Six Hours Away

by Kay Correll

  He took her in his arms. “I’m still not certain. I need to talk to Mason and sort it all out.”

  “I’m fine with whatever you decide. We’ll work it out. If you need to be there some of the time, we’ll figure it out.”

  “I don’t know what I did to deserve you, Lil.”

  She reached up and touched his face. “I’m the lucky one. Lucky to have found you. We both had our own lives before we found each other. We’ll figure out a way to make this new life work.”

  He kissed her gently, then turned to close his suitcase. “I’ll call when I get there. And probably way too many times. Enough that you’ll get sick of me calling.”

  She laughed. “I doubt that.”

  She walked with him out to the lobby where Mason was waiting for them.

  “Ready, Dad?”

  “I am.”

  “Lillian, you take care,” Mason said as he grabbed his suitcase.

  The front door of the inn swung open and in breezed Camille with Delbert Hamilton in her wake. “Lillian. Good. There you are. Could Delbert and I have your best suite?”

  “We’re not quite opened yet, Camille.” Camille Montgomery was the last thing she needed right now.

  “But Mama’s house doesn’t have electricity and I just can’t abide by staying there another night. There’s no air-conditioning. And our cook can’t come to make us any food.” Camille looked truly distressed. “You have to let us stay here.” Camille stopped just short of stomping her foot like a two-year-old throwing a tantrum. Just short.

  Lillian sighed. “Okay, as long as you know we’re not fully functional yet. Jay has been putting out sandwiches for meals. We weren’t planning on opening for a few more days. There’s still some cleanup to do.”

  Delbert walked over and took her hand. “Anything’s fine, Lillian. Really. We’re very appreciative of it, right Camille?” He looked over at Camille.

  She just flipped her hair on her shoulder. “Well, it is an inn, right? A place where people can stay? I don’t know why she wouldn’t want us here.” Camille turned to Lillian. “And you do have a decent suite, don’t you? We’ll need two bedrooms, of course. But it must be a nice suite.”

  Lillian clenched her teeth, rolled her shoulders a bit, then forced a smile. “Yes, of course. The rooms are cleaned, but not quite ready. I’ll get a room made up for you.”

  “Nonsense. We’ll make it up ourselves. You have enough to do getting the inn ready. You point me to clean towels and sheets and I’ll have that suite ready to go in no time,” Delbert insisted.

  “Delbert, really. You’re going to clean the room and make the beds? Have you ever even done that?”

  Delbert laughed. “Of course, darling. I told you I started at the bottom with Hamilton hotels. My father made sure of that. I’d venture to say I’ve done about every job a hotel has at one point in time or the other.”

  Lillian turned back to Gary. “I better get them settled in.”

  Gary wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick kiss. He whispered in her ear. “I’ll miss you. Oh, and good luck with Camille.” He winked at her as he pulled away.

  A sudden wave of loneliness swept through her as Gary and Mason left. Oh, that was ridiculous. She’d be busy. She had the inn to run. She turned back to Delbert and Camille.

  “Okay, let’s get you all settled in your room.”

  “Do you have someone to take our bags up?” Camille frowned.

  “Nope.”

  “I’ve got them, darlin’. Lillian is already doing us a favor letting us stay here before she’s quite ready to open.”

  Camille let out a long-suffering sigh. “Well, we are paying guests.”

  Lillian turned her back on Camille and headed to the reception desk to get the key. Maybe Camille would spend all her time in her room. One could only hope…

  Lillian found Jay and Robin in the kitchen after she got Delbert and Camille settled into their suite. True to his word, Delbert had taken the sheets and towels and insisted they’d be fine.

  “So, we have guests.”

  “I thought we weren’t opening for a few more days?” Robin raised an eyebrow.

  “We weren’t. But Camille and Delbert needed a place to stay and… well… I let them stay.” She couldn’t help the long sigh that escaped.

  “Delbert will be fine.” Jay shrugged. “But Camille is always a handful. Hope she doesn’t expect my normal meals. I still need to get more supplies before we open fully. Going to try and take the ferry to the mainland and load up.”

  “She’ll have to take whatever we have.”

  “So, Robin and I were just going to check out the camera in your office.” Jay pulled out his phone. “I think I have it working again after the storm.”

  He tapped on his phone, looked at it, then frowned. “Hey, there’s some video it captured. Must have been right before the storm. It syncs up to a recording in the cloud, so we can see it.”

  He tapped some more buttons and she and Robin crowded around him, looking at his phone.

  “I need to make that bigger. Is that…”

  “That’s Dana, isn’t it? Arguing with someone in my office?”

  Jay enlarged the photo. “It is. The date and time stamp say it’s the day we closed up the inn.” He turned to Robin. “Remember when we saw her coming back out of the kitchen after we closed up Magnolia House?”

  “I do.” Robin frowned. “But Dana? You think she stole from Lillian?”

  Jay stared at the photo on the phone and frowned. “I know this guy.”

  “You do?” Lillian looked at him.

  “He used to do maintenance and repairs at that restaurant. You know, the one I was fired from and they accused me of stealing their money.”

  “That cannot be a coincidence,” Robin said.

  “No, it can’t. And Dana must know him.” Lillian frowned. “It looks like they’re fighting or arguing.”

  “We’re going to have to find Dana.” Jay stared at the phone screen again. “I can’t believe it. This guy must have been the one who stole from the other place, too.”

  “Possibly. Well, probably.” Lillian sighed. “We’ll deal with Dana when she comes back. Send her to me when she comes in.”

  “I’ll be coming with her. You’re not dealing with this alone,” Jay insisted.

  “That’s probably best.” She turned to go. “I’m headed to my office. Let me know if she comes in.”

  Chapter 24

  “I can’t believe that Dana is part of this.” Robin turned to him after Lillian left.

  “I can’t either.”

  “She seems so responsible. And she’s a sweet girl.” Robin frowned. “Or at least I thought she was.”

  “She had us all fooled.” Jay set down the pot he was holding with more force than he meant to. “I’m usually a good judge of character, and she struck me as honest and—” He scowled, annoyed at himself, upset that he’d missed any signs of Dana’s deception. “Doesn’t matter. We have her on video.”

  He paused and frowned at the sound of voices outside the kitchen door. He strode over to the doorway. There, standing right outside the door was Dana and a man. The man had his back to the doorway and a firm grip on each of Dana’s shoulders, shaking her. “You will do as you’re told,” the man snarled.

  “Dad, you’re hurting me.”

  Dad? This man was Dana’s father?

  “Then do as you’re told. Give me back the money.”

  “I’m going to return it. You can’t steal from Miss Lillian. You can’t.”

  Jay tried to process what was happening right in front of him. As he paused the man raised a hand ready to strike Dana.

  Jay jumped forward and grabbed the man’s hand and the man whirled around, losing his grip on Dana.

  “Ah, the infamous thief.” The man’s lips twisted into a mocking grin. “How’d that go for you at your last job? They were mighty quick to convict you.”

  There he was. The man on the vid
eo with Dana. The man he thought he recognized, and now he was sure of it. The man who’d stolen from his last job and made it so Jay had ended up in jail. He watched the man closely, watching his every move, still clasping the man’s hand in his.

  “And yet, it was you who stole from them,” Jay finally said.

  “Haven’t met a safe yet that I can’t crack,” the man bragged, then jerked his hand away from Jay.

  “Dana, step away from him.” Jay motioned to the side with his head.

  She took a few steps back, out of the man’s reach.

  “This is your father?”

  Dana nodded, her eyes wide.

  “You can call me Freddy, though.” The man tossed another mean grin.

  He kept looking between Dana and her father. “And you helped him steal from Lillian?”

  “I— I didn’t want to. But he—”

  “Shut your mouth, girl,” the man snarled again.

  Dana took a few more steps back.

  He felt Robin come up to stand beside him. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m sorry, Robin. So sorry. I was bringing back the money. I was.” Tears trailed down Dana’s face.

  Robin took a step forward. “Dana—”

  “No, stop.” Jay held out a hand. “We’re just going to call the sheriff and get this cleared up.” He reached into his pocket for his phone.

  That distraction was a mistake. Before he could comprehend what was happening, the man grabbed Robin and pulled her tight against him.

  “No, you’re not.”

  Jay couldn’t mistake the glint of a knife in the man’s hand. He swallowed, willing himself to stay calm and think. Just think.

  “Dad, let her go. Don’t hurt her,” Dana pleaded.

  “I think this little lady is my ticket out of here. Give your phone to my daughter.”

  Jay nodded and took a step toward Dana. He reached out his phone to her without letting his gaze leave Robin and felt the phone taken out from his grip.

  “Okay, there. Dana has the phone. Now let Robin go.” He took a step toward the man.

  “I think she’ll just take a little boat ride with me. Until I get safely off this island.” Freddy’s eyes narrowed.

  “Dad, let her go. I have his phone. You have time. Just go.”

  “I think I need this bit of insurance. I’ll have this little lady call you to come get her someplace on the mainland. After I’m long gone.”

  “You’re not taking her anywhere.” Jay’s words came out forcefully. He honestly was surprised he could speak over the pounding of his heart and the racing of his pulse. He could see the fright in Robin’s eyes, and there was no way this man was taking her anywhere. Not if he could help it.

  “Ah, but I am.” There was no mistaking the assured, threatening tone.

  “Jay…” Robin looked at him, then she looked down and a little behind him.

  In an instant, he knew what she was saying to him. Saying without any words. He nodded slightly.

  Before Freddy knew what was happening, Robin slammed her foot down onto his, elbowed him in the gut, then threw her weight forward. Freddy lost his grip with one of his arms, and she wrenched further away.

  Jay swooped down and scooped up the brick they used to prop the door open and swung it at the man, catching his shoulder. Freddy yelled and lost his grip on Robin. Jay wrapped his arm around Robin, whirling around, catching her as they both tumbled to the ground. Robin sagged against him.

  “I’ll get even. Don’t think I won’t.” Freddy raced off.

  Dana rushed over. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry. So very sorry.”

  “Are you okay?” Jay looked at Robin carefully, scanning, looking for any sign of harm.

  “Just rattled.”

  She clung to him and he held her tight, stroking her hair. “You’re safe now.”

  Dana reached out to hand him his phone. “Here, call the police. Maybe they can stop him.”

  Jay took the phone with one hand but kept his other arm firmly around Robin. “You okay to stand?”

  Robin nodded and he helped her to her feet.

  “The police will want to arrest me too…” Dana wiped away the tears from her face.

  Robin walked over to Dana, and to his surprise, Robin reached out and touched Dana’s face, brushing back the girl’s hair.

  “He hit you, didn’t he?” Robin asked.

  “He— sometimes. A lot. I couldn’t do anything right.”

  Robin pushed up the sleeve on Dana’s shirt and looked down. “Jay, look at this.”

  He walked over and saw the bruise on Dana’s arm and the one on her face that she had tried to carefully cover with makeup. The tears had washed away her subterfuge.

  “What’s going on here?”

  He turned at the sound of Lillian’s voice.

  “Oh, Lillian. I’m so sorry. I tried to return the money, but he caught me.” Dana rushed out her words in big, body-wracking sobs.

  “Who caught you?” Lillian frowned, looking at him, then Robin, then Dana.

  “It’s a long story, Lillian. Let’s go inside and decide what to do next.” He led them back into the kitchen and they sat at a small table while he explained what happened.

  “You’re okay, Robin?” Lillian’s face was creased with worry.

  “I’m okay.”

  “If we call the sheriff, he’ll know you lied about finding the money before. But if we don’t call, the guy gets away.”

  “We’re calling Sheriff Dave. I’ll explain everything. The man needs to be stopped. And he needs to be stopped from hurting Dana anymore.” Lillian reached out and took Dana’s hand.

  “And they’ll want to arrest me for the part I played in everything.” Tears rolled down Dana’s face again.

  “We’ll see if we can sort that out, too.” Lillian stood. “Dana, come with me. I’m going to go make that call. Jay, make some tea for Robin. Hot tea always helps soothe a rough time.”

  He got up to make the tea, glad to have something to keep him busy. Because what he really wanted to do was to chase after Freddy and teach him a lesson or two.

  His hands shook as he put on the kettle, glancing back to assure himself that Robin was still sitting at the table, she was still okay. His hands curled into fists of anger, but he commanded himself to take some big, long breaths. He stretched out his long fingers and grabbed a cup for Robin’s tea, surprised to see that his hands were still trembling.

  He sensed, more than felt, Robin come up to stand behind him and wrap her arms around his waist. “I’m okay, Jay. Really I am.”

  He turned around in her embrace, kissing the top of her head and pulling her close. He ran his hands through her hair and stroked her back, all the while chanting silently to himself. It’s okay. It’s all okay. Robin is fine.

  But was he?

  Robin finished up her tea. Lillian was right, a good cup of tea did settle her down. Well, kind of. She was still a bit jittery. It had all happened so fast.

  “You’re staying with me tonight. I don’t want you at the bungalow until Freddy is caught.” Jay’s eyes dissuaded any argument, but he softened the command. “Please? I won’t sleep at all thinking about you at the bungalow.”

  She wasn’t really looking forward to going back to the bungalow alone, either.

  “And call Charlotte and tell her to stay at Ruby’s until we find Freddy. I don’t want her there and Freddy showing up looking for you.”

  Robin frowned. Jay was right. She didn’t want to put Charlotte in danger. She stood and walked outside, staying close to the doorway, and called her friend. Charlotte listened to what happened and assured her that she’d stay with Ruby.

  She walked back inside to find Lillian talking to Jay.

  “I want Jay to take you home.” Lillian turned to her.

  “But you have Camille and Delbert here. Jay will need to at least make some food for them.”

  “Dana’s going to make it.”

  “Really?” Robin
tried to keep the surprise out of her voice.

  “Yes. She’s talking to the sheriff now, giving some ideas on where her father might be. I told the sheriff I won’t be pressing charges against the girl.” Lillian shrugged. “I think she was just doing what she had to do to survive in a bad situation. I’m giving her a room to stay in here at the inn for now. I don’t want her going back to her place.”

  And somehow, Robin wasn’t a bit surprised. This was classic Lillian. Giving someone a second chance. Taking care of someone when life had dealt them a tough road.

  “Come on, Robs. Lillian has a good idea. I’ll get you back to my place. Besides, we should check on Sunny and Barney, right?” Jay took her hand.

  “So, you two run along.” Lillian practically pushed them out the door. “And, Jay, you keep an eye on her until Freddy is found.”

  Chapter 25

  The next morning Lillian went to the historical society along with Robin and Jay to help Etta clean things up. Etta hobbled around with her crutches though Lillian did her best to try to make her sit and keep her foot elevated. But Etta kept popping up to get one thing or another.

  She sent Robin and Jay to the storage room to clean up the mess from the fallen bookcase while she and Etta unloaded some rubber containers Etta had filled in case there was damage from the storm.

  Robin and Jay came back to the main room after an hour or so. “We’ve finished up in there. What are you two doing?” Robin crossed over to the table.

  “I was telling Etta about Anna and her Johnny fella from the journal. Anna is listed as missing in the storm, and her journal ends right before the storm. Johnny’s father was the lightkeeper on the island.”

  “And I had a listing of all the lightkeepers. I found Johnny’s last name.”

  “That’s some good detective work.” Robin peered over their shoulders.

  “We’re looking up to see if we can find out anything about them.” Lillian was already crushed that Anna went missing in the storm. She’d feel a bit better if she could at least have good news about Johnny. Like maybe he’d gone on to live a happy life. Or some thread of hope.