Jimmy James suddenly had her full attention. “Is that right?”
As he nodded, the skin of his thick neck folded into rolls. “I didn’t have a chance to talk to him, but I’m pretty sure it was the same man.”
“What time was it?” Cassidy and Mac had staked out his place from eight until around ten.
“I don’t know. Probably eleven? I was working late.” He shrugged and lifted his eyebrows. “On my business.”
On the knockoff purses, he meant.
Eleven o’clock? It could have been Orion.
“Did anything unusual happen?” Ty asked.
Jimmy James shrugged again. “Unusual? Not really. But there was a woman with him this time.”
A woman? What sense did that make? “What did she look like?”
“Hard to say. Long hair. Dark. She seemed to be there willingly.” He paused. “I know that doesn’t help a lot, but I figured you’d want to know.”
“Thanks, Jimmy James,” Cassidy said. “I appreciate it. And it does help.”
As the band started—Wes on drums and Lisa playing keyboard—Cassidy reflected on what Jimmy James had said. Who could the woman be? Cassidy certainly hadn’t seen a woman with Orion, nor had anyone else mentioned one.
She’d have to ask Wes if there was another woman at the man’s house when he’d gone to work on the hot tub. It seemed as if he would have mentioned that.
In the middle of the first song, “This Is Amazing Grace,” someone walked into the service late and took a seat across the aisle.
Cassidy peeked over, and her mouth gaped.
It was Orion.
He’d come to church.
Ty’s muscles bristled, and he slipped an arm around Cassidy’s shoulders as his instincts flared to life.
Had Orion come here to mock Cassidy? To tease her? Intimidate her?
It didn’t matter the reason. Ty didn’t like it. He’d make sure to remain between Cassidy and the island’s most intriguing visitor.
Cassidy might be capable, but that didn’t tamp down his urge to protect her.
“Do you want to leave?” Ty whispered, leaning close enough that her hair tickled his face.
Cassidy shook her head, but her stiff jaw clearly said it all. She was on edge. “No. If Orion already knows I’m here on Lantern Beach, there’s no need to run away.”
He had to admire her bravery. But it was a fine line between bravery and stupidity. They had to err on the side of caution. If he pushed too hard, Cassidy would only resent him.
Ty glanced back over. The man did appear normal, dressed in casual attire. He didn’t see any tattoos or piercings or anything else that would signal a dangerous history.
Ty didn’t like this, and he fought the urge to confront the man and demand answers.
Not here. Not now. And not if it meant putting Cassidy in a precarious position.
Ty couldn’t concentrate for the entire service. No, he kept examining the man.
What kind of gang leader came to church? Dressed in a light-blue shirt with a pastel tie? Sang like he was familiar with the songs?
Ty knew Cassidy was conflicted about what was going on, and he couldn’t blame her. He was conflicted as well.
Either this guy was a great actor or he wasn’t Orion. But what were the chances that someone who looked just like the man would show up here?
“So we’ve got to learn to let go of things here on this earth, to not hold too tightly to what we think we love,” Pastor Caleb said.
Not to hold too tightly . . . the reminder brought him back to his future with Cassidy. She’d warned him when they started dating that she couldn’t make any promises about the future. He’d told himself he was okay with that.
But now it didn’t feel okay. The only thing that felt okay was a future where the two of them ended up together.
Orion threatened that.
As the invitation song drew near, Wes and Lisa went back onstage to play. Ty whispered to Austin what was going on. Austin glanced back, and his eyes widened.
“That takes a lot of nerve,” Austin said. “You want me to step in?”
Ty shook his head. “We’re in church—this isn’t the place for a scene.”
The man had probably known that. This was the perfect place to show up, get close to Cassidy, and send a clear message without the threat of anyone calling him out.
“I could sic Mabel on him,” Austin whispered. “She’ll keep him talking for hours and have him plugged in as an usher within ten minutes of the end of the service. That could buy you some time.”
“Let’s keep her out of it.” Although, Ty liked the way his friend thought. Ms. Mabel was a talker, for sure, and a fixture here at the church.
Before the last song ended, Ty stood. He wanted to get Cassidy out of here. Now.
He guided her from the pew to the exit and all the way to his truck. Distance from the man was the wisest decision right now.
Before they could climb inside, someone behind them said, “Excuse me.”
Ty looked back. Just as he suspected.
It was Orion.
“What do you want me to do?” Ty whispered.
“Talk to him,” Cassidy said, her expression pensive. “Don’t hint at anything. I want to see how he plays this.”
Ty wasn’t sure about this. He preferred the direct route himself. But he admired the fact Cassidy wanted to confront her problems head on.
“Good morning.” Ty turned to talk face-to-face, trying to keep the simmering anger from his voice.
Cassidy slipped behind him, partially concealing her face, and slid on her sunglasses.
“You dropped this.” Orion held out a bulletin. “It has sermon notes, so I thought it could be important.”
Ty reached for it, the unease in his gut growing by the moment. “Thank you. You must be from out of town.”
Orion nodded. “I am. Missouri. I’ve really enjoyed being here. Lantern Beach is a great place.”
Ty fought to keep his voice even. “Enjoy your stay.”
“Oh, I will. I’m finally going to get some closure.”
Fire lit in Ty, but before he could say anything, Orion continued.
“My wife died, so I came to celebrate the brief years we had together,” he said.
Ty tamped down his reply and instead said, “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Orion nodded at them before walking away.
Ty’s shoulders relaxed. He’d watched the man’s face and hadn’t seen a hint of recognition.
Something strange was going on here, and he didn’t like it. And, just like Cassidy, he wasn’t sure of the best way to get to the bottom of it.
Chapter Fifteen
Cassidy’s heart raced as she climbed into Ty’s truck. She waited until the doors were shut before daring to speak. She could feel her breaths coming too rapidly, the sweat spreading across her forehead, the frantic pace of her thoughts.
“Ty, he looks just like him.” She watched Orion’s white SUV pull away.
She was tempted to urge Ty to follow, but it would do no good. Orion was too smart for that.
If it was Orion.
If it wasn’t him, then they’d just be stalking an innocent man. The sad fact remained that Cassidy was conflicted. Being conflicted went against everything she was trained to be—by both her father and by the police department.
“Is there anything distinguishing about Orion that will help us determine without a doubt it’s him?”
“Orion had a lightning tattoo behind his ear.” She touched her own tattoo, her stomach roiling. She hadn’t intended on getting it, but Raul had drugged her, and she’d woken up with the design permanently inked on her skin.
“I looked for a tattoo, but I didn’t see one,” Ty said.
“He could have put makeup over it,” she muttered. Maybe she was grasping at straws here. Maybe she was losing it, and the stress of everything that had happened over the past few months was finally catching up to her. It wa
s hard to tell which end was up at the moment.
“It’s a possibility that Orion used some cover-up to conceal it,” Ty said. “But we also need to remember that the man didn’t act like he recognized you.”
“I know.” A sense of melancholy settled over Cassidy. “What does all of this even mean?”
“I have no idea. I hate to say it, but I feel a little lost right now too. Part of me wants to call him out on all this.”
“We can’t. If it is him, he’ll just play dumb. If that’s truly Orion, this is all some kind of elaborate mental game to him—including him showing up at church.” She sighed. “I keep hoping things will come into focus, but they haven’t.”
“You know what they say?”
“Actually, I don’t.”
“If things don’t come into focus, change your perspective.”
“How do you suggest we do that? How can I look at this from a different angle? Ty, Orion killed his girlfriend because he thought she was sharing secrets with an opposing gang. He’s one of the most dangerous men I’ve ever met. I can’t stick my head in the sand.”
“I’m not suggesting that. I’m only suggesting that we continue with what we’re doing—keeping our eyes open, researching, talking to people. We’ll find some answers eventually.”
Cassidy released the pent-up air from her lungs. “You’re right. I’m sorry. Everything is getting to me.”
Ty squeezed her hand. “It’s okay. I think you’re doing remarkably well.”
His tender voice made Cassidy want to curl up into a ball and bury herself in his embrace. She couldn’t do that. She didn’t have that luxury right now.
“Thank you, Ty. I don’t know how I would have gotten through all this so far without you.”
He kissed her hand softly. “You’re worth fighting for, Cassidy.”
Her cheeks heated at the sincerity of his words. She cleared her throat, ignoring the impulse she had to kiss him and forget all her problems. That wouldn’t do anyone any good.
“Look, could we swing past my place?” she asked instead. “I need to grab some more clothes.”
“Of course.”
When they pulled up, Cassidy immediately noticed that Elsa was missing, and Serena’s car was here instead.
Cassidy glanced at her phone and saw she’d gotten a text message from Serena during church.
I know U R busy. Decided 2 help & sell ice cream. Hope that’s OK. Need the cash. SLAP? TIA
“Slap?” she asked.
“Sound like a plan?” Ty suggested.
“TIA?”
“Thanks in advance?”
“You’re better at this than I realized.”
“I had some time to read last night while I took my shift. I found a great article on texting 101.”
Cassidy nodded then sighed and looked back at her phone. She knew she shouldn’t have given Serena her own key to the ice cream truck. “Let me call her. This isn’t the best time for her to take initiative. Not with everything going on.”
Serena answered on the second ring. “Turkey in the Straw” played in the background and a laugh faded, along with the end of another conversation. “Enjoy that popsicle. It’s the bomb. And if you hear ‘Who Let the Dogs Out?,’ free ice cream sandwiches on me.”
As far as Cassidy knew, “Who Let the Dogs Out?” wasn’t one of Elsa’s songs.
“I was wondering when you’d call,” Serena said.
Cassidy got right to the point. “You shouldn’t have taken Elsa out, Serena. There’s a lot happening right now.”
“We’re missing some great sales. I figured I’d help us both out by earning some cash. I have to work three jobs to make ends meet. Did I mention that?”
Cassidy felt for the girl. She really did. And she could understand the struggle to make ends meet. But . . . “Serena, there’s a man who—”
“I know. Skye told me. I’ll keep my eyes open for trouble.”
Cassidy’s gut twisted. It wasn’t exactly that easy. “When you see trouble, it will be too late.”
“Cassidy, I’ve got this. Anyone with two eyes can see we look nothing alike. No one will mistake me for you.”
“That’s beside the point. I need you to come back. Please.” She added the please to be polite. Her next step would be to use her bossy cop voice.
Serena sighed. “Okay. Fine. I was just trying to help. I’ll bring Elsa back and see if I can get more hours in with my aunt at the produce stand instead.”
“Thank you. Come back. Now.”
Serena sighed again. “Fine. Now.”
“Thanks, Serena.” Cassidy hit End and turned toward Ty. “She has good intentions but . . .”
“It’s a good thing you told her to come back. Better safe than sorry.”
Ty and Cassidy attempted to grab lunch at the Crazy Chefette, but there was an hour wait. Apparently, people were going crazy over today’s special—lemon drop buffalo wings.
Instead, Ty and Cassidy ate at their second favorite restaurant, a place called The Docks. It was located on the boardwalk and had great views of the ocean as well as a cozy coastal ambiance. The hustling crowds within view on the boardwalk made for good people watching. In the evening, string lights sparkled overhead.
The local town singer/songwriter, Carter Denver, was there offering entertainment. At the moment, he sang “Stand by Me.” The song seemed appropriate.
Then again, the man seemed to have some kind of intuitive insight into Cassidy’s life and always played songs that matched her current situation. She ordered a salad with shrimp, and Ty got crab cakes, his favorite.
Her thoughts were heavy. She was on the verge of quitting—not her relationship with Ty. No, her suspicions about Orion. What if she had this all wrong?
That’s what it was all looking like.
Use obstacles as motivation to push harder.
The Day-at-a-Glance advice slammed into her mind. She wished she had more clarity now. She had plenty of obstacles and plenty of motivation. What she didn’t have was answers.
“Okay, I’ve been thinking this through,” Ty said, after taking a sip of his water.
“Please share.” Maybe he had some insight to help.
“Let’s talk this through from the beginning. First, you thought you saw Orion. That’s what set all this off.”
Memories of that first sighting filled Cassidy’s thoughts, making her feel a little lightheaded. “That’s correct.”
“Then we learn some guy down at the docks was asking about you. This same guy was spotted again with a woman. That may or may not have anything to do with this.”
“Also correct.”
“Then my brake line is mysteriously cut. Your house is mysteriously broken into. And this guy mysteriously shows up at the very same church service that you attend.”
“That’s a lot of mysteriously-s.”
Ty frowned. “Yes, it is. Too many.”
Cassidy shifted, angling away from the overhead sun, which felt like a heat lamp this afternoon. “It does seem like a lot of coincidences.”
He locked gazes with her, his eyes dead serious and no-nonsense. “He’s got to be our guy, Cassidy.”
Her heart spiked. Maybe Ty didn’t think she was crazy after all. But that still didn’t answer any of her questions. “What if he is? Then what do we do? Confront him?”
“We could slip a hint to the police chief.”
“What do you mean?”
“We can have Bozeman be on the lookout for anything illegal. The first time Orion has a parking violation or speeds or does anything remotely illegal, the chief or one of his guys can arrest him. Search his things and maybe find evidence of his true motive for being in town. Gangbangers aren’t known for registering their weapons. If he has an illegal gun, that’s a great reason to lock him up. I’m sure the chief could find something.”
“You may be right.” It wasn’t a bad idea, and it could work. Her first instinct was to have a more assertive plan, though.
Ty crossed his arms and gazed across the tables toward the boardwalk. “We can keep your name out of this. I can tell the chief that I heard a rumor.”
She twirled her straw in the glass. “You really think that will work?”
“I think that’s our best option right now, Cassidy. We’ve identified him. We’ve heard his cover story. We know he’s fearless. Why else would he stop us in the church parking lot?”
She shivered. She’d thought the exact same thing. “You’re right. He is.”
“When we finish here, I’ll go to the police station.”
She thought about it a moment before nodding. When she set her emotions aside, she realized a subtle plan was better than the aggressive one she desired. “You’re right. I think that is our best option. It sure beats confronting Orion. That wouldn’t end well—for any of us.”
“I agree. We’ve got to use our heads here. We’ve got to keep cool heads, for that matter.”
With that settled, their food came, and they ate. But the air between them still felt heavy, despite their attempts at casual conversation.
Before they finished eating, a song floated toward them.
Cassidy paused, her senses going on alert.
Was that . . . “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
She and Ty exchanged a look.
It was that song. And it was coming from something that sounded strangely like Elsa.
Ty dropped some cash on the table before they hurried through the crowds. They scrambled down the boardwalk, trying to find the source of the music.
They were headed in the right direction because the song was getting louder. And they were walking past people eating frozen treats—the ones Cassidy stocked in her ice cream truck.
It didn’t look like Serena had gone back to the house after all.
Irritation rushed up Cassidy’s spine as she dodged more people.
She’d known the girl was stubborn, but Cassidy didn’t think she would take it this far. Had Serena programmed this song into the ice cream truck? Because Cassidy was certain it wasn’t a part of the musical lineup pre-programmed into Elsa.
“Where is the truck?” Ty muttered. “I hear it, but I don’t see it anywhere.”
“Good question.” She glanced around. Ty was right. It sounded like they were close enough to touch it, yet neither saw it.
Dangerous Waters (Lantern Beach Book 4) Page 10
