Last Chance Harbor

by Vickie McKeehan

  “Yeah, I know how that is.”

  “You do? But you were in the military.”

  “You ever chow down on an MRE? After eating a crapload of those you learn to block out the taste of any processed food and make the best of it, especially if you’re hungry.”

  Ryder noticed Troy shoot a glance in Zach’s direction. The two men had been avoiding each other all day. “Is Zach still giving you a hard time about asking out his sister?”

  “Some. But I asked Bree to dinner on Sunday anyway. She must’ve mentioned it to him.”

  “Good for you.”

  “I’m a little nervous about it.”

  “The date? Hey, don’t let Zach intimidate you.”

  “It isn’t that.”

  “Then what? From what I hear you and Bree go back a ways, to grade school together. You already know each other. It isn’t like a blind date where you sit there squirming in your seat to pull out a few excruciating details just to fill the void of conversation.”

  Troy laughed. “That’s true. The thing is Bree’s going to college to better herself, been going almost two years now. This May she’ll graduate with an associate’s degree in computers. She’ll probably head off to Santa Cruz or Santa Clara to get a better job. Me? I’m just a guy who works with his hands, a man who loves woodworking, and this.” He spread his arms wide to take in the scene around him. “I love to refurbish old buildings. This whole town, I figure there’s a lot of that in its future.”

  “Like the museum? The old strip merchant storefronts along Main Street?”

  “Exactly. You and I both know I’m not going anywhere else. Bree is.”

  “I see. So you’re saying you don’t think you’re good enough to be with a woman like Bree?” Ryder thought of Julianne. He could relate to Troy’s misgivings. Hadn’t he thought the same thing about starting anything up with the schoolteacher? Why would a woman like Julianne be interested in being with a construction worker? “There are jobs in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara,” Ryder pointed out.

  “But I like it here. I’ve established myself with Logan. I don’t want to start over anywhere else.”

  “Then you should probably make that clear before you take it to the next step. It’s funny you should mention the way you feel. Because—”

  “You’re attracted to Julianne Dickinson,” Troy finished for him.

  “No, I’m not,” Ryder stated. But in the same breath of denial, he noted the disbelieving look on the younger man’s face. “Hell, was it that obvious?”

  “Not to anyone else, no, but when you were showing her the plans for the remodel, there was a whole lot of…chemistry between you two.”

  “I’m staying away from women in general.”

  Again, Troy saw the humor in Ryder’s words. “You’re kinda young to be swearing off women, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

  “I got burned by one toxic female. I don’t intend to make that mistake ever again.”

  “At least you didn’t get accused of killing one.”

  This time Ryder chuckled. “Okay, you’ve got me there. But if I ever find this particular woman, I might be tempted to make sure she never does the same thing she did to me to anyone else.”

  “I don’t know the details and you don’t have to tell me. But the thing is I can’t see Ms. Dickinson doing a number on anyone. She doesn’t fit the manipulator or user mold. She comes across like a nice person. They wouldn’t want her as principal if she wasn’t.”

  Ryder lifted a shoulder. “I’m sure you’re right about that. What do I know about school stuff anyway? Until last week I hadn’t set foot inside a classroom since I was eighteen, never even went through the doors of a college or university and I show up here to rehab this place—”

  “Looks like we have something in common then.”

  Ryder slapped Troy on the back. “You’re saying I shouldn’t let the fact that Julianne’s educated keep me from asking her out? Is that it? Okay, I’ll make a deal with you. You don’t let what you do for a living stand in your way with Bree and I won’t let it stand in the way of mine. How’s that?”

  “Sounds like a plan because the women we’re interested in are hot.”

  “They are that. But in matters of the heart, when it comes down to attraction, I don’t think how much schooling a person has means a damn thing or at least it shouldn’t.”

  “So does that mean you’re going to Julianne’s party?”

  “Yeah. I’ll have to move my ass to get home, do the milking, finish some paperwork, and then cleanup. Now that we’ve had this heart to heart, I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “I wish Bree could come. She’s working tonight though.”

  “After it’s done, stop by the bar as her shift is ending. Timing is everything. Take her a plate of food leftover from the party.”

  “That’s a great idea. Who knew you were such a thoughtful, romantic guy, Ryder?”

  “Yeah, I’m a real prince.” He’d forgotten how it felt to look forward to an evening out. He needed to dust off his manners and his ability to impress a woman—because as he saw it, he had some time to make up for.

  That evening, as soon as Ryder walked through the door at Promise Cove, the size of the crowd blew him away. He’d heard rumors all week about the entire town getting an invitation. But for the first time he understood what that entailed and how it played out for real. The house that had been so calm and serene the night before when he’d sat down to dinner was now a sea of faces, some familiar, some not. They filled the house with laughter and chatter. So many that he wondered who was left to mind the store or rather the stores. He knew that McCready’s was still open because Troy had mentioned Bree had to work her regular Saturday night shift. But other than that he couldn’t bring to mind a single business that didn’t have someone here in attendance. The mayor and owner of Murphy’s was in a heated discussion with Ross Campbell, the proprietor of Coastal Pharmacy about who was the best hockey goalie, Patrick Roy or Tony Esposito.

  Bypassing that dispute, he nodded in the direction of the veterinarian Bran Sullivan, who’d soon retire letting Keegan and Cord take his place. He walked by a group he recognized from the Fanning Marine Rescue Center. Pete Alden was trying to prevent Russell Dennis from hitting on their sunny blonde coworker, Abby Anderson.

  He said hello to Janie Pointer, the owner of the Snip N Curl, who’d cut his hair last month. He exchanged small talk with his work buddies, Zach Dennison and Drake Boedecker, before running into the mystery writer, Ethan Cody.

  “In my spare time I’m reading your latest book. I’m halfway into it and haven’t yet decided who the bad guy is.”

  Ethan grinned. “That’s what I like to hear. Let me know if I start getting predictable.”

  “Not in this one you don’t. Is there really a treasure lost off the coast around here?”

  “You bet. This place used to be a smuggler’s den. There are all kinds of cargo ships that hit the rocks around the area and broke up. Who knows what treasure lies out there in the bay. Be sure to ask Nick about exploring the little island off the cove here.”

  “That sounds like fun. Wish I had more time to do that,” Ryder said as he spotted Troy guarding the buffet. After excusing himself, Ryder headed toward the feast on the dining room table.

  “Should’ve known I’d find you around the food.”

  “Try one of these pastry things,” Troy offered, pointing to the sausage pinwheels. “Jordan calls them canapés. They’re tiny but tasty. Did you get a beer?”

  “Not yet,” Ryder said, picking up a paper plate and filling it with an assortment of appetizers. He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when his host handed him a bottle of summer ale.

  “How’s it going?” Nick asked.

  “Good. Nice turnout for the teacher.”

  “Isn’t it though?”

  “Ethan was just telling me about an island around here.”

  “It’s known affectionately as Treasure Island, not
much to it though, but it’s a must-see for a newcomer or a boatload of tourists. You want to go out sometime, let us know. We added another dinghy so more than one guest can launch from the cove below the cliff. Both have motors. The skiffs will get you there and back without a problem.”

  Ryder noticed Troy looked like he was deep in thought. “What’re you thinking?”

  Troy scratched his chin. “That maybe Nick might need someone to ferry guests back and forth during the busy season.”

  “We’ve been thinking about bringing someone on to do just that. Many of our guests aren’t experienced with boats, yet they want to visit the island they can see from their rooms. Add in the fact that Ethan made the shipwreck famous in his book and we’ve created interest. It’d be great if someone could take advantage of the opportunity and start a cottage industry. These days the bank has changed. I’m always looking to provide opportunity to the locals. You know anyone?”

  “I might.” Troy was thinking about Bree and what she could do after graduation. It might prevent her from moving off to the big city. “What would something like that pay?”

  “Pay? They’d own their own excursion business. For the right person, the bank would front the money for startup.”

  “A business loan?” Troy said, intrigued by the idea.

  “That’s right. In addition to trips to Treasure Island and the shipwreck, they could add to their services by taking tourists on hikes around the area. During the summer months, we have dozens of guests asking who in town can take them sightseeing. We routinely have to turn them down. Jordan and I are just too busy to act as tour guides. But there’s money to be made in the effort.”

  “So it would be full-time?”

  “Definitely a full-time proposition, although the load would taper off somewhat during the winter months, like now. The right person, a go-getter, could make enough money during the busy season.”

  “Anyone have claims on one of those rafts tomorrow?” Troy wanted to know. “I’d like to take Bree over to the island.”

  “I’ll write it down in the reservation book.” Looking around the room, Nick asked both men, “Have you seen our guest of honor yet?”

  Ryder had purposely not wanted to ask where she was. But Nick had no sooner gotten the words out of his mouth when Julianne walked into his range of view. Across the room, she was in a conversation with two other women he recognized as Hayden Cody and Keegan Bennett.

  As if she knew he was thinking about her, Julianne looked right at him. The classy little black dress she had on didn’t exactly bring to mind the word, “schoolteacher.” In fact, the outfit had him realizing how long it had been since he’d had a woman. It was hard to believe the vision in front of him making her way through the throng had anything to do with teaching first grade. He imagined slipping the sexy fabric off her shoulders and nibbling his way up to the velvet choker she wore around her neck.

  “Ryder, are you okay? Your face looks sorta funny,” Julianne said once she reached him. She took his face in one hand, the one that wasn’t holding a glass of white wine and turned it side to side. “Do you need water?”

  Did he? He wasn’t sure of anything at the moment. His mouth did feel dusty as a ball of lint. He finally untied his tongue so he could string a few words together. “You look amazing.”

  “Thanks. I feel amazing. Look at this gathering. I’m not sure I’ve ever had anyone throw me this kind of party with this kind of turnout.” She grabbed his arm. “Landon agreed to sell me the house on Ocean Street. It should close in a couple weeks.”

  She ticked off a list of things that needed the most work. “You wouldn’t believe how many people in this room have offered to help me fix it up.” Leaning closer, she murmured, “I heard a rumor that Perry Altman’s new partner is thinking about opening a winery here in town.”

  “I heard it was a brewery,” Ryder added with a wink.

  Troy chuckled. “You know what I’d like to open?”

  “What?”

  “I’d like to make my own line of surfboards, sell them out of a little shop along the waterfront.”

  Ryder took a sip of his beer. “I’d open a boatbuilding business.”

  Intrigued, Julianne offered up a suggestion. “You both should talk to Nick then. During the week he’s the banker and he’s looking for people with a vision, a dream. You know, to bring new life into the town.”

  “Wouldn’t do me any good,” Troy lamented. “I’m not exactly rolling in dough.”

  Ryder slapped him on the back. “You and me both.”

  “Well, I still think both of you should talk to Nick. The people in this room make me realize there’s such an overwhelming generosity of spirit here.” She turned to Troy, slipped her free arm through his. “And this big guy tops the list. He’s one of those who offered to help remodel my house.”

  “It’s nothing,” Troy said, self-conscious. “I’m not as busy as most other people are.”

  “Your offering to help is most definitely something. It’s very thoughtful and kind. And I appreciate it.”

  To get the focus off himself, Troy changed the subject. “I heard Logan rented out the keeper’s cottage at the lighthouse.”

  “Another newcomer? Cool, I won’t be the only one now,” Julianne reasoned. “When do they get here? Maybe they have children.”

  The temptation of a little gossip was too much for Troy. “It’s a woman. And I don’t think she has kids. She’s a former ballet dancer. I heard she knows Logan from his travels in Europe, Rome I think. Or maybe it was Madrid. Anyway, I heard she wants to open a dance studio.”

  “Here in town? What a fantastic idea,” Julianne said. “Oh, I hope she does. We could hold the recitals in the auditorium at school.”

  Ryder searched out the faces in the crowd to get a glimpse of his boss. “Where is Logan tonight?”

  “Doc Prescott put Kinsey on bed rest until the twins arrive. That’s what Hayden and Keegan were just telling me when I asked the same question.”

  Looking out into the faces of the crowd, she spotted Brent next to the piano with his wife. She leaned into Ryder and breathed, “There’s something I need to talk to our police chief about. Want to come with me? It’s about the box Troy found.”

  “Sure.”

  They got the horde to part like the Red Sea so they could get through to the living room. “Hi Brent, River,” Julianne said in greeting. “When you get the chance I’d like to talk to you about that item you picked up the other night.”

  Brent nodded and directed the three to a more secluded spot where they could hear each other talk. They took off for the kitchen, gathered around the island. It was Brent who said, “I got the tests back from the lab yesterday. The fabric tested positive for human blood.”

  Julianne had expected as much. But it was Ryder who asked, “Any idea who this box might’ve belonged to? Any unsolved murders in the area?”

  “None that got reported. Besides, I’m not convinced a murder occurred. Yet. I’d say the key to solving this thing though is finding out who owns the box.”

  Julianne mulled that over. “Originally I thought it might belong to a child. But now… What circumstances would allow a child to have that kind of evidence in his possession? I shudder to even consider a situation like that. What will you do, Brent?”

  “Keep checking it out until I find answers. In the meantime, I did discover in old town records that Andrew Richmond, the name on the property deed, used to own a hobby store on Main Street, specializing in trains. His son, Layne, worked for him. Layne Richmond just happens to be the husband of Eleanor Jennings.”

  “Whoa, really? That would make him the father of Cooper, Caleb and Drea Richmond or rather Jennings now.”

  “That’s right. The thing is he ran off with a schoolteacher by the name of Brooke Caldwell. She taught third grade here back when the school was active. I’d like to tell you I’ll be able to return the contents of the box to you…”

  “But you can
’t,” Julianne finished. “It’s okay. When we discussed putting it on display we never considered it might be essential to solving a mystery.”

  “This whole thing’s been driving Brent crazy for three days,” River admitted.

  Ryder looked at Brent. “Are you certain Layne Richmond ever left town? Because the deed is a direct connection to him. Why would it be in the box otherwise?”

  “That was the gossip around town at the time. Layne and Brooke fell in love, ran off together. I’m going through records to check both of their socials and driver’s licenses now. I won’t offer any theories until I see if their social security numbers have been used over the years.”

  “All I know is this,” River said. “I deal in old bones, remains, and one look at that piece of shirt told me that whoever had it on lost his life wearing it. That’s my gut feeling. My team’s run across enough buried bodies before with tattered, bloody clothing either draping the bones or found nearby. That’s what comes to mind with this shirt. Add to that, why would someone save a saturated piece of cloth like that? Saving it because of a bloody nose makes absolutely no sense to me unless that person died of it.”

  “Didn’t the Zodiac killer do something similar?” Ryder offered. “Keep a bloody piece of cloth from one of his victims?”

  Brent nodded. “Maybe I should sit down with Knudsen after all and see if he’ll offer up any details.”

  “Wouldn’t it be worth a conversation with him for that alone?” Julianne speculated. “The bloody shirt has obviously been in that box for years. Or… Could Brooke have done something to him? Maybe the man refused to leave his wife and the girlfriend got fed up with waiting—”

  “Guessing won’t do us much good,” Brent interrupted. “At least not until I get a few answers. Who knows, maybe he and Brooke took off for parts unknown and live happily to this day on some island getaway?”

  “But you don’t really believe that, do you?” Ryder asked.

  Brent grinned. “Not a word. But I have to consider all angles. I can’t prevent gossip from popping up and adding to the equation though.”