Page 66 of Swan Song

“Right after the Richardsons renewed their vows, when everyone was raising their champagne glasses, I kissed Coco.”

“You kissed her,” Ed says.

“Yes. We were in the cockpit, and no one was looking at us—all the guests were focused on Leslee and Bull—so I kissed Coco. And I told her I loved her. I whispered it.”

Zara considers this information. She pictures the sun setting, the romance of the moment. “What did she say?”

“She said she loved me too.”

“Did anyone overhear you?” Zara asks. “Did Leslee Richardson hear you, or Bull? Did either of them see you kiss?”

“There’s no way they heard us. Did one of them see us? Maybe. In the moment, I didn’t care. After that, Coco collected the glasses and went below to the galley. I turned the boat around, which required all my attention. Then Bull found out about the fire and asked me to take down the sails and motor home, so I did. When we got back to the mooring, Coco was gone.”

“Is it possible Leslee confronted Coco about her relationship with you but Coco didn’t tell you?” Ed asks.

“It’s possible,” Lamont says. “Why?”

“Maybe Leslee told Coco she had to stop seeing you and Coco was so angry that she burned the Richardsons’ house down.”

Lamont gives Ed an incredulous look. “Seriously? No. That did not happen.”

“Maybe Leslee was angry about the two of you breaking the rule,” Ed says. “She confronts Coco on the boat, she’s been drinking, she’s emotional from the vow renewal, and maybe it gets physical, maybe Leslee pushes her or backs her up against the gate that you told us doesn’t latch properly—”

At that moment, the Chief’s phone rings. It’s Lucy Shields.

24. Big Swing

Delilah and Andrea are in the car headed to the pickleball courts. “I’m not sure how much longer I can bite my tongue,” Delilah says. “Every single time we play, she volleys from the kitchen. It’s like she doesn’t know the rule.”

“It’s a game, Delilah,” Andrea says.

“A game with rules,” Delilah says. “When you break the rules, it’s cheating.”

“You know what annoys me about Leslee?” Andrea says, and Delilah perks up. Andrea rarely says a negative word about anyone. “She doesn’t put her hair up. It’s always down and always perfectly curled. How is that even possible?”

Delilah has less than no interest in Leslee Richardson’s hair. “Basically the only rule in pickleball is that you can’t volley from the kitchen.”

“Think of it as exercise in the fresh air and sunshine,” Andrea says. She pauses. “If it weren’t for Leslee, we wouldn’t be able to play at all.”

The teams are always Delilah and Andrea versus Leslee and Phoebe, though when they arrive at the courts today, Delilah suggests mixing it up. “Phoebe could be on my team.”

Leslee scoffs. “Why mess with perfection?”

Exercise, Delilah thinks. Fresh air. Sunshine. It’s nice for the first twenty minutes or so; the game is evenly matched, Leslee doesn’t commit any egregious fouls, and at one point, the four of them have a spectacular rally, the kind you see on Instagram. It eventually ends with Delilah hitting a shot that gets past Leslee, but they’ve all played so brilliantly, they give a collective cheer.

Andrea’s right, Delilah thinks. It’s a game, it’s fun, and we’re all becoming better players, even Phoebe. We’re lucky we found a fourth. Delilah will stop complaining.

Delilah and Andrea win the next point, and the next. Delilah’s relaxed attitude is paying off—they might actually win!

The very next point, Leslee volleys from the kitchen; it could not be more blatant. Delilah looks at Andrea, but Andrea just wipes sweat off her brow with the bottom of her shirt. The serve goes to Leslee. It is annoying how perfect her hair is, Delilah thinks. It’s long and shiny with round barrel curls; her visor keeps the front pieces out of her face and the rest cascades down her back.

Leslee serves; Delilah returns; Leslee hits it to Andrea; Andrea hits it to Phoebe; Phoebe smacks it to Delilah; Delilah hits it to Leslee, who charges into the kitchen to volley it back. Delilah drops her racket to her side and lets the ball go.

“Our point,” Leslee says.

Finally, Andrea speaks up. “You know it’s a rule that you can’t volley from the kitchen, right?”

Leslee looks astonished. “Obviously. Why, was I in the kitchen when I returned that?”

---