Thread of Revenge

by Elizabeth Goddard

  She found him speaking with the sheriff and another deputy—the same guy who questioned her in the hospital. Deputy Crowley. He’d seemed nice enough at the hospital, but she wouldn’t take the chance that he would send her away from the scene. Sadie hung back near one of their official vehicles, almost hidden, so she could catch some of their words, though with the fire hose and the residual ringing in her ears, she couldn’t understand everything said.

  “Miss Casings must have seen something or knew something and it cost her her life,” the deputy said. “There was obviously something we missed in the house. At the time, her death appeared to be a drowning accident.”

  Gage had his hands on his hips and his back to Sadie. “I think we can all agree this must be big if someone went to these measures to destroy evidence.”

  The sheriff spoke up. “If that’s true, and someone purposefully destroyed the house, it’s likely connected with Miss Strand’s search of the house and her subsequent abduction. With the house now destroyed, we can assume the evidence went with it. We should get a deputy over to the aunt’s house to stand watch at all times. I’m concerned about Miss Strand’s safety.”

  “You’re not the only one. I agree that she needs protection.” Gage suddenly twisted around and stared right at her, his gaze pinning her.

  FIVE

  When the sheriff’s attention had flicked to something behind him, Gage had instinctively known Sadie had followed him.

  Now he stared her down. Her crystal-blue, fear-filled eyes blinking up at him, he couldn’t hold that stance for long. The crazy urge to hold her entered his head then slid down into his heart. He shook it off, but still softened his demeanor. Then he left Sheriff Garrison and Deputy Crowley standing there and went to Sadie, drawing from somewhere deep if he wanted to keep his tone firm. All he had to do was remind himself that if anything happened to her now, it was all on him.

  “I thought I told you to go to the hospital in the ambulance. You know I would have come up there to get you.” Though maybe he hadn’t communicated that part. “You need to be thoroughly checked out. Besides, it’s safer there.”

  Sadie backed away. “Special Agent Sessions, you’re not my boss. I didn’t want to go. The EMT gave me the all clear.”

  “Right.” He wasn’t entirely sure he believed her about the EMT, but on her other comment, she was correct. He wasn’t her boss. Still, she had no business here in the danger zone.

  Deputy Crowley stepped closer. “Miss Strand, I’m afraid you can’t be here. This is now officially a crime scene.”

  “I don’t see any tape.”

  Okay, now. Those were the exact wrong words to say to Crowley. But Gage had brought her here. Since she knew Karon well, he’d wanted Sadie to point out anything that appeared out of the ordinary. Gage knew she’d wanted to show him the computer. But now it was obliterated—that is, if it even remained in the house. Maybe the perp had removed the evidence when he’d abducted Sadie.

  Crowley, however, didn’t like her response and his face inched closer to hers. “Once the fire is dead and the truck is out of there, we’ll cordon it off with tape, but for now our presence is enough.”

  “Okay, okay.” Gage pressed his hands on her shoulders. “I brought her with me to point out something she’d found in the house, and to look for discrepancies from her last visit. She stays.”

  “Oh, yeah? Care to share what that is?” Crowley’s mood had seriously soured.

  “Dial it down, Crowley,” Sheriff Garrison said. “I’m sure Sessions has every intention of sharing everything he’s learned so far now that we’re investigating Miss Strand’s abduction and reopening the investigation on Karon Casings’s death. Likewise, we’ll share anything we come across that falls into Coast Guard jurisdiction. I’ll contact the state boys too.”

  Gage nodded his agreement and Crowley backed off.

  Crowley seemed fine earlier but maybe now that he’d made a mistake on his initial look into Karon’s death he decided to take his frustration out on everyone else. Gage could give Crowley a little grace. He’d been there himself.

  “You know as much as I do. Oh, wait.” Gage tugged the dolphin pendant out of his pocket and handed it over. “Sadie found this on the sinking boat. It was her friend Karon’s, which puts her on that same boat. See if you can get this analyzed. It’s just one more piece to connect Sadie and Karon to this investigation. With two unexplained deaths in two weeks and active drug runners along the coast in this area, we’re working off the supposition that Karon’s death is connected to the drug smuggling operation I’ve been investigating, which means Sadie’s attempted murder is also likely connected.”

  Crowley nodded and eyed Sadie. He likely would have said more but didn’t want to speak freely in front of her. “So what happened to Agent Thompkins?”

  “He’s been assigned to Miller’s investigation. We’ll work the case from all angles to wrap it up quickly.” He would have informed them sooner, but he’d only just found out himself. “And this time we hopefully won’t miss anything.”

  Crowley seemed about to challenge Gage’s remark, but the sheriff warned him off with a look.

  Grace aside, Gage bit back derogatory words regarding Crowley’s shoddy preliminary investigation, which had included searching the vacation rental home to see if he could find evidence of foul play, as suspected by Karon’s mother. Likely Thompkins had simply taken Crowley’s word for it that Karon’s death was an accident. Without evidence of jurisdiction—indications that Karon’s death pertained to her duties or she was killed while on a Coast Guard station, or her death was related to crimes falling under Coast Guard jurisdiction such as maritime drug runner—there wasn’t much more he could do.

  Still, an accident? Yeah, he’d keep biting his words back.

  “Maybe you should take her home now, Sessions.” Crowley’s tone had turned condescending.

  Gage threw up his hands in surrender. He wouldn’t take the bait and get into it with this man. He let Crowley’s jabs roll off him. “Your boss is right. We need to work together. I’m taking Sadie home then I’ll be back.”

  Sadie shook her head. “I don’t want to leave, Gage. This was where Karon had been staying before her death. Maybe... Maybe there’s something left that will give us a clue. Something that wasn’t destroyed. Or maybe she brought a keepsake with her. I wouldn’t want to leave it in the ashes.”

  It wasn’t like they could find anything until the fire had died and the ashes cooled. Or until the sheriff released the crime scene, but Gage leaned in to whisper. “You found something already, remember?”

  Her eyes brightened, if only a little. “The dolphin.”

  He nodded. “We’ll get it back, don’t worry.” He held out his hand and she took it. Together they left the scene. He’d wanted her on that ambulance and well away from here, but fat chance. He’d had every intention of searching the area for the man who most likely remained to watch what became of the house. To make sure whatever it was he’d tried to destroy—an item, a letter, a secret—remained hidden. But Gage would have to trust the sheriff’s deputies who’d been assigned to search the woods surrounding the house to either find the man in the red cap or evidence he’d been here. Something they could use to identify him.

  He opened the SUV door for her and she climbed in, tossing him a tentative smile. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Once she drew her arms and legs completely into the cab, he shut the door then hiked around to his side.

  Maybe part of him wanted to actively search the perimeter, but the other part was glad she’d stayed behind so he could watch over her. And maybe another part just plain wanted to be with her. Unfortunately, Sadie Strand had always had that effect on him.

  No. Not again, Sessions. Not again. You absolutely can’t sink and drown over this woman again.

  * * *

 
Gage climbed into the SUV, his presence taking the chill out of the cab. He had this strange effect on her. She felt protected and safe when she was with him. Sadie didn’t think it had a thing to do with the fact he was CGIS. The sheriff and his deputy didn’t make her feel protected. So it had to be something about Gage. For the life of her, she couldn’t remember this about him from the time she’d spent with him before.

  Had he changed?

  Or had she?

  Likely they had both changed to some degree. Add to that, the loss of her best friend and Sadie’s near-death experience had left her vulnerable and oversensitive. Getting over her friend’s death would take years, if she ever did. Grief would overwhelm her if she let it, and right now, she was on a mission to find Karon’s killer. Unofficially, of course. Gage had slightly different goals as CGIS, but the end result should be the same: Karon’s killer brought to justice.

  She wouldn’t stop until that happened, and she was glad that Gage was the investigator to go through this with her. His presence was the silver lining in all this. She trusted him to see it through, and protect her too. With all the world traveling she’d done, she’d never once worried about her safety. Never thought the terror of someone wanting her dead would keep her company.

  Strange that this unfamiliar sense of terror had happened to her in Coldwater Bay, where she’d grown up, and not some continent in another hemisphere. Even stranger, Gage was in this with her.

  What if she had to go through this alone?

  Thank You, God, for bringing Gage.

  “What do we do next?” she asked. “Do you think there’s anything left on the hard drive of the computer after the explosion?”

  “You never know with something like that. If this guy even left the computer behind when he abducted you, I hope the sheriff will find it at least somewhat intact. I’ll check into that. But you have to understand there’s no ‘we’ in this investigation. I’m the investigator. You’re the victim of a crime.”

  “I thought you were going to protect me? How can you protect me if I don’t come with you?”

  He ran a hand around his neck. “It’s not usually done. But you have a point. What I’d like to do next is visit Karon’s work. Ask questions there. Because with you out of the country, you don’t know much about her day-to-day life, do you?”

  “Right. And I don’t think her mother saw her much during the week either, but they were close. Still, talking to her coworkers is a good plan. I can help you there if you don’t already know. She worked at Rollins Environmental in Olympia.”

  “She’s a conservationist then like her marine biologist friend Sadie Strand, I take it.” He shot her a grin. “What did Karon do there?”

  “She focused on hydrological aspects of critical areas. You know—wetlands, shorelines. Rivers and streams. She assessed them for restoration.”

  “Any thoughts on why someone would want to kill her? Any ideas at all?”

  “I wish I knew, Gage. I tried to find out and we saw what happened.”

  “Exactly why you shouldn’t be investigating on your own.”

  “I knew you’d come to your senses.”

  “What...what did I say? Oh now, wait, you took that wrong. That wasn’t some kind of invitation.”

  “Wasn’t it?” she teased.

  The way his jaw worked as he drove, she knew he was figuring it out. Then he glanced over quickly before his attention went back to the road. “I want to keep you close, Sadie, to protect you, but not if it puts you in more danger.”

  “Thank you, Gage. I’m safer with you.” So let me help. But she wouldn’t push him.

  Normally, Sadie would continue the banter and argue with him about her role in their unofficial partnership, whatever it was, but the day was well and truly catching up with her. Her head pounded and a wave of nausea hit her, reminding her she’d been drugged and put on that boat, left to drown. The doctor never told her what had been used to drug her. She’d have to remember to find out.

  Sadie leaned against the headrest and closed her eyes. A light, misty rain started falling.

  “Gotta love Washington weather.” Gage turned on the windshield wipers.

  Sadie woke up with a start. Her neck ached from sleeping at an odd angle. “Where am I?” she asked, as it all came back to her.

  “You’re in my SUV.” His voice wrapped around her.

  “Oh, okay. Now I remember.” She stretched.

  Gage shifted into Park. “And we just arrived at your aunt Debby’s house.”

  “I can’t believe I dozed off like that.” She shook off the sleep and disorientation.

  “You needed the rest. You’ve been through too much in one day.” Gage turned off the ignition.

  “As far as I know,” she said, “you went through most of it with me.” He’d been in the water with her and knocked down in the explosion.

  “But I wasn’t drugged and left cold and soaking for hours.” Had his hazel eyes always been this bright? “Are you sure you’re okay? Don’t need a doctor to check you over just to be safe?”

  “Please, no more doctors. No more hospital.” She reached for the handle.

  “Oh, nope. Wait for me.” He got out of the SUV and ran around to the other side to open the door for her.

  Who does that anymore?

  But she was halfway out of the passenger seat and stretching her legs toward the asphalt when dizziness swept over her. He caught her by the waist and set her down.

  “See, I told you to wait.” Gage’s face twisted into a half frown.

  Maybe his opening the door for her hadn’t been about being a gentleman, but more about assisting her when he could see she wasn’t feeling well. He didn’t believe that she was okay.

  “Even though it’s summer, I’m chilled to the bone. All I want is to get warm in front of the fire.” The home where she’d lived for years drew her attention. Her heart warmed with the familiar sight but unfortunately the warmth did nothing for the chill that had taken hold.

  Aunt Debby stood on the porch of the simple home with tan vinyl siding and called to them. Sadie eyed Gage. “You know you have to come in.”

  “I really can’t. I have to get back to the crime scene at the house.”

  “What happened to keeping me with you to protect me?”

  “I will as much as I can, but you should be safe with your aunt for now. Just don’t go anywhere alone. Keep the doors locked. You need to rest and I have a job to do. You want me to solve this, don’t you?”

  “Of course, but you can’t hurt Aunt Debby’s feelings. Just come in and say hi and then explain you need to get back to work. She always liked you, you know.” Gage had lived in Jackson and she’d gone to school with him. She’d practically grown up with him, but they hadn’t been close, hadn’t been friends until college. Hard to believe she’d known him that long. Gage chuckled. “Well, I always liked her too.”

  “So you coming in or what?”

  “For five minutes.”

  Gage followed Sadie up the sidewalk and onto the porch. Aunt Debby hugged her. “It’s such a chilly afternoon. Gage, you come in and have a cup of coffee.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  Aunt Debby headed for the kitchen as she gave them weather updates. Sadie showed Gage to an old sofa that had been there back when she’d hung out with him. He took a seat. “Four minutes and counting,” he whispered.

  Where should she sit? Next to Gage, or in the chair across the way, which seemed too far? But next to him seemed too close. Maybe she should help her aunt, but the woman had already returned with two cups of coffee. Sadie took one and wrapped her hands around the hot ceramic mug, and Aunt Debby handed the other to Gage.

  “I wish you had gotten back about a half hour ago,” Aunt Debby said. “You had an old friend stop by.”

  “What?” Sadie a
sked. “Who was it?”

  “Oh, now let me see. He introduced himself but now I can’t remember the name. I will, don’t worry. He asked questions about you and said he wanted to catch up. Hadn’t seen you since college. I thought he might have been a professor or something because he’s older than you.”

  A chill crawled up Sadie’s spine. She eased onto the sofa next to Gage. “What did he look like?”

  “Tall like Gage. Slender. Pockmarked face. Listen to me. I remember that but not his name.” Aunt Debby pressed her palm against her cheek as she tried to remember.

  Tension corded Sadie’s neck. “You need to be careful and not open the door to strangers. He could have pretended to know me. Remember, someone tried to kill me.”

  “Oh, my. I didn’t even consider that.”

  “And there’s something else. Gage and I went to Karon’s vacation house. As we were approaching the house, someone wearing a red cap came out and ran away. And then the house exploded.”

  Aunt Debby gasped. “What? The house blew up? Oh, Sadie...” Tears choked back any more words.

  Then the mug slipped from Aunt Debby’s fingers and shattered on the floor. Her gaze lifted to meet Sadie’s. “The man who stopped by. He wore a red cap too.”

  SIX

  Debby appeared shaken to the core. Completely understandable. Gage knew how she felt.

  “Maybe you should sit down.” Gage moved to her side and assisted her into the chair.

  “Tell me what happened,” she said. “What’s really going on here?”

  He filled Debby in on what they knew so far, without all the gory details. “We can’t know for sure that he rigged the explosion, but we need to question him if we can find him.” Both to learn if he had anything to do with Karon’s murder and Sadie’s abduction, and if Gage could tie what happened to Karon to the drug smugglers for his investigation. More than that, Gage wanted to clamp down on all threats to Sadie.