Perilous Homecoming

by Sarah Varland

  “Not yet, but we’ll get it. We can’t bring him in without it, but we’ll have it. Just believe me.” Kelsey was sick of this. She was willing to put herself in Davies’s crosshairs one last time if it would prove that he was the one after her, if it would result in him being locked up and no longer free to terrorize her.

  “I can’t help you, Kelsey. I can’t take that kind of chance. He’s a fellow officer, a good officer with decades of honorable service, and I think maybe you’re just so desperate for this to be over that you’re seeing connections where there aren’t any.”

  She looked to Sawyer. “What do you think?”

  Clay followed her gaze. They both waited.

  “I believe you.” Sawyer didn’t even hesitate.

  Kelsey smiled.

  “Hitchcock! It’s time to go!” O’Dell stuck his head out of one of the rooms and yelled down the hallway of the police station.

  “You heard him. We’ve got a planning meeting and then the meet. Hopefully the guy stays ignorant of the fact that it’s a setup and no one gets hurt, us or Davies or the killer. Once we bring him in, we can finally get some answers.”

  “I’m telling you, there is no other man.”

  “I’m not going to start suspecting the men and women I work with of murder, Kelsey. There’s enough anti-officer sentiment in the country without other policemen adding to it.”

  “I’m right, Clay. I can feel it.” Couldn’t she? She wanted to second-guess herself, to fade back into the shadows of her other job, get out of this investigation, but she couldn’t. This was who she was. And she was sure.

  Clay shook his head. “Be careful, Kelsey. Whoever is after you is still out there. Don’t let your theory keep you from protecting yourself from whoever might be after you.”

  Clay walked down the hallway to the room where the other officers were waiting to start their meeting. Kelsey glanced at Sawyer, crept closer to the room and stood there just long enough to hear the location Davies had suggested they meet with “the suspect” he’d theoretically been covering for.

  Only there was no other man. Kelsey was sure, deep inside.

  She hurried back down the hall to Sawyer. They exited the police station and walked across the parking lot, heading straight for Sawyer’s truck.

  “We’ve got to meet them there.” Kelsey reached for the passenger door of the truck.

  Sawyer opened his own door and climbed in as she did. “Are you sure that’s a good idea? Clay didn’t seem very happy with your theory—he might get upset if we show up.”

  “It’s not me he’s upset with, it’s the idea of a policeman breaking the law. He doesn’t want to believe that it could be true.” She shook her head. “Clay is loyal to a fault. It was good when I was the one who needed him to stick by me, not be willing to believe some of the negative things that were said, but this is different.”

  “I don’t know if I hope you’re right or hope you’re wrong,” Sawyer admitted as he put the truck in Drive.

  “Let’s hope I’m right, so this can be over.”

  “Where’s the meet?”

  “Do you know where the old dock on the Hamilton property is?”

  “Yep.”

  “Drive us there.”

  Sawyer navigated the truck in that direction, but when Kelsey thought he should have been turning left down an old dirt road, he drove straight.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Sawyer Hamilton, remember? I know another way. If you’re hoping to walk up in the middle of their meeting and possibly get shot, then sure, let’s go back to the way everyone in town knows about. But otherwise I think we have a better chance using this path.”

  She’d give him that. “Thanks. I didn’t know about this way.”

  “Not many people do. I guess that Hamilton thing does come in handy sometimes.”

  “You sound as surprised as I am,” Kelsey teased.

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “Call the chief. We never were able to talk to him. He’s the only one with seniority over Davies. Maybe he will believe us.”

  She did. “He’s not answering.” She disconnected the call.

  “Call him again, and this time, leave a message. Tell him where we are in case we end up needing backup.”

  “But we’re supposed to be their backup.”

  “I know. But there’s no telling how this is going to go down.”

  “You’re right.” Kelsey called the chief’s number again. “Chief, this is Kelsey.” She paused, talking about Davies was too weird for voice mail. Then again, didn’t he need to know? “We’re headed to an old dock on the Hamilton property, hopefully to apprehend the killer. Sir... I’ve got to be honest, Clay disagrees with me, and O’Dell probably does, too, but I firmly believe that the killer is a Treasure Point police officer. I believe it’s Lieutenant Davies. I’ll check in with you in an hour. If you haven’t heard from me by then, please send more backup to the spot where the meet with Davies was supposed to take place. Bye.”

  SEVENTEEN

  A few days ago, Kelsey had listened to an attack that had taken a man’s life. Now she was creeping through the woods, watching for any sign of danger, wondering if today would be the day that she would die.

  “This is a stupid idea. We’re walking into a trap. It’s not too late to go home,” she whispered to Sawyer.

  He reached for her hand. Squeezed it once. “The trap isn’t meant for us—it’s meant for O’Dell and Hitchcock. You don’t want to leave them without backup, do you?”

  She shuddered at the thought of something happening to her cousin. “No, of course not.”

  She could see Hitchcock and O’Dell moving toward the abandoned dock, using extreme caution. As far as Kelsey could tell, no one else was there yet, not Davies or the theoretical suspect the officers were expecting to meet there.

  That last part didn’t surprise her, since Kelsey was sure there was no other person. It was Davies. What his plan was remained to be seen, but knowing him, she was sure he had one.

  She moved just a little closer, as carefully as she could, to a spot behind an oak tree and some tangled thorn bushes that served as pretty good cover. Sawyer followed and settled in beside her. His presence beside her made her feel stronger, made her feel more like who she really was. That was good, because she needed the confidence right now.

  Sawyer reached for her hand, and she looked at him, eyes catching his in a way she hadn’t expected. She squeezed back, smiled a little and took a deep breath.

  Time to focus.

  Kelsey could feel her heartbeat in her chest as they waited. She was hyperaware, felt the tickle of the branches she was leaning against, the slight wind through her hair, the way the air was humid and warm...

  Had it really only been days ago that she’d planned to blow into town, do her job as quickly as possible, get the house ready to sell, and then leave and never come back?

  Now here she was, lying in the dirt, back doing what she was starting to believe she was meant to do. Years before, when she’d joined the force, she’d convinced herself that police work was just a temporary stop for her along the way to her bigger plans, but had she been wrong?

  Kelsey didn’t know now. What she did know was that she’d taken list making and goal setting too far. She’d made control her ultimate purpose in life and refused to listen to God if what He said didn’t categorize nicely into a box in her mind.

  The realization hit her with an almost physical thud in her chest.

  God, that’s not having a relationship with You. It’s...it’s worse than treating You like my own personal wish granter. You are the Giver of good things, but they’re the good things You choose. Sometimes...

  Kelsey swallowed hard.

  Sometimes people j
ust can’t plan for those. And when I couldn’t plan for them, I just ignored them, tried to pretend like You weren’t giving me anything.

  It would be so easy to make excuses, to shut off this uncomfortable realization in her mind. But Kelsey didn’t want that, she wanted something more this time. Is that it, God? Do You want me to realize that sometimes when we feel out of control, we see You clearest? I’m sorry. I’ll work on giving it up. You be in charge.

  Kelsey felt like her hands were full and empty at the same time. Full of possibilities, of the excitement of knowing that God could do anything with a heart surrendered to him, but empty because she’d used them for so long to hold so tightly to the illusion of control that had been one of the most important things in her life.

  And now...

  It was gone. Kelsey exhaled.

  Movement caught her eye.

  “There’s Davies. What’s the plan?” Sawyer asked.

  For once, Kelsey didn’t have one. She shook her head. “I have no idea,” she whispered as quietly as she could. “Watch, be careful, and if I have to pull my gun, stay back and out of the line of fire.”

  “Where is he?” O’Dell asked. Kelsey was thankful she’d moved closer so they were within hearing range of the dock, though still far enough back to remain unseen.

  “He should be here.”

  Kelsey watched Davies, analyzed his movements. Surely he wasn’t planning to kill both other officers. He couldn’t get away with that. At least, Kelsey didn’t think so. And what would it accomplish? Getting rid of these men wouldn’t stop the investigation, it would just accelerate it. But watching the slow, calculated steps he took, she wasn’t sure Davies planned for anyone other than him to walk away alive. Maybe he planned to kill them and frame someone else for their deaths. It was impossible to know for sure, but he seemed to have a plan. Kelsey watched, holding her breath.

  Clay moved his hand to his sidearm and Davies drew his faster. “What, did you see something?” Davies asked, still playing the part. Kelsey’s muscles were tense. He had to give himself away. O’Dell looked like he didn’t know what to think—Kelsey hadn’t shared her theory with him—and Clay looked torn up.

  He was realizing that she was right. But now there was nothing he could do. To admit that he was onto Davies was to sign his own death warrant, but how long could he play along?

  Movement to her left caught her eye and Kelsey glanced that way. Shiloh and the chief. Shiloh put a finger up to her mouth and met Kelsey’s eyes. Then she held up a hand, mouthed “Wait.”

  That’s what Kelsey would do. Seemed like something she should have done more in her life, rather than being in such a hurry to make progress on her plans. What had she missed in life so far because of her refusal to wait?

  She already knew the answer to that. One of the biggest answers to that question was four inches to her right. If they got out of this unharmed... Kelsey was going to have to think of a way to get him to ask her out on a date.

  “I just feel like there’s more going on here than it seems,” Clay said in a level voice, meeting the lieutenant’s eyes the entire time.

  Kelsey watched Matt, beside Clay. He also unholstered his weapon slowly, and Kelsey didn’t think he knew why, but he trusted his partner’s lead. That was how it was supposed to work.

  One more moment of calm, of stillness, and then everything exploded, like dry grass with a match tossed in it.

  Davies turned, gun still in his hand, and sprinted through the woods away from the dock. Whatever his plan had been, he’d clearly abandoned it now. They finally had the upper hand—now if only they could keep it, they might end this.

  The other two officers sprinted after him, and Kelsey stood, looking over at Sawyer. “What do we do?”

  He shook his head. “Stand here and stay out of the line of fire.”

  He was right. This wasn’t over yet.

  O’Dell tackled Davies and the two men grappled. Kelsey flinched every time she heard another fist connect to someone.

  Shiloh and the chief ran in the direction of the scuffle.

  Finally, they’d managed to subdue the lieutenant.

  Shiloh slid the handcuffs on, smiling a little as she did so. “I never liked you, Davies. And also, you’re under arrest.”

  “What are you doing?” Davies tried to protest. “My contact...”

  “Just stop. There is no contact, and we all know it,” Kelsey said to him as she walked over to where the officers had things under control. She wasn’t going to get in the way, but she had a few things she wanted to say, too.

  “How dare you, Davies? You tried to kill me, not just once, but a lot of times. Someone who once worked under your command. We were never close, but I respected you as my superior and a man I thought was a good officer.”

  “I am those things. You’re making a mistake.”

  “I don’t think we are,” the chief said, then he looked at Shiloh. “You weren’t quite as careful covering your tracks as you thought you were, Davies.”

  “What are you talking about?” he blustered.

  “I have eyewitness testimony that puts you at the dive shop on the morning Kelsey’s equipment was tampered with,” Shiloh said.

  “Circumstantial,” Davies said, sneering.

  “I also found fingerprints in the dive shop in the one place the owner forgot to clean after you asked him to erase all evidence you were there in return for continuing to ignore some minor criminal infractions going on at the shop. The prints and his testimony should be more than enough.”

  “And when you can get a warrant for his house, you should find plundered goods and antiques from several shipwrecks near the coast of Treasure Point. I’d say those are pretty solid pieces of evidence,” Kelsey added.

  Davies had nothing to say to that.

  But Kelsey smiled as they hauled him away to the nearest waiting patrol car.

  It looked like this was finally over.

  * * *

  Back at the police department, in Treasure Point’s only interrogation room, the truth was finally being brought to light. The chief was in the room with Davies—since he was the only one who outranked him and was madder than a rattlesnake that one of his own had committed such crimes.

  The rest of them were gathered on the other side of the two-way mirror—a new addition to the station in the last year that was coming in handy right now. Sawyer hadn’t seen a police interrogation before.

  “You don’t understand,” Davies whined.

  “Don’t understand what it’s like to kill an innocent man? You’re right. I don’t understand that.”

  “It was a victimless crime. No one ever needed to know about it.”

  “You call second-degree homicide a victimless crime?”

  Davies finally flinched. “Before...before that.”

  The chief wisely said nothing, just let the silence settle into Davies.

  “But the museum found out about your shipwreck plundering, and Wingate was going to report you.”

  Davies dropped his head to his chest. “I’ve known about those wrecks since I was a kid. My family...”

  “The pirate connections. We know.”

  Davies lifted his head to glare through the glass, presumably at Kelsey.

  “I figured I had as good a claim to them as anybody, and I started diving there as a hobby. I was collecting some of the items for myself. I never had any intention of selling them. Until...”

  “Until you found out what they were worth, I assume.”

  Davies sighed. “Yes. So I started selling them. When the museum was set to open soon, I began to wonder if my family’s connection to pirate history would be included, and if that could connect me to the things I’d been recovering.”

  “Stealing or plundering is more
accurate than recovering.”

  Davies ignored him, continuing his self-justifying rant. “I did some research and found out how harsh the penalties were...so when I was in that room on the night of the opening and Wingate commented on the map and asked me if I’d been to any of those places, and said he’d heard once that my ancestors had been responsible for the wrecks, I decided he knew too much.”

  “And you killed him.”

  “I did.”

  “That may be enough premeditation for first-degree homicide.” The chief shook his head. “You were a good cop, Davies. At least, I thought so. Badge.” He held out his hand and the lieutenant removed the metal shield from his uniform.

  The chief picked up his radio. “I need someone to arrange prisoner transport to the Glynn County Detention Center.”

  Sawyer recognized that as a prison in Brunswick, not far away.

  “Must have decided he was too high risk to go to McIntosh County. It’s more of a temporary facility,” Kelsey commented under her breath.

  The chief had Davies stand and led him out of the room toward the holding area.

  Kelsey exhaled beside him. “It’s really over.”

  “It is.” They walked together back into the hallway of the police department. The case had taken so much of his thoughts and energy that he hadn’t considered much about what would happen now that it was over. “Now I guess you’ll go back to Savannah?” He held the door open for her as she walked outside. The chief had asked them to come back later when he was finished overseeing Davies’s transport for a more thorough debriefing about the case.

  “I...I’m not sure.”

  Something about the way she looked at him... She’d pushed him away in the attic after that amazing kiss and Sawyer had backed off. But now? She seemed to be inviting the opposite.

  “Why don’t we walk and talk, and see if we can figure things out.”

  She nodded, more quiet than he’d ever seen her. “That would be good.”

  They headed toward the dock.

  “I’m going to stay here in town,” Sawyer told her. “I’ve decided to use some of my family’s connections to start a marine wildlife research center here in Treasure Point. It’s a slightly different ecosystem than Savannah. They’re minor variations, but who knows how much impact it could have on what we could learn if there was a center here.”