Page 36 of Smuggler’s Cove (Twin Lights #1)
Chapter Fourteen
A Seafaring Adventure, Sorta
I t had been a busy week for Madison, Lincoln, and Olivia.
Olivia was charged with the duty of scheduling appointments for everyone involved, no easy task given they were about to close the book for the fall issue of the magazine.
But she knew all about controlled chaos and kept a whiteboard with markers and an eraser on the wall behind her desk.
She got teased about being “old school,” but the system worked.
She would then send an electronic version to whomever needed to know, but it was much quicker to look at the wall than scroll, swipe, click through a myriad of information.
Not only was Olivia an expert in organization, but she was also a bit of a sleuth.
That morning, before Madison got to the office and too enamored by the captain, Olivia wanted to make sure it was clear sailing. Sometimes the puns were just too easy. She smiled at herself. It did not take much digging to find out the main details of Captain Viggo Eriksson.
Name: Viggo Lukas Eriksson
Born: 1983 Bergen, Norway
Relocated to Gloucester, MA—1991
U.S. Citizen—Naturalized 1998
Marital status—unmarried, no records of previous
Education: Graduated from Salem University 2005
Degree in Criminology
Joined Coast Guard: 2005
Became Captain in 2013
2006-2021—Stationed in San Diego, New Orleans, Virginia Beach
2022—Transferred to Sandy Hook
Current residence: Gravely Point, Smuggler’s Cove
Olivia clicked on Google Maps and located his modest house.
She went to “Street View” and saw that the front had stones and several tall grass plants with two Adirondack chairs on the small, front patio.
From what she could surmise, the rear of the property was enclosed with a white fence lined with more seagrass.
At least it’s neat and well kept. But then again, so is he.
She printed out her short dossier and two photos of the house.
Even though she used an incognito window, she deleted her search history from her computer.
One cannot be too careful about spying eyes.
She folded the sheets of paper and slid them into the pocket of her cardigan.
She would share the info with Madison when she got in.
As per her usual routine, Olivia fired up the barista-size coffee maker in the kitchen area.
If Madison was a snob about anything, it was her morning coffee. That and beer and olive oil.
Olivia’s cell beeped. It was Madison letting her know she was on her way up. “Double shot, please.” Translated, it meant she wanted a double shot of espresso in her already hair-curling java.
Olivia heard the ding of the elevator and began her special brew. Madison was coming down the hall. Olivia could swear she was singing.
“Aren’t we in a fine mood today?” Olivia smiled.
Madison gave her a peck on the cheek. “Yes. Yes, I am. And why not? We are embarking on a new adventure.”
Olivia did not want to throw water on Madison’s mood, but the last time Madison was this buoyant was when she thought she inherited a fabulous marina just a few short days ago.
But Madison was resilient, and Olivia was much more confident about the rental.
At least they had seen photos of it and got a good recommendation from the police detective and the real estate agent.
“A newer, new adventure.” Olivia gave her a wink. “I have something for you.” She slipped her hand into her pocket and pulled out the folded sheet.
“What’s this?” Madison asked as she opened the pages. “Oh my. Aren’t you the Miss Marple of the fashion industry?” Madison glanced at the information. “Interesting. Have you thought about doing undercover work?”
“Isn’t that part of my job description?” Olivia gave her a sly look.
“Indeed, it is. Thank you, darling.” Madison returned the sly expression and slipped the investigative work into her bag.
“Maddie, I am very happy you have had a slight change of heart about Smuggler’s Cove.”
“How could I not? I’m embarrassed to think about the crummy attitude I had.”
“Now you can make up for it. Just think, Hannah and Charlie will be able to keep the food truck there, and people will be able to have use of the place, and the amenities.”
“Let’s not get carried away.” Madison took the mug from Olivia and sipped her coffee. She began to walk toward her corner office, then turned her head. “But I was thinking about Hannah and Charlie and the sandwiches. Instead of a drive-thru window, we have a boat-thru window.”
“Huh?” Olivia asked. “Is that a thing?”
Madison tossed her jacket on one of the side chairs. “We can make it one.” She settled behind her desk. “What if we have boaters phone ahead, and then someone brings the sandwiches to them?”
“Sounds interesting. I suppose it could work logistically. But obviously we must run it past Hannah and Charlie.”
“Obviously. I know Lincoln wants to buy a prefab shed, so maybe he can get one that has a pass-through window.”
“I’ll put that on my list for him.” Olivia was always ready with pen and pad.
“What else do we have to do today?” Madison asked.
“Lincoln left a message for the agent in Connecticut, so we are waiting for that call. We must be at the ferry landing by ten forty-five, and then Irene will pick us up when we arrive.”
“Do I have any early evening things I need to get back here for?”
“Nope. I took care of today’s loose ends.”
“You are a miracle worker.” Madison was continually impressed at how Olivia managed things with aplomb.
That was one reason they became fast friends as children.
They always operated as a team. Madison was especially pleased they maintained their relationship all these years.
She was not sure what made her happier: her friendship with Olivia or having Olivia as a sister-in-law.
Then she thought that both could coexist at the same time.
Madison reached into her tote bag. “Look! I came prepared.” She showed Olivia her skimmers.
“Brilliant. And you are looking quite elegantly casual.”
“It’s part of the job.” Madison chuckled. Despite being in the world of fashion, and a honcho at a leading magazine, Madison preferred casual. Not sloppy, but as Olivia put it, elegantly casual.
“Okay, let’s see what my private detective found.” She reached into her bag and pulled out the pages. “So far, he qualifies for the job.”
“What job?” Olivia asked.
“Summer fling job.” Madison chuckled.
“Don’t be naughty.”
“You mean nautical,” Madison teased, and flipped through the pages. “Oh, and we also have visuals.” She peered at the photos of Viggo’s cottage. “Cute place. I like the seagrass décor.”
“It’s appropriate,” Olivia said, grinning.
“Now all we have to find out is if he has a girlfriend.”
“I wasn’t getting that vibe from him,” Olivia said.
“A girlfriend vibe? Is that a thing?” Madison mocked.
“Come on, he was flirting with you.”
“True, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a girlfriend.”
“I guess we’ll find out when you let him know you are renting a house and you would like some clarification about jetties, wharfs, docks, landings, and all that.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” Madison was anxious and nervous. “Plus, he is younger than me. And we know how those relationships worked out in the past. Not great.”
“Do not talk yourself out of this, my dear. I know you too well. If you think something might go wrong, you back away.”
“I most certainly do not.”
“Oh, you most certainly do when it comes to men.” Olivia folded her arms.
Olivia was correct in her assertion that when it came to men, Madison was skittish.
And who could blame her after Seth? New York was a tough town, especially when it came to people with a limited moral compass, and eager to “make it big,” regardless of the cost to others and sometimes to themselves.
“Okay. Okay.” Madison took another sip of her coffee. “Let’s take a look at the rental again.”
Olivia went to her desk and forwarded the link to Madison’s email.
A chime signaled it had arrived in Madison’s inbox. Madison quickly opened it and began to swipe the photos. “I hope it wasn’t photoshopped.”
“Oh, please. You go from yippee to uh-oh .”
“It has been that kind of week. But I have a good feeling about this one.”
Madison went to her early meeting and informed the staff that she was taking the rest of the day off.
Most of them were stunned. Madison rarely took any time for herself.
She was always working, and most of her employees assumed her career was her whole life.
They weren’t that far off the mark. She kept her circle small and didn’t like interacting with too many people.
It wasn’t that she was an introvert or a misanthrope, she was just careful.
Besides her coworkers and exceedingly small circle of friends, she mostly kept to herself, her cats, her brother and sister-in-law, and her niece.
There were a handful of business associates she would occasionally dine with, and there were the numerous industry galas and events, but Madison was always haunted by her father’s indiscretions, and how she reinvented herself.
Some people would think it was an admirable feat, but in Madison’s way of thinking, she was on a slippery slope of being a fraud.
Olivia would argue that Madison had every right to protect herself from judgment, and the chance of retribution, but Madison often thought she was lying to everyone.