The House at Saltwater Point

by Colleen Coble

  Red Hair nodded. “He has friends. Those military types stick together.”

  White Hair took a sip of her drink. “I don’t know what to make of the accusation that she took that cocaine. It seems so out of character. But Trafford is another matter. He’s capable of just about anything, even murder.”

  “I sure miss her at the university.”

  A lightbulb went off in Grayson’s head. These women must be teachers who worked with Mackenzie. The legs on his metal chair scraped as he pushed back from the table and turned toward them. “Excuse me, could I ask you a few questions?”

  White Hair fixed him with a stern look in her blue eyes. “Who are you?”

  He dug for his badge. “Grayson Bradshaw with Coast Guard Investigative Services. I’m investigating some missing cocaine, and I couldn’t help but overhear you.”

  A blush ran up both women’s necks. Red Hair glanced at White Hair. “We shouldn’t have been gossiping.”

  He moved his chair over to their table. “You don’t think much of Dylan Trafford. May I ask why?”

  Red Hair snorted. “He’s a sleazebag. Mac caught him out with another girl. He was all over her, and Mac followed them back to the girl’s place. He tried to turn it around like it was all Mac’s fault for being a prude. Piece of trash.” Her hazel eyes studied him. “I guess we should introduce ourselves too. I’m Darcy Farrow, and this is Penny Dreamer. We both worked with Mac at the university. Clint Parker here is a student majoring in political science. We all know Mac. She didn’t take your cocaine.”

  “So everyone keeps telling me.” He smiled to soften his sarcastic tone. “How did Mac seem the past few weeks?”

  Darcy glanced at Penny and shrugged. “Distracted, uneasy. We thought it was because she was hurt over Dylan’s behavior, but now I’m not so sure. She was looking up a lot of stuff online, and she’d close the tab whenever anyone got close.”

  “You don’t know what she was investigating?”

  Penny ran a perfectly manicured finger around the top of her cup. “I’ll admit I checked her history one day when she was out of the office.”

  Darcy gasped. “Penny, you didn’t!”

  Penny’s chin came up. “I was worried about her, okay? I thought maybe it was something I could help with.” She returned her attention to Grayson. Color ran up her neck again, and she looked down at her half-eaten breakfast. “There were pictures she’d saved of a Coast Guard pier.”

  His gut clenched. “The hangar where the cocaine was stored?”

  “I don’t know where it was stored.”

  “But she did.”

  Penny’s blue eyes narrowed. “How do you know that?”

  He shouldn’t have blurted that out. “Anything else?”

  “That’s it,” Penny said.

  “Do you know where Mackenzie might have stashed something important? A locker, a safety deposit box, anything?”

  Darcy frowned and shook her head. “The sheriff took away everything in her desk. Her computer too.”

  So the sheriff’s department would see what she’d been researching. Would they be as uneasy as he was?

  Chapter 14

  Buy quality materials right from the start. What you save when buying cheap items costs much more in the long run.

  —HAMMER GIRL BLOG

  It was nearly noon when Ellie parked on the street a few storefronts down from the sheriff’s office. She’d circled the block, and most of the spots were taken for setup for the Dungeness crab and seafood festival on Saturday. Workers hung banners from streetlights and others banged together street-side booths along Main Street.

  She was still a little shaken from her discussion with Jason. She had to stay focused if she wanted to find out what had happened to her sister.

  The wind blew the sweet scents of vanilla, cinnamon, and lilac from the candle shop to her nose as she hurried to the sheriff’s office. Someone called her name as she started up the steps, and she turned to see Grayson exiting the coffee shop. The wind ruff led his thick blond hair, and as he neared, she realized again how big he was. His hands could about encompass her waist.

  In spite of his size, she didn’t fear him the way she had initially. Maybe it was because he showed so much care about the pain she was feeling about Mac. He was nothing like her dad.

  She pushed the baseball cap off her forehead a bit and smiled up at him as he reached her. “I see you found the coffee shop.”

  “Would you believe there was no coffee in Shauna’s house? Only a few grounds in the bottom of the canister. Sad state of affairs so I had to make a stop to get some supplies. Who lives like that?”

  “I should have sent a few groceries home with you last night. I doubt there was anything for breakfast either.”

  “I had a sandwich at the coffee shop and ended up working there all morning.” He fell into step with her, and they went up the stairs. “We might as well talk to the sheriff together. I’m sure we have similar questions.”

  “I actually thought I’d talk to Rosa, Mac’s friend who is a deputy here.”

  “You know her? Good call.”

  As she was talking to Grayson, a homeless man caught her attention. He was pushing a basket containing a sleeping bag, water, and all sorts of belongings, and he stood looking at the food truck selling crab Rangoon.

  “Hang on a sec.” She walked past Grayson toward the food truck. She bought some food, then took it to the man, who thanked her with his hand on her shoulder.

  She noticed Grayson staring at her as she jogged back to join him. “Nice thing to do.”

  “That’s Ned. He’s had a hard life since he got out of the military. Any of us could be in his shoes.”

  He held open the door for her, and she went past him into the cool wash of air-conditioning. Rosa was looking at a clipboard behind the desk, and she gave a little wave when she saw Ellie. She put down the clipboard and came around to hug her. “How you holding up?” She released her and shook her head. “Forget I said that. Did you get any sleep after the break-in?”

  Grayson straightened. “Someone broke in last night?”

  Ellie wished she could have warned Rosa not to say anything. She wanted the focus to stay on finding Mac. “Probably a Peeping Tom. He left as soon as he realized he’d been seen.”

  Rosa glanced from him to Ellie. “You’re here to see the sheriff? He’s out right now.”

  “I actually came to see you.” Ellie introduced Grayson to her. “Is there a room where we can talk?”

  “Sure, this way.” Rosa led her down a hall to a small room on the left. She shut the door behind them and indicated the chairs around the table. “Have a seat. What can I do for you?”

  Ellie slid into a chair and waited until Grayson settled too. “I found some interesting files on a computer at my house that Mac often used.”

  Rosa’s dark eyes sparkled. “You brought it?”

  Of course she should have thought of that. Ellie shook her head. “I didn’t. Anyway, it appears she’d been researching North Korea’s threat to use a nuclear EMP bomb. She ever talk to you about her interest?”

  Rosa blanched. “A few weeks back she asked me how prepared we were for an EMP strike. It had been in the news so I thought that’s what triggered her question. You’re thinking it was more than that?”

  “She had files on how to build them on the laptop. It seemed strange.”

  “Very strange. I guess we’ll never know.”

  Ellie flinched. “You think she’s dead, don’t you?”

  Rosa sat back in her chair. “I don’t know, honey, but there was a lot of blood on that ship deck. If she’s not dead, she’s in pretty bad shape. I don’t know how to tell you this, but the sheriff decided to take some cadaver dogs out into the woods outside town after a tip came in about someone dumping something out there.”

  A roaring started in Ellie’s head, and her vision blurred. “H-He found her?” She took a few deep breaths to calm herself.

  “I
haven’t heard yet, but he thought it was possible. He’s going to call you as soon as he’s done.”

  Ellie felt faint. She’d thought she was ready for closure, but not if it meant finding Mac’s dead body.

  Grayson leaned forward. “Has the sheriff taken a look at Dylan Trafford? I spoke to him early this morning, and I think he’s capable of taking her.”

  “We’re looking at everything. You must have grabbed him the minute he hit land.”

  “I did. He told me he took Mackenzie to the storage unit where they’d stashed the cocaine. She knew where it was.”

  Ellie curled her hands into fists. “You can’t still be thinking she took it, Grayson!”

  He held her gaze in a long look. “If we want to find what happened to her, we have to follow up every lead, Ellie.”

  Was he right? Her throat was tight, and she swallowed down the lump forming there. If only they knew for sure which lead to follow.

  Grayson touched her shoulder. “Let’s go get some lunch. I have things to tell you too.”

  The Crabby Pot food truck line moved quickly, and Grayson ordered two bowls of crab chowder, then carried them to where Ellie sat waiting at a picnic table with a million-dollar view of the bay. Gulls squawked and wheeled over his head, and several kayakers paddled by in the calm water.

  Ellie, her face pale, stared blankly out at the bay. She looked cute in that baseball cap with her chestnut ponytail dangling out the back keyhole. The muscles in her smooth, tanned arms showed definition with her hands clasped together under her chin.

  He slid a bowl of chowder her way. “Here you go.”

  “Thanks.” She lowered her hands and reached for the bowl. “I’m not sure what to do next. Do you think the sheriff has found her body?” Her voice was choked, and her eyes glimmered with moisture behind her glasses.

  “He’ll let us know as soon as he checks out that lead.” He sat across from her. “You really need closure, Ellie. Living with the not knowing is hard. I’ve seen it tear people apart.” She didn’t want to face where everything pointed, but then, he hadn’t been totally forthcoming with her.

  She took the lid off her chowder and blew on it. “It doesn’t look like Dylan took her since he was out of the port.”

  “We’re still waiting on authentication of that picture of her in North Korea. She might be there.”

  “She isn’t. After losing that much blood, she never would have been able to travel that far.”

  “DNA isn’t back yet, so we don’t know for sure if the blood is hers,” he pointed out.

  Her eyes widened. “Do you think there’s a possibility it’s not hers? That maybe she’s actually just missing and not likely dead?”

  He shouldn’t have said that. “I’m trying to make no assumptions. Without DNA there’s no confirmation.”

  Maybe he shouldn’t have given her that glimmer of hope. He suspected Mackenzie had gotten mixed up with the wrong people, then was killed. They’d dumped her in the water so there was no chance of finding the attacker’s DNA on her body. Ellie didn’t need to dwell on that, though.

  Her large amber eyes studied him over the rim of her glasses. “There’s one thing you haven’t told me. What evidence do you have that she’s even involved with the cocaine’s disappearance?”

  “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.” The truth was likely to upset her even more, but maybe it was time she understood this wasn’t just something the Coast Guard pulled out of a hat. She’d never believe in Mackenzie’s guilt until she saw all the evidence. “There were surveillance cameras in the storage room. We have her on camera directing several men as they carried out the cocaine.”

  She inhaled. “There has to be some kind of explanation.”

  “I’m sorry. I know you don’t want to believe your sister would do something like that, but the video is proof positive.”

  “Could I see it? The video?”

  “I don’t know what purpose that would serve other than to upset you more.”

  “Please.”

  It was impossible to ignore the plea in her beautiful eyes. “We’ll have to get my computer. It’s back at Shauna’s house.”

  She rose. “Let’s go now.”

  He shrugged and grabbed his chowder, but before he could stand, the sheriff waved and headed their way. Ellie’s mouth tightened, but she sat back down as the sheriff sat beside her at the picnic table.

  His black hair was damp, and he mopped his forehead with a red bandana. “It’s going to be another scorcher. I thought I might find you here. Rosa told me she’d spoken with you.” His dark-blue eyes stayed focused on Ellie.

  “Did you find a-a body?”

  “We did, but it was just a dead deer. False alarm.” He stroked a long black sideburn. “I warned Rosa not to be running her mouth off again.”

  “Is she in trouble for telling me?” Ellie asked.

  Sheriff Burchell shook his head. “We got the DNA back on the blood. It’s Mackenzie’s.”

  Grayson winced. “Was there an estimate on how much blood she lost?”

  “Three to four pints.”

  “Not likely survivable.”

  The sheriff nodded. “That’s what the coroner said. If she got an immediate blood transfusion, maybe she could, but it’s not very likely considering where she was attacked.”

  It was unlikely the attacker would provide any medical assistance anyway. Ellie was staring intently at the sheriff and gave a slight nod. “What about the picture?”

  “Got that back too. The picture is doctored, so we can’t go by that.”

  “What does that mean?” Grayson asked.

  “It appears she wasn’t really in North Korea. My expert thinks she was actually standing in front of the Bomun Pavilion.”

  “Who would doctor it and why?” Grayson asked.

  “I think it was likely her attacker, and he was trying to get us off his tail.”

  “I knew all along she wasn’t there,” Ellie said. “What’s next?”

  Grayson caught and held her gaze. He hadn’t shared the video with the sheriff, but maybe he should. They could pool their resources. “I’m still pursuing the cocaine. I think it will lead us to Mackenzie.”

  Ellie sent him a pleading look and gave a slight shake to her head, so he gave a quick nod. He could wait until she’d seen it first, but she needed to face facts. Her sister was involved in this up to her neck.

  Chapter 15

  I look for a solid foundation first. If the floors slope, you’ll never succeed in restoring that dream house.

  —HAMMER GIRL BLOG

  Shauna’s house had been Ellie’s favorite project. She loved the big, open windows and high ceilings and the layout. Grayson shut the door behind them and moved to the living room where he reached for his laptop.

  She pulled off her baseball cap. “Let’s get this over with.”

  He opened his computer and clicked on a video file. “Here you go.”

  She took the laptop and curled up on the sofa with it on her lap. It was hard to concentrate with him looking at her. His eyes looked bluer as the light flooded into the room from the floor-to-ceiling windows. A swatch of blond hair fell across his forehead, and he looked at home as he dropped into the chair opposite her.

  The video showed a dark space with several pallets covered in shrink-wrap. The door opened, and a shaft of light illuminated the room more. Overhead lights came on, and she watched the figures step into the room. Two men headed for the pallets, and the woman stood near the door. One of the men was blond and the other had dark hair. Ellie didn’t recognize either of them, but there was no mistaking Mac.

  Her sister took a step closer to the men. “Let’s get that stuff and get out of here. Hurry!”

  She wished she had an answer, but nothing about this situation made sense. “Maybe she was forced into doing this, and she wants someone to track the cocaine. That would explain the tears and sad expression.”

  “You see anyone holdin
g a gun to her head? And I think you’re reading into her expression what you want to see.”

  She pressed her lips together and watched through to the end of the video in silence. Mac seemed to be the one in charge as she directed the men to carry the stacks of cocaine outside. Another camera showed them loading the cocaine into a box truck. Once it had all been moved, she shut off the light, plunging the room into shadows again.

  “I think there’s more going on than we know,” Ellie said.

  He sighed. “You’re a hard one to convince. There’s no duress. She seems to be the mastermind and orchestrates the theft every step of the way. There’s really no defense for her actions.”

  “I know my sister.” Ellie shook her head and handed back the laptop. She couldn’t bear to watch it again. “There’s something behind all this.”

  “Money.” He closed the laptop lid with a snap. “Maybe she was in trouble of some kind, and this seemed the only way out. It’s hard to tell what drove her. Do you know anything about her finances?”

  “She’s thrifty and often buys things from garage sales. She drives a secondhand Toyota and doesn’t have any bills except for routine things like utilities and rent. You can ask the sheriff. I’m sure he’s checked out her finances.”

  No matter how hard she tried, she’d never convince him. He had his mind made up about Mac, and she couldn’t really blame him now that she’d seen the video. Anyone who didn’t know her sister would assume the worst.

  “It’s true she has no bills that I could see. I’d hoped you might know something more secret. Gambling debts, that kind of thing.”

  “She hates gambling. She’s never even bought a lottery ticket.”

  “There has to be some reason. Maybe she wanted to start a new life somewhere else?”

  “She would never do that.” She blew out a frustrated breath that stirred her bangs. “If you only knew her, you’d realize how impossible this is.”