THE JOB THAT MADE ETHAN COLE PART OF GREYHAVEN
Chapter 1
The first thing Ethan learned about Greyhaven was that the town woke up early.
The second was that nobody seemed to understand the meaning of the word quiet.
At five in the morning, the harbor was already alive.
Engines coughed awake.
Chains rattled against metal posts.
Seagulls screamed from the rooftops.
Pickup trucks rolled through the narrow streets with headlights cutting through the fog.
And somewhere near the waterfront, someone was always shouting.
Ethan had spent years around people who knew how to disappear.
Greyhaven was the opposite.
Everyone seemed to know everyone.
The fisherman who lived at the end of Harbor Road knew when the bakery opened.
The baker knew which fishermen had been drinking the night before.
June Parker knew which customers were lying about being on diets.
Walter Hayes knew which trucks would break down before their owners did.
And apparently, the entire town had already decided that Ethan Cole was a man who could fix things.
Which was becoming inconvenient.
He stood beneath a fishing boat at Hayes Marine & Auto with grease on both hands when Walter walked over.
“You free tonight?”
Ethan looked up.
“Depends.”
“On?”
“How much you’re paying.”
Walter grunted.
“Nothing.”
“Then I’m busy.”
Walter smiled.
“Funny.”
Ethan slid out from beneath the boat.
“What do you need?”
“Hotel called.”
“Why?”
“Boiler.”
Ethan sighed.
“Again?”
Walter nodded.
“They want someone to look at it.”
“Why didn’t they call a plumber?”
“Because the plumber wants money.”
“And you don’t?”
“I want you.”
Ethan wiped his hands on a rag.
“That’s worse.”
Walter handed him a piece of paper.
Greyhaven Harbor Hotel.
Ethan looked at the address.
“I thought they had a maintenance guy.”
“They did.”
“What happened?”
“Quit.”
“Why?”
Walter shrugged.
“Apparently the boiler scared him.”
Ethan stared at him.
“Boiler?”
“Big boiler.”
“That’s not an explanation.”
“It is if you’ve met the boiler.”
Ethan folded the paper.
“What time?”
“Six.”
He looked at the clock.
“Fine.”
Walter walked away.
Then stopped.
“Oh.”
Ethan looked up.
“What?”
“Claire’s difficult.”
Ethan smiled.
“So am I.”
Walter laughed.
“That’s why I sent you.”
