Memory Reload. Rosemary Heim

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СКАЧАТЬ AJ’s voice squeaked and Kimo paused in his scribbling to look at her. Ryan turned away to peruse a film display, doing everything he could to look disinterested in their topic of conversation as he worked his way around the store to have a better view of them.

      Kimo continued after a short hesitation. “He was tall, skinny. Bad skin, eyes so pale, I’m not sure they had any real color. Seemed to think you’d be in sometime today. Guess he was right. Do you know him?”

      AJ shook her head. “I don’t think so. He asked for me by name?”

      “Yes, but that doesn’t mean much, now that you’re starting to make a name for yourself—” He stopped in midsentence, holding up two canisters and shaking them at her. “You just picked this high-speed film up yesterday.” He pointed at another canister. “That infrared, too. Don’t tell me you stayed out all night shooting your experiment just so you could include it in the opening?”

      AJ’s eyes widened and she shrugged.

      “Ya gotta slow down, girl. You’re so busy shooting the island’s beauty, you never see it. When you get done with that show, promise Uncle Kimo you’ll take some time to look around you, without a camera in the way.”

      “Okay, Uncle Kimo. I promise.”

      “Maybe I could believe you if I didn’t know you so well. But I do.” Kimo shook his head and returned to writing the work orders. “I’d talk to David if I thought it’d do any good, but it wouldn’t. You and he are too alike to be together so much.”

      The color drained from AJ’s face. Her eyes closed and she bit her lip. Kimo never looked up from his task so he missed her reaction.

      “It was different when Justin was still alive.” Regret colored Kimo’s words. “He balanced you two. But now all either one of you do is work, work, work. That’s no kind of life.”

      It didn’t take a genius to see how much the mention of the two men’s names had shaken her. Ryan took a step toward AJ but stopped at the tiny shake of her head.

      “How soon can I see these?” Her voice cracked and Kimo pinned her with a stern look.

      “Tomorrow. You go rest, before you collapse.”

      AJ opened her mouth, but closed it again without voicing a protest.

      Ryan decided it was time to move in. He walked over beside AJ, smiling at her as he leaned sideways against the counter, facing her. “Hi.”

      “Hello.” She gave him a once-over. The slight pause seemed to give her enough time to regroup. She turned her attention back to Kimo. “It’s still early. Are you sure I can’t see that film today?”

      “Tomorrow.”

      “Fine. I’ll see you tomorrow morning. At nine.”

      “Ten and not a minute before. Go home.” Kimo glanced at Ryan. “And watch out for strangers.”

      She shook her head at Kimo, looked Ryan up and down one more time.

      He straightened away from the counter and watched, fascinated as a blush tinted her high cheekbones. He winked at her and her blush darkened before she turned on her heel and left the store. The bell jangled as the door closed behind her.

      “Can I help you?” Kimo was all business. The laughter he’d shared with AJ clearly didn’t extend to a stranger.

      Ryan dragged his attention from AJ’s retreating figure and turned back to the counter. “Nice lady. Are you really her uncle?”

      Kimo waved a hand in the air. “I watch out for her. It’s a responsibility I take very seriously.” His midnight-dark eyes stared at Ryan, taking his measure and warning him all in one look. “You’re a bit off the tourist track. Where can I give you directions to?”

      “Nowhere, really. I’m staying with a friend up on the north shore and thought I’d explore some of the neighborhoods.” Ryan smiled his easy, not-to-worry smile. “Do you have any of those disposable cameras? I hear they work pretty good.”

      Kimo pulled one from the shelf behind him and thumped it onto the counter. “That’ll be $15.85. Anything else?”

      Ryan grinned as he tossed a twenty onto the counter. “Any chance you’d give me the lady’s name.”

      “None. But if you’re really interested, she’s got a show going up at a gallery in a couple weeks. If you’re around that long, you could look her up then.”

      “Sounds good. Which gallery?”

      “If you’re still around, I’ll tell you then.”

      “Fair enough. Something tells me she’s worth sticking around for.” He picked up two store business cards from the small seashell card holder on the counter and tucked one into his shirt pocket. He flipped the other over and wrote on the back, before handing it to Kimo. “If she happens to ask, will you give this to her?”

      Kimo read the note on the card and looked back at Ryan. “Pretty confident, aren’t you?”

      “It never hurts to be optimistic.”

      The two men stared at each other for a moment, then Ryan tapped the counter with his camera and left the store.

      He paused as the door swung shut behind him. Worth sticking around for, huh? Now wasn’t the time to delve into that thought. Sliding his sunglasses back on, he scanned the street, then sauntered back to the ’Vette where AJ waited for him.

      “Did he tell you anything?” She slid into the passenger seat and turned to face him. Her voice fairly vibrated with excitement.

      As he sat next to her in the driver’s seat, he noticed a lanky-looking man in an ill-fitting black suit leave the coffee shop carrying a small brown paper bag, but no coffee cup.

      “Not much. You have a show going up at a gallery in a couple weeks.” He reached for the ignition, but stopped with the key halfway in the slot. His yellow-alert status bumped up to red.

      The coffee-shop patron was unlocking the passenger door of the navy sedan.

      “My show? I’m having a show? Where? What gallery?”

      Ryan watched the man get in and duck out of sight.

      “Well now. Don’t that beat all?” The man reappeared, got out of the car and locked the door.

      “What?” AJ looked around. “What are you talking about? What’s going on?”

      Ryan nodded across the street. “Does the man crossing the street look familiar?”

      AJ watched him tuck the brown paper bag under his arm and jog across the street to another nondescript sedan, this one a dark green. “No. Should he?”

      “Tall, skinny, couldn’t quite tell about his skin, but you must admit, that was one ugly tie.”

      She looked at him with wide eyes. “You think that’s the man Uncle Kimo mentioned?”

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