Twelve Nights of Temptation

by Barbara Dunlop

  She was in serious trouble here. She had no idea what this man intended to do with her.

  Cold fear gripped the pit of her stomach.

  * * *

  “Have you seen Tasha?” Matt had found Alex on the pier next to Orca’s Run, moving a wheeled toolbox.

  “Not since this morning. Didn’t she talk to the investigator?”

  “That was three hours ago.” Matt was starting to worry.

  “Maybe she took a long lunch.”

  “Without saying anything?”

  Alex gave him an odd look, and he realized his relationship with Tasha was far different from what everyone believed.

  “Have you tried the Crab Shack?” Alex asked.

  “That’s a good idea.”

  Tasha had been getting to know Jules and Melissa recently. Matt liked that. He liked that she fit in with his circle of friends.

  “Thanks,” he said to Alex, waving as he strode down the pier. At the same time, he called Jules’s cell phone, too impatient to wait until he got there.

  “I don’t know,” Jules said when he asked the question. “I’m at home, feet up. They’re really swollen today.”

  “Sorry to hear that.”

  “It’s the price you pay.” She sounded cheerful.

  “Is Melissa at the restaurant?”

  “I expect so. Is something wrong, Matt? You sound worried.”

  “I’m looking for Tasha.”

  Jules’s tone changed. “Did something happen?”

  “I don’t know. She’s not around. I can’t find her on the pier or in the main building. I checked the staff quarters and nothing.”

  “Maybe she went into town?”

  “Not without telling me.”

  There was a silent pause. “Because of the fire?”

  It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Jules he thought Tasha was the target. He might not have any proof, but his instincts were telling him somebody was out to discredit her. Heck, they already had the fire department thinking she was the culprit. But he didn’t want to upset Jules. Her focus needed to be on her and the babies. She needed to stay relaxed.

  “It’s probably nothing.” He forced a note of cheer into his voice. “I’ll walk over to the Crab Shack myself. Or maybe she did go into town. She might have needed parts.”

  “I’ll let you know if I hear from her,” Jules said.

  “Thanks. You relax. Take care of those babies.”

  Matt signed off.

  He’d been walking fast, and he headed down the stairs to the parking lot.

  “Matt!” It was Caleb, exiting his own car.

  Matt trotted the rest of the way, hoping Caleb had news about Tasha.

  Caleb was accompanied by an older woman.

  “What is it?” he asked Caleb between deep breaths.

  Caleb gestured to the fiftysomething woman. “This is Annette Lowell. She came to the Crab Shack looking for Tasha. She says she’s her mother.”

  Matt didn’t know how to react. Could Annette’s appearance have something to do with Tasha being gone? “Hello.”

  The woman flashed a friendly smile. “You must be Matt Emerson.”

  “I am.” Matt glanced at Caleb. He was beyond confused.

  “Annette came to visit Tasha,” Caleb said, his subtle shrug and the twist to his expression telling Matt he had no more information than that.

  “Was Tasha expecting you?” Matt asked, still trying to pull the two events together. Was Tasha avoiding her mother? Matt knew they were estranged.

  “No. I haven’t spoken to Tasha in over a year.”

  “Not at all?”

  “No.”

  Matt didn’t really want to tell the woman her daughter was missing. He wasn’t even sure if Tasha was missing. There could still be a logical explanation of why he couldn’t find her.

  “I saw the coverage of that terrible fire,” Annette said to Matt. “I hope you’ll be able to replace the yachts.”

  “We will.”

  “Good, good. I’m so looking forward to getting to know you.” Her smile was expectant now. “I had no idea my daughter was dating such an accomplished man.”

  Dating? Where had Annette got the idea they were dating?

  Then he remembered the picture in the national news, his arm around Tasha’s shoulder, the expression of concern captured by the camera. Annette must have seen it and concluded that he and Tasha were together. It was clear she was happy about it.

  “I’m a little busy right now.” He looked to Caleb for assistance.

  It wasn’t fair to dump this on Caleb, but Matt had to concentrate on Tasha. He had to find her and assure himself she was safe. He was trying his house next. There was an outside chance she’d gone up there for a rest and turned off her phone. It was a long shot. But he didn’t know what else to do.

  Caleb stepped up. “Would you like to meet my wife?” he asked Annette. “She’s pregnant and resting at the house right now, just up there on the hill. We’re having twins.”

  Annette looked uncertain. It was clear she’d rather stay with Matt.

  “Great idea,” Matt chimed in. “I’ll finish up here, and maybe we can talk later.”

  “With Tasha?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  The answer seemed to appease her, and she went willingly with Caleb.

  Once again, Matt owed his friend big-time.

  Without wasting another second, he called Melissa and discovered Tasha hadn’t been to the Crab Shack in a couple of days. He checked his house but found nothing. So he asked the crew and dockworkers to check every inch of every boat.

  They came up empty, and Matt called the police.

  They told him he couldn’t file a missing persons report for twenty-four hours. Then they had the gall to suggest Tasha might have disappeared of her own accord—because she knew she’d been caught committing arson.

  It took every ounce of self-control he had not to ream the officer out over the phone.

  His next stop was the security tapes from this morning. While he was reviewing them in the office, Caleb came back.

  “What was that all about?” Caleb asked Matt without preamble.

  “I have no idea. But I have bigger problems.”

  Caleb sobered. “What’s going on?”

  “It’s Tasha. I can’t find her.”

  “Was she supposed to be somewhere?”

  “Here. She’s supposed to be here!”

  Caleb drew back.

  “Sorry,” Matt said. “I’m on edge. She’s been missing for hours. The police won’t listen.”

  “The police?”

  “The fire department thinks she’s an arsonist.”

  “Wait. Slow down.”

  “She was the last person known to be on board Crystal Zone. They concluded some oily rags combusted in the engine room, and they blame her for leaving them there—possibly on purpose.”

  “That’s ridiculous,” Caleb said.

  “It’s something else. It’s someone else.” Matt kept his attention on the security footage. “There she is.”

  Caleb came around the desk to watch with him.

  Tasha walked down the pier. By the time clock, he knew it was right after she’d talked to the fire investigator. She’d disappeared behind Monty’s Pride.

  Matt waited. He watched and he waited.

  “Where did she go?” Caleb asked.

  “There’s nothing back there.” Matt clicked Fast-Forward, and they continued to watch.

  “That’s an hour,” Caleb said. “Would she be working on Monty’s Pride?”

  “We checked. She’s not there. And she couldn’t have boarded from the far side.”
<
br />   “I hate to say it,” Caleb ventured. “Is there any chance she fell in?”

  Matt shot him a look of disbelief. “Really? Plus the tide’s incoming.” He had to steel himself to even say it out loud. “She wouldn’t have washed out to sea.”

  “I’m stretching,” Caleb said.

  “Wait a minute.” The answer came to Matt in a lightning bolt. “A boat. If she left the pier without coming back around, it had to have been in a boat.”

  “The Crab Shack camera has a different angle.”

  Matt grabbed his coat. “Let’s go.”

  * * *

  Tasha’s head was still throbbing, but at least her dizziness had subsided. She was thirsty, but she didn’t want to say or do anything that might upset the man who held her captive. When he turned, she could see a bulge in the waistband of his pants.

  It could be a gun. It was probably a gun. But at least he wasn’t pointing it at her.

  If she could get back to full strength, and if he came close enough, she might be able to overpower him. She knew instinctively that she’d get only one chance. If she tried and failed, he might go for the gun or knock her out again or tie her hands.

  He’d been pacing the far side of the garage for a long time.

  “You need something else to wear,” he said. His tone was matter-of-fact. He didn’t seem angry.

  “Why?” she dared ask.

  “Because you look terrible, all tatty and ratty. Your mother wouldn’t like that at all.”

  “You know my mother?”

  His grin was somewhat sickly. “Do I know your mother? I know her better than she knows herself.”

  Struggling to keep her growing fear at bay, Tasha racked her brain trying to place the man. Had they met back in Boston? Why was he wearing her father’s favorite cologne?

  “Why did you want me to get fired?” she dared to ask.

  “Isn’t it obvious? Your mother misses you. You need to come home.”

  Come home. It sounded like home for him, too. He must live in Boston.

  “You thought if Matt fired me, I’d move back to Boston?”

  “Ah, Matt. The handsome Matt. You wore a nice dress that night.”

  Tasha turned cold again.

  “You must have liked it. You looked like you liked it, all red and sparkly. You looked like your sister Madison.”

  “Where’s Madison?” Tasha’s voice came out on a rasp. Had this man done something to the rest of her family?

  “What’s with all the questions?” he chided. “If you want to see Madison, simply come home.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, trying another tactic. “I’ll come home. How soon can we leave?”

  He stared at her with open suspicion. “I’m not falling for that.”

  “Falling for what? I miss Madison. And I miss Shelby. I’d like to see them. A visit would be nice.”

  “No, no, no.” He shook his head. “That was too quick. I’m not stupid.”

  “I simply hadn’t thought about it for a while,” she tried.

  “You’re trying to trick me. Well, it won’t work.”

  “I don’t want to trick you.” She gave up. “I honestly want to give you what you want. You’ve gone to a lot of trouble here. You must want it very badly.”

  “First, you need to change.”

  Her heart leaped in anticipation. Maybe he’d leave the garage. Maybe he’d go shopping for some clothes. If he left her alone, especially if he didn’t tie her hands, she could escape. There had to be a way out of this place.

  “It’s in the car.”

  “What’s in the car?”

  “The red dress.”

  She was back to being frightened again. “How did you get the red dress?”

  He looked at her like she was being dense. “It was in your room. I took it from your room. I’m disappointed you didn’t notice. You should take more care with such an expensive gown. I had it cleaned.”

  Tasha’s creep factor jumped right back up again. At the same time, she realized she hadn’t even noticed the dress was gone. When she’d thought back on that night, making love with Matt had been foremost on her mind. The dress had faded to insignificance.

  The security cameras covered the marina but the staff quarters were farther back, out of range. He’d obviously slipped in at some point.

  “I’ll get it,” the man said, heading for the door.

  “I’m not changing in front of you,” she shouted out.

  He stopped and pivoted. “I wouldn’t expect you to, dear. Whatever you think of me, I am a gentleman.”

  “What’s your name?” She braved the question, then held her breath while she waited for him to answer or get angry.

  “Giles.”

  “And you’re from Boston?”

  “The West End, born and raised.” He seemed to expect her to be impressed.

  “That’s very nice.”

  “I’ll get your dress. We need to go now.”

  “Where are we going?”

  He turned again, this time his eyes narrowed in annoyance, and she braced herself. “Pay attention, Tasha. We’re going to Boston.”

  She shuddered at his icy expression. He couldn’t get her all the way to Boston as his prisoner. He’d have to drive. They couldn’t board a plane.

  It would be all but impossible to watch her every second. She’d escape. She’d definitely find a way to escape.

  But what if he caught her? What would he do then?

  Eleven

  The Crab Shack security footage confirmed Matt’s worst fears. The picture was grainy, but it showed Tasha being hauled into a boat and taken away.

  “It’s red,” Caleb said, “but that’s about as much detail as I’m getting.”

  “Probably a twenty-footer,” Matt said. “There’s no way they’re leaving the inlet. That’s something at least.”

  TJ arrived at the Crab Shack’s office. “What’s going on? Melissa said you were looking for Tasha.”

  “Somebody grabbed her,” Matt said.

  His instinct was to rush to his car and drive, but he didn’t know where he was going. He should call the police, but he feared that would slow him down. He had to find her. He absolutely had to find her.

  “What do you mean grabbed her?” TJ asked, his expression equal parts confusion and concern.

  When Matt didn’t answer, TJ looked to Caleb.

  “Show him the clip,” Caleb said.

  Matt replayed it.

  TJ swore under his breath.

  “Matt thinks they won’t leave the inlet,” Caleb said. “It’s a red twenty-footer. He might have pulled it onto a trailer, but maybe not. Maybe it’s still tied up somewhere on the inlet.”

  “There are a lot of red cartoppers out there,” TJ said, but he was taking out his phone as he said it.

  Matt came to his feet. “We should start with the public dock.” He was glad to have a course of action.

  “What about the police?” Caleb asked.

  “Herb?” TJ said into the phone. “Can you get me a helicopter?”

  Matt turned to TJ in surprise.

  “Now,” TJ said and paused. “That’ll do.” He ended the call and pointed to the screen. “Can someone copy that for me?”

  “Melissa?” Caleb called out.

  She immediately popped her head through the doorway.

  “Can you help TJ print out what’s on the screen?”

  “I’m going to the public dock,” Matt said. “You’ll call me?” he asked TJ.

  “With anything we find,” TJ said.

  Under normal circumstances, Matt would have protested TJ’s actions. But these weren’t normal circumstances. He didn’t care what r
esources it took. He was finding Tasha.

  “I’ll talk to the police,” Caleb said. “What about Tasha’s mother?”

  Both TJ and Melissa stared at Caleb in surprise. “She’s up with Jules. She suddenly dropped by for a visit.”

  “Yes,” Matt said. “Talk to her. It’s really strange that she’s here. She might know something.”

  Matt sprinted to his car and roared out of the parking lot, zooming up the hill to the highway and turning right for the public dock. He dropped his phone on the seat beside him, ready to grab it if anyone called.

  The sun was setting, and it was going to be dark soon. He could only imagine how terrified Tasha must be feeling. She had to be okay. She had to be okay.

  It took him thirty minutes to get to the public dock. He leaped over the turnstile, not caring who might come after him.

  He scanned the extensive docking system, row upon row of boats. He counted ten, no, twelve small red boats.

  “Sir?” The attendant came up behind him. “If you don’t have a pass card, I’ll have to charge you five dollars.”

  Matt handed the kid a twenty. “Keep the change.”

  “Sure. Okay. Thanks, man.”

  Matt jogged to the dock with the biggest concentration of red twenty-footers.

  He marched out on the dock, stopping to stare down at the first one. He realized he didn’t know what he was looking for. Blood on the seat? He raked a hand through his hair. Please, no, not that.

  Even if he found the boat, what would that tell him? He wouldn’t know which way they went. Did the kidnapper have a car? Maybe the attendant was his best bet. Maybe the kid had seen something.

  His phone rang. It was TJ, and Matt put it to his ear. “Yeah?”

  “We see a red boat. It’s a possible match.”

  “Where?”

  “Ten minutes south of you. Take Ring Loop Road, third right you come to.”

  “TJ.” Matt wanted him to be right. He so wanted him to be right. “I’m looking at a dozen red twenty-footers here.”

  “He hit her on the head,” TJ reminded him. “I don’t think he’d risk carrying her unconscious through the public dock. And if she was awake, she might call out. This place is secluded. And the boat is only tied off at the bow. The stern line is trailing in the water, like somebody was in a hurry.”