Chapter 39

WHEN HOPE GOTto Pier 14, she spotted two men standing by the edge looking into the water below them. Something about their fixed stare made her blood run cold. She walked by quickly and hazarded a glance at the gentle waves below, where a shampoo bottle and four other bottles floated.

“Where’s it all coming from?” one of the men was saying. Hope looked, and saw he had a wet deodorant can in one hand and a bottle of styling mousse in the other.

“Let’s go have a wander around,” the taller man said. “See if we can see who’s dumping rubbish.”

“Oh, my God,” Hope gushed, setting down her bag. “I’m so stupid. Those are mine.”

The two men turned and stared at her. She took the bottles from the shorter man and shoved them into her bag. “I was cleaning out my bathroom this afternoon. I must have left the tub of products on the edge of my boat. Oh, this is so embarrassing. It must have fallen in.”

“There’s stuff everywhere,” the tall man said, his face softening. “Couple of bottles floated over there, near Pier Sixteen.”

“I saw a toothbrush.” The shorter man laughed.

“God.” Hope sighed dramatically and pushed her hair back. “Goddamn it. I’ll clean it all up, I swear. This is so embarrassing.”

She hustled away toward the New Hope, glancing back to see the men laughing and muttering to themselves. Hope’s eyes were burning in her skull. If she didn’t need Ken so badly right now, his end might have come much sooner and bloodier than she’d planned.