The Mistress in the Room novel · Chapter 18 of 24

Chapter 18: The Marina Shed

On Friday I closed the bakery early and drove to the marina with a pan of lasagna on the passenger seat.

A black sedan was parked across two spaces by the dock office.

Douglas stood on the planks in a camel overcoat, with his hands in his pockets, talking to a heavy man in a harbor master's jacket.

Evan was on the next dock over with a coil of line in his hands, and he had not looked up.

I put the pan on the roof of my car and walked down the pier.

"Fran," Douglas said, pleasantly. "Perfect timing. I was telling the harbor master about the lease."

"He doesn't look happy about it," I said. "He looks embarrassed."

The heavy man looked at his boots.

"Mrs. Lindahl, I've got a letter from the district."

"I'm sure you do."

"Fifteen years Evan has had that shed," Douglas said. "The marina is cleaning up its leases. Evan's has a violation."

"What violation?" Evan asked.

He had walked up behind me without a sound.

He stood with the line over his shoulder and did not raise his voice.

"Unlicensed commercial work," said Douglas. "The inspector found it in a drawer."

"The inspector found nothing. You did." Evan looked at the harbor master. "Is that right?"

The harbor master wouldn't meet his eyes.

Along the dock, three boat owners had stopped coiling rope.

One of them had her phone up, and she was not hiding it.

"Douglas," I said, loudly enough for her to hear. "You came to a marina on a Friday to evict your own brother in front of his customers."

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