, the group of three broke up. The older male and female couple heading to the right, the single female heading left.
Dunbar leaned in close to Liv, his voice a whisper. “Stick with the lone female right?...I’m almost sure that’s Carla Diller.”
Newcastle raised herself up to a crouch, her eyes following the figure on the next pier, through the maze of boats between them. “Oh yeah, it’s her alright. Slow and easy, let’s go.”
They shadowed her movement until she slowed and turned down the thin walkway separating two boats. Stopping and still in a crouch, they maneuvered for the clearest view between the moored boats. The shadowed figure stepped over the gunwale of a boat and boarded. They saw no other movement.
Dunbar looked down at the end of the pier they were on. “We’d better move down there and at least get on the same pier as her. When do we approach her though, Liv?”
“We’ve got to go in now. Tate Diller has to be onboard that boat already. Where else would he be, right?”
“Right…but if he’s not, we’re screwed.”
When the nearby motor whined, coughed deep and then grumbled to life with a deep thumping noise, the question of when to approach was answered.
A dim gauzy blue light came on in the cockpit area of the boat Carla had boarded, showing the dark torso of one person. Running lights on the bow and stern, blinked on.
They both rose up straight and began jogging down to the turn for the next pier over. When the motor was throttled down and then revved up again in neutral, the trot became an all out run.
Everything is going sideways, just like I said last time. I got a big bag of cashews over here, Jimbo. Bring it on, brother!
You're killing me, Jim. Keep 'em coming!