The Bouncing Buns Gentleman's Club

Chapter 15

The drive back to Galveston was long and somewhat lonely except for her companion in the black Ford, which stayed a discrete distance behind but never fully out of sight. The Ford's presence and the knowledge that Tom was near gave some needed relief to Beverly's anxiety, but didn't inspire a complete sense of security.

After all, she thought, had the bad guys not gained access to her boat and killed Dan?

Thinking of his death caused tears to form in her already reddened eyes once more. The more she thought about it, the more anxious she became.

How could they NOT know what kind of car I drive? In fact, it was silly not to believe they would have been watching as I left today. They probably even know the FBI is tailing me, and in what car! Her anxiety was increasing with every mile.

The only sure thing Beverly had to fall back on was in her purse on the seat next to her; the ten millimeter. She had purchased it shortly after residency, when money was a little more available and the perceived invulnerability of youth had faded into the wisdom that comes with increasing age and experience. Beverly knew she was in a line of work with a greater than average risk of something bad happening along the way. It was an occupational hazard. In her case it had gone from being a risk, to an all too deadly reality.

Soon after she crossed the bridge into Galveston, Beverly was closing in on her turnoff to the yacht basin. The closer she got, the more she could feel her anxiety increase. How could she tell Heather and Kevin that Dan had been murdered on her boat, helping her? How would they react? These and a hundred other concerns and questions about the happenings of the last two days intruded on her consciousness and took possession of the time.

She had been lost in thought and before she knew it, Beverly was pulling up to the coded access box at the basin and punched in Dan's number. She hardly had time to wonder how the black Ford would negotiate the gate when she looked in the rear view mirror and noticed it had pulled up close to her and was coming through the gate immediately behind.

Beverly couldn't have noticed at a distance, but a combination of the lighting and the proximity of the Ford as it came through the control gate so closely allowed her a glance at its occupant, a dark-haired man.

Wasn't Tom going to have a female agent follow me? I wonder why they changed the plan? She thought while driving through the gate.

Once in, the Ford faded back into the distance and stayed well back as she found her way to the parking area for pier three. Although she was initially anxious about the change in agents behind her, her thoughts returned to wondering how she would tell Heather and Kevin about Dan. She was glad Tom planned to be there for added support.

Beverly hadn't sat waiting long when another black government car pulled up beside her. Tom emerged looking confident, but grim.

"Thank goodness you were able to be here, Tom. I don't think I could have faced them alone."

"I wouldn't have wanted you to," Tom said. "This sort of thing is part of my job. Not a pleasant part of it, but a part just the same. Are you ready?"

"I'm sick at my stomach, but I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Let's get it over with."

The walk to the end of the pier was a long one without one of the golf carts to take them. Not even the usual sights and sounds on the pier, people cleaning fish, joking over a cold beer, or the occasional hello from a well-meaning stranger could break up the gloom hanging over Beverly.