"Oh. Crap." Kerry sighed. "That sucks."
Dar considered the screen. "Maybe...maybe it doesn't." She said slowly. "I wonder how many new people they've brought on in the last month."
"They turnover like..." Kerry started to say then her voice trailed off. "But Dar, whoever did this was technically very savvy."
"Uh huh. Where better in our company to hide then, hmm? Last place I'd look for a nerd is in those groups." Dar's tone was grim. "And you know what else?"
Kerry stared at the screen, then up at Dar. "They're all around the presentation rooms."
"Exactly."
Exactly.
Chapter Nine
KERRY GUNNED THE engine of her bike, looking both ways before she eased out onto the still damp road and headed south. The sun had reluctantly made an appearance on its journey to the west, and she decided it was a good time to buzz off down to the market and get something for dinner.
The roads were still wet and she was careful to keep her speed down. Being dumped on her butt on the road wasn't something she was willing to experience, even if Dar had patiently taught her how to right the bike if she did get overturned.
It wasn't easy even though she was stronger than most women her size. Kerry shifted gears and headed through a green light--one of the few traffic stops in the general vicinity. The quiet nature of the town was one of the things she liked most about it and even now on the weekend, there was little traffic to impede her passage.
The market was just up on the right hand side, a low, wooden building with sun-faded paint and crushed shell pathways leading from the scrubby little parking lot to the door. Kerry pulled into a shady spot near the door and shut the bike's engine off, swinging her leg over the seat and removing her helmet.
She tucked the safety gear under its bungee and headed for the doors, the still damp breeze brushing over her bare shoulders. Pushing the left door open, she entered the pleasant chill of the air conditioned room and removed her sunglasses, tucking them by one earpiece into a belt loop. "Hi, Bill."
The man behind the meat counter looked up and waved. "Hi there, neighbor." He greeted Kerry amiably. "Didn't know you were down here this weekend. Thought the rain would keep folks up north."
"We came down on Friday night." Kerry picked up a basket and started browsing up and down the aisles. "But it looks like it's clearing up now. How's Martha?"
"Oh, she's doing fine." Bill said. "Hey listen, I just got in some fresh snapper. You want a couple pieces?"
Snapper. Kerry cocked her head slightly. Both she and Dar were quite fond of fresh fish, and a nice broiled filet sounded pretty good to her. "Sure." She agreed, detouring to the vegetable section and selecting a couple of Yukon gold potatoes, some green beans, and two ears of white corn.
She also added a quart of strawberries and carried the lot of it up to the counter. She could have gotten stuff for tomorrow also, but she preferred to let whimsy control what she picked rather than planning things out too far in advance. "Wow those do look nice." She commented on the fish.
"A cook would know that." He chuckled. "And I know you're the cook in that house."
Kerry accepted the brown wrapped bundle with a slight grin. "I guess Dar's habit of only buying ice cream, milk, chocolate bars and bananas sort of clues that in, huh?" She handed over her credit card. "But I like cooking. It's fun."
"Me too." Bill pushed the credit card receipt her way for signature. "I get kidded about it by the boys, though. You know how it is."
Kerry signed her name in a neat script hand and gave it back to him. "Well, not really." She admitted. "Usually girls are expected to know how, and to like cooking." Her face creased into a smile. "I've never had anyone look crosswise at me for that. For other things..." She waggled a hand.
"Like that pretty tattoo?" Bill asked, with a grin of his own. "It's new, yeah?"
"Yeah." Kerry glanced down at the half visible mark, peeking out from around her tank top strap. "I got it a few weeks back. Like it?"
Bill leaned closer, raising his glasses slightly to get a better look. "Nice work." He complimented her. "I've got a pair of dolphins, myself, but it'd take a pair of speedos that I'd die before wearing, to show 'em to the world."
Kerry chuckled. "That was my second choice of locations." She picked up her packages and the keys to the motorcycle. "But I think I really wanted people to be able to see it." Her eyes strayed, for a moment, to the mark and the letters of Dar's name visible, before she turned and headed back toward the doors. "Have a great day, Bill."
"You too, Kerry." Bill replied, sitting back down on his stool. "Drive careful now, it's wet out."
Kerry lifted a hand in acknowledgement as she slipped through the door, reaching hastily for her sunglasses as the glare outside made her blink.
"Excuse me...are you Kerry Stuart?"
Kerry pulled up short and turned, finding herself the focus of a well-dressed black woman, and a man with a camera. The woman didn't look unfriendly, but the light was on the camera, and Kerry hadn't grown up in a spotlight for nothing. "Yes." She answered slowly. "Can I ask why you want to know?"
"Great. We found you." The woman smiled. "We're doing filming as part of the special on the new American Cruise line project, and I'd like to ask you some questions."
Kerry squared her shoulders, shifting her packages carefully to one arm. "Our office is in Miami. Is there some reason you came looking for me here?" She kept her voice even, but there was little warmth in it.
The reporter looked warily at her. "Well, someone tipped me off you might be down here...so I thought I'd take a chance. Since the other teams are up at the port working, it seemed a little...unusual that you'd leave the city."
Anger started to bubble inside Kerry's stomach. "Well, I guess you just wasted a trip then. I've got nothing to say at the moment. It's my time off." She turned and headed for her bike, her ears catching the whine of the camera behind her.
"Wait..." The reporter came after her. "Ms. Roberts talked to us."
Kerry put her packages into the small storage area in the back of the bike and got on it, shifting it over its center of balance and putting up the kickstand. "In the office." She started the engine, and revved it, the low throaty roar making speech momentarily impossible.
"You don't think it says something about your company, to have you down here on vacation while everyone else is working?" The reporter queried. "Maybe my source was right after all."
Kerry put her helmet on. "The only thing it says about our company is that we trust our staff to do what we pay them to." She backed the bike and prepared to leave the lot. "Excuse me." She tried not to look directly at the camera, the blank gray eye following her every move.
"Is Ms. Roberts down here too? Maybe I can talk to her." The reporter persisted. "Maybe she can explain it to me since you're unwilling to."
Answering didn't seem wise. Kerry gunned her engine and headed out onto the road, shifting through first and into second gear as she glanced behind her to see if the woman was following. She was caught between outrage and worry, wondering briefly if she should have played the reporter's game and just talked to her for a few minutes.
Dar had, as she'd noted.
Ah well. Kerry shifted into third gear and picked up speed, anxious to get back to the cabin and get the bike under cover before the woman could find out where they lived. Would she knock on the door? The thought made her angry, and she felt somewhat invaded by the idea.
This was a haven for them. To have the reporter come here and shove herself into this part of her world bothered Kerry more than she liked to acknowledge, and she resented it hugely. She leaned into the turn that would take her toward home, and panicked for a moment as she felt the bike start to slide out from under her.