Cloaked in Malice by Annette Blair

her island, but a storm cloud had descended between us and it, and a cloud elongated and touched the water, then it sucked water up into it. “That’s a waterspout,” I said.
    Nick had trouble controlling the boat because the spout caused an unexpected whirlpool that swirled us around, as if we were working our way down a drain or something more sinister.
    “Can you get us out of this?” I asked Nick.
    “I don’t know why McCreadie didn’t warn us about this. He was listening to the weather and making notes when I got there. He knows these waters well enough, and I took the route he suggested.”
    “The Concertina captain’s name was McCreadie, then?”
    Nick gave a distracted nod.
    “We’ll be out of it in a minute, won’t we?” I asked.
    “Either that or we’ll get sucked under and eventually dashed against those rocks. I just can’t seem to pull away from it.”

Thirteen

Once they gain a certain level of acceptance, mass delusions can spread like wildfire. They’re contagious, as with clothes, fashions.
—FRANCIS WHEEN

    “Go below, both of you, put on life jackets, sit on the starboard bunk, and hold on—to the boat, not each other. You need to be anchored.”
    “Do you have a plan, Nick?” I asked. “What are you going to do? Be smart but don’t be a hero.”
    “Don’t start singing. Just do as I say.”
    I turned to do as I was told. “Get us the hell out of this,” I shouted before I followed Paisley belowdecks.
    We sat real close, she and I, our backs against the headboard, such as it was, and we held separate bunk posts.
    We heard Nick gun the engine, and were surprised and jolted when he hit reverse. We got tossed against eachother like scrambled eggs, to the point of making me laugh, and Paisley hiccup, a good distraction.
    Nick unexpectedly whipped the boat around, a near three-sixty, so it surged forward and upward, while still getting tossed from side to side. I heard some wood split, but Nick managed to get us up and out of the trough.
    The boat flew radically forward for a minute then he slowed us to a stop. When he came to check on us, we were still sitting on the floor.
    He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep breath, his skin tone on the gray-green side, like he wanted to be sick. “Doing that by myself is never scary. But with you on board, Mad, God help me.” He lifted me from the floor so high, I couldn’t stand on my own feet, and he kissed me.
    “Sure,” Paisley said, “don’t mind me.”
    “Sorry.” Nick set me down and backed away so I could help her up.
    “Don’t be sorry. I want what you two have, but I’m not jealous. It’s just seeing a man who cares so much for his woman. I never quite knew that existed. You might have guessed that romance novels weren’t among my learning tools, and Mam and Pap, they were more like partners who tolerated each other. Most of the time. Thanks for showing me what I’d like to have in a re-lationship.”
    Nick tipped his captain’s cap, his face more pink than green now.
    I knew that I needed to break the tension. “How long before we get there? I’m hungry.”
    Paisley’s dimple and Nick’s wink said they understood my intentions.
    “You’re always hungry, Ladybug. It’ll be another thirty minutes. You wanna break out the breakfast sandwiches?”
    “Good idea,” Paisley said. “I’ll go upstairs, or whatever that’s called on a boat, and set the table, sort of. “Take your time.”
    After she left, I stepped back into Nick’s arms. “More please.” And Nick obliged.
    By the time we went upstairs, Paisley had emptied our thermos of coffee into three covered hot cups, and set out our egg sandwiches and hash browns.
    “How did you like Detective Werner when you went to talk with him?” Nick asked Paisley. “He’s perfect for you. A bachelor, and a great guy.”
    “Well,” she said, lengthening the word. “I’d say yes in a blink, if he wasn’t so in love with Mad. No go, Nick, Werner’s