Stranger's Game

by Colleen Coble

  “I’ll thank him with a lobster dinner.”

  Her husband, Pete, was a burly guy and a Marine Embassy Guard. He was used to guarding ambassadors and heads of state. He was home for the next month, and Hailey was safe with him. Danielle had suggested it once she had heard about Hailey’s abduction.

  Danielle splashed her feet in the water. “I don’t get why anyone would try to take you out, Joe. What’s the end game?”

  “I wish I knew. This is the second explosion that’s been set. I think someone is targeting our research with the sea lions, but I can’t figure out why. It’s not like the three we have here are the only ones protecting the area. The Navy has more, and they’re fully trained.”

  “The new sub is coming. We’d thought it had something to do with that, but why target here? King’s Bay is nineteen nautical miles away. If they’re going to send in a hostile swimmer, it won’t be up here.”

  “True enough.”

  Could it have anything to do with Torie’s investigation? That seemed even more far-fetched. What could be on Jekyll Island that would attract a hostile swimmer? It’s not like the place swarmed with millionaires or hidden treasure.

  Simon swam to the side of the pool and bumped Joe’s leg as if to say, Hey, give me more food. Joe touched the sea lion’s nose. “Sorry, big guy. All gone.” He held up his empty hands to demonstrate.

  Simon barked again and dove down to the bottom to snare a plastic ring he liked to play with. He tossed it in the air, then caught it on his nose. Joe could almost see him smile.

  “Did you hear from the Navy about any evidence they retrieved from the site of the explosion?” Danielle asked.

  “Yeah, I talked to Chen. They found a few bits of wire and traces of the explosive but nothing that would provide any certainty on who tried to kill me. A common explosive and wire. They didn’t find the detonator or any sign of the swimmer.”

  “Too bad Simon escaped without the cuffs. We could have nabbed him.”

  “Though he might have drowned by the time help arrived.”

  “You have any enemies, Joe? Someone you ticked off when you started your own research lab?”

  He started to shake his head, then reconsidered long enough to think about it. “Owen Hamilton probably doesn’t hold me in high regard. He was supposed to be my partner but couldn’t come up with his half of the money, so I went with Ajax instead. He hasn’t spoken to me since. But he’s in San Diego, and I hardly think he’d send an assassin to take me out. What would be the point? He wouldn’t gain anything.”

  “What would your failure do to the Navy? Anything?”

  He had to chew on that for a few minutes because he’d always had an excellent relationship with them. “They’d have to get their sea lions from San Diego, but that would be no big hardship.”

  “When is Simon supposed to be transferred to the Navy?”

  “In a couple of weeks. He’s nearly ready.”

  “And the war games will be going on there. Is it possible some place like Russia would want to whittle down the numbers of sea mammals out there working the area?”

  He straightened and looked at her. “You might have something there. One of the sea lions they have is getting old and too infirm to patrol for more than an hour at a time. Chen has been pushing me to get Simon up to speed because he needs him.”

  Joe reached for his phone. “I’d better call Chen and mention it. I could go ahead and let him take Simon. He’s my buddy, but he proved his worth today. He’s ready to protect the country.”

  Chapter 24

  She should be in bed, not sneaking around her office at midnight.

  Torie suppressed a yawn and clicked on another security camera file. The police had released the files back to the hotel, and this was her first chance to review them. After the scare with Hailey yesterday, Torie had a fresh urgency to track down what happened to Lisbeth. It would kill her if something happened to another person she cared about—especially sweet Hailey. Or Joe.

  Joe had distanced himself from her. The pain of that still gripped her heart, but she had to hope he would understand. In the meantime, she had to focus on her purpose here.

  Was Joe right and the guy had something personal against her? If so, why? She was a stranger to most people here except for her aunt. But all this had started well before her identity had become known. None of it made sense.

  When she’d told her dad about the incident with Hailey, he wanted Torie to abandon her quest as well. And she’d nearly succumbed to his pleas until she ran across a picture of Lisbeth and her at Poipu Beach on Kauai. Someone had snuffed out her friend’s smile and the joy of life in her eyes. That person couldn’t get away with it. Not while Torie lived.

  With one eye on the screen, she pulled a pad of paper toward her and jotted down things to research.

  Look for the missing journal pages.

  Talk to friends of Bella’s. Someone has to know something.

  Talk to Kyle.

  Question my aunt.

  That third bullet point made her stomach clench. The guy was just plain weird, and she didn’t like being around him. But she couldn’t let her distaste stand in the way of getting at the truth.

  A movement on the screen caught her eye, and she gave the file her full attention. This file was of the night Bella died, and the camera focused on the side door by the laundry room. She gasped when she recognized Bella slinking out the door. She paused and glanced around as if she was making sure the coast was clear before she stepped around the landscape bushes and walked toward a waiting car.

  The interior light in the vehicle came on, but the person’s head was turned away from the camera, and the picture was too fuzzy to make out much. She thought it was a man with longish hair, but it could have been a woman with short hair. And what was the make of the car? It was a sedan, but there wasn’t enough light to discern the color. Maybe light green or blue but it could be gray. She wasn’t good at determining make and model, but Joe might be. Or she could look it up.

  She took a snapshot of the frame and printed it out. As the vehicle pulled away, she got another shot and sent it over to the printer too. It had been much earlier than when Torie had discovered Bella’s body so it might or might not be pertinent. At this point, everything mattered though.

  Seeing Bella in the video strengthened Torie’s resolve even more. Just three days ago, the young woman had been alive and well. It wasn’t fair.

  She scrolled through the files on the computer and found the one of her hotel floor the night Bella died. It might show the killer entering Torie’s room. She fast-forwarded it to eight o’clock and watched various couples walk the floors. At eight thirty, the picture went out. Just—nothing. She let it play, but the rest of the file was blank. Had someone done something to the camera or the file?

  The door opened behind her, and she whirled toward the sound. Her stomach clenched when she recognized Kyle’s hunched shoulders and wild red hair. What was he doing up so late?

  He put his big hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. “What are you doing here so late, Ms. Bergstrom?” His voice held a sneer. “And why are you even working? What are you doing in my department—trying to get me fired?”

  So at least her aunt hadn’t revealed the reason for the deception. And what right did he have to be upset about it? His attitude could get him fired, and she’d be glad to do it. She’d never met a more distasteful person.

  She fixed him with a stern stare in keeping with her true identity. “There have been some irregularities at the hotel, and I’m trying to track them down. Those things don’t involve you.”

  His brown eyes lost a bit of their suspicion. “You don’t say. What kind of irregularities? Maybe I can help you.”

  “They involve Lisbeth Nelson.”

  “You think she stole money or something?”

  That reason could play as well as anything for making inquiries about Lisbeth. “We’re not sure. Was she dating anyone?”
>
  “Maybe. She didn’t seem interested in seeing me, at least. I asked her out several times.”

  Her friend would never have been interested in Kyle in a million years. At least now that he knew who she was, he kept his gaze on her face and didn’t let it roam any lower. But he was still going to have to face HR when she was done here.

  “Did you ever see her with a man?”

  “Not that I recall. She and Bella hung out a lot. Of course, they were roommates so that makes sense.”

  “Did you know Bella well?”

  He shrugged. “We went out a couple of times. She wasn’t my type though, even before she got engaged.”

  “Was she seeing anyone other than her fiancé? Someone who might have wanted to harm her? Was her fiancé the jealous type?”

  “Bella ran through men like water through a hose. I overheard her arguing with her fiancé several times. I expected her to take off that big rock on her hand any day.”

  “What about her female friends? Anyone besides Lisbeth?”

  “Well, she and Felicia were tight. At least for a while. When Lisbeth moved in, they had some kind of tiff.”

  This Felicia was someone Torie needed to talk to. “Where can I find her?”

  “She works as a hostess in the dining room.”

  Torie would have breakfast there tomorrow and see if the woman would talk.

  * * *

  Torie still hadn’t heard from Joe even though she’d sent him a good morning message. But then, it was only six.

  She stood at the entrance to the dining room and waited for the hostess. Now that everyone knew who she was, she’d donned her usual attire—linen slacks and a red silk blouse under a matching linen blazer. But somehow the elegant apparel felt wrong for the new Torie.

  Habit was hard to break, and it would be even more difficult to throw off the shackles of expectation and privilege. It would take her constant focus to do it.

  An attractive brunette of about thirty approached. “Good morning, Ms. Bergstrom. Table for one?”

  It was early, and there were no other diners yet. “Actually make it a table for two and join me for a few minutes.” She let an imperious tone creep into her words. “You’re Felicia, right?”

  The woman colored and ducked her head. “Yes.”

  “You’re not in trouble. I just wanted to talk to you for a moment. Can you call someone else to take your place for fifteen minutes? I won’t keep you long.”

  Felicia gave her a level look from her brown eyes and nodded. “Just a minute.” She walked over to a server and spoke a few words, then rejoined Torie. “She can help out a few minutes. This way.” She picked up a menu and led Torie to a table in a corner. “I told her to bring you coffee.”

  Torie smiled. “The word is out that I like my java.”

  “Yes, Ms. Bergstrom.”

  Torie debated on whether to tell her to call her by her first name, then decided against it. Maybe if she feared her a little, she’d be forthcoming.

  Torie settled in a chair and pointed to the one across the table. “Have a seat. I hear you were good friends with Bella.”

  Felicia eased onto the chair and nodded. “I still can’t believe someone would kill her.” Her voice trembled, and she adjusted a wrinkle in the white tablecloth.

  The server brought a steaming pot of coffee with a deliciously strong aroma and filled Torie’s cup. Torie thanked her and added cream.

  She took a sip. “Did she say anything to you about Lisbeth Nelson?”

  Felicia’s gaze shot to Torie, and her eyes widened. “You’re here about Lisbeth?” She rose and turned.

  “Wait! Sit down.”

  Felicia’s mouth was tight as she turned and sank back into the chair. “This has nothing to do with my job. You have no right to fire me for refusing to discuss something personal.”

  “I’m not going to fire you. Lisbeth was my best friend. I believe she was murdered, and I think Bella knew something about it. Maybe the same person who killed Lisbeth killed Bella.”

  Felicia’s gaze searched hers, and the anger in her eyes ebbed. “Bella never believed she killed herself, even though she said—” Her gaze fell away to the hands she’d clenched in her lap.

  “Even though she lied about her being on antidepressants because she was depressed?”

  Felicia bit her lip and cautiously raised her gaze again. “You know about that? Bella didn’t want to put the pills in her things.”

  I was right. Torie tried to keep the elation from her voice. “Then why did she plant evidence? Why did she lie about the depression?”

  “She was talked into it.”

  “By whom?”

  Felicia hesitated. “I don’t know for sure, but I thought it was Jason Graham, her fiancé, though she never admitted it. He held way too much influence over her. I never liked him. He’s the controlling type, even though nearly everyone else thinks he’s this great guy. She just said it was necessary for her to do it to stay out of trouble herself.”

  “Did someone blackmail her into planting the bottle of pills?”

  “I never thought about blackmail. I thought she did it because she was talked into it.”

  “What exactly did she say?”

  “She said something big depended on her. That if she didn’t do it, the plans would fail. She would never tell me what plans she was talking about.”

  It made no sense to Torie. Lisbeth was poking into her mom’s death, but even if it hadn’t been an accident, an eighteen-year-old murder couldn’t upset any kind of current plans she could think of.

  Had Lisbeth stumbled into something unrelated to Torie’s mother’s death?

  “Her reference to plans seems odd.”

  “Especially here where nothing ever happens. But she wouldn’t budge when I asked her.”

  “Did she ever mention a hiding place in the cottage where she lived with Lisbeth?”

  Felicia glanced back at the hostess stand as a couple entered. “I’ll have to go in a minute. Bella never mentioned a hiding place, but I’ve lived in some of the cottages. In most of them there is a hidden safe in the back of the closet in the spare room. You might check there.”

  “Thank you for your help, Felicia. I really appreciate it.”

  Felicia rose and hesitated. “I hope you find out what happened. Lisbeth was so sweet. Everyone who met her loved her. She asked some questions about your mom. Was that her real reason for coming here? She talked Bella into letting her look around the abandoned apartment.”

  Felicia hurried off with a pasted-on smile to greet the guests. Torie took another sip of coffee. What kind of plan could be happening here? A big drug run? It would be easy for boats to dock and transport them. Bella’s fiancé could be into something illegal.

  Torie ordered an omelet and pulled out her phone to make notes of things to check. Talking to Jason Graham would be first on her list, and she wanted to check on the hidden safe. She’d either missed it or it hadn’t been installed. She had only done a cursory check of the closets, looking for a shoebox or something.

  A male voice jerked her out of her thoughts. “Hello, Torie.”

  She looked up and her heart dropped. “Matthew.”

  “I was hoping I’d run into you again by yourself. I never did apologize for treating you so badly.”

  “No, you didn’t, and it’s a little late now. I heard you married Mary.”

  He twisted his wedding ring on his finger. “I did, but it was a mistake. I should never have let you get away.”

  She shrugged. “Only because you think you’d be running Bergstrom Hospitality by now. You never loved me. And let’s face it, I never loved you. I’m worth more than my money, Matthew. And I’m glad I didn’t settle for something less.”

  Leaving her omelet, she rose and walked away. It felt good to tell him the truth. Glancing at her phone, she saw there was still no message from Joe. She could either let this awkwardness stand or she could march over there after breakfast and
demand he deal with the situation.

  Empowered by telling Matthew the truth, she decided this was a good time to do it.

  Chapter 25

  Holding a grudge would get him nowhere.

  Joe downed coffee and looked at the clock. Seven in the morning. Torie would still be in her room, but he didn’t know what to do with Hailey while he went over there and cleared the air with Torie.

  Her lie had shaken his belief in her. If she’d hidden who she was from him, what else hadn’t she told him? He’d always prided himself on being a good judge of character, but this had blindsided him.

  And where did that leave those deeper feelings he had swirling in his gut?

  And she was a Bergstrom. A future with her seemed a ridiculous notion now. He’d worked his way through college. He and Julie had lived on a shoestring in the early days. Most of the baby things they had for Hailey had been secondhand. The idea of a romance between him and Torie washed away like seaweed on the tide.

  The doorbell rang, and he checked his watch again to make sure he hadn’t looked at it wrong. Nope. Five minutes past seven. Who would be here this early? Maybe the police had caught the guy who took Hailey.

  But as he neared the window, he recognized Torie’s elegant updo and the proud way she carried herself. Her manner and bearing all made way too much sense now.

  He unlocked the door and opened it. “You’re out early.”

  “I didn’t get much sleep.”

  And the dark circles under her eyes spoke to the truth of her statement. Her braid looked a little messy, but she wore a power suit that proclaimed her true identity.

  He stepped out of the way for her to enter, then shut the door behind her. “Coffee?”

  “I’d like a whole pot.”

  Her wan smile stopped the recriminations on his tongue. There would be time to talk about it after they’d both had some coffee and breakfast.

  She followed him to the kitchen, and he poured her a large mug of java. She wrapped her fingers around it and took a sip. “Heavenly. Just what I needed. How’s Hailey?”