by B. J Daniels
“I’m not. It’s my brother’s choice.” He disconnected.
Juliette screamed and threw her phone across the room. She balled her hands into fists. It was some kind of trick. A way to get her to take less money...or confess.
No, she thought with a curse. The sheriff was too smart to try something like that. Somehow Cyrus had survived. And if he really didn’t want to see her...
She rushed across the room to pick up her phone and hurriedly tapped in the number. “You messed up big-time,” she spat into the phone when he answered. “He’s alive.”
“Who’s alive?”
“Who do you think? Cyrus Cahill.”
“That’s impossible.”
“That’s what I said, but I just got a call from the sheriff. He swears that Cyrus survived.”
“Where has he been all this time?”
“I have no idea. The sheriff said Cyrus didn’t want to talk to me, that he’s recuperating somewhere down there in the Caribbean. I don’t think I have to tell you what this means. You have to find him.”
“How would I do that?”
“The same way his girlfriend did. You’re the one with the connections. All you have to do is track a woman named AJ Somerfield. Blonde, blue-eyed, sweet-looking rich girl. She’s been down there asking questions. Just follow the trail she’s left and you’ll find Cyrus before he gets back to the States and goes to the authorities and takes us both down.”
“Wouldn’t we be better to cut our losses and end this now?”
“No. It changes things, yes. But I think I can get the family to pony up just to get rid of me. We need this money.”
He sighed. “I warned you against this one.”
“This isn’t the time for that.”
“He’s going to blow the whistle on us.”
Juliette shook her head, eyes narrowing as she thought it through. “No, if he was going to do that, he would have done it by now. I suspect he isn’t in as good of shape as the family wants me to believe. Find him. You’ll have to take care of both of them.”
He swore. “This going to cost you.”
She sighed. “It always does.”
CHAPTER TWELVE
ELY WAS BURIED in the plot next to his wife, Mary, on a cold day in late February. The whole county turned out. Toward the end, before the first shovel of dirt was thrown onto the casket, the sun came out of the clouds and shone down on them.
Flint had been holding it together until then. He’d turned to his wife, Maggie, and she’d hugged him tightly. They were a family, raw with grief and worry. They’d lost so much. They couldn’t lose any more. Cyrus had to get well and come home.
The day of the funeral he realized the mistake he’d made. He’d been so filled with grief over his father’s death and grief and worry over Cyrus, that he hadn’t been doing his job. With the cold keeping most people inside, there’d been little to require his attention as sheriff. His deputies had been able to handle the occasional bar fight or domestic dispute.
Flint realized he hadn’t been thinking clearly. Juliette. Hadn’t he planned to find everything he could about her? They needed to know who they were dealing with. He had a pretty good idea, given her demands for Cyrus’s part of the ranch, but as a sheriff he should have had that information by now.
He got on his computer and after a few minutes let out a curse. He’d thought the woman was a gold digger and that she’d somehow trapped Cyrus into marrying her, but he’d had no idea just who Juliette really was until he saw her track record.
Cyrus wasn’t her first husband—far from it. The woman had been married five other times. While her first husband was still alive, four out of the other five husbands had died.
Letting out a curse, he began to investigate further. When he made a call to the detective in charge of her last husband’s death, he couldn’t believe what he was being told. Juliette was under investigation and not just in that state but in Florida, as well.
“We believe she’s a black widow,” the detective told him. “She marries them and then they die under suspicious circumstances. I suspect you wouldn’t be calling unless she’s struck again.”
“As a matter of fact, she married my brother on a Caribbean cruise. He went overboard but fortunately survived.”
“He’s damned lucky. A Caribbean cruise, huh? That’s a new one. Nothing is going to stop this woman unless we can get her behind bars and even then...”
“How close are you to an arrest?”
“Soon, but maybe not soon enough for your brother. One of the husbands we believed she killed lived for a few hours until someone pulled the plug on him at the hospital at the same time there was a power failure. By the time the auxiliary power came on, he was dead and she was a wealthy widow.”
“So it’s about the money.”
“The way she goes through it, yes, and no. I think she likes the game. But I can tell you right now, she is going to need a lot of money for an attorney and soon.
“That’s if she doesn’t skip the country before we can get all our ducks in a row. Florida is investigating and possibly close to filing charges, as well. She could be more desperate than usual.”
Flint had hung up in shock. He picked up his phone and called the detective in charge of her husband’s death in Florida, hoping they would be putting her behind bars even sooner.
“I’m calling about Juliette Carrington,” he told the detective after telling him who he was and why he was calling.
“What’d she do now?”
“I understand she is being investigated in the possible murder of her husband?”
“Not just here but in the death of her previous husband, as well,” the detective said. “Her MO is to marry men with money, become a widow and move on to the next one. She’s gotten away with it so far. If your brother can testify, we might be able to put this woman away where she belongs.”
“Unfortunately, my brother had a head injury after he went overboard on a Caribbean cruise during their short marriage. At this point, he has no memory of what happened.”
“Too bad. If he should remember...”
“You will definitely be hearing from me. And if you do file charges against her, I can tell you where to find her.”
His brother Deputy Tucker Cahill stuck his head in the door.
Flint motioned him on into the office. “I’ll get back to you.” He hung up and said to Tucker, “Close the door. You aren’t going to believe this.”
“More news about Cyrus?” Tuck asked, sounding worried as he closed the door and took a seat.
He shook his head. “News about his wife. I should have done some research on her to begin with so we’d know what we’re dealing with long before this. Cyrus married a black widow.”
“A what?”
“Juliette has been married six times and all of her husbands but her first one and our brother have died. It’s a miracle that Cyrus survived. Anyway, she’s being investigated in two states.”
“What are you saying? That she killed her other husbands?”
Flint just looked at his brother. “Cyrus would have been number five to make her a widow.” He let out an oath. “Only this time, the husband didn’t die. Unfortunately unless he gets his memory back...”
“So what will she do now?” Tucker asked.
He looked at his brother, worried. “If Cyrus can remember what happened, she’ll be going to prison.”
“And if he can’t?”
“The thing is, she doesn’t know he can’t remember at this point but I’m betting she’s suspicious. If Cyrus remembered what happened and told authorities, she would be on her way to jail,” Flint said, growing more anxious.
“So she thinks she’s safe.”
“Unless he remembers. Which means his life is in danger still. If she isn’t working alone...�
��
He picked up his cell phone and called AJ. She answered on the second ring. “Can you talk?”
“I’m on the beach, what’s wrong?”
He told her what he’d found out.
“I told you something was wrong,” AJ said when he’d finished. “Five other marriages?”
“Two under investigation in two states. They’re hoping Cyrus remembers so he can help them put her away.”
“So you think she targeted him.”
“Don’t you?” Flint asked.
“But that still doesn’t explain why Cyrus married her.”
“No, I guess we won’t know that until he remembers.”
“If he remembers,” she said.
“I’m not trying to rush you, but if Juliette didn’t act alone, whoever tried to kill Cyrus might try again before he reaches the States. That means you’re in danger, as well.”
* * *
AJ WALKED THE BEACH, swam, sat in the shade and pretended to read as each day passed since Flint’s phone call. As anxious as she was after getting the news from Flint, she hadn’t approached Cyrus. Like her, he’d kept to himself. But with each day, she saw him getting stronger. He also seemed less anxious when she was around. He would nod and she would nod back. She left him to his work.
A German couple arrived one evening and moved into the cottage next door. Cyrus had finished cottage number three and moved on down the beach to the fourth one.
She’d wondered where he stayed until one morning she saw him coming out of a small hut back up the mountainside in the dense vegetation. He’d started when he’d seen her. She’d nodded and kept walking, but she’d felt his gaze on her. It warmed her, making her want to smile and cry at the same time.
That night she’d called Flint. He and the rest of the family were anxious about Cyrus. She pleaded with him to have patience, knowing that he could find out where she was staying—and find his brother.
“He’s starting to trust me.”
“You’ve talked to him?”
“Flint—”
“AJ, I appreciate what you’ve done more than you can ever know. But I’m worried about you both. Juliette’s freedom is riding on Cyrus never being able to testify against her. Maybe if you told him who he was...”
“It’s not that simple. He’s scared. If we’re right, then someone threw him off that ship and if all he remembers is the fear and not who tried to kill him...”
“Of course he’s scared. Who wouldn’t be terrified to find themselves floating alone in the ocean, injured. Let alone, as you said, if he remembers being thrown overboard. But even if that is the case, it isn’t enough to put Juliette away.”
“How could Juliette do that to him?” AJ thought that if she were still in Montana knowing what she did now, she would rip every strand of hair out of the blonde’s head.
“She thought Cyrus had money. Apparently she needs cash. Her lawyer wants to settle. She’s offering an annulment as long as she gets a large settlement.”
AJ couldn’t believe the gall of the woman. “She really thinks she can get away with this.”
“She has numerous times before,” the sheriff said. “But what bothers me is how she was able to talk him into marrying her.”
That bothered her, as well. She refused to believe he’d done it willingly. “I have more questions than you do, believe me. It’s unbearable being this close to him and not being able to...help him. I’m making progress though. Just give me a little more time.”
“Juliette is beside herself. She wants proof that he’s alive.”
“I’m sure she does. Hold her off a little longer, please. I’ll try to get a photo. I just can’t let him catch me doing it.”
* * *
FLINT FINALLY RECEIVED copies of the surveillance videos from the ship after getting a warrant through a local judge he knew. He called Tucker in. “I’m going to need help going through these.” He told him what he was looking for. “If Juliette is true to form, then she planned to marry Cyrus and then get rid of him. She would have needed help. If we can find her on any of these videos with another man...”
They began the long process and hadn’t gotten far when the rest of the family showed up wanting to help.
“If there are more of us looking, it won’t take as much time,” Lillie said.
Flint agreed. He felt the clock ticking. If Juliette had orchestrated Cyrus’s death, then they needed proof. But not just that. Now that she knew her so-called husband was still alive, would she make another attempt on his life? She had nearly succeeded before. Flint didn’t doubt that she would try again.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that Cyrus might not make it out of the islands. If Juliette could get rid of him, then they would never be able to prove that he’d survived from going overboard. Because he was just as sure that AJ wouldn’t make it back alive, either, and she was the only one who’d seen Cyrus and could prove that he’d survived.
Flint worried about them both. Too much was riding on this. He’d seen the greed in Juliette’s eyes and the emptiness that came from lack of a soul. He’d met few killers, but those he had definitely had that same look.
The family brought laptops and they settled in to the Cahill ranch house to begin going through the videos. It was painstaking work. There was always the chance that Juliette had met her coconspirator or coconspirators behind closed doors and they wouldn’t find any proof. It was a large ship. Maybe there wasn’t even a chance of catching them in passing—let alone with their heads together. But Flint knew they had to try.
If they could find out who Juliette was working with, then maybe they could stop whatever the woman had planned now. Flint had no doubt that Juliette hadn’t given up. If anything, the last time he saw her, she was more anxious than ever to profit from this marriage at sea.
* * *
AS SHE WALKED down the beach, AJ saw Cyrus come out of the cottage he’d been working on. He stopped on the small portico and leaned against the railing in the afternoon sun.
She smiled at him and for the first time, he smiled back. Tears welled in her eyes. She had to look away and keep walking, her heart in her throat. All the way down the beach, her pulse pounded. She tried to breathe. That smile—it had been the old Cyrus.
Continuing to walk, she thought about what Flint had told her. She could feel time running out. Was someone coming to finish the job? She knew she had to make more progress with Cyrus and soon.
On the way back she heard hammering inside the cottage and looked around. The German couple was further down the beach sunning by the water’s edge. She slowed, warning herself to be careful as she climbed the steps, the hammering growing louder.
Cyrus was bent over nailing in a two-by-four to a stud. As if sensing her, he suddenly stopped and turned, clearly startled.
“Sorry, I was just curious,” she said quickly and looked from those gray eyes to the wall he’d replaced. “Looks like it’s coming along. I noticed that this cottage is larger than the others. More work, huh.”
She let her gaze go back to him and smiled. “I don’t mean to stop you.” She started to turn away, when he said, “How was your walk, Ashley Jo?”
“Long.” So he’d made a point of learning her name. “My friends call me AJ.”
“Is that what we are now? Friends?”
She laughed and saw his expression change. Had he recognized her laugh? “Would that be so awful?”
His gaze never left her face. He seemed to be waiting for her to say more. She chose her words carefully. “The German couple is having a good time. I suppose it’s odd, me being here alone, huh.” She glanced out at the Germans. Their laughter reached them, sounding so sweet, so poignant.
“I did wonder,” he said.
She turned back to meet his gaze and didn’t want to lie to him. “I had hoped my friend would sh
ow up but...” She shrugged.
“His loss.”
She smiled, titling her head. “What makes you think it was a man?”
He laughed and picked up his hammer again.
“It was nice visiting with you,” she said and turned to leave.
* * *
HE WATCHED HER GO, trying to understand why the woman made him feel the way he did. When she’d laughed...and the way she’d smiled and tilted her head... It was almost as if... He shook his head frustrated at his inability to remember. He was haunted day and night, but what was it he had to fear? That was just it, he couldn’t remember and yet all his instincts told him he wasn’t safe. That fear had grown when the woman had arrived.
But as the days slid languidly by, he’d worked and waited, becoming more convinced he wasn’t in any danger from the woman. And yet, he felt connected to her in some strange way. It wasn’t that he remembered her, at least not consciously. But there was something there he couldn’t put his finger on and it was driving him crazy.
What was also worrisome was that she seemed just as interested in him. What if Ashley Jo’s interest in him had nothing to do with his fear of being in danger? Or was that just wishful thinking?
AJ. She’d told him to call her AJ. He pounded a nail into the wall he was reconstructing. He liked her smile. When she’d stopped by the cottage he was working on, he’d picked up no threat—just the opposite. Maybe Marissa was right and the woman was lonely. She’d come here alone, saying she’d thought her friend might show up. He’d assumed her friend would be male. He’d noticed that, unlike him, she wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.
Still, he planned to keep his distance. He felt as if he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. He’d found a fishing knife in the shack where he lived. He kept it by his bed, unable to shake the feeling that someone would be coming for him. It was just a matter of time until they found him. If they hadn’t already.
He stepped to the doorway to get a breath of air and felt the young woman’s gaze on him. She’d stopped a few yards from the cottage and had turned to look back.
