by Rose Pressey
“I hope we can find a place to stay,” I said as we approached his car.
“I guess we’ll have to sleep on the beach if we don’t.” The corners of his mouth tipped up. He had that smile down pat.
“I don’t think so. I don’t like those crabs.” I scanned the ground looking for one.
He opened the car door for me and I climbed in. “I wouldn’t worry about it just yet. We’ll find a place.”
Even if we did then I would have to worry about whether they had enough rooms. I wasn’t about to share one with Dangerfield. What would be the consequences if we shared a room? I knew what would potentially happen. What if I succumbed to his good looks? I’d toss my clothes off faster than I could say one-night-stand. No, that wasn’t what I wanted.
Dangerfield hopped in his car. “Do you know the place Dean mentioned?”
“Yes, I know where it is, but there are no lights out there. It will be hard to find the street.”
“Is that your passive-aggressive way of telling me to drive carefully?” He pulled out onto the main road. “I promise I will be as safe as possible.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” I gestured for him to switch lanes.
We made it across town and turned down the secluded road that led out to old Fort Morgan that had been used during the War of 1812 and the Civil War.
“You weren’t kidding about it being dark,” Dangerfield said, turning on the car’s high beams.
“I’ll try to tell you when you’re getting close to the street, but it’s been a while since I’ve been down this road. The sign will probably glow when we get near, but it’ll probably be too late to turn then.” I shifted in my seat, tapping my fingers nervously against my leg.
The bay was on the right and the gulf was on the left. Between the water and the road were lots of trees with houses sprinkled about. The longer we drove down the road the spookier it got. Darkness stretched out as far as we could see. Vegetation made it impossible to see anything. The further we went the more it would clear out, but the street we were looking for was about midway down the road.
Not only did darkness surround us on each side, but the vast night sky stretched out endlessly above us. Millions of stars twinkled. If not for the fact that I was searching for a killer, it might have been kind of romantic. Did I want romantic with Dangerfield? Now wasn’t the time to worry about such things anyway.
“Okay, slow down, I think we might be getting close.” I motioned.
Dangerfield slowed the car down. Luckily, there were no other cars behind us. That made the isolated feeling even worse. We were out there all alone.
The small green road sign came into view. The reflective edges glowed, guiding us toward our turn.
“There it is.” I pointed.
Dangerfield whipped the car to the left and turned onto the narrow road. “You weren’t kidding when you said we might miss it.”
I held onto the seat as Dangerfield made the turn. “I warned you.”
Each side of the road was cloaked by palm trees and other greenery. It felt like the vegetation was closing in on us. A serial killer could easily jump out at any moment. It didn’t help that we were actually looking for a killer. My anxiety grew as we inched down the deserted road. I shifted in the seat.
“Is this making you nervous?” Dangerfield asked.
“Just a little. What about you?” I asked.
“I’m fine,” he said.
Of course he wouldn’t tell me if he was nervous. That wasn’t a guy kind of thing. The thought crossed my mind that maybe we shouldn’t be out there on this isolated road. What if we did find Jeff out here in the dark? Then again, I guessed it didn’t matter if we saw him here or in town. More than likely it would have the same outcome.
Dangerfield parked the car on the side of the road when we’d reached the end. Once the pavement stopped, sand led out onto the beach. The brush had thinned out, but the dunes were high and I still couldn’t see the water yet. Ahead of us was a small wooden bridge and a swamp.
“Do you think there are alligators out there?” I asked as I looked out the window into the dark night.
He didn’t have to answer that question. I knew they were out there. The creatures were probably watching us as I spoke.
“Yes, there are,” Dangerfield said as he opened the door.
“What? You were supposed to tell me no,” I said.
“You didn’t say you wanted me to lie to you.” The moonlight highlighted his handsome face.
I swallowed hard and opened the car door. I peeked to my left and right before getting out. I wasn’t sure I could outrun an alligator. Dangerfield was waiting for me at the front of the car.
“You think it’s down there on the beach?” He pointed.
I brushed the hair out of my eyes. “If it’s the house I think he was talking about, then yes.”
Dangerfield and I set out down the highway. A slight breeze carried across the air. The sound of soft waves hitting the sand carried across the dunes. We continued down the road crossing the wooden bridge. The planks creaked under our feet. I couldn’t help but look to the left and the right. I didn’t know what I would do if an alligator slithered up on the road.
“What are you looking for?” Dangerfield asked.
I scoffed. “You know what I’m looking for.”
“As long as you don’t go out into the swamp I’m almost sure you will be fine,” he said.
I glared at him. “Thanks for that.”
“No problem,” he said.
We reached the dunes. A path was cut out in the middle that led to the beach. I hoped once we reached the top we’d be able to see the house. Moving past the sea oats, I stepped out onto the sand. The stars stretched on forever. The water lapped at the sand.
“This is beautiful,” I said.
“Yes, it is,” Dangerfield said softly.
For a moment, I forgot why we were there. I envisioned walking along the water in my bare feet. Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for that now. I glanced to the left where I thought I’d remembered seeing the house in the past. There weren’t a lot of houses along this section, which was why it stuck out in my memory. As many times as I’d walked along the beach there, it was hard to forget.
“There’s the house,” I said, pointing down the beach.
It was a short walk, but walking through the sand would be tough.
“Let’s check it out,” he said.
He reached out and grabbed my hand. I looked over at him.
“I didn’t want you to fall while walking across the sand,” he said.
“Thanks.” I smiled.
We walked hand in hand across the sand. His skin was warm against mine. It was a good thing he’d taken my hand because it was uneven and I probably would have fallen. I felt like a cat burglar as we crept through the night. Even though it was dark, I still noticed that the house was picture-perfect, blue with white shutters and trim.
Soon we were at the edge of the house. What would we do now that we’d come all this way? We stopped and looked up at the house. It was dark, not a single light on. The place seemed lonely.
“Either everyone is in bed or there isn’t anyone home. It could be a vacation home only. Heck, Jeff could be staying there illegally.”
“We’re about to find out if he’s there,” Dangerfield said.
I let go of his hand. He didn’t say anything, but he gave a quick look my way. We walked up the steps of the house to the deck. We moved around to the door and knocked.
“What the heck are you going to say if anyone answers?” I asked.
Now I was hoping no one would answer.
“We can tell them we are lost,” he said.
I rolled my eyes. Lucky for us, no one answered. As much as I wanted to find Jeff, I also didn’t want to get killed. I moved over to the windows and pressed my face close to the glass, peeking in. I didn’t see anything.
“I don’t think anyone is staying there,” I said.
“We should get out of here.”
He nodded and we headed down the steps back to the sand. As we moved closer to the path that led back to the road, I heard a noise from the brush. My breath caught and I froze. “What was that?” I should have taken off running for the car.
Dangerfield looked around, but shrugged.
“We should get out of here.” The thought of alligators came rushing back to the front of my mind. This time I grabbed Dangerfield’s hand. I practically pulled him all the way back to the path.
I released a sigh of relief when we reached the paved road again. The only problem was we still had to pass that wooden bridge and the swamp. I supposed I’d made it safely the first time—I would made it this time too. I sucked in a deep breath and let it out.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I said.
I hurried my steps and made it to the bridge. There was no time to waste.
“What’s your hurry, Charley?” Dangerfield called out from behind me.
“Alligators,” I said over my shoulder.
The car was in my view now. Only a short distance and I would be safe again.
That was when I heard a splash. When I glanced over, I saw the green slithering thing on the bridge. For a moment, I thought I stopped breathing.
“Alligator,” I yelled.
“Don’t make any sudden movements,” Dangerfield called out.
I didn’t listen to him as I ran toward the car. All I could think about was getting in the car. If Dangerfield had locked the door then I was a goner. Finally, I reached the door and yanked on the handle. Thank goodness it opened and I jumped in the car. Dangerfield was running toward the car. I couldn’t see where the alligator had gone. Finally he reached the door and jumped in. He looked straight ahead. I was still trying to catch my breath.
“You could have gotten us killed,” he said.
“Yeah, but I didn’t,” I said.
He shoved the key into the ignition. “I think it’s time to go.”
“You think?” I said.
Dangerfield pulled out onto the road and up a little. The narrow road required that he make a U-turn so that we could get out of there. Thank goodness the doors were locked and the alligator couldn’t get to us. I’d have nightmares featuring alligators.
As he straightened the car around, a shot rang out. I ducked down in the car. A scream may have escaped my mouth. With the panic coursing through my veins, I wasn’t sure if it had actually come out, or was just in my head.
“My God, someone is shooting at us,” I said.
My heart pounded and my body shook.
Dangerfield punched the gas as another shot rang out. The sound ricocheted through the air. Now we really were going to get killed. Who would be firing at us unless it was Jeff back at that house?
When I peeked back in the side mirror, I spotted a man in the middle of the road.
“Don’t look up. The shooter may fire again.” Dangerfield reached over and tried to force me down in the seat.
I couldn’t tell exactly what he looked like, but by his size and shape it wasn’t Jeff. If not him, then who was shooting at us? The man stepped forward and for a split second the moonlight hit him. It happened so fast, but there was something familiar about him. Dean flashed in my mind.
We raced down the road and lost the guy. If he had a car he might have chased after us, but I hadn’t seen a car anywhere. I was just thankful to be out of there.
Now that we were on the main road, I inched up from the bottom of the car. “Do you think it’s safe to come out now?”
Dangerfield looked back in the rear-view mirror. “I think it’s safe.”
“I don’t see any cars, who do you think that was?” I asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t know. We’re lucky to be alive though.”
“For a second, I swear maybe it was Dean.”
Dangerfield glanced over at me. “What are you talking about?”
I sighed. “I don’t know. Just something made me think maybe it was him.”
“I don’t think that’s possible. We left him at his house. Is there a shortcut to the beach house?”
“Not that I know of,” I said.
“I thought you knew this town,” he said.
“I don’t know everything about it.”
I couldn’t believe how close we’d come to being shot. This was getting more dangerous by the second. How would we get out of this?
Chapter 31
We drove down the main street along the beach looking for a hotel. Palm trees sporadically lined the street. Even though I couldn’t see the water, I knew the beach was close because the smell of the ocean drifted through the car’s window.
“What about that place?” Dangerfield pointed at the vacancy sign at a small hotel.
“How about we stop there as a last resort? I think there’s a Holiday Inn down the road.” I gestured.
Dangerfield continued for another mile and then pulled into the parking lot. At least the sign said there was a vacancy here too.
Dangerfield parked the car. “I can go in and get us a room.”
I opened the door. “Not so fast. I’ll go in and get a room for myself.”
He held his hands up in surrender. “Whatever you want.”
We walked into the hotel lobby and over to the front desk. A sofa and chairs decorated the lobby area to the left. The pastel colors looked like someone had stolen the Golden Girls’ set. No one was around. Cold air from the air conditioner blasted us bringing up goose bumps on my arms. Dangerfield talked with the employee while I walked over to the window and peered out. Of course it was too dark to see anything. After a minute, Dangerfield joined me.
“I got our rooms.” He held up the key cards.
Luckily, there were rooms available. Dangerfield and I headed toward the rooms. I was just sad that I didn’t have any clothing, no pajamas to change into. But after everything that had happened, that was the least of my worries. I’d have to ask for a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Dangerfield stopped in front of my room. “Looks like this is it. I’m right next door if you need me.” He stared at me for a moment. Was he going to kiss me? Maybe I should grab him by his shirt and say kiss me, for Pete’s sake. After a long pause, he started to move toward his door. “If you can’t sleep, come and get me.”
I rolled my eyes and then opened my room door.
“Goodnight, Dangerfield,” I said over my shoulder.
“Sweet dreams,” he said as I closed the door.
There was a king-sized bed in the middle of the room. The air-conditioning hummed as it blew at full capacity, so I flipped the switch to the lowest setting. I collapsed onto the bed. It wasn’t the most comfortable I’d ever felt, but it definitely wasn’t the worst either.
Unfortunately, I was wide awake now. I kept thinking about Dangerfield telling me to come over if I couldn’t sleep. Was he serious?
There was a door that led out to the pool area. I stepped over to the window, pulled back the heavy drapery and peered out at the sparkling pool.
Surprisingly, there was no one in the water or anywhere around for that matter. I supposed I could go out and stick my toes in the water for a second. Just a quick dip to wet my toes. Maybe that would relax me enough so that I could sleep.
I unlocked the door and stepped out into the night air. The lights around the pool made the reflections on the water dance. If Dangerfield was out here I wouldn’t put it past him to jump in with or without his clothing. I walked around the pool, looking at the inviting water. I stepped over to the edge and sat down.
I slipped off my sandals and eased my feet into the water. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the soothing feeling of the cool water against my warm skin. The tension was already easing from my shoulders. It was hard to get everything that had happened out of my mind though, no matter how relaxing the water felt.
A breeze stirred my hair and I leaned back to soak in my surroundings. I hoped that I could stay out here
alone for a little while longer. I had no idea the water could be so relaxing.
“How’s the water?” Dangerfield asked from over my shoulder.
I jumped, almost falling in the water. “You’ve really got to stop sneaking up on me like that.”
He leaned down and sat beside me. He took off his shoes, rolled his pant legs up and put his feet in the water too.
“This is nice,” he said.
I smiled. “It is nice.”
“I guess you couldn’t sleep after all,” he said.
“What about you?” I moved my legs through the water. The motion was almost hypnotic.
“I looked out the window and spotted you. I hope you don’t mind that I came out.”
I smiled. “No, I don’t mind. I’m just surprised that no one else came out here to enjoy the pool.”
“Lucky for us,” he said.
We sat in silence for a little while longer. I moved my feet through the water. Dangerfield moved his back and forth too. A different feeling came over us. The relaxation was no longer there. I looked up and across the back of the hotel was a sea oats flanked pathway that led to the beach.
I spotted him then. “It’s Jeff.”
“What?” Dangerfield said with shock in his voice.
I pointed as I jumped up. Just then Jeff took off. I grabbed my sandals and slipped my feet into them. Dangerfield jumped up and shoved his feet into his shoes.
“Are you sure that it was him?” Dangerfield said as he ran after me.
I reached the gate that led onto the path. “I’m sure that it was him. He was watching us.” We ran out onto the path in the direction where I’d seen Jeff leave. I spotted him running around the hotel.
“There he is.” Dangerfield pushed his fast legs into action and moved ahead of me. I wasn’t far behind. I just hoped that Dangerfield could catch up with Jeff before he got away. What had he been doing watching us? And why was he running away now?
As I turned the corner of the hotel, I spotted Jeff and Dangerfield up ahead. Dangerfield was only steps away when he reached out and tackled Jeff from behind. Jeff fell to the ground and Dangerfield was next. They struggled on the ground. I wasn’t sure who would come out ahead. What could I do? I moved as fast as I could and finally caught up with the men.
