Adrienne looked a bit sheepish and shrugged. “It’s gonna be a long wait because I didn’t call them.”
“You little liar,” I said as if I hadn’t been doing exactly the same thing.
“Hey, it if saves lives and keeps you out of the doughnuts, then all’s fair.”
Chapter Thirteen
The hour we spent with Anna was hard. The more we talked, the more anxious we all felt. Adrienne and Elaine were winding already curly locks of hair around their fingers and I paced.
Anna was a nice woman who admitted to meeting Stinslin a week before traveling with him. What he lacked in looks must’ve been made up in charm because she was smitten. Stinslin had hinted at marriage, and that was all she needed to hear. “We connect, you know?” Anna said, gesturing with her hands. “We have a lot of common interests. It’s so unlike my relationship with my ex-husband.”
I’d listened to her sing his praises until I wanted to scream at the top of my lungs that she was next on his list of things to do. A couple of times I almost did but received twin warning glances from Adrienne and Elaine. “Do you have children, Anna?”
“Two,” she said proudly and pulled her wallet from her purse. “My son Jason is seventeen.” She pointed to a picture of a dark-haired boy who looked nothing like her. “And this is Tonya. She’ll be sixteen next month.”
I looked down at the red-haired girl and swallowed hard. If we let Stinslin go on with his plans, the kids Anna was showing us would never see their mother again. Adrienne looked away and covered her mouth with her hand, while Elaine complimented Anna’s beautiful children.
The phone rang, and when I answered, I was relieved to hear Colie’s voice. “We have a plan,” he said calmly. “Stinslin is in the bar at The Cove, and the bartender is serving him doubles. Whit’s wife is keeping him company, and she’s coming on strong. If you can get Anna here in the next thirty minutes, Connie is going to put on a real show.” Colie sighed. “We’re hoping the display might cause a fight between Anna and Stinslin.”
“That’s it?” I tried to remain calm, but the edge to my voice made Anna look at me. “Look, Rex, the lady has already been waiting for an hour.”
“What?” Colie sounded bewildered.
“I’m going to take her back to The Cove, but you better make this right with her. She needs to be taken care of. Are we on the same page here?”
“We are now. I won’t let her out of my sight.” Colie hung up without another word.
“Yeah, well, your service is lousy.” I hung up the phone and shook my head. “Anna, I’m going to take you back to The Cove. “Rex’s Rentals doesn’t have another car, and no one is available to come and get you.”
“I hate to be a bother.” Anna looked embarrassed. “I could call my boyfriend. He’s rented a scooter.”
“It’s no problem at all, I assure you,” I said with a smile. “I have to run a few errands in town anyway.”
“I’ll go with you,” Adrienne said as she tried to stand.
“No, my love, you’re on bed rest. You and Elaine relax. I’ll be home soon.”
Adrienne’s glare had me ushering Anna quickly to the Jeep.
Connie and Whit Majors ran The Cove, and Connie was one of the most voluptuous women I’d ever seen. In her mid-forties, she had the body of a thirty-year-old and was proud to show it off. If Stinslin didn’t respond to her advances, he was either gay or already dead. I had no idea what Colie told them to get them to go along with this harebrained scheme, but I hoped and prayed it would work.
As we walked into the bar, Connie planted one on Stinslin, who after a second of surprise returned her kiss wholeheartedly. My heart sank into the pit of my stomach when I heard Anna’s gasp, then soft whimper. We stood in the doorway watching the scene unfold as Whit stormed in from the other side, grabbed Connie, and pushed her behind him. Stinslin shrank back, and Whit began screaming in his face.
“You had your hand on her ass twice today!” He stabbed Stinslin in the chest with his finger before pointing to the bartender. “And he heard you propositioning her outright. Don’t offend me further by pretending not to know what I’m talking about.” Whit grabbed Stinslin by the front of his shirt and hoisted him until they were eye to eye. “Your stay here is over,” he said before shoving Stinslin halfway across the bar.
“Anna.” I put a hand to her arm. “Maybe we should step outside until this is over.”
Stunned, Anna turned and looked at me. Her face and neck were brighter red than her hair.
“Anna,” Stinslin said as he staggered toward her, but Colie appeared before he could get close.
“Is this the man?” Colie asked Whit when he grabbed his arm.
“Yeah, that’s him. He’s harassed just about every woman that’s come in today. The guy’s got a problem.”
“Let’s step outside, sir.” Colie pulled him toward the door. Stinslin looked back at Anna helplessly.
“They’re lying.” He shook his head as he staggered backward. “Anna, don’t believe—” Colie pulled him through the door before he could utter another word.
“Wait.” I put a hand to Anna’s arm as she went after them. “Let him talk to the policeman for a few minutes. Maybe he can clear things up.”
A woman whom I recognized as an islander was standing next to us. “Maybe he can talk his way out of jail as easily as he talked his way into my bed this afternoon.” She shook her head sadly. “I always pick the players,” she said as she walked off.
Anna sank into a chair; my heart broke for her. “I’m so sorry.” I meant it. I was truly sorry that she’d put her hopes in a killer and that we couldn’t tell her the truth.
She looked up at me with deep hurt showing in her eyes. “I’d like to go home. Do you think there’s a way I can get off the island this evening?”
*******
I had assured Anna she was doing the right thing at least a dozen times as I watched her board the plane with a slump in her shoulders. She was disillusioned and broken-hearted, but she was going back to her children alive, and that’s how I assuaged my conscience.
I met Colie at the ramshackle building that was his office and holding pen. We stood in the parking lot so we could chat candidly. “How’d you get the Majors and everyone else to act in that performance?”
“I told them he was a suspect in a murder investigation, and we needed to separate him from Anna for her safety. Whit agreed but only if Stinslin left The Cove.” Colie sighed. “This presents a problem. The owners of the Bayside don’t want him, either. It’s not right to pawn him off on the others.”
“Well, he sure as shit isn’t staying at our place.” I planted my hands on my hips. “He’s got a room right now, and that’s where he needs to stay.”
“Hayden, I can’t hold him indefinitely on public drunkenness and being disorderly.”
“What about your FBI guy? What’s taking so long?”
“We have nothing for them to work with,” Colie said impatiently. “If I come out and say I believe Stinslin has committed multiple murders according to some drawings, they’ll dismiss anything else I say.”
“Come on, the feds have used psychics in their investigations before. Fax the guy Kristen’s sketches and let them see if they have any victims that resemble the drawings.”
Colie rubbed at the back of his neck. “I already have, and I’m still awaiting a response. We have to be patient.”
*******
Patient. The word bounced around in my head as my butt bounced around on the seat of the Jeep. Stress and anxiety coalesced into one big ball of pain in the pit of my stomach. We’d gotten Anna off the island. But what would we do if Stinslin gave up on his search for Kristen and went home, as well? Would he seek Anna out again? Or would he pick a new victim on the island while we waited on someone else to realize what we knew? The answer was simple. We would have to keep him on the island…with my loved ones and hope that he wouldn’t strike again.
Chapter Fourtee
n
It was after dark when I pulled up at the house. We’ll get good sleep tonight with Stinslin behind bars, I thought as I wearily climbed the stairs. Adrienne, Elaine, and Kristen looked at me with knowing glances. I didn’t have to explain what happened with Anna. They already knew.
“Iris brought you dinner,” Kristen said as she stood. “Would you like me to warm it for you?”
“That would be great, thanks,” I said tiredly as I leaned down and kissed Adrienne’s brow. “How’re you feeling, my love?”
“I’m great, the baby is great.” She rubbed her stomach and smiled up at me. “You should eat and go to bed. You look exhausted.”
“I will do exactly that, but I have to throw in a shower first.” Kristen put my plate on the table next to Teddy where he sat scribbling something into a notebook. He smiled at me as I took a seat next to him. “What ya working on, Theodore?”
“I didn’t finish all my school work today,” he said loudly, then lowered his voice when he addressed me. “I have to write a stupid story.”
I couldn’t imagine being home-schooled by Iris. The mental picture of Iris standing over me waving her skillet while I wrote furiously gave me chills. But Teddy’s head wasn’t sporting any dents, so I figured she was doing a fine job. “What’s the paper about?” I asked before stabbing at a piece of brisket.
“Shrimp, it’s what I had for dinner.” Teddy looked at my plate. “You never eat the shrimp or crabs.”
“There’s a reason for that.” I lowered my voice and leaned close to him. “Fish and other sea creatures know if you eat them. I don’t want them smelling their relatives on me when I swim, they might—”
“Hayden Marie Tate,” Adrienne said with a laugh from her spot on the couch. “Tell him the truth.”
“I don’t like seafood,” I said loudly, but then lowered my voice when I turned my attention back to Teddy. “And I don’t want the fish to chew my toes off.”
Teddy chuckled. “Momma says you’re crazy and not to believe a word you say.”
“Well, your momma’s the one that’s—”
Adrienne interrupted again. “Two words for you, love—iron skillet.”
I laughed and said to Teddy, “Read me what you have so far.”
Teddy cleared his throat. “Shrimp live in the sea. They live on the bottom of the sea. They eat, poop, and pee all in the same place.” He looked up at me with a grin. “I made that part rhyme. I like to eat them anyway. They are best when they are fried with French fries. But I will eat them, too, if they are boiled. This is where it gets exciting,” Teddy said with his brows raised. “You’re gonna like this.”
I giggled at the slight lisp when he said “this.”
He cleared his throat again. “Shrimp are tough, too, and they like to war with the other shrimp. They carry tiny guns, and when another shrimp comes into their town, they have a shootout.”
“Oh, you’re right,” I said with a nod. “This is getting exciting.”
Teddy shot me a satisfied grin and continued. “One day, a bad shrimp came to town, and the sheriff shrimp had to have a shootout with him. Before the bad shrimp could raise his gun, the sheriff shot his ass off.”
“Teddy!” I had to turn away before he saw me laugh.
“That’s your fault, Hayden!” Adrienne exclaimed. She too was doing her best not to laugh. Elaine hid her face behind a magazine.
“Teddy, honey, you can’t say ass. You should change that to butt.”
“What’s wrong with ass?” Teddy looked innocent. “You said it was a donkey.”
“You’re right, an ass is a donkey. Now apply that to what you wrote. The sheriff shot his donkey off. See, it doesn’t make sense.”
I shot Adrienne one of my “I think I’m brilliant” looks.
“But you said the other day that you would beat my ass if I went into the water without you.” Teddy raised his small hands. “I don’t have a donkey.”
Teddy and I locked gazes, and a tiny smile tickled the side of his lip. I pointed at him. “You know exactly what you’re doing, you little…stinker.” I cuffed him upside the head playfully. “Erase that before your mom sees it, or she’ll skin us both.”
After dinner, I toyed with the idea of going down to the beach for a swim. I thought the exercise would take the edge off, and Adrienne would enjoy a cool evening walk on the beach. But she and Elaine had gone onto the deck, and I didn’t want to interrupt their conversation. I sighed loudly and leaned against the kitchen counter.
“When you’re stressed, a fine line appears between your brows,” Kristen said as she joined me. “It’s been like that for a few days now.”
“You know exactly what I mean when I say I feel like I’m in an eternal holding pattern.”
Kristen nodded. “Waiting and waiting. Aunt Elaine has been good to talk to, we’ve really bonded.” Kristen looked at the pair on the deck. “I despise Stinslin for the things he’s done and the way he threatens me, but as sick as this sounds, I do owe him for one thing. I would’ve never met Adrienne, nor would I have developed a relationship with my aunt.” She leaned against the counter next to me and folded her arms. “I love them both, and for the first time in my life, I feel normal.”
“You’re Adrienne’s cousin.” I shook my head. “I still have a hard time believing this. I had a couple of dreams about you dressed as a key. It makes sense now…hey, I might have a gift, too.”
“Or you’re more insightful than you give yourself credit for.”
We were both quiet for a moment, then Kristen said, “Remember our talk at the bar that day? It seems like months ago now, but I told you I was drawn here and I believed it was for a reason.”
“One gift seeks out another,” I said with a weary smile. “What will you do when Stinslin is finally put away?”
Kristin raised a brow just like her aunt and cousin. “I haven’t given it much thought.”
I wanted to tell her she was welcome to stay on with us, but I needed to know Adrienne’s feelings on that first.
“I’m going to take life one day at a time right now. It’s the only way I can keep my sanity.” Kristen pushed off the cabinet and gave me a quick hug. “Please tell Adrienne I said good night.”
I watched her go and realized that I’d gotten attached to the little fart.
*******
It started out as a gentle pressure just above my hip bone. I turned my head and opened my eyes. The baby lay on its side facing me. Beyond it lay Adrienne sound asleep.
“Move,” the baby whispered.
“I’m on the edge of the bed as it is. Where do you want me to go?”
The baby smiled back at me toothlessly and kicked me in the side, sending me to the floor.
“Ow, damn!”
The lamp beside the bed switched on, and Adrienne appeared above me. “Baby, I’m so sorry.”
“Was it the evil butterfly again?” I rubbed my throbbing elbow.
“No.” Adrienne made a face. “A garden gnome.”
I pulled myself up and crawled back into bed. “Garden gnomes, butterflies. Maybe you’re eating too much salad before bedtime.”
Adrienne took my hand and kissed my fingers before rubbing it against her cheek. “What does salad have to do with it?”
“I dunno.” I yawned and felt sleep returning quickly. “Gnomes and butterflies are outdoor things, so is salad.” Adrienne’s laugh sounded far away…
“Hayden, the baby has got the cart.” Iris pointed toward the window.
“What do you mean the baby’s got the cart? It’s a baby.” I was walking as fast as I could to the window, but I felt like I was moving in slow motion.
Before my eyes, Iris morphed into Teddy. “The baby said ass.” He threw back his head and laughed as he pointed to the window.
I had to pull back gauzy curtains to look out. “Ew, who the hell put these in here?” I lost interest in the drapery when the cart flew by. Though it could not reach the pedals, the baby had the c
art going full throttle. It squealed with laughter whenever it ran over something, spreading broken pieces in the wake of the cart. I watched in horror as my favorite sunglasses became shards.
I looked toward the doorway, and as I did, it shrank off in the distance. “Hey, baby!” I banged on the window. “Stop the cart.”
The baby looked at me, and I swear it flipped me off. Teddy had morphed into Iris again, and she was standing next to me shaking her head. “That is definitely your child.”
I resumed banging on the glass window as the baby made another pass close to the house. “Did you hear me? I said stop that cart!” But the baby never slowed, and more and more of our things were crushed under the wheels and spit out in flakes.
“Adrienne!”
“I’m right here. Shh, you’ll wake the whole house.”
I sat straight up, expecting to see the baby tearing through the room on the cart, but all was quiet. I looked at the clock. It was four in the morning. One hour had passed since Adrienne kicked me out of bed. I flopped back down, and Adrienne said, “I want ice cream.”
*******
Adrienne and I giggled as we descended the staircase hand in hand. When we got to the bottom, we looked back up to see if anyone had noticed our escape. “Kristen sleeps like the dead. Did you hear her snoring?”
“It runs in the family, darling.” I took her hand and pulled her toward the cart.
“I want to walk.” Adrienne dug her heels in and pulled me to a stop. “We used to walk the grounds late at night, remember?”
“I’m game if you’re up to it.” We headed down the trail with the peaceful knowledge that Stinslin was behind bars for the night. The inn and surrounding grounds felt like ours again, like home, safe and secure.
Adrienne was picking up on my thoughts. “Let’s not talk about Stinslin. For just a few hours, let’s pretend he doesn’t exist.”
“Agreed. So what did you, Elaine, and Kristen do while I was gone with Anna?” I looked at Adrienne as I posed the question and was pleased to see a slight smile.
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