Madelyn’s rapt attention was on the pastor. It was as if he’d known she would be coming today and had catered this sermon just for her.
“Just remember, He’s there holding your hand in the hardest moments of life. He’s crying with you. He’s wrapping His arms around you.”
As he concluded his sermon, a tear slipped down Madelyn’s cheek. She hadn’t realized what a hole had been left in her life when she walked away from Jesus. But it had been there. She’d been trying desperately to fill it up with other things: men, her job, financial success. Nothing had worked.
Zach squeezed her shoulder. She’d noticed he’d slung his arm behind her during the sermon. Now she was forever grateful for his support. She was glad she’d come this morning, despite her misgivings.
I’m sorry, Lord, that I’ve tried to do all of this without You. I want to make things right.
She couldn’t do this article. She had to trust her gut instinct and not rely on what Paula wanted. She’d known that all along, yet her internal compass had somehow gotten messed up.
Somehow, she had to find a way to come clean with Zach.
“I’ve got to drive up to Wachapreague. Would you like to come?” Zach asked as people began filing out.
“What’s in Wachapreague?”
“A lead. A man went missing from the area last week. I want to see if he’s possibly our John Doe.”
She nodded. “Sure thing. Are you sure you want me with you during the investigation?”
“I don’t have the resources to plant an officer outside the B and B to guard you 24-7. So if you want to come along, I don’t think anyone would have a problem with it.” He plucked a hair from her shoulder, then pushed the rest of the strands behind her ear. The action seemed so warm, so intimate that her cheeks flushed.
“Okay.”
“We figured out who that white truck belonged to. A man named Jeffery Severs.”
She craned her neck in confusion. “I’ve never heard of him.”
“It was stolen last week from his home in Baltimore.”
She processed what he said. Had she heard him correctly? “So you think trouble followed me from Baltimore?”
“I had suspected as much. And that’s how it appears right now.”
She felt herself go pale and crossed her arms, the day cooler than usual. She wished she’d brought a jacket. “Why wait until I get here? Things seemed fine up in Baltimore.”
“That’s a great question.”
Once they were safely inside his car and cruising down the road, he stole a glance her way. “You looked a little emotional in church this morning.”
She shrugged, feeling like the tears could come back at any minute. “I just realized how meaningless life has been this last decade without Jesus in it. I blamed God for what happened to my parents. I wanted to be angry with someone. Maybe two someones.”
“Two?”
“God and the police officer who hit them.”
“It was a tragedy what happened to them, Madelyn. No one can deny that.” He reached over and grabbed her hand.
Such a simple action brought her immense comfort, though. “It was tragic. But it was even more tragic that I let that come between me and my faith. My parents raised me better than that.”
“Yet faith has to be about more than how your parents raise you. It has to be personal.”
“It will be now. If God can forgive me for turning my back on Him.”
“All you have to do is ask.” As she thought about his words, they pulled to a stop in another seaside fishing community. Maybe they’d get some answers here.
If she wanted to remain alive, she hoped that was true.
* * *
They’d hit pay dirt while talking to a woman who owned a kayak-excursion business in Wachapreague. The woman had identified the dead man as thirty-four-year-old Bobby Wilson. Bobby, a part-time fisherman, had been last seen six days ago. He was supposed to head up to Baltimore to purchase a boat, but he hadn’t been seen or heard from since then.
Zach glanced at Madelyn as they walked back to his car. “How do you feel about taking a trip up to your neck of the woods?”
She shrugged. “I’m along for the ride. Whatever you want. You really think this guy is connected to everything that’s happened lately?”
“Until we can rule him out, it remains a possibility. I mean really, we have no discernible motive here. Unless you can think of a reason why someone wants to kill you.”
“I can’t.”
“So until we can figure that out, everyone remains a suspect.” And he did mean everyone—Chief Watson, Mayor Alan, even Rod. He had to find the real culprit.
Madelyn paused by the car and nodded toward the convenience store across the lot. “Mind if I grab a water before we hit the road?”
“Go right ahead.”
After she disappeared into the store, he climbed into his car and sat back, trying to clear his head a moment. Something began ringing. Was that a cell phone? He looked down and saw an illuminated screen by the gearshift. He picked up the device, and a picture of a blonde woman with the name Paula at the bottom of the screen appeared.
Paula? Why did her picture and name sound familiar?
He couldn’t pinpoint it exactly, but her photo remained in the back of his mind as Madelyn climbed back in.
She handed him a water also. “Let’s go!”
He shoved the thought from his mind and started down the road. Maybe the woman just had one of those faces. If not, it would hit him eventually.
As they got closer and closer to Baltimore, his stomach contorted. He hadn’t been back since he left. In fact, he tried to avoid it. He could live with a ruined reputation, but that didn’t mean he liked it.
He’d become a villain after that night. He’d gotten death threats. He’d had to move out of his home when people repeatedly vandalized it.
While most on the police force seemed to still support him, some thought he should have resigned immediately. He’d hoped justice and fairness would prevail, but when it became obvious that his presence was only making things worse, he’d decided to step down.
“What are you thinking about?” Madelyn asked.
He considered his words. “About how hard it can be to go back.”
“I realize that Baltimore has a lot of bad memories for you.”
He nodded slowly, somberly. “I guess you weren’t there when all of that went down.”
She shook her head. “I only moved here a year ago. I was in Pennsylvania before that.”
“I was tried and found guilty by the media before a full investigation could even start.” Images flashed in his head. Reporters dug up every piece of dirt they could find. Most they’d exaggerated. A few so-called facts were plain made-up based on hearsay.
They’d interviewed anyone who had a reason to dislike him. Family members of people—criminals—who had been put away for life. The officer who’d lost a promotion when Zach had been made detective instead of him.
In the process, they’d forgotten about all the good he’d done. The people’s lives he’d saved. The ways he’d sacrificed much of his personal life for what he considered to be his God-given calling.
“That had to be difficult.” A look of anguish crossed her features.
Was it because Madelyn was a member of the media? Did she understand what it was like to be on the other side? To be desperate for a story? For a headline?
He couldn’t see her as that type. In fact, being a travel writer seemed to fit her personality well. She was spunky, but not pushy or hungry for attention, no matter the cost to others.
“The media can be cruel.” He stole another glance at her. “But you don’t seem like that.”
Her cheeks flushed. “I don�
��t?”
“No, you have honest eyes.”
She fiddled with her fingers in her lap, almost appearing embarrassed. “Thank you.”
There was no time to talk about this anymore right now. They pulled to a stop at the marina where Bobby Wilson had supposedly last been seen. Zach braced himself to face his past.
* * *
“His name isn’t listed anywhere at this marina,” a gruff man told them. “Nor do I know of anyone selling any boats here. I’m usually privy to information like that. I like to be in the know about what’s going on.”
It wasn’t really surprising, Madelyn thought. There had already been so many lies and untruths. Bobby had used buying a boat as an excuse to come here.
Madelyn glanced around at the marina. She’d never been here before. This one was actually on the outskirts of town and not at the main harbor. But, with probably forty slips, it was much larger than those she’d seen on the Eastern Shore.
Large boats waited at the pier, which indicated deep waters lapped against the bulkhead. However, it was the same bay here as in Waterman’s Reach. Right now, they were on the north peak of the Chesapeake Bay. It was hard to believe the body of water stretched so far.
“Zach Davis?”
Zach and Madelyn both turned toward the voice. A police officer stood there, a questioning look in his eyes. The man was short but burly with close-cropped hair and a ruddy complexion. Madelyn braced herself for the worst.
“Phil Madison,” Zach said.
A smile broke across the officer’s face. “It’s been a long time. How’s it going?”
“It’s going,” Zach said, his voice warming. “How are you doing?”
“We’re hanging in. It’s been a long time. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you back up this way again.”
“Just doing some legwork for a case I’m working on down in Waterman’s Reach.”
Phil leaned closer. “You know that heroin we were trying to get off the streets?”
“I can’t forget it.”
“It’s still being used around here. We’ve had thirty-two other inner-city youth who’ve died with it in their blood. We still can’t pinpoint where it’s originated. Can you believe it? After all these years and still no leads.”
“I can believe it. When someone’s making that kind of money, they’re going to stay quiet about it rather than risk their livelihood.” Zach frowned.
“We have a task force together trying to nail these guys, but there are so many hoops that have to be jumped through. Sometimes it doesn’t seem like we’re ever going to figure it out.”
“I hope you do. Someone’s gotten away with this for too long now.”
“You look good, man,” Phil said. His gaze turned to Madelyn and he nodded politely.
Zach shifted and touched Madelyn’s shoulder. “Excuse my manners. Phil, this is Madelyn.”
“Nice to meet you,” Phil said as they shook hands. “I’m glad you found someone, Zach. No one at the department ever really liked Julia.”
Zach opened his mouth, surely about to correct him about his relationship status with Madelyn. Before he could, Phil waved to someone in the distance.
“I’ve got to get back to patrol. But great to see you, Zach.”
Zach continued asking men along the docks if they’d seen Bobby Wilson before. Madelyn walked alongside the water, her thoughts swirling inside.
How did Bobby fit in with all of this? Why was her picture in his pocket? There were so many loose ends and so few answers.
As she paused to stare over the water, she sensed movement beside her. The next thing she knew, something hit her shoulder. A man. Shoving her.
She felt herself falling toward the deep water below.
NINETEEN
Zach turned and saw Madelyn falling. The next instant, her head hit the side of the dock before her body plunged into the water.
A man sprinted away in the distance.
“Someone get him!” he yelled, hoping Phil was still close enough to hear. Zach had to help Madelyn.
He jumped into the water, his heart pounding at the thought of something happening to her.
The bay surrounded him, took his breath away. The water was a good twelve feet deep here, at least. He’d seen Madelyn hit her head on the pier on the way down, and he feared the worst.
The water was thick, almost dirty from the grime of ship repair and pollution. He opened his eyes, hoping the sunlight was strong enough to break through the murkiness. His eyes stung as the liquid hit.
He could barely see his hand in front of his face.
His lungs squeezed, in want of air. He had to stay under for as long as he could, though.
He knew Madelyn had gone under in this general area. She couldn’t be too far.
Despite his burning lungs, he pushed himself down deeper.
There! Was that the faint impression of a hand? It was merely a shadow, a glimpse, a hunch, for that matter. But it was all he had to go on.
His lungs screamed now, but he wasn’t going to give up. He couldn’t.
He grabbed the fingers that almost seemed to be reaching for him and tugged.
Madelyn’s motionless face came into view. Her eyes were closed, her hair fanned out in the water, her body limp with unconsciousness. And she looked nearly lifeless beneath the water.
With a spike of adrenaline, he pulled her to the surface, gasping for air as soon as his head emerged. He dragged her toward the pier, her head sagging against his shoulder.
A group of onlookers on the pier hauled Madelyn out of the water and onto the rough wood.
Phil was among the crowd. He took charge as Zach dragged himself out of the water. Phil turned Madelyn onto her side, pounding her back as he tried to get water out of her lungs.
Once out of the water, Zach caught his breath. But only a moment—long enough to steady the spinning in his head—before rushing to Madelyn. As he knelt beside her, he began praying.
Lord, please be with her. Clear her lungs. Heal her.
Phil continued doing CPR.
Zach’s prayers became more fervent as the minutes ticked past. Every second mattered in situations like this.
Finally, Madelyn coughed, water sputtering out of her mouth as she did. Her body jerked with the motion. But she was moving. She was breathing.
She was alive.
Thank goodness she was alive.
Because that had been close. Too close.
* * *
Madelyn had been fussing with the doctors to let her go, insisting she was fine. But they wanted to keep an eye on her for a couple of hours longer because she’d hit her head on the way down.
She shivered every time she thought about how close that had been. If Zach hadn’t been there... She shuddered. She’d come a little too near to death. Someone had made it clear they wanted her dead.
She pressed her head back into her pillow, wanting to both shut out the memories and to analyze them. Part of her only wanted to pretend all of this was just a nightmare that she would wake up from. It was obvious the stakes had risen. This was no longer a matter of scaring Madelyn away. It was a matter of killing her.
Someone knocked on her door before stepping into her room. Zach. He wore jeans and a Henley, and he’d never looked so handsome. Her throat went dry at the sight of him.
“I was giving a report to the police while the doctor checked you out,” he said, stopping by her bed. “Sorry I wasn’t here sooner.”
“No need to apologize. You did save me. Again.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” His hand covered hers and caused her heart to lurch into her throat.
He had such a strong effect on her—more than any man ever had. That realization scared her.
He shook his head. “Phil went after him, but he had too much of a head start. The man jumped into a truck that had been waiting for him. We’re running the plates under the assumption that it was probably stolen.”
She frowned as she let that sink in. “Someone must be following our every move.”
“I’d venture to say you’re correct.”
She let her head fall back against the pillow, suddenly weary and spent. Her assignment had seemed so simple. How had it turned into all of this? “It just proves that I’m not going to be safe. Anywhere. These guys aren’t going to stop until I’m out of commission.”
Zach pulled up a chair beside her. When he sat down, his hand covered hers again. “Madelyn, can you think of any reason why someone would want to hurt you? Any reason at all? I know we’ve been over this before, but maybe something new surfaced in your mind.”
She shook her head, pushing aside the realization that Zach was the only one with a strong enough motive. He obviously wasn’t responsible. Remorse filled her at the thought.
“I’ve thought about it from every angle possible,” she said. “It just doesn’t make sense. First those stupid oysters were stolen. Then someone broke into my house, shot at me, left me stranded on an island and now this. This person doesn’t just want to scare me. They’re determined to finish the job.”
“I agree that it’s puzzling. But if there’s anything else you can think of... Anything at all. I’ve mentioned this before, but maybe this all ties in some way with your journalism.”
She sighed. “My last article was about a mountain resort in Pennsylvania. I can hardly imagine why someone would be mad about it. There was nothing controversial about the piece. In fact, I got a thank-you letter from several of the business owners, telling me I’d helped boost tourism in the town. They practically wanted to make me an honorary citizen.”
“Ok. This all started when you were assigned to do an article on Waterman’s Reach. So maybe someone is afraid you’ll discover something they don’t want uncovered.”
Dark Harbor Page 15
