Colleen Coble

by Rosemary Cottage

  He got Raine out of her car seat and grabbed a beach blanket.

  “Down,” she commanded.

  He grinned and put her on the sand until he spread out the blanket. The two of them sat on it and waited for Edith. There was no hurrying her. She went surfing every day it was safe. And that was most days. She even surfed in the rain. When Raine grew bored, he helped her build a sand castle, then glanced at his watch. Edith should be finished anytime.

  He watched the two figures in the water. The slimmer one was a pretty good surfer, but his aunt put everyone to shame. She could balance on a roller in a hurricane, though as far as he knew she’d never attempted to surf in one. Edith might be nuts about surfing, but she wasn’t crazy.

  The wave deposited the surfers and receded. The two of them turned and started toward shore. Curtis brushed the sand from his hands and went toward the water to greet them. As they neared, he saw the other surfer was Amy. His gut tightened. Surely his aunt wouldn’t betray him, but then, he knew her views on the topic.

  Amy’s eyes were shining as she came up out of the water. The wetsuit hugged every curve and her face was pink. “Curtis, what an incredible morning! Did you come to surf?” She pushed her hoodie off her dark hair and down around her neck. Her gaze went to Raine and she smiled again. “Hi, sweetheart.”

  “Dude.” The child pointed at the water. “Swim.” She stood and started toward the waves.

  Curtis grabbed her. “No you don’t.”

  His niece squawked and squirmed. “Down.” Her small hand moved in emphasis of her order.

  “Doodlebug, you are far too bossy.” He set her back on the blanket. “You wouldn’t catch me out there in April.” He eyed Amy warily.

  Amy lifted an eyebrow. “She calls you dude?”

  He grinned. “I call her Doodlebug and it somehow evolved.”

  “Edith tells me that she got Ben hooked on winter surfing, but she hasn’t managed the same thing with you.”

  “I’m immune to her wiles.” He grinned.

  He’d never been immune to Amy, though he wanted to be. He’d met her exactly five times, and he could recount every word, every expression. The connection he felt with her was weird, and clearly one-sided. She’d cut her hair since he’d seen her last, and her dark curls just covered her ears and revealed the long column of her slender neck. But her eyes were still that funny color—green mixed with gold and brown—and topped with impossibly long, thick lashes. Her eyes seemed lit from within by her excitement for life. The eyes were supposedly windows to the soul, and he’d always been drawn to the soul he saw behind those eyes. The guys would laugh if they knew he had such crazy thoughts.

  Her smile faded. “I need to talk to both of you about Ben.”

  She knows. His gaze flickered to Edith as she rubbed a towel on the dog. When she didn’t meet his gaze, he looked back at Amy. “I thought we were talking later today at the inn.”

  “We are. But I know he spent a lot of time with your sister. I thought maybe you two might have seen or heard something.”

  “About what?”

  “Did he seem afraid or concerned to you? Uneasy, maybe?”

  He shrugged. “I didn’t spend much time with him, Amy. He was Gina’s friend, and I was working a lot of hours.” That sounded just a little hostile, so he managed a smile. “You know how it is with siblings. They have their friends and you have yours.”

  She nodded. “Of course. Did you hear him talk about any enemies, anyone who disliked him?”

  “Why are you asking about enemies? I have to tell you, we saw nothing to indicate foul play. And it was November. The water temp was pretty cold. I suspect he had a cramp and went down or else a shark really did get him, but I think the first scenario is more likely.”

  Her eyes filled with sorrow. “I know it looks that way, but I’m not convinced. I’ll talk to you more about it tonight.”

  She took the hoodie off and ran her fingers through her curls, flipping him with water in the process. When she saw him flinch, she shook her head harder and laughed. “That’s one way to make sure you join the fun.”

  Her dimples flashed in an adorable way that made it impossible for Curtis to look away. When her cheeks reddened, he directed his gaze at Raine. “Well, I guess I’d better get Edith home to get warmed up. You need to take a hot shower yourself. If I think of anything else, I’ll let you know later tonight.”

  Amy grabbed his arm. “Wait! I didn’t get a chance to talk to Edith.”

  His throat tightened at her touch. What an idiot he was. “You’ve been surfing with her.”

  Her dimples flashed again. “I can’t talk and surf at the same time. Just a few questions.” She looked at Edith. “You don’t mind, do you?”

  Edith glanced at Curtis and shook her head. “Not at all.”

  “If you surfed with Ben, surely you talked before and after you went out. Did he seem upset to you that week? Afraid?”

  Edith pressed her lips together. “Now that you mention it, yes. He was quieter than usual, and he locked his car. He never locked his car.”

  “No, he hated locking things. It was almost a personal affront to him when he was in a big city and had to lock everything. He liked feeling safe here.” She stared hard at Edith. “Except he wasn’t safe.” She swallowed. “Anything else you noticed?”

  Edith squeezed the water from her hair. “He got a lot more phone calls than usual. He’d be tight-lipped and quiet when he got off.” She stared at Amy again. “I don’t like to speak ill of the dead, but I wondered if he was taking drugs, Amy.”

  Amy went white. “Drugs? Why would you say that?”

  “His eyes were bloodshot a lot.” She bit her lip. “I don’t know, maybe I’m wrong. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

  Curtis had to break this meeting up before Amy asked about Raine. “That’s it, Ede?”

  “I think so.” Edith shot Curtis a warning glance. “For now.”

  Tidewater Inn sat on a hill overlooking the wide Atlantic. Sand dunes stretched as far as Amy could see, and man-made breakwater sandbags attempted to keep beach erosion at bay. She parked her car outside the Georgian mansion beside several other vehicles. Her lungs tightened. Tonight she should find out something. Surely one of the Coasties would give her a clue that would lead her in the right direction.

  Twilight haloed the beautiful old house in beams of color, and the yard shifted with shades of purple, orange, and pink as she went up the sweeping staircase to the grand porch. It never failed to impress her. Libby had done a lot of restoration work on the outside. She’d paid loving attention to every detail.

  Her cell phone rang, and Amy glanced at the screen. Her steps slowed and her palms went slick. The doctor’s office. “Amy Lang.”

  “Amy, this is Dr. Farmington’s nurse. I wanted to let you know the blood draw from Friday was contaminated somehow. We’ll need you to come in for another test. I’m so sorry.”

  Amy exhaled. “That’s fine. I’ll be in as soon as I can.” She ended the call and dropped her phone back into her purse. She wanted to cry. Now she had to endure even more days of waiting, of not knowing.

  Someone moved on the porch, then Pearl emerged from the shadows. Her purple dress made her green eyes glow in the last light of sunset. She hugged Amy, and the embrace brought back loving memories of being folded in her grandmother’s arms as a child. She inhaled the scent of lavender.

  She finally pulled away. “It’s good to see you again, Pearl.”

  “You’re sure pretty tonight, honey. Those single men are going to have their eyes popping out of their heads.” The older woman tugged her toward the door. “Everyone is inside.”

  Amy glanced down at her red dress. It had seemed ordinary enough when she put it on. “Is it too short?”

  “Girl, legs like those need showing off a little. In a tasteful way, of course. You look perfect.”

  “Am I late?”

  “Not at all. Come along.”

  Amy f
ollowed her into the grand entry and down the hall to the parlor. Several people sprawled on the comfortable leather furniture. Her gaze landed on Curtis, who was smiling in a relaxed way. He held little Noah with a natural grip, and the infant slept contentedly. A woman with long dark hair sat beside him. Pretty and just a little proprietorial with the way she leaned toward him and looked down at the baby.

  A shaft of jealousy rocked Amy on her heels. She didn’t know if Curtis was dating anyone, and it wasn’t her business if he was. He was an acquaintance, nothing more.

  She averted her eyes and focused on Libby. “Hey, Libs, how are you feeling?”

  Libby was dressed in a pretty white dress that showed off toned arms. Her little tummy pooch was already disappearing. “Pretty great. Noah had a checkup today, and he’s in perfect health.”

  “I’m so glad to hear it.” Amy approached Curtis and held out her hands. “May I?”

  “I’ll give him up but only under duress.” He rose and transferred Noah to her arms.

  She nuzzled the soft little head and inhaled the sweet scent of powder and new baby. When she glanced back at Curtis, he had an intense expression in his eyes as he watched her. She had no idea what he was thinking, but the warmth in his eyes made her shiver.

  “Have you met everyone?” he asked.

  When she shook her head, he introduced the pretty woman beside him as Dara Anderson, a guest at the inn. She rose after the introduction and excused herself. Amy tried to hide her relief.

  The attractive woman in the chair by the fireplace was Sara Kavanagh. She was the medic on the team. Josh Holman was the captain and pilot of their helicopter.

  Delilah Carter, the inn’s manager and cook, poked her head in the door. “Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes. There’s coffee on the sideboard if anyone is interested. And shrimp cocktail.”

  Alec sprang up first. “You don’t have to tell me twice.”

  The rest of them filed into the large dining room. The oak table dominating the room was massive and would easily seat twenty people. The deep red color of the walls reflected in the chandelier over the table. The sideboard held a spread of shrimp cocktail, homemade bread with butter, and a silver coffeepot with delicate blue-and-white cups.

  Curtis poured a cup of coffee and added a heavy dollop of cream, then handed it to her. “You’re a coffee drinker, right?”

  She adjusted the baby to her left arm and accepted the coffee. “Thanks.”

  Sara carried a small plate of shrimp and cocktail sauce over to where Amy stood. “So you wanted to talk to us about your brother?” She motioned for Josh to join them.

  With the three of them in front of her, Amy wasn’t quite sure how to begin. She wet her lips. “Did you all see Ben on his surfboard out by the break?”

  Josh shook his head. “I didn’t see him. Just Curtis and Sara did. I brought the chopper down over the water, but he waved us on.”

  “You accepted that?” Aware her voice had risen, she made an effort to modulate it. “He was way past where it was usual to surf.”

  “Which was why we checked on him. But you can’t make a surfer get in the chopper. He seemed in control of his situation and was paddling back toward the shore.”

  “And was never seen again.” Her voice broke, and she cleared her throat. “His surfboard was found with a shark bite out of it, and his belongings were on the shore.”

  Sara set her plate on the sideboard. “I know it’s hard to hear this, Amy, but we didn’t do anything wrong. Your brother was an adult. We rescue people in danger. He was in no imminent danger. We saw no sharks cruising around him, and he was enjoying his day. We fully expected him to make it back to shore. He’d been out there before.”

  Little Noah yawned, and Amy concentrated on him for a moment to regain her composure. Of course they were right. “He was always a bit of a daredevil. Did he surf alone?” She hadn’t thought to ask that before today.

  Josh shook his head. “Ned Springall went out with him. But they split up when Ben wanted to go out farther. Ned said he was acting weird.”

  “Weird, how?” Amy asked.

  “Nervous, jumpy. Whenever a boat would pass, he stared at it. Ned asked him what was wrong, but Ben put him off and said it was nothing.”

  She stared at Curtis, who stared back. This was further indication that someone had killed her brother and left his body to the sharks. Someone had been after him.

  SEVEN

  Curtis walked Amy to her car in the moonlight and opened the car door for her. The rest of the guests had already left. The salt air was moist and he inhaled the fragrance of the sea. The surf roared off to their left, then ebbed like something alive. That was one thing he loved about living on an island—things could, and did, change moment by moment.

  “Sorry we weren’t more help about Ben,” he said.

  Holding her skirt in one hand, she slid into the seat. The light from the dash illuminated her face with its planes and angles. He could watch her for hours and never tire of it. She showed so many emotions—one moment pensive and the next glowing with the joy of life.

  He squatted beside the open door and laid his hand on hers where it rested on the steering wheel. “I wanted to say that I understand how you feel, Amy. I lost Gina too, you know. Sometimes there’s just no answer to the question of why.”

  Her lips flattened, and she moved her hand away. “It’s not the same, Curtis. At least you had closure, and you know what happened to her. Ben’s body was never recovered. You have her daughter too, and I—I have nothing left of Ben.”

  At her stiff tone, he stood. What a jerk he was. He was standing here denying her the one thing she needed—Ben’s daughter. He wet his lips and tried to figure out how to tell her.

  She put the key in the ignition, and the alert dinged until she shut the door and ran the window down. “I had hoped for some small piece of evidence that would help me figure out what happened.”

  He hesitated. “Edith mentioned the drug thing. That might be worth checking out.” The tension eased from him at the change of subject. Now wasn’t the time to tell her about Raine.

  “I find it so hard to believe that he might get caught up in something like that.”

  “You’ve never known him to even try drugs?”

  “Never. Did Gina?” Her chin lifted in a distinct challenge.

  “Nope.” He managed to keep his voice even. “If I think of anything else, I’ll call you.”

  “Thanks.” She gave a small wave through the opening, then ran the window up and backed way.

  He watched her pull out of the drive before walking back to the house. When he reached the porch, someone moved from the shadows, and he paused when Dara emerged into the wash of light from the porch. “I thought you’d already gone up to bed.”

  “I came back down. It’s too gorgeous of a night to sleep. Want to take a walk along the beach?”

  He wasn’t sure how to get out of it in a gentlemanly way. “I really should be getting home to put Raine to bed.”

  Her pout was meant to change his mind, but it steeled his resolve. Whatever she wanted from him wasn’t something he was prepared to give. He didn’t believe in holiday romances either. One of these days the right woman would settle here. He’d meet her and know she was the one. Amy’s face flashed through his mind, but he pushed it away.

  “I had some questions I wanted to ask you. Got time to chat at least?”

  So she wasn’t just flirting. Something was on her mind. He glanced at his watch. “I can spare a few minutes.” He followed her to the row of white rockers on the porch.

  Something about her manner put him on his guard. He pulled a rocker to him so it wasn’t sitting so close to her, then dropped onto the seat. She nudged her chair a bit closer, then curled up on it with her knees to her chest.

  “I love the sound of the sea,” she said. “And it smells so good, don’t you think?”

  He took a whiff. “Kind of heavy with kelp tonight. And
dead fish.”

  She grimaced. “Spoilsport.”

  She gazed over the railing. The moon glimmered on the whitecaps. She seemed in no hurry to talk to him about whatever problem she was having.

  He waited for her to speak, then shifted when she didn’t. “So what’s this about?”

  She sighed and turned to look at him. “You’re Gina Ireland’s brother, right?”

  “Yes. Did you know Gina?”

  She put her feet back on the porch floor, then shrugged. “Just superficially. She worked on the senator’s last campaign.”

  “I know. She was a big fan of his.”

  “Yes, she was, and hey, I’m sorry for your loss.” She played with her necklace. “Will you endorse the senator’s campaign in her place? I know Gina’s boyfriend had some issues with him and all, but I’d hoped you would follow your sister’s lead.”

  Curtis straightened. “Ben had issues with the senator? What was it about?”

  Dara shrugged. “I just know he came stomping into the office one day, shouting that the senator owed him money.”

  “Ben Lang?”

  She nodded. “That was the name. Ben.” Her eyes widened. “Hey, is that Amy’s brother?”

  “It was. He died a few weeks after Gina.”

  “Oh dear, I’m so sorry. How odd that they would both die.”

  “I’d rather not talk about it,” he said.

  “Of course, of course. So sorry.” But she didn’t sound sorry. Instead, she leaned toward him with her eyes shining.

  “When did this happen?”

  She paused a moment, a crease between her eyes. “The first week of November, I think.”

  Two weeks before Ben died and about the time of Gina’s accident. “What else did he say?”

  She rose and backed against the railing to face him. “I don’t know. I think he was on drugs. His eyes were all bloodshot, and he was slurring his words. The senator was about to call security.”

  Drugs. Curtis didn’t want to have to tell Amy about this conversation.