She fumbled with the buttons, and a small grayish-green screen came to life. “I guess it’s working.” She didn’t want Kit to know how little she knew about technology.
“What’s the last number dialed?” he asked as his keys flew across the laptop’s keyboard. Of course he types fast, she thought. He was a reporter.
“I don’t know how to search this. Sorry,” she admitted, once again feeling ignorant at her lack of knowledge.
“No worries. Let me see what I can find.” He took the phone and hit a few buttons before turning it off. “I don’t want to waste the battery. No clue where I can find a charger that’ll work on this antiquated piece of junk if I lose the battery power.”
“Let’s take it back to Val’s. We can search there for whatever it is you’re looking for. I’m not very good with technical stuff.”
“Good, because this stuff controls your life. All the social media and text messaging can drive you up the wall.”
Breathing a sigh of relief because he didn’t tease her, she said, “Yeah, nothing I can’t live without.” And she meant it. Working as a waitress, she saw how people never communicated without their phones. No one spoke at the table, but to try and take their attention away from their phones, she’d had to raise her voice many times just to take an order.
They hurried back to Val’s but didn’t run this time. Once inside, Kit took the laptop, sitting down at the bar. Ali took two Diet Cokes from Val’s plentiful supply.
“Thanks,” Kit said, yet continued typing faster than anyone she’d seen, never taking his eyes off the screen. “I was able to get past the security, and now I’m reading a doc. But none of this makes any sense to me.”
“What?”
“It’s all about . . .” He paused. “Blood. Guts from fish. Redfish, specifically. Used in ways they shouldn’t be.”
She stood beside him, looking at the screen. She read a couple paragraphs. “Who does this belong to?”
“I don’t know, but I’m pretty sure it doesn’t belong to John, or have anything to do with the bait shop. Whoever this belongs to has major problems.” He raked a hand through his hair.
Ali was alarmed, because she could see that Kit was, as well. Had they put themselves in jeopardy by taking this computer? Other than the breaking, entering, and stealing, what kind of crime could they be charged with, if it was discovered that they had this computer? Her thoughts raced. This island was unlike any place she’d been to in Florida. She remembered what Kimberly told her—she had said the island was a gem, because it hadn’t been discovered by the big corporations wanting to build condos, houses, that kind of thing. Maybe they were smarter than Kimberly thought.
“What can we do with this?” she asked. “The blood stuff you found.”
He sighed. “Take it to the police, but then we’d have to explain how we managed to get our hands on this.” He tapped the computer.
“Maybe it belongs to a medical student who left it behind, and, I don’t know, maybe John found it.”
“This isn’t medical school terminology.”
“How do you know?”
“Trust me, I know. Medical students wouldn’t be interested in the innards of redfish. This is what I’ve been searching for. I just need time to see what’s on the hard drive, see everything on it.”
“So do it,” she said. None of this made sense to her, but right now, it didn’t matter.
“I’m not that smart, but I know someone who is,” Kit said, then took his cell phone from his pocket. “It’s late, but I need to make a call.” He hit the green call icon on his cell.
“Hey, Louie, what’s up?” Kit said. “Yeah, I know. Sorry about the time, but you know I wouldn’t call if it wasn’t important.”
Ali listened to the one-sided conversation. She couldn’t pretend to understand all the technical words Kit used, but she was confident he knew what he was doing. At least, she hoped so.
Today had been one of the best days in her life, and also one of the worst, if that were even possible. She’d made friends. Had a fantastic time with Val shopping. She owned a home, and it was possible she’d finally met the man of her dreams. Crossing her fingers behind her back, she offered up a silent prayer that Renée would be unharmed emotionally and physically, that Val wouldn’t be too hard on her, and, somehow, she hoped Kit could solve his mystery. And most of all, she hoped like hell there wasn’t a cult in her new backyard.
Kit hung up, then made a second call. “How much will it take for you to fly to Miami? Tonight, both ways?” he asked the person on the other line, who Alison deduced was a pilot.
“I’m on Palmetto Island. I can meet you at Page Field in an hour,” Kit said. “I’m on my way.”
Ali waited for an explanation.
“My buddy Louie in Miami is a technological whiz. I need to see everything on this hard drive tonight. You want to fly to Miami with me or stay here with Val?”
“Are you serious?” She’d never flown in her life.
“I am.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I think I need to stay with Val, just in case.”
“Good decision. I was hoping you’d say that. If I have any news, I’ll call. I’ll let you know when I return. Meet me at The Daily Grind, if you can.”
“Why there?” she asked, realizing how stupid she sounded.
“I have my reasons.” He closed the laptop, then stuck the old cell in one pocket, his in the other. “The owner, Pete, is a good friend of mine, and my family’s. Plus, I think we’ll both need a large dose of caffeine.”
“Fish-Eyes?” she said.
“Not what I call him, but yes, Pete owns the place. He’s a good guy. Someone you’d want on your side if you’re in trouble.”
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to insinuate anything rude. The first time I saw him, that impression came to mind, with his glasses and all. Pete. I’ll remember that.”
“No worries, Alison. Stop overthinking everything—you’re perfect just the way you are.”
She’d been on the defensive her entire life. It would take time for her to learn not everyone was against her. “Thanks.”
“Try and get some sleep. Go with Val to Orlando in the morning if you want. A little moral support.”
“Definitely,” she said, even though she hadn’t discussed it with Val yet. If Val invited her along, she would go, but she wouldn’t force herself on her. Before she could say anything else, Kit kissed her on the cheek. “Promise you’ll call me if there’s trouble,” he said.
“I will,” she said, knowing he was referring to their breaking and entering expedition.
As soon as he left, Ali felt a void, not just physically, but emotionally, too. Before going upstairs to one of the lavish bedrooms, she cleared away the paper plates and the soda cans and folded the pizza box so it would fit in the recycling bin. Using damp paper towels, she wiped down the counters, then tossed the wet paper in the bin with the rest of the recyclables.