Page 36 of All He Sees
"Let me drive," he said.
They stared at each other over the hood of the car. Nicky lifted a brow. "Really?"
Ken, with a slight roll of his eyes, got in the passenger side.
Nicky got behind the wheel.
The tires squealed as they flew out of the hotel parking lot, into downtown. Palm trees fanned out over the road.
"We need to get to that boat," Nicky said. "If we miss it, we'll never get to them. We'll never find the girls."
"Don't even say that," Ken said. "We're gonna get them."
Nicky wasn't sure why she felt so paranoid. There was something about this case that was getting under her skin. It didn't help that she'd barely slept, anxious about everything. Including Matt--and their semi-breakup.
You weren't dating him, she reminded herself. But she couldn't help but feel bad about it all.
This was exactly why Nicky didn't get close to men.
I can't give them what they want.
What they need.
She took a shaky breath and tried to focus on the case. Traffic was light, and they were making good time on their way to the dock.
"We'll catch Fischer," Ken said. "And we'll save the girls. I know it."
Nicky nodded, though she wasn't so sure.
As they approached the docks, Nicky made a right turn, onto a side street and toward the parking lot. The sun was rising over the sea beyond the docks, creating lines of orange over the blue. Nicky could see boats arriving at the dock, but none that looked quite like Onlooker, Fischer's boat.
"Where is it?" she asked.
Ken checked his wristwatch. "Not on time."
He was right. Onlooker was nowhere to be found. The dock was busy now, with people arriving to check on boats.
She pulled into the parking lot and parked the car. They hurried to the docks and approached the chief guard that was stationed at the entrance. He was a large man with a receding hairline and a mustache.
"Excuse me, sir," Nicky said. "We're looking for a name: George Fischer. He was supposed to dock here this morning."
The guard shook his head. "Haven't seen that vessel yet. She should be here soon."
Nicky nodded and stepped back, looking at the sea of boats docking. The sun crept further over the horizon, bringing light to the world as more people arrived at the docks.
"Nicky," Ken said. "Over there. That's Onlooker."
Nicky turned at his voice to see the familiar white-and-blue boat bobbing in the water. She took a deep breath. They were in time. Now, they just had to make sure Fischer didn't get away.
"We're gonna have to get on that boat," she said as they briskly walked down the dock. "There are only two ways out of this. Either Fischer cooperates and we get the girls back. Or we bust our way onto the boat, and we get the girls back. And we get Fischer."
"You really think he's got the girls?" Ken asked.
Nicky hesitated. "We don't have any choice."
"He's not going to listen to us. Or he's going to refuse. He's gonna come up with a reason why we're not allowed on his boat," Ken said. "Maybe we can convince him to let us on."
Nicky was doubtful. She knew how stubborn Fischer was going to be. Men like him always were. Nicky didn't need to meet him to know that.
