Lighthouse Cottage

by Barbara Cool Lee

  She shook her head.

  "I know," he said. "Quick change of subject. But we've got to get you back to the house by nine, when Joe will be there to guard you."

  "I don't like the idea of being guarded."

  "It's better than the alternative. Now don't go getting all isolationist again, Lori."

  "Yeah, I know. No man is an island."

  He laughed. "I didn't think I'd made an impression."

  "You and Aunt Zee have both given me the lecture."

  "Good. I think your Aunt Zee may be a lot more astute than I realized back when I was a kid. Now, about—"

  "The pizza? Mushrooms, olives," she paused. "Can't think of anything else. Cheese, of course."

  "No meats? We make our own linguiça calabresa."

  "Which is?"

  "A kind of sausage."

  She grimaced.

  "Okay, mushrooms, olives and cheese."

  "What about you?" she asked.

  "I like Hawaiian. So how about half veggie and half Hawaiian?"

  "Sounds good."

  He showed her the signal for leaving Shadowfax in a down and stay, and then they took a side door into the kitchen.

  He was like a different person there, joking with his sister, CeCe, who was in charge of the kitchen that evening. He kept up a running commentary with her while expertly rolling out dough and "docking and saucing it" with their own homemade marinara, topping the pizza with quick, agile movements and then sliding it into the pizza oven with a flick of the pizza board.

  He wiped his hands on a towel and then grinned at Lori, who was sitting on a stool in the corner where she wouldn't get in the way.

  "You doing okay?" he asked her.

  She smiled. "You ask that a lot."

  "Is that a problem?"

  "I guess not." She thought about the independence she was fighting so hard to achieve. But sitting there in the kitchen, with Matt's sisters running around chattering with each other, it seemed like a nice place to be. One where family were there for each other and even the silences felt warm and comfortable.

  She looked up and saw that Matt wasn't looking at her anymore. He had his back to her, and he stood stiffly, with clenched fists.

  She got up and went over to stand next to him.

  CeCe was sneaking a kiss with a man just outside the back door. It was Owen Nunes.

  "What's the matter?" she said softly to Matt. "It's just Owen. He's a nice guy."

  "A convenient guy," Matt said.

  "What does that mean?"

  He shook his head.

  Owen looked up and saw Matt staring. He quickly said something to CeCe and left. She came back inside, glared pointedly at Matt, and then went out into the dining room.

  Matt got the pizza out of the oven, sliced it, set it on a serving plate, handed Lori a pair of red-rimmed stoneware plates and shakers of parmesan and red pepper flakes, and they went back out to the patio.

  "So what was that all about?" Lori asked.

  Matt turned the machine back on and then said, "it's awfully convenient for Owen to show up at the lighthouse after I was shot, and then turn out to be dating my sister without me knowing about it."

  "Does she usually tell you who she goes out with?"

  He shrugged. "But still, it's an interesting coincidence."

  "It's a small town, Matt. Isn't it pretty normal to see the same people all over the place?"

  He shrugged. "Maybe. But if he's the one who shot me in the kayak it would explain a lot."

  Lori felt a jolt in her stomach. "Kayak," she whispered.

  "What?"

  "Zane has a kayak."

  "Owen's son? So? Lots of people do."

  "Maybe," she said. She glanced down at the dog, who was still in his down-stay position, but was staring at her, waiting for the slightest signal that he could get up and have some pizza. "How does the dog ride in the kayak with you?"

  "He has his own seat. It's a two-seater."

  "Yellow," she said. It wasn't a question.

  "Zane has a two-seater yellow kayak?" Matt said quietly.

  "Yeah. And he was a little defensive about it, now that I think about it. And I didn't see it the other times I visited their boat. Then when I went there to call the coast guard, there was this big—"

  "—two-seater yellow kayak."

  "Right there on the boat. And Zane kind of stammered when he was telling me about it. I didn't really think anything of it at the time."

  "Your pizza's getting cold," he said.

  "How can you think about pizza when someone you've known all your life might be a killer?"

  "You get used to it. Have something to eat before you starve. And release Shadowfax from the stay so I can give him a slice of mine."

  She shook her head, then did as told. "I wouldn't be so calm."

  "That's why I get the big bucks," he said.

  "Do you?"

  "Of course not. I'm really just a government employee, even if it's unofficially." He looked at his watch, which she noticed was big, gold, and had more than a few diamonds on it.

  He saw her looking and said, "Yeah. Part of the image. Like the car. Could be worse. Wait'll you get a load of how my partner is dressed." She must have still looked worried, because he said, "think of me as an actor, just playing a part."

  "The critics don't usually carry guns," she said, and he laughed.

  When they'd finished, he answered her questions about Shadowfax.

  "So he's over ten years old then," she said, feeling a pang at the thought that just when she was getting to know him, he was coming to the end of his life.

  "He's been through a lot. But he seems happier with you than he ever was with me. I think you're good for him. And he deserves it after all he's been through."

  "So where did he originally come from?"

  "He was trained as a cadaver dog—yes, it's what you think. He's trained to alert on the smells of death."

  She shuddered.

  "He was retired after he was shot at a crime scene. The wound was superficial, but after that he was spooked by guns and couldn't do his job. So he was adopted by one of my fellow agents, Gloria Montés. But...." He trailed off, then looked out at the marina.

  "What? Something awful happened, didn't it?"

  He shook his head. "It was no one's fault. Shadowfax, they called him Sacha then, really belonged to Gloria's son. He was dying of cancer, and when he died, Gloria came in the room and saw Sacha alerting—"

  "—Oh, no."

  "It wasn't the dog's fault. He was remembering his old training. He couldn't know how upsetting that would be for the parents."

  "So they got rid of him."

  Matt shook his head. "She wouldn't turn the dog out. That's not the kind of person she is. But it was hard for her, and so I said I'd take him and give him a fresh start."

  "With a new name and a new owner."

  "And now he's yours."

  "So how does the alerting work? Does he still do it?"

  "You don't have to worry. It's not like you're going to be around any dead bodies."

  "I'm not thinking that. Scientists think dogs can detect a certain odor on a person before they have a seizure. And I'm wondering if maybe he can be taught, since he already knows to recognize one odor...."

  "Maybe he can be taught to alert on another. It's very possible. I mean, he's alerted on me when I've been around a dead body, so he hasn't forgotten how to do it."

  "I'm not even going to ask what you were doing with a dead body," she said. "Just tell me what to look for."

  He laughed. "Yeah. You don't wanna know. Okay, he was taught to make a silent alert. He doesn't bark or run around, he just sits."

  "Sits? Like he's doing now?" At the moment he was sitting, looking a bit vacant, and scratching his belly with a back foot. Then he burped, and they both laughed.

  "No. Definitely not like that. It's hard to describe, but once you see it, you'll recognize it. He sits up straight, with his fro
nt paws together—"

  "—And staring at you like he's trying to tell you something!"

  "You mean you've seen it?"

  "Yeah. He's already alerting on my seizures, I think." She paused. "You don't suppose Gloria's son had seizures? Some kinds of cancer can cause them."

  "He had brain cancer, so I suppose that might have caused seizures. It's a hard subject for her to talk about, but I'll try to ask her."

  She gave Shadowfax a big hug. "You smart dog, you!"

  "Maybe that's why he glommed onto you as soon as he met you. Maybe you seemed familiar to him." Matt grinned. "So I guess I shouldn't take it so personally that he dumped me as soon as you showed up. He fell in love with you the first time he saw you." He turned his head away, but she thought she heard him mutter, "he's not the only one."

  She sat there with the dog, watching Matt, wondering how to say "Don't go out there tonight and risk your life. I don't care if Moreno gets away. I don't care what he does. Don't go out there and die."

  But how could she say that to him? How could she tell him to give up his life's work for her?

  So she said nothing, just kept her arms around Shadowfax and let him kiss her face.

  But suddenly the quiet was broken by shouting inside the restaurant. Matt jumped up as CeCe came running out onto the deck. "Camilla's in labor! We can't get a signal to call the doctor!"

  Matt quickly turned off the signal jammer and stuck it in his coat pocket. He ran inside the restaurant.

  Lori put Shadowfax in a down/stay and followed Matt inside in time to hear Kyle shout at him, "don't touch her!"

  Matt stood back, a hurt look on his face, as Kyle bent over the pregnant redhead and helped her stand.

  The woman who had been with Camilla was on the phone, talking frantically. "Dr. Lil? Thank God I finally got through. She's in labor. What do we do?" She turned to Kyle and his wife, who were helping Camilla to the exit. "Put her in my car!"

  The woman followed them out, still talking on the phone.

  Lori went back out and got Shadowfax, then came back and saw that Matt was still standing in the same spot. She took his hand and they went out onto the wharf.

  Two cars were heading off up the hill to the medical clinic, and the wharf was quiet, except for a strangely dressed man Lori had seen at the clinic with Matt.

  Matt smiled and went over to the man. He motioned for Lori to join him.

  "Lori, this is George Asher."

  The man was wearing a striped shirt and green pants. He saw her staring and said, "I know, you're impressed. It's not just anyone who can pull off this look."

  She smiled, trying to keep up with the sudden shifts in mood she felt following in Matt's wake. Life, death, love, hate. Aunt Zee had been right: if she wanted a messy and unsafe life she was hanging out with the right guy.

  "You okay?" Matt said.

  "You're asking again," she said. "And yes, I'm okay."

  He looked at his watch, and George said, "yeah. It's time."

  Matt turned to her. "I'll take you to the house and get you safely inside, and then we have some work to do."

  She nodded, making it clear she understood they couldn't talk openly here. They walked down the length of the wharf to Matt's car. There was an orange Mercedes parked next to it.

  "I'll follow you up," George said to Matt. She thought about asking him to take the dog in his car, but Shadowfax stayed close by her side and she wasn't sure the dog would accept that idea, so she just crammed him in by her feet again and they headed up the hill.

  Once there, Matt parked the car in Aunt Zee's driveway, while George stayed on the street. Across from Aunt Zee's drive, a sheriff's department truck was parked.

  She nodded at Deputy Joe, and he gave her a smile in return. Matt said softly, "don't wave," and he led her up to the front door of the house.

  She didn't know what to say. "Oh, Matt."

  "I know." He lifted his hand and brushed back a curl from her forehead. "There's nothing to say." He leaned down and kissed her, this time holding the kiss so long she eventually was the one to pull away.

  "Come back," she said.

  He nodded. "Stay inside and keep the doors locked. If anything scares you...," he nodded toward the deputy parked across the street.

  Then he walked out to the street, got into the orange car, and left.

  She went inside and locked the door.

  She turned on the TV again. Now Aunt Zee was in a detective film, one of her later efforts. Lori checked the guide and saw Lost Love was going to be shown next. That was one of her favorites, so she decided to take a shower and put on her pajamas, and then she would settle down and watch the epic romance with a big bowl of popcorn. It was scheduled to start at 11:00 p.m. and end at 1:00 a.m. She hoped that would distract her until there was a knock on the door, and Matt was there on the doorstep, telling her everything was okay and it was all over.

  Shadowfax insisted on waiting on the bath rug while she showered. He barked at her once while she was shampooing her hair, but by the time she wiped the shampoo out of her eyes and looked out at him, he was just sitting there with his usual dopey grin on his face.

  Then she made the popcorn, determined to not look at the clock, and to not be worried.

  She was concentrating so hard on not worrying that when the phone on the breakfast table suddenly rang, she jumped about a foot. When she answered, there was silence, then she heard a man's voice in the background say, "you're not going to bed until you do this, young man."

  Then she heard Zane's voice, sounding even more hesitant than usual. "Um, is this Ms. Potter?"

  "No, this is Lori York. Is that you, Zane?"

  "Um, see, well...." He trailed off, and she heard what must be Owen's voice in the background saying, "get on with it, son."

  Then Zane said, "I need to talk to Mr. DiPietro, Ms. York. Do you know where he is 'cause he's not at the restaurant and I need to tell him something."

  "Why, Zane?" She couldn't figure this. If Owen was out to murder Matt, could he really be capable of involving his own son in the crime?

  She heard Owen in the background say, "You need to apologize to her, too, young man, so get on with it."

  Then Zane suddenly burst out with: "I'm sorry. I lied. I need to tell him I found his kayak and I lied that it was mine and I'm sorry and I need to return it and I'm sorry Ms. York and I know it was wrong but I wanted a kayak and I thought my dad would let me keep it and anyway, I'm sorry I told you it was mine and that was wrong and I'm sorry and all."

  Then he stopped suddenly like he'd run out of steam and didn't know what to do next, and Lori felt herself grinning. "Can I talk to your dad, Zane?"

  When Owen came on he sounded very gruff, and Lori quickly realized he was embarrassed. "He's a good kid, really, Ms. York. I don't want you to think he's the kind of kid who usually tells stories. I mean, I've tried to raise him right. I know some folks think we don't care about right and wrong down here in the Flats, but we do. I'm sorry about this. Real sorry. And he knows he's grounded. He's in a whole lot of trouble and we'll make it right." He was so transparently ashamed and awkward that she knew in her gut he was telling the truth.

  She found herself reassuring him, "It's okay. I understand. I'm sure Matt will be happy to get his kayak back. Yes. That's really good news, and no, of course I don't think Zane's a bad kid. We all make mistakes. No, it's not necessary for him to write me a formal apology. Okay, if you insist. He can drop it off at the house here tomorrow. Of course I forgive him."

  When the call finally ended she felt a weight lifted off her. She realized that part of what had bothered her so much about the idea of Owen being a killer had been the fact that she liked the Nunes family. She'd enjoyed the couple of times they'd visited the lighthouse, and the thought that the single father with the tow-headed son was a cold-blooded killer had struck her as just wrong.

  But if Owen wasn't the mole, that meant someone else was.

  How could she g
et word to Matt?

  The litany of warnings rang through her head: The phone could be bugged. The house could be bugged. Don't trust anyone except George Asher and Joe Serrano. Well Matt and George were way down at the wharf. But Joe was right outside.

  She looked at the clock on the breakfast room wall. It was almost 11:00 and she was in her pajamas, but she didn't figure Deputy Joe would care.

  She opened the front door and looked out into the darkness. The porch light was on, and she could see the gleam of Matt's sports car parked to the side. And she could see the dark emptiness of the driveway that led out to the street.

  And there was a streetlight right there on Cliff Drive right across from Aunt Zee's driveway.

  But there was no big, white, sheriff's department truck parked there.

  She wondered if the deputy might have moved the truck to a different spot, but then she heard something that sounded like rustling in the bushes to the right side of the driveway.

  She ducked back just as the bushes moved again. Then she heard soft voices, two or three, male, and whispering, coming from the same spot. "I think she's still inside," one whisper said.

  She shut the door as quietly as possible. The old hinges didn't creak, and she gave silent thanks to Sandy's meticulous maintenance. The door made a very slight thunk as it closed into the doorframe.

  The sound seemed very loud now that she knew that Owen was not the killer, that Joe Serrano was not outside where he was supposed to be, and that Matt and George were way down at the wharf, getting ready to walk into a trap.

  She locked the deadbolt, dragged Aunt Zee's black lacquer French deco side chair over to the door and braced it under the doorknob, then ran upstairs and got dressed.

  Shadowfax followed and watched her with a worried look. "I know," she whispered. "We're supposed to stay here, but we're not staying in this house with murderers right outside and no protection." She put on the same jeans and gray sweater she'd worn earlier, and then grabbed a navy peacoat that was hanging in the back of the closet. It smelled of mothballs, but it was warm.

  And it was dark. And she needed dark if she was going to get out of this house and down to the wharf without those killers seeing her.