“Sure. Something smells great.”
“Made your favorite breakfast casserole. It needs a few more minutes in the oven.”
“It’s worth the wait.”
I got him settled, topped off my coffee, and fetched him a mug. He took the mug in his good hand and sipped the coffee. “Gosh, it’s so easy to be here. Why didn’t I do this months ago?”
Even his voice sounded invigorated. “Because you aren’t a quitter, that’s why.”
“I learned a valuable lesson. Double and triple check the numbers, but also run criminal background checks on the people you plan to do business with. Even that may not have picked up the dangerous and unstable element pervasive in North Merrick. North let things get rundown too far before he sought help. I shouldn’t have let his sentiment play into my judgment.” He shook his head. “Never again.”
“You’re done with those people now?”
“We’ve filed papers against each other for breach of contract. My lawyer will work it without me. If it goes to trial, I’ll have to appear, but I believe they’ll settle.”
“I hope so. How’d you get hurt? You didn’t tell me.”
“Three guys jumped me in the building’s parking garage. I got in some good licks, but three against one weren’t good odds. The bruises will fade, my ankle’s better each day, and the arm, well the arm might need more mending time, but it should heal.”
“Was the attack captured on security cameras?”
“They took them out while they waited for me. But they didn’t get all the cameras. I had some minis installed between my car and the elevator. The cops have those images now. Two of the three matched on facial recognition software, and they’ve been picked up already. The third is an outlier. The cops are looking for him. He’s the one that messed up my arm.”
“Can they cut a deal with the other two to get his name?”
“Doesn’t work that way in the bad guy club. Thugs who rat each other out get dead right away.”
“Still, he shouldn’t get away with hurting you like that.”
“We’ll get him.” Pete sipped his coffee. “Enough about me. Catch me up on what happened here yesterday. Did the romantic dinner end in a proposal?”
“It did. I’m hoping to get the nod for their wedding. Lance assisted me.”
“Lance.” Pete set his mug down abruptly. “The cop that keeps sniffing around? I don’t like him bothering you.”
“You don’t know this yet, but yesterday, a masked intruder barged into my commercial kitchen and held a gun to my back. They drugged the cat too. Lance took my statement and then volunteered to keep me company until it was time to drive to the airport.”
“River!” He reached for my hand and gripped it. “You should’ve mentioned this earlier. I didn’t know you’d had trouble. Did he hurt you?”
I gave him a reassuring squeeze in reply. “I’m fine, though the incident rattled my nerves. I didn’t want to burden you with the details on your travel day. I handled it.”
“You can and should burden me with details anytime. You’re amazing and resilient, and I’m proud of you for persevering, but your safety and well-being are my top priority.”
“Thank you, and that goes both ways. No more holing up across the country with your worst enemy. I’m thankful your injuries are healing.”
“Yesterday must’ve been difficult with that intruder, a catering job, and a reunion with me.” He released my hand to take another sip of coffee. “What did the intruder want?”
“For me to stop searching for Chili.”
“Why?”
He wouldn’t like this part. “Well…It seems…The cops believe…”
“Spit it out.”
I stared at him unblinkingly for a long moment. “The mob is involved.”
“You’re kidding. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Not kidding. It’s for real, and I didn’t want to worry you, especially when I knew you were injured.” I gave him the rundown of the two mobsters who destroyed Estelle’s house and of Kale returning from the dead.
He met my steady gaze with steel. “What is the mob doing on Shell Island? It would be hard to be invisible here. What am I missing?”
“My masked intruder claimed the Bolz’s had a secret family business, and I realized Chili’s boat is too clean. Pairing those data points just now gave me an idea. What if our island location and the too-clean boat indicate someone was moving a product on or off the island in Chili’s boat?”
“If that’s the case, stay far away from whatever madness the Bolz family brought down on their heads. From personal experience, crime syndicates don’t stop. People who stand in their way get beaten, broken, and dead. I’m lucky to be alive. Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I will.”
The stove timer rang. I rose to pull the casserole out, but Pete caught my arm. “And promise that you won’t go to the marina or Estelle’s house without me.”
I hesitated, not wanting my wings clipped but realizing he spoke the truth. If I needed to go to those places, we could go together. Judging from the energy of this conversation, two heads were way better than one.
“Deal,” I said.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
We each went for seconds of the egg casserole, and while we ate, the cat appeared on the deck and cleaned out his food bowl. I pointed Major out to Pete, but the cat scampered away before they could be properly introduced.
With full bellies, we lounged together on the sofa, not a whisper of space between us. “I barely remember the Bolz brothers or Estelle from the years I lived here,” Pete said, stroking my hair. “I recognized Chili’s name because you’ve mentioned he’s your fish supplier. Did the family keep a low profile?”
His caress felt just right. Oh, how I’d missed this. “Chili and Kale stayed busy making their living. It isn’t easy here. If you aren’t working at a hotel or restaurant, there’s not much for unskilled laborers to do. The brothers love being on the water, so they parlayed that passion into paying careers. Chili took the route of a recreational fisherman, while Kale became a commercial fisherman.”
“Fishing is seasonal and dependent on skill for bountiful harvests.” Pete said after a long moment. “In down-times, it’s easy to see why they might’ve made a bad financial choice or two.”
“I hate this for them. We had such fun running and playing as kids. I still can’t see them as criminals. It can’t be true.”
“Go through it all for me again. I have a feeling we’re missing something.”
I started with Estelle’s request to find Chili, worked my way through visiting all the local watering holes asking for Chili, then I ended with finding Estelle near death and her odd last words.
“Bridge and bridge check,” Pete repeated. “You didn’t mention those terms to me before.”
“Sorry. Thought I did,” I said. “It doesn’t matter. The ladies she played bridge with don’t know what that means so it’s a dead end.”
“Possibly. Let’s try another angle. Did the brothers play sports or hunt when they were younger?”
“No sports teams, but they favored camo pants. I believe they learned how to hunt from one of Estelle’s boyfriends.”
“Hunters often return to the same grounds. They build blinds in trees at their favorite haunts. If not for this cane, I’d search for Chili in the woods. That seems the most likely scenario to me. Now that I think about it, a survivalist on the lam in the North Carolina woods hid out for a few years, eating acorns and salamanders. Authorities think friends helped him. What about Chili’s hunting friends?”
“I don’t know them, but my brother might.” I texted Doug to ask if he could take a call now about Chili’s hunting buddies. He texted he was too busy, but he remembered three guys who hunted with Chili and Kale. One guy died in a car wreck, one wa
s in prison, and the other, Justin Adler, moved away a few months ago. I texted him my thanks.
“One name. Not much to go on,” I said to Pete. “I have no idea where they hunted.”
He smiled. “I can figure out some of that. But first, I’d like to see Estelle’s house and Bayside Marina.”
I sat up and stared down at him. “Really?”
“Yeah. Fresh eyes often bring new insights.”
“You’ve made my day. It would mean so much to me if I found Chili. I wish I could’ve done more for Estelle. Truth is, I could never figure out if Chili hid because someone wanted to harm him, or if he’s dead and someone hid the body.”
“Is that why Estelle’s ashes are in your kitchen?”
“Oh.” I cleared my throat. “I wasn’t sure how to broach that topic. I’m her temporary custodian. Now that Kale’s alive, and I hope with all my heart Chili’s alive, they’ll decide what to do with her ashes. Meanwhile, they serve as a tangible reminder that I promised to help her son.”
“We’ll do what we can for Estelle and Chili, but we do it together.”
“All right, partner. Let’s get going.”
We drove to Bayside Marina first since it was closer. I parked in front of the office, and Garnet Pierce, the dockmaster, sped outside to join us. “Howdy,” she said. “Y’all looking for a charter or some fish?”
“Just looking,” I said, introducing Pete to Garnet.
“You the boyfriend?” Garnet said, sizing him up from head to toe. “I heard you lived here before, but our paths never crossed until now.”
“I’m the boyfriend,” Pete said, giving her an appraising gaze as well. “We’d like to walk down to the dock and see Chili’s boat.”
“That’s gonna be a problem,” Garnet said. “Deputy Dawg sent someone at first light to haul that boat out of the water. Said it’s evidence.”
I leaned into Pete and whispered, “That’s Lance’s nickname.”
Pete nodded his understanding, then gestured to the moored boats. “Which boat is closest in size to the one that was removed today?”
“Shoot, Jamie Vassar’s boat is darn close. His motor’s smaller but the boat is the same make and model. See it over there, the Salty Lady?”
“Okay if we walk down on the dock to look at it?” Pete asked.
“You can’t be getting on that boat. That’d be trespassing.”
“Just want to take a look, that’s all,” Pete said amicably.
Garnet looked like she wanted to say no, but another car pulled up with two elderly gentlemen I didn’t recognize. With reluctance, Garnet waved us toward the vessel.
I followed Pete to the boat, careful to step over lines crisscrossing the dock. The vessel was far from pristine, with mud stains here and there, bird droppings, a pungent fishy odor, and five-gallon buckets of empty beer cans. Muddy paw prints tracked all over the boat from stem to stern, suggesting this guy had a dog or hunting dogs. The seat cushion in the captain’s chair was ripped, and sea spray obscured the windshield.
“How much room below?” Pete asked.
“Never been on this boat or Chili’s, but once I heard him say he had two bunks down there and a gas stove.”
“They fish offshore in this size craft?”
“Chili did. Looks like this guy’s been fishing in the tidal creeks from all the mud tracked in the boat.”
“Interesting.”
We took our time walking back to the van, with Pete stopping for frequent rests. “Are you okay?” I asked after he stopped twice. He nodded.
We got back in the van. I searched his face to see if it’d gone pale. Nope. He looked hale and hearty, though his face was a bit drawn. I pulled away from the marina and turned to Pete. “What was that about?”
“This is the older marina, right? There’s a new facility closer to the golf course?”
“Yes. What of it?”
“Bayside has a rundown look, but the dockmaster seemed eager to hustle us out of there. If those fishermen hadn’t shown up when they did, I’m certain she would’ve sent us on our way.”
I hadn’t considered Garnet’s action in that light, but it made sense. “I agree, but why would she do that?”
“Assuming the vehicle closest to the shop is hers, I’d say she’s protecting something.”
“The red truck? That’s hers. Garnet, like her name. Why’s the truck important?”
“It’s pricey. That style costs more than some people’s houses.”
“You’re kidding.”
“I know trucks. Not only that, I know about security measures after having to implement them in North Merrick. Bayside has cameras around the marina and on the pilings near the shore side of each pier. Somebody is closely monitoring the dock traffic. Additionally, most marinas are bustling places, with cars and people and boats moving around. This one looks dead. Garnet’s got money, and she’s not making it there. My spidey senses kicked in.”
“Spidey senses? You a superhero now?”
He patted my leg. “Only if you think I am.”
I gave him a long look that ended with him grinning and me blushing. “Definitely.”
“On to Estelle’s house, then.”
Traffic was light as we motored to the historic district. Crime scene tape still stretched across Estelle’s driveway. I pulled into Ola Mae Reed and Valerie Slade’s driveway next door.
“That it?” Pete asked, pointing to the aging Victorian, a sister construction to Ola Mae’s place.
“What’s left of it. We have to say hello to the sisters who live here first. If anyone moved a muscle on this street they’d know about it.”
“Gotcha.”
Ola Mae came to the door saying Valerie was under the weather.
We chatted for a few minutes, and she flirted outrageously with Pete while holding onto the doorknob. Then she turned and winked at me. “Don’t let this one get away. He’s a better catch than Deputy Hamlet. And if you don’t want this one, I’ll take him.”
“Don’t you worry,” I reassured her, “I’m taking this one. He’s a keeper.”
A wistful look passed in her violet eyes. “He puts me in mind of my Denny. Young man, if this lady doesn’t treat you right, you have carte blanche to move in here, no questions asked.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Pete answered with a polite grin. “I might take you up on that generous offer.”
“Not if River’s got half the sense we credit her with,” Ola Mae said. “Y’all take your time next door. I’ve already made our morning run to the Post Office and grocery store, so we’ve got everything we need.”
“Before you go,” I said, “has anyone else been nosing around next door?”
“Hamlet’s been back a few times, but that’s about it. Have a blessed day.” Ola Mae closed the door in our faces.
“That was interesting,” Pete said as we cut across the driveway and walked into Estelle’s yard. “I have another place to stay.”
“You wouldn’t last long over there. Nobody with a lick of sense eats anything those women cook. Haven’t for forty years, not since they each allegedly poisoned their husbands. Because they lived in different states at the time, the law didn’t catch on, but those of us here made the connection. Their backyard is full of poisonous plants, in case you’re wondering.”
“Nope. Not wondering at all. I will avoid that house at all costs.” He slowed and turned to me, leaning heavily on the cane. “Who’s Hamlet?”
“She means Hamlyn. Somehow she got it wrong in the first place, and no one’s corrected her, not even Lance.”
“Interesting.”
Already this morning I was learning new things about Pete. When he said interesting, for instance, it had a deeper meaning. “You know something?”
He tipped his head toward the neighbor’s house. “M
s. Ola Mae knows more than she’s telling.”
Chapter Thirty
Unlike me, Pete was tall enough that he didn’t need to stand on his tiptoes to peer in the windows. He shook his head after he saw the extreme damage inside, then circled the house, peering in every window.
“What does this look like to you?” I asked.
“That deliberate destruction took time and effort. Whatever these mobsters are looking for, it’s important to them. Appearances suggest they think Estelle hid something inside her walls and air vents.”
“I thought it might be guns or drugs, but neither of those particularly lends itself to a secret wall stash.”
“It’s hard to know. I was surprised at Estelle’s commercial washer-dryer set, but maybe she does some of her dry-cleaning business’s wash at her place.”
“I wonder if the goons destroyed the appliances. If they are still operational, I bet the boys could sell that pair for at least eight hundred dollars. I’d buy the set. Imagine how wonderful it would be not to take spreads and throw rugs to the laundry mat.”
“I need to take a minute,” Pete said after we’d completed the lap. “Mind if we sit on the steps?”
Oh dear. His limp seemed more pronounced than before. I gestured to the wooden steps. “Please, sit. I apologize. I didn’t consider walking would aggravate your injuries. I should’ve just done a drive-by at the marina and here.”
“I’ll be fine,” Pete said. Then, once we were sitting on the front porch steps and facing the street, he lowered his voice. “I exaggerated my limp to justify sitting down. Cameras here too, River. Let’s wait a bit and see who shows up.”
My eyebrows arched. “Where?”
“Around and about. Don’t look for them. Keep your gaze on me. If you start looking for cameras, you’ll give our innocence advantage away.”
“You’re sneaky and dangerously good at investigation strategy,” I said. “I’m glad you’re here to help me.”
Pete reached down and massaged his calf on his hurt leg.
SEAS THE DAY Page 16
