Warm.
Being warm would be nice.
Why couldn’t she find horrible things when it wasn’t freezing cold outside?
Officer Rollins, the new recruit on the Ravenwood Cove police force, had been the first to arrive, and had driven his police cruiser across the sand to where Amanda was sitting on the boulders. She’d pulled the grisly discovery a few yards farther from the water so there was no chance that it would be moved by a stray wave, and she’d been trying to breathe slowly and calm her still-racing heartbeat.
This habit of finding dead people needs to stop, she thought. Finding dead parts of people, too, she added, shivering a bit. Sure, the town wasn’t very big, but she definitely was discovering more than her share of horrible things.
Maybe I’ve got some kind of voodoo curse, she thought, darkly. Maybe I’ll just quit walking on the beach anytime I feel like it.
She was relieved when Officer Rollins suggested she sit in his warm car, and as the door clicked shut behind her she settled into the seat gratefully. It felt good to see the people flood toward the site from behind the cruiser’s window. Having dealt with the police in the past, she’d learned to understand who was there and what they were doing. Protected by the glass, even the sounds of the arriving cars and agitated conversations were muted, as if the scene in front of her was some terrible movie that she was merely watching.
Only she wasn’t just a spectator. Finding that grisly hand made her part of the story.
So this is my life, she thought glumly, watching George Ortiz shoo away a group of teens who wanted a first-hand glimpse of the claw-like hand. I’ve escaped LA and left a bad man and a cubicle job for an Inn I can barely afford and a reputation as a finder of corpses.
The car’s driver door clicked open and she turned her head.
“Well, if it isn’t Trouble,” James said, and leaned over to kiss her. His lips were warm on hers.
Amanda flung her arms around his neck, and he hugged her back. “See what happens if I leave you alone for a few days? You go completely off the rails and find some dead guy again.”
She pulled back a bit, looking into his smiling eyes. “Ha, ha. Very funny. It’s not my fault, I swear.”
“I know. How are you doing?” She could see the concern on his face.
“All right, I guess. What happened to the…hand?”
“Medical examiner took it. He’ll work with the crime lab to see if they can ID who it came from, and I’ll be running the investigation. How about I swing by later and I can update you on what I know? Would seven work for you?”
She nodded. “I’ll make dinner. Just don’t expect anything gourmet. I’m kind of out of inspiration.”
“Yeah, I think you’ve had your share of excitement for the day. How about I bring dinner?”
Amanda let out a grateful sigh and smiled. “That would be wonderful.”
James kissed her quickly again and then pulled back. “I’ll tell you one thing, though, lady,” he said.
“What?”
“If you keep this up you’re gonna need to put the emergency dispatch number on speed dial.”
***
Even though Amanda really appreciated all the work Jennifer did to help make things run smoothly at the Ravenwood, sometimes it was nice to have the place to herself. After getting some vacuuming done upstairs and cleaning the bathrooms, Jennifer had excused herself, winking at Amanda as she shut the massive front door behind her.
So, she knows I have a date with James, Amanda thought. Well, dinner. Does take-out food at home count as a date?
She tried to keep herself busy during the afternoon, updating the Inn’s website and answering emails, but the hours seemed to drag by. After a while, she started tinkering with a new project. She’d been having trouble sleeping for the past week or so, and while she was lying in bed her mind would often wander, thinking about everything and planning things she could do. The Inn was doing okay but there had been fewer guests in the winter, and that was a challenge to her budget. The Oregon beach weather was often stormy and unforgiving. Most people wouldn’t plan a weekend away if they’d be strolling on the beach in the rain, so Amanda had started thinking of ways to boost business. Maybe a special rate that included some local diversions would help, and the night before she’d come up with the idea to put together whale-watching or fishing packages. That way the customer would get a good rate for their room and breakfast, as well as a few hours out on one of the guided boat tours. Maybe a sightseeing package would be popular, too, she thought, or a romance package for couples wanting to get away for a weekend with some wine and cheese tasting. Mind whirling with ideas, she started putting together a list of local vendors she could approach. They were tight on business, too, these days, and she was pretty sure she could get most of them to work out some sort of discount in exchange for guaranteed customers.
Finally, even the intrigue of putting together something new for her business lost interest. She kept thinking about that nearly-skeletal hand she’d discovered on the beach, and wondering what James would be able to tell her. Just the thought of him coming over made her smile, and she caught herself checking her mirrored reflection several times, making sure her makeup and hair looked nice.
There was a single knock, then a familiar tousled head of dark hair popped around the door. James was all smiles as he strode over to where Amanda was sitting with Oscar, curled up in an overstuffed chair by the fireplace.
“How’s my girl?” he asked, setting down a large bag of Chinese food. He leaned over to give Amanda a soft kiss and she caught a faint whiff of his aftershave, so clean and masculine. Settling into the chair opposite her, his face became serious. “You recovered yet?” Oscar hopped down from Amanda lap and into James’ lap.
She sighed. “I keep seeing that…wrapped bundle in my mind. It was horrible.” She tried to suppress a sudden shudder. “Did you find out anything about the…”. She paused, unable to go on.
“The hand?” James said helpfully. “There are some things that were distinctive about it, and it’s given us some leads.” He leaned forward, absent-mindedly petting Oscar, who had his eyes closed in delight. “Did you notice that the forefinger and the middle finger were shorter than they should’ve been?”
Amanda shook her head. “I didn’t exactly stare at it. As soon as I realized what I was holding I dropped it.”
More like I threw it, she thought. I’ll think twice before I start picking up stuff at the beach again.
“Makes sense,” James said. “Most people would’ve done the exact same thing.” He set the startled cat down on the floor and pulled a folded piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. “It turns out that the bones on those fingers weren’t just shorter, they had been cut shorter while the person was alive. The ends of the bones had healed over. From the size of the hand, we’re pretty sure the victim was almost certainly a man. When we discovered the distinctive fingers we started looking through our database to see if any missing persons would match that description.”
He passed the paper over to Amanda and she carefully unfolded it. The rectangular photo on top was a mug shot of a young man, his eyes troubled but a smirk on his face for the jail photographer.
“Nelson King.” Amanda read. “This is the guy?”
James nodded. “We think so. He was reported missing after he’d told a girlfriend that he was going fishing and he didn’t come back the next day. From the condition of the hand after being in the water, it’s very likely that the timeframe will line up with his disappearance.”
“He was a convict?”
James leaned back and stretched his long legs out in front of him, crossing his cowboy boots over each other. “He had a record a mile long. Drugs mostly. Nelson King had a cocaine habit of his own, and he used to distribute the stuff to help pay for it. Last time he was picked up was for suspicion of smuggling drugs out of Mexico, but there wasn’t enough evidence to go to trial and he was let go. That was a month ag
o.”
Amanda passed the unfolded paper back to the detective. “So, you’re pretty sure it’s him?”
“I can’t officially say that until we get some of the tests back, but the shortened fingers are very distinctive.”
The dismembered hand of a drug dealer. Amanda bit her lip in thought.
“So what happened to the rest of him?” she asked. “I mean, the rest of the body?”
James shrugged. “My best guess is that the body was in the sea for a while. Between the salt water and the rocks, I doubt we’ll ever find much else. Also,” he added, glancing at Amanda, “–have you ever seen how many crabs we have around here? They’ll eat just about anything.”
The thought of what the crabs might’ve done to poor Mr. King’s body made Amanda shudder. No more crab salads for me, she thought, suddenly queasy.
“And there’s more,” James continued. “Do you have any idea what was in the package attached to the hand?”
“Drugs,” Amanda guessed, but James shook his head.
“Over a hundred thousand in cash.”
Amanda stared at the smug detective, his words resounding in her ears. “What?”
“Whatever Nelson King was involved with, it must’ve paid big money. My bet would be that somehow he wound up in the water with a bundle of his payoff, and couldn’t get back out. From how tightly that hand was latched onto the cash, it seems obvious he wasn’t going to let go.”
“If I’d known that, I wouldn’t have called you guys so fast.” The statement popped out of Amanda’s mouth before she could stop herself, but James laughed, even as she looked a bit guilty.
“That much cash would tempt anyone.” He was smiling. “A few of the bills must’ve gotten loose and were swept into the cove with the tide.”
Amanda’s thoughts were on her missed opportunity. “You know how much lumber and paint and plumbing I could buy with that sort of dough?” She sighed. “Oh, well.”
She looked down at the Oriental carpet, thinking back over James’ revelations. “So, I guess the question is, why was Nelson King in the water in the first place? Did he fall overboard off a boat, or did someone put him in the water to die?”
“Bad guys may kill people, but if they can keep the cash, they will,” James said. “We just don’t have answers to those questions yet.”
They spent dinner by the fire, eating spicy Chinese food out of the boxes with wooden chopsticks and talking about everything except the morning’s grisly discovery. Amanda caught herself laughing several times at James’ stories. It was amazing how comfortable she felt when she was with him. Conversation was easy, and the warmth of him next to her felt comfortable and good. They went out on dates when he had the time, seeing a movie or going to dinner, but there hadn’t been a lot more than casual kissing, and Amanda was beginning to wonder some things.
“James,” she began, then paused, not sure how to go on.
He looked up, surprised, his mouth full of General Tso’s chicken. She could see the question in his eyes.
“I was just wondering, are you going out with anyone else besides me?”
The dark-haired detective nearly choked, his eyes wide in shock and then pain as he coughed around his food, then hastily swallowed it. After a bit more coughing, he was finally able to speak.
“With anyone else?”
Amanda shrugged noncommittally, her face carefully neutral. “I was just wondering.”
James set down his food and chopsticks. “Lady, are you nuts?” His face couldn’t have looked more shocked if he’d tried. “I’m only dating you. Got it?”
“Got it.” Amanda let herself smile a little.
James was obviously flustered. “What made you think I was dating anyone else? Did I ever tell you that I was interested in dating someone else?”
“No, not really, but–“
James cut her off, grabbing her hand. “I don’t date multiple women at a time. I’m a one-woman dater sorta guy. Were you worried I was seeing other people?”
Amanda leaned her head on his shoulder, snuggling into his side. “I wasn’t sure. We’ve just been going kind of slow and I wanted to have things straight in my head. I’ve never had a boyfriend like you before.”
She could feel his sigh, a reaction. “You mean someone who isn’t just going to try to get you in bed?”
“Well…” she paused, not sure how to answer that. She’d had a few boyfriends, but she’d always chosen to be in love with someone before she went any further. “I really like you, James. I care about you. I just wanted to see if you had feelings like that for me at all.”
He pulled back, his eyes wide in dismay. “Boy, I need to step up my game a bit,” he said and then wrapped his strong arms around her, pulling her onto his chest and slanting his mouth over hers. The kiss was unlike anything she’d experienced before; intense, passionate, and completely focused on her. It was like the world had shrunk down to the sensations of his mouth over hers, his arms tightly embracing her.
When he finally pulled back a bit she was breathless, her pulse racing.
His eyes, the color of ocean storms, were locked on hers. “Does that answer your question?” Amanda could see what she needed to see in his unflinching gaze, and she finally sighed in satisfaction and settled back against his chest. For several moments they just lay there together, the tall detective sometimes stroking Amanda’s hair, and finally kissing the top of her head.
“You have no idea how special you are, do you?” James asked, his voice unusually husky. “I care about you, too, Amanda, and I’m not interested in anyone else but you. Maybe I’m a bit old-fashioned about showing my feelings or not pushing you to make love, but that’s just how I am. I was raised that way.” She could hear his deep sigh. “It’s tougher than I let on to not just take things further than they have been. I’m trying to live my life the way I think it should be, but if I’ve messed things up by not telling you how much you mean to me, then I am truly sorry.”
Amanda closed her eyes, hearing his words but her thoughts suddenly jumping to the men she’d known in her past, the lies, the constant drama, the times that being with them made her feel worse about herself. Her last boyfriend, Ken, had a habit of comparing her to other women and telling her everything she did that he didn’t approve of, whether it was a lipstick shade or a career choice.
“It’s okay. I just wondered.” She was about to say more when James’ cell phone suddenly buzzed and she could hear him sigh.
“I’m sorry, but I’m on call for work, and I really need to take this.” She shifted out of his arms, sitting up as he dug his phone out of his jacket pocket.
Within seconds, she could tell that something was definitely wrong. James previously-relaxed posture was now poker straight, his face tense and his voice raised.
“When did it happen?” he asked, a note of panic in his voice. “Who’s with him now? Yes, of course. Call Ethan. I’ll be there right away.”
He was standing to leave before he’d even hung up his phone. “I’m sorry, Amanda, but I’ve got to go.”
“What happened? Is everything okay?”
He shrugged into his coat, then turned to her. “No, it’s not.” Giving her a quick kiss, he said, “I’ll call you as soon as I can.” He paused, his hand on the Inn’s front doorknob.
“My father’s had a stroke.”
Chapter 8
It was over two hours before Amanda got a short phone call from James. His father had collapsed while out in the barn at his ranch, and James’ mother had found him. He’d been barely conscious when he was rushed by ambulance to the local hospital. When James had arrived at the emergency room, two of his brothers and his mother were already there, with his sister on her way. It was over an hour before the drugs they’d given him to minimize damage to his brain had taken effect, and James had learned that he was out of the woods before he picked up his phone to call Amanda.
She could hear the fatigue and worry in his voice, even though
the doctor had upgraded his father’s condition.
“We’ll have to see how long he’s in the hospital and how he’s doing afterward, but he’s doing okay. Right now most of his right side is paralyzed, and there’s no way he’s going to be able to run the ranch in that condition.” There was a pause, then James added, “They’re going to need someone to help out around home, and I’m going to take a leave of absence to see what I can do.”
“Is there anything I can do?” Curled up with her cat at home, unable to sleep and far away, Amanda felt very helpless. “Can I bring meals or help out?”
“Thanks, lady. Nothing to be done right now but take care of the ranch. I’ll call you later and let you know what’s going on as soon as I know more, okay?”
For some reason, Amanda felt the heat of unwanted tears at the corner of her eyes. James’ father seemed like a decent, sturdy man, and he’d been kind and welcoming to her whenever she’d been around him. She remembered meeting him for the first time at the Harvest Festival, when he was driving the team of horses for the hay ride. He’d seemed tickled at the idea of driving just his son and Amanda around the quiet loop of countryside, and it took a bit before Amanda figured out that he’d deliberately arranged it so the two of them were the only riders on the hay-covered wagon. There’d been a full harvest moon that night, and it was the first time James had kissed her.
“Let me know what I can do for you…for him,” she nearly whispered, trying to keep the emotion out of her voice, but James caught it immediately.
“Thanks, Amanda. I’m sorry our date got interrupted.” She could hear a hint of a smile in his voice. “It was just starting to get interesting. Let’s try that again sometime, okay?”
“Whenever you can. I’ll be here.”
***
She didn’t get much sleep that night but did her best to try. Her dreams were as confused as her thoughts when she was lying in the dark. Bouncing between the horrible hand she’d discovered and the family bible hidden in her staircase, she kept going back to James’ father, lying in the intensive care unit at the hospital. Early in the morning, probably around five o’clock, she heard Dumb Cluck crow loudly at the back of the property, and finally drifted off into a fitful sleep.
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