Starlight Dunes

by Vickie McKeehan

  They hadn’t made out but they had laughed and talked over the worst cup of coffee Brent had ever tasted and he’d drank some pretty awful stuff at the sheriff’s department.

  At noon, Brent wandered over to meet his brother for lunch at the Diner, whistling the entire way. There was a distinctive spring in his step. He couldn’t remember when he’d felt so lighthearted about anything. Today he walked in through the door relaxed and upbeat.

  He spotted Ethan sitting in the largest booth in the corner with a group of men he recognized as Nick Harris, Logan Donnelly, and Wally Pierce, owner of the gas station. The men huddled with Ethan over coffee. They looked as though they’d already been there a while and were deep in discussion.

  Ethan waved him over and Brent slid into the booth next to his brother. “What’s up with you guys? You look like you could use something stronger than caffeine.”

  Logan scratched the back of his neck. The recently married Logan, whose wife Kinsey was expecting their first child in March, was clearly uncomfortable.

  Brent glanced around the table until his eyes landed on the sculptor. “Did I interrupt something?”

  Logan cleared his throat. “I know that team of archaeologists found a second set of bones at the dig site. Are you certain these are centuries-old bones? Is there the slightest chance they could belong to one of Knudsen’s victims and we’re just now finding that out?”

  Brent shook his head. “River assures me that the carbon dating came back to late fifteenth century, somewhere between 1450 and 1490. It’s as close as they can get and pretty damn accurate.”

  Logan blew out a breath. “That’s something, I guess.”

  “You were worried there were more victims out there? Can’t say I blame you any.”

  “I’ll always worry about that. Rumors are rumbling around town that other young girls went missing and we just didn’t find them. Yet. People fear Knudsen kept back certain info regarding his kills and that maybe whatever they find at the dig site might have something to do with him.”

  “I’ll do what I can to squash those rumors mainly because River’s team has dug down more than five feet now. I doubt Knudsen or his partners in crime would’ve bothered with that kind of depth. I don’t mean to be insensitive but—”

  “When your sister dies at the hands of a brutal serial killer, there’s not much else to get sensitive about,” Logan said. “Just tell me straight.”

  “Okay. Then consider this. The other victims, including Megan, were found in much more shallow graves, no more than three feet. Keep in mind the bones in question at the dig site never would’ve come to light at all without Mother Nature’s interference. That’s how far down they were in the ground. They still haven’t excavated the second set of remains. They haven’t even extracted the canoe yet. The entire site is definitely pre-Columbian. According to River, the whole thing is a major find. So rest assured any bones found near that area will be scrutinized by experts.”

  “That’s good to know then,” Logan concluded. “Although I’m convinced Knudsen may have more victims.”

  “You’re probably right about that,” Ethan said in agreement. “Most serial killers never give up all their victims.”

  “That’s what bothers me,” Logan confessed.

  “Knudsen’s trial is a ways off still. In fact, it could take another couple of years for him to get to trial. There’s still a chance he’ll try to negotiate a plea deal before that. Look Logan, I know what happened here with your sister, Megan, weighs on you. I’m actually surprised you decided to stay here and settle down, raise a family.”

  “I like the idea of my child growing up here. And I think Megan would like that as well.”

  “Just don’t plan to send them to school here,” Nick complained. “Hutton starts kindergarten next year. There’s no school in this town. Jordan and I are committed to bringing the town back from economic disaster, but that’s one huge drawback for us we never considered. We’re already dreading the fact that Hutton will have to get on a bus to ride all the way over to San Sebastian for class. And we’ll have to bring her into town in order to do that. Promise Cove isn’t even on their bus route.”

  “That means she’ll have to get up at the crack of dawn. I know because Kyra’s in the same boat,” Wally groaned in agreement. “She’s been going to the preschool at the church. But once next fall gets here, she’ll be right there with Hutton. Lilly and I believe that having to spend all that time on a bus is ridiculous for a five-year-old. And before we know it, Joey will be right there beside both of them.”

  “That’s just plain silly,” Ethan remarked. “I don’t want Nate hopping on a bus to make a forty mile trip out of town every day.”

  “I don’t like the idea of that either,” Logan stated. “San Sebastian is too far away for that.”

  “Then why don’t you guys do something about it?” Brent said in challenge.

  “Like what?” Nick asked. “Other than build a school here, I don’t know what else we could do.”

  “What about the old elementary at the corner of Landings Bay and Cape May?” Brent suggested.

  “That place is falling apart,” Wally pointed out. “They closed it down twenty years ago when enrollment dropped to under fifty. That’s how long the kids have been riding the bus over to San Sebastian and how long it’s been sitting vacant.”

  Nick raised a brow, intrigued by the idea. He exchanged glances with Logan. “But could it be renovated? What kind of shape is it in?”

  “As long as it’s structurally sound and doesn’t have asbestos issues, or any type of mold problems, any building can be remodeled,” Logan stated.

  Ethan shook his head. “But that doesn’t solve the enrollment issue. What if there aren’t enough school-age kids here in town to fill it up? I mean Nate doesn’t start school for another four years but if you could swing this, I’m in.”

  “Okay, then the next questions to get answered would be what exactly would it take to get a school opened in less than a year’s time with limited registration?” Nick asked.

  “A lot, I’m sure,” Brent returned easily. “So the real question would be how motivated are you guys to see it gets done?”

  “Not to mention a project like that would take major bucks,” Wally noted. “Even though we’d probably need nothing short of Santa Clause to pull it off, I’m in, too.”

  “Is it possible to raise that kind of money in such a short amount of time?” Logan pondered. “Is it even doable?”

  “What do you say after lunch we go take a look at the building, decide from there?” Nick proposed.

  Logan drained his coffee cup. “As someone who just happens to be putting the finishing touches on my own personal project—not to mention I’m about to embark on fatherhood for the first time—I hope to one day send my kid to a local school. If it isn’t here, then where?”

  “So what are you saying?”

  “I’m up for another crazy-ass, new project.”

  “Good,” Nick said. “Because this one will take more than Santa Clause, it’ll take a damned miracle if we could pull it off.”

  That sentiment turned out to be true after lunch when the men drove over in caravan style and spent two hours walking around the abandoned building.

  Looking at it up close, it was hard to believe the old school had once seen hundreds of students from kindergarten to sixth grade come through its doors on a daily basis.

  Now, two decades of disrepair had not been kind to the one-story structure. Most of the letters had fallen off the front of the building. Those that remained spelled out something indecipherable. “eli an Po te Ele t ry Sch” was all that was left.

  Windows were busted out. The moist marine air had done its damage by rusting out the foyer around the entryway.

  The interior had suffered the same fate as the outside. Vandals had trashed the administrative offices, the classrooms, sprayed graffiti in the restrooms, cafeteria and gym areas.

  “
And I thought the keeper’s cottage was a mess,” Logan admitted. “Wally’s right. This will take some major bucks.”

  “But is the building sound? Is it worth it?” Nick wanted to know.

  “If we could pull this off, I might change careers and decide to do this for a living,” Logan muttered as he tested a load-bearing wall for its sturdiness.

  “You mean renovating old places?” Wally asked. “I’ve seen what you did with the lighthouse. You could earn a nice living at it.”

  “Yep.” Logan scratched his chin. “I haven’t created anything new since I got here. And right back atcha because I’ve seen what you can do to a transmission and an engine,” Logan said to Wally.

  Nick shook his head. “You think you haven’t created anything new, huh? Seems to me, the last time I checked, someone brought a lighthouse back from the dead, remodeled the keeper’s cottage, and painted a mural that’s practically a tourist attraction in the middle of town. I’d say that counts as creativity beyond the norm.”

  “He’s got you there,” Brent added. “Look, I hate to miss out on the rest of the fun, but since I’m the only guy here who isn’t married and doesn’t even have a stake in this, I’ve got to get to my rent-a-cop job.”

  “At least there’s no silly uniform involved,” Ethan joked as he walked Brent outside to his truck. “I gotta say your change of heart about heading this security detail surprises me. You don’t seem to mind the gig all that much. Or could it be because of the perks, or rather one gorgeous perk thrown in, that’s changed your mind?”

  “River’s amazing. I’ve never met a woman as strong. It’s sexy as hell.”

  Ethan grinned, recognizing a change in his brother. “You any closer to getting back to work, officially?”

  “No. It seems the county is going out of its way to throw out all kinds of stumbling blocks my way.”

  “Like what?”

  “For starters, that I’m unfit mentally and physically to resume the office.”

  “You’re kidding? After cleaning up the department like you did? That definitely stinks of political motivation.”

  “You’re telling me.”

  When Brent turned to head to his pickup, Ethan called out, “Hey, bro.”

  “Yeah?”

  “That nutjob who’s after you is obsessed. I can’t get a bead on him. He moves around a lot.”

  Brent nodded. “I appreciate your trying.”

  “And Brent?”

  “What now?”

  “Be careful out there.”

  “You got it.”

  While Brent spent his afternoon hanging out with the guys, River took the time to stroll down Ocean Street. After twenty minutes she ended up standing in front of Hidden Moon Bay Books. It wasn’t, of course, by accident. She’d intended to stop in because for weeks she’d been curious about Ethan Cody. She was dying to find out how deep his psychic ability ran.

  But since she couldn’t just walk in the door and ask if the mystery writer would help her look for her son, she had to play it like a tourist.

  She’d sought out psychics before. Some had been nothing more than cons. But she couldn’t see the sheriff’s brother posing as a scam artist.

  There had been a few that had given her leads. Anything she felt viable, she always passed along to Gil Conroy. She wasn’t sure Gil followed up on all of them. But at least it made her feel like she contributed to the search in some way other than standing on the sidelines.

  River stepped into the shop with tables filled with fragrant candles, an assortment of fresh herbs, and rows of bookshelves filled to the brim with hardcovers, paperbacks, and audios, a reader’s haven.

  A portable crib set up at the end of the register area held a sleeping baby. River decided that must be the reason there was no bell above the door.

  She glanced around to see a prominent table dedicated to Ethan Cody’s two bestsellers. Generous stacks of each one dominated the tabletop.

  River reached over to thumb through the pages.

  The blonde behind the counter sent her a wide smile of approval at her taste in thrillers. “Come on in. I was hoping you’d finally stop by.”

  “You were?”

  “Sure. I find it fascinating what you do. I once wanted to be a forest ranger so I appreciate anyone who works outside in the weather, enduring the elements like you guys do.”

  “Heat, sun, bitter cold, yep, that’s us. Don’t forget the bugs we encounter.”

  “Eww, I forgot about that. Are you looking for anything in particular? Except, of course, the one you have in your hand. That one is riveting. It’s about a ship that vanished off the California Coast set in present day.”

  “Sold. I’ll take it, along with his second book.”

  Hayden sent her a wide smile. “I like you already.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Skulking around in the dark wearing night vision goggles was a pain in the ass. But when the marine layer rolled in thick and heavy off the water it was a necessity, especially if the strike proved a success. The timing had to be perfect as did the aim. Having a steady hand on the trigger would surely get the desired results this time.

  No one would expect a climb down the side of a cliff in pitch-black darkness. Only a fool would try that or someone who didn’t give a shit about their safety. That’s what made it a brilliant tactical foray into the camp of the enemy.

  Death was the goal. Brent Cody’s would be beautiful. It wasn’t just the definitive payback. It was the only acceptable form of retribution.

  The copse of trees on top of the cliffs made for a good hiding place and an excellent perch in which to keep an eye on the man’s movements below. So far, all the sheriff had done on duty was to sit on his ass or stretch his legs. His ego had to have taken a hit at such a menial position.

  But then the son of a bitch should be dead anyway so it hardly mattered. At the very least he should be back on the job by now. Why wasn’t he? Probably milking the disability angle. Instead of top cop in the county he’d been relegated to what amounted to mall security—couldn’t be a more fitting demotion for the asshole unless it was the ultimate—an ugly casket buried six feet in the ground.

  A choir of chirping crickets broke the monotony. Scouting Brent Cody from this angle was so much easier than taking him out at ground level near the dunes.

  A sitting duck is what he was—a gift of opportunity really. The dig site below made for a difficult climb down. But it wasn’t impossible.

  Good thing agility ran in the family.

  The fog had rolled in leaving the quiet of night broken only by the gentle lap of the ocean as it washed up against the pebbled shoreline. Approaching the midnight hour, Brent had spent the last uneventful eight hours on the job listening to that slap and ebb.

  He would admit to no one that tonight the continuous back and forth rhythm had almost lulled him to sleep a time or two. As the gentle rush of waves met beach, he expected any minute to see Zach Dennison rounding the dunes to take over for him on the sunrise shift.

  Since Zach and his sister, Bree, shared a little bungalow on Cape May, left to them by their father who died last June, Brent figured Zach could use the work. It was rumored around town that the two siblings had considered leaving Pelican Pointe and heading to San Jose for better-paying jobs. They were having a tough time making ends meet. That was only one reason Brent had thought of Zach for work. The other, was that they were a couple of decent kids who badly needed to catch a break.

  While Bree spent almost every waking hour either taking courses at the junior college in San Sebastian or working four to midnight at McCready’s, her brother, Zach, picked up whatever odd jobs he could around town. He’d missed out on the lighthouse project last spring because he’d gone out of state to Colorado to work construction.

  Their father’s death might’ve been what brought Zach back to Pelican Pointe but it wasn’t why he stayed. Zach’s kid sister, Bree, had just recently turned twenty-one, old enough to cart
drinks at the bar. Brent knew that worried the big brother. After all, he could relate. Over the years there had been times he’d felt much the same way about his little brother. For years Ethan had seemed to drift aimlessly without direction. Who would’ve ever thought the man who’d once tended bar and played in a band—would have found marital bliss—along with a solid career doing something he loved?

  If that didn’t show that sticking it out with family could turn out for the best, nothing did.

  In Brent’s mind family came first. He was sure that was the reason Zach had stuck around over the summer in Pelican Pointe. He recognized that about Zach. That’s why he hoped like hell the Dennisons didn’t leave. Too many people were packing up and heading someplace else these days.

  Even if he didn’t live here permanently, Brent didn’t like to see the little town lose any of its residents. When that happened enough times, chunks began to fall away that you could never get back. Folks had to have a reason to stay.

  Just that morning, the town council had made it official. They’d voted to move forward with a major renovation to re-open Pelican Pointe Elementary. The old building would have to undergo upgrades and changes. It would take dedication on the part of everyone in town to see that it happened. After all, families with children couldn’t keep packing their kids off to school in another town. It was embarrassing.

  Brent might not have to worry about things like that. But seeing the determination on the faces of fathers like Nick and Wally and his own brother, Ethan, did make a man wonder about all those what-ifs in life.

  If River Amandez ever got her son back, would she head back to Santa Fe? Would the woman finally put down roots there in her own hometown? The fact that she was young meant she still had plenty of time to meet Mr. Right, to get her life sorted out. If everything ever fell into place for a woman like that, would she consider having more kids one day when she met said Mr. Right?

  He admired her persistence, the way she hadn’t given up on finding her child. Hell, who was he kidding? He couldn’t wait to get her in the sack, a real bed this time, preferably his own.