“Alex—”
“All I’m saying is, why can’t we figure out something that will penalize her for the wrongs she committed—”
“They’re called crimes.”
Alex sent him a quelling look. “What if Owen doesn’t press charges and you get the judge to give her community service or something for her past transgressions? She pays her dues and everyone moves on.”
“Until she does it again. Then what? And what about your role in this?”
“I’ve already told Owen I’ll pay for the damages. Obviously, I know I broke the law by breaking in, but he seems to understand that I didn’t do it maliciously, but to help someone who was obviously in distress. I don’t know if he’ll file charges, but if he does, then I’ll deal with it. I’m not looking to duck the consequences of what I did. But I’m not talking about me. I can handle that. I’m talking about Eleanor.”
Logan held her gaze without saying anything, and whatever anger or frustration he’d felt when she’d been ushered into his office seemed to dissipate as the silence stretched out and he continued to study her. “Why are you so worried about her? Is it just because you identify with her being alone, or is it something else?”
“I—does it have to be something else? She’s in trouble. And not just with the law. I’m just trying to do what I think is right. Did you talk to her yet?”
“Not directly, but I read Jackson’s report.”
“I don’t know what she told him, but she talked to me while we sat in the back of your truck before one of your officers got there. Did you know she’s been feeding that raccoon for over a year?”
“What? The raccoon? What does this—”
“Did you know?” Alex asked again.
“I—I know Fergus said something about it, but I didn’t pay much attention, other than it’s a dangerous thing to do—which proved to be true when the thing got inside her house and she tried to mace it with furniture polish.”
“Well, she wishes she’d never called you that day. You ruined everything. I mean, she panicked, but—”
“I didn’t ruin anything. I sent Randy over there to get the raccoon out of her house before it bit her or she bit it. Did she mention to you that a year or two back she kept calling us over because she swore someone was coming in and rearranging her porcelain doll display?”
“No, but I’m not surprised by it.”
“She’s getting older, and I understand that it’s—”
“No, it’s not because of that. I mean, yes, she’s getting older, but it’s because she’s older that she’s alone. She didn’t have children and her husband died a long time ago. She had one sister who lived in Florida who died six years ago. The only two people she could call friends also died within the last eighteen months. The dolls? That was a cry for help, I’d say. Just wanting attention. She’s not the most sociable person.”
Logan gave her a look that said really? but didn’t put voice to it.
“She hasn’t the first clue how to make new friends at her age, and really, where would she even try? I’m not sure she’s ever been a people person. She’s not a churchgoer and there isn’t a community center or senior center here, so . . . anyway, that raccoon had been getting in her trash and causing her problems, and at first she did want someone to come and trap it. She even called your animal rescue guy— Randy—about it. But the raccoon kept coming back. So she started to leave food out for it, hoping it would leave her trash alone. And it worked. After a while, she found herself looking forward to its visits. She’d watch it through the window from her kitchen when it came up and ate.”
“This isn’t a Discovery Channel special, Alex. Those animals can be dangerous. She—”
“She was lonely, Logan. Feeding it made her happy. Trust me, she knows very well how dangerous it can be because one morning she left her back door open while she was taking the trash to the curb and it got in her house. It scared her to death. She liked the idea of it outside, but not in her home. She panicked and called you. She didn’t want to hurt it. She just didn’t want it in her house.”
“If she wants companionship, why not get a cat? Or five or six of them?”
“I don’t know. All I know is Randy got the raccoon out of the house and it broke her heart to think she wouldn’t see it again. I’m not saying it’s rational or logical, but sometimes emotions aren’t, and she is old and”—Alex raised her hand—“ just let me finish. The raccoon came back and she wanted to find some way to make sure you wouldn’t all take it away again, which is why she attacked you with water guns and later went to city hall. She wanted a license or whatever it would take to let her keep it, just not in her house. She was trying to stop it from being removed. I don’t know why everything got out of hand like it did, but she was scared, Logan. Scared and old and maybe not all that clearheaded about it. Like I said, she’s not a people person.”
“She seems to have bonded pretty well with you.”
“I don’t think she thought through her actions. She just—she wanted the raccoon to come back and she knew if she went into Owen’s to buy pet food again everyone would know she was up to something. Crazy as it sounds, she thought she’d just go in before he opened, get as big a bag as she could carry, leave money on the counter, and no one would know it was her.” Again, Alex lifted her hand against his rebuttal. “Also wrong on so very many levels, but it wasn’t a malicious act. She just . . . doesn’t want to be alone.”
“And again I ask, why not get a cat? Or a pet goldfish for that matter.”
“She liked the raccoon because she didn’t have to take care of it or interact with it or even live with it. The animal was happy to be fed and that made her happy. And feel less alone. Something counted on her, depended on her, needed her, I guess.” Alex lifted a shoulder. “Surely there’s some other solution to this than jailing her or fining her or both.”
Logan didn’t say anything, but once again held her gaze for a long, silent moment.
She gave him a wry smile. “And now you think I’m nuts for sticking up for the crazy raccoon lady.”
“No. I don’t,” he said at length. “I think you’re caring and compassionate. And trying to get the right resolution to a string of wrong actions.”
Their gazes connected and she wanted so badly to stand up and let him pull her into his arms. It was disconcerting to realize how much she’d grown to need him, and yet, she knew it would have felt like the most natural thing in the world. Just as it always did with them.
She also knew they were on the same side in this Eleanor problem. He just had a different responsibility, one that had to take his entire town into consideration and not just one woman. Or two, as the case might be. She hadn’t really thought about the true responsibilities he faced, and what it took to do a job like his. On the one hand, it wasn’t as if Blueberry was a hotbed of crime, but at the same time, there were all kinds of things that brought troubles to people’s lives, no matter where they lived. In a town the size of the Cove, not only did he know all those people personally, but with a force as small as his, she imagined it often fell to him to resolve the issues that came up.
Now she understood why he’d put off having workers out at the Point. She didn’t blame him for wanting to preserve his peace and quiet, his alone time. As much as she knew the renovation had to be done, she felt bad about being the catalyst to force all that on him.
Her thoughts, the situation, the surprising strength of her feelings for him, all sort of caught up with her at once. She broke their gaze, feeling more than a little confused. She wanted the right result for Eleanor Darby. She also wanted Logan McCrae.
But she’d already made her choice regarding him. One he’d agreed to . . . with good reason. Although, with him so close, emotions in the room running high, and the tension winding tighter and tighter, the longer they talked . . . the harder it was to remember why stopping what they’d started had been such a good idea.
Alex shook off her musings.
“You’re right. That’s exactly what I want.” Just not all of what I want. “Surely there is some solution that will please everybody. Is there really no way we can at least try?”
“We?”
She caught his gaze again. “You. Me. Us. Whoever it takes.”
A spark leaped to his eyes, and she felt her throat go dry. She wanted to tell him that maybe she wasn’t just talking about Eleanor. Maybe there were other solutions to other problems, namely the one that had caused her to move out this morning. Maybe they could figure out what would be best for Eleanor, Owen, and the town. Then talk about what might be best for them.
She hadn’t even been gone a full day yet and nothing about leaving felt like the right move. It felt more like . . . hiding—as if she could pretend she wasn’t having this dilemma, and it would go away. It was true she would leave Blueberry, but not anytime soon. If she felt like this now, how on earth was she going to make it through a year or more, living in the same small town as him, wanting him, wanting . . . more?
Suddenly the idea that sleeping under different roofs would solve everything seemed like the ridiculous solution it was—which meant . . . what? Walk away from Pelican Point? Leave Blueberry now?
If moving across town to get away from the temptation of Logan McCrae had felt wrong . . . the idea of leaving town altogether made her stomach clutch. She wasn’t ready to leave yet. She hadn’t done what she’d come to do. She needed the job, the work. She needed it so she could sort things out, figure out what came next.
Not only didn’t she have any answers, now she had a dozen more questions.
“Alex.” His deep voice had that rough edge to it. The one that always sent shivers down her spine.
And this time was no exception.
He shifted off the desk and she half rose out of her chair as if he’d simply willed her up and into his arms and she’d gone willingly, without question. Just as he reached for her, his office door opened and Sergeant Benson ducked her head in.
“Sorry to interrupt, sir.” She took in the two of them and the way they had simply frozen in place. “Truly sorry. But Owen Hartley is out here. He’s done with his statement and has asked to speak to you.”
Logan held Alex’s gaze a moment longer, then glanced at his sergeant. “Send him in.”
Alex scooted around her chair. “I’ll just—I can wait outside.”
“He wants to talk to both of you,” Sergeant Benson added.
“Oh,” Alex said, surprised. She glanced at Logan, then back at the sergeant. “Okay.”
A moment later, Owen stepped into the room. He was of average height, average build, somewhere in his late forties with reddish-brown hair that wasn’t exactly thick or curly, but just enough of both to always have a bit of an unruly look to it. He had more the look of the quintessential mild-mannered college professor than a hardware store owner. All he needed was a set of wire rim glasses and patches on the elbows of his plaid wool jacket.
“Thank you,” he said, looking nervous and exhausted. “I just wanted to—is it okay if we all sit down?” He was holding his wool cap and alternately crushing it and smoothing it in his hands.
“Sure,” Logan said, motioning Owen and Alex into the two seats that fronted his desk. He took the seat behind it. “Owen, Alex and I have been talking about Eleanor, and—”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you both about. Now, Chief, I know you’re going to want me to press charges, but I spoke to Eleanor just now—”
“You talked to Eleanor?” Logan shot a look through the open blinds on his office door at his sergeant, who was remarkably busy with the folders on her desk. He looked back to Owen. “I understand this is all a little overwhelming, and I’d like to caution you to take some time, let the shock wear off, then think things through clearly.”
“What did you want to do, Owen?” Alex asked him, careful not to look at Logan, whom she assumed would not be happy with her intrusion.
Owen turned to Alex. “She’s very apologetic to me. I was kind of . . . surprised, actually. She’s usually not so . . .”
“Friendly?” Alex supplied. She reached out and put her hand on Owen’s arm. “I think this whole thing has gotten away from her, too. She was just so upset, so sad, and so scared.”
“Yes, scared! I was surprised to see that, too. I mean, I know she was mad about the raccoon, about . . . well, frankly, I never took the time to find out, and I’m feeling badly about that.”
“Owen,” Logan began.
But Owen talked over him. “No, Chief. I realize she’s never been the easiest person, far from it. I guess I just never stopped to ask myself why that would be. She doesn’t handle people all that well, is all. I guess that’s the nicest way I can put it. She doesn’t want to make anyone mad. I think she resents a little—maybe a lot—that other folks find it easy to make friends and get along in the world. I think she counted on her husband to kind of run interference for her, and the few friends they’d made when he was alive helped her after he passed. But they’re gone now, too, and I get the sense that she’s feeling kind of lost. But she didn’t really know how to ask for help.”
Logan started to speak, then caught Alex’s gaze and paused, took a measured breath, and said, “Alex has said much the same thing. They talked after she and Eleanor left the store. My problem here, Owen, is twofold. While I do feel for her situation, we can’t just turn our backs to what she’s done as if it didn’t happen, or it will very likely happen again. I can’t risk that. I can’t risk it escalating to some other level of anger and defiance. I don’t know who might get caught in the crossfire. Also, it’s a matter of the rest of the town knowing that when people break the law, there’s a consequence. Otherwise, everybody would be taking matters into their own hands. Do you understand where I’m coming from?”
Owen looked a little heartsick. “I do, Chief.” He twisted his cap some more, then looked helplessly at Logan, then at Alex. “The thing is, I just can’t see my way to pressing charges and putting her through more grief, not at my hands. I know she’s already in trouble with the town, and what happened today will only make that trickier for her.” He lifted a shoulder in a half shrug. “It just seems to me we should be finding a way to help her and I don’t think more prosecution is the answer.”
Alex and Owen looked back to Logan, and she knew he understood she was aligned with Owen. She waited for Logan to say something.
It was Owen who broke the silence first. “Oh, and I’m not charging Alex, either. If I hadn’t done what I did to Eleanor, Alex would have never had to break the door to get in.”
“I’m paying for damages,” she said.
“Let me check with my insurance company first.”
“No, it was my choice to do what I did.” She put her hand on Owen’s arm again. “We can talk about it later, okay? We’ll figure it out.”
“Why were you at the store, anyway?” Owen asked. “You said something about having come by twice that morning. I’m sorry I wasn’t there, but I fell asleep, and then, well, you know.”
Alex smiled. “It’s okay.” She cast a quick glance at Logan, and felt the confusion come tumbling back over what she wanted to happen with him, over what she knew couldn’t happen with him. “I wanted to talk to you about Pelican Point.”
For the first time, Owen relaxed and a true smile lit up his face. “I’m always happy to talk about the lighthouse.”
“Actually, I didn’t want to talk to you about it, so much as ask if you’d like to come with me when I go inside to see where we stand with the renovations.”
Owen gaped, then snapped his mouth shut. He looked to Logan, then back to Alex. “I’d be honored,” he said, beaming as if Santa had just granted him his fondest wish. “Is it okay with you?” he asked Logan, then quickly looked to Alex. “I mean, not to second-guess you.”
He turned back to the chief. “But I know you’re not happy with me at the moment, so—”
“Owen, I’m not upset wit
h you,” Logan said. “I’m just concerned that we handle this properly so that moving forward, it’s well and truly resolved, that’s all. Of course you can go up in the tower. I know Alex respects and appreciates all the history and information you have on the place. Hell, you know more about the thing than I do. Or you recall more of it anyway.”
“Thank you,” he said, then turned to Alex. “When were you thinking of going inside?”
“Well, originally, today, but seeing as—”
“Actually, if you think you can still manage it, I can do that. We’ve got the front of the store boarded up. Hank’s going to fix it, but I want my insurance adjuster to take a look first and he can’t come till tomorrow.”
“I hadn’t thought about you not being able to open for business. I’m so sorry. It’s not right, you losing revenue like that.”
“This time of year, it’s not like I’m doing a booming business anyway. If we’re going out to the Point, well, I’d have gladly closed up shop for a bit for that.”
Alex wasn’t too sure she was buying his explanation, but she’d have time to find a way to square things with Owen later. She was hoping he might be willing to help out with the restoration work itself when the time came, so she’d find a way to make sure he was compensated. “Well, okay then. That’s great.”
Owen looked back to Logan, who was looking at them, his patience clearly being tested. “Are you going to keep Eleanor here?”
“I’m afraid so. At least until we get things sorted out with the district attorney and her lawyer.”
“Chief, I really want to say how much I want to find some kind of workable solution to this. I just don’t want—”
“Owen, we’ll figure something out. I’ve heard what you had to say and I’ve listened. Truly. Okay?”
Owen nodded, breathing a sigh of relief. “Okay. Good.” He stood. “I won’t take up any more of your time.” He looked at Alex. “When did you have in mind?”
“Why don’t you go home, get a little rest, clean up, get something to eat? We can meet at Delia’s around two. That will give us a solid handful of hours before we lose the light.”
Pelican Point (Bachelors of Blueberry Cove) Page 28
