Sweet Corpse of Mine (Secret Seal Isle Mysteries, Book 7)

by Lucy Quinn

  “Captain Bob is down at the local pub getting some dinner. Can I take a message?”

  “What do you mean? If he’s at the pub, who’s running the ferry?”

  “No one. It broke down just before lunchtime. It’s been out of service since then.”

  Cookie let out a relieved sigh. “So there’s been no ferry service at all this afternoon? No way to get on or off the island?”

  “Not unless someone used a private boat. Did you need to leave a message, Ms. James?”

  “No. Thank you.” Cookie ended the call and grinned at Hunter. She knew from talking to Andy at the chamber meeting he didn’t own a boat. She filled Hunter in on the details of her call. “Unless he stole a boat, Andy is somewhere on this island.”

  “That’s something at least,” Hunter said. “Let’s head to the marina and see if any boats are missing.”

  Chapter 19

  As it turned out, the manager down at the marina informed them that no personal boats had come in or out of the marina all day. There was a small craft advisory, and even the fishermen had called it quits late morning. If Andy had secured a boat, he’d managed to do it without anyone noticing. Which, admittedly, would be difficult to pull off in this nosy town.

  “What’s still open on the island?” Hunter asked. “Which businesses?”

  Cookie glanced at her watch. “Pretty much all of them. Why don’t we just start at one end of town and work our way down to the Tipsy Seagull?”

  “Or you could get your mother to call around and see if anyone has seen him,” Hunter said.

  Cookie smiled slowly. “Genius.” Rain had become an integral part of the gossip tree on the island. When she put the call out, if anyone had seen him, they’d know about it in minutes. Cookie didn’t hesitate.

  “Cookie! What’s going on?” her mother asked. “Where are you? You know you have a date with Dylan tonight right?”

  “Oh for the love of… of course I remember. Never mind that. Right now I need your help,” Cookie said.

  “Help? Of course.” Rain’s tone turned all business. “Anything you need, dear.”

  “We’re looking for Andy DePaul. He’s somewhere on the island. Can you make some calls and find out if anyone’s seen him in the last hour or so?”

  “Absolutely. I’m on it.”

  Cookie could practically hear Rain bouncing in her seat. “As soon as you hear anything, call me back ASAP. Got it?”

  “Will do.”

  The line went dead, and without hesitation Cookie called Dylan. Voicemail. She hated to admit it, but she was sort of relieved. She knew he was still mad at her, and he had every right to be. She fully intended to make things right, but she wanted to do that in person, not over the phone. Still, he needed to know she might be late for their date… if he was still planning on spending the evening with her.

  “Dylan, hi. It’s Cookie,” she said lamely, as if he wouldn’t recognize her voice. “Hunter and I are engaged in a manhunt, searching for Andy DePaul. We’ve pinpointed him as the prime suspect in Lydia’s murder, and he’s on the run. But we have reason to believe he’s still on the island. We’ll be out searching until we find him and bring him in. I wanted—”

  Cookie’s heart felt as if it were being squeezed by a vice as she recalled the fight she’d had with Dylan earlier. He’d walked away, and she knew he might very well believe their date was off. But she refused to admit it to herself and said, “I needed to let you know I’m not standing you up. No matter how late it is when Hunter and I finish, I want to see you for Valentine’s Day.” Oh god, what if he really was done with her? She added, “As long as that’s okay with you.” Cookie took a deep breath, hating the tightness in her chest. “Call me back and let me know if it’s not. Otherwise, I’ll see you later.”

  She ended the call and pushed back her emotions before she turned to Hunter. “Let’s go.”

  The two of them checked everyplace they could find from one end of town to the other, ending at the Tipsy Seagull. Valentine’s Day certainly made people crazy in this town. They’d narrowly escaped a two-for-one valentine waxing at the Clip, Dip, and Rip. And just now they had to refuse two flaming pink shots called Cupid’s Arrow from the insistent bartender who ended up drinking them himself. Cookie was still sorting out how his beard didn’t catch fire.

  “That was major heartburn in a glass if I ever saw it,” Hunter said as they stepped outside.

  Cookie rolled her eyes at him and said, “That’s it for Main Street. We could drive to the other side of the island, but everything over there is going to require us knocking on doors.”

  Hunter groaned. “Where are the rookies when you need them? Or beat cops? Did I ever mention how much I hate small towns?”

  Cookie felt the same way at that moment. It would be nice to have men staked out at the docks watching boat traffic and to have a few teams going door-to-door. She pulled out her phone for the next best thing to canvassing neighborhoods—Rain.

  “Hey, sweetie,” her mother said. “I just got off the phone with Peaches.” Rain’s tone turned serious. “You know, you and Hunter really should have taken her up on the two-for-one. I’d bet my bottom dollar your garden is overgrown.” Rain let out a sigh. “And I know you’ve got a hot date later.”

  “Gee, thanks, Mom.” Cookie took a moment to consider the last time she’d shaved her legs. She winced, having no real idea. Hopefully she’d find fifteen minutes before the date to rectify the situation, assuming Dylan was still interested. “I’ve got more important things on my mind. Like Lydia’s killer and getting Blake out of jail.”

  “Of course, dear.”

  When Rain offered no more, Cookie asked, “What did you find out?”

  “Dead end I’m afraid. The closest I got was Minnie’s husband buying her those cheap chocolates from Andy’s shop this morning. And boy did Minnie give me an earful about it. Paul’s not getting his annual Valentine’s—”

  “Mother!” Cookie took a deep breath. She already knew far too much about the state of many island residents’ sex lives thanks to her mother’s spot on the grapevine. “I’m sure it’s tragic that Paul couldn’t have—” What am I saying? “Thank you for trying, Mom, and if you hear anything please call me right away.”

  “I will. We’ll catch him. I’m sure of it.”

  “Yes,” Cookie smiled at Rain’s use of the word we, because if she could pin a deputy badge on Rain, her mother would wear it proudly. “Thanks, Mom.”

  Hunter raised an eyebrow at Cookie and she said, “She got nothing.” He opened his mouth to say something, but then his phone buzzed. Holding up his index finger, he answered the call.

  Cookie took the moment to check her phone as she thought about Dylan. He hadn’t called or texted her back. Was he really that mad at her? Her stomach formed a dull ache and she pressed a hand to her abdomen to stop it.

  “Ferndale, what can I do for you?” Hunter said into the phone.

  Cookie tried not to listen in on what was clearly another FBI agent calling to consult on a case. She turned away and ran through all the various places Andy could be hiding. It was too cold to not be holed-up somewhere. He wasn’t at any of the businesses. If they ferry opened while they were canvassing, they could very well lose him. They’d have to have someone over in Hancock monitoring the ferry arrivals.

  “Thanks, you’ve been a great help.” Hunter ended the call and turned to Cookie, smiling conspiratorially. “Ready to return to the scene of the crime?”

  She raised one eyebrow. “You mean Sunfish Storage?”

  “The one and only. Agent Ferndale just called to let me know he and his partner just apprehended a suspect in the exact spot where his first victim was murdered. Wouldn’t be the first time a suspect couldn’t stay away. It won’t be the last either.”

  Cookie got where he was going. Considering the storage unit at Sunfish Storage was once a love nest and contained evidence it had also been used as a shrine, it wouldn’t be a stretch to
think Drew had returned to the scene of his crime either. Cookie kicked herself that they hadn’t thought of it earlier. Cookie’s lips split into a grin matching Hunter’s. “What are we waiting for?”

  Chapter 20

  It was late afternoon when Cookie and Hunter arrived at Sunfish Storage, and it was no great surprise they found Isaac dozing in his chair.

  Hunter slapped his hand down on the desk near the man, the sound a loud pop not unlike a gunshot.

  Isaac jumped and then mumbled something about needing to sample the strain before he opened his eyes. His expression changed to fear the moment he saw Hunter, and the storage unit manager jumped to attention. “Agent O’Neil.” Rubbing sleep out of his bloodshot eyes, Isaac chuckled nervously. “Dreams.” He cleared his throat and asked in a voice he’d clearly been practicing, considering it bordered on professional, “How can I help you?”

  “Has anyone come through here in the last few hours?”

  “Yeah. Some old lady who told me way too much about her bunions.” Isaac shuddered. “And then some guy with a sourpuss face came in a minute later. I figured she’d caught him in the parking lot and treated him to the same story.”

  Cookie and Hunter glanced at each other, confirming they both thought it had to be Andy. “Thanks,” Cookie said.

  Isaac buzzed them in and she and Hunter took off toward Lydia’s storage unit.

  The moment they turned the corner they both pulled their weapons and walked slowly, keeping their movements as quiet as possible.

  When they got to unit thirteen, they found the padlock they’d put on it had been cut open, but the door was down. Hunter crouched to grab the handle of the door and counted to three with just his fingers so Cookie’d be ready for whatever—or whoever—they might find.

  The door thundered open to reveal Andy’s angry glare. “You!” he screamed. His eyes were wild, and he gestured toward the freezer with the gun in his hand. “Where is she? What have you done with Lydia?”

  Cookie and Hunter stood with their guns trained on Andy as Cookie realized Andy was not in his right mind. She spoke in a steady voice. “We needed the ME to examine her, Andy. She’s at the—in his office. That’s what happens in a murder investigation.”

  “You had no right.” He waved the gun in the air as he spoke. “She was mine.” He slammed the pistol against his chest as if he were going to shoot himself in the heart, and every one of Cookie’s muscles tensed in high alert. “We were soulmates. Do you have any idea how rare that is?” His chest rose as he took a deep breath. “I’m never going to find another.”

  “Andy,” Hunter said. “We can sort this out, but you need to put the gun down.” Andy glanced at the weapon in his hand as if he didn’t know how it got there. “That’s it,” Hunter continued. “Slow and steady, put it on the floor.”

  “I—” Andy shook his head and took another deep breath as the fight left him. He stuck the gun in the back of his pants. Tears streamed down his cheeks now as he spoke. “I’m not going to use it.”

  “I’d feel better if you put it on the floor, Andy,” Hunter said, keeping his voice clear and void of any emotion.

  Andy ignored him and looked at Cookie. “Have you ever loved someone so much you can’t think of anything else? That the smell of their shampoo or the sound of their voice makes you smile? That when they’re not with you, you can’t wait to be together again?”

  Cookie thought about the overwhelming passion one can feel when they first fall in love. Like the way Dylan sneaked into her thoughts throughout the day, and the way just the sight of him made her insides heat up with the glow of her emotions. She did love the way he smelled like the salty breeze that carried across the island mixed with a little bit of pine and old-fashioned soap.

  Her heart skipped a beat as she wondered when Dylan would forgive her so they could be together again. She smiled at the distraught man. “I do, Andy. It’s wonderful.” She lowered her gun to put him at ease, knowing Hunter would have her back. “And it’s painful when it goes away, but when it does we have to find a way to move on.” She took a step forward.

  He nodded at her. “It didn’t go away for me and Lydia.” His expression turned to one of agitation again. “She just—” He let out a huff of air as his mood turned angry, and Cookie stopped in place. “Marriage is just a stupid piece of paper, but no.” Andy’s voice got hard. “Lydia couldn’t leave him. Said it was a promise she made for life.”

  “That’s tough, man,” Hunter interjected. “What did you do?”

  “What do you think I did?” Andy swept his arm around the room. “I told her I needed to see her one last time. I did this place up nice. You know? Champagne, candles, the works. She needed to see we were the real deal.” He walked over to the dresser and yanked open a drawer to pull out a lacy bra. He glared at Cookie. “Do you know how much this stuff costs?”

  “It’s lovely,” she said. “And that looks expensive. You have very good taste.”

  Andy tossed the lingerie on the bed and it landed with a soft whoosh. “It wasn’t good enough for Lydia. She still said no.” As if someone hit a switch, the man’s mood flipped back to sadness, and Andy’s voice cracked when he said, “So that’s when I—I—” He lowered himself to sit on the bed and held his head in his hands. “Oh, god,” he whimpered.

  Cookie moved to sit beside Andy. The man was clearly not stable, and while a confession was important, she was more concerned that he still had his pistol. She said, “I’m going to take the gun now. Okay?” Andy nodded, and he reached back to remove the weapon from his pants. He cradled it in his hands as Cookie asked, “What happened, Andy?”

  He looked at Cookie through a watery veil. “I didn’t mean to. I just got so mad when Lydia wouldn’t see reason.” He broke out in a sob.

  Hunter moved to crouch before Andy, putting his hand on the gun. But Andy clutched at the weapon, refusing to let go. “I get it,” Hunter said. He didn’t fight with Andy, but clicked the safety into place so that the pistol was one more step away from being dangerous. “Anger can take over and make you do things you didn’t mean to do.”

  “Yes.” Andy stared at Hunter for a moment then grabbed the bra that had been tossed on the bed earlier and handed it to Cookie. “Do you mind? It should go back with the others.”

  Cookie frowned. This apprehension was taking it’s own sweet time. But she knew patience was key with suspects like Andy, so she took the lingerie from him and stood up to put it back in the drawer. As she walked over to the dresser, Andy said, “Anger can make me—” A loud thud made Cookie whip around to see Hunter crumple to the floor just as a shot rang out. The thunderous noise in such close quarters momentarily deafened her and she saw Andy mouth the word kill. Cookie grabbed her gun, but Andy got another shot off first, shattering the lamp sitting on the dresser behind her.

  “Crap!” Cookie shot back but Andy was already in the storage facility’s hallway. She raced over to the exit, but more gunshots rang out, keeping her from leaving unit thirteen.

  Cookie’s first instinct was to run after Andy once he cleared the corner, but her heart stopped with fear as she thought about Hunter on the floor, and Andy mouthing the word kill flashed in her mind. She turned to see about her former partner. “Hunter!” she yelled as she dropped to her knees to check on him.

  Blood seemed to be everywhere as she felt for a pulse and realized he was still breathing. She took a breath of her own as Hunter blinked, pressing the palm of his hand to the minor head wound that was bleeding down his face. He let out a string of obscenities as he jumped to his feet.

  “We’re not letting that bastard get away!” he cried and took off running with Cookie at his heels.

  Chapter 21

  When Cookie and Hunter got outside, they caught a glimpse of Andy before he turned onto Main Street. Their feet pounded loudly on the pavement as the two of them raced after Lydia’s killer, but when they reached the corner Andy was nowhere to be seen. Cookie quickly scanned the area
and her attention focused on the nearest business—the Salty Dog. “There!” she called, pointing at the entrance.

  Cookie was breathless when she and Hunter entered the restaurant. Lowering their guns to be less conspicuous, they both scanned the dining room. Hunter’s voice was low when he said, “Found him. Three o’clock.”

  Craning her neck to glance around one of the patrons, Cookie looked in the direction Hunter indicated to see Andy was slouched down in a booth trying to hide behind a menu. “Let’s go crash his party,” she said.

  As they walked over to the table, Cookie was glad to note the restaurant wasn’t very full. The last thing they needed were customers getting caught in the middle of a likely showdown. But as it turned out, customers weren’t who she needed to worry about. Before they could reach the table, Daisy, the daughter of Larry Harris who was the owner of the Salty Dog, walked up to the booth where Andy was sitting.

  In a split second, Andy was up and grabbed Daisy in a chokehold as he pressed a gun against her temple.

  Cookie and Hunter reflexively lifted their guns as some other woman screamed. Silverware clattered on plates as the few customers jumped up from their tables to run for the door.

  “Come any closer and she dies!” Andy yelled.

  “Whoa,” Hunter said as he and Cookie held their ground. “Nobody is dying here today, Andy. This isn’t as bad as you think. From what I saw earlier and what you told us, this sounds like a case of mental distress. Isn’t that right, Cookie?”

  “Sure,” Cookie said. She pulled out all the stops to talk Andy down and said, “Lydia really messed you up when she led you on, Andy. It was so unfair. Anyone could snap in that situation. Hunter’s right. I’d push for temporary insanity if I were you.”

  Tightening his hold on Daisy, Andy averted his gaze and muttered something to himself about how Lydia had pushed him to do what he did.