Seagrass Pier

by Colleen Coble

  “You look very nice. I like your hair loose.”

  Maybe she should have put it up. “Thanks.” He was eyeing her like he might lunge at any minute. “You look nice too.” And he did. His khakis appeared new, and the light-blue shirt he wore was a good foil for his blond hair and blue eyes.

  She led him down the entry hall to the living room on the right. “I’ll be right back. There are chocolate-chip cookies on the coffee table.”

  “My favorite.” He looked around. “Nice room. I like sea cottages. They make it feel like summer all the time. And this peach lets me know we’re at the beach.”

  “This place was a wreck when I bought it. It’s been fun to fix up.” The old plantation cottage had been in bad disrepair. She’d refinished the maple floors and repaired the plaster walls. The last bathroom had just been redone too. “I’ll be right back.” She went down the hall to the kitchen, painted a pale yellow.

  She put down the flowers and leaned against the counter, then inhaled. What was she doing? How could she blithely date another man when her heart still wanted only Josh? It wasn’t really fair to Ben to get his hopes up. She could see this would end in heartache for him. He liked her way too much already. Could she ever feel anything for him? He was handsome enough.

  But he wasn’t Josh.

  She was tempted to call Elin and ask her to call with an emergency. Shaking her head, she found a vase and filled it with water. She could handle one evening. Only time would tell if anything could come of this. She’d never expected to fall for Josh either. It just happened out of the blue. Lightning could strike again, couldn’t it?

  Carrying the vase of flowers, she went back to the living room where Ben perused the pictures on her shelves. He had a picture of her with the Coastie team in his hands. Josh had his arm draped casually around her shoulders in the photo. That had been a fun day. They went windsurfing and sat around a fire on the beach. An eternity ago when Josh hadn’t been avoiding her like she was a man-o’-war who might sting at any moment.

  He turned when she put the vase on the coffee table. His gaze was warm as it swept over her. “You’ve been with this team awhile?”

  She nodded. “Three years. We work well together.”

  “You and Josh look pretty cozy. You ever date him?” His tone was too casual.

  She bristled, then realized he had a right to wonder if she had any kind of relationship going on. What could she say, really? In spite of all her hopes and dreams, nothing had developed with Josh. She needed to accept the fact that nothing ever would.

  She shrugged. “I’m good friends with all my team. We hang out, watch movies, and joke around. You know how it is.”

  “Yes, I sure do.” He put the picture down.

  Two could pry. She might as well find out about him too. “How about you? Any serious relationships?”

  “I’m sure Elin filled you in. I was her brother-in-law once upon a time. And married to her friend Kerri.” His grin widened. “You know how it is when you’re in the military. You get shifted around too often to build a relationship if the spouse doesn’t understand.”

  “Is that what happened with you and Kerri?”

  He shrugged. “We just had different goals in life. She hated traveling, and I took every assignment I could. But I’m tired now, ready to settle down.”

  She inhaled and turned away at his admission he was ready to settle down. She’d thought she was too, but not with just anyone.

  He came up behind her, and his breath stirred her hair. “Good job on that boat interception the other day. I hear one of the guys threw something overboard.”

  She turned to face him, then stepped back. He was a little too far into her personal space. “My friend and I found one of the boxes on the beach near her home. Heroin.”

  “No kidding. Our job of keeping out the drugs gets harder and harder. I heard we’re looking for a drug lord out of Miami. I’ve been looking for him, but no luck so far.”

  “We haven’t seen him either. He’s pretty elusive from what I hear.” She was bored with the conversation, but it was better than talking about Josh. Poor Ben’s small talk proved he was just as nervous as she was.

  She grabbed her purse. “I’m ready if you are.”

  His ready smile came back. “Sure thing. I’m ready for some seafood and Spock.”

  She smiled and followed him to the door. Maybe this evening wouldn’t be so bad. He was a nice enough guy, right out there with how he felt. She didn’t see him taking one step forward and two steps back in a relationship.

  TWENTY-TWO

  The SUV sped through the labyrinth of streets in Virginia Beach. Once Sunday lunch was over, they’d decided to make a quick run to try to catch Bambi. Abby and Josie had gone to town with them and would spend the afternoon at the festival again. Her mom and Kalianne were working in the garden.

  Elin just had to figure this out. Then maybe the dreams would stop. Maybe then she could get her life back. She consulted her phone’s GPS and pointed for Marc to turn right. He whipped the vehicle around the corner and slowed to stare at the numbers on the houses. “There it is.”

  The house was a neat beach bungalow with weathered gray shake shingles and white shutters. Honeysuckle rambled up the porch railing and spilled over the rock rim of the garden. The plant climbed so high, she could only see the movement of the swing and the dim outline of the people in it as it lazily swung back and forth.

  Marc turned off the SUV. “Ready?”

  She inhaled and nodded, then swung open her door. Would the woman recognize her from the newspaper article? And what about the man with her? Her head high, she walked up the flagstone path and mounted the front steps with Marc close on her heels. When she spied the woman’s face, her flip-flops seemed rooted to the painted porch boards.

  I know the woman staring at me from the swing.

  She gulped and forced a smile. “Bambi. I hope we’re not interrupting.”

  Bambi shot the man beside her a panicked glance, then rose and smiled. “I think you must have the wrong person. My name is Barbara.” Her low, husky voice was the type that would attract men like bees to an empty soda bottle.

  The man rose also. Dressed in a suit and tie, he appeared to be a wealthy businessman. Every blond hair was in order, and his shoes gleamed. “Who are you anyway? What a ridiculous name to call my wife.” He gripped her waist protectively.

  Elin glanced at Marc. Now what? Barbara’s demeanor left no doubt she didn’t want her husband to know anything about the cruise and what had gone on there.

  Marc clasped Elin’s arm and took a step back. “Sorry we disturbed you.” He sent her a warning glance and led her down the steps to his SUV. She slid in, and he shut the door behind her.

  When he got in the driver’s side, she frowned and shook her head. “I wanted to talk to her.”

  “We will. I got the feeling her husband was about to leave. We’ll drive down the street and wait a few minutes.” He started the engine and pulled his vehicle away from the curb.

  She glanced in the rearview mirror and saw the man kiss Bambi, then stride to the silver Corvette in the drive. “You’re right. He’s leaving.”

  Marc drove around the block. When they pulled up to the curb again, the sports car was nowhere in sight. Bambi wasn’t on the porch any longer either.

  “I hope she didn’t leave too,” Elin said.

  Marc turned off the key and slid it into his pocket. “She wasn’t dressed to go anywhere. She didn’t even have shoes on. A woman like her would have on makeup before she even went to the grocery store.”

  Good insight. She swung open her door and waited for him to join her before heading back to the porch. They didn’t even have to ring the doorbell. Bambi opened the bright-blue door before they could press the button.

  “What do you want? Why are you tormenting me?” Tears hung on her lashes.

  “May we come in? I’m sure you’d rather the neighbors didn’t hear our questions.” M
arc’s tone dared her to disagree.

  Bambi bit her lip, then shoved open the screen door. “My husband will be back in an hour. I can’t have you here.”

  “Our questions won’t take long.” Marc held open the door for Elin.

  Inside, the cool gray walls mingled with yellow accents and gave a welcoming feel. The white linen furniture in the living room looked new. Whitewashed floors and white trim gave the room a modern look. It all appeared newly redecorated.

  Bambi indicated the sofa before settling into an overstuffed yellow chair. “Have a seat and let’s get this over with.”

  Elin perched on the edge of the sofa. “I want to know what happened on the cruise between you and Laura Watson.”

  Bambi folded her arms across her ample breasts. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “We can wait until your husband comes back to answer these questions if you’d rather.” Marc’s mild voice contrasted with his steely expression.

  Bambi flushed. “Look, it was nothing, okay? She was all bent out of shape because we had a simple dance.”

  An image flashed into Elin’s head. “You went back to his room, didn’t you? And spent the night.” She didn’t know how she knew it, but when Bambi bit her lip and looked away, Elin knew the knowledge was true.

  “It was just a shipboard fling. It meant nothing. It was only one night, but my husband wouldn’t understand. You can’t tell him!”

  Marc leaned forward. “Your marriage is none of our business. But we need to know what Laura said to you. And how she acted.”

  “She was like a crazy woman! She caught us in the hall outside his room the next morning. She flew at me and would have scratched my face if Theo hadn’t grabbed her. It made no sense. I mean, didn’t she know he was just fooling around with her? That kind of man isn’t the type to stay around more than a night or two.”

  “This Theo. What can you tell me about him?” Marc asked.

  Her forehead furrowed. “Not much. I don’t know his first name.”

  Elin felt a kick in her gut. “His first name is Ron.” Marc hadn’t told her that, but she somehow knew it.

  “Do you think he could have murdered Laura Watson?”

  Bambi laughed. “You’ve never met him, have you? He’d have to actually care about a woman to get mad enough to harm her. He had a bevy of women on that trip. Laura and I weren’t the only ones.” She twisted her wedding ring on her hand. “And don’t tell my husband, but Theo was with me when the Watson woman died. He couldn’t possibly be the murderer.”

  Now what? The death clearly had nothing to do with this love triangle. She glanced at Marc and recognized the furrow in his brow. The problem he was working out in his head was unpleasant.

  “I’m in the kitchen,” Sara called through the open window when Marc pressed the doorbell of her cottage. “The door’s unlocked.”

  He stepped through the screen door and walked on the gleaming wood floors to the kitchen. “I smell coffee.” The rich aroma teased his nose.

  She was dressed in khaki shorts and a pink top that showed off her toned arms. “I put it on as soon as you called. You sounded serious. What’s up?”

  He accepted the cup of coffee she pressed into his hand. “Just some more questions.”

  She gestured for him to follow her to the back deck. “About Laura or Lacy?”

  Hummingbirds fluttered at a feeder a few feet away from the chair he dropped into. “A little of both.”

  She frowned as she leaned back in her chair. “I’m not sure what that means.”

  Sara wasn’t going to like the things he had to ask. He took a sip of his coffee. “How well do you know Josh? You’ve worked with him for three years, and I know you hoped a relationship would develop that hasn’t.”

  She put down her coffee cup. “Why are you asking about Josh? I thought you wanted to talk about Laura and Lacy.”

  “He was there when both women died. I find that a little strange.”

  Her eyes widened, and she leaned forward. “That’s ridiculous, Marc! Just because Josh is skittish about relationships doesn’t mean he’s some kind of killer.”

  “No, but it makes me wonder about him. I looked up his IQ. It’s in the genius range. His father died in prison, and his mother was an alcoholic. Those are all characteristics on the list of things serial killers have in common.” He inhaled. “And Josh and Laura went to the same high school. He even dated her a couple of times when he was a senior. Will’s wife found some notes and scanned them for me last night. Will was looking at Josh too.”

  Her color high, she rose and paced the deck. “I can’t believe you would even entertain a thought like this. Josh is a good man. He’s had a hard life, yes, but that should be cause for compassion from you, not condemnation.”

  Her reaction almost made him question his suspicions. Almost. “When did he get to Elin’s house in Virginia Beach?”

  She stared at him. “Fine. I’ll answer your questions, and you’ll see how far off base you are. He got there about an hour after I called the police. He said he heard it on the scanner in his car.”

  “Many killers like to go back to the scene and see what’s happening. Don’t you find it odd he was so close? Clearly he was already in town.”

  She dropped back into her chair. “And that’s a crime? Everyone on the island goes to Virginia Beach to shop. His mother lives here. I’m sure he was checking on her. As you said, she’s an alcoholic. He worries about her. He often comes over on his days off.”

  “How did he seem when he came in?”

  Her gray eyes held sorrow. “Elin and I both needed him. He came right in and made sure we were okay. The police seemed glad to have him too since we were both so upset. He helped calm us down enough to answer questions coherently.”

  He took a sip of his coffee, then set it on the patio table. “Does he play the guitar?”

  She nodded slowly. “He has an old guitar that was his dad’s that he strums on sometimes. He taught himself the chords. But anyone has access to a guitar string.”

  He gritted his teeth at her stubborn refusal to look at facts. “These things all add up, Sara. You are around him a lot. I’d like you to watch him, see if he reveals anything he shouldn’t know about those murders.”

  She set her coffee down so hard it sloshed over the top of the cup. “I won’t spy on him! You can’t ask that of me. You know how I feel about him.”

  He looked at her steadily. “What if you’re wrong about him, Sara?”

  She didn’t flinch away from his gaze. “What if you are? And then he finds out you suspected him of such a thing—and even worse—that I helped you? He would never forgive me.”

  “What about Elin? Are you willing to look the other way when she’s in danger?”

  Her color got even higher. “I’m not doing anything to harm her. And don’t you dare suggest to her that she should distrust Josh. You have no evidence to base this on. It’s not fair, Marc. I can’t believe you could even entertain any suspicions toward a fine man like Josh. I mean, he puts his life on the line for other people all the time.”

  “Just because he’s a Coastie doesn’t mean he’s incapable of murder.”

  “Well, I know Josh. You’re on the wrong path here.”

  He shrugged. “No harm, no foul from looking into it.”

  “There’s harm, all right! When you’re looking at him, you’re ignoring finding the real killer.”

  Darkness often hid inside the most innocuous face. She hadn’t seen it as often as he had.

  “Just keep your eyes open, okay? You can do that much for your best friend.”

  She stared at him. “Look somewhere else, okay? It’s not Josh.” She rose and scooped up their coffee cups. “You can let yourself out.”

  TWENTY-THREE

  The old lady was driving her crazy. Kalianne wiped her muddy hands on her jeans. “We planted plenty of beans, Ruby. We don’t need any more.”

  Dressed in red capri
s and an orange blouse, Ruby looked the picture of a crazy old lady. She wore two different sandals, one brown and one white. Her graying blond hair hung limply under a straw hat.

  When Ruby looked at her with a blank expression, Kalianne snatched the seeds out of her hands. “No more planting. We have enough.”

  Ruby whimpered and reached for the seeds. “But I want to plant more.”

  Kalianne slapped her hand away. “I said no more!” She tried to ignore the twinge of sympathy at the way Ruby’s blue eyes filled with tears. “How about you water the seeds? There’s a hose on the side of the house.”

  Ruby’s expression cleared. “I’ll get the hose.” She trotted toward the house, moving fast for someone her age.

  At last a bit of respite. Kalianne sat on a stone wall at the end of the garden and inhaled a breath of fresh air. She dug out her cell phone from the pocket of her cutoffs and called her brother. “Hey, it’s me. They found a crate of heroin. Is there more for me to find?”

  “I told you I’d call you tonight. I can’t talk now.”

  “Just say yes or no. I’ve got a window of about an hour to look for more. Is one crate all there is?”

  “Hang on a minute. Hey, guys, I need to run to my car a minute. I’ll be right back.”

  She heard male voices in the background, then his footsteps sounded on tile. Traffic noise rumbled in the distance, and a door slammed.

  “I’m here,” he said. “They found just one crate? Who found it?”

  “Coasties. They identified it as heroin and called the cops.”

  He swore. “Just what I didn’t need.”

  “How many boxes?”

  “One more. It’s about a foot square brown box. Sealed up too and locked. Don’t open it.”

  More drugs. How boring. “Okay. Anything else you want from me?”

  “Have you found the pouch yet?”

  She rolled her eyes. “No, but I’ve only started looking.”

  “Any way you can get those people out of the house for good?”

  “Well, I could burn the house down, I guess.” She was only half kidding. A constant dream of hers since childhood had been to burn down a house. She could only imagine the thrill of watching a consuming fire flare into the night.