“He didn’t do time for the drugs recovered that day?”
“What drugs? They dumped everything before the Guard had a chance to board. No evidence, no conviction.” Gleason stared at Derrick, his eyebrow suddenly quirking. “You didn’t mention why you were looking into Axton in the first place.”
“His teammate Jonathan Evans died in a car crash recently. He was looking into Axton’s death and might have uncovered some crucial evidence. We think that someone ran him off the road to keep him quiet.”
Gleason leaned his chair back and propped a foot on his desk. “What’d the investigation reveal?”
“Jon’s crash was ruled an accident.”
“If his case is related to Axton’s—” Gleason held up his hand to ward off Derrick’s interruption “—and without any knowledge of this Evans’s case, I can’t even speculate if it is, Ontiveros wouldn’t think twice before killing your guy. In fact, we like Ontiveros for a case where his competitor was run off the road and died in a fiery crash.”
Great. On the one hand, Derrick had hoped to locate information lending credence to their theory that Ontiveros could be Gina’s attacker. On the other hand, Derrick had hoped a known killer wasn’t their guy.
He needed to know if there was a connection to Jon and Perry. “Are you willing to ask the detective who investigated Jon’s crash about a connection to Axton and how Ontiveros might play into all of this?”
Gleason thought for a minute then let his shoe drop to the floor with a thud as he came to his feet. “Why not? No one wants Ontiveros incarcerated more than I do.”
Knowing the interview was over, Derrick stood and clapped Gleason on the shoulder. “I appreciate your willingness to help.”
Gleason frowned. “Now, don’t go getting all sappy on me. I didn’t say I’d reopen the investigation or get my fellow detective to do so. I just said I’d ask.”
“I understand.” Derrick pulled out his business card and laid it on the desk. “But it’s a step in the right direction.”
TWELVE
Day three in the investigation dawned sunny. The warm rays filtering into Tracy’s family room should have brightened Derrick’s mood, but he wasn’t any closer to finding the killer than he’d been the day Gina barged into his life. That left him frustrated. Beyond frustrated.
He glanced at Gina, sitting on the sofa. She wore a vibrant blue sweater and colorful scarf around her neck. An hour or so ago, she’d tucked her violin under her chin and played with such joy. The look on her face was serene. A feeling he longed for right now.
He should find a way to relax, too. At least take the edge off. But he couldn’t. The fire to solve a case had never burned in his gut as fiercely as it did with this one. He wanted to solve it. Needed to solve it. For Gina and Sophia. For himself. For the ability to breathe freely again.
Gina shifted and the sun’s rays caught her face. The urge to join her hit him hard. To share in her peaceful moment and just be with her, here and now. Or maybe longer. Maybe forever.
The revelation was a punch to the gut. Despite his attempts to remain detached, he’d let her into his heart again.
So what’re you gonna do about it?
His phone chimed from the table, making Gina’s bow fall from her violin. The silence between rings seemed deafening as he glanced at the caller ID, hoping Gleason was calling to offer information about Ontiveros. When Derrick spotted Ethan’s picture, he released a breath.
“It’s Ethan,” he said, hoping it would help Gina relax again, but she settled her violin in the case, her gaze never leaving him.
Forcing a cheerful note in his voice, he answered his phone. “If you have good news to report, I’ll put you on speaker so Gina can hear it.”
“Then speaker it is,” Ethan said.
Derrick joined Gina. “Go ahead, Ethan.”
“I used registration records to track Quentin Metzger’s boat purchase from a local dealership.”
“I’ll pay the dealer a visit then,” Derrick said, hoping this lead would help prove Quentin was a more viable suspect than Ontiveros.
“I’ll text you the company’s name and address once we hang up.”
“Excellent.” Derrick smiled at Gina, and she returned it with a breathtaking smile of her own. The sun played on her hair, captivating him. He gladly forgot about his brother.
“Wish I had more to give you.” Ethan’s voice pulled him back. “I’ll keep digging, but that’s all I have for now.”
“It’s a great place to start. Thanks.” Derrick clicked off to wait for the text.
“I’d like to go with you when you talk to the dealer.”
“It’s safer if you stay here.”
She set her jaw. “We’ve been at Tracy’s place a day now with no sign that my attacker has located us. So how would he know we were headed to a boat dealership?”
She was right. Derrick opened his mouth to say she could accompany him, but before he could utter a word, she took his hand.
“Please let me go. I can help. I’ve been on Quentin’s boat, and I know him, which could get the dealer to open up with us.” She clasped his hand tighter.
His phone chimed a text. “I’ll agree on one condition.”
“Name it.”
He looked in her eyes to be sure she understood the importance of his request. “You lay down in the car again, and when we get to the dealership, I scope it out first. Any sign of a problem, and we hightail it out of there. Understood?”
“Understood.” She smiled as she had a moment ago, and his heart flipped over in a way only she could cause.
He glanced at the address and shoved his phone in his pocket. “Then let’s get going.”
After an uneventful drive, Derrick pulled into the busy marina and spotted the boat dealership at the far end of the pier. He parked as close to the entrance as possible and left the engine running.
Making a quick sweep of the area from his seat, he found nothing amiss. “Stay here and stay down until I finish my recon.”
“Yes, sir,” Gina said with a little giggle that made him smile.
Leaving the door ajar in case he needed to take off in a hurry, he lifted his binoculars and scanned the entire area then zoomed in on the dealership building. Shaped like a large houseboat with a crow’s nest on the top, it jutted out into the bay on large pillars. A wraparound porch circled the structure, and boats of all sizes and shapes were moored at the long pier.
Very picturesque if they were here for pleasure, but that wasn’t their goal. Too bad. He could see spending a day relaxing with Gina on a boat. The wind in her hair. A smile on her lips.
Don’t get distracted now of all times.
He leaned in the car and killed the engine. “We’re good to go. Stay—”
“Close to you and don’t stop until we’re inside,” Gina finished for him as she sat up.
“Guess I’ve gotten a bit predictable.” He closed his door and surveyed the area.
Gina moved confidently toward him and slipped under his arm as if the position was natural and right. Maybe she was coming to trust him again. Something that brought a smile to his face.
“What’re you smiling about?” she asked as they set off.
“This peace and relief from the uneasiness between us.”
“It feels better, doesn’t it?”
He nodded then turned his focus back to keeping her safe. He guided her quickly across the lot and onto the porch, where a flock of seagulls chattered.
Gina turned in a circle, taking him with her. “This place is something else. I guess when you sell expensive boats, you have to have an expensive showroom.”
“Is it hard to imagine Quentin shopping here?”
“Very.” She peered at him. “I don’t mean to disp
arage your work, but is there any way Ethan could be wrong?”
“No.”
“Then we should get inside and start asking questions.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Derrick said in the same tone she’d used in the car.
She wrinkled her nose at him, and he had to fight the urge to kiss the cute little tip. Instead, he opened the door and stood back so she could enter.
The air-conditioned space displaying five large boats was scented with coconut air freshener. A tall, silver-haired man with a deep tan and skin like leather jumped from behind a desk and marched up to them with his hand extended.
“Zeb Stevens. How can I help you?” He smiled earnestly.
Derrick returned the smile. “Our friend bought a boat here, and we wondered if we could talk to the person who sold it to him.”
“Sure. We’re always glad when a customer makes a referral.”
Derrick didn’t bother correcting Zeb’s misconception.
“If you give me your friend’s name, I can look it up.”
“Quentin Metzger.”
Zeb’s smile widened. “Don’t need to look up Quentin. I sold him the boat.”
“You’re sure?” Gina asked.
Zeb held up a hand. “I’m not trying to swoop in on someone else’s commission. I really do know Quentin. Not often we get Coast Guarders in here, so I picked his brain about boats. Knowledgeable guy.”
“Could you show us the model he bought?” Derrick asked, hoping to gather information subtly instead of risking making Zeb clam up.
“Of course. It’s our most popular model.” He gestured at the far end of the showroom. “Right over here.”
“I’m going to pretend to be a buyer,” Derrick whispered to Gina. “Play along, okay?”
“Do you know anything about boats?”
“Sure. They float.”
She rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait to see you pull this off.”
Derrick didn’t doubt his ability to act the part. Over the years, he’d successfully played many roles in his investigations, and he intended to succeed today, as well. He’d start by following his first rule—admit that he was a novice and praise the expert’s skills. Most of them basked in feeling good about themselves and forgot all about the fact that he had no business asking the questions.
Zeb stopped near a sleek white boat with blue and yellow stripes racing down the side. “So tell me. What are you looking for in a boat?”
Derrick made solid eye contact. “Honestly, I don’t know a thing about boats, but I love anything that goes fast.”
“Don’t we all.” Zeb patted the boat as a father might pat his child’s head. “Has Quentin taken you for a ride?”
Gina mocked a shiver. “I was surprised at how fast his boat travels.”
Zeb stroked the side of the boat. “Don’t let this baby’s size fool you. She may be a thirty-four-footer, but she’s designed for speed.”
Derrick nodded to show his appreciation. “How much would a boat like this set me back?”
“She retails around ninety grand.” Zeb took a step closer and lowered his voice even though there wasn’t another person in the room. “Your cost depends on how you want to pay for it. I can offer a 5 percent discount for cash up front.”
Derrick turned to Gina. “Didn’t Quentin say that’s how he paid?”
Gina shrugged. “You know I don’t listen when you guys talk about your toys.”
Impressive. She was a good partner.
Zeb looked at Gina. “You’re like a lot of the ladies who come in. You like riding in the boat, but you don’t want to talk specifics.” Zeb turned back to Derrick. “Quentin paid cash so I was able to give him a real sweet deal. Could do the same thing for you.”
“That’s a tempting offer, Zeb,” Derrick said, letting his voice fall off in hopes that Gina would take up the charge.
She laid a hand on his arm. “You’d better not be thinking of dropping that kind of money without discussing it first.”
Zeb smiled. “Maybe we should take her out on the water. Let you see how she performs.”
Gina held up her hand. “Not today. I need to think about this first.”
“You heard the lady.” Derrick wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side. “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything she didn’t first approve, so we’ll have to get back to you.”
Zeb dug out his business card and handed it to Derrick. “Call me if you decide to move forward. No one in town will beat my deal. No one.”
Derrick kept his arm around Gina and escorted her out the door. Outside, he stopped and smiled at her. “You’re very good at pretending.”
She returned his smile, and his heart dipped for the second time that day. Their little charade reminded him of college, when they were a real couple and made decisions together. Until the day she left. That decision she made on her own.
He’d carried anger over that for years, but now he realized he didn’t care a whit about it anymore. He simply wanted to spend time with her again. Get to know her again. See where this obvious connection between them would go. Would that be fair to her? Was he ready to make a commitment at last? He wasn’t sure—but if he didn’t try, he’d never find out.
He lifted his hand to her face. She frowned and opened her mouth to speak, but before any words could come out—
The retort of a gun split the quiet, and a bullet whizzed between them.
Derrick reacted quickly, tackling Gina to the ground. Another bullet zipped overhead into the railing, the shot coming from a boat on the water. A sudden roar of a high-speed motor followed, bringing the craft closer to shore.
Derrick covered Gina’s body and made a quick assessment. The boat was closing in fast—he had to move her out of harm’s way.
The motor suddenly wound down. Had the shooter retreated?
Another retort sounded through the air, and the bullet missed Derrick’s arm by inches. The shooter hadn’t retreated at all. He’d stopped to take better aim. The boat’s motor roared to life again, bringing the shooter closer still. They hadn’t a moment to lose.
Derrick had to get them out of this situation right away. But where could they go?
They couldn’t get up and run to the shore, nor could they return to the showroom. Both options would leave them too exposed. His heart thudded in his chest as his mind sought a solution that minimized the danger to Gina.
Come on, Justice. Think.
He searched the area again, and a crazy idea popped into his head. A high-risk idea, exposing him to a bullet in the back, but it was better than remaining here and waiting for a sure death. He might not make it, but Gina would have a good chance. He had to risk it.
If he didn’t, when the shooter got close enough for a kill shot, they’d both be dead.
THIRTEEN
Gina tried not to panic, but when another bullet pierced the railing inches from her head, her heart thundered in her chest. She felt Derrick’s beat a similar rhythm.
“We’re not safe here,” he said. “We have to move.”
“Back inside?” she asked.
“No. We’ll never make it. Our only hope is to jump off the pier.”
“What?” She turned and sought his eyes. “Into the water? But won’t that make us even more vulnerable?”
“Bullets lose velocity the minute they hit water and can veer off course. Our chances are better in the water than up here.”
“Couldn’t it do the opposite and redirect a bullet at us?”
“It’s possible, but it’s a better option than lying here and waiting for him to move close enough for a guaranteed shot.”
She didn’t know why she was questioning him. He was the expert and he’d kept her safe so far. “If that�
�s your assessment then I trust you.”
He squeezed her hand. “The railing opening is too narrow for both of us to fit through at the same time. You go first and I’ll cover you.”
“But that’ll leave you exposed.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just keep your head down and when you get to the edge, jump. After you surface, find the nearest pylon and move under the pier.”
The thought of him taking a bullet for her left her breathless. “I can’t let you do this. It’s too dangerous to you.”
“I know the risk, and I know it will work.” He cupped the side of her face. “Trust me. Okay?”
She did trust him, but could she stand to lose him now that they’d reconnected?
Lord, keep him safe, she pleaded.
He removed his hand and her confidence fled. She clutched his arm. “You’re sure about this?”
“Positive.”
“Okay then.”
“We need to shed our jackets or they’ll weigh us down,” he instructed. “Your vest will take on a little water, but keep it on.” He helped her ease out of her coat then he removed his.
“He has the motor wide open, which means he’s on the move and can’t get off a good shot. So at the count of three, I’ll roll off and we go. Ready?”
She nodded, and before she could say or do anything, he lowered his head and kissed her. A quick, to-the-point, no-nonsense kiss, but it helped her relax.
“For good luck.” He lifted his head and grinned.
“One.”
He rose up on his arms.
“Two.”
Her breath caught in her throat.
“Three. Go!” He rolled free.
She scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could. She kept her head down as he’d instructed, and by the time she’d gained solid footing, he was already in position, his back to the shooter, blocking any bullet that might strike her.
Time slowed to a trickle as they moved toward the opening in the rail. Each step an agony to take. The boat’s engine slowed. She picked up speed and tensed for the shot she knew was coming. A bullet on the way. Not for her, but for Derrick. She wouldn’t let that happen. A foot from the edge, she grabbed his hand and plunged over the side, taking him with her.
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