I shoved my phone into my pocket and whirled around to face him. “Are you my boss now? Was I supposed to get permission first?”
“Ellie.” He sounded exhausted.
I couldn’t begrudge him for pestering me after hearing how strongly all the recent strange incidents were connected to me. Why hide it? “I was texting David.”
“You’re spending a lot of time with him.” Tom leaned his shoulder into the wall. “He came to town about the time the bodies started piling up, didn’t he?”
“Are you seriously accusing David of murder? I suspect he doesn’t even kill spiders.”
“The timing is pretty coincidental, Ellie.”
I narrowed my eyes, tilting my head. “Check that time line again, Tom. David came to town after the dog was killed in my yard.”
Tom scowled.
“You must be desperate if you’re randomly accusing a renowned professor of grisly murders.”
His voice lowered. “You know I’m desperate. And you also know there have been more murders.”
My anger faded. “Two more?”
“Three.”
My eyes widened as my stomach churned. “But I heard you say—”
“That was just last night, Ellie. The third one was two nights ago.”
I leaned my back against the wall. “I heard you say the last two were a quarter mile north and west of my apartment. Where was the other body found?”
“At the lighthouse. We’ve done our damnedest to keep these under wraps.”
I closed my eyes. “Their hearts were eaten?”
Tom leaned closer. “Yeah. Whoever is doing this is baiting you, Ellie. And I don’t think it’s Marino’s men. Have you seen them since that day of the high-speed chase?”
I shook my head, feeling sick to my stomach. “No. I was hoping that you permanently scared them off.”
“There’s not much likelihood of that. Maybe they figure they don’t need you anymore.”
My back straightened. “Why do you say that?”
He ignored my question. “Tell me about the guy who showed up behind the restaurant the day of the chase. The guy with the red pickup.”
“How do you know about him?” I shook my head and frowned. “It wasn’t him. He would never do this.”
“How can you be sure?”
“I know him. He just wouldn’t.”
Tom grinned like he’d woken up on Christmas morning to a room full of presents. “What’s his name, Ellie?”
I took a deep breath. Damn it. He’d set me up.
Tom leaned his face close to mine, raising his eyebrows. “What’s his name?”
I gritted my teeth. Damn my mouth. “Collin.”
“Collin what?”
“Collin Dailey.”
“And how do you know Collin Dailey?”
What could I tell him? “I met him at the New Moon. We hung out a lot the week the colony reappeared.”
“What a coincidence.”
“Are you basing your entire case on coincidences?”
“It’s all I fucking have at the moment, Ellie.”
I leaned the back of my head against the wall and looked up at the ceiling. What a mess.
“Where does Collin Dailey live?”
“Buxton.” That seemed far enough away to draw them away from Collin, and it helped that it was true.
“Buxton.” He looked over his shoulder and then back at me. “I’ve seen him here every day until our encounter a few days ago. That’s quite a drive to Manteo each day.”
I scowled.
“What were you doing in Wanchese last week?”
I fidgeted.
“Collin Dailey is in Wanchese, isn’t he? And if I find out you lied to me, I’ll throw your ass in jail for twenty-four hours just to prove I’m done playing around.”
I didn’t answer.
“Does Collin Dailey live in Wanchese?”
Oh, God. Collin had admitted that he had some kind of criminal record. And although he hadn’t told me what it involved, the fact that he carried tools around in his truck to break into places was a good clue. “I don’t know.”
“Ellie.”
I glanced at Tom. “His boat is in Wanchese, but I don’t know where he’s living right now.”
“He has a boat?”
I nodded. The less I admitted the better.
“Were you visiting his boat the night they found the guy floating in the cove?”
“No.”
“Ellie.”
“I went to see Collin. I never saw his boat.”
“Why?”
My heart raced and I felt light-headed. “Do I need an attorney?”
Tom pressed his back into the wall next to me and leaned close to my ear. “I don’t know, Ellie. Do you?”
My head flooded with panic. I knew Tom didn’t have any evidence to press charges against either of us, but I knew I couldn’t afford to spend even one night unprotected, especially with my mark gone. But could Collin? His mark seemed to protect him more than mine did. Could I risk it?
I squeezed my eyes shut. “We had a . . . thing.”
“A relationship?”
“Well as close as Collin will probably ever have to a relationship.”
“You sure do plow through men, don’t you, Ellie?”
I cringed.
“So you went to see him because you were . . . seeing him?”
The closer I stuck to the truth, the better. “No. We were done. But he had something of mine I wanted.”
“And did you see him?”
“Yes, but we got into an argument and he drove off.”
“Where did you see him if you never saw his boat?”
“His truck was there. I figured he had to be out in his boat, so I waited until he came back. We had an argument, and he left.” I flushed, remembering the part I was leaving out.
“He left. You didn’t?”
Tom was perceptive. “I left afterward.”
“How did that guy end up dead in the cove?”
I was already spilling my guts, so I might as well share what I could of this to make it look like I was being cooperative. “After Collin took off, two guys showed up.” I grimaced. “There was a misunderstanding about who I was.”
“What does that mean?”
I looked up at him. “Don’t play stupid with me, Tom Helmsworth. You already think the guy who was killed tried to rape me.”
Tom’s body stiffened and his voice deepened. “Did he?”
I studied the crack in the floor. “It didn’t get that far.”
“What happened?”
“When he dragged me over to the boats, I hit him in the head with a wrench I found on the boat and it dazed him. I was getting away when a giant snake appeared out of the water. Then it ate him. His friend took off and so did I.”
Tom’s shoulders sagged. “Why in God’s name didn’t you tell me all of this in the beginning?”
“It was a giant snake, Tom. Seriously, who was going to believe that?”
“Ellie, I already told you that the other guy said it was a snake.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It just seemed better to try and forget it.”
“And the destruction at the lighthouse?”
“Why do you think I know about the lighthouse?” Tom had never questioned me about the incident that night, and I’d incorrectly assumed he hadn’t made the connection.
Tom studied the opposite wall. “Don’t you play stupid with me, Ellie. I know you’re wrapped up in it somehow.”
I pressed my lips together.
“I don’t think a snake is killing these dogs and people. Their abdomens were all ripped open with large claws.”
“And you think I know what it is? You think I know who it’s going after next?”
A cocky smirk lifted his cheeks. “I’m more worried about you. If I weren’t so sure this was an animal, I’d say it’s after you. Have you pissed off anyone other than Marino lately? Is Colli
n upset that you broke up with him?”
I cracked a grin. “And how do you know I broke up with him?”
He laughed. “Because any guy who broke up with you would be an idiot. And that guy doesn’t look like an idiot.”
Carly rounded the corner and frowned when she saw me talking to Tom. “Ellie, you have orders ready and customers waiting for their checks.”
I cringed. Damn it. “Coming.”
I stepped away from the wall. “I did break up with Collin, and although he wasn’t happy about it, he wouldn’t resort to terrorizing me. We’ve reached an amicable truce.”
“But he still cares about you? Enough to stalk you and try to intimidate you?”
My eyes flew open and my heart slammed against my chest. “No! Collin would never do anything like that.”
“Is he capable of violence?”
I shook my head, getting frustrated. “Listen to me, Tom. I know you really want to find out who is doing this, but it’s not Collin. You’re looking in the wrong place.”
“Then where should I be looking?”
I sighed. “I wish I knew. And that’s the truth.”
I took the orders and checks out to the tables and kept an eye on Tom, desperate for the chance to call Collin. About fifteen minutes later there was a slight lull, so I headed into the women’s restroom and hid in a stall.
Collin answered on the second ring and sounded worried. “Ellie? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, but you need to hide.”
“What are you talking about?”
“That police officer who was questioning me last week behind Darrell’s? He tricked me into admitting I know you. He told me if I didn’t answer his questions he would lock me up for twenty-four hours just to prove his point.” My voice broke. “I’m sorry, Collin.”
“What did you tell him?”
I filled Collin in on everything I remembered.
“He’s grasping at straws if he’s making those leaps,” Collin finally said.
“He’s desperate.”
“Obviously.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No, Ellie. You did the right thing. We can’t risk you getting locked up.” He paused. “How much of your mark is left?”
“None.”
I expected him to blow up, but instead he asked, “You haven’t found Ahone’s symbol yet?”
“No.”
“I’m giving you three days, Ellie.” He sounded like the Collin I’d first met. Dictatorial and condescending.
“We have bigger issues, Collin. Tom thinks Ukinim is baiting me.”
“Then that’s exactly why the disappearance of your mark is our biggest issue.”
“They’ll still kill me, Collin. Ukinim doesn’t care about my Manitou. He just wants to get me before Okeus does.”
“Fuck, Ellie. Stop being so stubborn. You have to let me protect you.”
“Let you protect me?” I spit into the phone. “You’re the reason I’m in this situation. The marks on my door are still working.”
“Ellie, be reasonable.”
“Tell me what you know about the Ricardo deal.”
“No.”
“You owe me something for dragging me into that mess, along with everything else.”
“Forget Marino and focus on the bigger issue. This thing is getting stronger, Ellie. The daylight is protecting you for now, but I suspect it will soon be able to make short excursions into the sunlight.”
The blood rushed from my head. While I knew that day was coming, I’d hoped it would be further off. I’d become a prisoner in my apartment. “Then help me get rid of it.”
He hesitated. “I can’t.”
“Why not? You’d seriously let this thing kill me rather than help?” Hurt and resentment filled my chest. “If you really wanted to protect me, you’d help me send this thing and his mate back to Popogusso. To hell with your principles.”
“His mate? What are you talking about?”
“You really don’t know anything about Ukinim or his wife?”
He paused. “No.” A low grumble filled my ear.
“And you were so certain that David would be pointless and get me killed. Well, he’s the one who’s actually giving me information instead of trying to keep me in the dark. Unlike you.”
“Ellie,” he pleaded.
The bathroom door opened, and I flushed the toilet. “I have to go. But watch out for Tom.” I hung up before he could respond and washed my hands, ignoring the strange look from a young mother trying to corral her two small children into the other stall.
As soon as I got off work, I started ripping the house apart. Whatever I needed to protect myself had to be in Daddy’s notes.
Because I couldn’t consider the alternative.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
David found me in the living room, on my hands and knees under a small writing desk in the corner.
“If you’d told me we were playing hide-and-seek, I would have counted first.” He looked around the trashed room and whistled. “I see you started without me.”
I looked up. “I have to find those notes.”
“I know, love.” He reached his hand out to me. “But come up here and let’s figure out a plan, because you’ve searched this house countless times and come up with nothing.”
I took his hand, my heart stuttering at his term of endearment. Had he meant anything by it, or was it just one of those things people said? I stood and he pushed me back toward the chair, guiding me into a sitting position on the arm. Then he took a step back and surveyed the room.
“I’ve spent the better part of the day trying to get into your father’s head.” He shot me a frustrated look. “Not an easy task since I didn’t know him.” He ran his fingertips across a pile of guidebooks on the desk. “But Myra told you that he was anxious and paranoid when he started compiling his notes, right? And he would have hidden them somewhere he thought you’d be able to find them.”
“Yes, but I’ve already looked in those places.”
“So let’s consider this logically.” David sat on the arm of the chair next to me, our legs pressed together. I was hyperaware of his presence. “Have the Keepers before you ever written the information down?”
“I’m not sure, but I suspect not. It’s an oral tradition, and it was a secret. To tell someone who wasn’t family about the curse would bring dire consequences.”
His brow furrowed. “Do you believe that? Is there evidence this actually happened?”
“I remember my father impressing the importance of keeping it a secret with horrible tales of death and injury, but I never really believed it.” I looked up at him, guilt eating my insides. “Until I told Claire.”
His eyes widened. “You told Claire?”
“When I was eight. She knew I had a secret, and she couldn’t stand it. So I told her about the curse. Just the part about Manteo and Ananias and the gate.” I sucked in my bottom lip and wrapped my fingers around the edge of the chair’s arm.
His body stilled. “What happened?”
“My mother was murdered a few days later.”
“Oh, Ellie. I’m sorry.” His hand covered mine.
“I forgot every single thing I learned about the curse that night. When Daddy tried to reteach me, I refused to listen. I didn’t want any part of it.”
“I’m sure it was a coincidence . . .” His voice trailed off at the end, and the tone of his voice told me he wasn’t sure he believed it.
I offered David a tired smile. “I used to tell myself that too. But now I’m not so sure. I’m not so sure about anything.” I sighed and looked up at a tiny stain on the ceiling. “You knew that Steven knew my parents.”
“Yes. He told me that he highly respected your father’s work.” David shifted on the seat, but he kept his hand on mine.
Tingles shot from my hand through my body. “He said Daddy was known worldwide for his expertise about the Lost Colony. But he stopped giving lectures after Mo
mma’s death. Daddy told Steven she died because of the colony, and he’d never lecture about it again. He blamed himself for her murder.”
David slid his hand up my arm, resting it on the back of my neck, leaving goose bumps in its wake. His hand slipped under my hair and rubbed my tense muscles. “It sounds to me as if there was a lot of unnecessary guilt associated with her death. The person who killed her is the only one to blame.” He gave me a gentle smile.
“You’re right,” I said, acutely aware of his hand on my neck. “But there’s more I haven’t told you.”
“What?”
“Steven said Momma had been invited to see a private collection of sixteenth-century English and Native American pieces the week before her death. She called him about it because she was concerned they were stolen.”
David stood and turned to face me. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. It was stupid not to. It’s just that it was the first big piece of information I’d heard about my mother’s murder in years, and I needed a few days to absorb it. Besides, my mother died years ago. We had bigger and more pressing issues.”
“Ellie. Any information about your mother’s death is important, even if it doesn’t help us with the curse. It’s important to you.”
“Finding Ahone’s mark is our biggest concern,” I sighed. The information seemed like a coincidence, but David was right. There were no coincidences. “Steven said he notified the police, but they couldn’t find any evidence such a collection existed. No one Momma worked with knew anything about it either.”
“So he thinks she made it up?”
“I asked him that and he said no.” I looked up at him. “This morning, I asked Myra if she’d ever heard Daddy mention anything about the Ricardo Estate and she says she did once, years ago.”
“You think the collection your mother surveyed was the Ricardo Estate? If so, it might be related to her death.”
“I don’t know. Steven didn’t call it the Ricardo Estate, but Daddy did—if Myra remembers correctly, that is. She said Daddy was talking on the phone and was secretive.”
“It does seem like there’s a connection. We just need to find a reliable source.”
“After my conversation with Myra this morning, I asked Collin about it on the phone this afternoon, but he refused to tell me anything.”
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