The House at Saltwater Point

by Colleen Coble

  “I-I’d like that.”

  He dropped another kiss on her head. “I’d better check my email again for those drone pictures.”

  She lifted her head and nodded. “It’s probably going to take another hour to paddle out to the Elyssa Marie.”

  Grayson dug his phone out of the baggie in the cooler, then called up his email. There were the pictures, but they weren’t what he’d hoped to see.

  He looked up. “The pictures are here, but the place looks empty. Nasser might have flown the coop.”

  If Nasser was gone, they had no real leads to follow. He prayed they’d find something at the ships.

  Chapter 36

  The most beautiful home means nothing if it has no soul or character. Some things can be added, but you can’t mimic the real thing.

  —HAMMER GIRL BLOG

  The beautiful estate looked empty, but Wang’s reconnaissance had told him the Robbs were here for the weekend. They were the only ones in residence too. Her parents had left this morning on a trip to Europe, so no one would interrupt the little tête-à-tête. He’d pretended to be an installer for a new, free security upgrade to their current system, and Terrance had given him a code to get in. All he had to do was wait until they were in there alone, then let himself in through the back. He’d parked around the block and had walked here so no one saw him. Easy peasy.

  He could have instructed Nasser to take care of this loose end, but it hadn’t seemed prudent. He no longer trusted Nasser.

  Wang crept through the darkened rooms toward the family room where the two of them were watching a movie. From here it sounded like a cop show with guns blaring and people yelling, a perfect cover-up for any noise they might make. Though there were no nearby neighbors, so he should be able to do what was necessary without incident.

  He stopped in the doorway and peered into the room. Dimly lit by one lamp and the television, the room held overstuffed leather furniture, recliners, and several expensive tables. It was a cozy room, the perfect representation of the perfect place to curl up with popcorn and watch TV.

  Their backs to the door, the Robbs sat at opposite ends of the leather sectional. Candace held a Kindle and wasn’t looking at the TV at all. Terrance seemed engrossed in the action taking place. Neither seemed aware that everything was about to change.

  He pulled out his gun and stepped into the room, moving quietly until he stood between Terrance’s view and the TV. “Hello, old friends.”

  Terrance sprang to his feet and reached for the gun lying on the coffee table beside him, but Wang got there first. “Uh-uh, that’s not okay. Sit down.” He motioned with the gun, and Terrance sank back onto the sofa.

  His mouth tight, Terrance glanced around as if looking for a weapon. “What are you doing with that gun?”

  Candace edged to the front of the seat cushion and sent a thousand-watt smile his way. “Well, hello there, it’s good to see you.”

  “I’m sure it’s not.” He waved the gun in his hand. “At least not with this pointing your direction. The safety is off, by the way. It won’t take much for me to blow your brains out. I don’t trust you, Terrance. It’s coming to an end tonight.” Wang swiped his arm at the lamp by his side and swept it off the table to the wood floor where it shattered.

  Both Robbs jumped, and Candace finally lost her superior attitude. She huddled in on herself, and tears began to leak from her eyes.

  Terrance clenched his hands together in his lap, and his face went red. “We can end our partnership. Just tell me what you want me to do.”

  Wang had to hold back a grin. Terrance would clearly love to tackle him and bash his head in. Luckily, he had no weapon that could stand against this gun. “What did you tell Ellie and Bradshaw?”

  “Nothing. She asked if Mac had come to me and asked me to pull strings to get the flotilla canceled. I told her that she had, but that I’d investigated and found nothing.”

  “Did she accept it?”

  “I think so.”

  “You’re the loose end, Terrance. They’ll find the money in your overseas accounts, and it will all come crashing down. You’ll tell everything you know, and I can’t have that.”

  Terrance reached toward him. “Look, we can work this out.”

  Moments later Terrance and Candace were both dead. He grabbed the candle lighter on the fireplace mantel and lit the curtains on fire, then some paper he found. Smoke billowed as he walked away.

  He’d thought clearing out the deadwood would feel better than it did, but the only sensation he had was emptiness as he walked away.

  Grayson’s jaw dropped the moment he saw the flotilla of tall ships. Their sails billowed grandly, and their masts reached for the clouds. He could have sworn heavenly music played as he stilled his oar and watched as they sailed past.

  “I’ve never seen a more beautiful sight,” Ellie whispered. She was in the stern of the kayak, and she’d stopped paddling too. Her large eyes glowed with fervor. “Now I know why Mac wanted them here. It’s like stepping back to another time, one populated with the myth and magic of the sea. I can almost hear pirates and the clash of swords.”

  Grayson grinned and began to row again. “And I thought I heard music. Got any idea which one is Elyssa Marie?”

  “I saw a picture. She’s a clipper like Lavender Lady. Most of the ships in the flotilla are barques and schooners.” She reached for binoculars and focused them. Moments later she pointed. “There!”

  The ship was the one closest to them. It had three masts and a square rig. Fully manned, the crew scurried around the deck, and he saw no way of sneaking aboard.

  Ellie rose and waved to the crew. Most of them waved back, though the ready smiles ceased as Grayson brought the kayak closer to the boarding rope.

  A man in a blue uniform leaned over the railing. His beard and mustache were more white than brown, and he wasn’t smiling. “We can’t allow you to board, miss.”

  “I’m Mackenzie Blackmore. I’m here to welcome you.”

  The man’s mustache twitched, but Grayson wouldn’t call it a smile. “Captain Arnett, Ms. Blackmore. I know your name, of course, but I still can’t permit you to board. If you’d like to tour the ship tomorrow, I’ll be happy to escort you personally.” His gaze flickered over Grayson.

  “I have a clipper too, did you know? Lavender Lady is beautiful.” Ellie gave a vague wave. “She’s moored over there.”

  “There aren’t many of us in the flotilla. Are you going to join us tomorrow?”

  Ellie’s smile faltered. “I plan to.”

  “I will look forward to it.” The captain tugged the brim of his hat. “If you’ll excuse me, I have quite a lot to attend to. I hope to see you tomorrow.” He moved away from the side and out of sight.

  Ellie slumped. “Well, that was a bust.”

  “Let’s just hang out here a bit. Maybe act like you’ve got a problem so they’re not suspicious.”

  “Oh dear, my contact popped out.” Ellie spoke loudly as she began to feel around the bottom of the kayak.

  The murmur of voices was too soft and distant to make out any words, and Grayson wished he had a listening device. They weren’t going to get anywhere with this. He shook his head at Ellie, and she climbed back onto her seat and picked up her oar.

  The captain’s voice bellowed out, “Move it! Wang will be here in two hours. It had better be shipshape.”

  Wang. Could it be the same man they’d been looking for? It had to be, didn’t it?

  “Did you hear that?” Ellie climbed back onto her seat and picked up her oar. “Could we just have the FBI move in after we think he’s aboard?”

  “I’d better at least let Lance know.”

  He paddled them a distance out from the boat, then pulled out his phone and called Lance. His friend promised to pass along the information.

  Ellie’s nose and cheeks held a bit of pink from wind and sun. “What’d he say?”

  “He’s going to let those in charge of the
investigation know.”

  Her golden-brown eyes examined him. “But you don’t think they will? You look down.”

  The kayak’s bottom bumped sand at the boat launch by Harvey’s Pier, and he jumped out and pulled it ashore. Holding out his hand, he helped Ellie out. Her face was set and strained.

  “I’m tired of bumping into dead ends.” He tossed his oar into the bottom of the kayak. “I want Nasser. He gave me this limp, and he killed my best friend. I’m beginning to fear he’ll never be brought to justice. He’ll just go on killing and destroying people’s lives.”

  Ellie reached for him, and he pulled her close enough that he could feel the thump of her heart.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn’t know. No wonder you’ve been so driven. What happened?”

  He rested his chin on her hair and inhaled her sweet aroma. “We were hot on his tail and thought we had him cornered on a remote farm near Chicago. It was an ambush, though, and I heard him laughing as his men rushed him out. The guy’s a devil.”

  He felt her head move as she nodded. Nasser couldn’t get away with this. Grayson couldn’t live with it.

  Chapter 37

  The second most important room in the home is the bathroom. Clear glass doors can make the space seem bigger because you can see all the way through.

  —HAMMER GIRL BLOG

  Ellie leaned her head back, then stretched her cold feet closer to the heat blasting from under the dash in Gray’s SUV. She was nearly dry after rowing across the bay and getting warm in here, plus the huge sweatshirt Gray had dug out for her helped.

  She thrust her hands into the pockets. “I’d hoped the agents would have some idea where to look for Nasser and his men.”

  “The man is like a phantom. Every time I get close, he vanishes with no trace. I hope the FBI is finding out more than we are.”

  She stared at the passing cars. “Could we go by Mac’s office? I want to look through her desk one more time and maybe talk to some students. I got to thinking that I didn’t check to see if anything was taped to the underside of her desk. It’s probably silly, but I have to feel like I’m doing something.”

  “You have a key to get into the university?”

  “Yes. I’ll call Penny and let her know too, just in case someone calls to tell her someone is in Mac’s office.”

  He slowed as they entered the town limits and shot her a glance. “I’ll do lookout.”

  “The university is right in the middle of everything. I think we’re safe. What I’d really like is for you to run and grab us some coffee while I take a quick look in the office. I’m still frozen.” Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen. One of her employees was calling. She was tempted to just ignore the call since she was in no mood to discuss the house, but it might be important.

  “Hey, Clint, what’s up?”

  “Sorry to bug you, but I can’t find Jason. He was supposed to help me lift that beam into place in the living room, but he’s not answering his phone.”

  “Don’t worry about it. We’ll see what we can do on Monday.”

  “It’s going to put us behind schedule.”

  “I know, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. I could try to help lift the beam, but I’m not sure I could carry my end. I guess I can give it a try, though. I need to run by anyway and get my computer.”

  “I can do it. I’d rather you weren’t anywhere near the house now that the terrorists know you’ve been staying there.” Grayson took the phone from her. “Hey, Clint, if all you need is a strong back for a few minutes, I can help you. How long will it take?” He nodded. “Uh-huh. I’ll be right there.”

  He ended the call and handed the phone back to her. “It won’t take long. You head into the office, and I’ll run over to the house, then grab coffee. I’ll be back soon.” He leaned over to brush her lips with his. “Be careful.”

  She patted his cheek with her palm. “I’ll be fine. Extra-hot latte.”

  “I got this.”

  She slid her phone into the pocket of the sweatshirt, then smiled and opened her car door to slide out. “I’m going to lock the door behind me. Text me when you’re here, and I’ll unlock it.”

  “Will do.” He let her out in front of the doors, then pulled out of the lot.

  On a Saturday afternoon the only students around were ones using the library or heading to the gym. She had to use her key to get into the office building. Her footsteps echoed loudly on the marble floors, and the clatter set her teeth on edge and made shivers run down her back. She hurried to Mac’s office, unlocked it, then stepped in and flipped on the lights. She texted Penny to tell her what she was doing. She slipped off her shoes and padded toward Mac’s desk. Setting her shoes on the floor, she pulled out the chair and crawled under the desk to look around. It was dark under there, so she turned on her phone’s flashlight and shone it around.

  Nothing was taped to the metal underside, and she exhaled. “Doggone it. I was sure there’d be something.”

  Talking to herself made her feel a little less vulnerable and alone. She crawled out from under the desk and looked around. Mac’s desk was clear and held only a calendar.

  She had to be missing something, but what? The sheriff had taken Mac’s computer so she couldn’t even look through files. A long expanse of lateral filing cabinets occupied one wall. Had anyone looked at Mac’s student notes?

  She called Penny. “Did anyone take over Mac’s classes? Are her class notes still here?”

  “Yes, the classes were reassigned. I think her notes are probably still there. She usually transcribed everything in the computer so there shouldn’t be anything in the physical files that isn’t in the computer.”

  “Thanks, Penny.” She ended the call, then glanced at the time on her phone. Where was Gray? She called him but got his voice mail, so she left a message telling him she was ready to be picked up and that she’d just head over to the Brewhouse to wait. But when she didn’t get him after trying again, worry began to gnaw at her. Why wasn’t he answering his phone?

  Maybe the sheriff would run her out to the House at Saltwater Point.

  Perspiration dripped from Grayson’s forehead and landed on the floor below him. His cell phone rang a few minutes ago, but he hadn’t been able to get to it. It had taken longer than he’d expected to heft this beam up here. He perched on the top of the ladder with the beam on his shoulder and struggled to get it into place. He finally got it positioned, and Clint managed to nail it securely, raining drywall dust onto Grayson’s head in the process.

  He coughed at the dry dust in his throat, then retreated down the ladder. “You weren’t kidding—that thing was heavy.”

  Clint scampered down his ladder too. He wiped the sweat from his face and left streaks of white along his cheeks. “We usually have more men on it, but at least it’s done. Thanks for your help.”

  “Glad to do it. I’d better get out of here and pick up Ellie.”

  “I’m sure she’s fine. How about some cold water or a Pepsi for the road? I’ve got a bunch on ice.”

  His mouth was as dry as a desert wind, and his tongue felt coated with gunk. “I wouldn’t turn down some water.”

  “This way,” Clint said. “It’s in the kitchen.”

  Rolls of drywall tape, drywall tools, buckets of mud, and stacks of wallboard covered the floor. Only pipes poking through the floor and the wall identified the room as the kitchen. Clint opened the red metal cooler and pulled out a dripping bottle of water that he tossed at Grayson.

  Grayson uncapped the water and drank half of it. The delicious wetness was heaven.

  Clint popped the top on a Pepsi and chugged it too, then wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “So you have something going on with Ellie?”

  His tone was casual, but Grayson checked his expression anyway. Was the guy interested in her too? “I like her a lot.”

  “She’s a nice person. When I came to town two years ago looking for a job, I didn’t
really have any skills. I’d taken care of my sick mom for some years, and when she died, I didn’t know what I could be good at. I’d done some work around the house since we couldn’t afford to hire it out. I ran into Ellie at the coffee shop and didn’t even have money for anything bigger than a small drink. She bought my coffee and breakfast, then listened to my tale of woe. An hour later I had a job working on her houses.”

  While it didn’t surprise Grayson to hear Ellie’s kindness detailed, it still warmed him. “That’s a pretty cool story.”

  “It is. And I have to say it causes me grief to have to hurt her.”

  Before the words could register, he had grabbed a heavy pipe wrench and brought it crashing down on Grayson’s head. He went down hard and the lights went out.

  “I’m probably being silly,” Ellie told the sheriff as he parked his vehicle behind Gray’s SUV in the drive at the Saltwater Point house. “I’m sure they’re probably still up on the ladder.”

  “No lights on,” the sheriff observed.

  She stared at the house as she unfastened her seat belt. “Clint’s truck isn’t here.”

  The unease she’d worked hard to push aside came rushing back as she glanced inside Grayson’s SUV to see the keys dangling from the ignition. She went up the porch to the entry and tried the door. The knob turned under her fingers, and she pushed open the unlocked door and flipped on the light. “Gray?”

  Her voice echoed in the empty room. The heavy wooden beam overhead proved Clint’s request had been valid, which should have reassured her. Where was Gray? He wouldn’t have left his SUV behind when he knew she was waiting for him to pick her up. And he wasn’t answering his phone.

  Her footsteps echoed as she walked toward the kitchen where she found more confirmation that something was wrong. A bloodstain spread out on the dusty plywood, and Gray’s phone, screen shattered, was in the corner. Water had spilled from an uncapped bottle.