Windy groaned. "More like monkey business."
He arched a brow. "This landlord-tenant situation has nothing to do with apes."
The cashier snickered.
"It could," Windy warned.
Stone had to think her cryptic comment through for a moment until he understood the thinly veiled warning. Had there been thugs nearby when Baldwyn tracked up his deck?
Windy silently watched him. Finally the groceries were bagged and stowed in the rear of the king cab.
As he backed out of the parking slot, a horn honked. He braked, and then realized that the warning had been for a black bronco with dark mirrored windows. "That's strange."
"What is?"
He gestured toward the Ford. "Recently, I've frequently seen a vehicle identical near our townhouses."
"Identical to it or the same one?"
A chill gripped him. "Surely you aren't suggesting that-"
Her solemn nod stopped him cold. She leaned close and whispered into his ear. "Believe me, if Scotland Yard and Interpol each have a massive file on someone, they’re probably guilty of something. It's just a matter of time before the right bit of damning evidence is found. Didn't you get my meaning in the store? I think Baldwyn is dangerous and so is everyone who works for him."
“Or else he’s just a PI doing his job and downright unlucky,” he said, even though he didn’t believe a word of it. He glanced at his sister. “Do you really think Ariel helped kill that sheik?”
"No, but if Ariel saw something, she might be in danger. There have never, and I do mean never, been any witnesses. A string of odd accidents to people, who were suspected witnesses, but no one ever was found this side of the dirt.”
He cleared his throat. "What a charming thought."
She straightened and gave him a penetrating look. “If they saw something, let me take them into protective custody. If Baldwyn is half the bastard I think he is, and they’re witnesses, I need them to put him where he belongs.”
“From what you’ve told me, it’s more likely they’d end up six feet under.”
“I could get them in the Witness Protection Program.”
“One of the things the Witness Protection Program does is change a person’s name. Could that be why they’ve done it in the past?"
Her eyes widened. “I’ll check it out.”
As Stone turned onto the street, he tried to understand his feelings for Ariel.
Chapter 29
Windy leaned slightly forward in her seat as she concentrated on the reflection in the passenger-side rearview mirror. "It's been a long time since I've been to Valdez and I'd like to see what's new. Can you take the scenic route back to the boat?"
"Why? You afraid that once we get there all you'll see is the inside of Dolly’s galley?" Or did she think they were being followed? He turned down a side street.
"Not exactly." She paused, as she studied the mirror, then leaned back and gave him an equally intent look. "How come you brought Link and everyone along? That's not very romantic."
"He can fish while I check out the pipes." Windy snickered. He suddenly realized how she’d taken the remark about his job. A burning sensation rose on the back of his neck. Stone hadn't felt this embarrassed since Junior High School. The hotter his neck, the harder Windy laughed. As he debated if it would be worthwhile to remind his sister what he did for a living, the Bronco slid around the corner. His hands tightened on the wheel. When traffic cleared, he turned left. Windy stopped laughing and intently watched the mirror. He forced himself to keep the pace slow so it didn't look like he was trying to lose the Bronco, which kept veering in and out of sight in his rearview mirror, then turned right.
“Stop there." Windy pointed to a drug store. "I forgot to get something at the grocery store." She leaned close in what probably looked like an ear-nibbling moment to anyone watching. "Drop me at the door, then slowly drive to a slot at the end of the lot. I want to check the guy’s license plate number."
He winked. "Get a couple boxes of Trojans, while you’re getting whatever you need," he said. Windy's face flamed red, as she got out. He smiled with satisfaction, as he leisurely cruised toward the far side of the lot. After the Bronco passed her at a snail's pace, she hurried into the store.
He parked his truck, then looked around the cabin for something to do while he waited. A USA Today lying on the rear floorboards offered a way to peak at the Ford without being obvious. As he opened the paper, he recalled that he'd seen the article in a previous News-Miner about the man who had drowned the week before Baldwyn had trampled Dolly's decks. Worse, the more he thought about it, the more certain he became that the fisherman who had followed Ariel and Tempest back from their walk was Baldwyn.
What if the creep had murdered that sheik? He knew the man must have had opportunity because he'd seen him walk up from the river path behind Ariel and Tempest. What if he'd followed them back to the airfield and then taken down the Cessna's tail number? What if Baldwyn was some sort of international killer who had never been convicted because he didn’t leave witnesses?
Or, what if Ariel and Tempest had done the deed and PI, Baldwyn was trying to gather enough evidence to convict?
His skin went cold. He turned the page, making note of where the Bronco parked. Baldwyn had hounded Mavis and he hadn't stopped at any of the other boats to show his photos to anyone else who was out working. Why had he been singled out unless the guy wanted to test him to see if he’d recognized him? He wet his lips, wondering if he’d passed the test, or if his hostility had made the jerk feel like he needed to be watched.
Stone hurried into the drug store. After a few minutes, he found Windy crouched behind a display of contraceptive products, tucking her cell phone into her pocket.
He hunkered down and leaned close. "Did we talk about Baldwyn at the boat or in the truck before we spotted the Bronco?"
"I think so. Why?"
"I’ve been gone a few days, so if he’s into high tech stuff, like some PI’s, he's had time to bug everything."
"But no way of knowing when you'd be back or that you’d bring the Danners." She patted his face. "I did a basic search when I got here. Dolly was clean. For all I know they're just watching, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.” She held up two boxes. Then loudly asked, “What do you prefer? Ribbed or nubby?" He tipped so far backwards on his heels, he nearly fell over. Windy surged to her feet, while tossing back her mane of long dark curls and collided with a brown haired man coming around the end cap. "Men!" She looked at the stranger and said, "And you call us the indecisive sex." She marched up to the register with both boxes. Face burning, for the second time in minutes, Stone stepped around the bemused-looking man and hurried after her.
After she paid for her purchase and they left the store, he hauled her to a desolate corner of the parking lot and pointed to the horizon as if it were interesting. "I can't believe you actually bought them." How would his prude of a little sister surprise him, next?
Windy touched his face. "The guy I bumped into is the Ford's driver and I wanted a good close look at him.”
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "You certainly got it.”
“Yeah, too bad he isn’t anyone I remember from Baldwyn’s file.”
“That would have made it easier to figure this out.” He frowned, as tried to figure out what Ariel and Tempest might have seen in Deadhorse, which would have motivated Baldwyn to track them over a thousand miles. “You mentioned that the murders always appeared like accidents on the surface. What type of accidents?"
She looked up at him and in a voice that barely carried to his own ears said, "Faulty brakes on cars that were going too fast for mountain roads. Gas leaks in ovens that resulted in exploding houses. A civilian shot between the eyes when the home owner supposedly mistook them for a burglar."
"You're kidding."
"I wish. And that was just the past eighteen months. The latest was that drowning."
"The one in Dead
horse?” She nodded. “We were there for two or three hours that day."
She stiffened. "Are you positive it was the day he died?"
He nodded. "I figured out the timeframe a few minutes ago."
"Too bad you can't place Baldwyn at the river or have a photo of him pushing Kowiss in."
"Link and I were in a meeting. Ariel and Tempest seemed upset when they returned from a walk near the river." The moment the words were out of his mouth, her expression became suspicious and he regretted telling her the facts without admitting that he and Link had chosen the itinerary. Windy didn't say anything. “Listen, it’s not what you think.”
She arched a brow. “What am I thinking?”
“They had nothing to do with the accident. They couldn’t have because they didn’t know we were stopping there to sign a contract until an hour after we were airborne, so they wouldn't have had time to find out where that sheik was, but they were both visibly upset when they met us back at the plane. Tempest looked like she'd been crying, but they explained it as allergies. I'm positive Baldwyn was the guy who followed them.”
“Why were they with you to begin with?”
“Link invited them camping.” Stone frowned, as he recalled what a pivotal day that had been. How Tempest had latched onto Link as if he was life personified, after the walk. How Tempest's nightmare had woken her. How Ariel had chosen to get a shotgun shortly after that fateful trip.
Did she know something? Suspect it?
He'd been confronted here in Valdez, which made sense since their office was here and corporate address was where their vehicles were titled. What if Ariel and Tempest had seen something suspicious, but not been certain of what they'd seen? What if Baldwyn was the assassin? He certainly wouldn't want to leave any witnesses but by the same token, he wouldn't want more dead bodies, which would make the authorities suspicious.
Dear Lord, what if his innocent invitation to go deep-sea fishing was bringing them straight to the killer?
"Stone?"
"What?"
"You okay?" He gave a sharp nod. "You're shaking." He tried to breath deeply. "For what it's worth, I don't think your girlfriend is the actual killer, but I think that somehow or other she's in this thing with Baldwyn up to her ears." Windy took a deep breath, then added, “And I’m not one-hundred-percent certain she didn’t put the idea in Link’s ear to invite her.”
“I was there.”
“You spend a lot of time here.” She gestured in the direction of the harbor. “Ariel is smart. She had plenty of time to work on Link and make both him and you think it was his idea to invite them along.”
“To the nature preserve, yes, but how’d she know we’d need to stop in Deadhorse? I didn’t even know, myself, until Mavis called.”
“When?”
“Just before we left.” He’d barely had time to print out the faxed contract before they left.
"You're probably right about them being innocent, but you’re the only brother I have and I kinda want to keep you around.” She gave him a mischievous smile. “How would you protect you, if you were me?"
“Have my sister check her files.”
Windy laughed. “And after I checked them, I’d tell you to ask her about Deadhorse.” She moistened her lips. “If a relationship is worth having, she'll tell you the truth. If she doesn't-" Windy made a tossing away motion. “Get her in the right mood. When you have her between the sheets and after you have her so hot she's on fire, then ask."
He stared, not believing what he was hearing. "You expect me to seduce her for information?"
"You mean you haven't."
"Not since Marishka."
"But-" Now, it was her turn to blush.
"My reputation is mostly unfounded gossip," he admitted. A breeze gusted. "Females aren't the only ones that get emotionally attached to their sexual partners."
Windy looked at him, hard, then her face softened and she hugged him. "I never realized how much she'd hurt you." She whispered, "You love Ariel, don't you? And after that witch-" She searched for the word.
He winced. Yeah, he probably loved her and after Marishka, the thought of being that vulnerable to another person, again scared him shitless.
A soft chime emanated from Windy’s pocket. She plucked it out and huddled against him, so that he shielded her from view of the Bronco. "Yeah?" The short conversation became one-sided with mostly murmurs on his sister’s part. He suspected the call was about Ariel and Tempest, but Windy’s phone didn’t broadcast the conversation. Finally, she concluded, "Keep me posted, and send a backup team here." She slipped the phone out of sight.
"According to the files, Baldwyn left Deadhorse the day before the accident." Stone shook his head. "Exactly. For the first time, we can place him in the vicinity on the exact day. It's still only circumstantial evidence, but at least it's something."
"Thanks."
"For what?"
He shrugged, then took her arm and started walking back toward his truck. "Know what?" She made an inquisitive sound. "I’m tempted to do what you suggested and if Ariel tells me she's in danger, weigh anchor and simply sail away."
Windy studied his face, as she mentally weighed the ramifications of what he’d just told her. "You're serious." He nodded. There was something about Ariel Danner that spoke to his very soul. Windy stared at him as if he'd spoken his thoughts aloud. "Will you at least come to the folk's anniversary?"
"Count on it."
Chapter 30
Ariel glanced up as Stone's truck turned into the marina's parking lot. Two seconds later, the familiar black Bronco turned in. She ducked out of sight into the cabin pressing her spine against the bulkhead. How in Hades had it gotten here so quickly?
Her rubbery knees knocked and she began hyperventilating.
A car door slammed, then a second one. A woman laughed. The high-pitched sound seemed as if it were a mask for tension. And it sounded like Stone’s sister. What was she hiding from her brother? That fact that they were being followed? It seemed plausible the if Windy was half the FBI agent that Stone seemed to think, she should know when she was being followed.
And that would freak anyone out.
Wouldn’t it?
She risked a peek. Stone and Windy appeared casual as they hauled groceries out of the truck, while the Bronco tried to appear inconspicuous as whoever was inside watched.
She took a deep breath, then another and forced herself to think logically. The Bronco had followed Linkstone's truck here, not her or Tempest. What looked like the same vehicle had cruised by her townhouse, but Link and Stone lived next door, so it could simply be her paranoia going overboard when she thought the occupants were watching her.
How much did she know about Linkstone’s business?
Next to nothing.
There was every reason to believe the surveillance was aimed at them. Legs weak with relief, she slid down the wall and sat on the floor. Were Stone and Link into something they didn't want made public? Had the brown haired man been researching them instead of her? Had he only followed her and Tempest because he’d seen Link and Stone frequent their house and vice-versa?
Dolly gently rocked to one side. "Careful." Stone sounded close.
Ariel scrambled into the head and latched the door with trembling hands, then she sat down, until she felt strong enough to stand without fear of falling.
Paper rattled.
Something shut.
"He still watching?" Windy asked.
Stone made an affirmative sound. "May he bake in that black oven." Ariel gulped in a lung full of air. So, they knew. Had Stone asked Windy to be here this weekend or had she asked to join them? If it was the former, Stone must know why he was being followed. Was he using her and Tempest as some sort of cover? Would he put them in harm’s way?
She shivered.
"I don't see how he could be the same person that's been casing your townhouse,” Windy said. Ariel knelt next to the door and pressed her ear against the s
olid wood surface. “What is it by road? About 500 miles?"
"Closer to 375." There was a significant silence. Ariel blinked and focused on breathing like a rational person. "It’s unlikely to be the same car, just one that looks like it.”
“Which seems like a bizarre coincidence.”
He grunted in agreement. “Why is it following me?"
"Some companies have been known to use intimidation to cut out the competition."
“So?”
"Have you outbid a sore looser on any contracts recently?" Windy asked.
"We subcontract with a limited number of clients. Our newest account is Haverguild. We negotiated it about two months ago." Ariel could hear a frown in his voice. "Think their previous supplier could have just gotten their notice?" Could it truly be? Had she been paranoid for nothing? Ariel didn’t know whether she should weep with relief or kick herself.
"If the previous supplier is a large company, they might have black Broncos for everyone," Windy said, “Have you noticed any prior to the last week or two?"
"If they were around, they weren't obvious,” he said. Ariel looked at the wooden ceiling and shook her head at how oblivious the dear man was. "I get it.” Stone sounded ready to smack himself for stupidity. “You think they're trying to be obvious as an intimidation tactic." He snorted. "That’s juvenile."
"But often highly effective," his sister said. Ariel nodded in agreement.
Ariel got up, washed her face, then stepped into the cabin. "Hi," she said. Stone jerked in surprise. "Link and Tempest went for a walk around the harbor." She pretended she hadn't been eavesdropping.
He frowned. "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah." Looking as if he didn’t believe her, he brushed her hair back then touched her forehead. She stood silently. He studied her as if she was an amoeba under a microscope. "I had an upset stomach, but I'm feeling better, now." He caressed the side of her face as he took his hand away. Tingles went from head to toe.
"Probably a mild case of seasickness. I'll get you some Dramamine, and then we'll go for a nice slow walk around the harbor. You'll feel like a new woman by the time we get back."
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