by LENA DIAZ,
Even Garreth, who’d been here a day longer than the others, couldn’t have brought a gun. And Dex couldn’t imagine him running out and buying one in Naples. There was no way his staid, serious lawyer who saw only right and wrong with no gray areas would ever consider buying a gun. And he certainly had no reason to kill Mallory.
Dex knocked on the door and shoved his own borrowed gun back into his waistband, feeling silly for even having it out in the first place. Garreth wasn’t a killer. Period.
“Garreth? It’s Dex. Are you in there?” He knocked again. “Garreth?”
“He’s probably done run off,” Freddie said. “After shooting that lady friend of yours.”
“He’s a lawyer who has dedicated his life to the pursuit of the law. He’s not a murderer,” Dex said.
“So you say.” As one, all the locals nodded as if to lend their belief to hers. Including Amber this time.
Dex rolled his eyes and knocked on the door again. “Garreth?” When his lawyer didn’t answer, Dex turned the knob, then pushed the door open. He stepped inside as Garreth bolted up in the bed, staring at him in alarm.
“What’s going on?” He pulled a pair of earplugs out of his ears and looked in shock first at the gun in Dex’s waistband and then past him.
Dex didn’t have to turn around to know that his band of followers in the hallway were probably all crowded around the doorway peeking inside, if they hadn’t already come inside.
“There’s been a shooting,” he said. “You didn’t hear anything?”
Garreth held out the earplugs. “No. Was someone hurt?”
“Mallory. She’s...dead.”
Garreth’s mouth fell open and his face turned pale. “Mallory’s dead?” he choked. He cleared his throat. “I don’t understand. What happened?” He tossed his earplugs onto the bedside table and grabbed his robe from the foot of the bed, tugging it on and tying the belt.
“Good question. Looks like now that we’ve found you, everyone is accounted for. Which means either there was an intruder, or—”
“Or one of us is the killer,” Garreth said.
Dex nodded. “We need to corral everyone somewhere, take away their guns—”
“Guns?”
“It seems to be standard issue out here. They all have them.”
Garreth’s gaze dropped to Dex’s waistband, his eyes widening. “Including you.”
“I borrowed it. After I heard the gunshot.”
The color began returning to Garreth’s face and he straightened his shoulders, looking all business again. “As your lawyer, I strongly recommend that you return the gun to whomever you borrowed it from. It could likely be the murder weapon and since you’d be the first suspect, given that the victim is—”
“He didn’t kill her.” Amber stood beside Dex. “And that gun was in my drawer in my room when the gunshot went off. It can’t be the murder weapon.”
Garreth looked pointedly at how close Amber was standing next to Dex and frowned. “Given that Miss Callahan was only recently suspected of murder herself, I suggest that you keep your distance from her. It doesn’t look right.”
Dex put his arm around Amber’s shoulders. “That little bit of advice isn’t going to be followed. My suggestion is that you get dressed. We’ll all meet in, um, the...” He glanced down at Amber and arched a brow.
“In the great room where we were last night. It’s at the front of the house, to the left of the front door. It’s close to the kitchen so we can fix coffee or sodas for everyone.”
“Right. The great room. We’ll see you there.”
Garreth grabbed his cell phone from beside his bed.
“Don’t bother,” a chorus of people called out from the doorway. “No service.”
Dex held Amber’s hand and made his way through the throng and headed toward the stairs. “We’re going to the great room and we’ll figure out what to do,” he announced to the others.
“Follow Dex and Amber,” Buddy announced. “Dex is Jake’s friend, and a private investigator. He’ll know what to do and he’ll be able to figure out who the bad guy is.”
“He’s also a sheriff’s deputy. He was deputized in town before he came out here,” Amber added, as if to give him some legitimacy.
Dex rolled his eyes again but since everyone was following him without complaint, maybe using his temporary deputy status was a good idea. He flipped on lights as the group tromped and clomped through the hallway then down the stairs into the massive two-story foyer.
When they reached the great room, Dex spotted a trunk with a lock on it. “Amber, do you have the key to that trunk?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think so.”
Buddy hurried to the medieval-sized fireplace at the end of the room and pulled a picture on hinges away from the wall. On the back was a hook with a small ring of keys. “It should be one of these.”
“Well, that’s a dandy place to hide keys,” Dex grumbled. “A burglar would find that in no time.”
Buddy handed him the keys and gave him an admonishing look. “We don’t have burglars in Mystic Glades. And until tonight, we didn’t have murderers, either.”
“Too bad you didn’t make that clear back when Granddaddy Callahan died and everyone blamed Amber.” Dex leaned forward and snatched the keys from Buddy’s hand.
Buddy turned red.
Amber stepped between them. “Stop it. There’s no point in rehashing the past. And it was just as much my decision to leave after Grandpa died as it was Buddy’s to not speak about what he thought happened. We both made mistakes.”
Dex didn’t understand how she could be so forgiving of her fellow townspeople after being ostracized for two years, but he respected her wishes to drop it and didn’t say anything else. He bent down in front of the trunk and tried several keys before one fit. When he opened the trunk, he found it half-full of blankets, with plenty of room for his purposes. He stood and held his hand out to Buddy, who was still looking sullen and standing a few feet away.
“I think we’ll all be safer if we lock up the guns. Buddy, you first.” He held out his hand.
Buddy looked at him as if he thought he’d lost his mind. “I don’t think so.”
Amber put her hand on Buddy’s shoulder. “Dex is right. Like it or not, someone in this room shot Mallory. We need to lock all the guns away both as evidence and to insure that no one else gets hurt.”
“If someone wants to kill one of us, they can do it with or without a gun,” he grumbled.
“Buddy,” Amber admonished.
“Okay, okay.” He pulled his gun out of his waistband and handed it to Dex.
“Thank you.” Dex used one of the smaller blankets as a glove of sorts so he didn’t touch the gun. He put the gun in the trunk.
Freddie and Amy put their guns in the trunk, as well. And, finally, Dex put his borrowed Colt .45 in with the others. As he locked the trunk, a feeling of relief settled over him. Knowing no one was running around with a loaded gun made him feel much less worried.
“Are there any more guns in the house, Amber?” He didn’t bother mentioning the one that may or may not be in her grandfather’s sealed room and knew she wouldn’t either.
“I don’t think so, at least not that I know of.”
Buddy walked to the fireplace at the end of the room. “I’ll start a fire. It’ll be cozy and good to have in case the lights go out. Although the generators should kick in. But you never know.”
“I’ll help,” Aunt Freddie said.
They both began loading kindling and logs from a wooden box to the right of the hearth. Everyone else split off into groups, sitting on the various chairs and couches around the room.
Dex led Amber to one of the front windows. “If one of us drives into town, do you think we cou
ld get phone service there to call the police?”
She shook her head. “Even if we could get service somewhere in town, it wouldn’t matter. No one can leave here until this weather clears up.”
He gave her an exasperated look. “I’m not afraid of a little rain and lightning.”
“You don’t understand. Rain like this, for as long as it’s been raining, will make the roads impassable. This house and the surrounding property become an island. There’s no way to get into town.”
“How can you be sure?”
She let out a deep sigh. “Come on. I’ll show you.” She headed toward the foyer.
“Should we come, too?” Buddy called out.
“No, no. We’ll be right back,” Dex assured him.
When they reached the front door, Amber opened a drawer in a small decorative table against the wall and pulled out a flashlight.
“Let’s hope the batteries still work or that Buddy has kept fresh ones stocked as part of watching after the estate.” She pressed the button. The flashlight remained dark. “One more chance.” She reached into the back of the drawer and pulled out a pack of batteries. “Voilà.” She exchanged the old batteries for new and the flashlight sparked to life.
“Come on, outsider. I’ll prove my point.”
He shook his head and followed her to the railing.
She aimed the flashlight toward the front yard and slowly moved it from the trees to the left, across the road, to the trees to the right. Except there wasn’t a road anymore. There was a river, flowing left to right and forming a moat around the property.
Dex clutched the railing. “That’s crazy. We’re stranded.”
“Totally. Don’t worry, the water won’t get into the house. The foundation is on concrete pylons driven deep into the ground. The water would have to rise another six feet to come inside. And as far as I know, it’s never gotten that high. Grandpa knew what he was doing when he built this place.”
“How long before the water recedes?”
“A good twenty-four hours after the rain stops. Like it or not, we’re all stuck here together. With a dead body.”
“And a murderer.”
She set the flashlight on the railing and faced him. “While we’ve got a moment alone, tell me what you saw in your bedroom.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to know the details and you wouldn’t let me in the room. It’s my house now. I have a right to know what happened.”
“I suppose you do. Okay. Mallory was lying in my bed, under the covers, facing the other way. I didn’t know who was in the bed at first. Her hair was covered by a blanket. All I saw was blood.” He swallowed hard. “Buddy and I both ran in together and I soon realized it was Mallory. There was no point in performing CPR. She was already dead, and the bullet did...too much damage.”
She seemed to think about what he’d said for a moment. “I think you need to consider that whoever killed your fiancée—”
“Ex-fiancée.”
“—might have been trying to kill you, instead.”
“Because she was in my bedroom?”
“Yes. Everyone knew where you and I were staying because we’d already claimed those rooms and told the others to choose different ones. And someone did sabotage your plane. If Mallory was under the covers, the killer might have thought it was you.”
“Makes sense. Makes more sense than someone wanting to kill Mallory. No one here has any reason to want her harmed.”
“Are you sure about that? Did they all know her very well?”
He frowned. “Derek knew her, of course, since we double-dated in the beginning. But I don’t think he kept in touch with her after we broke up. Mallory did mention last night that she’d heard about the plane crash from Mitchell. That surprised me, since I wouldn’t have expected that Mitchell and she would have had anything to do with each other after we ended the engagement.”
“And Garreth?”
“He was going to be the best man at the wedding, so of course he knew Mallory. But he didn’t have any reason to want her dead.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Your lawyer seemed concerned that someone might think you had something to do with her murder.”
“He’s just being protective since I’m his client. But I had no reason to want her dead.”
“Are you sure?”
He tightened his hands on the railing. “What exactly about me makes you think I’d kill someone? Especially a woman I was going to marry?”
She met his stare without flinching. “Since you were in my room when she was killed, I obviously know that you didn’t harm her. What I’m asking is whether anyone else would have reason to suspect you’d want to kill her.”
His anger faded as he considered what she was saying. “You think someone killed her to frame me?”
She shrugged. “Just looking at all of the possibilities.”
“Maybe I should change Lassiter and Young Private Investigations to Lassiter and Callahan.”
She grinned. “Maybe you should.”
Lightning cracked across the sky, briefly illuminating the growing river like a strobe light. “Standing out here doesn’t feel too safe right now. I think we might be better off taking our chances inside. Come on.”
They’d just stepped inside when the lights went out.
Chapter Twelve
Dex stood on the back porch beside Garreth, Amber and Buddy, eyeing the swirling, brackish water that covered the fifty yards between the house and the maintenance shed. Conveniently, the shed—which housed the generator—was on pylons, which meant it was above the water level, but inconveniently, it was still through the swamp.
“I don’t suppose the rain and lightning will keep the snakes away.” Dex stared at the dark water.
“Or the alligators,” Garreth added.
“Probably not,” Amber agreed. “Honestly, there’s no reason to go out there. We’ve got plenty of firewood and candles for light. And it’s not exactly cold outside. We’ll all just sweat a bit with the air conditioner off.”
Dex grimaced. “Speaking of sweating, and no airconditioning, if we’re going to be stuck in this house much longer, there’s something else to worry about.” He grimaced and looked at Amber. “Mallory. We need to do something to...” He swallowed hard. “Preserve her.”
“Oh. I hadn’t thought of that. Well, there is a deep freeze in the kitchen. I suppose we could, ah, empty it and...”
“I suppose we could,” Dex agreed, bile rising up in his throat at the idea of putting his former fiancée’s body in a freezer. Even though they hadn’t loved each other, they had been friends. And the idea that someone had killed her had him clenching his fists and wishing for someone to punch. “All right. That alone means I have to get that generator going. Buddy, you said any tools I might need are in the shed, too. What about fuel for the generator?”
“The fuel is in a tank on the far side, outside the structure. I’m sure it’s full. The problem is more likely a fuse. All this lightning must have overloaded a circuit.”
Dex stripped out of his jeans down to his boxers, then pulled on his tennis shoes, which he’d grabbed from upstairs. He took the keys out of his pocket. “Amber, we’ll need that flashlight. Maybe Buddy can shine it on the water so I can see where I’m going. And will you unlock the trunk and grab the .45? You’ll be on snake-and-gator patrol while I swim over.”
“This is crazy, Dex. It’s too dangerous. You have no way of knowing what’s in that water. And as fast as it’s moving it could suck you out into the swamp.”
“I don’t have a choice. I can’t let... Mallory... I have to get the generator on. Okay?”
She sighed. “Okay. I get it. Just give me a minute
.”
She ran inside and returned shortly with the gun. She checked the loading, then held it down by her side. “Ready.”
Dex leaned down to press a quick kiss against her lips, but she put her hand around his neck and pulled him in for a deeper kiss full of longing. When she broke the kiss, his traitorous body was straining against the front of his boxers. He shook his head and grinned.
“You’re dangerous, Amber.”
She stepped closer, shielding him from the others. There was no sign of humor on her face though as she looked up at him. “Be careful, Dex. I mean it. If you get in that water and the current is too strong, get out. No heroics. It’s not worth it.”
“Are you saying you’d miss me if something happened to me?” he teased.
“Yes.”
Her quick, serious answer had his body tightening almost painfully. “There’s no way in hell that I won’t come back to you.” He kissed her again, then headed down the porch steps before she could try to stop him. As soon as Buddy shone the flashlight on the roiling water at the base of the steps, Dex stepped into the abyss.
The water wasn’t overly deep, only up to his hips. But Amber was right. The current was incredibly strong as water rushed from the surrounding higher areas and was sucked out toward the Glades. Every step was a struggle to remain upright, and soon he was sweating and breathing heavily as if he’d been in a tremendous battle. But other than dodging some dead branches floating past him, he made it to the maintenance shed without incident.
He pulled himself up on the concrete steps, catching his breath as he looked back toward the house. Amber waved at him and he waved back to let her know all was well. Then he opened the door and went inside. Too late he realized he should have brought a flashlight. The interior was as dark as midnight. He ran his hands along the wall until he located the light switch and flipped it. Nothing.
He felt along the walls for a fuse box, and tripped over several tools and unknown objects before he found it. Not wanting to stick his wet hands inside the box, he felt around for a while until he found a bucket of rags and wiped his hands dry. Then he returned to the box and carefully patted the interior until he found the main switch. He shoved it up until it clicked, then pulled it back down to reset everything. Since he didn’t hear the hum of the generator outside kicking on, he started flipping each breaker individually. Halfway through, the generator suddenly belched to life.