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feel comfortable. They can stay on the quarantine boat if they want to. They saved your life. I think you owe them at least that much.”
    Bill muttered, “We’d ‘a got out.”

Chapter 8
    It was weird, I mean, it was really weird. I was sitting on the end of a couch in the living room of a houseboat.  Murphy sat at the other end, in an apparent talking race with Rachel, who was in a comfy-looking chair near his end of the couch. All of the windows were open and a comfortable breeze was blowing through. Better yet, the screens kept the mosquitoes outside. I felt safe and anachronistically normal.
    Freitag had gone down a narrow hallway and laid claim to one of the bedrooms, probably asleep already. Some fifty yards away from our spacious houseboat, Bill and Karl were in quarantine on their ski boat, discontented and being quite verbose about it. But it was their choice. So fuck ‘em.
    Through the open windows I heard a boat motor up alongside. Talking jumbled to incomprehensibility with the noise of the boat engine and splashing waves. Several pairs of footsteps clomped along the deck outside. I looked at the door that faced that deck and was not surprised when it swung open. I was surprised when Steph came into the living room, followed closely by Dalhover. My mouth probably fell open as I struggled for something witty to say.
    Steph hurried across the living room as I stood up. She threw her arms around me and we shared a long hug. She shuddered as she buried her face against my shoulder. Any ambivalence I had about sharing what I knew about her fiancée disappeared. Better to let her think that Jeff Aubrey died at the hospital.
    With red-rimmed eyes, Steph pulled away and stepped over to give Murphy a hug—less affectionate, but a hug just the same.
    Dalhover slapped me on the shoulder. “You made it.”
    Seeing an extra helping of sadness in his eyes, I said, “I’m glad you guys did, too.”
    He leaned in close, “There are some things you need to know.”
    “We saw.”
    Dalhover’s face asked the silent question.
    “We were almost back. We were on the mountain. We saw what happened on the boat.”
    Dalhover slowly shook his head. He had more regret in his voice than I thought possible. “We did what we could.”
    I put a hand on his shoulder. “I know. I know.”
    Dalhover looked at Murphy and turned back to me. In a just-you-and-me tone, he said, “I’d ’a thought he’d take it harder.”
    Softly, I answered. “You know Murphy. He cries his tears and moves on. He loved her. I mean, he really did.”
    Dalhover nodded, slapped me on the shoulder again, and stepped over to shake Murphy’s hand and pass along his condolences for Mandi.
    Gretchen came in through the still open door. A wiry, tall man with John Lennon glasses followed her in, closing the door behind him. He said, “You don’t want to let the mosquitoes in.”
    Seeing the questions on all of our faces, Gretchen said, “I’m here now, so I’ll have to stay the full twenty four hours. I hope you don’t mind.”
    Steph nudged me in the arm and said, “She’s the boss.”
    Gretchen announced, “I wanted to talk to you about this Slow Burn thing before we decide to let you guys on the island. The people there are afraid of the virus. I need to find a way to ensure them that you won’t be a danger.”
    Murphy, face strangely absent his smile, answered for both of us. “You don’t need to worry about that. Me and Zed, we ain’t stayin’. We just came to make sure our friends were okay.”
    Rachel was not pleased. “I don’t know what you think you’re thinking, Murphy, but we need to talk about this.”
    Murphy said, “Me and Zed got some killin’ to do.”

Chapter 9
    While Murphy was getting his ear bent by Rachel, I made my way up to the sun deck on the houseboat’s roof. Steph, Gretchen, and Paul all came along.
    As I was taking a seat on one of the long vinyl couch cushions, I asked, “Any news from the outside