No one that seemed to match the description.
“They fired those shots at around ten,” Cassidy said. “We’re running out of time here.”
“Let’s not give up hope yet.” Ty draped his arm around the back of the chair, at times wishing she had a safer profession where she wasn’t constantly in the line of fire.
The truth remained that he could have lost her today. Easily. Too easily.
A surge of protectiveness rose in him. He’d almost lost her more than once already. He would do everything in his power not to let that happen again.
“Whoa, look at this.” Cassidy leaned closer to the screen. “Two men in black. I think these could be our guys.”
Ty leaned closer also and examined the men. He didn’t recognize them. Granted, the images weren’t the clearest. But it did, at least, give them an idea of what these guys looked like.
“Any idea who they are?” Ty asked.
Cassidy squinted. “You know, this one looks vaguely familiar, but the image isn’t clear enough for me to make out his features.”
“It’s a start, right?”
“Absolutely. I’ve got to get copies of this and send the video to area police departments. I need to know if anyone else recognizes them.” Cassidy’s gaze locked with his. “Ty, if these guys were here at the docks today, then there’s a good chance they’re staying somewhere on this island. And based on their actions, they’re guilty. I’ve got to find them.”
“Thankfully, you have a lot of help. Don’t forget that you don’t have to do everything on your own.”
“I won’t.” She squeezed his hand. “I promise that I won’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
On a whim, Cassidy paid a man named Davy White a visit.
She went to church with Davy, and the man had the only exterminating and landscaping business on the island. She knew it was a long shot, but he was one of the few people on Lantern Beach who might be able to answer the questions she had.
With Ty by her side, and freshly showered and changed, she knocked at Davy’s door. His wife answered and offered a warm smile when she spotted them. “Ty, Cassidy. What a surprise.”
“Hi, Sue,” Cassidy said. “I have a question for your husband about a case I’m working. Is he available?”
“Is he in trouble?” Sue’s voice caught, and she clutched the door knob.
“Not at all,” Cassidy murmured, trying to put her at ease. “I’m hoping he can help me, actually.”
Sue nodded and took a step back. “Let me get him then.”
Davy, a short and stocky man with prickly hair all over his face and the top of his head, appeared a few minutes later.
“I hear you need my help?” he started, wiping some crumbs from his shirt.
“Do you have a minute?” Cassidy asked.
“Of course. Come on in. We just finished dinner.”
A few minutes later they were seated across from him on a floral couch in the living room. Sue had brought them lemonade and made herself scarce.
“I used to want to be a police officer when I was younger, you know,” Davy said, tugging at his pant legs.
“What happened?” Ty asked, slipping his arm across the back of the couch.
“I was robbed at gunpoint once, and after that I realized I was a scaredy cat.”
“I don’t know,” Cassidy said. “You deal with bugs and rodents. They scare me.”
Davy laughed. “Well, I guess we all have our thing then, don’t we?”
“I guess we do.” Cassidy shifted and set her drink down. “Listen, I’m looking for a particular plant that might be found here on the island. I was hoping that maybe you’d seen something since your company does extermination work as well as lawn care.”
“Any way I can help.”
Cassidy showed him a picture on her phone. “This is the plant.”
He took the device from her, glanced at the picture, and nodded nonchalantly. “That’s oleander.”
A moment of victory washed over her, and she shared a glance with Ty.
“Yes, exactly,” she muttered.
Davy gave her phone back. “There’s only one place I’ve ever seen that plant here on the island.”
“Where is that, Davy?”
“Margie Witherspoon’s old residence. She used to love gardening. She passed away five years ago, and someone else purchased her house. Now they do long-term rentals. Of course, renters haven’t kept up with the garden.”
Cassidy’s breath hitched. “What’s the address, Davy?”
He gave it to them.
Cassidy knew exactly where she needed to head. The answers were so close, she could practically reach out and touch them.
No one answered the door at the little cottage located at 23194 Wilmington Drive.
But someone had been there recently. The trash can was full of discarded food that still smelled fresh. That meant the resident couldn’t be but so far away.
Cassidy and Ty headed over to the next-door neighbor’s house and pounded on the door, hoping to get some information from whoever lived here. A man in a tank top and pajama bottoms answered the door and scowled at Cassidy—until he saw her police uniform.
“Can I help you?” He held a ukulele, and his fingers brushed across the strings as he lowered his hands.
“I have a question about the house next door,” she started.
“Sure. I’m Walt. What do you need?” He pushed the instrument behind his back and turned his full attention on Cassidy and Ty. “I’ve been using YouTube videos to learn to play the ukulele. Thankfully, there’s a pause button.”
“Best of luck with that,” Cassidy said. “I was wondering if you’d met the person who’s staying beside you?”
“Yeah, I sure have. A man named James Waldron, I believe.” The man rolled his eyes. “He was a piece of work.”
Finally, Cassidy had a name. Nothing delighted her more than progress. “Why do you say this Waldron guy was a piece of work? What do you know about him?”
“He worked for the ferry system, I believe.”
The ferry system? Wait. That’s where Cassidy had seen the man before. He was the one who’d met Cassidy when she’d gone to talk to Rodgers. The man had been a watchdog—for more than one reason, it appeared.
“Seemed like a respectable enough job,” Walt continued, his arms flying out as he gestured to emphasize every other word. “But that guy was as unfriendly as they come. He never said anything to anyone. The one time I tried to talk to him, he gave me the bird and kept walking.”
“Sounds like he won’t win any awards for congeniality,” Cassidy said.
Walt snorted. “No, he won’t. He just looked mean.”
“You ever see anyone with him?”
“Not really. Well, I take that back. There was one guy that I saw over there a couple times.”
Cassidy’s breath caught. Maybe they were finally on to something. “You remember anything about him?”
“Not much. Like I said, he didn’t want to chat. He came and went a lot.”
“Did he have a boat?” Ty asked.
Walt nodded. “Yeah, he did. It was parked in the driveway for a while but disappeared a few weeks ago. I assumed he’d launched it. If you cut through the woods there, it leads to the water. I’m pretty sure he was docking it there, though I don’t know why anyone would want to go tromping through that tick-infested area.”
Cassidy and Ty exchanged a glance.
“That’s very helpful,” Cassidy said. “When was the last time you saw Waldron?”
“Yesterday morning. He hasn’t been home since then.”
Cassidy took a step back, satisfied with this new information. “You’re sure?”
“I’m sure. It’s always a relief when he’s not there. I don’t feel like he’s watching me and scowling.”
“Understood. Thanks for your help, Walt.”
He pulled his ukulele back around and strummed it a moment. “Oh, and there�
��s one more thing. He had this weird fascination with stuffed animals. I only know because I saw him carrying a large bag and one dropped out. What kind of man carries a bagful of stuffed animals through the woods?”
Cassidy glanced at Ty again. She knew exactly what kind of person did that.
The drug-dealing, gun-toting, grenade-throwing type.
Cassidy called in Leggott and Dane to search James Waldron’s place. Before she’d left the scene, she’d found the oleander bush. Not only had she found it, but it appeared several branches had been recently clipped.
This was their guy. She felt certain of it.
Ty remained by her side as Cassidy went back to her office at police headquarters. She was going to find out everything she could about James Waldron. She typed his name into a search engine, and pages of results popped up.
“Look at that,” Cassidy muttered. “He really does work for the ferry system.”
“And it looks like he only moved to the island six months ago to take the job,” Ty said. “I have no doubt he’s our guy.”
“I need to call his boss and see what he has to say.”
Cassidy called Rodgers, who told her that Waldron had called in sick for the past two days. He also said he had no reason to suspect that the man was doing anything illegal, that he was rough around the edges but he’d been a good worker.
Cassidy managed to obtain Waldron’s cell phone number from Rodgers, but when she tried to trace it, the device didn’t ping. Waldron had most likely turned it off or discarded it.
This was her guy. This was one of the men who’d most likely shot at her, who’d thrown that grenade at her, and who was involved in these other deaths.
“What else did you find out about him?” Ty asked, staring at the computer screen.
Cassidy leaned closer. “Let’s see. He was in the army for four years.”
“That could explain the grenade.”
Everything seemed to be falling in place—everything except his current location. “True. And since Waldron worked for the ferry system, he would know these waterways. He may have been keeping an eye on that area by the lighthouse. He’d also know when and where he could do his drug deals without being caught. Maybe he even transported certain items onto the ferry while he was on the job. No one would have thought twice about it.”
“You’re probably right. And being on the ferry, he would hear all the town scuttlebutt.”
Cassidy sucked in a deep breath. “Ty, I saw some stuffed animals being collected at the ferry docks. Do you think . . .”
“That it could be a cover for drug smuggling? I think it’s a very good possibility.”
Cassidy stared at Waldron’s picture. Stared at his eyes.
It was like the neighbor had said— Waldron had a mean look to his gaze. His hair was longish, his lip slightly curled in a smile that showed he was up to something, and he had tattoos on his forearms.
Cassidy put out a call to the officers on the island as well as to the NCSBI. Hopefully between everyone, someone would see something and report back. In the meantime, she would go to the docks and check out those stuffed animals herself.
They were close to closing in on these guys—so close that Cassidy could almost taste victory.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Moriah gripped the bouquet of wildflowers in her hands and glanced around. Rows of people stood from their chairs in the Meeting Place, each person staring at her as one of the members of Gilead’s Cove played a soft melody on a flute.
She’d never felt more beautiful than she did right now in her simple white dress with her long hair full of soft curls and her rose-scented skin.
This was it. This was her big day. The moment her life would change forever.
And nothing would ruin it.
Her hands trembled as she spotted Gilead. He stood at the end of the aisle dressed in a suit and looking more handsome than ever. His bright smile was all she needed to see—for now and forever.
As she reached the stage, Gilead took her hands. He leaned closer.
“You look beautiful,” he murmured.
Her cheeks warmed at his attention. “Thank you.”
The rest of the ceremony was a blur of absolute elation.
Moriah Roberts became Mrs. Anthony Gilead.
Now Gilead’s kingdom here would become her own. She couldn’t wait for the transition, for the progression.
After the ceremony, everyone gathered for a party. Gone was the dowdy look on people’s faces as they ate their normally rationed foods. A feast had been prepared, and Moriah was the center of attention. No one would dare look down on her now.
She’d forgotten how much she liked to be the center of attention, back before the world had worn her down. But with each pat on her back, with each look of envy, with every glance of jealousy other women gave her, something began to grow bigger and bigger inside her.
Pride, she realized. She was getting her pride and self-esteem back. It felt wonderful.
As she talked to a few of the ladies, Gilead appeared by her side. He leaned closer, his breath tickling her ear.
“I’ll be right back,” Gilead whispered.
“I’ll be waiting.”
She talked for a few more minutes when a new thought hit her.
Their marriage license.
They hadn’t gotten one.
And Moriah hadn’t signed anything.
She wondered if Gilead had somehow overlooked that. Maybe in the rush of everything, the formality had slipped his mind.
She should mention it to him before she forgot also. Though they’d had a ceremony, they had to make this union official.
Quietly, she slipped away and walked upstairs. She paused as she heard voices drifting out from Gilead’s office.
She peered through the doorway. Her husband spoke with two men she’d never seen before. Who were they? And why were they here right now of all times?
Their words caught her ear.
“We need to find a way to get to her alone,” one of the men said.
“I don’t know what to tell you,” Gilead responded. “This isn’t my job.”
“She knows too much,” the other man said. “She could bring us all down. Not just us. You too.”
“Like I said, this isn’t my problem.” Gilead’s voice rose in a way Moriah had never heard it before. “Now you need to take care of this issue. And the sooner the better. You obviously botched things yesterday and the time before that as well. There better not be any trails leading the authorities back here.”
“There aren’t,” the first man said.
“Good,” Gilead remarked. “Now take care of Cassidy Chambers.”
“Yes, sir.”
Cassidy Chambers? Moriah sucked in a deep breath. Why was Gilead talking about the police chief?
She still remembered the shock she’d felt yesterday when she’d caught Gilead and Cassidy in the RV together. Cassidy had even looked flushed as she’d stepped out.
Just what had they been doing in that trailer? Was the woman trying to steal Gilead from her? Had she lured him there? In fact, maybe that was why Cassidy had warned her not to marry Gilead—it was because she wanted him herself.
A new surge of anger rose inside her.
That was unacceptable.
As she heard footsteps, she backed into her old room and ducked behind the door.
She watched as Gilead emerged and straightened his suit before heading down the stairs.
When his footsteps had disappeared, his two friends stepped out.
Feeling impulsive, Moriah stepped out and stopped them.
“You want to get Cassidy Chambers alone?” she whispered.
“We do,” one man said.
“I know just the way to do it. I can help.”
They glanced at each other, as if uncertain.
“You don’t have to do that,” the scarier of the two men said.
He definitely wasn’t the type she’d want to meet in
a dark alley. No, he wasn’t the type anyone wanted to meet.
Which made him perfect.
Moriah smiled “I want to help. Believe me, I want to.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cassidy sighed and stepped back. “Oh, Lisa. You look so beautiful.”
Her friend had tried on her wedding dress, even though the ceremony was still four hours away. A photographer was going to take some photos before the ceremony, and the weather had turned out perfect.
Cassidy desperately wanted the day to remain perfect. She’d even tried to delegate her work so that could happen.
Including the fiasco with the stuffed animals at the dock. She’d gone there last night, and, sure enough, she’d found drugs hidden in the animals. Rodgers had told her that it had been Waldron’s idea to collect the toys. When they’d looked into the nonprofit they were being donated to, they’d found out it didn’t exist.
She still had a lot more work to do. But, for now, she had to trust that her people were doing their jobs. That Abbott was dependable and trustworthy.
Because Cassidy wouldn’t miss her friend’s wedding for anything.
Lisa looked in the full-length mirror in the room located above her restaurant and glowed. “Thank you. I can’t believe the big day is finally here.”
“Well, I saw Braden earlier, and he might as well have swallowed a light bulb. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him look so happy.” Cassidy paused. “Although, I have to say, I was surprised you let him go over to Hatteras with Ty.”
“Well, I can’t believe our rings weren’t finished being sized by the jeweler until this morning. I feel like they’re kind of important for the ceremony.”
“I concur. And the guys still have plenty of time to get back from Hatteras with them. You should be good.”
“I still pinch myself that I actually met Braden.” Lisa smiled back at Cassidy. “I mean, we’ve had our ups and downs, but I can’t imagine my life without him.”
“I know the feeling, and I’m so happy for you two.” Cassidy grinned. “This is going to be a great day.”
First Degree Murder Page 14
