She nodded. “Always.”
“But you left them in my care.”
“If you hadn’t come after me, I would have gone back and found a way to watch over them. They’re my responsibility.”
“You may need an island after all. You told me about all the hazards that threaten wild dolphins. Are you sure you won’t want to bring them home to a safe haven?”
“No, I’m not sure. It depends on the conditions. If you have control of the project, you’ll have power to protect the dolphins.” Her lips tightened. “If not, we may gather all of them up and take them to safety.”
He chuckled. “I’m not sure this place would support all those hundreds of dolphins, but we could try.”
She shook her head. “I’m going to deed the island to the Save the Dolphin foundation in Carolyn’s name. That will be a constant source of irritation to Phil. I’m sure he thought I’d eventually deed it back to him. No ship. No island. He’ll have to start over.”
“I don’t think so.”
There was a note in his voice that made her gaze fly to his face. “No?”
He shook his head.
“Dead?” she whispered.
“He had a fall off the cliff.”
“You?”
“No. And that’s all I’m going to say about it.”
Then it must have been Nicholas. She was silent, letting the knowledge sink in. All those years working with and protecting Phil. It seemed strange to realize he was gone. She finally said, “I don’t feel anything but relief. I was so afraid. He would have kept on trying to take Marinth away from you, and I couldn’t have let that happen. It’s everything to you.”
He smiled. “Not nearly everything.”
“That’s good to know.” She glanced back again at the island. It looked smaller, lonelier from this distance. So many years, so many memories of Pete and Susie.
Yet there were better years to come, richer memories to create. So what if she felt just a little sad? Deal with it.
And she knew just how to do it.
She reached out and covered Kelby’s hand with her own.
Wonder.
Bantam Books by Iris Johansen
Fatal Tide
Dead Aim
No One to Trust
Body of Lies
Final Target
The Search
The Killing Game
The Face of Deception
And Then You Die
Long After Midnight
The Ugly Duckling
Lion’s Bride
Dark Rider
Midnight Warrior
The Beloved Scoundrel
The Magnificent Rogue
The Tiger Prince
Last Bridge Home
The Golden Barbarian
Reap the Wind
Storm Winds
The Wind Dancer
FATAL TIDE
A Bantam Book / September 2003
Published by
Bantam Dell
A Division of Random House, Inc.
New York, New York
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2003 by Johansen Publishing LLLP
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law.
Bantam Books is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc., and the colophon is a trademark of Random House, Inc.
Visit our website at www.bantamdell.com.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Johansen, Iris.
Fatal tide / Iris Johansen.
p. cm.
eISBN 0-553-89797-7
I. Title.
PS3560.O275F37 2003
813'.54—dc21
2003044391
Published simultaneously in Canada
v1.0
Iris Johansen, Fatal Tide
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