This Is Living

He set his duffle bag on the floor and returned the smile. "Just came down to take out my boat for an extended vacation."

He stood to prop greasy hands on the glass countertop. He must be a mechanic who doubles as the cashier, Christopher thought. "What slip is she in?"

"Twenty-two.' "Twenty- two? Really?"

Christopher nodded.

"Hell, I was getting ready to yank that one."

"Yank it?" The younger man's brow wrinkled in confusion.

"Okay, terminate your lease, if you want to get technical. She's been sitting in the same spot for three years. Don't know why you folks buy a boat if you don't plan to use it. It's a waste of a good slip, if you ask me. I got lots of customers who want to rent it, and they actually use their boats."

Christopher wanted to tell the man that the boat was not his, but why confuse the issue.

The clerk/mechanic handed the younger man a form, which had to be filled out with his name and address, the time out, and the expected time of return. He frowned in indecision. If Matthew Fox should get his hands on this… "Strictly for security reasons," the old man read his thoughts. "Boats get stolen from time to time, and the police want me to keep an accurate log book."

"Good idea." Christopher handed the sheet back to him. "I'm assuming that the information is confidential though, except to the police, of course."