He shrugged, almost looking embarrassed. That was it. He was embarrassed, she realized. His cheeks were even turning red.
“Some purses, okay.” He folded his meaty arms across his expansive chest. “I was going to sell some purses.”
“What?” Ty said.
His voice echoed the surprise Cassidy felt. That wasn’t what she’d been expecting to hear. Drugs? Maybe. Weapons? Another possibility. But not handbags.
“They’re knockoffs,” Jimmy James muttered. “I’m just the go-between for a seller and his buyers. It makes enough for me to buy groceries. Since I work at the docks, I’m in a good position to do the job.”
“How long have you been doing this?” Cassidy asked, feeling both relieved and let down. Part of her had hoped for answers. But at least there was no danger here. Not for the moment anyway.
“Three years.”
“Wow. That long.” Ty shook his head, disbelief in his voice. “And why here? If you give some boxes to someone, who’s going to know what’s inside?”
“It’s complicated.”
“You might be surprised what we understand,” Ty said. “And where are these so-called purses?”
“I pick them up here. When I see the boat coming, I go over to meet it. This guy doesn’t want anyone to see his face. Then I distribute the goods at the docks.”
“Interesting,” Ty said.
“Lots of illegal stuff goes down here at the Point,” Jimmy James said. “It’s secluded. No one wants to venture out here at night alone. It’s the perfect spot for trouble. Speaking of, what are you two doing here?”
Ty’s jaw hardened. “I was showing Cassidy the lighthouse.”
“Do you always get so defensive when someone else shows up at a location where you’re not supposed to be?”
So Jimmy James was more observant than Cassidy had given him credit for. He’d seemed like a meathead, for lack of a better term. He had a history with drugs, and using them was known to kill off brain cells.
“There have been some strange things going on around town lately,” Cassidy said. “You can never be too careful.”
Jimmy James’s gaze fell on her. “Speaking of strange things, someone was asking about you yesterday.”
Her spine stiffened. “Is that right? Who was it?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged. “It was at night. I couldn’t see him.”
“What did he ask?” Ty stepped closer, the warrior inside him surfacing in his intimidating stance.
“About some lady here in town who’d helped break up a human-trafficking ring.”
Cassidy sucked in a breath. Someone was looking for her—she was that person. A month ago, she’d helped three women who escaped from captivity. Their faces appeared in Cassidy’s mind, and she wondered about them. Wondered how they were doing.
“What did you tell him?”
“I asked him why he wanted to know.”
“And he said?” Ty asked.
“Claimed he was a reporter,” Jimmy James said. “But I didn’t believe him. He seemed shifty.”
“Could you identify this man?” Cassidy’s heart raced as if on the verge of crossing the first of many finish lines.
“Sorry. I can’t. White guy. Maybe in his thirties. I don’t think he wanted me to see his face.”
Ty and Cassidy exchanged a glance. It wasn’t much. Hardly anything, for that matter. Too many people in town fit that vague description.
Finally, Ty clarified, “And you didn’t admit that you knew Cassidy?”
“Nah, man. I didn’t think it was any of his business. If he was a reporter, he could do his own homework.”
“If he comes back, will you let us know?” Ty asked.
“Sure thing.” Jimmy James leveled his gaze. “As long as you keep quiet about my purse operation.”
Ty and Cassidy went back into the lighthouse after talking to Jimmy James. From the window, Cassidy watched the scene outside. Sure enough, a boat pulled up and Jimmy James grabbed some boxes from inside.
Selling knockoff purses was illegal—a violation of trademark. The whole thing seemed strange. Yet she had bigger issues to deal with at the moment. Like staying alive.
“Purses?” Cassidy started, glancing back at Ty.
Ty glared at the scene outside, looking more irritated than anything else.
“Nothing surprises me anymore. And purses aren’t what concern me most,” Ty said. “What does bother me is the man asking about you at the docks. Orion?”
Cassidy paced away from the window, attempting to gather her thoughts. “I’m trying to step outside myself for a second here . . . Orion seems like a natural choice. But I also know my parents hired a PI. I asked Samuel—he’s my contact—to get them to call the man off. I don’t know if it worked or not.”
Ty lowered himself on the couch, leaning forward in thought. “So it could be this PI?”
“It’s a possibility,” Cassidy said.
“I suppose it’s also possible that this is connected with that human-trafficking ring.”
“The likelihood that two different sets of criminals are looking for me is unlikely.”
She couldn’t believe those words were even leaving her mouth. They seemed absurd, but close enough to the edge of reality to frighten her.
“You’ve made yourself a target,” Ty said. “All in the name of justice, but a target none-the-less.”
“I can’t argue that.”
Ty shifted again and turned toward her. “Did you think any more about involving Mac?”
She released a pent-up breath, still wrestling with what the right answer was. The lines felt so blurry sometimes. But Mac was a friend . . . and she could use his help.
“Let’s talk to him,” Cassidy said. “But don’t share details. We’ll tell him that I’m in trouble, and we need his assistance. Okay?”
“I’ll call him right now. I’m sure he’ll do whatever he can to help.”
While Ty made his phone call, Cassidy stepped into the kitchen, which currently consisted of some unfinished lower cabinets and a rusty sink. She had to talk to Samuel. He needed to know what was happening.
She dug out her hidden cell phone, the one used only for emergencies, and dialed his number. He answered on the first ring.
“What’s going on, Cassidy?” His deep voice sounded across the line.
She didn’t waste any time with small talk and jumped right to the point. “I think I saw Orion, Samuel.”
Silence stretched for a minute. “You need to leave. Now.”
Cassidy had known that’s what he would say, and she braced herself for the progression of this conversation. It wasn’t going to go well. “I’m staying, Samuel.”
“Why would you do that? You know what he’ll do if he finds you. Do I need to remind you what happened to other women? The ones DH-7 believed were you?”
Cassidy shuddered. No, he didn’t need to remind her. The images were burned into her mind. Those women—the ones who’d been mistaken for Cassidy—hadn’t died pleasant deaths. Their final moments had been long and torturous—the definition of suffering.
“I know, Samuel. But I want to confirm it is Orion first.”
“Don’t take the chance.”
“He’ll just keep finding me. You and I both know it’s true.” Her voice cracked with emotion. But he couldn’t deny the honesty of her words. This was a chase that would never end.
“We need you at this trial, Cassidy.”
“I know.” Again, the reminder that what Cassidy could offer was more important than who she was struck her like a slap in the face.
Samuel finally sighed. “I don’t like this. If you’re not leaving then I want daily updates so I know you’re alive.”
“I can do that.” She paused, one question lingering in her head above the rest. She almost didn’t want to ask. “How did he find me, Samuel?”
“I have no idea. I haven’t told a soul. As far as I know, only you and I know.”
Ryan Samson’s image came to mind. He was the only other person who knew she was leaving—but not where she was going.
At the thought of him, Cassidy shifted. She’d thought she was going to marry the man at one time, and then he’d disappeared from her life, like Cassidy had never even existed. When she’d met Ty, she realized just how much her relationship with Ryan had lacked. She didn’t regret ending that relationship one bit.
She also remembered they suspected someone on the inside. It was the only way that safe house had been compromised. Who was the mole? Had Ryan opened up to the wrong person about what was going on? Had someone working with Samuel gone through his files?
Cassidy had no idea. And being thousands of miles away, she had no way of researching it further.
“Be safe, Cassidy,” Samuel said. “There’s a lot riding on your testimony.”
“I know, and I will be.”
Just as she hung up with Samuel, her phone rang—her other cell phone. It was Serena. Something told her it was imperative she answer.
“Serena, what’s going on?” she asked.
“I just got to your place to pick up Elsa,” she started.
Cassidy had forgotten to tell her not to come today. With everything going on, the detail had slipped her mind. “Okay . . .”
“Something seemed different about your house, so I went on the deck,” Serena said. “Cassidy, it looks like someone broke into your place. One of the windows above your door was smashed.”
Cassidy’s heart pounded in her ears. All signs were pointing to the confirmation that Orion had found her.
Chapter Six
As soon as Ty came back into the room, Cassidy gave him the update from Serena.
“I don’t like this.” Ty frowned, and it was obvious that reality was setting in. The situation was a lot for anyone to digest.
“I don’t either. But I need to know if Orion is behind all this.”
Surprise registered across his face. “How exactly do you propose to figure that out?”
Cassidy took a deep breath before saying, “I’m not going to wait for him to find me, Ty. I need to root him out.”
“Are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, I don’t want you to run. But I don’t relish the idea of you searching for him either.”
“You said I should stand my ground. I can’t just sit here and do nothing, biding my time until he makes his move.” She didn’t like feeling helpless or that Orion was the one calling the shots. No, that wasn’t how she operated. Not in Seattle and not in Lantern Beach.
Ty’s face tightened. “I don’t like this. Have I mentioned that?”
“Multiple times.”
He let out a sigh and ran a hand over his face. “Keep wearing that baseball cap and the sunglasses. Even if Orion sees you, he won’t recognize you at first. I mean, I’m basing that purely on the cartoons of Commotion Cordis that were created from your past likeness.”
“I look nothing like Japanese anime in my current form.” Cassidy flashed a smile, trying to add some humor to the tense situation for both her sake and Ty’s. But it didn’t work. Ty remained tense.
“You shouldn’t go anywhere without me,” Ty said. “Not to sound like a misogynist. But there is safety in numbers.”
“Once again, I agree.”
“It’s going to be difficult to find him, especially since it’s tourist season. I’d guess, from what you told me, that he’s not the type to rent a house. There’s usually a lot of paperwork and planning involved with that. Which leaves the inn and the campground. I say we start there.”
Finally, Cassidy nodded. She liked hearing Ty’s thought process, hearing him use his experience in the real world. He sounded so knowledgeable and sure of himself—two things that were very attractive.
“Okay then,” she said. “Let’s do it.”
Ten minutes later, they were heading down the road. They dropped Kujo off at Austin’s. Meanwhile, Mac was going to look into the break-in at Cassidy’s place. It was better if Cassidy stayed away until they had more information. Cassidy told Serena to take a day off from selling ice cream while they gathered their thoughts more.
Cassidy stole a glance at Ty as they drove, noting the tight set of his jaw and the determination in his gaze. But there was something more, wasn’t there? Was it a hint of sadness or melancholy? She wasn’t sure, and this wasn’t the time to ask.
Instead, she lifted up thanks that he was beside her now.
If she ever got married, she’d always wanted it to be to someone who’d be her partner, her equal—someone who shared mutual respect with her. Everything on her list had been checked off with Ty—checked off ten times over.
They pulled up to the one and only inn in town. It was an old plantation-style building with white shingles and a double balcony, located on the water. However, the elements hadn’t been kind to the place. Its fixtures appeared rusty, the paint was peeling, several shingles were missing, and the septic tank was partially exposed.
Ty stared at it a long moment before turning toward her. “Do you want to wait here while I go inside?”
“Not a chance.” This was her fight, and she wasn’t going to let anyone drown while trying to save her. Not if she had anything to do about it.
“If Orion is a guest here, he could see you.”
She tugged down her hat and slid on her sunglasses. She acknowledged the truth in his words. She’d thought it through, and it was a chance she was willing to take. “I’ll be careful.”
“Okay then. Let’s go.”
They climbed the wooden steps to the building and stepped into the foyer. A woman behind the desk smiled at them pensively. She had a tight bun, librarian-like glasses, and wore a dowdy white shirt.
“We’re all full,” she announced, barely glancing up from the novel she was reading. “I’m sorry.”
“We don’t need a room.” Ty paused in front of the registration desk, his figure imposing in the dainty space. “We’re actually looking for someone who might be staying here.”
“I can’t give out personal information on our guests.” Her face tightened with stubbornness and a hint of suspicion.
“Can I be honest with you?” Cassidy leaned closer, her fingers skimming the glossy wood countertop beneath them. Polish moistened her skin—lemon scented polish that would probably follow her the rest of the day. Cassidy kept her voice low. Reasoning wouldn’t work, so she’d appeal to the woman’s emotions instead.
“Please do.”
“I own Elsa, the ice cream truck.”
The woman raised her chin and offered a half-shrug. “I know. The haunted ice cream truck is a legend around here. I heard people came into town just to see it.”
This was the first Cassidy had heard about it. But that wasn’t important right now.
“Someone bought something from me.” Cassidy paused. “Well, bought isn’t the right word. He said he was going to buy something, but then he took off without paying. I heard he was staying here.”
The woman’s eyes widened, and suddenly Cassidy had her full attention. “For real? There might be a criminal staying here?”
Cassidy nodded. “I know it’s only ice cream, and it doesn’t seem like a big deal. But if someone steals something as small as ice cream, then there’s a chance they’ll stiff you too. It’s like one of my friends used to say—integrity starts with the small stuff.”
Day-at-a-Glance, 01-01.
“You might be right.” The woman still looked pensive and uncertain. Maybe even a touch frightened now.
Cassidy waited for it to play out, giving the woman time to wrestle with her thoughts. But she couldn’t give her enough time to overthink it either.
The clerk put her book down and rolled her shoulders back. “What does this guy look like?”
A brief flash of relief rushed through Cassidy. Maybe she was getting somewhere. Maybe.
“He’s probably six three,” Cassidy said. “He had some pretty huge muscles. Da
rk hair that’s longer on top.”
The woman thought about it a moment before shaking her head. “I’m sorry. I wish I could help, but I haven’t seen anyone matching that description.”
“I see.” Cassidy leaned close again. “Do me a favor? If he does show up, please don’t mention you’ve seen me. I want to catch him by surprise.”
“I won’t. For what it’s worth, I hope you find him. Stealing is stealing.”
“I agree,” Cassidy said. “And thanks again.”
Well, at least that answered one question—Orion wasn’t staying here. But Cassidy’s job was far from over.
Cassidy and Ty stepped outside and back into the August heat. Sweltering seemed like an understatement for its intensity, and there wasn’t a cloud in sight. Nope, this heat would be with them for the rest of the day.
Ty took her elbow as they crossed the gravel parking lot. “Is that your cover story?”
“It worked. Here, at least.”
“What about Lisa, Austin, and the gang? Could we let them know something is going on without letting them know what’s going on?”
Cassidy cringed. Lying to people she considered her friends was complicated and left her uneasy. Yet what other choice did she have? “I hate to lie to them. But . . .”
“We need to extend your cover. That is the only thing that makes sense, at this point.”
Cassidy nodded, grateful Ty understood her point of view. “Then yes. If you’re comfortable with it, let’s proceed. But not with the ice cream theft story. They’ll see through that. I have another idea. First, let’s hit the campground.”
Chapter Seven
Before they left the parking lot, Ty’s phone rang. It was Mac, so Ty put him on speaker.
“Hey, Chief,” Ty said. “What’s going on? Cassidy’s listening.”
“Perfect. I’m at Cassidy’s place now,” Mac said. “Someone’s definitely been here and rifled through things. The TV is gone, as well as the computer.”
“What?” Cassidy said. “What sense does that make?”
Why would Orion take those things? Unless it was to throw everyone off and cover his tracks. It was the only logical conclusion.
Dangerous Waters (Lantern Beach Book 4) Page 5
