First Day in the Caribbean 15

The next morning Asch got up early, scribbled a note to Octavia and left it on his bed, fed the goats and chickens, then got to Island Bank as soon as it opened. He had picked it more or less at random (the bank opened an hour earlier than the others), but behind one of the desks sat Anita! He decided this bank would do.

"Why hello, Asch," Anita said, "what brings you here? Or should I say, (ahem) 'How can I help you, sir?'"

Asch seated himself in one of her chairs. "How about if I open an account?"

"One of my favorite things to do."

"Okay. Here's the info about where my money is." He shoved a piece of paper across her desk. "Let's start with $50,000 in a checking account. I've been using an ATM since I hit the island, but I need to do something that's a bit big for an ATM to handle."

Anita looked at him, smiling to herself. "I suppose you need to access the money as soon as possible, right? Might it have anything to do with Easthaven's police department's SUV?"

"Wow! Are you clairvoyant?"

"No, but the Toyota dealership does a lot of business with us, and I happen to know about Mr. Waheed's check. I can't say that I'm altogether surprised to see you here today." She smiled. "Everything you touch seems to make a turn for the better. Thank you for touching Fred, by the way."

Asch brushed it off. "Thank Fred—it's his doing. He just asked me to help him launch. He's doing the sailing all by himself."

Anita snorted. "Well, he sailed right into my arms, and he's turning out to be a pretty good catch. We both signed up to join the community choir yesterday evening, by the way. You and Octavia ought to consider joining. Carmina Burana's going to be fun. Tryouts are tonight, too." She looked at the note and placed a call. A couple minutes of talk and smiling later she hung up and wrote a few numbers on a form. "Okay, sign here. I'll print you out some checks. The money should be in your account in half an hour. Your banker has a very high opinion of you, by the way."

"Now to see if I can get to the dealer's before John gets there."

"I'll call Mike and tell him to stall him if he gets there first."

From Mike Asch learned that the FBI in town had already gotten the bad check, and they added it to their file on Waheed. He also learned that the dealer's parent company had insurance for this kind of thing that would pay the difference between the original amount and whatever they could sell the vehicle for, which as often as not was a complete write-off because crooks usually end up destroying the vehicle, and they didn't often get restitution from the criminal even if they were caught.

"I think this vehicle will be in pretty good shape. What's the best price you can sell it to me for?" Asch asked.

"Well, we'll have to see the vehicle, of course, but I'll give you the best deal I can."

"Sounds good. I intend to donate the vehicle anonymously to the Easthaven police, and any extra discount you care to add, feel free to claim it as a charitable donation. Also, let's do the actual donation part in a couple weeks, so any connection to me will have a chance to fade. I don't want too many people to know that I have money. In fact, why don't you have the dealership take the credit? I'd really like to not have my name involved."

"Well, we can just not say anything about you and let people come to their own conclusions." He looked conspiratorial. "We don't even have to say 'anonymous donor.' "

"Sounds good. Anita at Island Bank is privy to this, by the way, but she's the only one besides you." Asch wrote out a check for $10,000 "so you know I'm serious." They shook on the deal.

Asch hopped onto his bike and headed for the house. On the way he passed John in the SUV followed by his daughter in their middle-aged compact car. They both waved.

He went straight to his room and found Octavia snoring away. It amused him to see someone so beautiful drooling and snoring, then he wondered what he looked like asleep. "Maybe I better not laugh," he reflected. He quietly got a towel and took a quick shower, then tiptoed to his room. The covers were turned back and Octavia had her eyes closed, pretending to sleep. He decided to play along and carefully slipped into bed. Octavia snuggled up to him and draped an arm over his chest, then actually fell asleep, leaving Asch wide awake and effectively trapped. The time was about half past ten; Octavia would sleep for perhaps five more hours; furthermore, her generous figure pressing into his back was exciting him. Asch decided he'd give her some time to fall farther asleep, then try to sneak out of bed. He spent some time planning out some activities for the day, and sure enough, after several minutes, she rolled over and he took her movement as cover for his own exit. He stood there admiring the view, more happy that her rest wasn't disturbed than sad that he didn't get to have a tumble. He dressed and slipped out.

Downstairs, Lydia was having a late breakfast. "So have you eaten? The pan's still hot so it won't be any trouble to fix you something, which I'm supposed to do anyway, if you're ever here," she smirked.

"Yes, Mother, I'm sorry I'm never home," Asch replied mock humbly, "and yes, this poor boy is starving."

She started some eggs and bacon. "You didn't stay up there very long. Everything okay?"

"Heh, I let her sleep. I figured letting her get her rest was better than satisfying my animal lust. I saw John headed for town on my way back."

"Ashurbanipal, Jones, you're a kind man, letting your lady sleep when she no doubt would have been willing to, um, satisfy your animal lust, as you put it." She looked at him sideways, "I don't care what she says about you when you're not around."

Asch's eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"Just kidding! Just kidding! Actually, I'm beginning to think that Octavia is a little bit infatuated with you, what with her finding excuses to come visit and all."

"She had an excuse for you when she came up this morning?" Asch acted incredulous. "She didn't just show up like she owned the place?" It was Asch's turn to smirk.

"Ha. Okay, you win. She did say something about you starting scuba lessons, though."

"Interesting coincidence. I was thinking about looking into that today. I have until Tuesday with pretty much nothing scheduled."

Lydia gave him a knowing look. "Don't think you'll be certified by Tuesday. I guarantee it'll take longer, if only because no one's going to spend twenty hours a day with you on it from now until then."

"So it's not just a 'here's the equipment, let's go for a dive' type thing, eh?"

"I should say not!" She gave him a summary of what scuba training involved—classroom lessons, practice dives, physical tests to pass, not to mention eventually buying your own gear.

Asch finished his breakfast. "Well then, I'd better get to work on my chores if I want to have some time for those lessons! I have a few projects to take care of anyway." He spent the rest of the morning trimming up the paths alongside the house, which the goats "helped" him do, butting and gamboling about. He had to be careful about bending over to pull weeds, but the goats were happy to relieve him of the uprooted weeds and trimmed branches.

About lunchtime John and Sharon stopped by, carrying some fruit and a tray of brownies. "Made 'em myself," Sharon announced, to everyone's oo's and ahs.

"She has suddenly become more serious," bragged her father. "She's not the (ahem) rather flighty girl she was only a few short weeks ago."

She scowled, "I learned how bad some people can be, and how easy it is to be fooled, and how important it is for good people to be alert. I've stopped believing everything and started being suspicious of everything." She changed to a smile and pushed the brownies into the center of the table. "These brownies are a thank-you for some of the good people."

"And this," John gestured toward the fruit, "is just because I don't want to show up without a gift for the hostess."

Lydia surveyed the scene. "Well, since you guys brought half the food, you may as well join us. We were about to sit down, and it's easy enough to water down the soup. Besides, Asch eats here so seldom, I have lots of leftovers." She set out cold cuts, condiments, and bread. Asch got some tea out of the refrigerator.

There were steps on the stairs, and Octavia's feet appeared, stopped, then scurried back up. A minute later she reappeared, decently dressed, smiling. "So what's all this commotion I'm hearing? Hi, Sharon, hi, John. Ah, food!"

They sat down to eat, and John bashfully related returning the SUV, that Mike had hinted that he might have to pay the loss after resale himself, but he would look into it, and a warning that if something seemed too good to be true, it probably was. "So here I am, back to sharing our car. And now Sharon has a job, too. I think I'll be doing a lot more walking."

"It'll be good for you," Sharon quipped, patting his tummy. "You'll get to interact more with the citizenry, too."

After lunch John offered to help with the dishes, but Lydia had gotten them half done before everyone had finished their brownies. "Well, maybe a rain check, then." He gave her a peck on the cheek, and shook Asch's hand. "Y'know, maybe you ought to buy that SUV. With only that bike, you don't get over to Easthaven very much. We'd like to see more of you."

Sharon hugged everyone, with the slightest hesitation before hugging Asch, then she gave him a big hug and said, "thank you, sir."

Octavia yawned in spite of herself as they pulled out. "I sure am glad I have only a few days left at Anchovie's. Now that I have a social life, I just have too much to do." She started for the bedroom, and turned to Asch. "You serious about those scuba lessons? You have a few hours before I wake back up. Go find Karen's Dive Shop. It's on the waterfront, halfway between the north and south terminals. The store manager and owner is Karen Janks—rhymes with tanks—and she actually runs the place herself. Her divemaster and fellow instructor is a guy name of Rick Kahurangi. Good guy and a straight shooter, but he looks scary. He has a day job at the north terminal so you might not see him. Tell them I sent you. And be careful; Karen's a flirt." Then she started up the stairs, then stopped. "Actually, you don't have to be careful—have all the fun you want." She winked and scooted up to bed.

-------

Walking into the dive shop felt like entering an underwater grotto. The walls directly ahead and on the right were covered with coral and other detritus from underwater; heavily encrusted wood, assorted fish, diving gear in various states of disrepair, even a burst scuba tank in the corner. The ceiling was painted to resemble the ocean surface seen from below, complete with the bottom of a boat hull and the legs of a diver just jumping in. The decorations surrounded a rack filled with dive magazines and multicolored brochures advertising equipment and adventures. The store proper was to the left, sporting a fairly normal glass retail counter and the beginnings of a showroom that continued off to the right once you got to the counter. He stopped looking around when he saw the short, cute brunette grinning at him from behind the counter. She was wearing a T-shirt printed with strategically-placed eyes surrounded by a dive mask. Considering that she was fairly well endowed, the 3-D effect was arresting.

"I imagine you have to tell a lot of guys where your actual eyes are," Asch nodded at her outfit and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh I don't mind as long as they can carry on a conversation," she grinned back at him. "If ya got it, flaunt it, I always say," and she wiggled her shoulders a little, revealing that she wore nothing underneath.

Asch acknowledged her attitude with another nod. He grinned his appreciation. "Now I'm really glad I came here, but my main purpose is to find out about scuba lessons, and I'm supposed to tell you that Octavia Seemann recommended the place."

"Octavia!" She pretend scowled. "Too bad she got to you first. Now I don't have much of a chance at you at all." She grinned and said, "You must be Asch. Octavia called and gave me a heads up. Said you would be fun to flirt with." She added, "I'm not always this blatant; I actually do run a business. Hang on a sec," and she dashed into the room behind her and came out a moment later wearing a different T-shirt, emblazoned with the motto "Sink or Swim." She turned around so Asch could read "But if you're going to sink, try scuba." She turned back. "That's a little more professional, right?"

Asch acknowledged that, yes, it was a little more professional. But he still found the view pretty enjoyable.

They got down to business. Asch ended up signing up for the next class, scheduled to start the next week. Classes were mostly in the evening, and most of the time in the water was on the weekends. The physical requirements were rather strenuous, and Asch decided he'd better spend some time in the water to get into shape. It was expensive, but the price seemed fair, what with all the teaching materials, instructor time, and included equipment rental. Karen counseled him not to buy any equipment until he was more familiar with the scuba environment. "Besides, Octavia might have some opinions, too, and you probably don't want to get something she would disapprove of," she warned. "And, here." She handed him a challenge coin. "Be sure to have this on your person at all times. If anyone in the scuba community shows you his coin and you can't show him yours, you have to buy them a beer. Goes for the ladies, too."

Asch tucked the coin into his pocket. "Now that I've bargained my life away, maybe I should take a look around, see what I'm getting into equipment-wise?"

She did him one better and gave him a tour. The variety of choices was almost intimidating. Several styles of tanks, regulators, gauges, things to attach to one's wrist, a hundred snorkels, almost as many face masks, fins, more than a dozen varieties of underwater clothing, not to mention flashlights, cameras, knives, reference books, even buckets of dull-looking lead weights. She took him into the back room, a garage-looking place filled with grim-looking tanks of murky water, two large compressors, canisters to filter the air, a workbench cluttered with tools, and unidentifiable hoses and shapeless things hanging from hooks, including hanging from under some steps, a very dusty torn wet suit with a mask and cardboard face arranged to look like a corpse. The steps probably led to a storeroom above. The room reminded Asch of a dairy he had visited—the barn was messy, but the product was pristine white milk.

Asch thanked her as he took his leave. "I might come by with Octavia before my classes start. It's starting to look like these several weeks of classes is none too much!"

"Ha. I'm still learning. So is Rick, for that matter, and he knows a lot more than I do. Served in the Australian navy. Nobody in this field thinks they know it all. Except the dead ones, and they were wrong."

Asch acknowledged the wisdom of that, and headed for Octavia's place to walk her to work.

She was just pulling up when he got there. She hopped off her bike, gave him a quick kiss, and led him into the house. "Go talk to my mom. I'll be down in a minute." She rushed up the stairs and he heard the shower start. Vivian sauntered out of the dining room now turned into a sewing parlor, and she regaled him with her latest needlework activities, particularly the classes that were getting underway, 4-H and Girl Scouts in particular; also a group of older ladies who wanted to socialize and brush up on their skills. She stopped when Octavia came down, white blouse open, revealing the bikini top she was using as an undergarment. "You sure made my daughter come out of her shell," she quipped. "She used to be such a prude, you know."

"Hah. You're the one who came out of the shell. I've always been like this," and she hugged Asch and gave him a distinctly unprudish kiss.

"Scandal, scandal, scandal!" Vivian chirped, raising her hands in mock horror.

Asch gave Vivian a kiss on the cheek, making her do a blush and giggle routine, to everyone's amusement.

On the way to the restaurant, he told Octavia about his visit to the dive shop. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the challenge coin. "She gave me one of these, too."

"AAK! I forgot! Mine is right on the dresser! And I knew she was going to give you one! Now I owe you a beer!"

"Well, I was just showing it to you, not actually—"

"Nope. It counts. You'll just have to come in the restaurant. Won't hurt you to have supper there once in a while."

Asch sighed. "Well, I hate to take advantage of you..."

"Yeah right. You can take advantage of me any time you want, mister" she squeezed his arm, and they walked arm in arm the rest of the way to Momma Rita's.

When they got there, Asch said he'd like to come in the front at about 5:30. He wanted to find someone to join him for supper. Octavia looked at him suspiciously, and said okay.

Asch walked into the dive shop behind the huge, muscular, heavily tattooed, completely bald fellow he had met his first day in town when he had been out exploring, the one who had reminded him of Queequeg. The guy turned around and gave Asch an appraising look, then recognition dawned. "You stopped by about two weeks ago and asked a lot of questions about the maritime business. I wondered if you would come back and buy a boat!" he grinned and offered his hand.

Asch took it. "Well, not yet. I decided to learn to dive first."

"You came to the right place. Rick Kahurangi, at your service. This here's Karen Janks rhymes with tanks, my boss."

Karen smiled. "We met. He's already signed up for next week's class."

Rick's eyebrows shot up. "Hey, that's great. We'll do our best to keep you from drowning. Almost, but not quite, I always say," he grinned.

Asch smiled along with him as Karen rolled her eyes. She had no doubt heard the joke a hundred times. "Actually, I was hoping to meet you, sir. I have an ulterior motive for stopping by this evening. I accidentally showed someone my challenge coin this afternoon and she insists on serving me a free beer at Rita's tonight. I hate to dine alone, so I'm inviting you two to join me for supper, my treat."

Rick and Karen looked at each other. Karen said, "That someone wouldn't happen to be Octavia, would it?" her eyes twinkled.

Rick registered surprise. "Octavia? Good kid. Cool but a nice eyeful. Let's do it."

"Well, okay. I don't have much planned anyway. 5:30 you say? I'll close up and meet you guys there." She disappeared into the back.

Rick looked at Asch. "I live kind of on the way there. I'll rush home and clean up. Meet you there, too. 5:30," and he ran out the door and down the street.

"This is going to be an interesting evening," Asch thought to himself. He picked up a bouquet for Octavia on the way.

Octavia seated them in Asch's usual booth in the back corner. Asch sat so he could see into the room, and Karen and Rick sat with their backs to the room, where Octavia and Mary usually sat. Karen went in first, and her left hand stayed under the table. Rick's right hand was under the table, too. Asch suspected they were holding hands.

Octavia brought Asch his beer and asked what the others wanted. They both made a show of having forgotten their challenge coins and mockingly complained about having to pay for theirs while Asch got his for free.

"That's the breaks, guys," Octavia smirked. She knew good and well they probably had their coins, but if they were nice enough to pay their own way. That was okay with her.

"Hey Asch, aren't you going to take advantage of us?" asked Rick. "You could get a free beer from each of us."