“How long ago was that?” Stinslin asked.
I shrugged. “A few days ago, I think. We don’t normally book shorts stays, but I made an exception. As I recall, she was a pretty sweet kid.”
“Did she say where she was headed?”
None of your business, needle dick. I shrugged again. “I don’t think this island is what she had in mind. The younger crowd is more interested in a place with a real nightlife. Nassau has the casinos and clubs.”
I glanced at Elaine as Stinslin tucked the picture back into his breast pocket. She was poised, but she was fidgeting with a strand of her hair the way Adrienne does when she’s nervous.
“Was she traveling alone?” Stinslin asked before taking a healthy swallow of his drink.
“I heard her talking on her cell phone one morning,” Elaine said. “It sounded to me like she was planning to meet up with someone.”
I smiled at Elaine. She was getting into the act.
I mixed another Jack and Coke and slid it over to Stinslin. “You look like you need another one, buddy. My baby sister ran off and married the wrong guy, too.”
The sorry bastard’s eyes actually misted. “She’s all I got left in this world. Our parents died when we were young.” He rubbed his face with the back of his hand. “We had a fight, and she took off.”
You ass-licking, slimy weasel. I ought to grab Iris’s skillet and beat you into a puddle. Elaine coughed, then cleared her throat. Apparently, her gift was kicking in because she looked at me and blinked a couple of times. I continued to act a part in his bullshit drama. “Well, Ron, you’re among friends here. I cry my heart out some nights over my kid sister. The guy she just had to have was all flash on the outside, but behind the façade, just plain evil.”
Stinslin finished off the first drink, picked up the second, and made an impressive dent in it. He exhaled loudly as he set the glass down. “I was so happy when a guy at the airport told me he’d seen her and that she was staying here. I guess I’m a day late and a sister short.” He smiled at his play on words. “The funny thing is that he told me he flew her in, and he hasn’t seen her since. So I went down to the marina and asked around. There’s only two boats that take people as far as Nassau, and they haven’t seen her, either. That tells me she’s still here.”
I glanced at Iris’s iron skillet still sitting on the end of the bar, then at the empty table where Bobby and Alex had been sitting. The idea was becoming more appealing by the second. When I glanced at Elaine, her eyes were huge.
“You’re discounting the private fishing charters. When I’ve had to get off the island in a hurry, I paid some of them a few extra bucks and they took me,” Elaine said with a sympathetic tone after she recovered from obviously hearing my inner ponderings. “And then there’s whomever she was talking to on the phone. They may’ve come for her.”
Stinslin’s face darkened for a split second, and in that moment, I saw the animal that Kristen had depicted. He inhaled loudly. “I suppose that’s a possibility.” He tossed back the remainder of his drink. “Nice place you have here. I like it. Everything is so spread out. I’m staying at The Cove, and it feels like we’re all on top of each other, no privacy.”
For what, prick? Need extra space to knock off a few more women? I glanced at the skillet, wondering if there was a way I could accidently drop it on his head. A concussion might keep him out of the loop for a few days.
Elaine cleared her throat and took a sip of her drink.
“We do have a lot of privacy here, but don’t let that fool you. We take the safety of our guests very seriously, and there’s always someone watching out for them.” I topped off Stinslin’s drink.
“Where are you from, Mr. Waverly?” Colie asked.
“It’s Ron, you make me feel old as,” Stinslin motioned with his hand as if he were trying to recall something, “as the Hermitage. I’d like to have a look at that place. Maybe if I find Kristen, we can go together.” He stood and downed his drink. “I thank you folks kindly for the information. You can find me at The Cove for the next few days, so if any of you hear anything or run across her, please let me know.”
“Will do,” I said with a smile. “Good luck and take care of yourself.”
We all sat quietly until he drove off.
I looked at Colie. “I think you rattled him when you asked where he was from.”
Iris walked over to the bar with a scowl. “He’s a very convincing liar. I would’ve believed him if I didn’t already know about him.”
“He doesn’t believe us,” Elaine said after a minute or two. “He spoke to a woman named…BJ, and she said she thought she saw Kristen here yesterday.”
“Kristen was at our place yesterday. There’s no way—shit.” I pounded my hand on the bar. “BJ and Audrey are birders. I bet they tramped through the brush near the house. They probably spotted Kristen on the deck. I’m going home.” I grabbed Iris’s skillet and took off through the brush before anyone could stop me.
By the time I got to the stairs of the house, Iris, Colie, and Elaine pulled up in the cart. Colie’s men stepped out of the tree line and assured us they hadn’t seen anyone, but that didn’t stop me, Iris, or Elaine from charging up the stairs to see for ourselves.
Adrienne looked stunned as I bolted through the door and pulled her into my arms. I couldn’t touch or look at her enough. She took my hands in hers. “What’s wrong?”
I smiled sheepishly. “I just needed to know you were okay.”
I looked over at Kristen who was wrapped up in Elaine’s arms. Elaine was watching Adrienne and me with an odd expression on her face.
“Did you meet him?” Adrienne asked.
“We did.” I took a calming breath but jumped when Colie opened the door.
“Elaine, can you tell us what his plans are now?” he asked as he walked into the room. Colie was all business, but I knew he was as nervous as we all were.
“Let me think.” Elaine took a seat on the end of the couch, and Kristen sat on the floor beside her. The room went silent as we waited. “He’s going to use the woman he’s traveling with. She believes his story.”
“Anything else?” Colie asked patiently.
“No, I’m sorry. That’s all I have at the moment.” Elaine looked disappointed with herself.
“What you’ve given us so far is a great help.” Colie smiled at her. “It’s a mixed blessing. We know he’s going to continue to look for Kristen. That means he’ll stay on the island where we can watch him.”
Iris picked up her skillet where I’d dropped it on the floor and waved it. “I want to stop him. What if the FBI can’t help us? What den?”
“I’m not discounting what Kristen has revealed, but I can’t arrest him on that alone.” Colie draped an arm around Iris. “I must have something conclusive, something that will stand up in a court of law.”
All heads in the room turned to Kristen when we heard the familiar scratching of pencil against paper. She tore off the sheet and handed it to Colie. “We may have that conclusive evidence you seek soon if he’s not stopped.”
Colie passed me the sketch. Adrienne leaned into me as we gazed at it. Stinslin was standing behind his traveling companion, his face a dark mask of hostility while his victim looked on oblivious to the danger.
Chapter Twelve
Our home had become a crowded fortress. Inside, Kristen and Elaine shared the guest room after one of Colie’s people collected Elaine’s things from The Cove. Teddy slept in a tent we erected in the living room using sheets. Iris and Colie bunked on the sofa sleeper. Outside, the inn was crawling with Colie’s “people.” Their home had become command central with our protectors taking turns resting between shifts.
The majority of the people on the island knew Adrienne and me well and thought of us as family. Most of them had been touched in some way by Aunt Gloria, who had been considered a saint in the eyes of many before she died. One thing was for sure, the people of Cat Island protected their own,
and we had no doubt that if Stinslin tried to get anywhere near the house, we’d never see him again. I should’ve found comfort in that, but it troubled me that someone we cared for would have blood on his hands.
“Are you feeling better now?” I lay spread out on the bed, and Adrienne was rubbing my feet.
“This is kind of backward, you know. I’m supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around,” I said.
“It makes me feel better, useful to do something for you.” Adrienne frowned. “I feel like a lame duck.”
“You’re a hot duck. I’d love to ruffle your tail feathers.”
Adrienne cocked her head to the side. “You’re still interested in my feathers? They’re kinda fluffy right now.”
I sat up. “Even if you weren’t the most beautiful woman I have ever known, I’d still want you because of the woman you are. And just for the record, you are smoking hot right now. So flop down and gimme those feet.”
Adrienne giggled as she lay down and I took a foot in my hand, then sighed while I kneaded the flesh just beneath her toes. “I miss having a physical connection with you. We snuggle and rub each other’s feet, well, mostly you rub my feet. But sometimes I ache to feel your naked body pressed against mine.”
Her words sent shivers up my spine. “I miss it, too, but I have no doubt that the first chance we get, we’ll make up for lost time.”
“I wonder what Elaine thinks about us. You think she approves of our relationship?”
I kneaded into the arch of Adrienne’s foot and was gratified with a groan of pure pleasure. “You can’t get into her head?”
“No.” Adrienne yawned. “I don’t try. This day has been so overwhelming that I haven’t been able to be quiet enough to listen if I wanted to.” She pulled a pillow beneath her head. “This is a subject I shouldn’t have brought up. It still feels too much like a dream, and if I let my mind…”
And Adrienne was asleep. I lay down with her foot in the center of my chest and let my mind wander. Elaine’s arrival did seem like a dream that occurred days ago, not hours. The situation with Stinslin had eclipsed everything and made it all seem even more surreal. Across the hall were Adrienne’s cousin and birth mother, and I still couldn’t believe it.
I knew Adrienne wasn’t taking it in stride. She was on mental overload, worrying about the baby, worrying about Kristen and the safety of all she loved. I supposed if she hadn’t had all that to contend with, she would’ve totally freaked out upon discovering Elaine. Perhaps the timing was some cosmic joke or maybe divine intervention, I thought as I felt sleep coming but was too tired to switch off the light.
*******
The room was filled with a baby’s laughter, but I couldn’t find the child anywhere. The more I searched, the louder the laughter became. A shadow moved overhead, and I looked up in horror as the diaper-clad infant crawled all over the ceiling. “How the hell did you get up there?” I blinked and the baby was gone, but the laughter remained. “Where are you now?”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement. The baby was standing on the counter wearing a tool belt. I watched in amazement as it took out a screwdriver and began loosening the screws on one of the cabinet hinges. “Oh, don’t do—” Before the words came out of my mouth, the cabinet door swung by one screw, then crashed to the ground. “What are you—part gremlin?”
I spun in the direction of laughter, and the baby was now on the entertainment center. It looked at me with a grin as it slid a tiny hammer from the tool belt that I noticed then was covered in pink elephants. The baby began hammering away on the DVD player, and I watched in amazement as pieces went flying.
“Adrienne!” She didn’t answer.
“Now look, baby, you can’t go around tearing everything up.” It stopped annihilating the DVD player and popped a tiny thumb in its mouth. The cherubic face looked so sweet that I couldn’t help but smile. Slowly, I approached. “Give the hammer to mommy,” I said sweetly. And it did right in the jaw.
“Ow, shit!” I awoke to the kick that Adrienne had delivered to my chin.
“Was that you?” She sat up awkwardly as she tried to rub her own foot.
I grunted in response.
“I’m sorry. I was having a bad dream.” Adrienne scooted toward me and checked for damage.
“Were you a donkey in your dream?” My jaw throbbed.
“No, I was trying to get away from a butterfly.”
“You kicked a butterfly?”
Adrienne’s eyes went wide. “It was an evil butterfly. Oh, Hayden, it was awful with big teeth and talons.”
I opened my mouth wide to make sure I still could. “I was dreaming about the baby, and it was wearing a tool belt. That child was tearing up the place with a tiny hammer. I think I would’ve preferred the butterfly dream.”
Adrienne chuckled. “Well, it is your child.”
I helped Adrienne build her pillow nest to support her belly and another between her knees. After I had her all tucked in, I switched off the light. Adrienne took my hand and held it to her chest. “I’m sorry I hurt you,” she whispered, “but the butterfly was really bad.”
*******
The next morning, I awoke to a ruckus in the kitchen. Adrienne’s side of the bed was empty, and I could smell coffee brewing. I took a quick shower and dressed. When I wandered into the living room, it looked like we were hosting a convention.
Iris had some of our staff bring in breakfast. There were trays of fruit, toast, eggs, and bacon. Colie was in the living room with his laptop on his knees and a phone pressed to his ear. Iris was trying to talk Adrienne into eating oatmeal, and I wasn’t about to be drafted into that war. “Good morning, my love,” I said to Adrienne as I poured myself a cup of coffee.
Iris whirled around, and before she could open her mouth, I put up my hand. “I’m not getting into this battle. Yes, oatmeal is good for you, and yes, my love is a grown woman and can decide for herself what she wants to eat. That’s all I have to offer.”
I spied Elaine on the deck alone, then glanced back at Adrienne, who gave me a slight nod and a smile. “Good morning, Elaine.” I walked onto the deck and took a seat in the swing.
She turned from the railing where she was looking out over the ocean and smiled briefly. “Good morning. Thank you for inviting me into your home.” I studied her as she moved to a chaise lounge nearby. Her finger and toenails were painted a pale shade of iridescent pink. She wore a white tunic-style top over a stylish pair of olive green capri pants. Her clothes were crisp and clean, and she sat with a grace that would cause the least amount of wrinkles. She and Adrienne might’ve lived a lifetime apart, but they were so much alike, it was amazing.
“Did you sleep well?” I asked.
“No, but it was not because of the bed or Kristen’s snoring. I was restless. I think I may’ve woken her a few times. She’s still sleeping.”
“I can’t imagine what you must be feeling right now,” I said after a sip of coffee. “I figure you packed a bag with the intent of finding your niece, and now you find yourself on an island with a suspected murderer and a daughter you thought you’d never see again.”
“I’ve never seen her, never even held her.” Elaine grabbed a lock of her auburn hair and began twirling it around her finger. “There were complications. I was hemorrhaging. They took me into surgery, and the next day when I awoke…she was gone.” Elaine glanced at me, searching my face for judgment. “I told myself it was better that way. She deserved more than I could give her then.”
“I’m not like Adrienne. She always has a knack of saying the right thing at just the right time. I don’t know how to be comforting.”
“I’m inclined to disagree.” Elaine set her cup on the table. “You have a good heart, and you’re fiercely protective of Adrienne. I find that very comforting.”
“Does our relationship bother you?” I asked bluntly, then bit my lip. Tact wasn’t my strong suit until I was fully awake…well, tact simply wasn’t my
strong suit, period.
Elaine shook her head. “You love each other. That’s all that matters. Even if I did disapprove, what right would I have to assert my opinion?”
She had a point there. “If you weren’t sort of stuck in this situation, would you have stayed anyway after meeting Adrienne?”
“Absolutely, unless it made her uncomfortable.” She looked at me like that notion hadn’t occurred. “I want very much to get to know Adrienne, but if my presence causes her any undue stress, I’ll find another place to stay. I would like to remain on the island, though, at least until I know Kristen is safe.”
“She hasn’t said anything along those lines. I think she’s in shock right now.”
Elaine’s eyebrows rose, and she sighed. “I can certainly relate to that. That’s why I said a quick good morning and came out here. I want to talk if she’s up to it, but I’m not going to try to push.”
“I’m sure she appreciates that.”
Colie walked onto the deck with a piece of bacon in one hand and a coffee cup in the other. “Ladies, may I interrupt?”
“No, because you’ve come out here with only one piece of bacon,” I said, smiling up at him.
“My apologies.”
I called after Colie as he retreated. “I was joking.” I looked back at Elaine. “I hope you’re hungry because I bet you a hundred bucks he’s gonna come back out here with a heaping plate.”
Elaine looked past my shoulder and grinned. “I’m glad I didn’t take that bet.”
Colie put a plate on the table in front of us piled high with food. “I’ve asked Kristen to stay indoors and off the deck today.”
“I figured that was coming. Poor kid, this has got to be torture for her.” I grabbed a slice of bacon after Elaine had taken a piece of toast. “Let’s just find this guy and whip his ass until he confesses.”
“Hayden,” Colie began. “Everyone is—”
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