“No, but like I told your neighbor, there’s been a number of similar incidents in that area recently. I was hoping you might remember something that you’d left out of your original statement. Sometimes it happens that way.”
“I’m sorry,” Carrie said. “But I wasn’t even home at the time of the break-in. I didn’t see anything.”
“I understand, but we’d really like to catch this guy,” Davis said wearily. “If you do remember something or you see any suspicious characters around in the neighborhood, you give us a call immediately.”
“I will. And thanks for the follow-up, Detective.”
“That’s what I’m here for.”
Carrie hung up, relieved to know that Raymond Davis really was a cop, even though there’d been no progress in her case.
Sitting down at the desk, Carrie opened her laptop, plugged in her digital camera, and uploaded the shots from Cape Diablo. Most of them had been taken when she and Nick searched the island, but a few of them were of the courtyard and pool.
She couldn’t help remembering both Alma and Carlos gazing into those murky depths as if they could see something beneath the surface that no one else could.
Carrie skimmed through all the images until she came to the one she’d taken of the upstairs apartment and loggia. Peering at the image, she saw something that she hadn’t seen the first time she browsed through them. Someone stood in the shadows. She could see nothing more than a silhouette, certainly no features, but the camera had caught something….
Was it Ethan Stone?
Carrie enlarged the image and used a photo enhancement tool to try to sharpen the contrast, but the shadows were too deep. She couldn’t make out the face.
Printing off all the shots on photographic paper, she stacked them up on her desk, then got up and carried her bag into the bathroom.
Peeling off her clothes, she threw everything into the hamper, then climbed into the shower and stood under the spray for a very long time.
She still couldn’t help wondering why Nick hadn’t waited to tell her goodbye that morning. She’d probably never see him again, and the sooner she put him out of her head the better, but he might have at least waited to see her off.
Carrie didn’t understand why she couldn’t stop thinking about him. It was as if she’d never been infatuated with a man before. She was no stranger to sexual attraction, but she’d always kept a wall between her emotions and her desires. It was one thing to be physically drawn to someone, quite another to fall in love with him.
Not that she was in love with Nick Draco. She didn’t even know him, and even more, she didn’t quite trust him. Still, she had a feeling it was going to be a very long time before she forgot the way he’d looked at her last night just before he kissed her.
He’d wanted her, and he’d made her want him in a way that had caught her completely off guard. She enjoyed sex, but she didn’t like losing control, and Nick Draco was the kind of man that could turn a woman inside out. Carrie wasn’t at all certain she could handle that kind of intensity.
Stepping out of the shower, she toweled off, then took her time drying her hair and putting away the toiletries she’d taken with her to Cape Diablo. Pulling on clean jeans and an apple-green tank top, she went out to the kitchen to see what she could find to eat.
The afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window above her desk and light flashed on something metal. Carrie thought at first it was merely a pen or a paper clip she’d left lying about, but as she walked past the desk to the kitchen, she stopped short, backtracked, and then caught her breath in recognition.
The breakaway heart pendant lying on top of the photo of the loggia was a perfect match to the one she’d found on the floor in Tia’s bedroom. But it wasn’t the same pendant. This one was inscribed with the word Friends and the edges of the metal had been worn down.
This pendant had been taken from the jewelry box in her bedroom and brought out here only a few short minutes ago while she’d been in the shower.
Chapter Eleven
Her heart pounding in terror, Carrie spun and frantically searched the corners for a shadow or a movement. He could still be inside, she thought desperately. He could be hiding in her closet or underneath her bed….
She didn’t wait to find out.
Grabbing the necklace and the photos, she scooped up her bag and rushed out the door. Hurrying across the hallway, she banged on Mrs. Petersen’s door, but when she didn’t immediately answer, Carrie gave up.
She didn’t waste time trying any of the other doors. Most everyone would still be at work. Mrs. Petersen was the only one in the building who was home all day, and she’d obviously stepped out. Carrie could scream and scream and no one would come running.
Her first instinct was to get out of the building. Someone was bound to be about outside. The groundskeeper, a jogger, someone.
She shot out the front door and didn’t stop until she reached her car in the covered parking lot. Using the remote, she quickly climbed inside and then pressed the lock button.
Out of breath, her heart still racing, she stared out the windows, trying to spot someone who might have followed her out of the building.
She didn’t see anyone.
But no way had she imagined this. No way had she simply overlooked the pendant earlier. The heart had been stored in the bottom of her jewelry box for years. Someone had been in her apartment. Someone who knew what he was looking for because he’d probably been in there before.
Carrie felt weak with fear. The idea of that monster being in her apartment, going through her things…
If he’d been that close, why had he left her alone? She’d been vulnerable in the shower. He could have snuck into the bathroom and she never would have heard him. He could have done anything and no one would have heard a thing.
So why hadn’t he?
Because he wasn’t ready. He was toying with her, playing some sort of sick game. He was leading her on a wild-goose chase looking for Tia when all along she might already be dead.
But Carrie wouldn’t allow herself to believe that. Tia was alive and she was still on Cape Diablo.
And Carrie knew what she had to do to save her.
“I NEED TO HIRE A BOAT to take me to Cape Diablo as soon as possible.”
The man Carrie had approached at the marina in Everglades City was busy untangling a fishing line. He didn’t even look up when he answered her. “Be cheaper if you wait until morning and catch the supply boat.”
“I can’t wait until morning.” She tried to keep her urgency under control, but Carrie’s instincts were telling her that time was running out for Tia. She had to get to Cape Diablo tonight! “Besides, the supply boat already ran today.”
He kept right on working at a knot. “Nope, supply boat runs out to Diablo on Tuesdays and Fridays. Today’s Thursday.”
“I know what day it is,” Carrie said impatiently. “Pete Trawick had some sort of engine trouble so his cousin took over for him. He made the run today instead of tomorrow. So I couldn’t catch the supply boat even if I wanted to.”
The man looked up then and squinted in the late-afternoon sunlight. He was around sixty or so with skin the color and texture of aged leather. “I saw Trawick not more than a couple of hours ago. Talked to him myself. He didn’t say anything about boat trouble. And as far as I know, he’s got no kin.”
Carrie frowned. “I’m telling you someone brought supplies out to the island this morning because I was there. I saw him. I even rode back to the marina with him. He said his name was Lee Grady, and I understood that he was somehow related to Mr. Trawick.”
The man shook his head. “I’ve known Pete all his life, and I’m telling you, he doesn’t have any family. Least not in these parts. And I’ve never even heard of this Lee Grady fellow, and I pretty much know everyone around here. So looks like someone’s been pulling your leg, little lady.”
That or someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to get her off the island,
Carrie thought grimly. She was being pulled in two different directions. Apparently someone wanted her off the island while the demons of her past kept luring her back. “Do you know of a driver that would be willing to take me out to Cape Diablo tonight?”
He gave her a doubtful look. “Might not be that easy. Come dark, people get mighty superstitious of that place.”
“I’ll double the usual fee,” Carrie said. “Whatever it takes.”
The man nodded. “Well, now you’re talking the right language. Greenbacks do have a way of boosting courage.” He finally gave up on the fishing line and tossed it aside. “Tell you what. My nephew has a boat. He’s usually looking to make a few extra bucks, but he works for the county. He won’t get off until after five, then it’ll take him a while to drive over here. If you’re willing to wait that long, I can give him a call.”
Carrie nodded. “That’s fine. Just please tell him to get here as quickly as he can.”
“If you want to grab a bite to eat while I call him, you can wait inside the café. Can’t say the food is all that great, but it’ll get you out of the heat.”
“Thanks.”
Carrie walked across the street and entered the tiny restaurant. The place was almost empty so she had her choice of seats. She took a booth by the window where she could watch the marina.
After a moment or two, a blond waitress in jeans and a Florida State T-shirt came to take her order. “Just coffee,” Carrie told her.
“Be right back.”
When the waitress brought back the carafe, Carrie said, “You have a great view of the marina here. I’ll bet you enjoy seeing all the boats come and go.”
The woman couldn’t have looked more bored. “I guess so. I don’t pay much attention to them anymore.”
“You’ve worked here for a while then,” Carrie said.
The woman grimaced. “Too damn long.”
“Do you get many tourists in here?”
“Depends on the time of year.” The woman scratched her head with her pencil. “Sure you don’t want something to eat?”
“No, coffee’s fine.”
The woman hesitated, then said curiously, “So what brings you down here? Sightseeing?”
“Actually, no. I’m here looking for a friend of mine. I haven’t heard from her in a couple of weeks and I’m starting to get a little worried. I wonder if you might have seen her around.” Carrie pulled out the engagement photograph and laid it on the table.
“That’s her?” The waitress picked up the picture and studied it for a moment, her brow knitting in concentration.
“Do you recognize her?”
“Not her, no.” She placed the picture back on the table and put her index finger over Trey Hollinger’s face. “I’ve seen him, though. He came in a few days ago looking for a driver to take him to Cape Diablo.”
“Are you sure?” Carrie asked in shock. “You’re positive it was him?”
“Yeah, I’m real good with faces, and besides, this guy was pretty unforgettable if you know what I mean. Good-looking, charming, big tipper.”
“Did he say anything else? Did he tell you why he was here?”
“Mentioned something about fishing. Didn’t look the type if you ask me, but…” She shrugged. “He left a twenty-dollar bill for a two-dollar cup of coffee so what do I care why he’s here.”
SO TREY HOLLINGER had come to Cape Diablo looking for Tia. Somehow he’d found out where she was and he’d followed her.
Carrie stared out over the bow at the waves, deep gold in the fading sunlight, and thought back to her first trip to the island. Cochburn had told her that the only other tenant was a burned-out executive named Ethan Stone who’d rented the upstairs apartment a few days before Carrie had arrived. Cochburn had never met the man because a secretary had made all the arrangements.
It was the perfect setup if Trey had wanted to keep a low profile. If he hadn’t wanted anyone to be able to trace his whereabouts to Cape Diablo.
Maybe her first instinct about Trey Hollinger had been right. He wasn’t a man to take rejection lightly. Carrie could well imagine him following Tia to the island and confronting her. If his temper had exploded the way it had at the church that day…
Carrie shuddered. He was a violent man, but also a very clever one. He knew how to cover his tracks.
By the time the boat finally arrived at Cape Diablo, twilight had fallen. There were no lights on in the apartment over Tia’s, and Carrie stood in the courtyard for a moment, trying to decide how best to confront Trey…if in fact he and Ethan Stone were one and the same person.
Should she wait until morning…or do it now and catch him off guard.
Drawing a deep breath, she started for the stairs. She put her hand on the banister and froze as she sensed someone had come up behind her. Whirling, she gasped when she saw a tall shadow emerge from the rest.
Then her hand flew to her heart. “Nick!”
He walked toward her slowly. “What are you doing back here?”
She glanced up at the apartment, then lowered her voice. “I told you this morning I couldn’t leave without knowing Tia was okay. I had to come back and find her.”
She took his arm and pulled him back into the shadows.
“I was right about Trey Hollinger,” she said excitedly. “A waitress in Everglades City saw him a few days ago. He was looking for a boat to bring him here to the island. I think he used an alias to rent the apartment above Tia’s. He knows where she is.”
Nick glared at her. “And what are you planning to do? March up there and confront him?”
“Yes!”
“That’s not a good idea.”
“Why not?”
He paused. “You shouldn’t have come back here, Carrie.”
Something in his voice sent a chill up her spine. “Why not?” When he didn’t answer, she said in shock, “It was you, wasn’t it? You’re the one who wanted me off the island. You made up that whole story about Trawick having boat trouble. Why?”
“You ask too many questions,” he said grimly. “You should have left well enough alone.”
Suddenly everything became crystal clear to Carrie. “Last night when I saw you down by the harbor. That wasn’t just an accident, was it? You were on your way to meet those men.”
Even in the moonlight, she could see his features harden, and a thrill of fear chased down her spine.
“If you believe that, you’re either incredibly naive or incredibly stupid to have come back here.”
“If you’re not mixed up with those men, then why did you want me off the island?”
“Because it’s not safe here.” He flicked another glance toward the stairs. “Come back with me to my place. We need to have a talk.”
Carrie hesitated. Something told her she wasn’t going to want to hear what he had to say, but she followed him out of the courtyard anyway.
“I WORK FOR the Joint Intelligence Task Force in Key West.” They were standing in Nick’s tiny living room because Carrie had refused to sit.
“Just get it over with,” she’d blurted. “Tell me what it is you have to say.”
Now she stared at him in shock. “You’re a cop?” She hadn’t expected that.
“I’m a federal agent. I was sent here to investigate a recent Intel report about a sudden rise in drug trafficking in the Mangrove Islands. And Cape Diablo seems to be at the center of it.”
“I don’t understand,” Carrie said in confusion. “If you’re an agent, why didn’t you arrest those men last night? You caught them red-handed.”
He gave her a wry smile. “I was pretty badly outnumbered in case you didn’t notice. And besides, we’re not after the locals. We want the guys who are financing this operation. That’s why it’s imperative that I maintain a low profile. If they get wind that we’re onto them, they’ll just move the operation someplace else.”
Carrie drew a breath. “So that’s why you didn’t want me going to the police.”
&nbs
p; He nodded. “If the cops start sniffing around the island, these guys will just disappear and we’ll lose our window of opportunity.”
“And you wanted me off the island because—”
“Like I said, you ask too many questions.”
Carrie absorbed that for a minute. Then she looked at him aghast. “What about Tia? Is that why you tried so hard to convince me that she’d gone back to the mainland? Because you didn’t want me asking questions?”
“We don’t know that she hasn’t gone back—”
“Stop. Just stop!” Carrie said angrily. “You believed what you wanted to believe because it was more convenient for you. You didn’t care about her safety. You didn’t care if I found her or not. You just didn’t want me bringing the cops here to search the island.”
When he didn’t deny it, Carrie spun toward the door, but he caught her arm. “You can’t do this on your own. It’s too dangerous. Let me help you.”
“It’s too late for that. I don’t trust you, Nick, and I don’t want your help,” she said bitterly. “I’ll find Tia on my own. You just stay out of my way.”
BUT HE FOLLOWED HER back to the apartment anyway, and when Carrie started up the steps, he caught her arm. “Wait here. Let me go up first.”
For the first time, Carrie saw that he had his gun drawn. She wanted to send him away, but the sight of that weapon was more comforting than she wanted to admit.
So was Nick’s presence. She didn’t trust him, and she was mad as hell at him for putting his own interests ahead of Tia’s, but she also knew that he was right. She had no business confronting Trey Hollinger alone and unarmed. She’d seen firsthand how quickly his temper could erupt.
She wouldn’t wait behind, though. She followed Nick up the stairs and glanced around the loggia. The shadows underneath the cover had deepened to black.
Peering into the darkness, she could see nothing at all in the corners. No stealthy movement. No red eyes glowing from the gloom.
She waited for the premonition of danger to overwhelm her again, but tonight something was different. Maybe it was because she knew who was inside the apartment now and could put a face on her irrational fear. But more likely, it was because of Nick.
Secrets of His Own Page 13