"Probably Norfolk. I think it’s the closest big airport. Even then, it will probably be difficult to get a direct flight to Fort Myers."
"Well, if there’s anything we can do, you know we’ll be happy to help out in any way, Matt. Just say the word," Alex said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that."
Nathan put down his phone and rubbed his face. "I have some news too. Alex, I hate having to do this…you know the call I got during dinner?"
Alex nodded, his face expressionless.
"Well, that project—it’s really gone haywire. I’m going to have to go back to Tarpon Springs."
"For how long?"
"I’m not sure. Hopefully just a few days. I’m really sorry. I know I promised that I wouldn’t let work interfere with our trip. I really don’t know what else to do though. Things have gotten worse there, not better, in the past two days."
Alex said, "It’s okay, Nathan. I understand. I know it was a rush to try to get things wrapped up before we left."
"But I want you and Shelby to go on, if you want to. I don’t want you getting hung up in limbo just because of me."
"Shelby, you good with that?" Matt asked.
Truthfully, I felt a little nervous about it, but I nodded. "Sure. If Alex wants to keep moving, we’ll go, and we can figure out later where to meet up with you both. Alex, what do you think?"
Alex said, "Yes, if everyone else is fine with that, let’s do that."
"Nathan, I’m getting ready to book Matt’s airline ticket," I said, reaching behind me and hauling out my laptop. "Do you want me to book one for you too?"
"Yes, that would be great," he said, digging into his wallet and handing me his credit card. I started with Matt’s and then did Nathan’s. Both were leaving mid-morning, and neither had a direct flight, so it would be a long day for them. I clicked through some more websites.
"I think it’s going to be less expensive if we rent a car and drive to the airport. It’s a couple hours away. We can take a taxi to pick up the car."
Matt nodded. "Thanks, Shelby. Well, I’m going to pack a few things and then get to bed."
"Me too," Nathan said.
Matt and Nathan packed while Alex and I got the morning’s breakfast prep done. A little while later, we all said good night and went to our berths. I slept in the salon again, leaving the aft cabin to Matt again, figuring he might want some privacy tonight. I had a hard time going to sleep. There was too much to think about. Matt. Henry. Rumbar. The shadow passenger.
Matt.
The last time I checked, it was after midnight. Finally, I drifted off.
✽✽✽
THURSDAY MORNING WAS sunny and hot. We’d been planning to leave the dock today, but now we’d decided to stay one more night since it would be afternoon before we returned from taking Matt and Nathan to the airport.
My phone rang just as we got into the rental car. "Hi, Shelby, it’s Trish. Sorry that I didn’t get a chance to say much to you last night."
"I understand. Matt’s right here. Would you like to talk to him?"
"Yes, thanks." I handed the phone to Matt, who was sitting beside me in the backseat, and then buckled my seatbelt. Alex was in the driver’s seat, with Nathan riding shotgun.
I couldn’t make out much from Matt’s side of the conversation, since Trish was doing most of the talking. Matt laughed a couple times, which I took as a good sign. After he hung up and handed my phone back, he said, "He’s doing a little bit better. They think he might be able to have visitors by the time I get there."
"That’s great, Matt. Who’s with him now?"
"My mom and dad drove down as soon as they heard, and Trish and Andi are driving down there together right now. Poor Trish." He grinned and said to Nathan and Alex, "I don’t know if Shelby’s told you about my family, but my older sister, Andi, is a real pill. It’s about a six-hour drive, and Trish will be ready for a sedative by the time they get there." Alex and Nathan both laughed.
"Is Franklin going to be able to get there?" Franklin was Matt’s brother. He lived in Chicago.
"Yeah, he’s planning on it, but he’s not sure when he’ll get there."
"Tell him hello from me."
He smiled at me. "I will, and he’ll be glad to hear from you. I’ll call you when we know more."
The drive to the Norfolk airport took a couple of hours. Matt got quiet, looking out the window; his earlier optimism had dimmed a little. Just Add Water had been Henry’s boat, and the two had a bond closer than most fathers and sons. I reached over and patted his hand.
He smiled at me and seemed to withdraw from his worries. He turned his hand over and held it out to me, palm up. I slipped my hand into his, and he squeezed tight. In a low voice, he said, "I’m sorry we didn’t get to finish our conversation last night." My heart thumped. I still didn’t know what I wanted to say, what I wanted to do. "But we’ll talk about it more when I get back. Okay?"
I nodded.
Matt grinned at me. "You should know that I’m not going to give up easily. Not now that I’ve said my piece. And especially since you didn’t say no right off. To hell with your Rule."
Looking at me over his shoulder, Nathan asked, "What are you two whispering about back there?"
"Nothing," said Matt. "By the way, Shelby, what did you do with the impellers you guys bought the other day?"
Oh, damn it!
"Awwww, jeez! Matt, I’m sorry. I didn’t write it on my list, then when we ran into Grace, I completely forgot about it. I’m really sorry." I felt a deep tug of guilt. My disorganization had caused problems before. You’d think by the time I was in my mid-thirties, I’d be reasonably responsible. But no.
"That’s all right. The boat’s just sitting at the dock now, so it’s fine. Just make sure you get some spares before you get underway tomorrow. The one in there now looks like it might be wearing out."
I nodded. "I will. I won’t forget this time." I pulled out my purse and found a piece of paper to write it down.
"And…one more thing."
I waited. Matt hesitated, looking at me with an intent expression. "I don’t want to scare you, but do you remember the self-defense stuff I showed you?"
After we’d come back from our last cruise, during which we were hijacked and I was forced at gunpoint off our boat, I’d asked him to teach me some basic self-defense. He’d taken the request to heart, showing me how to protect myself. Quite frankly, either being that physical with Matt or that aggressive in general had given me an adrenalin buzz. But now, I felt a chill.
Trying to sound reassuring, I said, "The guy’s in jail, Matt. And you said yourself, the other guy is probably long gone. I’ll be fine. Everything will be okay. Don’t worry about me."
"Just keep it all in mind, okay, Shelbs? And don't go anywhere alone. Stay with Alex."
I nodded, then looked away. I didn’t want to think anymore about Scar Guy. Johnny Rumbar. Even locked up, he made me afraid. And despite what I'd just said to Matt, I was afraid of the other guy, too.
✽✽✽
AT THE AIRPORT, Matt and Nathan checked in, then we each got a soda to drink. We were early, so were sitting together for a few more minutes before Matt and Nathan went through security. I sat next to Matt in one row of uncomfortable airport seats, and Nathan and Alex sat in the row facing us.
Matt finished his drink before the rest of us and got up to throw away his cup. "I guess we’d better go on through now."
"Hope you have a good flight," Alex said, "And that your grandfather is all right." Matt nodded his thanks. Nathan said goodbye to us, then Alex and Nathan stood up and began walking toward the security gate to say their goodbyes to each other.
Matt turned to me. "Be safe, Shelby. I’ll be back soon."
He folded his arms around me. I held him tightly, breathing in his comforting man-scent.
Okay, it was more than just comforting.
It was…enticing.
I stepped back, feeling flustered. M
att kept his arms loosely around my waist as he looked down at me. He started to say something, but hesitated. He leaned toward me.
Then, I heard Alex’s voice behind me, saying, "Shelby, I’m going to stop by the men’s room before we head back."
Matt released me abruptly.
"Oh, uh, sorry," Alex said. "I didn’t mean to interrupt."
Guiltily, I stepped away from Matt but misjudged my footing and ended up backing into the row of seats where we’d been sitting. Matt reached forward to grab me as my arms started to flail senselessly, but I tripped over my own feet and sat down hard on the ridge that divided two seats, with an oomph of pain.
And if that weren’t bad enough, my foot slipped and I knocked over my nearly full Coke, sending a river of sticky liquid swirling around Matt’s duffel bag and soaking the entire bottom of it.
I closed my eyes, mortified. Could I possibly have behaved like a bigger fool? As the enduring wisdom of the Magic 8 Ball would have it: My sources say no.
When I managed to get back to my feet, I nearly pushed Matt toward the security gate, avoiding his gaze when he turned a few times to look over his shoulder. He was grinning at me, damn him.
✽✽✽
ON THE DRIVE back, Alex chatted tactfully about the next day's plans, although I caught him giving me a sideways look a few times. I was pretty sure he wanted to talk about Matt, and I was pretty sure I didn’t want to. Finally, he said, "You know, Shelby, I just want to say one thing. I just want to say it's so obvious that you two are meant to be together."
I opened my mouth to launch into a vigorous defense of The Rule, but Alex made a shushing motion with one hand and said, "Just hear me out. I know what you're worried about, but don't use that 'risk losing a friend' thing with Matt. It's not going to happen. And besides, aren't you getting ahead of yourself? Do you have so little faith that the relationship will work?"
"Well, my track record to date is pretty bleak. I'm in my mid-thirties, I've had two serious boyfriends, dated a lot, and nothing's worked out so far. I wouldn't say it's lack of faith, I would say it's based on history."
"You just haven't been with the right man yet, dear heart," Alex said, squeezing my hand. "Don't make him wait any longer, Shelby."
Changing the subject, I said, "How are you doing? You must be disappointed that Nathan's gone now."
"Wellllll, probably not as disappointed as you might think."
"Is everything okay between you?" I asked, startled.
Alex laughed. "Oh, yes, of course it is, in the big picture. I'm sorry that he had to leave, but frankly, Shelby, you've been around him lately and you know he's been no fun at all."
I had to admit the truth of that.
"He gets like this when he's stressed about work. To tell you the truth, it's just as well that he went home to get this straightened out. I've been having a great time, but I can only deal with him for so long when he's in this mood. He'll get this taken care of, and then when he comes back, he'll be back to his old self, and we'll all enjoy being around him again. We'll have a good time, you and me, until Matt and Nathan get back. I'm looking forward to it."
After we got back to Elizabeth City, we dropped off the rental car, then took a taxi back to the boat. As the taxi pulled up, we saw Duke sitting on a lawn chair, which he’d put on the sea wall next to the finger pier. His puppy eyes fastened on me.
Alex nudged me and said, "I think you’ve got a friend waiting there for you." He grinned at me, then looked past Duke. The grin slid off his face as he said, "Someone else is here, too, Shelby. Waiting for you."
Chapter 7
Detective Fairholm was sitting on the bench I’d napped on yesterday. He stood and came toward us. "Shelby, I tried calling you, but couldn’t get through. Is your phone on?"
I dug through my purse and pulled out my phone.
"Oops. Looks like the battery’s dead," I said, glad that Matt wasn’t there to mock me about letting my phone die…again. Guiltily, I hoped Trish hadn’t tried calling again after she and Matt had talked earlier.
Detective Fairholm looked at Alex and Duke, their faces avid with curiosity, and past them to Jane who was climbing off her boat and heading our way, her eyes riveted on him.
"Maybe the two of us could take a walk," he said.
"Sure," I said, following him along the walkway. He waited until we were out of earshot, then stopped, turning to face me. He shaded his eyes with his hand.
"I’m afraid I have some bad news for you." His tone of voice said not just bad, but really bad.
Goosebumps erupted on my arms.
"I’m really sorry about this, Shelby."
"Just tell me."
"Johnny Rumbar escaped custody. He’s out. And I think…I think he may be looking for you."
Chapter 8
I swallowed, staring out at the sparkling water. I felt numb and sick to my stomach.
"Look, I feel really terrible about this. I—we’re not sure what happened. There’s an investigation into it…" his voice trailed off.
"Escaped?" I repeated, latching onto the word that had the most meaning to me personally.
Detective Fairholm looked unhappy.
"What happened?"
"I can’t tell you a lot. Just that somehow, after the preliminary hearing, a big blond guy in a U.S. Marshals’ uniform—"
"Blond guy?"
"Yeah, you know someone like that?"
I told him about Jane’s stranger. He frowned, obviously not liking that. "Do you think that this is the person who was with Rumbar that night?"
"I just don't know. I didn't see the person at all that night. Just a shadow. I just…don't know."
He watched me for a moment before continuing his story.
"This blond guy showed up in a uniform and talked to the officer who was going to transport Rumbar back to jail after the hearing. The officer thought it was a real marshal and told him about the hearing. They were standing there talking when Rumbar came out. Then the blond guy walked away. We’re still not sure what happened, but right about that time, there was a big group of people yelling and a couple guys got into a fight. The officer was trying to help with crowd control, and he said next thing he knew, Rumbar was gone. Someone said they saw the blond guy driving a pick-up truck with Rumbar in it."
"But…wasn’t Rumbar in handcuffs or legcuffs or whatever they are?"
"Yeah. It happened so fast, but what we suspect is that the blond guy had his truck nearby, left it idling while he was talking to the officer, then made sure Rumbar had time to maneuver closer when the fight started to heat up. Then blond guy just got in his truck, pulled as close as he could get, opened the passenger door, yanked Rumbar inside, and drove off. They could cut off the cuffs later."
"Oh."
He scrunched his shoulders, helplessly. "I am sorry, Shelby."
"What…?" my voice sounded too tiny. I tried again. "What makes you think he’s looking for me?"
"When the blond guy was talking to the officer, he said something to him about hearing there was a witness and hoping that was true so that Rumbar would go down. The officer, well, he confirmed that. About you."
"So he—Johnny Rumbar—knows for sure I’m the witness?"
Detective Fairholm’s mouth tightened. "I’m afraid so."
"And, people knew to begin with because of Grace’s blog?"
"Yes. In his defense, the officer at the hearing thought he was talking to another law enforcement agent when he confirmed that it was you."
"Didn’t you say there’s a source in your office, someone that Grace knows?" I persisted.
The line of his mouth straightened to a thin flat line. "I probably shouldn’t have told you that. We’re not proud of that. We’re going to get to the bottom of it."
I nodded, numb. I could hear what he was saying, but somehow it seemed more like a distant buzzing and not real words.
After a few moments, I recovered a little. "Well, we’re heading out first thing tomorro
w morning. There’s no reason why I can’t leave, right?"
He shook his head. "If…when we nail him again, you may need to come back for the trial. But now, it probably would be best for you to go. And, if you want my advice, don’t tell anyone which way you’re headed. Just…go."
I thought back to casual conversations over the last few days and last night at the happy hour party. Had anyone mentioned where we were headed? Highly likely. Boaters are a curious, talkative bunch, and everyone always told everyone else where they were going.
"And, Shelby?"
I looked up at him. He hesitated, then said, "Look, as a cop, I shouldn’t say this. However." He took a deep breath. "You saw what he’s capable of. You know what kind of guy he is. We don’t have enough officers to give you full-time protection, but I’m going to ask a squad car to come by here every so often during each shift, to keep an eye on things. But after you leave, if he finds you…"
He seemed to be having an internal debate, cop versus man. I waited. Finally, he spoke.
"If he finds you, you do what it takes to keep yourself safe. Listen to me, Shelby. There will be no negative consequences for you, a woman like you defending herself from a guy like him. Do you understand what I’m telling you? A guy like him doesn’t understand morals. He doesn’t live by the rules. Don’t give him the benefit of the doubt, ever. Ever. He won’t hesitate to hurt you. So don’t let him."
I shuddered. A guy like him.
Detective Fairholm repeated, "Do you understand what I’m telling you?"
"Yes. I understand." I hesitated, then asked, "Is it true?"
"Is what true?"
"Grace Martin said that the guy Rumbar killed was his half-brother. Is that true?"
Detective Fairholm looked at the ground, then back up at me. "Yes. It’s true."
"Because his brother stole from him?"
"Yes, that’s more or less true. At least from Rumbar’s point of view. I’m sorry, I can’t really tell you more right now. This is still an ongoing investigation."
Telltale (Shelby Hope Book Two) (Shelby Hope Novels 2) Page 6