The Girl on the Yacht Read Online Free PDF Page A

get?”
    “We threw him into the bay.” Dan grinned. “It sobered him up, and we had a great time.”
    “Nice––that’s really cold water.” She made a shivering motion.
    “Like I said, we had fun.” He let out a guttural laugh.
    “The winner didn’t,” Marin added.
    Dan nodded toward the doorway. “We’re all in for some fine tequila with John doing his award winning entry.”
    She laughed at the thought while walking though the doorway out to the dock and over to John. “Hey, where’s my margarita?” She held her empty hand in the air as if holding a drink.
    John put the barbecue tongs into her open hand. “Take over. I’m falling behind.” He ducked into the recesses of his boat’s cabin.
    Marin glanced over at Beth, smiled, and waved the tongs for her to come over and keep her company.
    Beth got up, grabbed a carrot off one of the trays on the table, and walked over.
    “How’ve you been?” Marin flipped the meat.
    “You know, he really missed you.” Beth’s eyes peered toward the open cabin door into John’s boat.
    “We’ll see what happens,” Marin said.
    Beth smiled.
    Marin glanced over Beth’s shoulder at the beautiful Italian motor yacht at the end of the dock, opposite John’s. The curves of the boat were different from the surrounding American boats––it looked more like an artist’s brushstroke in white against the dark water’s backdrop. Her eyes caught a slightly overweight man on the upper deck leaning against the stainless steel top rail, his right foot resting on the railing’s bottom bar. He peered down at the assembly. He wore expensive boat shoes, tailored slacks, and a nautical blue Polo shirt. He pulled out a lighter and lit a huge cigar.
    “Rob, come down and meet our new dock mate,” Dan shouted up and then pointed to Marin.
    He leisurely climbed off the black and white Italian beauty and weaved through the circle of folding chairs.
    “Hasn’t this party started yet? Where are those great margaritas?” he demanded.
    “John’s mixing below as we speak.” Dan turned toward Marin. “Rob Irwin, this is Marin Ryan.”
    “Where’s Jackie?” Laura asked from the deck chair behind Rob.
    “Trial––where else? You know she’s always late.” The dark-haired man extended his hand to Marin. “Good to meet you. What an interesting name.”
    “My father liked the sea.”
    “I’m guessing you have the same gene.”
    Laura first looked at the man, then glanced over to the new boat. “Marin’s in E-28. She knows John from college.”
    Beth seemed to enjoy the comment and glanced over at Marin.
    “And, this is John’s little sister, Beth. She lives in San Francisco,” Laura said.
    Rob spun around, and with the same graciousness, took her hand. “Beth, it’s good to meet you, as well.” He glanced over at slip E-28 and back toward Marin. He pursed his lips. “Hmmmm––nice boat––new?”
    Marin nodded.
    “Were you the one who brought it in this morning?”
    She nodded again, while she plucked the finished chicken breasts from the grill and stacked them on a platter.
    “Definitely have your father’s gene for seafaring.” Rob stared at the drink table of empty glasses and shouted in the direction of the open cabin, “Where’s my drink?”
    “Coming,” John called.
    “Why don’t we sit down?” Rob offered chairs to the two women. “What kind of work do you two do?”
    “I have a legal practice up north,” Beth answered.
    “My wife’s a lawyer, too. What’s your specialty?” he asked.
    “Ocean law.”
    He looked at her in a strange way, obviously trying to digest the information. “Shipping law or military law?”
    “Environmental law,” Beth said.
    “That can’t be too profitable.”
    “I have a benefactor.”
    He slowly nodded his head, obviously knowing that she was talking about John. He turned toward Marin. “And, what do you do?”
    “I’m a criminology professor over at Newport Coast University.”
    Everybody at the