Dead Reckoning (Lantern Beach Mayday Book 2)

by Christy Barritt

  “Mackenzie . . . please, think about what I said. You’ll come to your senses one day and realize I’m right.”

  She raised her chin, unable to bring herself to agree. Instead, she brushed his words off and asked, “Are you staying here in Lantern Beach tonight?”

  His cheek twitched as if he fought a frown. “I’m heading back to Delaware tomorrow. I’m staying in Nags Head for the evening. I have to be back for surgery tomorrow afternoon.”

  “Of course.” She hadn’t meant for her words to sound bitter. The work her father did was important.

  And it had always come before his family.

  “Well, I’m sorry you came all this way for nothing.” And before her dad could say anything else to her, Kenzie hurried toward Almost Paradise.

  With any luck, Eddie and the rest of the crew would get here early.

  But, mostly, she just wanted to get away from her dad.

  Chapter Nine

  Jimmy James grabbed some extra fishing line for Tom from his truck before heading back toward the docks. As he did, he nearly collided with Kenzie’s dad.

  His shoulders rolled back as he anticipated whatever might happen next.

  “You need to stay away from my daughter.” Dr. Anderson’s voice sounded at a low growl.

  “Respectfully, that’s not your choice.”

  “If you care about her—and I think you do—you’ll want what’s best for her. And what’s best for her is to come back to Delaware and finish her medical degree. It’s not too late for her to continue with her classes in the fall. This . . .” He glanced around as if he couldn’t find the words for the harbor. “This kind of life isn’t what she was meant to do.”

  The man hadn’t directly insulted Jimmy James, but his tone made it clear that’s exactly what he’d done. “Kenzie feels differently about that.”

  “She’s just going through a rebellious phase, and when it’s over, she’ll see that I’m right. Then she’ll leave you behind . . . as she should.”

  Jimmy James stiffened. He didn’t like this man.

  Jimmy James knew Dr. Anderson was just being protective of his daughter. But he’d crossed some lines with this conversation.

  “Think about what I said. You’ll thank me later—when you discover I saved you a lot of heartbreak.” The doctor pulled out his keys and hurried to his black Land Rover.

  “I doubt that,” Jimmy James muttered.

  Kenzie’s father hopped into his SUV and drove away.

  But, in the man’s short visit here, he’d left enough chaos and destruction to last for months . . . for Jimmy James at least.

  Eddie and the rest of the crew weren’t as early as Kenzie had hoped they might be.

  Instead, she stood just out of sight from her father near Almost Paradise until she spotted him walking toward his vehicle. Then she checked inside the office for Jimmy James, feeling desperate to talk to him. But he wasn’t there.

  Kenzie finally spotted him walking back from the parking lot.

  Relief swept through her.

  Good. All she wanted to do was to talk to him, to apologize for the conversation he’d had to listen to. For what her father had said.

  But when she saw her father’s car pulling away, her relief turned into a surge of alarm.

  Had Jimmy James and her father spoken again?

  Her heart thudded at the thought before immediately quickening with panic.

  She prayed that wasn’t the case.

  Because there was no telling what her father might have said . . . although she had a good idea. Or a bad idea, she should say.

  She hurried toward Jimmy James and met him on the docks.

  “I’m so sorry that you had to hear all of that,” she rushed.

  But Jimmy James kept walking, a new aloofness about him. Kenzie had to fall into step beside him to keep up as he headed toward his friend’s boat.

  “Maybe your father did the right thing by coming here,” Jimmy James muttered, still staring straight ahead.

  She gulped in a quick breath, realizing what had happened.

  Her father had gotten to him, just as she feared.

  Kenzie grabbed Jimmy James’ arm and pulled him to a stop. “You know that’s not true.”

  He paused and stared at her, unreadable emotions in his eyes. What was that? Self-deprecation? Hurt? Longing?

  “But do I?” he finally said.

  No! That wasn’t what she wanted to hear. She hadn’t thought Jimmy James was the type to succumb to her father’s pushiness. But her father had mastered the art of getting exactly what he wanted.

  “Jimmy James . . . don’t let him mess with your head. My father is a good man. But he feels his way is the right way—the only way. Maybe that’s what you want in a world-renowned surgeon, someone who has that cockiness. It’s great in the operating room but not so great in relationships.”

  Jimmy James seemed to break out of his tumultuous trance. He shook his head, almost as if sobering up. “I don’t know what to think anymore.”

  Kenzie squeezed his arm again, feeling like something precious was slipping away from her. She hated the helpless feeling that came with it. “Jimmy James, please. Don’t listen to him.”

  She stared up at him, their gazes locking. She hoped she’d gotten through to him. But she couldn’t be sure.

  He licked his lips and opened his mouth to say something. But as he did, his phone rang. He frowned as he looked at the screen.

  He held the device up to show her. “It’s Mr. Robertson.”

  Kenzie’s breath caught. Mr. Robertson owned Almost Paradise. Why would he be calling Jimmy James?

  Kenzie held her breath as he answered.

  But she wasn’t done with this conversation. She was nowhere close.

  Chapter Ten

  A few minutes later, Jimmy James shoved his phone back in his pocket and turned to Kenzie. The timing on that phone call couldn’t have been better . . . or worse.

  He wasn’t sure which one it was yet. Too many thoughts were colliding in his head right now. His heart wanted one thing, and his mind wanted another.

  And seeing Kenzie in front of him now . . . she made him want to give up everything and anything to make her happy. To put a smile on her face.

  But he had to think about things in the long-term.

  Which was why Mr. Robertson’s call may have been an answer to prayer.

  His throat burned as he said, “It looks like I have the answer that we are looking for.”

  Kenzie twisted her head, confusion floating in her gaze. “What does that mean?”

  “Mr. Robertson asked me if I would captain the upcoming charter. He lost confidence in the other captain he had lined up, and he said he wants to give me another chance instead.”

  “That’s . . . great.” But Kenzie’s voice lacked enthusiasm.

  “If I’m the captain on the boat and you’re one of the stewards, then we can’t be together anyway. Any type of relationship would be inappropriate.”

  “Jimmy James . . .” She sent him a pleading look.

  Grief clutched his heart until he felt an ache there. But he pushed it aside. “You know it’s true. We can’t have a romantic relationship on the boat if we’re going to be working together.”

  She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something then shut it again. Emotions raced through her gaze.

  When she spoke again, her voice sounded hard. “You’re right. I guess that’s our answer.”

  Jimmy James’ heart pounded in his ears. That response wasn’t what he wanted. Not at all.

  But Kenzie’s father’s voice wouldn’t get out of his head. If you really care about her then you know that this is what is best.

  And Jimmy James did really care about Kenzie.

  That’s what made all of this even harder.

  Kenzie couldn’t believe she and Jimmy James were having this conversation.

  It seemed surreal how quickly things had gone from happy and blissful to b
eing turned completely upside down.

  But if Jimmy James wasn’t willing to fight for her then she didn’t want to be with him anyway. Maybe it was better if the two of them discovered this now.

  Yet, despite her resolve, grief still clutched her heart.

  She’d really liked Jimmy James. She’d honestly thought there could be something special between them.

  But he was right. If he was the captain and she was a steward, then it appeared they had their answer.

  The beautiful romance that had started to blossom between them had ended as quickly as it had begun.

  Jimmy James nodded at Almost Paradise before offering an apologetic shrug. “I’m sorry, Kenzie. But if I’m going to captain this boat, then I have a lot of stuff I need to get lined up.”

  She held back a sigh, feeling her heart harden in an effort to protect herself. “Of course.”

  Jimmy James took a step away but paused and turned to her. “Maybe we should both take some time to think things through.”

  She nodded as she felt herself shutting down—a protective measure she’d learned to master ever since her mother had died and her father remarried. When she’d moved to Lantern Beach, she had vowed to put that trait behind her. Apparently, that was easier said than done.

  “You’re right.” Her voice sounded scratchier than she would have liked. “Maybe that is a good idea.”

  Jimmy James offered her another lingering glance. “I should go.”

  “The meeting is in about half an hour. I’ll see you there.”

  As Jimmy James headed toward Almost Paradise, Kenzie sighed and walked toward her car. But, instead of climbing inside, she leaned against the door.

  She needed to stop thinking about Jimmy James. It would do no good to mourn what had happened between them. Nor would it do any good to let bitterness well up inside her concerning her father.

  She needed to focus her thoughts on something else.

  Like last night’s crime. It seemed like the perfect distraction.

  She glanced around the marina, wondering what kind of secrets this place was hiding.

  Her gaze went to Seas the Day again. What happened on that boat last night? She wasn’t losing her mind. A woman was dead, and justice might not ever happen for her.

  As the thoughts flittered through her head, Kenzie froze.

  Someone was on that boat right now.

  But she’d seen Thatcher leave. So, who was onboard?

  Ducking behind various cars, Kenzie crept closer. She didn’t want the person onboard to see her—or anyone else, for that matter. Thankfully, this wasn’t a busy time at the marina.

  She paused behind a truck and saw a man walking on the upper deck, a cloth in his hands. He paused right where Kenzie had seen the incident happen last night.

  He began polishing the railings.

  Anger ripped through her.

  Was he trying to conceal any evidence before the police came back onboard?

  Kenzie didn’t know for sure. But it seemed like a real possibility.

  The answer as to what had happened last night had to be on that boat. Kenzie knew Cassidy and her officers had checked it over. But what if they’d missed something because they didn’t know exactly what they were looking for?

  A few minutes later, the man disappeared inside the cabin.

  Kenzie continued watching until she saw the same man leave the boat five minutes later and head toward his car. She didn’t recognize him with his dark baseball cap pulled down low over his face.

  Who could he be? A member of the crew?

  That was Kenzie’s best guess.

  As he drove away a few minutes later, a new thought hit Kenzie.

  No one was around watching her right now. What if she quickly slipped onto Seas the Day and checked things out for herself? Maybe she’d see something no one else did—something that proved that woman had been murdered.

  Even as the question fluttered through her head, Kenzie knew it was a bad idea. But that didn’t stop the driving compulsion for her to follow through. To check out that boat and see if there was evidence hidden there.

  She glanced around once more and still didn’t see anyone.

  If she was going to do this, here was her chance.

  She couldn’t think about her options too long or she’d miss the opportunity.

  What should I do?

  She knew the answer.

  She should be brave. Shouldn’t let others dictate her life. Shouldn’t let rules act as roadblocks for justice.

  Drawing a deep breath, she darted toward the boat.

  This probably wasn’t her smartest move.

  But she prayed she didn’t regret it.

  Chapter Eleven

  Jimmy James leaned back in his chair behind the helm of Almost Paradise.

  He should feel happy considering he was getting to captain this superyacht again. In a way, he was. At least he’d get to be around Kenzie.

  Except Kenzie probably wouldn’t want to be around him anymore, and he couldn’t blame her for that.

  His mixed feelings made his insides feel like they were being ripped apart.

  In the end, he kept coming back to Kenzie’s father’s words.

  If you really care about her then you know that this is what is best.

  He let out a sigh and tried to focus on the preference sheet Mr. Robertson had sent him.

  Eight guests would be coming aboard for a three-day, two-night cruise. The primary guest was a guy named Kurt Stephens. He’d developed a game app called Fruit Cocktail Mafia and had just hit one million in sales. To celebrate he was bringing family and a few friends onboard.

  Apparently, Kurt was a personal friend of Mr. Robertson. That only added more pressure to Jimmy James as the captain. He was confident if Kurt didn’t find things up to par that he’d report it to Mr. Robertson—which wasn’t fair, considering that Jimmy James was stepping in at the last minute.

  But he didn’t have time to think about that. Right now, he simply needed to get everything lined up for this trip. He only had thirty minutes until the rest of the crew arrived. This evening they’d need to get the boat ready for their guests, who were coming the next day.

  When he finished reviewing everything and making some notes, he headed back outside. He wanted to be waiting on the docks when everybody arrived.

  As he stood there, Stevie-o headed his way. Jimmy James remembered the conversation he’d overheard earlier and felt himself bristling.

  Could Stevie-o have something to do with what Kenzie had seen happen? Could he be accepting money to cover it up?

  “I’m glad I ran into you.” Stevie-o paused in front of him and lowered his voice.

  “Is that right?”

  Stevie-o pulled his sunglasses down and turned a piercing gaze on Jimmy James. “If I were you, I’d stay away from Thatcher Davenport.”

  Jimmy James raised his chin, not fond of the threatening sound of Stevie-o’s tone. “Why is that?”

  “I know you’re asking around about his boat. But he’s not someone who should be messed with.”

  “You haven’t gotten yourself tangled up in something you shouldn’t, have you?” Jimmy James waited for his answer, not breaking his gaze.

  Stevie-o’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. And whatever you think you know, forget about it.”

  Without saying anything else, Stevie-o stormed away.

  What was that about? What was going on between Stevie-o and Thatcher?

  Whatever it was, it could hold some of the answers he and Kenzie were looking for.

  Kenzie felt a rumble of nerves vibrate through her muscles as she darted onto Seas the Day and through the sliding glass door.

  She shouldn’t be on this boat. She knew she shouldn’t. If she was caught . . . she could go to jail.

  Or even worse.

  What if the killer from last night returned and finished Kenzie off also? If this guy was as skilled as he appeared
to be, he’d be able to hide the crime and her body would never be found.

  Despite that, she remained on the boat, her heart hammering into her chest.

  Seas the Day was half the size of Almost Paradise. The accommodations were nice, but she’d seen better, which surprised her. Thatcher seemed like the type who liked the best of the best.

  The boat had three levels. The lower level held the engine room and some storage space. The middle level held the bridge, living area, and staterooms. The top deck was more of a party and entertaining area.

  Kenzie really wanted to go to the top deck to look for evidence. But anyone could see her there—she’d be exposed—and she couldn’t risk that.

  Instead, she wandered through the main salon, looking behind the couches, in the drawers, and under tables.

  She found nothing. Everything appeared so clean that it nearly felt uninhabited.

  Next, she headed into the master stateroom. She wondered if this was where Thatcher stayed. It made the most sense.

  Various items had been scattered on the dresser there, leading her to believe he’d been staying here while he was in town. At least, he’d been staying when he wasn’t visiting his friends at their rental house.

  As before, she went through the various drawers then looked under the bed.

  But she found nothing.

  So far, this uninvited visit to the boat appeared to be wasted.

  Kenzie paused in the center of the room and glanced around.

  There had to be something here. What was she missing?

  She paused at a photo on the dresser. She didn’t allow herself to pick it up. Instead, she leaned closer to it.

  It was a photo of Thatcher with a woman. Most likely his wife.

  But the woman looked about thirty pounds overweight and petite. That didn’t match the description of the woman Kenzie had seen last night.

  She stored that information away in the back of her mind. Was it significant? She wasn’t sure. But she wanted to think about it more.

  A noise in the distance caught her ear. Was that . . . a door sliding open?