by Lynn Cahoon
He laughed and pulled me into his arm. “If that means gossiper, I guess you’re right.”
“Hey!” I tried to pull out of his hold, but he just tightened his grip.
He leaned down and kissed me. “Can I come back after we close up the beach for the night? I should be here before midnight.”
“If you can stand being with a local gossip, I guess so.” I ran my hand down his chest. The guy was pretty amazing, in all departments.
He nodded to Toby, who had just walked up. After he climbed into his truck, he leaned out the window. “I guess I’ll have to take my chances with my reputation.”
Chapter 3
The fireworks show ended with a green shamrock floating in the sky with rockets going off all around it. The display was even better than last Fourth of July had been. The guys had outdone themselves. Of course, the cost was as high as the light show. As the night sky dimmed, the people in my front yard started to gather their belongings and head to their cars or began the walk home.
Sasha, with a sleepy Olivia in tow, was the first to go. “I need to get down to the highway before all those people on the beach get into their cars. Good thing I know a deputy or two that may be directing traffic.” She gave me a quick hug, and I walked with her to the car, opening the back door so she could strap Olivia into her car seat. “Thanks for inviting us. I know Olivia had a blast tonight.”
“I hope you did as well.” I studied my barista. Sasha had been unusually quiet tonight. “Everything okay?”
“Everything’s fine. Don’t mother-hen me.” Sasha turned around after clicking all the straps and clasps over Olivia. She handed her daughter a bag of cheerios and put a sippy cup into her hands. “She’ll be asleep before we get too far, but she’s like her mom; she likes a nighttime snack before she drops off. Thanks again, Jill.”
“You’re welcome.” I watched as she drove off. She’d timed her retreat perfectly as the street to the highway was still clear. I didn’t see a line of cars waiting to merge onto the highway. Yet. Greg and the guys would be directing traffic for a while now that the festivities were over.
As I started to walk back to the party, Amy and Justin met me at the sidewalk. Amy threw her arms around me, and I could tell my friend had probably had one too many of the light beers she loved to sip.
“The party was wonderful, and I was a rolling b. Sorry about that.” Amy finished squeezing me, then leaned into Justin. “Sometimes I don’t know what comes over me.”
“You’re an angel all the time.” Justin, who seemed a lot soberer, pushed her hair out of her face. “Thanks for inviting us, Jill. I really wanted to come.”
Amy’s head bobbed. “He did. He just was thrown off by those awful people arguing with Dustin. Sometimes people just don’t understand there’s rules for a reason.”
I had to smile at this. Amy typically was more of a rule breaker than a supporter of the status quo, but she cared for Dustin Austin. The guy was her landlord, and in Amy’s eyes, he could do no wrong.
“I better get her home and poured into bed.” Justin smiled at me. “Thanks again.”
I watched them walk up the road toward town. They joined a crowd of partygoers heading back to their homes or the bed-and-breakfast room they’d booked for the weekend. The coffee shop would be busy tomorrow morning as people tried to get their caffeine fix to cure their hangovers.
Harrold and Jackie were the last to leave. Harrold had driven Jackie down, and as he sat in his car, he glanced at the wave of people coming up the street from the beach. “If we don’t leave now, we won’t get out for hours.”
“Bye, Jill,” my aunt called from the passenger seat. “I’ll come into the shop early to help out.”
And then I was alone. Well, alone with my dog. Emma had been sitting at the front door watching us and hiding from the fireworks. With the crowd of people, I thought leaving her inside was probably my best bet as I folded chairs and tables and bagged up trash. All the food was sitting in my kitchen, but my aunt had probably already Tupperwared the leftovers and put them in the fridge. I would probably be eating tacos for the next week. Which really wasn’t a bad plan. I finished putting the furniture away in the garage, locked it up, and then glanced around the yard. Except for the full trash can and the bag sitting next to it, you couldn’t even tell there had been a party.
I went inside to clean up the kitchen and wait for Greg. When he hadn’t come back by the time I finished, I turned my porch light on and took Emma and a book out to the front. I had a long leash tied to the porch supports, and I clicked the fastener on her collar. She looked at me like I’d just insulted her and made three circles before lying near the front step to watch the dwindling excitement.
People still passed by, but now they were in small groups of two or three, and there was a lot of room between the groups. The beach must almost have been empty. I opened my book and got lost in a historical romance set in Scotland. Not quite St. Patrick’s Day material, but close.
Greg’s truck pulled into my driveway an hour later.
I set the book aside and watched him walk toward the house. Emma’s tail thumped on the wooden porch flooring as he got closer. He leaned down and gave her head a rub, then came over and sat next to me. He nodded to the soda. “You got another one of those?”
I pulled out a cold one from the small ice chest I’d brought out when I’d decided to read for a while. “Last one. There’s cheesecake in the fridge, or I can make you a couple of tacos if you’re still hungry.” I started to stand, but Greg waved me down.
“I’m not hungry, and if I was, I can make my own food.” He opened the can and drank down half of the soda. “I was thirsty. I bet I had to yell at more than twenty idiots who decided that instead of going home to crash they were going swimming.”
I shivered. “I can’t even imagine how cold the water was tonight.”
Greg smiled. “Pretty chilly. The good thing is, once they got in, they got out just as fast. My job was to keep the next bunch walking by from following their lead. Over and over.”
“So everyone’s gone?”
Greg rolled his shoulders. “Mostly. I left Toby and Tim to clean up the stragglers. I think a few are going to wind up in the drunk tank if they don’t take the warning seriously. Toby’s not in the best mood.”
I thought about Sasha’s mood as she was leaving but decided to change the subject. “I thought the dinner went really well. It’s a strange mix of people, but they all seem to get along.”
“Yeah, I wish my brother had changed his mind and come by. Sometimes I think Jim’s alone way too much. He needs to sell that house and all the memories.” Greg ran a hand through his hair. “Crap, maybe I’m in a mood too. I could just go and sleep at the station. I hate to ruin your evening.”
“Gotta take the good with the bad.” I smiled as I uncrossed my legs. “Let’s go inside and see what we can scrounge up for a midnight snack. There should be some movie on that we could watch.”
Greg unhooked Emma and held the door open for her and me to get inside. “I may fall asleep on your couch. I’m just warning you. Today was brutal.”
“I’ll cover you up with a blanket and finish watching the movie.” I smiled as we went into the kitchen. I grabbed the largest bowl out of my cupboard. “Well, after I eat all the popcorn.”
We grabbed our snacks and drinks, then curled up on the couch. Greg found a comedy we hadn’t seen in forever, and for a few minutes we were lost in the comfort of home and hearth. Then his phone rang. He pulled it out of the clip he wore on his hip and swore as he saw the display. I paused the movie and stood.
“Hey, Emma, let’s go outside.” I heard Greg answer the call as I left the room. I was standing at the back door, watching my dog make her rounds through the dark backyard when he came up behind me. He put his arms around me and kissed me on the neck.
“You have to go.” I
tried to keep the disappointment I felt from sounding in my voice.
It wasn’t a question. I was used to being the girlfriend of the lead detective in South Cove. Even as little as our town was, the chance Greg might get called away from a date or even dinner was higher than when I dated a corporate attorney. And that was fine. But sometimes, I didn’t like it. Like now.
“Sorry, I do.” He sighed. “You’re going to hear about it sooner rather than later, but Toby found a girl leaning up against the rock cliffs. She was sitting with her bike, and he just happened to see the moonlight flash on the chrome. Jill, she’s dead.”
“Go.” I let Emma inside and turned to hug Greg. “Go do your thing. Let me know if you need anything. I can bring out coffee.”
“You stay here. Watch the movie. Go to sleep. I’ll stop by the shop in the morning.” He rubbed the top of my head. “This is a crappy way to end a festival. Everyone’s supposed to be happy and having fun. Now I have to tell some family that one of their own isn’t coming home.”
I watched as he made his way out of the living room and through the front door. I locked the door after him because he stood at the door waiting to hear me turn the locks. He was a little overprotective. But I guess tonight he had a point.
I went back to try to watch the movie but gave up in just a few minutes. I didn’t feel like watching something to make me feel better. All I wanted was to go to sleep and hope tomorrow would be a better day. For at least some of us.
I turned off the lights and went to bed.
* * * *
Sleep didn’t come easy, and when it did, I walked through dreams of St. Patrick’s Day memories. The parade. The people who came into the shop. Having my family over for dinner. And finally, the fireworks, where I found myself sitting next to a young woman with her bike propped against the rock cliff.
She turned to me and smiled. “It’s not a bad view for my last one here on earth.”
My eyes flew open, and I quickly sat up, rubbing my arms. I hated when my dreams were so vivid. So real. Emma laid her head on my lap, watching me with her big chocolate eyes. I absently stroked her head.
“I’m all right,” I said, although I felt anything but. I was shaky from the dreams. I glanced at the clock. I had a little over an hour before I had to start walking into town. “Let’s go for a run this morning. Shake off some of these cobwebs.”
Emma sat back and woofed. I guess she thought it was a great idea too. I ran downstairs to let her outside, brewed a cup of coffee, then took it upstairs to drink while I changed into running gear. After washing my face, I pulled my hair back into a messy ponytail. I looked pale. I’d like to say it was probably because I needed more sun, but I thought my concern over a dead woman I’d never met was more likely the cause. I pointed at my reflection. “Not your circus, not your monkey.” I had enough of my own worries that I didn’t have to take on finding out what had happened to a woman on the beach.
Emma was waiting for me when I came downstairs. I grabbed her leash, and instead of going through the front, I left through the back, closing but not locking the door. Greg would have a fit if he knew my morning routine. It wasn’t the smartest decision, but we would only be gone twenty minutes tops. And nothing bad happened in South Cove.
Usually.
We started jogging down the street toward the beach. Esmeralda was out on her porch, sipping coffee and reading the paper. She waved, and I felt better about leaving my door unlocked. If anyone went inside, Esmeralda would see them. As I passed, she went inside and shut her door. So much for that theory. I shook it off. The house would be fine. I was just anxious about what had happened last night. Deaths happened everywhere. Besides, Greg hadn’t said the girl was murdered, just dead. Maybe she died of natural causes.
Somehow, I knew that wasn’t the case.
Yellow crime-scene tape marked off the area where they’d found the body. It was at the end of my run. Toby was lucky to have even found her; the place was far away from the crowded area where people usually set up beach blankets and coolers to watch the fireworks. You could barely see that part of the beach from this spot. I slowed as I saw Dustin Austin walking a bike toward me.
“Hey, Austin.” He liked to be called by his last name. “What are you doing out this early?”
“Your boyfriend told me to come get my bike. Like he couldn’t have thrown it in the back of his truck rather than just wait for someone to take off on it.” He frowned at me but then let his hand down for Emma to sniff. The man had a soft spot, at least for animals. “If you’re out here looking for clues, there’s nothing over there but the sand.”
“I’m actually running. I do that most mornings.” Well, okay, maybe not most mornings, but it wasn’t unusual for me to be out here, especially when the weather got warmer and it was too hot to run after my shift. The guy’s wife had just died, so maybe I needed to be a little more understanding of his situation. “Look, I’m sorry about Kacey. She was really nice.”
Austin’s shoulders dropped. “I know you think I’m a jerk for what happened between me and Sadie, but I was trying to do the right thing for Kacey. I wanted to be the husband I hadn’t been. After dating Sadie, I knew I needed to be a better man.”
So you dumped my friend and went back with your ex-wife? But I bit my tongue. Discretion might be the best part of valor. Besides, I didn’t want to make him mad, and I didn’t want him to leave, not yet. “It really isn’t any of my business. Was that the bike that was missing from the group who tried to close out their bill?”
“The ones who were yelling when Justin left with Amy?” He smiled. “I figured you might have heard something about that.”
“They came over to my house to watch the fireworks last night.”
He tapped the seat of the bike. “I’d almost given up on seeing this one again. When she didn’t show up by closing, I was planning on charging the cost of the bike off to the guy’s credit card. He looked like he could afford it.”
Justin and Amy had arrived at the party about six. So the rest of them had left this girl and gone back to their hotel? Nice friends. “Did you tell Greg about this?”
“You think I’m a moron? Of course I did. I sent him all the information I had, along with photos of the group.” He started walking toward the parking lot. I hadn’t seen his truck in the parking lot, but honestly, I’d been more worried about what I’d find on the beach. Or who.
“You have photos?” I called after him.
He turned around and stopped. “My security camera takes still shots of everyone who comes in to rent a bike. I would have thought your security would do the same thing. Maybe you need to talk to my guy and upgrade.”
I probably did, but I didn’t want to sink money into a new system. “Maybe. I’ll stop by later and get his name.”
As Emma and I finished our run, my mind was on the woman who had been killed. What had Amy said about the fight? That the man told the woman her friend was going to have to pay the deposit if she didn’t return the bike? Why would they just leave someone who was drunk on the beach to fend for herself? Unless maybe there was someone else with her?
I glanced at my watch and realized I was going to have to run back home and take a really quick shower if I wanted to open the shop on time. Emma and I swerved around, and as we passed by the crime scene, I sent up a quick prayer for the woman.
After my shower, I poured a travel mug full of coffee, said good-bye to Emma, and walked into town. The streets were still filled with green beads and confetti, but the crews were already out, cleaning up the mess. I waved at a city employee who drove by in South Cove’s one and only street cleaner. I couldn’t remember his name, but I knew his story. He typically only worked weekends as the town budget didn’t cover a full-time guy. So he worked in Bakerstown and here, cobbling together a full-time job. Which was what a lot of people did. Including my barista, Toby. I kn
ew he’d drop me and Coffee, Books, and More if Greg even hinted at full time with the police force, but right now, that wasn’t in the cards. Which was great for me.
I arrived at the coffee shop with five minutes to spare. Which I took to open the door, turn on the coffee makers and the lights, and quickly check the dessert display case. I’d just restocked the brownies when my first customer came in.
By the time I was able to take a breath, it was already after eight. The before-church crowd had already come and gone. One woman had picked up enough brownies for her women’s group. I started refilling the display case when the door opened and the bell rang.
A very tired and worn Greg King wandered inside.
I poured his favorite coffee and grabbed a Danish for him, along with a brownie for me. Then I came around the counter and sat on a stool next to him. He drank the coffee like it was food and he’d been without for months.
“You look like heck. Did you get any sleep?” I took the cup and refilled it, wondering if I should be limiting his caffeine or not.
“A couple of hours. Can I go crash at your house? I need some shut-eye.” He bit into the Danish like he hadn’t seen food for days. “And before you ask, yes, the death was a murder. I’ve got to head out to see Doc Ames around two and get a preliminary report. But if I had to guess, I’d say it was poison.”
“That’s rough.” I hadn’t been planning to ask. I could see the distress on his face. Greg took his job seriously, and when someone was killed on his watch, it affected him. “Sure, you have a key. You don’t have to ask.”
He looked up at me. “Yes, Jill. I do have to ask. It’s your home, not mine. Anyway, I’m going to sleep for four hours, then go back into work. Maybe I’ll see you after my shift?”
“Probably not. I’m working late to cover for Toby. We didn’t think it was fair for him to have to work all day yesterday, then come in for a shift here.” I broke off a piece of my brownie and hand-fed it to him.
“You’re a good boss. Don’t let anyone tell you different.” Rubbing his face, he stood. “I’ll see you sometime this week. Just not sure when. Work has become complicated.”
