Last Boat to Sorrow Beach

A commotion from the direction of the Lorelei raised me from my half dozing. I heard two voices--Rusty and Claire's. Claire sounded like she was sobbing.
Marlene sat up. "What's going on?" she asked in general and cocked her ear towards the outside to hear better.
In a minute we were out on the deck, but Rusty and Claire had already cleared the dock and were getting into Rusty's Jeep.
Marlene watched Rusty speed out of the lot and shrugged. "Maybe they had a fight," she said.
"No fight," Santos' voice announced from the dock beside my boat. I had neither seen him nor heard him approach. He stood there smoking a small dark cigar, the setting sun making his scar glow red like a fresh cut in his dark face.
"What then?" Marlene demanded.
Santos drew on the cigar leisurely, exhaling smoke rendered orange by the sun. "Opal Springs police called," he said at last. "Someone killed Claire's mother today." He took another draw on the cigar, then flicked it into the water. "Yes. Someone strangled her in her house." He turned and walked back to the Lorelei as the sun finally sank into the sea.