Killer Summer by Lynda Curnyn (e book reading free .txt) 📗

really do.” I sighed. “Do you know that for the first time ever, I actually thought about being married?”

Zoe’s eyes widened. “Okay, who are you and what have you done with my best friend?”

“Shut up,” I said, laughing as I did, my gaze moving to the door. “I just hope he stops by.” When I had learned Tom, Vince and Stan Sackowitz were going to The Out tonight to talk business, I felt a little pissed off that I hadn’t been invited. After all, I was the one who had brought Stan in as a customer to Edge. I almost said something to Tom, but I got the feeling that the boys wanted a night out on their own to shoot the breeze, and though I found that annoying, too, I supposed I was going to have to live with it. At least I had had the gumption to tell Vince, when he swung by the house to pick up Tom, about the band that was playing here tonight. We had spent practically the whole day together in bed, but when I asked him to stop in for a drink after dinner, he seemed just as intrigued by the prospect as I was. I just hope he does come by, I thought, my gaze moving to the door once more.

“Where’s Nick?” Zoe said.

“Who knows? He said he was coming tonight, but then he disappeared.” As did Francesca, which caused me no small amount of worry, especially when I learned Nick had taken her to dinner last night. He was up to something. I just hoped it wasn’t his usual stupid boy tricks.

But all thoughts of Nick dissipated when I saw Vince come through the door.

I smiled, waving him over.

“Hey,” I said, feeling pleasure move through me when he leaned in and kissed me, as if I were the girlfriend, rather than simply the girl from the night before.

“You remember Zoe,” I said, turning to Zoe.

“Of course. How could I forget your oldest friend?” Vince said, smiling at Zoe.

“Speaking of which, where is your old friend Tom?” I asked. “And Stan for that matter?”

“Tom and Stan looked about ready to fall asleep over dessert. They both went home.”

“That’s what you get for hanging with the old guys at The Out,” I said.

“Oh yeah? As opposed to the hot young things at The Inn?” Vince replied with a wink.

I smiled. In fact, I was smiling so much since he walked through the door, my cheeks were starting to hurt. “Let me get you a drink,” I said.

“Well, I can’t really stay long.”

The ache moved down to my throat. “Why not?”

“I’ve got to head out early tomorrow morning to pick up Sophia. Gabriella’s going out of town for a couple of days and she’s got an early flight. Which means I’ve got to be in Brightwaters by about 6:00 a.m.”

“Do they even have ferries that early?” Zoe asked.

Vince smiled. “Oh, I don’t take the ferry. I have a boat.” saw Zoe sit up in her chair. “Is that right?”

“I’m going to get the bartender,” I said. “Sure you can’t have one little drink?”

Vince shook his head at me, though that smile was still on his face. “Okay, one drink. But only a little one.”

I signaled Danny, just as I heard Zoe say, “So you work out of the Long Island office, too?”

“That’s right,” Vince said*

“That must be convenient,” Zoe continued. “I bet you could take the boat straight from the office right to Fire Island on the weekends.”

“Well, not exactly,” Vince replied. “My office is in Bohemia. My boat is docked over in Brightwaters. Across the bay.”

“Vince, what do you want?” I asked, once Danny stood before me. I threw a glance at Zoe, wondering at her interest.

“Dewars on the rocks,” Vince said.

“I understand you were in Italy this year,” Zoe said.

“Well, China for most of the year, but I did get to spend a lot of the spring in Italy.”

Zoe nodded. “So when did you get back?”

“To the States?” Vince asked, picking up the drink Danny had placed on the bar in front of him.

Zoe nodded and I looked at her. Where was she going with this?

“June.”

“When in June?” Zoe persisted.

Vince frowned, and suddenly I saw exactly where Zoe was going with this line of questioning. “What difference does it make, Zoe?” I asked, sending her a look.

“I’m just curious,” Zoe said, keeping her gaze on Vince. “You were back for Maggie’s wake. Just wondered if you happened to be here the night she died.”

Vince’s brow furrowed. “Here on Fire Island? God, no. I’d just gotten back from Italy that day.”

“What time?”

“Zoe—” I began, glancing uneasily at Vince. What the hell was she doing?

“Oh, I don’t remember—one, two o’clock.”

“And you didn’t come here?”

“I should think not. I was a bit jet-lagged,” he said, his gaze narrowing on Zoe, as if he was suddenly wondering where this little inquisition was going. I didn’t blame him.

“Zoe, can you come to the bathroom for a minute. I need to talk—”

But Zoe ignored me. “Did you go to the office that day?”

“I believe I did go for a few hours.”

“So you were too tired to go to Fire Island, but not too tired to go to the office?”

He frowned. “I had business to take care of after my trip. If I came to Fire Island after that, I sure as heck don’t remember.”

“You don’t remember? It was the day Maggie died. Where were you when Tom called you? I’m sure he must have called you. I mean, you two are close, right?”

“Vince, you don’t have to answer her,” I said, glaring at Zoe.

Vince glanced at me. Then he shrugged.“I don’t mind answering. I was home. In Brightwaters.”

“Just across the bay,” Zoe said.

“That’s right,” Vince said, raising his glass to his mouth to drink, his gaze still on Zoe.

I was about ready to club Zoe. But since I couldn’t, I said,“Hey, Vince, you up for a quick game of pool?”

Now they both ignored me. “So you could