What Are Friends For? by Gerald So

Eight days after her captain scuttled King of the Sea, her owner, Tom King, sat drinking with Chip Baxter, who had previously invested to restore the ocean liner from fire damage. I met King briefly before I served as detective for the ship’s final cruise. He left no impression on me then, but this time I noted his curly red hair, thinning at the scalp yet bushy around the lips. Black-framed glasses magnified bloodshot eyes. Most glaring, he and Chip seemed to be buddies again, when I knew Chip was convinced King had paid the captain off.

King blinked three times before he saw me. “Mr. Stone, I’m so sorry,” he said, slurring his words. “Have a drink with me. Rum?”

“Sure,” I said.

We drank without talk in between, but it was obvious he was here to ask for money, so obvious he didn’t have to ask.