He extended his hand again, but she pulled away.
“Let’s call it a day, okay? There’s so much going on tomorrow. You have a murder to solve, and I have all these people to keep happy.” She wiped away an imaginary tear. “See you in the morning.”
She left so abruptly he was unable to think or say anything other than a reluctant, “Right. Tomorrow.”
He waited while she rushed up the path toward the house. When she disappeared inside, his gaze darted up to the moon, and his emotions struggled to find solid ground.
“I can’t take another ending,” he said into the breeze. For a moment, he glared at the rocks where Jim Gordon had died, then the waxing gibbous moon and the house left to him by his grandfather. Finally, he simply stood watching the ocean, counting seconds between waves, and kept asking the same question. “What kinds of secrets did you have, Captain Jack?”
Chapter 39
ALEX
June 17
Hey Journal,
I’m up in my room cause I’m sad and don’t want to talk to anybody. I moved my chair so I can look out the window. That kinda helps, but it sucks cause my dad is making a huge mistake. He likes that Miss Potok. He’s so wrong about her.
Daddy and Marquetta belong together. I didn’t see that before, but now I do.
I stop writing cause I’m not sure what to say next. When I look out the window, Daddy and Marquetta are out on the patio. Talking. It looks like they might be going for a walk.
My eyes are watery and I guess it’s cause I’m so happy. I pick up my journal and draw a big heart on the page. In the middle of the heart, I write “Daddy & Marquetta.” The page gets all blurry again, but I start to write anyway.
Holy moly, Journal. It’s happening. My wish is coming true.
I’m like so happy. It’s gonna be totally awesome when Marquetta marries Daddy and becomes my mom. It’s the same way I always dreamed it would be with my mom and dad. I feel stupid now for trying to set him up with Bella. She’s nice, but she never paid a lot of attention to me or my dad. But, Marquetta’s always cool. She’s the one who told me I should write down my innermost thoughts. And right now I got a bunch of them.
This could be that reverse psychology thing Daddy talks about sometimes. He says you can make somebody do something by telling them to do the opposite. Maybe that’s what happened with him and Miss Potok. Daddy doesn’t like being manipulated. He said that’s what my mom always did, and he never wants it to happen again. I never asked what he meant by it. Maybe I get how he feels now.
I gotta find a way to prove Miss Potok is doing the same thing my mom used to do. If I don’t, I could wind up like those kids in the movies. You know, the ones who get sent away cause their new stepmom wants them to go to boarding school.
This time when I look outside Marquetta’s running this way. But my dad’s still down by the water. She stops at the edge of the patio and looks back. When she turns around, she’s got tears running down her cheeks. What happened? Did they have a fight? No way! I gotta stop her before she leaves.
I push my chair back and run out the door.
At the top of the stairs, I see her. She’s on her way to the front door.
“Marquetta! Wait!”
She doesn’t hear me. If I hurry down there, I can stop her.
My ankle slips.
Somebody screams. Me?
My back hits something hard. “Ow!”
There’s the ceiling. And the floor.
The ceiling again.
When I open my eyes, Marquetta is holding me. My fingers touch her arm. “You’re real…”
“Alex? Are you okay?”
“I think so. My ankle. It hurts. Bad. My back, too.”
“Why were you running down the stairs?”
“I had to stop you before you left.”
She hugs me. I lean my head into her arm. It’s soft. Warm. And the pain is a little better.
“How many fingers?”
“Five.”
“I was holding up two.”
“Yeah, but you have five. Ow, that hurts. Ow, ow…I can’t laugh.”
A man walks up and stands over us. I smile at him. “Hi, Deputy Cunningham.”
“What the heck happened here?” He kneels down and touches my ankle. “I don’t think it’s broken. To be safe, we should get an x-ray.”
“Let’s hope she only twisted it,” Marquetta says.
“I’m gonna be okay now.”
“Adam, can you carry her into the kitchen?”
“Sure. Come on, munchkin.”
He groans as he lifts me. “Oh, wow, you’re getting heavy.” Then, he carries me into the kitchen and puts me on the island.
“Awesome! I’ve never sat on the counter before.”
“Don’t try it again, either.”
Marquetta tries to sound mean, but I can tell she’s totally worried about me.
“It’s just a few bumps and bruises,” Deputy Cunningham says.
“We need to tell Rick what’s happened. Adam, would you get him? He’s down by the shore.”
“Sure thing. Be right back.”
Once Deputy Cunningham is out of the room, Marquetta looks at me. Her eyes are all red.
“Now, tell me why you were running down those stairs.”
I gotta admit, Marquetta is super intimidating. She’s totally intense. So I tell her about Daddy and Miss Potok and then I tell her how I heard Mr. Joshua and Mr. Luhan talking and what they were saying. And most of all, how I’m afraid she’s gonna leave us.
When I’m done, she clears her throat and goes to the window. “Where’s your dad? Why isn’t Adam back already?”
“You’re gonna tell Daddy everything, aren’t you?”
She comes and sits on one of the stools. “Yes, Sweetie. I have to. Actually, you’re the one who should do that.”
I hang my head. “I know. Is he gonna send me away?”
Marquetta doesn’t seem to understand. “Where would he send you? Better yet, why would you think he’d do that?”
“Because I’ve been doing what he said I shouldn’t.” My eyes burn and my voice is all creaky. “He’s probably tired of me. My mom got tired of me. He probably is, too.”
She holds me until I stop shaking. “Sweetheart, your dad loves you more than you could possibly know. He will never leave you. He might discipline you when you’re in the wrong, but he won’t ever give up on you.” A couple of her tears drip from her cheek onto my shirt. She wipes at her cheek and sucks in a quick breath. “And neither will I.”
Oh my God. Does she mean what I think she does? “You’re not going away?”
“No, Sweetie. I won’t leave you.”
I can’t stop myself from burying my face in her shoulder and blubbering like a baby. “I wish Daddy was here.”
“I don’t understand why they’re not back yet. Sweetie, you stay right there while I go check on them.”
“Okay.”
She slips away and I wrap my arms around my knees. My ankle’s swollen, but I’m totally okay now. Marquetta’s staying. I rock back and forth on the counter. I haven’t been so warm and happy inside for such a long time. We’re gonna be like a real family.
And then Marquetta screams. She runs to the patio door.
“Stay where you are, Alex. Don’t move!”
Chapter 40
RICK
Rick stood on the spot where they discovered Jim Gordon’s body. The same question still nagged at him. He’d gone back and forth in his reasoning, but the bottom line was he had to know how Gordon got on this rock. It was several feet above the ocean and perfectly dry, yet his clothes had been wet.
With the tide out, the ocean’s surface lay two feet below the top of the rock closest to the water. But, larger incoming surges washed right over the tops. Rick hopped carefully from boulder to the next to get closer. He stood looking straight down at the water. An incoming wave slammed into his ankles. He tottered on the slippery surface, bu
t kept his balance.
As the water swirled through the crevices and gradually drained back to the sea, he also wondered if it was even possible for a man to climb out without help.
He had to know. Everything depended on that one answer. If it was possible for Gordon to have made it out on his own, the killer might be anyone. If he needed help, it would have taken a strong man. That would narrow the list of suspects. He took a deep breath. Steeled himself for the next surge.
It came.
Retreated.
He watched. Contemplated. So much force. He had to return to safety.
A movement caught his attention, and he turned toward shore to see who was coming. It was Adam.
The roar of another surge filled the air.
Rick whirled around. White foam curled forward into a powerful waterfall. This one approached with frightening speed. Adam yelled, but the approaching roar drowned out his words. Rick stared at the wave approaching. It could easily knock him off his feet. He braced himself, but the wave hit a with a power stronger than anything he could have imagined.
In the momentary silence when the wave reversed direction, he heard Adam yell. “Get out of there!”
But instead of taking a step back, Rick struggled just to maintain his balance. His legs quivered. The force sucking him away from shore intensified. His pulse raced. The strength of the pull grew. One foot slipped, and he jumped to avoid falling onto the rocks.
The tide pulled him ten feet in seconds. The shock of landing in a sixty-degree ocean drove the breath from his lungs. He spit out salt water and forced himself to inhale. His eyes burned, and he choked as he took in more water. Desperate to find a point of reference, he kicked furiously.
The B&B appeared in his vision. Home. Safety.
Cold seeped through his clothing and skin to his bones. It was impossible to breathe normally. His breaths came machine-gun fast. His thoughts fragmented. The current shoved him wherever it wanted. Fighting it wasted energy. He had to keep a point of reference. The house. Stay with it. It’s the beacon. The force that would keep him alive.
It held his life. Marquetta. Alex.
Oh God, no. Was Alex watching? Would she see him die?
Rick’s teeth chattered as the next frigid wave carried him toward the rocks.
Adam stood where Rick had been pulled in. Rick’s pulse raged almost as loud as the tide. He twisted sideways just as he slammed into a massive boulder. Excruciating pain shot through his spine as he caromed off the rocks.
Above, a hand reached for him. But it was too far away. Rick thrashed toward Adam, but the tide dragged him further away. Already the bone-chilling cold dulled his senses. The pull lessened. This was the lull he’d expected before. The moment the flow reversed direction.
He swam to his left. A wave caught his body and propelled him forward. He got his feet in front of him. Kicked against the driving force. Another waste of energy. His foot hit the rocks and slid off even as his hand scraped against a rough surface. He tried to grab hold, but it was slimy and impossible to grip.
Adam still lay on the rock reaching out. But his hand was so far up. Rick promised that if he got out of this, he was changing his life. He had to do it. For Alex. For himself.
Rick kicked and reached up with one hand. Adam seized Rick’s wrist and it felt like his arm had been yanked it out of its socket.
“Pull, Rick! Or we’re both dead men.”
The tide sucked against his body like a giant vacuum. Rick heaved against the seaward siphon until only his feet were in the water. Sheets cascaded from his clothing as he hung above the trough, but they were still within reach of the next crest.
The deputy’s grip anchored him as he found a crevice with his right foot. He pushed down and stumbled forward, then collapsed on a rock. His body shook uncontrollably, and he gasped for air. Adam landed on the rock next to him. Rick looked around. He was safe on a boulder high and dry. Just like Jim Gordon had been.
Everything ached. He coughed out seawater and inhaled short gulps of air. The rock’s warmth did nothing to lessen the cold deep in his bones. He lay there, his pulse still pounding in his ears.
Adam leaned on his elbows, gasping. “What in God’s name were you trying to prove?”
“I got too close.” Another chill coursed through Rick’s spine. “Thank you. You saved my life.”
“You almost got us both killed.”
Another wave washed over the rock Rick had stood on when he’d been thrown off-balance. It might have only been moments before, but right now it felt like a lifetime away. Another shiver ran through him. “That water is freaking frigid.” A few seconds later, he added, “Sorry, Adam. I had a theory. At least now I know.”
“What? What was so important you had to pull a stunt like that?”
“It’s all crystal clear now. When Gordon was out there, he was probably scared to death. He would have done or said anything to save himself.”
“You had to risk your life to figure that out?” Adam laughed over the crash of another wave. “And here I thought you were a smart guy. Didn’t anyone around here ever tell you to never turn your back on the ocean?”
Rick chuckled. “Guess not. Thanks for sharing.”
Adam groaned. His body shook as he got up on one knee. “Everything hurts. We’re both lucky to be alive.”
“I can barely move. Gordon must have been the same way. You know what that means, right?”
“That you’re the luckiest guy alive,” Deputy Cunningham said.
“I’d agree with that, but it also means Gordon didn’t pull himself out. He had to have help. And it had to be a man—someone big enough and strong enough to not be pulled in, too.”
“So you’re theory is this Good Samaritan helped him out and then killed him? That’s weird.”
“Adam, I’d bet almost anything Gordon made a promise to save his life. I sure did. We just have to figure out what that promise was.”
“Fat lot of good it did him.”
Adam extended a shaky hand to help Rick up. Rick’s knees trembled too much to stand on his own, so they steadied each other as they made their way across the rocks.
“I suspect Gordon changed his mind the minute he was on dry land. Whoever he made the promise to was probably furious after they saved him, and he reneged. There’s only one thing I can think of that would have caused that kind of reaction, Adam.”
“Losing the treasure they’re all after?”
“I’m not sure the murder had anything to do with the treasure. This was deeply personal.”
Chapter 41
RICK
Rick turned at the sound of running footsteps. Marquetta raced toward them, a mask of fear covering her face. With Adam’s help, Rick inched in her direction. He wanted to embrace her and assure her he hadn’t been trying to kill himself. He reached out, but she stopped short.
“Are you out of your mind?” Marquetta glared at him.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize how stupid it was to get so close.”
She clasped her arms around her. “When I saw you, I thought I was going to…Alex was going to lose you.”
A little tinge of warmth filled Rick’s insides. She cared. “I’m here.”
Marquetta snapped, “Alex needs you.” She glanced up at the B&B. Rick followed her gaze. Alex stood on one leg, using the back of an Adirondack chair as a brace while she kept her other foot off the ground.
“What happened?” Rick asked.
“That’s what I was trying to tell you when you decided to go bodysurfing,” Adam said. “She took a little tumble down the stairs.”
“Is she hurt?”
“If you hadn’t survived…ooh, men!” Marquetta stalked back toward the house.
Supported by Deputy Cunningham, Rick hobbled up the path. His knees trembled as they walked. Adam advised him to slow down, but Rick kept pushing and didn’t stop until he stumbled onto the patio and held Alex in his arms.
A shudder ran through
her body. The magnitude of his mistake slammed into Rick just as the tide had driven him into the rocks. “I’m so sorry, Alex. I don’t know what I was thinking.”
“I was afraid you were gonna die, Daddy.”
“No, kiddo. I had no intention of dying.” And yet, he’d done something so stupid it could have happened easily. “Everything’s okay now. We’re all fine.”
He wrapped himself in a beach towel Marquetta handed him and collapsed into the nearest chair. Alex crawled onto his lap as Marquetta and Adam watched them. The others appeared completely drained, much like he felt. Marquetta held her hand over her mouth. It appeared she might burst into tears at any moment.
“I’m sorry I gave you all a scare,” Rick said. “I had this theory about Gordon’s murder. Everything seemed to hinge on whether he made it out of that water on his own.”
Alex leaned back and peered at him. “Why’s that matter, Daddy?”
“If Mr. Gordon pulled himself out, it would mean he laid there on the rocks until someone came along and killed him. But, if he had help getting out it would have been…”
“A crime of passion!” Alex squealed.
“Oh, Lordy, what a world we live in.
Rick blew out a slow breath and nodded at Marquetta. “I agree.” He glanced at Deputy Cunningham, who looked grim.
“So our original theory that the others turned the body over isn’t possible,” the deputy said. “And you think our killer is a strong man who murdered Gordon because he was angered. Plus, we’re throwing out the lost treasure angle.”
“You may not want to discard that theory quite yet,” Marquetta said. “We might have something.”
Rick glanced at her, then Alex. “We?”
“Precisely,” Marquetta said as she nodded at Alex.
“Daddy? There’s something I have to tell you.”
Alex rocked back and forth on Rick’s lap, each tiny movement a painful reminder of how much his body would ache for the next few days.
“Okay, kiddo. What’s up?”
“Mr. Luhan and Mr. Joshua are friends.”
A Treasure to Die For (A Seaside Cove Bed & Breakfast Mystery Book 1) Page 14