Dangerous Reunion (Love Inspired Suspense) (6 page)

She held up the note. “My mysterious caller has now left me a message.”

Brock squinted at the letter in her hand. “What does it say?”

Kate took a deep breath and dropped her gaze to the note. “It says—
Dear Kate, do you know the ‘Somebody Done Somebody Wrong’ song? If you don’t, you will soon.
”

The muscle in Brock’s jaw twitched, and he shook his head. “I don’t like this, Kate. First this guy uses a song title to let you know he’s going to be seeing you, then he sends a message that sounds like he has a grudge against you. Can you think of anybody that might want to harm you?”

She thought for a moment. “No. If I have any enemies on Ocracoke, I don’t know about it.” She glanced at Calvin. “Can you think of anybody that might want to target me?”

“Of course not. Everybody loves you, Kate. I’ve never heard one person say a bad thing about you.”

Brock directed a piercing stare at her. “Think of people you’ve arrested in the past. Maybe someone who went to prison. Is there any one of them who might secretly be waiting to get even?”

She shook her head. “The only one I’ve arrested that spent any time in jail is Jake. But he’s dead.”

“Then maybe it’s one of his friends. It could even be the guy on the phone.”

Kate thought about that. “But he acted like he didn’t know Jake.”

“He could have been trying to throw you off his trail. It seems likely that they’re the same person. You’ve had a murder and an exploding bomb today. What are the odds of having two serious crimes committed by different people in a day’s time on Ocracoke?”

Calvin spoke up. “Not very big.” He turned to Kate. “I think Brock may be right, Kate.”

She sighed and dropped the note in the bag with the envelope. “I think so, too. But there’s nothing we can do about it now. Let’s finish up here. It looks like the thief cleaned up after himself well. If he wiped everything down, we probably won’t find a fingerprint anywhere. Even if we did, it could be from anybody who’s rented the boat before. Right now what we could use is a good lead.”

Calvin glanced at Kate. “Why don’t you and Brock go on? I’ll finish up here and get back on duty. I’ll let you know if anything comes up tonight.”

“Are you sure you’re going to be all right? You were on duty last night, and you came in this morning.”

Calvin waved his hand in dismissal. “I slept a few hours on the cot in the back room at the station this afternoon. So I’ll be all right.”

“You call if you need me,” Kate said.

“I will. Go on now.” Calvin turned and picked up the evidence bag.

Kate stepped onto the dock, and Brock followed. As she walked back to the squad car, she watched the vehicles boarding the ferry to Hatteras. Carloads of tourists arrived and left the island each day. When you added all the visitors to the year-round residents, there were thousands of people driving and walking around Ocracoke on any given day in the summer. Now one of them held a grudge against her.

She had no idea who it might be, but she knew she had to find him before Treasury and her sisters found out about the threats. They would insist she leave the island and turn the investigation over to Sheriff Baxter. She couldn’t do that.

She glanced at Brock walking beside her. She’d been upset when she saw him on the beach. Now, as much as she hated to admit it, she was glad he was here. For the first time in years she didn’t feel alone. She needed a good investigator, and Brock was that, all right. She just had to make sure she didn’t let her feelings go any further.

A
n hour later Brock and Kate sat on the wraparound back porch of the bed-and-breakfast at one of the white wicker tables where Treasury’s guests ate breakfast. Their empty plates sat on the table, and the small hurricane lamp in the center of the table cast a yellow glow in the dark night.

Brock tilted his head and listened. “It’s so peaceful here. It’s really different from Nashville.”

Kate took a sip of coffee from the cup she held, settled back in her chair and glanced at Brock. He’d been quiet since they left the ferry terminal. She crossed her legs and gazed into the darkness. “It makes today almost seem like a dream.”

He glanced at her. “How long has it been since you’ve had as many incidents as you had today?”

“I can’t remember a day like this. When the tourists are here, we usually have some drunks, and we’ve had some drug problems, but nothing like today.”

He put his hands behind his head, stretched his legs out in front of him and scooted down into the chair. He closed his eyes for a moment. “In my job, it’s worse than this for me every day.”

“I can imagine. It stands to reason that a city would have more crime. But that’s what you wanted.”

He sighed. “Yeah, I did, and I got what I wanted.”

They sat in silence for a moment before Kate spoke again. “Did you get enough to eat?”

He chuckled and reached down to pat his stomach. “I don’t know if it’s the sea air or if I haven’t had any good home cooking in a while, but that baked shrimp was delicious. Do you and your sisters eat here often?”

“Every chance we get. My job keeps me busy, and Betsy’s paintings of Ocracoke wildlife and landscapes are in high demand by tourists now. She’s also getting ready for a showing in an art gallery in Raleigh. So that leaves little time for cooking, and Treasury enjoys having us here. She takes care of Emma, and Emma follows her everywhere. I think Emma may turn out to be the best cook in the family.”

Brock pushed up to a sitting position in his chair before he swiveled and stared at her. “You’ve built a good life here with your sisters, Kate. I’m happy for you.”

Her skin warmed at the piercing stare he directed at her. She picked up her cup and took another drink. “Thank you, Brock. And I’m happy you’ve reconnected with your father.”

“So am I. When I was growing up, I couldn’t understand why my father left us. My mother wouldn’t talk to me about him, and I thought it was my fault he’d gone away. Then during my teenage years, I told myself I hated him, but it wasn’t true. No matter how hard I tried to deny it, I knew I still loved him and wanted to know him.”

“I heard you say you hated him many times, but I wondered if you really did.”

Brock nodded. “I realized the truth when I walked into that hospital room and saw him near death. I wanted him to live more than I’ve ever wanted anything. He opened his eyes, and the first thing he did was ask for my forgiveness. He said he left because he was an alcoholic and thought my mother and I would be better off without him. Five years ago, he ended up in a homeless shelter, and they helped him overcome his alcoholism.”

“Why didn’t he contact you then?”

“I asked him that, and he said he thought I probably didn’t want to see him. It was the director of the shelter who called me about the accident. He thought I should know, and I’m thankful for that.”

“Does your mother know what has happened?”

“Yes. I love my mother, but she’s remarried and lives in New Jersey. I don’t see her very often. Now that my father’s back in my life, I’m beginning to see how important family can be. I’m sorry I didn’t understand that six years ago.”

Kate’s heart thudded, and she took a deep breath. “It
is
important. Betsy, Emma and I are fortunate to have each other, but there’s something missing.”

He turned a questioning gaze toward her. “What?”

She took another sip of coffee before she answered. “Right before my father died, he told us something that we’d never known. He said that when he was a young man, he left Ocracoke to work on the mainland. He met a woman, married her and had a son.”

“You have a brother?”

“Yes. My father’s first wife died soon after their son was born, and her sister offered to help him care for the baby. When the baby was nearly a year old, Dad decided to come back to Ocracoke. His sister-in-law became upset that he was going to take his son away from her. One day when he was at work, she took the boy, whose name was Scott, and disappeared. The police looked everywhere for her, but it was no use. It was like she had disappeared into thin air.”

Brock’s eyes were wide. “Wow. That must have been tough.”

“It was. After several months, my father moved back here. He’d dated my mother before he moved away, and they renewed their relationship and married. But he never gave up trying to find Scott. That was his greatest disappointment—that he was dying without knowing what happened to his son.”

“So do you and your sisters still want to find him?”

“Yes. We’ve searched on the internet for the past three years, but we haven’t been able to find anything. But then, we’re not sure where to search. We don’t know if his name is still Scott Michaels or if his aunt changed it. He probably has no idea we even exist. But we feel that there’s a piece of our family missing, and we won’t be satisfied until we find him.”

Brock leaned forward and crossed his arms on top of the wicker table. “Then why not hire a private investigator?”

Kate laughed. “Because they cost a lot of money, and we don’t have any. Besides we don’t have anything that might help. His aunt even took his birth certificate.”

Brock thought for a moment. “I have a friend in Nashville who is a private investigator. He’s a master at finding missing relatives. He owes me a favor. Would you like for me to ask him to see what he could find out?”

Kate reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. “Oh, Brock, would you? This means so much to me, and we’d be grateful for anything he could do.”

He looked down at her hand on his, then placed his other one on top of hers. “I’ll call him tomorrow. I’ll do anything I can to help you find your brother, Kate.”

Kate stiffened at the tone of his voice. How many times in the past had they sat with his hands wrapped around hers when they talked of their future? A sinking feeling started in the pit of her stomach and rose to her throat.

What was she doing? Yesterday she only had bitter memories of Brock Gentry. Tonight she sat on Treasury’s back porch holding hands with him. She couldn’t be drawn in by him again. He would only hurt her like he had before.

Kate jerked her hand loose and pushed to her feet. She stumbled backward, knocking her chair to the floor. “I told you that I would help you with your problems while you were on the island, but that doesn’t mean we can ever go back to where we were. I appreciate your help today, and I will be forever grateful if your friend can find my brother. But that’s as far as it will ever go with us. Do you understand?”

He rose and faced her. “I’m sorry, Kate. The good meal and the moonlight is probably to blame for my momentary lapse in judgment. I respect how you feel, and it won’t happen again.”

She took a deep breath. “Good. Now I need to get home. Betsy and Emma left while we were at the ferry, and I need to check on them. Maybe I’ll see you tomorrow.”

She turned toward the porch steps, but he stepped around her and blocked her way. “Is it all right if I come by your office and bring Dillon? He seems eager to meet your island historian.”

She hesitated before she answered. “Come about ten. I’ll have Grady there.”

“See you then.”

Kate turned and hurried down the back steps to her squad car parked in the driveway. When she climbed inside, she cranked the engine and looked back at Brock. He still stood where she left him.

She put the car in gear and headed for home. As she drove through the village, she watched the tourists who still walked along the streets or rode bicycles. She pulled to a stop at a crosswalk and waited for a group of college-age kids to walk in front of her car. They were laughing, and it reminded her of another lifetime when she and Brock were that young.

Kate glanced down at her hand on the steering wheel. It burned as if Brock’s touch had seared her skin. She raised her arm and flexed her fingers. For a moment tonight she had almost forgotten. Almost, but not quite.

Brock Gentry was a part of her past, and she would never let her guard down again with him. She had loved him once, and it had left deep scars on her heart that were just now beginning to fade. She couldn’t take a chance on reopening them.

Kate glanced at the clock on the squad car’s dash the next morning as she pulled to a stop at the ramp leading to the spot on the beach where Jake’s body had been discovered. Nine o’clock. She had time to check out the beach before she met Brock and Dillon. She climbed out and walked toward the National Park Service truck that sat beside the road. Clay Phillips, the park ranger in charge of the island lighthouse, stood next to it.

“Morning, Clay. How are you?”

A hammer dangled from his hand. He raised it and pointed toward the large sign sticking in the ground at the entrance to the beach.

“I’m good. Had to put out the signs.”

Kate glanced toward the large waves crashing on the seashore. Their high-energy surge provided the perfect circumstances to spawn the deadly currents that claimed too many lives on the Outer Banks. “Surf’s really up.”

Clay pointed down the beach. “Yeah, and would you just look at that?”

Chairs, some covered by large umbrellas, dotted the beach where groups had claimed their territory for the day. Several children played in the surf, and a group of teenagers batted a volleyball back and forth over a net.

Kate inclined her head in the direction of the sun worshippers. “Do they know about the currents?”

Clay’s mouth thinned into a straight line. “I told each group, but it didn’t do any good.” He shook his head in disgust. “I’ll never understand why people ignore our warnings.”

Kate nodded and turned her attention to the ocean and the huge waves that crashed then rippled over the sand. One after another they washed across the area where Jake’s body had been found. She pointed to the spot. “That’s where we found Jake’s body yesterday.”

Clay opened the toolbox in the back of his truck and tossed the hammer inside. “I know all about it.”

Kate chuckled. “You’ve heard, huh?”

Clay’s tanned face broke into a big grin. “Yeah. I stopped at the Sandwich Shop yesterday to get my morning coffee. Grady was having a great time holding court while he gave all the details of his morning adventure.” He placed his hands on his hips and leaned against the tailgate of his truck. “Are you looking for evidence?”

Kate shrugged. “No. Just wanted to revisit the scene of the crime, I guess. Were you on the beach any yesterday?”

“No. I was on duty at the lighthouse all day.”

Kate smiled at the thought of the island lighthouse, which dated to the early 1800s. The lighthouse, the oldest one in North Carolina, was the most beloved structure on the island and still functioned as a navigational tool for ships. “I imagine you’re staying busy with tours for visitors now.”

He stared at her, and a warning triggered in Kate’s mind. He shook his head. “I’m never too busy for you, Kate. I keep hoping that one of these days you’re going to break down and go out with me.”

She tried to meet his gaze, but she couldn’t. She turned and stared down the beach. “Maybe. But I have a murder case to solve right now.”

Clay straightened and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Yeah, you’ve always got some excuse. Well, I’m not going to detain you any longer. If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

“Bye, Clay.”

She turned and hurried down to the beach where a group of teenage girls lay sprawled on beach towels soaking up the sun. “Hey, girls,” she said, “we’ve got riptides today. I’d stay out of the water if I were you.”

They raised their heads and stared at her through sunglass-covered eyes before they nodded and lay back down. Kate walked a little farther down the beach but glanced over her shoulder toward the road. She could still see Clay’s truck parked in front of her squad car. What was taking him so long to leave? Had she made him angry?

Ever since he’d come to the island six months ago, he’d tried to get her to go out with him. At first he’d been very insistent, but he hadn’t seemed as interested lately. She’d hoped he’d found someone else to focus on. Maybe she’d been wrong.

As she watched, the truck roared to life and pulled away from the beach ridge. She watched the truck disappear and she turned back to look at the ocean. The water looked rough this morning. There were no fishing boats in sight. At least she wasn’t being observed like yesterday.

After stopping to talk to each group on the beach and warn them of the dangers, she headed back to her car. She stopped at the top of the beach ramp several minutes later and gazed over the sandy expanse once more before she walked past the dunes. It was hard to believe that just yesterday a man had been murdered in the tranquil setting.

Giving the beach area one last glance, she trudged toward her car. Perspiration dotted her brow from the hot sun overhead. It was getting late, and she’d told Brock she’d meet him and Dillon at the station at ten o’clock.

Kate opened the door of the squad car and was about to climb in when she saw something. She closed her eyes for a moment and reopened them to make sure she wasn’t imagining the envelope taped to the steering wheel of her squad car. Her name in large block letters stood out on its surface like a blinking neon sign.

She reached for the envelope but drew back. Don’t touch it without gloves on, she thought. A box of latex gloves sat in her trunk, and within minutes she had pulled on a pair. Carefully extracting the note from the steering wheel, she pulled the flap from inside the envelope and removed a single sheet of paper. Her heart pumped, and her eyes grew wide at the words printed on the paper.