“What happened here?” Confusion and concern collided in Bubba’s voice.
“I have no idea.”
And then like a curtain lifting before a play, the previous few minutes came back to Cara. Steve’s death. Setting her bag down. Grabbing food for sandwiches, and something hitting her across the head. “I think I do. Can you help me up?” Cara’s voice sounded strange and strangled in her head but at least the fog was dissipating. Unfortunately the clearing fog meant the throbbing pain in her head was increasing.
“I don’t know if we should move her until the ambulance gets here.” There was that feminine voice again.
“Nonsense.” Cara forced her eyes open and immediately blinked against the blinding light. She struggled to sit up herself. “I took a hit to the head, but I’m fine.”
Bubba’s large hand gripped her arm, and he helped her to a sitting position so that her back leaned against the base of the bar. “You’re still getting looked at, Cara.”
“Fine, they can look at me, but I’ll be okay.” She touched the back of her head and grimaced at the bump she felt. She’d had worse, but this was definitely a good one. “I’m assuming there’s no one still in the house?”
“We didn’t see anyone.” Bubba’s cautious words were followed with a glance at the brunette next to him that told Cara they hadn’t yet checked.
“But we didn’t clear the house either. I’ll do that now.” As the woman stood, Cara finally placed who she was. Makenna Drake, the police officer from Woodville whom Bubba had called her about a few days ago.
“Do you know what happened?” Bubba’s concerned gaze returned to Cara as Makenna pulled her gun and stepped out of the kitchen.
“I know someone clocked me with something, but I didn’t see them. I was getting lunch prepared for Gladys.” Gladys! The woman’s elderly face rose to her mind, and she tried to stand. “Is Gladys okay?”
Bubba pushed her back down. “Makenna and I will check on her. You are not to move until you get checked out. So, you have no idea who attacked you?”
Cara chewed on her bottom lip. She may not know who, but she could guess it was the same person who had attacked Steve. “They must have been quiet because I heard nothing.” She could not believe that someone had gotten the jump on her. With her military background, that shouldn’t have happened, especially after she saw what happened with Steve. Her radar should have been on heavy alert which meant not only had she been too distracted but it had to have been someone with experience. But then why leave her alive?
Her eyes widened as she remembered she had left her laptop on the counter. Oh no, had they gotten her research too? No, please God no. It would be bad if they had Steve’s, but if they had hers too? She needed to check, but she couldn’t right now. Not with Bubba and Makenna still here. None of them knew of her work, and for their protection, she needed to keep it that way.
“What’s wrong?” Bubba must have noticed the change in her expression because concern colored his normally deep, booming voice.
Cara thought quickly. She couldn’t share the truth with him, but what could she say? “I was just thinking about Gladys. She’s an elderly woman, and I would hate it if anything happened to her.”
Bubba narrowed his eyes at her as if he didn’t believe her. She couldn’t blame him. That excuse had been lacking. “I promise Makenna will find out. You just need to rest and recover. Are you thinking it was a robbery?”
“Yeah, I mean I can’t imagine what else it would be. I’ll have to check the safe later and my room though to be sure.”
Makenna returned at that moment but as her gun was back in her holster, Cara knew she had found nothing. “The rest of the place is clean. Your guest in room three was taking a nap and heard nothing, so that’s a dead end too. I’m assuming the police will do a fingerprinting of the area when they arrive.”
“That we will,” Detective Jordan Graves said as he and his female partner, Al, stepped into the room. His eyes narrowed in concern when he caught Cara’s gaze. “Are you okay?”
Cara had known Jordan longer than the others, and she could tell his worry ran deep from the creases in his forehead and around his eyes. The fact that he knew about Steve only deepened his concern, but the last thing she needed was Jordan sticking to her like glue. That would certainly make it hard to finish her mission. “I’m fine, Jordan. Someone got the jump on me, but it’s just a little bump.”
Disbelief flickered in his eyes as his hand ran across his stubbled face, but he knew her well enough to know she would tell him what she could when she got a chance. He would have questions for her later, especially coupled with this morning’s call, but hopefully, he would save them until after she could check on her research and come up with a credible story.
“Okay, I love you guys, but can I get a little room to examine my patient here?” Ivy’s soft feminine voice carried through the kitchen.
The group parted and Ivy squatted beside Cara. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail today emphasizing the heart shape of her face. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. Just a little dizzy.”
Ivy flashed a light in Cara’s eyes and checked her pulse. Then she checked the bump on the back of her head. “Well, there’s a little blood back here, and since you were unconscious, I want to take you in for a head CT. It’s probably nothing, but we don’t mess around with head injuries.”
Cara wanted to object - she needed to see how much the person had gotten - but she knew it was futile. With the group surrounding her, there was no way they were going to let her skip a hospital visit. She would just have to hope the doctor would release her soon and she could come back to check on her work.
“All right, fine. Bubba, I put Makenna in room five. The key is in the cabinet behind my desk.”
“Don’t worry, Cara, I’ll help get her set up,” Jordan offered. He knew the house almost as well as she did from all the times he had brought her someone to house and protect.
“I’ll even have him give me a run down, so I can cover the place while you’re gone.” A smile accompanied Makenna’s words, and Cara could see why Bubba had fallen for her. Not only was she pretty, but here she was offering to help out a total stranger.
“Thank you.” Cara had never needed extra help. The B&B was never that busy, and she did most of her research in the early morning and late evenings, but suddenly she wished she had trained someone on how to run the business.
Makenna placed a hand on Cara’s shoulder. “I’m happy to help. I was worried I might be a little bored without my regular police duties, but this will be a nice way to keep me busy when Bubba’s at work.”
The two exchanged a smile that made Cara’s heart ache. Would she ever find someone who looked at her like that?
“And I’ll get the crime lab out here to dust for fingerprints,” Al said as she pulled her radio from her belt and stepped away.
“See? Everything is under control, so it’s time to get you loaded up.”
Ivy’s smile was bright and encouraging, but Cara had a hard time returning it. If they knew what might be missing and what could happen if it fell into the wrong hands, they wouldn’t be so glib. She just hoped that didn’t happen.
4
Cole
Cole looked up at the knock on his door. Wendy offered a small smile as she tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear. He hadn’t expected to hear from her so soon, but he had asked for a rush on the processing of the scene.
“I take it you have some information?”
“I do, though it doesn’t make much sense, and I’m not sure you’re going to like it.” Her teeth bit down on her bottom lip, and she pushed her black-rimmed glasses up.
Cole rarely liked information he received on suspects. His job would be a lot easier if people didn’t commit crimes, but seeing as how that would never happen, he had learned to accept that some suspects never made sense. It appeared this one would be another one of those.
<
br /> “Liking it isn’t my job. Looking into it is. What do you have?”
She stepped into his office and produced a manila folder she had been holding behind her back. “Well, I’m still processing a lot of the scene, but the item you found in that small room is a small grain. By itself, it makes little sense, but my examination also found signs that mice had been in that room.”
“Mice?” Cole’s brow furrowed as he leaned forward over his desk. “Like wild mice or pet mice?”
Stella shook her head. “The piece of grain leads me to believe the mice were caged and fed, but beyond that I have no idea.”
Cole shook his head as he tried to make sense of the information. This case was getting stranger by the moment. The victim had been in pajamas and killed in the early morning hours, but he hadn’t been sleeping. Instead he’d been in a small secret room that housed mice, a mini fridge, and a file cabinet. What exactly had Steve Steele been up to? “Okay, that is strange, but I’m assuming from your face there is more.”
She nodded and tapped her fingers against the folder. “After dusting the crime scene and the rest of the house, only one set of prints beside the owner’s was found.” She placed the folder on his desk and waited for him to open it.
He flipped it open to reveal the picture of a serious woman with short spiky blonde hair. “A woman?” It wasn’t that women didn’t commit murder, but that murder had been pretty brutal and most women didn’t kill that way. They preferred poison or other more hands-free options.
“It’s odd, right?” Wendy pushed her glasses up her nose again and folded her arms across her chest. “Hers were the only prints found and only on the front door. The rest of the house had been wiped clean. That usually indicates a professional, right?”
It did, but a professional wouldn’t have left prints on the front door. So, was this woman a suspect or a victim? He turned the picture over to read what information they had about her, and his eyes widened. “She’s ex-military?”
Wendy shrugged. “So it seems. Are you thinking rogue or some PTSD issue?”
“I don’t know what I’m thinking right now other than the fact that you’re right. This is definitely weird. However, it’s also the only thing we have to go on, so I guess whoever Cara Hunter is, she’s definitely a person of interest and someone I need to talk to as soon as possible.”
Cole pulled over as soon as he passed the “Welcome to Fire Beach” sign. He’d done some research about the place before he left his office, but he wanted to familiarize himself with Cara Hunter’s information again.
Flipping open the manila folder, he tried to memorize her features. Slender, oval-shaped face, spiky blonde hair. A mole above her upper left lip and another near her right ear. Distinguishing features for sure. He turned the picture to peruse her information again. Formerly military, she now ran a bed and breakfast. Perfect. He would need a place to stay, and this would allow him the ability to observe her unnoticed.
After slipping the folder into his satchel, he put the car back in drive and continued into town. Though not a particularly small town, the downtown held the feel of such. Quaint shops lined both sides of the main street - restaurants, clothing stores, trinket shops, and more. Cole wondered if they actually saw many tourists pass through town, but maybe the beach drew them.
He followed the direction of his GPS as it told him to turn right on Whistler Ave. House 212 sat on the left, and while he knew it was the right place from the wooden sign outside, it could sure use a new coat of paint. The cheery yellow had faded to an almost soft cream color though it was weathered and peeling in places.
Cole parked his car and grabbed his satchel. The sidewalk under his feet showed cracks and splits where plants had pushed their way through making him wonder if Cara bothered to do outside work on the house at all. Perhaps the bed and breakfast was just a cover? But for what? Weathered boards groaned beneath his feet as he stepped onto the porch while windchimes made from shells tinkled lazily in the breeze. Other than the slightly dilapidated exterior, the house exuded a relaxing beachy atmosphere.
He pressed the doorbell, hoping the interior was a little more cared for than the exterior. Footsteps sounded within, and a moment later, the door swung open, but the woman who stood on the other side was not Cara Hunter. At least not unless she had grown her hair out, colored it brown, and put on a few pounds. The woman staring back at him was not overweight, but she was definitely stockier than Cara’s lean frame.
“Can I help you?” The woman’s voice was friendly but hesitant, and her eyes studied him like only an officer of the law does.
For a moment, he was at a loss for words. He wanted to ask who this woman was and where Cara Hunter was, but that would necessitate a conversation about how he knew Cara, and he wasn’t prepared to have that conversation with a stranger. Especially if he was right about her being in law enforcement. “Hi, I was hoping you had a room available to rent?”
Her eyes traveled the length of him before she nodded and stepped back, opening the door to allow him entrance. “Sure, follow me. Sorry about all this, but I’m not the owner. I’m just filling in for a bit.”
“Oh?” He wanted to ask where she was, but he knew that would rouse suspicion. Had she not made it back from her killing spree yet? Or was it possible, she was a victim as well?
“I’m sure she’ll be back soon though.” Her brow furrowed as she stepped behind the front desk and stared at the computer. A momentary look of confusion clouded her face as she studied the screen. Either she was a new hire, or she was not a normal employee.
“So, how long will you be staying?” She tapped a few keys, smiling when she evidently found what she was looking for, and then stared expectantly at him.
How long was he staying? He wasn’t sure. That depended a lot on who Cara Hunter was and whether she could help him find the killer he was looking for. “Um, I’m not sure how long my business will keep me here. A week? Maybe two?”
Her gaze narrowed at him, and he could feel her penetrating questions. Was she always this wary or was it because of whatever had happened with Cara?
“Okay, I don’t know if she has any one coming in, but it looks open for now. I’ll leave Cara a message to check in with you when she gets back. What kind of business are you in?” She asked the question lightly, but he did not miss the look in her eye as her gaze traveled over him again.
“I’m a contractor.” That word was so vague, but it was one reason he loved it. He was a contractor - sort of. The department contracted him out often to help with other departments, sometimes even other states, but people rarely understood that in his line of work that was criminal investigation. Most of the time, people assumed he was a building contractor of some sort though he never felt he looked that part.
He adjusted the collar of his brown leather jacket and re-situated the satchel on his shoulder. Every fiber in him wanted to ask who this woman was, especially since it seemed she was as hard to read as he hoped he was.
“Oh. I’ll put you in room one. If I can just get your signature here, I’ll be happy to show you to your room.” She clicked a button and smiled again when a printer behind her whirred to life. With a proud flourish, she rescued the paper and pushed it toward him.
After scanning the agreement to make sure there were no weird clauses or loopholes, he scribbled his name across the bottom, making sure it would be unreadable. He was no doctor, but he had spent time perfecting a messy signature. It was important in his line of work, and he certainly didn’t need this woman looking into him before he knew which side she was on.
“Is that all you have?” Her eyebrow lifted as she pointed at the satchel on his shoulder.
“No, I have more in the car. I just thought I would get checked in first and make sure you had a room.” He had a small suitcase in the car with clothes and toiletries, but the most important items he would need - his computer, his intel, and his gun - were all in his satchel and never far from his side.
His eyes scanned the interior as he followed her, both to inspect it and to get a general feel for the layout. He would do a more thorough walk through later, but it was always good to know where his exits were.
The interior, while not his taste, was at least in better condition than the exterior. The walls were painted a light tan color, almost the color of sand, and beachy landscape pictures hung on the walls. Nothing seemed too personal, and he wondered if Cara kept that to her private area of the house or if she just didn’t get a lot of personal items out.
Cole thought about Brian, the only other military person he’d known. He was the same way, and he’d informed Cole that it was for the protection of his family that he kept nothing personal at work. “You can never be certain of people’s intentions, even the ones you know well,” he’d said. Cole had thought it was a condition of the paranoia that sometimes surrounded Brian, but perhaps it was something taught in the military.
The woman opened the door to room one, pushed it open, and then stepped back. “Here you go. Breakfast is at seven, lunch at noon, and dinner at seven. The information to reach the front desk is by the phone in the room should you have any questions.”
“Thank you. I’m sorry I never got your name?”
“It’s Makenna. Captain Makenna Drake of the Woodville Police Department.” With that she turned around and disappeared down the hallway.
A cop. Well, he’d been right about that at least, but why was the captain of the Woodville police here in Fire Beach? Were they also following up on Cara Hunter? Had she killed in another county as well? Or was this woman perhaps a friend of hers? So many questions fired in his mind, but they would have to wait until Cara Hunter returned. Cole entered the room and shut the door behind him. Now, his real work began.
Rescue My Heart Page 2