“You give off that vibe.”
“Funny, you’re the first person who’s ever said that. Most people always said I’d never amount to anything. If I was lucky maybe I’d get an athletic scholarship. Look at me now. I’m selling ice cream.” Her sarcasm lingered in the air.
Cassidy’s heart pounded in her chest. Had she pulled off the ploy? Did Rose buy it?
Rose frowned again. “We all come from broken families. Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t contact them. Not until the Cobra is behind bars. He threatened our families. If we run to them now . . .”
“You’ll put everyone in danger,” Cassidy finished.
“Exactly.”
Cassidy understood that a little too well. “What can you tell me about this Cobra guy?”
Rose snorted again. “What, are you going to go track him down?”
Well . . . maybe. But she wouldn’t admit it to Rose. “I have connections here in town. I can keep my eyes open for you. We know he’s looking for you. Maybe we can beat him to it.”
“You don’t want to find him.” Rose swung her head back and forth, leaving no questions about her stance on the matter.
“I’m sure I don’t. But I’d still like to know who to watch out for. Did you see his face?”
Rose took a quick chug of coffee. “Only parts of it, enough to know he was a white man. On the taller side. He had a fit build.”
“Hair?”
“He always wore hats and sunglasses, so it was hard to tell. He did have a coiled cobra tattoo on his left bicep.”
That was something, at least.
“Is there anything else? Anything at all?” Cassidy needed more to go on. “Did he walk with a limp or have a chipped tooth or have any strange catchphrases?”
“You sound like you’ve done this before, Ice Cream Woman.” A touch of distrust entered Rose’s gaze.
Cassidy turned away, lifting the bacon from the pan with tongs and putting it on some paper towels. “I don’t know what to say. I like solving problems, I guess. You might have noticed that I like to read mystery novels. Maybe I let them get into my head too much.”
Cassidy had bought a whole stack at a used bookstore, just to keep up her cover.
“Seems like you might be pretty good at it.”
“I’m not. I have no idea what I’m doing. I only know that we didn’t meet by accident.”
Rose sighed, seeming to chew on Cassidy’s words. “I don’t know. I tried not to pay attention to him. I just know he was mean and greedy. Oh, and he likes liver and onions.”
“Liver and onions?” Of all the things Rose could notice, that seemed like a strange one.
“I could smell it on him.” Rose scrunched her nose. “My foster parents used to always make them when I was a kid, and I’d remember the scent anywhere.”
Well, it was something.
Cassidy began frying up some eggs. Her mom had been more of a yogurt and granola type. Fried eggs in particular were something for the uncultured, not for society’s most elite and wealthy. Honestly, they were some of Cassidy’s favorites. The gooey insides. . . mixed with some salty bacon . . . with some toast for dipping.
It was her guilty pleasure.
“I know he has money—and he loves money,” Rose continued. “He’d do anything for it.”
“And this island where he kept you . . . can you tell me anything else about it? How big it was? Where exactly it was located?”
“I was in Charleston when I disappeared.” She frowned and looked away. “I was supposed to hook up with this guy I met online. He seemed great. I thought he might be too good to be true, but I needed to meet him and find out for myself.”
Cassidy had heard these stories one too many times before. She knew exactly where it was going but braced herself anyway.
“We had coffee together, and I was blown away.” Rose frowned, obviously not the type who was used to getting taken. “He was amazing. I mean, simply amazing. We decided to go to a movie. That was my mistake. I got into the car with him. That’s when he pulled out a gun and took me to a marina instead.”
“Was it the Cobra?”
“No, it was one of the men he has who helps him with the dirty work.” She frowned. “He tied me up and covered my eyes. The next thing I knew, I was on this island with two other women.”
“I’m sorry, Rose.” Cassidy’s voice softened with compassion.
The woman still didn’t make eye contact. “The place was pretty small. You could see water from any window. It wasn’t the Caribbean. At least, I don’t think so. I’ve never been. But the water didn’t look turquoise like it does in all them ads on TV. But I couldn’t see land either.”
“How did you get away?” Cassidy asked.
“They left for three days—told us they were going and left us a supply of food and water. We saw our opportunity. We knew we had to get off and get off then. We picked the lock to our room and looked for a phone. There were none. We looked for a boat—anything that could float. We didn’t find anything, so we decided to make our own.”
“How did you even know which direction to go once you managed to make the boat—out of a twin bed and Styrofoam? Very impressive, by the way.” She flipped the eggs. They were almost ready.
“I may not have graduated from high school, but I know the sun goes down in the west. That’s the way we headed.”
“Good for you. And how many days were you adrift?”
“Three nights. Four days. The waters were getting rough, and we didn’t think we’d ever make it to dry land. We were saying our prayers. And then we washed up here.”
Someone who was skilled on the water could probably calculate where the current would drop them off.
So there was a good chance that car last night had been the Cobra—or the Cobra’s men, at least. It was like Rose had said—he was looking for his property. With the amount these ladies were “worth,” he’d go to great lengths to find them. It took time to cultivate enough relationships to replace his “inventory.”
“You can’t tell anyone we’re here.” Rose’s gaze finally latched onto Cassidy’s. “You’ve got to promise me, Ice Cream Woman.”
Cassidy chewed on her bottom lip a moment. Not telling anyone would make it more challenging to find this Cobra guy. But she understood the woman’s concern and nodded. “I won’t. Just do me a favor and stay low. If the Cobra knows you’re here, he’s going to keep looking, and I don’t want to do anything to give away your presence.”
Rose nodded. “I get that. And thanks for letting us stay in your crib.”
“You’re welcome.” Cassidy slid a plate of food in front of Rose, feeling like maybe—maybe—the two of them were finally making some progress. “Now eat up.”
Chapter 14
Cassidy left Rose in charge while she was gone, and the woman promised to fix breakfast for the other ladies.
She had some reservations about leaving strangers in her place, but Cassidy knew she’d covered all her bases. Even if the women snooped, they wouldn’t find anything that would point to her past life—except maybe the guns Cassidy had hidden. But she’d made sure they were somewhere no one would discover them.
As far as her valuables . . . well, she didn’t have any. All her cash was in her purse, which she kept on her.
She needed to start her ice cream route before too long—and she needed to pick up some new inventory at the marina. She was trying a new service with a wholesaler that sent deliveries over by boat. That was the challenge with island life—nothing was easily accessible, including deliveries. And with the women taking a good portion of Cassidy’s food, she was running low.
But first, she stayed true to her word and stopped by the clinic to visit Ty.
No drama, she reminded herself. On the outside or on the inside. But if she ran into Renee again . . . she wasn’t sure how everything would go.
Despite her mental reminders, she still felt a swell of tension in her as she approached his door. She
gently knocked and prepared herself to see Renee again. To her surprise, she heard Ty call, “Come in.”
She pushed the door open, instantly feeling lighter when she saw her friend—even if he was in a hospital bed and wearing an unflattering hospital gown.
Cassidy glanced around. No Renee in sight, but there was plenty of evidence she’d been here. Evidence like the cheerful daisies and the colorful heart blanket folded on the couch and a small turquoise suitcase in the corner.
She closed the door behind her, halfway hoping to shut the woman out for good. If only it was that easy. Besides, Ty might feel differently. Apparently, he did feel differently since he was giving their relationship another chance.
Cassidy placed a cinnamon roll in his lap, reminding herself to keep her distance. “From Lisa. It’s a little late for breakfast, but maybe you can have it as a snack later.”
“You’ll have to thank her for me. And did you try those salt-and-vinegar sugar cookies?”
“I conveniently gave them all to you.” She shuddered.
“Ask her to make you some. They were out of this world.”
“I find that hard to believe.” As much as she liked Lisa’s weird combinations, that one seemed like too much for even Cassidy.
“I promise.” Ty opened the bag and pulled out his breakfast.
Cassidy lowered herself into the seat beside him, an unseen weight pressing on her shoulders. “How are you feeling, Ty?”
“Much better. A hundred percent. They’re even talking about letting me go home later today.”
Cassidy’s eyebrows shot up. “Isn’t that soon?”
“Doc Clemson said the way I’m bouncing back is amazing. I just needed some antibiotics.”
“That’s great news.” Cassidy glanced around, the weight returning to her shoulders. “Where’s your girlfriend?”
He chuckled—although he didn’t sound amused. More like annoyed. “Renee is not my girlfriend.”
“Your fiancée?”
“She’s not my fiancée, either.”
Cassidy clearly remembered the conversation from yesterday. “Are you sure?”
“Am I sure? Of course I’m sure. Why would you even ask that?”
Cassidy licked her lips, trying to choose her words wisely and not sound like a clingy, spurned woman. “Does Renee know that?”
“I’ve tried to make myself clear over and over again, and I don’t seem to be getting through to her.”
“You don’t seem like the pushover type.”
He sighed and pushed his cinnamon roll away. “I’m not, but she has a way of twisting my words. Now she keeps saying she wants to make things right. She changed her wording, even though I think she means the same thing.”
“She told me you were getting back together.” Cassidy clamped her mouth shut, hoping she hadn’t revealed too much.
“She told me you called her deplorable, so obviously she gets things wrong sometimes.”
Cassidy cringed. “Well, I didn’t exactly call her deplorable. I called her actions deplorable.”
Ty’s eyes widened. “You did what?”
“I’m sorry but she pranced out there, talking about how you loved her, and she wanted to move to Atlanta, and I got a little overprotective.”
Ty stared at her, and Cassidy waited for the lecture. She’d been out of line. She knew it then, and she knew it now. To her surprise, a chuckle filled the air.
“I can’t believe you said that,” Ty said.
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry. She needed to hear it and get a good dose of reality. There’s forgiveness, and then there’s forgiveness. I just can’t seem to get through to her that forgiving doesn’t necessarily equate to getting back together.”
Cassidy released a breath, unreasonably happy to learn the truth. “Where is Renee now?”
“She wanted to take a morning walk on the beach. She’s decided that she loves Lantern Beach, and that it’s much nicer than Virginia Beach.”
“That’s where you were when you two met?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s where I was stationed. She lives in Minnesota now. Please say you believe me when I say I didn’t ask her to come.”
“I believe you.”
He grabbed her hand. “I’d much rather you be here.”
Cassidy’s cheeks flushed at the emotion behind his words.
Build those walls back up, Cassidy, she reminded herself. Falling for Ty will only bring you trouble.
She cleared her throat and felt a gleam in her eyes. “Well, maybe it’s a good thing she showed up. I’m a terrible nurse. At least Renee had three months of experience while in school.”
“I have a hard time believing that you’d be a bad nurse. You seem to do well at whatever you put your mind to.”
She shrugged, desperate not to let him see how much she cared—and how much she wanted to be here. “And I have some extremely demanding customers who really want their snow cones and ice pops every day.”
“Now that I can believe.”
“Reports of how delightful my icy cold sweet treats are have not been exaggerated. I’m very much in demand.”
Ty’s eyes were like two pools that tried to pull Cassidy into their abyss, leaving her without escape. “I know at least one person that’s true for. However, I look like a zombie and I’m doped up, so this is no time to pretend to be Prince Charming.”
“I agree. Plus your ex-fiancée is here.”
His face darkened. “Don’t remind me.”
“Your ex-fiancée is here.”
His eyes narrowed. “Really?”
“I’m just trying to make the best of a strange situation.”
“Tell me what’s going on with you. Please. I heard you found a raft that washed ashore.”
“How’d you hear that?”
“Mac stopped by.”
Mac. Of course.
Her heart lurched. If only she could tell Ty everything that was going on. But she couldn’t. So she told him what she could, stopping short of her discovery of the women.
“So do you think it’s refugees?”
Cassidy shook her head. “No, I think there were people on board who were desperate to get away from something—or someone.”
“If that’s true, where are they?”
At my house. She bit the words back. “Hiding out somewhere on the island would be my guess.”
“Do you think they’re still in danger?”
“It’s a very real possibility.”
“I have a guess also—you’re looking into it, aren’t you?”
Cassidy shrugged. “Why would I do that?”
“Because you can’t help yourself.”
“Looking into it would be extreme. I’m just keeping my eyes open.”
“Well, be safe. Please.”
She nodded. Ty knew her better than she assumed. “I will.”
As the door opened, Cassidy withdrew her hand from Ty’s.
Renee stepped inside, a huge smile on her face. Her cheeks were rosy with exertion, and her hair looked victim of the area’s humidity. No longer did it look perfect and bouncy. Oh, no, frizzies had started to set in.
Cassidy found just a touch of satisfaction in that knowledge.
“Oh, it’s you. The neighbor. It’s so good to see you again.” Renee rushed over to Ty’s bedside, practically shoving Cassidy out of the way with her hip. “I brought you some oatmeal, Ty Ty.”
Cassidy smiled. Ty hated oatmeal. It was a texture thing, he’d said.
And this was her cue to leave, despite the way Ty’s eyes pleaded with her. Renee was one problem Ty was going to have to deal with on his own.
Cassidy caught Doc Clemson in the hallway before she left. He was whistling and doing a little dance with a life-sized plastic skeleton while the nurses—his audience—laughed. It was no wonder he and Mac got along so well.
“Do you have time for a quick question?” she asked. “When you’re done dancing?”
“I’m about to eat lunch. If you don’t mind watching me eat, you can ask then.”
“I don’t mind at all.” Cassidy followed him down the short hallway to an office tucked into the back of the building.
“It’s been a busy day with tourist injuries. The ocean is one big bully lately,” he said as she followed him. “People have stepped on broken shells and cut their feet. They’ve gotten tossed by waves. They’ve had terrible cases of I-Forgot-to-Use-Sunscreenitis.”
“Sounds awful.” Cassidy smiled and followed him into his office. She glanced at a picture on his bookshelf. It was of Clemson in surgery, holding a . . . brain? She didn’t ask.
“So how are you doing, Cassidy Livingston? Are you enjoying life here in Lantern Beach?” he asked over his shoulder.
“I am. It’s really nice here.” She slipped into the chair on the other side of his desk. He grabbed a brown paper bag from a mini fridge, sat in his chair, and pulled out a sandwich and fruit, all neatly packed.
“Well, it’s been an interesting summer between the man who was murdered, the drug ring that was busted, and now this raft that’s washed ashore.”
“It has been interesting,” Cassidy agreed, watching her tongue. Doc Clemson and Mac both were the types who made it way too easy to talk. If Cassidy wasn’t careful, she’d pour out her whole story to one of them.
“Now, what can I do for you?” He took a bite of his sandwich.
“I’m curious. I have a question about sailing, and someone told me you were the person to talk to.”
“It’s one of my favorite pastimes.”
“I’m trying to figure out how far a boat would . . . float . . . in four days in the ocean.”
“You mean sail?”
She shook her head. “What if the sail was somehow broken?”
“And there’s not a backup motor?”
Cassidy shook her head. “Nope.”
He took a bite of his sandwich and chewed thoughtfully before answering. “There are a lot of factors involved here, everything from the wind, to the currents, to what’s going on out in the ocean.”
“I suspected that. I was hoping you could ballpark it.”
Lantern Beach Mysteries Box Set Page 45
