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and unspoiled. And Howard hated it with a vengeance.
    A passer-by cast him a curious look and belatedly Howard remembered to smile. “Beautiful day isn’t it?”
    “Yeah, it is,” came the laconic reply.
    Howard saw the plant again, an oily curl of smoke rising from its chimney. The place was killing him, sucking him dry. He couldn’t afford to close it down, and he sure as hell couldn’t sell it. Everywhere he looked he saw it and smelt it, the pungent stink of fish oil. If he was voted in he had plans to turn it into a hotel one day after the marina had been built, and the right people had started coming here. Then maybe he could leave this lousy island forever. In his dreams he lived out in California or maybe New Mexico. Anywhere but St. George.
    He looked at his watch and wondered where the hell Bryan Roderick was. He hadn’t seen him for a couple of days. The election wasn’t far away and it seemed like it would be a close run thing. Too damn close for comfort. He needed Bryan and that brother of his to do something about it, tip the odds a little more in their favour. Howard frowned, thinking about the parcel of land he’d almost given away to the Rodericks. He’d seen right off that he needed them to have a stake in his plans. Howard had always been confident that he could handle the political side of his fight with Ella, but he’d recognized it was foolish to leave anything to chance, and he’d figured if anyone could make Ella think twice about standing against him it was the Rodericks. So far they hadn’t succeeded. He hoped he hadn’t sold them that land for no reason. But then if Ella won it wouldn’t matter. That land would be worthless and he would be ruined. Despite the heat an icy finger scraped along his backbone. Jesus. Where was Bryan?
    In the end he couldn’t wait any longer, and he decided to go and look for Jake. He went into the Schooner and peered around the room. Jake was sitting alone at a table, staring morosely at the beer on the table in front of him. Howard bought him another, and a bourbon for himself and went over. He sat down, wiping the dusty seat first, making sure he didn’t put his arms on the table which was covered in a layer of cigarette ash and a puddle of beer. The place stank of cigarettes and some underlying smell Howard wasn’t keen to identify. Maybe puke.
    “Where’s Bryan? I was waiting for him,” he said, sliding a beer across to Jake. You know, things aren’t looking so good.” He leaned in closer and dropped his voice. “If you two don’t do something about Ella, she could win this election. You want that to happen?” He shook his head in exasperation at the thought. “Bryan said he could take care of her. Seems to me as if he was wrong. Looks like he hasn’t taken care of anything.”
    Jake simply looked at him as if he hadn’t heard. Howard sometimes wondered if Jake was all there. Talking to him was like trying to get sense out of a goddamned ape. Come to that maybe an ape would be easier. He’d heard they were teaching chimps sign language these days. At least if that was true he could communicate with a chimp. He preferred to deal with
    Bryan. Maybe he wasn’t exactly a rocket scientist either, and it’ got on Howard’s nerves the way Bryan thought he was some kind of stud or something. Jesus, he thought every woman on the island creamed her pants when he walked past. But at least he understood what this was all about. Money. The universal language. Where the hell was he?
    “He’s gone, “Jake said.
    “What?” He waited for Jake to repeat what he’d said, but Jake just looked at him. “Gone where? Who’s gone? You mean Bryan?”
    “Haven’t seen him since Monday.”
    Howard’s rising irritation got the better of him. “What is it with you two? You know if Ella wins, you can kiss goodbye to any marina. You’ve got as much to lose as I have if that happens, just remember that.” He jabbed a finger across the table. “You were