“Smart thinking,” Colton said.
“You too.” Cassidy nodded. “Now, tell me again what he told you.”
They ran through what had happened.
Cassidy’s frown grew deeper and deeper with every new detail. “Someone wanted to use Henry to kill you. No longer do they want you to hand over the information. I don’t want to mince words here, not given how serious this situation is. It sounds like they want to eliminate you now.”
Colton tensed beside Elise. He knew just as well as Elise did that Cassidy’s words were true. The stakes had just risen—in the worst way possible.
“The person behind this is getting other people to do his dirty work, probably so he won’t be discovered himself,” Cassidy continued. “So let’s just assume that the same person who threatened him is the person threatening you. How did this person connect that you were here?”
“That’s a great question.” Elise pushed a hair from her eyes and frowned. “I have no idea. I have never seen Henry before. I guess he was supposed to ask for me at the pier, but I showed up before he could. It was supposed to look like an accident.”
“That explains why he brought the gun when he was going to jump from the pier,” Colton said.
“Yes, that didn’t quite make sense, did it? It’s safe to say that whoever’s behind this has some pretty deep connections.” Cassidy frowned and bounced her pen against her desk as she thought. “I believe it. Someone would have to be very connected in order to make all of this happen. They would have to be here looking for a scapegoat, looking for someone they could get to do their bidding. I don’t like the sound of this.”
“Neither do I,” Elise said.
“I want to assure you that we are going to check this guy’s phone records, talk to the neighbors, to his colleagues," Cassidy said. “We will do everything we can to get to the bottom of this.”
“I appreciate that,” Elise said. “Just when I think it can’t get worse it does.”
Cassidy frowned. “I know what that’s like. But you guys are free to go for now. I will be in touch if I need anything.”
But before they could even stand to leave, someone knocked at the door. Ty stuck his head inside, and his gaze went to Elise. “There’s something you need to see.”
* * *
Colton braced himself for whatever Ty had to say. Based on the look on his face, it wasn’t good.
Colton was worried about Elise. How much could a person take before life beat them down and stole the little bit of hope that was left?
He knew Elise better than that, though. She was a fighter. Still, he couldn’t help but feel for her.
“What is it?” Elise’s voice wavered as she waited for Ty’s response.
He held up his phone. “I’ve been keeping an eye on all the news articles from up in Virginia Beach. Especially after you told me about the house fire. This article came out today, and it’s about you.”
Elise took his outstretched phone, but her hands trembled so badly that the screen was impossible to read. Colton took the device from her and held it out in front of them both.
He scanned the words there, and his muscles tightened with every new sentence.
It was an article about Elise. Her picture was on the front page. There were smaller pictures of her house fire and also one of a man Colton didn’t recognize.
Elise let out a soft cry beside him. He wasn’t sure exactly what was going through her head, but Colton put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.
She buried her head in his chest. “Bernie is dead.”
“Who is Bernie?” Colton asked.
“He was my neighbor. They found his body in my house. He was the nicest man. He didn’t deserve this.”
“When was the last time you saw him?”
“Probably the day before I left. He was always trying to be helpful. Bringing me my newspaper or vegetables from the farmer’s market. I bet he heard me scream that night I was attacked. While I was running, he probably came over to check on me and got caught in this whole mess.” A muted sob escaped.
“It’s not your fault, Elise.” Colton held her closer.
Cassidy frowned at Elise, her eyes softening, before turning back to Colton and Ty. “What else does the article say?”
The two men exchanged a look before Colton finally nodded and spoke. “It says that Elise is facing accusations about her psychology practice as well. It spells out some of those allegations, and they match those that were sent in that text to her. It also says that she is believed to be on the run right now and possibly armed and dangerous. Anyone with information on her whereabouts is supposed to call the police with information.”
Colton’s back muscles threaded with tension. People here on this island had seen Elise. Would one of them report her?
“That doesn’t sound good.” Cassidy’s brow furrowed.
Elise lifted her head, her haggard gaze on Cassidy. “Are you obligated to report me?”
Cassidy frowned, her face still tight. “I should. But I also know you’re not guilty and that whoever is behind this has some connections.”
They all waited, anxious to hear what Cassidy would decide.
Finally, she released her breath and turned toward them, a firm, decisive look in her gaze. “I’m going to give this a day. Let’s see if we can figure out some answers. I don’t believe that turning you in is going to solve anything. I can’t pretend that I didn’t see this article, but I am going to choose not to act on it right now.”
“Thank you.” Elise’s voice came out just above a whisper.
Cassidy’s gaze met Elise’s, and she softened her voice. “I know what it’s like to need people to be in your corner. I’ll do everything within my power to help you out.”
Colton rubbed Elise’s arm. She was right. This was just getting worse by the minute.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Elise was still dazed as she and Colton headed from the police station. Whoever was behind this had carried through with his threat. He’d made it seem like Elise was guilty of having an inappropriate relationship with one of her patients. He’d also made it look like she’d had some type of mental break, shot her neighbor, and then burned her house down to cover up the crime.
It wasn’t that different from what they had done to Henry. They had threatened him, and Elise had almost lost her life as a result.
The person behind this was soulless. No other explanation made sense. The question that remained in Elise’s mind was just what was he trying to hide? Why was this information that Daniel had found so important?
Colton remained quiet beside her, but she knew the thoughts turning over in his mind reflected hers. He didn’t like this any more than she did.
As she reached the front door and Colton pulled it open, a wintry wind swept over her. She pulled her coat closer and reminded herself that she’d need to get some new clothes soon, especially since she didn’t know how long she would be staying.
As she stepped forward, Elise collided with somebody heading into the police station. She muttered, “So sorry.”
Colton froze beside her.
Elise looked up in time to see him scrutinizing the man whose shoulder had bumped hers. Her gaze swerved back toward the stranger. She didn’t remember seeing him before, but Colton obviously recognized the man.
“You . . .” the man muttered. “I told you I wasn’t going to let you get away with this.”
“Get away with what?” Colton asked. “I was hired to do a job, and I did it.”
“You’re not one of us here.”
“You’re right.” Colton straightened. “I’m not. But that doesn’t mean I can’t live here on Lantern Beach.”
The man poked a finger into Colton’s chest.
Elise froze, waiting for Colton’s reaction. That was a bad move.
“You don’t want to touch me,” Colton seethed, his voice and gaze hardening.
The man stared at him a moment as
if reconsidering. Finally, he lowered his arm. “I’m working hard to ensure that you and your men will not have a headquarters here anymore.”
The breath left Elise’s lungs. “What? Why would you do that?”
There was obviously more to the story than she knew.
“Having an organization like Blackout here is risky,” the man said. “Too risky. It’s bringing trouble to this island, and trouble isn’t what we need.”
“How are we bringing trouble to the island?” Colton’s jaw visibly tightened.
“For starters, there was that speeding ticket one of your guys got.”
“He admitted that he was going too fast and paid his fine,” Colton said. “It’s not the first time someone has been caught speeding on this island. I can assure you of that.”
“When you guys helped to take down that cult that was here, it brought too much attention to the island. There were too many articles. And now thrill-seekers are trying to come here, as well as hotel developers. I don’t like it.”
Colton stepped forward. “Look, I don’t know what your beef is with me, but I’m not the guy you need to come after.”
“We’ll see about that.” The man raised his chin and stepped into the police station.
When he was out of earshot, Elise turn to Colton. “What was that about?”
Colton rubbed his jaw again. “That man—his name is Ron Davis—is one of the biggest employers on Lantern Beach. He runs a management service for the rentals on the island. The hotel that they’re talking about putting in is threatening his bottom line. He’s afraid it will take away from his own business, so he’s fighting with everything in him to make it stop.”
“So why is he taking it out on you?”
“I happened to be in front of him when he was at the protest the other day. I wouldn’t let him pass, and he didn’t seem to appreciate that. From what I understand, he’s a local and he has a lot of clout around here.”
“You think he will really carry through with his threat?”
“I don’t see where Blackout has done anything wrong that would give the town any grounds to get rid of us.”
A bad feeling remained in Elise’s stomach. The look in that man’s eyes had been one of determination. He wanted someone to pay for the potential upheaval in his life.
“It’s been quite the day, huh?” Colton said. “Let’s get you back home.”
But as Colton said the words, his gaze caught someone across the street. “Elise, go inside and stay with Cassidy and Ty. There’s someone I need to talk to.”
* * *
Colton ran across the street to the gas station. A familiar figure pumped gas—the man he’d seen with Jason at the pier. The one who’d acted suspicious and had hair like a shark fin.
The man’s presence on the island might be a coincidence. But Colton wanted to find out for sure.
“Excuse me!” Colton jogged over to him.
The man’s eyes widened when he saw Colton approaching. “Can I help you?”
“I noticed that you weren’t from around here.” Colton stopped near him but remained a comfortable distance away, as to not spook the man.
“That’s right. Is that a problem?” The man’s words were short and clipped, as if he didn’t appreciate the interruption.
“A problem? No, of course not. But I saw you talking to my friend Jason on the pier yesterday, and that got me curious.”
The man glanced at the numbers on the gas pump, as if checking to see how much longer he had until his tank was full. “It’s not a crime to talk to strangers.”
“No, but you seem out of place around here. You seemed out of place on the pier, and you seem out of place talking to someone who’s homeless. Are those snap judgments? Yes, they are. But when you put it all together, you’ve got me curious.”
“It’s none of your business.” The man’s eyes narrowed.
“Someone I know almost got shot today, so I’m making things my business.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your friend.” The man put the gas nozzle back into the pump and turned the cap on his gas tank. He moved so quickly that it took three tries to get the cap on straight. “But I really have no idea what you think this has to do with me.”
“Because every stranger here on the island is now suspect in my mind.”
He snorted. “If you think I’m trying to hurt someone, then you’re dead wrong.”
“If you’re so innocent, why are you acting so shady right now?”
The man let out a sigh and crossed his arms. “Look, if you must know, I’m a developer. Sean Burns is the name.”
“You’re not the guy who’s trying to buy the old campground where Gilead’s Cove was.” Colton had seen that man, and they were clearly not the same person.
“No, I’m not that guy. But I am interested in buying the land. I’m giving that jerk Damien Marks some competition.”
“Wait, so you’re with a different hotel?” Colton shifted.
“That’s correct. My company has done our market research, and we think that Lantern Beach would be a great place to expand. Everyone’s talking about this area.”
“And why is that?”
“After all the drama that happened last year with that cult, it’s put this place on the map. You know most of the houses here are already booked for the summer and even into the fall. You’re running out of places for people to stay here. A hotel would be the answer everyone’s looking for.”
“You have to understand that the infrastructure isn’t set up here yet to accommodate that many people. We would need new roads, more ditches, more water.”
“And we can provide all of that.” The man straightened. “Look, I don’t want to argue with you. I just want to let you know that I’m not the guy that you were looking for.”
“Just one more question then,” Colton said. “If you came here trying to build a hotel, why were you talking to the homeless man yesterday? How does that tie in?”
Sean looked into the distance and let out a long breath before turning back to Colton. “Because I want him to be the poster boy for affordable housing. People who make less than $50,000 a year can’t find a decent place to live around here. They are trying to live at campgrounds instead.”
“How would a hotel help?”
“We’d offer weekly rates that would be cheaper than most of the mortgages people can get on this island—even cheaper in the off season. Our prices would make it possible for them to have a room, even year-round if that’s what they want.”
“Sounds more like an apartment complex.”
“But it’s not. There’s no contract. Year-round residents and guests alike can use it.”
His explanation sounded reasonable, but Colton still remained on guard. “I see. How long are you going to be in town?”
“I’m planning on leaving in the morning. Now, if you don’t mind.” Sean pointed to his driver’s side seat.
Colton nodded and started back toward the police station. He had more answers now. But he still didn’t have enough answers.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“If you don’t mind me asking, what was that about?” Elise asked as she and Colton headed back toward Ty and Cassidy’s cottage.
“I saw someone that I spotted on the pier yesterday. He seemed out of place in this area, so I wondered . . .”
“If he had something to do with the threats against me,” Elise finished.
“Exactly.”
“And did he?” She held her breath as she waited to hear what Colton had found out.
“He’s interested in possibly building a hotel here and giving Damien Marks some competition. He’s a shrewd businessman, but he appears to have nothing to do with what’s going on with you.”
“At least you know now.”
“That’s right. At least I know.”
They pulled up to the cottage, parked, and started up the steps at a slow, unhurried pace. As they did, Elise’s thoughts wandered to th
e future. Was this where Colton planned on staying and putting down roots? Did he see Blackout as a permanent part of his future?
“How long are you guys going to use Ty’s place?” she finally asked.
“We don’t have the funding yet to get a place of our own, but I know we are going to outgrow this quickly. As nice as it is that Ty and Cassidy are letting us use their home, I know they are going to want their privacy soon. Especially if they have kids one day. No one wants a bunch of former Navy SEALs hanging out in their house and plotting missions with toddlers running around.”
“Well, I hope that you are able to find something. Do you want to stay here in Lantern Beach?”
“That’s the plan. I like it here. I like that we can come back here to regroup and take a load off after adrenaline-pumping missions. There’s something really peaceful about being here. I mean, when there aren’t murders, cults, or protests.”
Elise flashed a smile. “Well said.”
He glanced at his watch as they reached the screened-in porch. “My guys are supposed to be here any minute. We need to regroup. Would you like to join us?”
“I would love to. I want to figure this out more than anyone.”
A few minutes later they were all seated in the living room. They relayed everything they had just learned and experienced to the rest of the group.
“What we really need here right now are some suspects,” Colton said.
For the next two hours, they talked about suspects.
Leonardo—suspicious timing.
Jason—also suspicious timing.
Henry—could be more to his story.
Brian Starks—he had access to the command.
After they’d discussed things ad nauseam, Colton could tell everyone was tired.
Maybe the best thing they could do right now was to take a little breather.
He stood. “Let’s take fifteen minutes to stretch our legs or get something to drink. And then I want to meet back here again so we can finish talking about all these clues. Got it?”
Dark Water: Lantern Beach Blackout, Book 1 Page 13