Lantern Beach Mysteries Box Set

by Christy Barritt

  “The smoke should clear soon,” Cassidy said.

  “And if Mac comes in—” Ty started.

  “When he comes in,” Lisa said. “He’s here every day. Not even this smoke will drive him away.”

  “Let him know what’s going on, okay?” Cassidy continued.

  “I’m sure he’d love to help,” Lisa said. “Did you call the police?”

  “We talked about it, but we haven’t yet,” Ty said. “They probably won’t do anything. There’s no evidence of foul play, and Skye left a note. They’ll probably insist on waiting at least twenty-four hours.”

  “Yeah, I get that. Please stay in touch. Skye is all I can think about.” Lisa handed them bags that one of her servers brought out and then grabbed some menus as a family came in. “Here’s some lunch for you both—I didn’t burn anything in those bags, but I’m slightly afraid I mixed up the horseradish and mayo. If so, I apologize in advance.”

  “I’m sure it will be great,” Cassidy said.

  Ty placed a hand on Cassidy’s back to lead her away. Another jolt thundered through her at his touch. Why did he have to have that effect on her? The good news was that Cassidy could choose to ignore it. Which was exactly what she would do.

  Just as they stepped out the door, Lisa called to them, and they paused.

  “I’ve been so distracted that I forgot to tell you that someone came in here last night and showed me a picture of the two of you.” Lisa’s eyes narrowed in curiosity. “You were kissing . . .?”

  The picture of her and Ty from last night? Cassidy’s heart accelerated. That was just what they needed.

  “It’s a long story,” Ty said, unaffected by Lisa’s question. “Tell us more about what happened.”

  “This man came in here and showed me that picture on a phone,” she said. “He asked if I knew either of you and said he’d found the phone and was trying to get it back to the owner.”

  The color drained from Cassidy’s face. He was trying to find them. What would he do when he did? “What did you tell him?”

  “I told him if he gave me the phone, I’d return it to you. He didn’t seem to trust me, though, because he held onto the device even tighter before putting it back in his pocket.”

  “And then?” Ty asked.

  “I told him you sold ice cream around town, to look for your truck. It seemed safe enough. I didn’t give him your name, though. Just in case.”

  Cassidy’s lungs tightened even more. “What did this man look like, Lisa?”

  She shrugged. “He was tall and overweight with ginger hair.”

  Ty stole a glance at Cassidy. “You mean, it was Buddy Macklemore, the man who owned the produce stand?”

  Lisa shook her head, worry etched into the lines around her eyes. “No, I know what Buddy looks like. The man looked similar, but it definitely wasn’t Buddy. He didn’t give me his name.”

  It wasn’t a lot, but at least it was something to go on.

  Who was that man? And what was his connection to all this?

  That was what they needed to figure out.

  Chapter 16

  Cassidy and Ty were both quiet—and stunned—as they sat in his truck after talking with Lisa. They munched on their food—shrimp salad wraps with mango jalapeno salsa. Lisa had added some homemade potato chips and seltzer water also.

  It was still gray outside, but it wasn’t raining at this very moment. The dreary weather was beginning to take a toll on everyone, it seemed. Sunny skies seemed like something they’d never see again.

  Keep your eyes to the sun, and you’ll never see the shadows.

  “That guy’s trying to find us,” Cassidy muttered, pulling her arms across her chest. She wasn’t necessarily anxious, but she needed to act like it.

  “The question is: what’s he going to do when he finally does?” Ty rubbed his jaw.

  “Precisely.”

  “And who is this guy?” Ty continued, his hand flying in the air.

  “We need to find someone who knew Buddy and can answer a few questions for us.” It was the only logical solution.

  “How are we going to do that?”

  Cassidy tapped her finger against her knee in thought. “I say we talk to the nosy neighbor again. Maybe he saw something.”

  “It’s worth a shot, and I don’t have any better ideas.”

  Ten minutes later, they stood at the front door of the man staying across from Buddy’s rental. Sissy answered on the third ring, looking as skittish as ever.

  “Can’t you just let a guy have a quiet vacation?” he asked, taking a bite of his apple. “And who are you two? The volunteer sheriffs in town?”

  “We’re two people who are concerned about a friend,” Ty said. “And we have a few more questions.”

  The man had the audacity to sigh. “Fine. You have five minutes. And then I’m getting back to my book. I just got to the part where the hero is about to die at the hands of Nazi terrorists who were sucked into the twenty-third century. Did I mention they’re also vampires? It’s a fascinating read.”

  Cassidy didn’t even know what to say about that one.

  “But please come in before you make me some kind of target,” he said. “I don’t want anything to do with this.”

  Ty and Cassidy stepped inside his place but didn’t go any farther than the entryway.

  Sissy turned to them, his face puckered like he’d sucked a lemon. “Now, what do you need?”

  “Did you see anybody else over at the house across the street?” Ty asked, taking the lead. “Besides Buddy—the man who was renting it—and the girl you called the police on?”

  “And you two. I called the police about you two also. And your little white-haired friend.” He smirked.

  That would be Mac.

  Cassidy fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Besides us. You said there were less-than-savory characters coming and going.”

  He let out another sigh and tossed the apple into a nearby trashcan. “I suppose there was one other person I saw over there who seemed identifiable, now that you ask. Not that I’m nosy or anything. Like I said, I just like to read.”

  “Who’d you see?” Ty put his hands on his hips, looking every bit like a strapping Navy SEAL who’d gone up against terrorists.

  Cassidy could sense Ty’s patience dwindling with every strange thing this oddball said.

  “There was this one man who stopped by a couple of times. He was bald and broad. Kind of reminded me of a bulked-up version of Popeye. He even had a huge anchor tattoo on his forearm.”

  Ty straightened, as if the description rang a bell. “He’s the only one you saw?”

  “There were others, but he was the only one who was distinguishable.”

  “Did this man do anything strange or that caught your attention?” Cassidy asked, trying to get all the information she could.

  Sissy shook his head. “No, I can’t say he did. But who knows what was going on inside that place. Something deadly, obviously. When I let myself theorize, it has something to do with terrorists and zombies. That’s the danger of reading. Fiction and reality sometimes get confused.”

  “Thank you.” Ty took Cassidy’s arm and led her back to the truck.

  “I had more questions for him,” she said, slowing her steps.

  “I know who that man is, Cassidy,” Ty said. “And I want to go pay him a visit.”

  Ty and Cassidy sat in the parking lot of the marina where Jimmy James worked as a dock hand. He wasn’t here, but one of his coworkers told them he’d return soon. He’d gone to pick up some paint for one of the boats.

  Ty had explained to Cassidy that he knew Jimmy James from church and that the man was rough around the edges but seemed to have a good heart. They’d decided to wait for him to return.

  But after all the preliminary information had been shared, an awkward silence stretched between them. Cassidy stared at the marina, at the tall sails from some of the boats. At the bustle of people coming and going from them. At
the well-used dock that was full of ropes and buckets.

  Overall, the place was clean and neat—certainly the people who owned the million-dollar vessels wouldn’t expect anything less.

  The water behind the marina was gray and turbulent, yet it seemed fishing enthusiasts couldn’t wait to get out there and see what they could catch.

  Ty shifted as they waited. “Look, about what happened yesterday—” he started.

  Cassidy quickly held up a hand, jittery inside at the thought of talking about their kiss. “I get it. We were just playing a part.”

  Ty shifted and rubbed his neck. “Right. I didn’t mean to put you in that position. I should have tried harder to come up with an excuse.”

  “I take full responsibility for my actions. I’m a big girl, and I didn’t have to agree to do this.”

  He stared out the window. “I tried to tell my mom the truth, but then she told me she was happier than she’d been in a long time, and that she really liked you, and that she and my dad were nervous about another checkup she has next week.”

  Cassidy reached over and grabbed Ty’s hand. She squeezed it, her heart pounding with compassion as her soft fingers intertwined with his rough, thick ones. “I’m so sorry, Ty. I can’t imagine watching a loved one go through all that she’s been through.”

  To her surprise, Ty squeezed her hand tighter. “It’s been tough. I’ve wondered many times if I should move back to Texas to be closer to her.”

  “And?” Cassidy licked her lips. His logic made sense. But there was something about Ty that seemed to fit here on Lantern Beach like the place wouldn’t be the same without him.

  Which was silly. Because Cassidy didn’t plan to stay here forever. Not even for a long time. Just for a few more months until the trial.

  “You heard her last night,” Ty said. “She doesn’t believe in shackling, as she says, the people she loves. She wants me to be happy, and she knows how passionate I feel about starting this home for wounded veterans. Lantern Beach is a prime area for something like that since so many military personnel are in this general vicinity.”

  “Maybe she could come stay here then. Has she ever considered that?” It seemed like a good solution.

  “That’s a great question. I always figured she wouldn’t want to stay here. I mean, if she has an emergency medical situation, it’s not easy to get to a hospital.”

  “Well, maybe it’s something to keep in mind,” Cassidy said. “It’s obvious your mom and dad adore you.”

  “I really couldn’t have asked for better parents.”

  Ty’s words caused Cassidy’s heart to twist. Did he even realize how lucky he was to be able to say that?

  Before Cassidy could respond, Ty tensed. “There he is. Let’s go see what Jimmy James has to say.”

  Chapter 17

  “Jimmy James!” Ty called, stepping toward the man as he emerged from a truck with a paint can in hand. “Can we talk?”

  The man, who looked just as Sissy had described him, paused. When he saw Ty, he seemed to relax—slightly.

  But seeing the man in person added a new dimension to Sissy’s description. Jimmy James just looked scary. Really scary, in an evil Popeye type of way.

  Ty didn’t seem to notice or care as he hurried up to meet him on the dock.

  “What’s going on?” Jimmy James eyeballed Cassidy before his shifty gaze returned to Ty.

  “Listen, our friend has found herself in some trouble,” Ty started. “And we’re trying to find some answers. We were hoping you could help.”

  “I don’t know what I can do, but okay.” He set the paint can down, his burly arms flexing as he waited.

  “We think this trouble is connected with a person named Buddy Macklemore,” Ty said. “Do you know him?”

  Jimmy James’s gaze shifted yet again, a sure sign this guy could be trouble.

  Cassidy held back, knowing she’d look too suspicious if she jumped right in on this one. Normal people didn’t confront men this big and scary looking.

  “Yeah, I know him,” Jimmy James finally said. “What about him?”

  “Would you mind telling us how you know him?” Ty didn’t look uncomfortable at all by the man.

  Just one more thing to admire about him. Cassidy guessed when you were a Navy SEAL you went up against even scarier guys. He probably knew twenty ways to kill someone and how to cover it up.

  “He came to me with some business,” Jimmy James started. “That’s how I know him.”

  “What kind of business?” Ty asked.

  “He needed some help getting things to and from the island. And I know your next question—what kind of things? I didn’t ask. Figured it wasn’t my business.” Jimmy James talked like a tough guy with short, rough syllables and words that sounded like grunts.

  “Were these things you helped him get to and from the island large? Small? Heavy? Light?” Ty asked, turning away from a sweep of rain that blew across the water.

  It was like Ty had read Cassidy’s mind because that would have been her question also.

  “They were big boxes,” Jimmy James said. “If I had to guess, they were filled with his produce. Nothing suspicious about that, right?”

  “Since he owns a produce stand, I guess not,” Ty said. “But most people who order stuff here on the island have it delivered by the trucks that come into town every day. You were transporting things by boat?”

  “That’s right. He had some guys waiting at a marina in Ocracoke. I went over, picked the shipment up, and brought it back.”

  “Where’d you take it once you got there? To the marina?” Cassidy asked, unable to stay quiet any more.

  “Nah, I took the delivery to this little plot of land off the highway here in town.”

  Little plot of land? The one that they’d gone to based on the address scribbled on the paper Ty had found?

  “Was it between the general store and the campground?” Cassidy asked.

  “It sure was,” Jimmy James said.

  Cassidy knew one thing for sure. She needed to go back to the produce stand again. The sooner, the better.

  Just as before, Ty and Cassidy parked across the street from Buddy’s and ran through the rain that had just started falling again.

  No one was at Buddy’s Produce, which was a good thing.

  After Ty picked the lock, they slipped inside the little door leading to the shed. Ty hooked up the lights that he’d unplugged last time they were here.

  “This time, let’s take turns keeping lookout for any visitors,” Ty said. “I’ll take first shift.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  The smell hit Cassidy as she stepped farther inside. Going on day three of not being opened had obviously produced some rotten fruit and vegetables. She pulled her T-shirt over her nose.

  “What do you think is here?” Ty said, turning away from the front door. “We already know these aren’t homegrown.”

  “Would Buddy really have been so secretive about that?” Cassidy asked. “He said having Jimmy James deliver his stock was a better deal financially, but I think there’s more to the story.”

  Ty peered out the door. “Someone just pulled up, Cassidy.”

  He closed the door and locked it before cutting the lights, leaving them both in total darkness.

  As footsteps pounded across the little porch out front, Cassidy froze.

  The door handle turned.

  Cassidy held her breath and stepped closer to Ty.

  She had her gun, but if she used it, she might blow her cover. Still, she’d rather blow her cover and live than die due to a crime that she hadn’t solved.

  Ty reached behind him, his hand skimming Cassidy’s hip as he scooted backward. She could feel his muscles bristle.

  They both seemed to freeze as they waited.

  Then someone knocked. “Are you open? Anyone here?”

  Cassidy released her breath at the scratchy voice. It sounded like a senior citizen had come by to buy some pr
oduce. Not a vicious killer.

  As relief swept through her, she leaned her forehead against Ty’s back. He turned toward her, and, as her eyes adjusted to the light, she saw the grin curling the corner of his lips.

  His very supple lips.

  Her throat went dry at the thought.

  Ty leaned closer. “I think we’ll be okay.”

  He was talking about the produce stand and the woman out front.

  Not about the two of them. Together as a fake couple. Of course.

  Then why did Cassidy’s heart race so much? Why did she want him to kiss her again? Not a staged kiss this time, but a real one?

  The two of them lip-locking again was a terrible idea.

  Her hands rested on his chest. How had they even gotten there? And when had his hands wrapped around her waist?

  When Cassidy caught his gaze, she saw the look. The desire in his eyes.

  She took a step back, needing to buy some more time before she did something she’d regret. Her hip hit the counter and a cantaloupe rolled off, splattering on the floor.

  She glanced down, scolding herself for being clumsy.

  Then she realized that wasn’t any ordinary cantaloupe.

  No, a bag of drugs had been hidden inside.

  Chapter 18

  Cassidy scooted back until she found the light switch. She flipped it on, desperate to see if her eyes were deceiving her.

  They weren’t.

  There in the middle of the remains of the cantaloupe was a plastic bag full of loaded syringes.

  “I think we know what all of this is about now.” Ty squatted down to examine the bag better, using the edge of his button-up shirt to pick it up. “Wonder what this is?”

  Cassidy could hardly get the words out of her mouth without choking on them. “Flakka.”

  Ty’s gaze caught hers. “Flakka? Are you sure?”

  She nodded, numbness spreading through her extremities. Her head swirled, and she feared she might pass out.